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  1st The Scripture...

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Islam:

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Like Christians, Muslims believe in one God. However, unlike Christians, they base their faith and beliefs on the Koran. It says that the Koran is said to have been transmitted directly from Allah in Ara-bic by an angel to a prophet named Mohammed. The only witness to this phenomenon is Muhammad himself.

The Quran contains stories that are also found in the Old Testament of the Bible. However, some of these have been handed down differently in the Koran and have been taken from their original context. The Koran also pays no attention to the prophetic meaning of the narratives, which is very closely linked to the per-son of the Messiah - the promised Savior of mankind.

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Christianity:

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Christians regard the Bible as God's Word. Christians base their faith on them. Although the Bible was written by many different people over several millennia, all scriptural testimonies are consistent with one another. The great number of prophecies, an immense number of which have been fulfilled with absolute accu-racy, testifies that the Bible is truly the Word of God (see: Credibility of the Bible).

The substantive subject of all the books of the Old Testament is God's love for the people and the coming of the Mes-siah, through whom God brings salvation to lost mankind. The New Testament tes-tifies comprehensively to the fulfillment of the Old Testament promises in the per-son of Jesus Christ. While there are over 100 prophecies in Scripture about the Messiah, all of which were fulfilled by Jesus, not a single one applies to Muham-mad. Nowhere in the Old Testament, nor in any other scrip-ture, can a reference be found that after the Messiah another prophet of significance in the history of salvation would come. Rather, the Bible makes it clear that Jesus is the decisive of all prophets and at the same time the only way to God (see: Fulfilled prophecies about Jesus).

The vicarious death and resurrection of the Messiah are also predicted in the Holy Scriptures, most clearly in the book of the prophet Isaiah, chapter 53. In response to the statement in the Koran that Jesus would not die but would be secretly raptured by God, However, there is not the slightest hint anywhere (see: Evidence for the Resurrection).

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  2nd understanding of god...

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Islam:

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The word "Allah" means "God". Contrary to the belief of many, allah is not a name. In the Koran, similar personality traits are ascribed to God as in the Bible. In many places in the Koran, Allah is des-cribed as “all-knowing and all-merciful” and also as the one, who is exalted above all. In total, Allah is assigned 99 attri-butes, all of which are taken from the Old Testament. In contrast to the God of the Bible, however, Allah remains a dis-tant and unapproachable God for Mus-lims and faith is merely a formal obser-vance of religious rules and traditions without a personal relationship with the Creator.

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Christianity:

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In the Bible, God introduces himself un-der the name "Jah-Weh" or "Ja-Hu-Wah" (he who is as he is), even though this name was primarily used in the Old Testament. de. God reveals himself in the Bible to be all-powerful and all-knowing, holy and just, and gracious and merciful. Jesus introduces us to God as a loving father who wants to be very close to us as hu-mans. In no other religion in the world are people who believe in God called children of God. Through their close, trusting community with God, Chris-tians experience love, security and true forgiveness. This in turn brings peace and freedom into their lives and gives them confidence and calmness about the fu-ture (see: Living in freedom and peace).

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  3rd Prophets...

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Islam:

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 The Koran mentions a person named "Isa" who is based on the Jesus of the Bible, but differs from him in important ways. Mus-lims deny that Jesus is God's son and in-stead primarily follow the teachings of Muhammad, who is considered the last prophet and the "seal of revelation from Allah", while "isa" is seen as an ordinary prophet like all others mentioned in the Qur'an.   

 

In addition, many of the commandments that apply to Muslims are incompatible with the commandments of Jesus, which are handed down to us in the New Testa-ment. Although Muslims see Mohammed as the ideal person and at the same time as their role model, many of his deeds paint a different picture. For example, at the age of 52, Mohammed is said to have mar-ried a nine-year-old child named Aisha. In addition, Mohammed kept more than a dozen wives, some of whom he had brought back as spoils of war from his raids against other tribes. After having their families murdered, he took them in-to his harem as wives or slaves.

Mohammed asserted his supremacy in the Arab regions through numerous military campaigns. In addition, Muhammad caused those who had apostatized to have their hands and feet cut off in the cross, or he caused them to die of thirst. Mohammed also had his critics murde-red, promising their murderers great rewards in the afterlife. These and other acts testify that Muhammad was by no means sinless.

