Submission to the one God, Allah
Islam is a strictly monotheistic religion founded by the Prophet Muhammad in 7th-century Arabia. Muslims believe Allah is the one and only God (tawhid), and they emphatically reject the Christian doctrine of the Trinity. Islam's holy book is the Quran, believed by Muslims to be the final revelation from God, superseding previous scriptures. Islam teaches that Muhammad is the last and greatest prophet, in a line that includes figures from the Bible like Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus. Muslims honor Jesus (Isa) as a prophet born of a virgin and even call him the Messiah, but they do not accept that he is divine or the Son of God. Islam's fundamental practices are the Five Pillars: the creed (shahada) affirming Allah's oneness and Muhammad's prophethood; ritual prayers (salat) five times a day; almsgiving (zakat); fasting during Ramadan; and the pilgrimage to Mecca (hajj). In Islamic theology, humans are born spiritually neutral (no inherited sin), and salvation is attained by submission to God and doing good deeds. On the Day of Judgment, each person's deeds will be weighed on a scale. If one's good deeds outweigh the bad, the person may enter paradise, but if not, they face punishment. In short, Islam teaches salvation by works and divine mercy, rather than by grace through faith. A key divergence from Christianity is Islam's denial of Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection. The Qur'an suggests that Jesus was not actually killed or that someone else was made to appear like him. This rejection of the death and resurrection of Christ is rooted in the idea that God would not allow a true prophet to suffer such a humiliating death. As a result, Islam sees no need for an atoning sacrifice for sin, whereas Christianity views Jesus' sacrificial death and resurrection as the very "power of God" for salvation (1 Corinthians 1:18, 15:3–4).
The absolute oneness of Allah — the most foundational doctrine of Islam, emphatically rejecting any partners or equals to God.
The final and greatest prophet in a line that includes Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus. His life is the supreme model for all Muslims.
The literal, uncorrupted Word of God revealed to Muhammad through the angel Gabriel — the final revelation superseding all previous scriptures.
Shahada (creed), Salat (prayer 5x daily), Zakat (almsgiving), Sawm (fasting during Ramadan), and Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca).
On Judgment Day, each person's deeds are weighed on a scale. Salvation depends on good deeds outweighing bad and on Allah's mercy.
Islam denies that Jesus was crucified. The Quran states that it only appeared so — another was made to resemble him, or God rescued Jesus.
Christians worship one God in three Persons (Father, Son, Holy Spirit), a Trinity, whereas Islam emphatically declares God is a single person and calls the Trinity blasphemous. The Quran misunderstands the Trinity as belief in "three gods" or even Allah, Jesus, and Mary — a concept Christians do not hold. Islam's Allah is a lone sovereign, utterly transcendent and non-relational, while the Biblical God is relational within Himself (Father, Son, Spirit). Jesus commands baptism "in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (Matthew 28:19) — a triune formula that Islam rejects.
Islam reveres Jesus as a prophet, but denies His deity. The Bible calls Jesus "Immanuel" (God with us) and explicitly teaches His divinity: "In the beginning was the Word… and the Word was God" (John 1:1). Islam considers the idea of God begetting a son to be shirk (idolatry), due to the misconception that Christians think God procreated — which we do not. According to the New Testament, Jesus claimed unity with God ("I and the Father are one," John 10:30) and accepted worship (John 20:28). Christians maintain monotheism — God's one essence shared by three co-eternal Persons.
The Christian teaching that God the Son became human in Jesus Christ is "very troubling" to Muslims. Islam deems it impossible that God would stoop to take on human weaknesses like hunger or fatigue. Muslims often argue, "God cannot die. Jesus died on the cross. Therefore Jesus cannot be God." Christians clarify that Jesus is fully God and fully man — the God-Man. In His humanity, Jesus could experience thirst, pain, and death, while His divine nature remained eternal. The Incarnation is not God ceasing to be God, but God adding humanity to Himself (Philippians 2:6–8).
In Christianity, Jesus' death on the cross is central — "Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures" (1 Corinthians 15:3). Islam teaches that Jesus did not die at all. Most Muslims believe God rescued Jesus, since a true prophet would not be subjected to crucifixion. Islam rejects the need for atonement, whereas the Bible insists "without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness" (Hebrews 9:22). By denying the crucifixion, Islam removes the very mechanism by which God offers salvation. In Christianity, salvation is a gift accomplished by Christ's sacrifice, not our works.
