Who is more Christian; The Muslim or the Christian?
http://www.ebnmaryam.com/vb/clientsc...ges/extra1.gif
Who is more Christian; The Muslim or the Christian?
When one is in the quest to know who a Christian is, one comes across a lot of definitions. But most, if not all of these definitions revolves around Jesus Christ (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), and you are sure to see one of such of the followings, or alike ideas:
A Christian is one who professes belief in Jesus as Christ or follows the religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ; He is one who manifests the qualities or spirit of Jesus Christ…etc.
And based on the aforementioned definitions and their likes I derived my topic for this write up and I ask:- " Who is more Christian; The Muslims or the Christians ?" Who abidesmore by the teachings of Jesus Christ? Who manifests the qualities of Christ the more, and tries to emulate his morals, conducts and physical appearance the more between the Muslims and the Christians?
In a recent article on this site entitled: "Islam the perfect religion" the writer pointed out the fact that Islam, Christianity and the Jewish religion are originally from one same source; from Allah, The One and only God who deserves worship, and that the Prophets and Messengers of Allah, beginning from Adam to Nuh (Noah) to Ibrahim (Abraham) to Musa (Moses), down to Isa (Jesus Christ) and Muhammad, (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon them all) came to preach one same divine message which centralizes upon the oneness of God. Allah says in the Qur'an:
"Verily, We have sent the revelation to you (O Muhammad) as We sent the revelation to Nuh (Noah) and the Prophets after him, We also sent the revelation to Ibrahim (Abraham), Isma'il (Ishmael), Ishaq (Isaac), Ya'qub (Jacob) and Al-Asbat (the offspring of the twelve sons of Ya;qub), Isa (Jesus), Ayyub (Job), Yunus (Jonah), Harun (Aaron), and Sulaiman (Solomon), and to Dawud (David) We gave the Zabur (Psalms)." Q 4:163.
And as Islam preaches the oneness of God in the Qur'an so did Musa (Moses) and Isa (Jesus Christ) preached same in the Old and New Testaments of the Bible respectively.
See the Old Testament speak:
"I am the first and I am the last; besides Me there is no god. Who is like Me?" (Isaiah 44:6)
"And there is no other god besides Me, a righteous God and a Saviour; there is none besides Me. Turn to Me and be saved… To me every knee shall bow. (Isaiah 45:21-23).
"O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord". (Deuteronomy 6:4)
"You may know and believe Me and understand that I am He. Before Me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after Me. I, I am the Lord, and besides Me there is no savior." (Isaiah 43:10-11)
See the New Testament speak:
"Hear o Israel: the Lord our God is One Lord." (Mark 12:29)
"Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only." (Mathew 4:10)
"Now this is life eternal, that they know you, the only God, and Jesus, whom you have sent." (John 17:3).
And for the Qur'an, the following chapter, the Chapter of Purity, suffices and it goes thus:
1. Say (O Muhammad, May Allah's peace and blessings be upon him): "He is Allah, (The) One.
2. Allah- the Self- Sufficient Master), Whom all creatures need, (He neither eats or drinks).
3. He begets not, nor was He begotten.
4. And there is none co-equal or comparable to Him. (Q112 :1 - 4).
In view of the above, as Muslims we believe in the prophethood and messengership of all the above mentioned Prophets and Messengers of Allah. We revere them and try to live by their exceptional examples of fear of God, piety and asceticism, love, humility, generosity and kindness to the orphans and poor. We try to copy their mode of dressing, their ways of talking, walking, eating; their ways of relating with others and so on and so forth.
Their ways were all similar, and the single reason behind that is the fact that they all came from one God.
Below is a comparison between the attitude of today Muslims and Christians toward the teachings, morals and general way of life lead by our noble prophet Isa (Jesus Christ) may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him, made by Laurence B. Brown.
