In modern media, Christians and Muslims are oftentimes portrayed as being at odds. Sadly, this is fostering a great deal of religious strife, causing both groups to be quick to denounce the other’s religion and way of life. When they do this, they are actually criticizing the parts of their own religions that both belief systems share as well, according to David J. Turlington, who graduated with his bachelor’s degree in theology from Marquette University in 2015. Islam and Christianity have a few noteworthy similarities with regard to some of the main players in both religions.
One of the biggest players in both Christianity and Islam is Abraham, as this figure is a patriarch for both Christians and Muslims. God promised to Abraham that he would make Abraham a great nation that would be blessed. God blessed Abraham’s son Isaac, the patriarch of today’s Judeo-Christianity, and he also blessed Abraham’s son Ishmael, the patriarch of the Muslim people. Over half of the population on the earth comprises Muslims and Christians, so it is clear that God kept his promise to make Abraham’s offspring great in all the Earth, according to David Turlington.
Mary, Jesus’s mother, plays a huge role not just in Christianity but also in Islam as well. In fact, both Christians and Muslims have the utmost respect for Mary. The Holy Quran even acknowledged Mary as a righteous virgin and is the only religious text outside of the Holy Bible to give her this recognition. In addition, Mary is the only woman whose name is mentioned in the Holy Quran.
Jesus is clearly the foundation of the Christian faith, but that does not mean he does not hold an important position in the eyes of Muslims, too. This main player in both religions is viewed as the Son of God in Christianity and is viewed as a prophet in Islam. Although Jesus’s role is seen differently in the two religions, Jesus is given the highest regard among both types of believers. Jesus is one of the prophets who is referenced the most in the Holy Quran, being referred to a whopping 25 times. The more that people realize how similarly Muslims and Christians believe, the more that people of these faiths can work to find common ground and use this as a foundation for creating an environment of reconciliation and peace throughout the world for generations to come.