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--> Sure 3,59 / Sure 33,40

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Christianity:

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At the center of the New Testament and the Gospel, God's good news, is Jesus, who also plays the central role in God's plan to save mankind. The Bible testifies that Jesus is the "Christ" (= the anointed), the Son of God. This means that Jesus is above all other prophets and that there is none more important than he. Christians confess Jesus as their Lord. They follow his example and let his commandments rule their lives. For them, Jesus is the one who brought us humans the final reve-lation about God and his will. Jesus him-self explained several times that only faith in him and the gospel can save, that is, give eternal life and save from God's judgement and eternal damnation. The Apostles also testify consistently that Jesus is the Savior prophesied in the Scrip-tures.

In addition, the line of descent recorded in the Bible, according to which the origin of the Messiah can be traced, ends with Jesus. Mohammed, on the other hand, does not emerge from the messianic fami-ly tree. Jesus is a descendant of Isaac, who in the Old Testament is regarded as God's promised heir to his father Abraham and from whose descendants the Messiah was to emerge. Ishmael, the other son of Abra-ham, from whom Mohammed is said to have descended and from whom the Arab people arose, was expelled together with his mother Hagar according to biblical tradition because he was not to share in the inheritance that God had promised to Abraham and his seed.

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In contrast to Mohammed, we find in Jesus the true model of faith for every human being. Jesus did not wage wars and did not fight or plunder his enemies. Nor did Jesus persecute anyone who was un-willing to follow him. Nor did Jesus com-mand his disciples to kill or harm people because of their unbelief. Jesus endured suffering and injustice with love and never himself exacted vengeance or re-tribution on his adversaries. Both Jews and Gentiles, both his friends and his enemies, testify that Jesus was innocent and righteous in every res-pect.

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--> Luke 1,26-38 / Luke 23,4 / Luke 23,15 / Luke 23,41 /

Luke 23,47 /  John 14,6 / Book of Acts 4,12 /

1st Corinthians 15,21 / 1st Peter 2,23 / 1st John 2,23 + 5,12

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  4th Salvation...

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Islam:

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Muslims deny both Jesus' death on the cross and his resurrection from the dead, which together, however, represent the foundation of the Christian faith and the gospel's message of hope. Muslims believe that by doing good works they can enter paradise. Furthermore, accor-ding to the Qur'an, only Allah can for-give sins and judge people, while Jesus himself testifies in the bible that he has received authority from God to for-give sins and that God chose Him to judge the living and the dead at the end of this world time. The fact that Jesus rose from the dead and is now seated at the right hand of God confirms that He is the cho-sen one through whom God will judge mankind.

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--> Sure 4,157-158 / Sure 5,9 / Sure 11,114 / Sure 14,23 /

Sure 25,70 / Sure 42,26 / Sure 98,7-8

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Christianity:

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Scripture says that death is the conse-quence of sin. Because Adam and Eve - the first humans created by God - sinned, they became mortal. All people who lived after Adam also died because they were also sinful and therefore fell under the death sentence too. Thus, only a sinless person could atone for the sins of man-kind and thus redeem them from death. The Old Testament predicted that the Messiah would die for man's sins and that shortly thereafter God would raise him from the dead. This prophecy was fulfil-led in Jesus.

Since only Jesus was without sin, He could accomplish the work of redemp-tion. That is why Jesus received the privi-lege of God to rise from the dead. The New Testament credibly testifies to the resurrection of Jesus. Mohammed, on the other hand, was not sinless, otherwise he would also have been raised from the dead. But Muhammad's body was buried and decomposed, unlike Jesus.

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The Bible unmistakable testifies that a person is only declared righteous by God through faith in Jesus. Thus it is not pos-sible for any human being to be saved by good works alone. Eternal life is a gift from God that no onecan earn. A godly life, however, is the consequence that comes from believing in Jesus and knowing that you are saved.

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--> Mark 2,1-12 / Romans 3,23-24 / Romans 5,12 /

1st Corinthians 15,3-4 / Ephesians 2,8-9 / Philippians 2,9-11 / Hebrews 9,27

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  5th Commandments...

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Islam:

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In Islam there are the so-called five pil-lars. These contain the most important commandments and rituals that are va-lid for Muslims. This includes:

 

1st The Creed

"I testify that there is no god but Allah

and Muhammad his Messenger".

 

2nd The prayer

A Muslim should pray five times a day.

