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Summary
- Christianity began in the first century, after Jesus was crucified under Pontius Pilate (governor of Judaea 26–36 AD); Muhammad received his first revelation in Mecca in 610 and moved to Medina in 622, the first year of the Muslim calendar.
- Muslims do not regard Muhammad as the founder of a new religion: they teach that Islam is the original faith of Adam, Abraham, Moses and Jesus, and that Muhammad was the last prophet, the “seal” of the prophets (Qur’an 33:40).
- Both faiths honor Abraham and the prophets, believe in angels and a Day of Judgment, and hold that Jesus is the Messiah, born of the Virgin Mary.
- Christians believe in one God in three persons and in Jesus as the Son of God who died and rose; the Qur’an teaches God’s absolute oneness, calls Jesus a prophet and servant, and says he was not killed or crucified but raised to God (4:157–158).
- Christians teach salvation by grace through faith in Christ; Islam teaches six articles of faith, five pillars of practice and a judgment in which every deed is weighed, with hope in God’s mercy.
- In 2020 there were about 2.3 billion Christians (28.8% of the world) and 2.0 billion Muslims (25.6%), according to the Pew Research Center.
Bibliography (Click to show)
- The Qur’an, Saheeh International translation, on Quran.com (2:62, 3:45–47, 3:59, 3:64, 3:67, 3:85, 4:157–158, 4:171, 5:5, 5:46, 5:72–73, 5:82, 29:46, 33:40, 39:53, 42:13, 61:6, 62:9, 96:1, 99:7–8, 112:1–4). https://quran.com/
- Sahih al-Bukhari 8, “Islam is based on five principles.” Sunnah.com. https://sunnah.com/bukhari:8
- Sahih Muslim 8a, the hadith of Gabriel. Sunnah.com. https://sunnah.com/muslim:8a
- Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research. “What Islam Says About Prophet Muhammad.” https://yaqeeninstitute.org/what-islam-says-about/prophet-muhammad
- Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research. “What Islam Says About the Basics of Islam.” https://yaqeeninstitute.org/what-islam-says-about/basics-of-islam
- Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research. “What Islam Says About Ramadan.” https://yaqeeninstitute.org/what-islam-says-about/ramadan
- Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research. “What Islam Says About Hajj and Umrah.” https://yaqeeninstitute.org/what-islam-says-about/hajj-and-umrah
- A Common Word Between Us and You (2007). Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute for Islamic Thought, Jordan. https://www.acommonword.com/the-acw-document/
- Scripture quotations are from the ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version), copyright 2001 by Crossway, as published on BibleGateway. https://www.biblegateway.com/
- The Nicene Creed, The Book of Common Prayer (1979), Holy Eucharist Rite II. https://bcponline.org/HE/he2.html
- Second Vatican Council. Nostra Aetate (1965), 3. https://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decl_19651028_nostra-aetate_en.html
- Second Vatican Council. Lumen Gentium (1964), 14 and 16. https://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2177. https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P7O.HTM
- Southern Baptist Convention. The Baptist Faith and Message (2000), article IV. https://bfm.sbc.net/bfm2000/
- R. Albert Mohler Jr. “Do Christians and Muslims Worship the Same God?” December 18, 2015. https://albertmohler.com/2015/12/18/do-christians-and-muslims-worship-the-same-god/
- Suzan Yalman, after Linda Komaroff. “The Birth of Islam.” Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History, Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2001. https://www.metmuseum.org/essays/the-birth-of-islam
- Britannica Editors. “Pontius Pilate.” Encyclopaedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Pontius-Pilate
- Pew Research Center. “How the Global Religious Landscape Changed From 2010 to 2020.” June 9, 2025. https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2025/06/09/how-the-global-religious-landscape-changed-from-2010-to-2020/
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