​

​

 

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

  1  The Scripture...

​

Islam:

​

Muslims, like Christians, believe in one God. But unlike Christians, they base their faith and beliefs on the Koran. It says that the Koran was transmitted directly from Allah in Arabic through an angel to a prophet named Mohammed. The only witness to this phenomenon is Mohammed himself.

The Koran contains stories that can also be found in the Old Testament of the Bible. However, some of these are handed down differently in the Koran and taken from their original context. The Koran also pays no attention to the prophetic meaning of the stories, which is very closely linked to the person of the Messiah - God's promised savior of humanity. Muslims also claim that the Bible has been falsified. The Quran states that the Torah, which forms part of the Old Testament, was given by Allah. There is no reference in the Koran to an alleged falsification of the Torah. There are also many other reasons that speak for the reliable transmission of the Holy Scriptures (see: Credibility of the Bible).

​​

​

​

Christianity:

​

Christians view the Bible as the only and 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 the Holy Scriptures agree with each other. The large number of prophecies, an immense part of which have been fulfilled with absolute accuracy, also indicates that the Bible is truly God's word.

In the Bible, angels are referred to as spirit beings. There are good angels who serve God and people. In addition, there are fallen angels who joined the rebellion of Satan the Devil against God and have been seducing people into evil ever since. Everywhere angels appear in the Bible, they relay messages from God. However, these never contradict the Holy Scripture, as is the case with the Koran.

​

The last book of the Bible - Revelation - was also transmitted by an angel on behalf of Jesus. It describes the downfall of the current world and gives a glimpse of the future world. At the center of revelation are God and Jesus Christ. Muhammad or other prophets are not mentioned. At the end of Revelation, Jesus warns the reader not to take away or add anything to what is written there. With the revelation, God's message to all people is complete. Given this fact, the Quran cannot be a revelation from God.

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

​

The subject matter of all the books of the Old Testament is God's love for people 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:

​

 All of the prophets and men of God mentioned in the Bible were Israelites. Jesus was also a Jew. Mohammed, on the other hand, was Arab and therefore did not come from Israel. There is also no biblical or extra-biblical evidence of a relationship between Jews and Arabs. In addition, the Koran mentions a person named "Isa" who is based on the Jesus of the Bible, but differs from him in important ways. Muslims deny that Jesus is God's Son and instead primarily follow the teachings of Muhammad, who is considered the last prophet and the "seal of Allah's revelation", while Isa is viewed as an ordinary prophet; like all others mentioned in the Quran.   

 

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 Testament. Although Muslims see Muhammad as the ideal person and their role model, many of his actions paint a different picture of him. For example, Mohammed is said to have married a nine-year-old child named Aisha at the age of 52. In addition, Mohammed kept over a dozen women, 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 into his harem as wives or slaves.

​

Mohammed asserted his dominance in the Arab regions through numerous military campaigns. In addition, Mohammed had people who had fallen away from the faith cut off their hands and feet crosswise or let them die of thirst. Mohammed also had his critics murdered, promising their murderers great rewards in the afterlife. These and other deeds show 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 Christ as he occupies the central role in God's plan to save lost humanity.

The Bible testifies that Jesus is the “Christ” (= the anointed one) or the Son of God. This means that Jesus is above all other prophets and that there is none more important than Him. Christians confess Jesus as their Lord; they follow his example and allow their lives to be determined by his commandments. For them, Jesus is the one who brought us humans the final revelation about God and his will. Jesus himself stated several times that only faith in him and the gospel can save, give eternal life and redeem from God's judgment and eternal damnation. The apostles also testify uniformly that Jesus is the Savior prophesied in the Holy Scriptures.

​

While there are more than 100 predictions in Scripture about the Messiah, all of which were fulfilled by Jesus, there is not a single one that applies to Muhammad. Nowhere in the Old Testament or in any other writing can there be found any indication that another prophet of significance in the history of salvation would come after the Messiah. Rather, the Bible makes it clear that Jesus is the decisive prophet of all and at the same time the only way to God and that all other prophets served as precursors for the Messiah (see: Who is Jesus Christ?). Even in the Koran there is no quote from the Torah that announces the appearance of Muhammad.

The substitutionary death and resurrection of the Messiah are also predicted in the Holy Scriptures; most clearly in the book of the prophet Isaiah, chapter 53. However, there is nowhere the slightest reference to the statement in the Koran that Jesus did not die but was secretly raptured 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. Mohammed, on the other hand, does not emerge from the messianic family tree. 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 descendants the Messiah would emerge. According to biblical tradition, Ishmael, the other son of Abraham, from whom Mohammed is said to have descended and from whom the Arab people arose, was expelled along with his mother Hagar because he was not supposed to share in the inheritance that God had promised to Abraham and his descendants.

In contrast to Mohammed, we find in Jesus the true role model of faith for every person. Jesus did not wage wars or fight or plunder his enemies. Jesus also did not persecute anyone who was not willing to follow him. Likewise, Jesus did not command his disciples to kill or harm people because of their unbelief. Jesus endured suffering and injustice in love and never took revenge or retaliation against his opponents. Both Jews and Gentiles, both the friends and the enemies of Jesus, testify that Jesus was righteous and innocent in all respects.

​​

--> 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

​

​​

​

​

  4  Salvation...

​

​

Islam:

​

In the Koran, both Jesus' death on the cross and his resurrection from the dead are denied. Both testimonies together form the foundation of the Christian faith and the gospel's message of hope. Instead, another person who looked like him was said to have been crucified instead of Jesus. There are a number of arguments against this claim:

​

1.

According to New Testament tradition, Jesus' disciples, who accompanied him continuously for three years, were present at the arrest and crucifixion of Jesus. They would certainly have noticed if someone else had been crucified in their Lord's place. These disciples, who represent credible witnesses, shortly later testified 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 resurrection 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 Islam and Catholicism, Christians do not practice religious rituals (such as ritual prayer, fasting or pilgrimage). Rather, they see their entire life as a service to God and their fellow human beings. Christians do not pray at specific times, but at any time and regardless of the place where they are. Nowhere in the Torah to which the Koran refers does it say anything about how often or in what way a person should pray. If God valued ritual prayer or fasting, He would have ordered it that way from the beginning. The New Testament only says that one should pray with trust in God and according to God's will. The Our Father, which Jesus speaks in the Gospels, serves as orientation for us humans. There is also 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 a holy city.

 

Everything a Christian says or does should fundamentally be determined by truth and love. Helpfulness and generosity are natural for Christians. In this way, faith becomes visible and tangible for other people. Jesus' commandment to love goes far beyond a social obligation as prescribed by the Koran. It's about an attitude of service that is oriented towards 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

​​

 

​​