With roughly 2 billion followers worldwide, Islam is the world's second-largest religion — and for a growing number of brothers and sisters in Christ, Muslims are colleagues, neighbours, and university flatmates. This fourth article in the Worldviews Series traces Islam from its seventh-century origins on the Arabian Peninsula and outlines the six articles of faith and the five pillars. It then maps five foundational contrasts between Christianity and Islam: the Trinity versus absolute divine unity, the deity of Christ versus Jesus as prophet only, justification by faith versus salvation by works, the Bible versus the Qur'an, and the love of a heavenly Father versus a master-servant relationship. Practical guidance is included for walking alongside Muslim friends in the context of UK Chinese churches.
Speaker: Pastor Bond · Scripture: 约一5:13;约3:16;弗2:8;罗8:1;罗10:14
Written for brothers and sisters who want to engage more meaningfully with Muslim friends and share the gospel with them effectively. The goal of understanding is not to win arguments, but to build genuine relationships and open honest conversations.
Islam was born in the seventh century on the Arabian Peninsula.
Around AD 610, an Arab merchant named Muhammad claimed that in a cave near Mecca he received divine revelation through the angel Jibreel — the Gabriel of the Bible. These revelations were later compiled into the Qur'an, which became the central scripture of Islam.
Muhammad declared himself the last and greatest in the line of prophets that included Abraham, Moses, and Jesus — the "Seal of the Prophets." His teaching spread rapidly across the Arabian Peninsula and, over the following centuries, reached the Middle East, North Africa, Central Asia, and eventually the whole world.
Today there are approximately 2 billion Muslims, making Islam the world's second-largest religion.
An important piece of context: Islam did not emerge in a vacuum. The Arabian world in which Muhammad lived already had a Jewish and Christian presence. The Qur'an mentions many biblical figures — Abraham (Ibrahim), Moses (Musa), David (Dawud), and Jesus (Isa) — but its accounts of these figures differ significantly from the biblical record.
Muslims believe in:
Please note: in Islam, faith and practice are inseparable. The Five Pillars are not optional extras — they are the defining marks of Muslim identity. This stands in fundamental contrast to the Protestant understanding of salvation by grace through faith alone.
Christians often assume that "we and Muslims believe roughly the same things — after all, we're both monotheists." But when you look more closely, some profound and irreducible differences emerge.
| Christianity | Islam | |
|---|---|---|
| God's nature | The Trinity — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; one God in three persons | Absolute oneness (Tawhid); Islamic tradition generally rejects the Trinity as a compromise of God's unity |
| God's relationship with humanity | Heavenly Father — God desires an intimate, family relationship with people | Master and servant — humanity are God's servants; the emphasis is on submission ("Islam" itself means "submission") |
| God's love | God loves the world unconditionally and gave his own Son for sinners | Allah loves those who fear and obey him; this love is conditional |
This is the most critical point of divergence.
| Christianity | Islam | |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | The Son of God, the Word made flesh — fully God and fully human | One of the great prophets, but only human, not divine |
| The cross | Jesus truly died on the cross and rose on the third day | Jesus was not crucified; God raised him to heaven at the last moment (Qur'an 4:157) |
| Atonement | Jesus' death was a substitutionary atonement — he paid the price for human sin | There is no concept of substitutionary atonement; each person answers to God for themselves |
| Resurrection | The central, non-negotiable conviction of the Christian faith | Denied, since the death of Jesus is itself denied |
This point is crucial: Islam's denial of the cross and resurrection is a denial of the very heart of the Christian faith. This is not a minor disagreement about details — it is a fundamental difference.
| Christianity | Islam | |
|---|---|---|
| The human condition | Humanity is fallen in original sin; our nature is corrupted and we cannot save ourselves | People are born without sin but are weak and prone to error |
| The way of salvation | Justification by faith alone — by God's grace, received through faith | Good deeds must outweigh bad deeds, together with Allah's mercy; but there is no certainty |
| Assurance of salvation | Believers can have assurance of salvation (1 John 5:13) | There is no assurance of salvation; even the most devout Muslim cannot be certain of entering paradise |
Muslims believe that God revealed the Tawrat (the books of Moses), the Zabur (the Psalms), and the Injil (the Gospel), but hold that these scriptures were corrupted by Jews and Christians and are therefore no longer reliable. The Qur'an alone is considered the final, complete, and perfectly preserved word of God.
Christians, by contrast, believe that the Bible is God-breathed, fully reliable, and well attested — a conviction supported by an abundance of archaeological and manuscript evidence.
