​

​

 

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

  1 Scripture...

​

Islam:

​

Christianity and Islam are among the world's largest religions. What unites them is their belief in one God, the belief that God reveals himself through scriptures and prophets, as well as their belief in judgment and life after death in paradise. In Islam, the Quran is considered the word of God, while in Christianity, the Bible is. Despite some similarities, the two texts differ fundamentally in key points. This concerns both their image of God and questions of salvation and practical life. Since there is only one God, only one of the two testimonies can be true.

 

The Quran dates back to the 7th century AD. It is said that the revelations it contains were transmitted by Allah to a prophet named Muhammad in Arabic through an angel over the course of 23 years (between 610 and 632 AD). The only witness to this event is Muhammad himself. Muslims believe that Allah revealed his word to different peoples at specific times: first to the Jews (through the Torah), later to the Christians (through the Gospel), and finally to all humanity (through the Quran). The Quran represents the end of Allah's revelation. Muhammad, on the other hand, is considered the last prophet and the "seal of Allah's revelation." The Quran contains stories that can also be found in the Old Testament of the Bible. However, some of these stories are narrated differently in the Quran and taken from their original context. The prophetic significance of the stories, which is closely linked to the person of the Messiah—the savior of humanity promised by God—is also not addressed in the Quran. The Quran does mention a person named "Isa," who is based on the Jesus of the Bible. Isa is considered an ordinary prophet, like all others mentioned in the Quran.

​

Since the Bible and the Quran differ in essential statements, and according to the Quran, Allah would neither change His Word nor contradict Himself, Muslims claim that the Bible must have been corrupted, as this is the only way to maintain the belief that the Quran is the infallible word of God. Therefore, today's Muslims consider the Quran to be a restoration of Allah's original and unadulterated message. However, the following things contradict this claim:

​​

​

  1. 

According to the Quran, both Jewish law, the Torah (Old Testament), and the Gospel (New Testament) were given by Allah. Thus, the Quran confirms the divine origin of both scriptures.

​​

He sent down to you the Book with the Truth, confirming what came before it; and He sent down the Torah and the Gospel. Aforetime, as guidance for mankind; and He sent down the Criterion. Those who have rejected God’s signs will have a severe punishment. God is Mighty, Able to take revenge.

 

 Quran: Sure 3,3-4 

​

​

We have inspired you, as We had inspired Noah and the prophets after him. And We inspired Abraham, and Ishmael, and Isaac, and Jacob, and the Patriarchs, and Jesus, and Job, and Jonah, and Aaron, and Solomon. And We gave David the Psalms.

 Quran: Sure 4,163 

​

​

​

But why do they come to you for judgment, when they have the Torah, in which is God’s Law? Yet they turn away after that. These are not believers. We have revealed the Torah, wherein is guidance and light. The submissive prophets ruled the Jews according to it, so did the rabbis and the scholars, as they were required to protect God’s Book, and were witnesses to it. So do not fear people, but fear Me. And do not sell My revelations for a cheap price. Those who do not rule according to what God revealed are the unbelievers. And We wrote for them in it: a life for a life, an eye for an eye, a nose for a nose, an ear for an ear, a tooth for a tooth, and an equal wound for a wound; but whoever forgoes it in charity, it will serve as atonement for him. Those who do not rule according to what God revealed are the evildoers. In their footsteps, We sent Jesus son of Mary, fulfilling the Torah that preceded him; and We gave him the Gospel, wherein is guidance and light, and confirming the Torah that preceded him, and guidance and counsel for the righteous. So let the people of the Gospel rule according to what God revealed in it. Those who do not rule according to what God revealed are the sinners.

 

 Quran: Sure 5,43-47 

​

​

Say, “O People of the Scripture! You have no basis until you uphold the Torah, and the Gospel, and what is revealed to you from your Lord.” But what is revealed to you from your Lord will increase many of them in rebellion and disbelief, so do not be sorry for the disbelieving people. Those who believe, and the Jews, and the Sabians, and the Christians—whoever believes in God and the Last Day, and does what is right—they have nothing to fear, nor shall they grieve.

 

 Quran: Sure 5,68-69 

​

​

We gave Moses and Aaron the Criterion, and illumination, and a reminder for the righteous.