 

3rd Fasting

A Muslim should fast for about 30 days

during the month of Ramadan.

 

4th The compulsory social contribution

Muslims who are not heavily in debt themselves

or who live below the subsistence level should generally donate 2.5 percent of their

"net dormant capital assets".

 

5th The pilgrimage to Mecca

Once in a lifetime, Muslims should make a

pilgrimage to Mecca if they are physically

and financially able. There they circle the

Kaaba, which is an important holy place

in Islam, seven times.

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​Christianity:

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The two most important commandments that apply to Christians are:

 

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"You shall love the Lord your God with all

your heart, and with all your soul,

and with all your strength."

 

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This means that God as our creator wants to be at the center of our lives and that his will should be decisive for our actions.

 

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"You shall love your neighbour as yourself."

 

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This means that everyone should treat their fellow human beings as they would like to be treated themselves by others.

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Unlike Islam and Catholicism, Christians do not practice any religious rituals (such as ritual prayer, fasting or pilgri-mage). Rather, they view their whole life as a service to God and their fellow human beings. Christians do not pray at specific times, but at all times and re-gardless of where they are. Everything a Christian says or does should be go-verned by truth and love. Helpfulness and generosity are natural for Chris-tians. In this way, faith becomes visible and tangible for other people. Christian charity is not limited to friends or belie-vers.

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--> Matthew 22,34-40 / John 15,13 / 2nd Corinthians 9,6

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  6th Violence...

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Islam:

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In the Koran, Allah calls his followers to "Jihad" (= holy war) in several places. This is primarily aimed at the so-called "infidels". In the eyes of Mohammed, Jews and Christians are considered unbelie-vers who must be fought. It is not for nothing that Jews and Christians are among the groups of people most hated and persecuted by Muslims worldwide.

Even if the Koran prohibits murder and suicide in principle, those who kill infi-del people in the name of Allah and die themselves in the process should be re-warded with a place in paradise. Even Muslims who recognize the Bible as truth and God's Word and decide to follow Jesus face persecution. In addition, they are often threatened with exclusion from their families. In not a few cases, people who converted from Islam to the Christian faith were murdered by rela-tives or other Muslims.

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--> Sure 2,216 / Sure 4,47 / Sure 4,76 / Sure 5,33 /

Sure 8,13-17 / Sure 9,5 / Sure 22,78

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Christianity:

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Jesus taught people not to hate anyone, but to love everyone, even their own enemies, to pray for them and to forgive them when they repent of their trans-gressions. In addition, Jesus expressly commanded that the gospel, which means "good news", be spread in a peace-ful way. Jesus proclaims happy those who make peace and also those who, as Christians, endure injustice and persecu-tion because of their faith. At the same time, Jesus promises to all who are perse-cuted for his name's sake that God will reward their faithfulness and steadfast-ness.

The persecution or killing of unbelievers, as was done under the rule of the papacy in the Middle Ages "in the name of God," is in complete contradiction to the com-mandments of Jesus. The mission of Chris-tians is not to fight unbelievers or to violently defend their own faith against others, but to point other people to the truth in order to win them to Jesus and thus to eternal life in his coming king-dom. Only at the end of this age will God pass judgment on unbelievers and god-less people through Jesus Christ.

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--> Matthew 5,38-43 / Matthew 26,52 / Mark 9,8-10 /

Luke 6,27-30 / Luke 23,34 / Book of Acts 7,55-60 /

Romans 12,20-21

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  ​7th revenge and retribution...

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Islam:

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The Koran or the so-called Sharia (= Isla-mic law) expressly commands the right to re-venge or blood revenge. It can be used on killing a human and non-fatal woun-ding. In the Qur'an, exact retaliation according to the principle "an eye for an eye - a tooth for a tooth" is presupposed as a divine decree. This commandment is based on the Torah, the law that Moses transmitted from God to the people of Israel. It should protect the citizens of Israel while at the same time deterring them from harming their fellow citizens. In all totalitarian dictatorships under Muslim rule, this practice is still valid today. However, this Old Testament regu-lation was replaced by Jesus with the commandment of love, which is authori-tative for Christians and which excludes any kind of personal retribution.