To share the gospel effectively with Muslims, you first need to understand something of their inner life.
They take their faith very seriously. Five daily prayers, a month of fasting, strict dietary disciplines — the level of commitment that most Muslims bring to their faith is, frankly, often humbling to Christians. Do not look down on their devotion.
They long to please God, but have no assurance. This is a deep and painful tension within Islam: no matter how hard you try, no matter how devout you are, you can never be certain you have done enough. The scales on Judgement Day could tip either way. This uncertainty is a very real burden that many Muslims carry quietly.
They place great value on family and community. In Muslim culture, faith is not merely a private matter — it is bound up with family identity and communal belonging. When a Muslim considers following Christ, the question is not only theological; it may mean losing their entire family and social world. The cost is immense.
They hold many misconceptions about Christianity. Many Muslims believe that Christians worship three gods, that Christianity is synonymous with Western secular culture (alcohol, sexual permissiveness, materialism), and that the Bible has been altered. These misunderstandings need to be addressed with patience and gentleness.
Muslim culture places a high value on hospitality and personal relationships. Don't open with a theological debate — be a genuine friend and a good neighbour first. Invite them to share a meal (being mindful of halal dietary needs) and take a real interest in their lives. The door to the gospel is very often opened through love and trust.
There is much you can begin talking about together:
Start from these shared convictions, and let the conversation move naturally toward the differences — especially the identity of Jesus and the meaning of the cross.
The most effective approach in conversations with Muslims is to exalt Jesus, not to attack Muhammad or the Qur'an. Muslims hold Muhammad in the deepest reverence; criticising him will close the door to any further conversation.
Instead, you might point to a genuinely striking fact: the Qur'an itself speaks of Jesus in remarkably unique terms —
You can then ask gently: why does Jesus occupy such a unique place in the Qur'an? This kind of question invites Muslims to think for themselves.
Many Muslims who have come to faith in Christ describe a single, transformative moment: when they discovered that God's love is unconditional, that salvation is not something you earn through your own merit but a free gift — this was, for them, almost overwhelming good news.
You can share passages like these:
For someone who has spent their whole life wondering whether the scales will tip in their favour, these words carry the power to change a life.
Never underestimate the power of a personal story. A Muslim may not be persuaded by theological argument, but a genuine account of how you have experienced God's love, forgiveness, and peace is very hard to dismiss. Muslim culture also places great value on personal experience and storytelling.
Many Muslims who have come to faith in Christ describe dreams and visions as part of their journey — a figure in white, a great light, a voice saying "Come, follow me." This is remarkably common in Muslim-background testimonies. Pray for your Muslim friends and ask God to reveal himself to them directly.
You can also offer to pray for their needs. "May I pray for you in the name of Jesus?" — most Muslims will not refuse this offer, and a prayer offered in Jesus' name is itself a powerful witness.
Do not equate Muslims with terrorists. The overwhelming majority of Muslims are peaceful, decent, ordinary people. Stereotyping is not only unfair — it will immediately close every door to relationship and conversation.
Do not assume you are more devout than they are. Many Muslims far surpass the average Christian in their commitment to prayer, fasting, and charitable giving. Approach every conversation with humility.
Do not underestimate the cost of conversion. A Muslim who comes to faith in Christ may face being cut off by their family, excluded from their community, and in some parts of the world, genuine danger to their life. They need more than a single evangelistic event — they need a church community that will welcome them, stand with them, and become their new family.
Do not be in a hurry. Coming to faith from a Muslim background is often a long journey, sometimes measured in years. Your role may be just one stretch of that road. Sow faithfully, and entrust the harvest to God.
Although both Islam and Christianity claim to worship one God, they differ fundamentally on the questions that matter most — the nature of God, the identity of Jesus, the cross and resurrection, and the way of salvation. Muslims are not our enemies; they are our neighbours, people whom God loves just as deeply as he loves us. Our calling is to introduce them, with love and wisdom, to the Jesus they have already heard of but have not yet truly come to know.
"How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in him whom they have not heard? How will they hear without a preacher?" — Romans 10:14
Further Reading:
💬 If this article has raised questions or thoughts you'd like to explore further, you are warmly welcome to ask Pastor Bond:
- "Both Christianity and Islam believe in one God — so what's actually the difference?"
- "The Qur'an mentions Jesus too — how is that Jesus different from the one we believe in?"
- "I have Muslim friends around me — how do I build a relationship with them and share my faith?"