 

 Quran: Sure 21,48 

​

​

We gave Moses guidance, and made the Children of Israel inherit the Scripture. A guide and a reminder for those endowed with reason.

 

 Quran: Sure 40,53-54 

 

​​

​

 

  2. 

The Bible was canonized in the fourth century AD. According to Islamic tradition, Muhammad lived from 570 to 632 AD. By this time, thousands of copies of the Old and New Testaments existed in various languages, distributed in numerous countries, and they largely agreed with each other. The minor differences in the various readings do not affect the fundamental truths of the Bible. The oldest manuscripts can be dated to the second century AD. John, the last apostle and eyewitness of Jesus, died towards the end of the first century. Nowhere—neither in Christian nor non-Christian literature—is there any indication that the message of the Gospel was fundamentally changed. This makes the Bible one of the best-preserved historical texts of all time (see: Credibility of the Bible).

​​

​​

  3.  

On almost every page of the New Testament, one finds statements that testify to the identity of Jesus as the Savior of the world, as well as to Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection. There is not a single manuscript in existence where these three fundamental truths are missing, while they are denied in the Quran. If the original message of the Torah and the Gospels was consistent with the Quran, it must have been changed not just in isolated passages, but across the board within a short period of time. This claim is not credible. Moreover, as early as the first century AD, numerous Christian denominations existed in which the message of Jesus and his apostles was taught uniformly—except for a few splinter groups.

​

​

  4.  

During Muhammad's lifetime, it was assumed that the Bible and the Quran were consistent in content. It was only centuries later that Muslim scholars began to notice increasingly serious differences between the two scriptures. There is no written evidence from before the 11th century that questions the authenticity of the Torah or the Gospels. Instead, both the Old and New Testaments were recognized as the word of God among Muslims. Furthermore, it is highly unlikely that Muhammad and his followers owned Bibles in Arabic. It is more likely that he only knew individual excerpts from the Holy Scriptures through oral tradition. Apart from that, Muhammad would not have been able to read the Bible because, according to tradition, he was illiterate. Therefore, it is not surprising that the Quran contains claims about the Bible that are not actually found in the Bible; for example, that Christians worship Mary, the mother of Jesus, as a (second) God.

 

​

  5. 

In the Quran, Muhammad is referred to as the "Guardian of the Torah." Furthermore, the Quran encourages Muslims to study the Torah. Muhammad is even advised to seek advice from Jews and Christians. This recommendation would make no sense if the Bible had already been corrupted at that time.

​​

​

If you are in doubt about what We revealed to you, ask those who read the Scripture before you. The truth has come to you from your Lord, so do not be of those who doubt.

 

 Quran: Sure 10,94 

​

​

Surely We revealed the Message, and We will surely preserve it.

 

 Quran: Sure 15,9 

 

 

We did not send before you except men whom We inspired. So ask the people of knowledge, if you do not know.

 

 Quran: Sure 16,43 

 

 

​​

  6.  

The Quran states that Jesus (Isa) came to confirm the Torah. This means that the Torah must have been uncorrupted during Jesus's lifetime. If the Scripture had already been corrupted, Jesus (Isa) would have explicitly pointed this out in the Quran. However, this is not the case.

​

​

 

  7.  

​There is only one passage in the Quran that refers to "falsifications." First, however, it doesn't speak of the Torah or the Gospel, but of some kind of "scripture." Second, it refers to an unnamed group of people from Muhammad's circle. Jews and Christians, however, are not mentioned by name. Third, the accusations refer to an oral falsification in the sense of a misinterpretation, not to the transmission of the text itself.

​​

​

And among them are uneducated who know the Scripture only through hearsay, and they only speculate. So woe to those who write the Scripture with their own hands, and then say, “This is from God,” that they may exchange it for a little price. Woe to them for what their hands have written, and woe to them for what they earn.

 

 Quran: Sure 2,78-79 

 

​​

​

 

  8.   

According to the Quran, a scripture from Allah cannot be credibly falsified. Muslim scholars, some of whom were contemporaries of Muhammad, also explicitly deny this.

​​

​

Other messengers before you were rejected, but they endured rejection and persecution until Our help came to them. There can be no change to God’s words. News of the Messengers has already reached you.