 

-> Sure 2,178-179

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Christianity:

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Jesus expressly commanded that revenge in any form should be avoided. Instead, believers should entrust their afflic-tions to God, who will stand up for the rights of those who love and are faith-ful to him. At the same time, Jesus calls on us to accept the injustice that people do to us without resistance. At the same time, Christians are called to point out injustice and to work peacefully for the rights of others. Instead of fighting back, Jesus encourages all believers to break the cycle of violence through love and good deeds, while at the same time enabling the perpetrator to repent of his behavior. Many people have been convicted of their evil deeds in this way. Quite a few of them even converted to God.

 

--> Romans 12,17-21

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...8th Alcohol...

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Islam:

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The Koran prohibits Muslims from consu-ming alcohol and drugs.

 

--> Sure 2, 178-179

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Christianity:

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There is no explicit ban on drinking al-cohol in the Bible. However, the Bible warns Christians to use stimulants res-ponsibly and to be sober and clear-hea-ded at all times. The consumption of alcoholic beverages is permitted insofar as it does not impair a person's self-con-trol or lead to addiction.

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--> 1st Corinthians 6,12 / Ephesians 5,18

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  9th marriage and singleness...

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Islam:

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Marriage is compulsory for Muslims. A celibate or ascetic existence is repriman-ded by Islam. In Islam, whether one is mar-ried or not also has an impact on the dignity and social recognition of a Mus-lim. While Muslim men are allowed to marry non-Muslim women, Muslim women are not allowed to marry non-Muslim men.

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Christianity:

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The Bible in no way condemns people re-maining unmarried. On the contrary. It even recognizes people who are willing to give up marriage voluntarily in order to serve God. Because marriage carries the risk that you only live for your own family and neglect other obligations (such as church or mission). There is no command or prohibition to marry in the Bible. Jesus himself was not married. The apostle Paul merely recommends that all who feel able remain celibate. But God basically leaves this decision up to each individual.

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  10th marriage and divorce...

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Islam:

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In the Koran, men are allowed to have more than one wife. In total, Muslims are allowed to own up to four wives, al-though Mohammed himself possessed more than four wives at one time. Con-versely, each Muslim woman is only al-lowed to have one husband. Divorce is permitted under cer-tain circumstances and regulated in the Koran. According-ly, remarriage is also permitted.

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Christianity:

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Although God allowed people to take multiple wives for a limited time in the Old Testament, Jesus commanded that a man could only marry one woman and that marriage between a man and a wo-man generally endured until the end of one partner's life. Because that's how it corresponds to God's will from the be-ginning. Only in the event that the spouse has been sexually unfaithful does the Bible allow the cheating spouse the right to remarry. Anyone who divorces their spouse for other reasons and re-marries is committing adultery, a serious sin.

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  11th dealing with wifes...

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Islam:

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The Koran allows men to use violence against women in certain cases, e.g. when they behave "disobediently" towards the man.

 

-> ​Sure 4,34

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Christianity:

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Men who profess Jesus have an obligation to love their wives and treat them with honor. The man has a special responsi-bility and duty of care towards his wife. This excludes any use of coercion or violence. Neglecting this duty impairs his relationship with God and is not with-out consequences.

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-> Ephesians 5,25-33 / 1st Peter 3,7

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  12th Honesty...

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Islam:

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In certain cases, Allah allows His ser-vants to lie, to hide one's beliefs, or to deny, i.e. to do things that are forbidden according to the Qur'an, for example to save one's own life. Allah Himself is des-cribed as the "greatest of all deceivers".

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--> Sure 3,28 / Takiya

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Christianity:

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The New Testament exhorts believers to always speak the truth and freely profess their faith, even when it is to their own detriment. Furthermore, Jesus calls his followers to remain faithful to him, even if it costs them their own lives. Because everyone who believes in Jesus can know that Jesus will raise them up to immortal life when he returns.

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--> Matthew 10,32-33 / Ephesians 4,25

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  13th Paradise and Judgement...

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Islam:

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Paradise (Janna) in the Koran is like a pleasure garden in which men can satisfy their sensual desires with the 72 virgins promised to them. "Hell" (Jahannam) is considered in the Koran as a place where lost people are tortured and tormented. She is fiery abyss located just below a narrow bridge leading to heaven. All the souls of the dead must cross this bridge, with the damned falling into the fire unless they are redeemed by the grace of Allah. In hell, the people are then to be tortured with literal fire while they are fully conscious. They are then given a new skin and the ordeal begins again. In this way, they must endure unimaginable pain forever and ever. Such a brutal idea is foreign to the Bible.