Muslims believe the Bible was partially corrupted over time, necessitating the Quran as the final, unblemished scripture. Christianity trusts the Bible's reliability. By the time of Muhammad (7th century), the New Testament had been widely circulated for centuries — we have over 5,000 Greek manuscripts or fragments. Historically, it would have been impossible to corrupt all copies across different lands. The Dead Sea Scrolls confirm the Old Testament's preservation. The Quran itself actually never claims the text of the Gospel was falsified — it refers to Jews and Christians misinterpreting their scriptures, not the scriptures being textually corrupted.
In Islam, salvation is ultimately uncertain and based on a weighing of deeds. Even devout Muslims often humbly say "Only Allah knows" whether they will enter Paradise. Christianity proclaims assurance of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ: "For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God's gift — not from works, so that no one can boast" (Ephesians 2:8–9). Christianity offers a personal relationship with God as Father through Jesus — believers are called children of God. Islam, by contrast, emphasizes humanity as servants/slaves of God (abd) rather than children.
"The Trinity is polytheism or nonsense."
Christians also affirm one God (Deuteronomy 6:4 — The Shema). The Trinity is not three gods but one God in three persons. Early misunderstandings led Muslims to think Christians worship a trio of deities. Clarify that "there is no God except one" (1 Corinthians 8:4), and the Trinity means one Being of God in three co-equal, co-eternal Persons. Jesus' baptism shows Father, Son, Spirit together (Matthew 3:16-17), and Jesus told disciples to baptize in a singular "name" (not names) of Father, Son, and Spirit. The Trinity actually safeguards monotheism by explaining the rich, relational nature of the one true God. If God is love (1 John 4:8), then within God's one essence there has eternally been love and fellowship — which makes sense in a Triune God, not in a solitary one.
"God has no son — how could God 'beget' Jesus?"
No Christian believes God literally fathered an offspring through a woman. "Son of God" signifies that Jesus shares the divine nature (John 5:18). The Son existed eternally (John 1:1) and was sent into the world (John 3:16). "Beget" in theological context means "to bring forth of the same kind" — Jesus is of the same essence as the Father (homoousios, as the Nicene Creed puts it). Interestingly, the Quran itself calls Jesus "God's Word and a Spirit from Him" (Surah 4:171) — titles which hint at Jesus' divine origin. 1 John 2:23 states: "No one who denies the Son has the Father," underscoring that accepting God's Son is essential to truly know God.
"Jesus was just a prophet — worshiping Him is wrong."
Jesus accepted titles and worship reserved only for God. Thomas the Apostle addressed the risen Jesus, "My Lord and my God!" and Jesus approved (John 20:28). In Revelation 5:12–14, Jesus (the Lamb) receives the same honor and worship as God on the throne. Jesus claimed: "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6) — no genuine prophet would say such a thing if it weren't true. Notably, the Quran bestows unique honors on Jesus — calling Him "Messiah," "Word of God," "Spirit from God," and stating He was born of a virgin and lived sinlessly. No other figure, not even Muhammad, is given these titles in Islam.
"The Bible has been changed, so we trust the Quran."
The Dead Sea Scrolls show the Old Testament text was preserved over many centuries. For the New Testament, thousands of early manuscripts verify that our modern New Testament says the same thing as it did in the early church. No council "rewrote" the Bible. In fact, Muhammad himself (in the Quran) told Christians to stand fast by their Scriptures (Surah 5:46-47) — which would be odd if those Scriptures were hopelessly corrupted. Historically, the Quran came 600+ years after Jesus. The Gospel accounts of Jesus were widespread by then, so the burden of proof is on Islam to show where and when the supposed "corruption" took place. Jesus promised: "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away" (Luke 21:33).
In witnessing to Muslims, building respectful relationships is crucial. Ask thoughtful questions (e.g. "How do you know your sins are forgiven? Can God be both just and merciful without a sacrifice?") to prompt reflection. Be willing to listen and invite them to read the New Testament. Many Muslims who come to Christ later testify that seeing genuine Christian love and the assurance of salvation in Jesus was pivotal. The gospel offers what Islam cannot: a Savior who guarantees eternal life ("Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life," John 3:36) and an intimate relationship with God as Father. Christians can affirm all the truth that Islam holds (the oneness of God, the importance of prayer, moral living) but then gently point to the "something more" in Jesus — who fulfilled the law we could not keep. "God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8).