 

 Quran: Sure 6,34

​​

​​​

The Word of your Lord has been completed, in truth and justice. There is no changing to His words. He is the Hearer, the Knower.

 

 Quran: Sure 6,115

 

​​

​

 

  9.   

According to the Quran, at the beginning of his public ministry, Muhammad believed that the content of his message was consistent with God's revelations to the Jews and Christians. However, the fact that neither Jews nor Christians recognized Muhammad as God's messenger and instead rejected his teachings ultimately led to open hostility toward them. For this reason, in the last years of his life, Muhammad claimed that the Bible (in part) had been corrupted, in order to maintain his own credibility.

​​​

​

  10.   

​​To this day, Muslims have not been able to prove that the Bible has been falsified. It therefore remains a mere assertion by Muslim Bible critics. Moreover, it would certainly not be in the interest of Jews and Christians to falsify God's Word. For one thing, orthodox Jews, like the early Christians, were very God-fearing people. For another, God explicitly warns in the Bible against changing His Word, under threat of drastic consequences. Equally false is the claim that the Bible contains contradictions. The few apparent contradictions can easily be reconciled through a careful study of Holy Scripture. If the Bible has not been falsified, then Muhammad and the Quran cannot have come from God, since they contradict the Bible.

​​

​

​

Christianity:

​

Christians consider the Bible to be the one and only true Word of God. Christians base their faith on it. Although the Bible was written by many different people over several millennia, all the testimonies of Holy Scripture agree with each other. The large number of prophecies, a vast number of which have been fulfilled with absolute accuracy, also supports the fact that the Bible is truly God's Word.

​

In the Bible, angels are described as spiritual beings. There are good angels who serve God and humanity. Furthermore, there are fallen angels who joined Satan, the Devil, in his rebellion against God and have since tempted humanity to do evil. Wherever angels appear in the Bible, they convey messages from God. However, these never contradict Holy Scripture, as is the case with the Quran. God's Ten Commandments were also revealed to Moses by an angel on Mount Sinai. Before this, however, God performed numerous supernatural miracles through Moses, which are described in the Old Testament. The greatest miracle of all was Moses' parting of the Red Sea. This allowed the Israelites to know with certainty that Moses was sent by God and that the Ten Commandments truly came from God. In the case of Muhammad, there are no signs whatsoever to confirm his credibility.

​

The last book of the Bible—Revelation—was also delivered by an angel on Jesus' behalf. It describes the end of the present world and offers a glimpse of the future. The focus of Revelation is God and Jesus Christ. Muhammad or other prophets are not mentioned. At the end of Revelation, Jesus warns the reader neither to take away from nor add to what is written there. With Revelation, God's message to all people is complete. Given this fact, the Quran cannot be a revelation from God.

​

While God's angels proclaim the truth, fallen angels attempt to distort God's word and truth in order to deceive people and lead them astray. This suspicion is also evident in connection with the angelic appearance of Muhammad. The Apostle Paul, who wrote most of the letters of the New Testament, warns that anyone who preaches a gospel other than that of Jesus Christ is accursed. Furthermore, since the moment of his resurrection from the dead, all of God's angels have been subject to Jesus. This means that Jesus is the one who commands God's angels what to do and what messages to deliver. This also speaks against the credibility of the Quran, since 600 years later, Jesus would not contradict his own words in the New Testament.

The central theme of all the books of the Old Testament is God's love for humanity and the coming of the Messiah, through whom God brings salvation to lost humanity. The New Testament comprehensively testifies to the fulfillment of the Old Testament promises in the person of Jesus Christ.

​

​​​

​​​

​

​  2  understanding of god...

​

​

Islam:

​

The word "Allah" means "God". It is not a proper name for God. In the Koran, God is attributed personality traits similar to those in the Bible. In many places in the Koran, Allah is described as "all-knowing and all-merciful" and also as the one who is exalted above all. In total, Allah is assigned 99 attributes, all of which are taken from the Old Testament. In contrast to the God of the Bible, however, for Muslims Allah remains a distant and unapproachable God and faith is merely a formal adherence to religious rules and traditions without a personal relationship with the Creator.