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--> Sure 4,10 / Sure 4,56 / Sure 5,10 / Sure 7,179 / Sure 19,71-72 / Sure 32,13/ Sure 44,54 / Sure 52,20 / Sure 54,48 / Sure 56,22 /

Sure 70,15 / Sure 78,33 / Sure 104,4

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Christianity:

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The Bible describes Paradise as a place of utter happiness that comes from man's fellowship with God. Jesus explains that in the age to come people will no longer marry or be given in marriage. From this one can conclude that with the resur-rection there will be only one genera-tion. Since people will no longer die, there is no longer any need to multiply.

The Bible does not contain the doctrine of a burning place where people are tor-mented alive for all eternity. Rather, Scripture teaches that the end of ungod-ly people is eternal and irreversible des-truction, while all who believe in Jesus and live godly lives will be resurrected to immortal life. In the Bible, “fire” sym-bolizes God’s judgment and the complete extinction of existence. The doctrine of an eternally burning hell arose through the influence of the so-called post-apos-tolic “church fathers” and is still wide-spread among Christians today.

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--> Matthew 22,23-33 / Revelation 1,7 / Revelation 22,1-5

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  14th Assurance of salvation...

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Islam:

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In contrast to Christians, Muslims have no certainty of salvation - except when they die in jihad - since a person's eternal destiny is only decided after their death. According to the teachings of the Ko-ran, the deeds of Muslims are weighed on a scale. After that, Allah decides whether a person goes to paradise or suffers end-less torment in "hell". Even Mohammed could not say anything about his fate or that of other people.

 

--> Sure 23,102-103 / Sure 21,47 Sure 46,9 / Al-Buchari 5,266 and 4,16

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Christianity:

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Jesus, on the other hand, promises all who follow him that they will have eternal life. This means that they no longer have to fear being convicted in court; provided they strive to live a godly life that demonstrates their faith by their actions. Through His Holy Spirit, God helps Christians to live in ways that are pleasing to Him. Since Jesus gave his life as a sacrifice for the sins of all people, God promises us in his word that every sin that a man confesses and re-pents of is no longer held against him by God and no longer weighed on his con-science.

Even if people who already believe com-mit a sin, God is willing to forgive them if they sincerely regret their actions and are willing to learn from them. This is how Christians can have peace with God. They no longer have to live in fear and uncertainty about God's judgment, but can look forward with confidence and joy to the fulfillment of God's promise of resurrection to eternal life. Therefore, Jesus knew that the repentant criminal who was crucified with Him will be with him in paradise.

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--> John 3,36 / John 5,24 / John 10,27-30 /

John 11,25-26 / Romans 5,1 / Kolossians 2,14 /

1st John 1,9 / 1st John 3,36

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  15th Israel...

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The historical region of Palestine lies on the southeastern coast of the Mediter-ranean Sea and refers to an area that is now home to the State of Israel, the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, parts of Syria, Leba-non and Jordan (the East Bank). Both Jews and Muslims consider Palestine a “Holy Land”; Accordingly, both claim it. With the start of the Crusades at the end of the 11th century AD, four Crusader states were established in Palestine. In 1187 the Crusaders were defeated by the Sunnis, occupied Palestine and captured Jerusa-lem. The Mamluks ruled the country from 1291 until they were defeated by the Ottoman Turks in 1516. By 1917, Palestine was incor-porated into the Ottoman Empire. Since the official division of the former British mandate territory of Palestine by the United Nations in 1947, the country's history has been marked by bloody bat-tles between Israelis and the Arab peo-ples. ​

Palestine was originally inhabited by the Canaanite people. But because they dese-crated the land through their abomina-ble idolatry, God, after freeing the Isra-elites from slavery in Egypt, promised to give it to his chosen people to dwell for-ever. Israel's unfaithfulness to their God led to Jerusalem being invaded and des-troyed by enemies throughout histo-ry and the Jews being forced into exile because of their sins. But each time God promised them that after a certain time he would gather them again and return them to their land. God remained faith-ful to Israel and fulfilled his promises. Finally, God sent Jesus, who was himself a Jew, to his people to bring them eternal salvation. But because the vast majority of Jews rejected their Messiah and thus the message of their salvation despite repeated warnings, God allowed Jerusa-lem to be destroyed again in 70 AD. As a result, the Jews were scattered all over the world.

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