First of all, in his appearance:
1. Jesus was bearded, as are most Muslims, but only the rare Christian.
2. Jesus dressed modestly. If we close our eyes and form a mental picture, we see flowing robes, from wrists to ankles—much like the loose Arabian thobes and the Indio-Pakistani shalwar kameez, typical of the Muslims of those areas. What we don’t imagine is the revealing or seductive clothing so ubiquitous in Christian cultures.
3. Jesus’ mother covered her hair, and this practice was maintained among the Christian women of the Holy Land up to the middle of the twentieth century. Again, this is a practice maintained among Muslims as well as Orthodox Jews (of which Jesus was one), but not among modern day Christians.
In Manners:
1. Jesus focused upon salvation and eschewed finery. How many “righteous” Christians fit this “It’s not just on Sundays” profile? Now how many “five prayers a day, every day of the year” Muslims?
2. Jesus spoke with humility and kindness. He didn’t “showboat.” When we think of his speeches, we don’t imagine theatrics. He was a simple man known for quality and truth. How many preachers and how many evangelists follow this example?
3. Jesus taught his disciples to offer the greeting of “Peace” (Luke 10:5), and then set the example: “Peace be with you” (Luke 24:36, John 20:19, John 20:21, John 20:26). Who continues this practice to this day, Christians or Muslims? “Peace be with you” is the meaning of the Muslim greeting, “Assalam alaikum.” Interestingly enough, we find this greeting in Judaism as well (Genesis 43:23, Numbers 6:26, Judges 6:23, I Samuel 1:17 and I Samuel 25:6).
In Religious Practices:
1. Jesus was circumcised (Luke 2:21). Paul taught it wasn’t necessary (Rom 4:11 and Gal 5:2). Muslims believe it is.
2. Jesus didn’t eat pork, in keeping with Old Testament law (Leviticus 11:7 and Deuteronomy 14:8). Muslims also believe pork is forbidden. Christians … well, you get the idea.
3. Jesus didn’t give or take usury, in compliance with the Old Testament prohibition (Exodus 22:25). Usury is forbidden in the Old Testament and the Quran, as it was forbidden in the religion of Jesus. The economies of most Christian countries, however, are structured upon usury.
4. Jesus didn’t fornicate, and abstained from extramarital contact with women. Now, this issue extends to the least physical contact with the opposite sex. With the exception of performing religious rituals and helping those in need, Jesus never even touched a woman other than his mother. Strictly practicing Orthodox Jews maintain this practice to this day in observance of Old Testament law. Likewise, practicing Muslims don’t even shake hands between the sexes. Can Christian “hug your neighbor” and “kiss the bride” congregations make the same claim?
Practices of Worship:
1. Jesus purified himself with washing prior to prayer, as was the practice of the pious prophets who preceded him (see Exodus 40:31-32 in reference to Moses and Aaron), and as is the practice of Muslims.
2. Jesus prayed in prostration (Matthew 26:39), like the other prophets (see Nehemiah 8:6 with regard to Ezra and the people, Joshua 5:14 for Joshua, Genesis 17:3 and 24:52 for Abraham, Exodus 34:8 and Numbers 20:6 for Moses and Aaron). Who prays like that, Christians or Muslims?
3. Jesus fasted for more than a month at a time (Matthew 4:2 and Luke 4:2), as did the pious before him (Exodus 34:28, I Kings 19:8), and as do Muslims in the annual fast of the month of Ramadan.
4. Jesus made pilgrimage for the purpose of worship, as all Orthodox Jews aspire to do. The Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca is well known, and is alluded to in the Bible (see The First and Final Commandment).
Matters of Creed:
1. Jesus taught the oneness of God (Mark 12:29-30, Matthew 22:37 and Luke 10:27), as conveyed in the first commandment (Exodus 20:3). Nowhere did he declare the Trinity.
2. Jesus declared himself a man and a prophet of God (see above), and nowhere claimed divinity or divine sonship. Which creed are the above points more consistent with—the Trinitarian formula or the absolute monotheism of Islam?
Sources:
Holy Quran.
Jesus Freak; A comparison between hippies, Christians, Jesus and Muslims! Recollections of a convert to Islam. By Laurence B. Brown, MD.