​​

​​

​

​

Christianity:

​

In the Bible, God introduces himself under the name “Jah-Weh” or “Ja-Hu-Wah” (= the one who is as he is), even though this name was primarily used in the Old Testament. Out of reverence, the Jews used the so-called tetragrammaton (YHWH), in which the vowels in God's name were omitted. In most translations of the Old Testament, the title "LORD" is used instead of God's name. The fact that God is never referred to by His name or by “LORD” in the Koran speaks against a connection between the two scriptures.

In the Bible, God reveals himself 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 humans. This has nothing to do with a biological relationship, as Muslims incorrectly assume. Although Allah has 99 different names in the Quran, nowhere is he referred to as "Father." In no other religion in the world except Christianity are people who believe in God called children of God. Through their close, trusting community with God, Christians experience love, security and true forgiveness. This in turn brings about peace and freedom in their lives and gives them confidence and calmness about the future (see: What does faith mean?)

​​​

​​

​

​

  3  Prophets...

​

​

Islam:

​

 Some Muslims believe that Muhammad's coming was announced in the Bible. In this context, it is claimed that Jesus was sent by Allah exclusively to the Jews, while Muhammad's revelations were meant for all of humanity. This claim is refuted by the following objections: 

 

​

  1.   

The central theme of the entire Bible is the coming of the Messiah. The word "Messiah" means "Anointed One of God." He is a king appointed by God to judge humanity and then rule over God's kingdom forever and ever. At the same time, the Messiah brings salvation from sin and death to fallen humanity. Neither the Torah nor the Gospels nor any other scripture indicates that another prophet of salvation significance would come after the Messiah; this is unnecessary, since the Messiah was ultimately chosen to complete God's plan for the salvation of humanity and to restore God's kingship over the world.

​

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

 

 The Bible: John 14,6 

 

​

 

​​​

Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

 

 The Bible: Acts 4,12 

 

 

​

 

  2.    

While there are more than 100 prophecies about the Messiah in the Holy Scriptures, all referenced in the New Testament, all of which were fulfilled by Jesus, not a single one applies to Muhammad. Nor does the Quran contain a single quotation from the Bible or earlier scriptures about the coming of Muhammad.

​​

​

​  3.    

All the prophets and men of God mentioned in both the Bible and the Quran (Moses, Aaron, Joseph, Ezekiel, Elijah, Jonah, David) were Israelites. Jesus was also a Jew. Muhammad, however, was an Arab and thus did not come from Israel. There is no biblical or extra-biblical evidence of any relationship between Jews and Arabs.

 

​

  4.    

Although Jesus was sent primarily to the Jews, his message also applied to other people. For through the Messiah, all peoples—Jews and non-Jews—would be reconciled to God. After Jesus' resurrection, the gospel, the good news of God, was proclaimed to countless Gentile peoples throughout the world. This fact, too, makes the coming of another prophet unnecessary.

​​

And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead.  To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.

 

 The Bible: Acts 10,42-43 

​

​

​

And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

The Bible: 1st John 2,2 

 

 

​

 

  5.    

Neither Jesus nor any of the apostles spoke of the coming of a prophet in the future. Rather, they prepared people for the Second Coming of the Messiah, which marks the dawn of the eternal age of the Kingdom of God.

​​​

And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.

The Bible: Hebrews 9,27-28 

​​​

​

  6.    

If the Bible were indeed corrupted—as Muslims claim—they cannot simultaneously cite it as a testimony to Muhammad. However, if the Bible is authentic, the Quran cannot be from God.

 

Although Muslims see Muhammad as their ideal human being and role model, many of his actions paint a different picture. For example, Muhammad is said to have married a nine-year-old child named Aisha at the age of 52. Muhammad also kept over a dozen wives, some of whom he brought back as spoils of war from his raids against other tribes. After having their families murdered, he took them into his harem as wives or slaves. Muhammad asserted his dominance in the Arab regions through numerous military campaigns. Furthermore, Muhammad had people who had apostatized from the faith either cut off their hands and feet in a cross pattern or left them to die of thirst. Muhammad also had his critics murdered, promising their murderers great rewards in the afterlife. These and other actions testify that Muhammad was by no means sinless.

​​​​

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

​

​​

​​

​

Christianity:

​

At the center of the New Testament and the Gospel is Jesus. The Bible testifies that Jesus is the Christ (= the anointed one) or the Son (= the appointed ruler) of God. This means that Jesus is above all other prophets and that there is no one more important than him. Christians confess Jesus as their Lord; they follow his example and let his commandments guide their lives. For them, Jesus is the one who brought us the final revelation about God and his will. Jesus himself declared several times that only faith in him and the gospel can save us, grant us eternal life, and save us from God's judgment and eternal damnation. The apostles also unanimously testify that Jesus is the Savior prophesied in the Holy Scriptures (see: Who is Jesus Christ?).

 

The Bible makes it clear that Jesus is the most important of all prophets and the only way to God, and that all other prophets served as forerunners for the Messiah. The Messiah's vicarious death and resurrection are also foretold in the Holy Scriptures; most clearly in the book of the prophet Isaiah, chapter 53. However, there is no mention whatsoever in the Quran of the statement that Jesus did not die but was secretly taken away by God (see: Evidence for the Resurrection).

​

In addition, the line of descent recorded in the Bible, according to which the origin of the Messiah can be traced, ends with Jesus. Muhammad, on the other hand, does not appear on the messianic genealogy. Jesus is a descendant of Isaac, who in the Old Testament is considered the heir promised by God to his father Abraham, and from whose lineage the Messiah would emerge. Ishmael, Abraham's other son, from whom Muhammad is said to be descended and from whom the Arab people originated, was banished according to biblical tradition along with his mother Hagar because he was not to share in the inheritance that God had promised to Abraham and his descendants.

​

In contrast to Muhammad, we find in Jesus the true model of faith for every human being. Jesus did not wage wars or fight or plunder his enemies. Jesus also did not persecute anyone who was unwilling to follow him. Nor did Jesus command his disciples to kill or harm people because of their unbelief. Jesus endured suffering and injustice with love and never himself took revenge or retaliation against his adversaries. Both Jews and Gentiles, both Jesus' friends and enemies, testify that Jesus was just and innocent in every respect.

​​

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

Luke 23,47 /  John 14,6 / Acts 4,12 / 1st Corinthians 15,21 / 1st Peter 2,23 / 1st John 2,23 + 5,12

​​

​

​​

​​​

  4  Salvation...

​

​

Islam:

​

The Quran denies both Jesus' crucifixion and his resurrection from the dead. Both testimonies together form the foundation of the Christian faith and the hopeful message of the Gospel. Instead, the Quran claims that another person who resembled Jesus was crucified in his place. A variety of arguments speak against this claim:

​​

​

  1. 

According to the New Testament tradition, Jesus' disciples, who accompanied him continuously for three years, were present at his arrest and crucifixion. They would certainly have noticed if someone else had been crucified in their Lord's place. These disciples, who were credible witnesses, testified shortly thereafter to Jesus' resurrection from the dead and his ascension to God. Jesus is the first and only person to whom God gave the privilege of rising to immortal life. If someone else had died on the cross in Jesus' place, that person would not have been resurrected. Consequently, none of Jesus' disciples would have risked their lives to witness his resurrection.

​​

​

  2. 

Immediately before his arrest, Jesus performed a miracle. No other person could have accomplished this either. After his arrest, Jesus was interrogated by the Jewish High Council and, after testifying that he was the Messiah, sentenced to death. One of Jesus' disciples was present at the hearing. It is absurd that anyone else would have pretended to be the Messiah in order to be executed. Even before Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of the province of Judea, Jesus confirmed that he was the promised King of the Jews, even though he knew that this would mean his death. Any other person would have denied all allegations to save his life. Since the leading Jews wanted Jesus' death at all costs, there was no way they would have allowed Jesus to escape.

​​

​

  3. 

Mary, the mother of Jesus, watched as her son was crucified. According to the Gospel of John, Jesus spoke to his mother and one of his disciples on the cross. The assumption that Mary did not recognize the voice of her own son is not very credible. The same applies to Jesus' disciples.

​​

​

  4. 

On the cross, Jesus spoke to God, his Father. At that time, no one except Jesus addressed God as “Father.”

​​

​

  5. 

When Jesus died, the curtain of the Jewish temple was torn in two. The Gospels also record a three-hour darkness during the Passion of Jesus. The events described in the New Testament were so impressive that even some of the Roman soldiers present confessed that Jesus was the Son of God. Additionally, several prophecies about Jesus are fulfilled on the cross.

​​

​

  6. 

The Gospels certainly testify that Jesus was dead when he was taken down from the cross by Joseph of Arimathea, a rich Jew and secret disciple of Jesus. Shortly beforehand, one of the Roman soldiers stabbed Jesus in the side. Blood mixed with water flowed out, which only happens when a person is dead. This Joseph was also the one who buried Jesus in his own rock tomb. Jesus' body was guarded at all times so that it could not be stolen secretly. This would have made no sense whatsoever if someone other than Jesus had actually died on the cross.

 

​

  7. 

Several angels testified to the women who came to the tomb on the third day that Jesus had risen. A short time later the women and his disciples saw him in the flesh. The New Testament records that Jesus' disciples saw and felt wounds from the crucifixion on both his hands and feet, as well as the wounds from the puncture on Jesus' side. Such stigmata cannot be faked artificially.

​​

​

  8. 

The prophet Isaiah foresaw that the Messiah would die for the sins of the people. John the Baptist, who preceded Jesus, testified that Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. All New Testament authors credibly testify that Jesus was crucified and raised from the dead on the third day. They themselves were eyewitnesses of his resurrection. Jesus himself also announced his death and resurrection several times in the Gospels. In this context, Jesus explained that various prophecies were to be fulfilled through these events. Furthermore, without Jesus' death there would be no hope for the resurrection of the dead, since only his death could atone for people's sins.

​

Muslims believe that they can enter paradise through good works alone. Furthermore, according to the Quran, only Allah can forgive sins and judge people. In the Bible, however, Jesus expressly testifies that he has received the authority from God to forgive sins and that God has appointed him to judge the living and the dead at the end of this world. The fact that Jesus rose from the dead and now sits at the right hand of God confirms that HE is the chosen one through whom God will judge humanity.

​

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

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

​

​​

​​

​

Christianity:

​

The Holy Scripture teaches us that death came into the world through sin. Because Adam and Eve - the first people God created - sinned, they became mortal. All people who lived after Adam also died because they were also sinful and therefore also subject to the death sentence. Thus, only a person who is himself sinless could atone for the sins of humanity and thus redeem them from death. The Old Testament predicted that the Messiah would die for the sins of men and that God would raise him from the dead shortly afterwards. This prophecy was fulfilled in Jesus. Since Jesus was without sin, only he could accomplish the work of redemption. That is why God gave Jesus the privilege of rising 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 resurrected from the dead. But unlike Jesus, Muhammad's body was buried and decayed.

​

​​The Bible unequivocally testifies that only through faith in Jesus can a person be declared righteous by God. Therefore, it is not possible for any human being to be saved through good works alone. Eternal life is a gift from God that no one can earn. However, a godly life is the consequence that comes from faith in Jesus and the assurance of being saved.

​

--> 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

​

​​

​​

​​​

  5  Commandments...

​

​

Islam:

​

In Islam there are the so-called five pillars. These contain the most important commandments and rituals that are valid 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.

​​

​

​

​Christianity:

​

The two most important commandments that apply to Christians are:

 

​

"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength."

 

​

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.

 

​

"You shall love your neighbour as yourself."

 

​

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

​

Unlike in Islam and Catholicism, Christians do not practice religious rituals (such as ritual prayer, fasting, or pilgrimage). Rather, they view their entire lives as a service to God and their fellow human beings. Christians do not pray at specific times, but at all times and regardless of their location. Nowhere in the Torah, to which the Quran refers, does it say anything about how often or in what manner a person should pray. If God placed importance on ritual prayer or fasting, He would have decreed it this way from the beginning. The New Testament simply states that one should pray with trust in God and according to God's will. The Lord's Prayer, which Jesus recites in the Gospels, serves as a guide for us humans. Likewise, there is no reference in the Torah to the city of Mecca as a place of pilgrimage for believers. Rather, it was the city of Jerusalem in Israel that was considered the holy city.

 

Everything a Christian says or does should fundamentally be guided by truth and love. Helpfulness and generosity are a given for Christians. In this way, faith becomes visible and tangible to others. Jesus' commandment to love goes far beyond a social obligation, as prescribed by the Koran. It is about a servant-like attitude toward life, oriented toward the well-being of all fellow human beings. Christian charity is not limited to friends or believers.

​

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

​​

 

​​