Similarities & Differences: Practice
The Pillars of Islam are the core duties of Muslims according to Islamic teachings. A Muslim who does not fulfill these duties is often considered to have strayed from the faith, though theological views on this vary. While these duties partly resemble practices in the Christian faith, they are also diametrically opposed in fundamental ways.
Five pillars of Islam (أركان الإسلام): It is the term given to the five duties, which are compulsory for every Muslim.
- Shahadah (testimony) or Kalima (creed): It’s the basic creed of Islam that must be recited under oath with the specific statement.
(a) Sunni Islam: “I bear witness that there is no deity but God, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of God” in Arabic language.
(b) Shia Islam: “I testify that there is no god but God, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of God and Ali is the wali (authority) of God.” in Arabic language.
The Shahada (the Islamic testimony of faith) is not found in its complete creedal form within the text of the Quran. Only its first component—the declaration of God’s oneness—is derived directly from the Quranic text (Surah 3:18).
While Christians share this monotheistic foundational belief, they do not subscribe to the Islamic creed as a whole. Furthermore, Christian theology emphasizes that merely acknowledging the existence of one God is an objective statement of fact rather than a source of salvation. As James 2:19 notes, even the demons believe there is one God, yet they remain doomed, proving that intellectual assent carries no redemptive value.
The second half of the Shahada, which proclaims Muhammad as God’s messenger, is entirely alien to the teachings of the biblical prophets, the apostles, and the Christian faith. According to the Bible, the Lord Jesus Christ is the ultimate and final messenger sent by God to mankind (Mark 12:6; Hebrews 1:2). Any subsequent apostles or prophets mentioned in the New Testament (Matthew 23:34; Ephesians 4:11) were commissioned by the resurrected Christ Himself, operating strictly under His supreme Lordship and accompanied by validating signs.
- Salaat (prayer): Ritual prayers are offered five times a day. The five prayers are Fajr, Zuhr, Asr, Maghrib and Isha. They are at dawn, immediately after noon, in the mid-afternoon, at sunset, and at night, respectively. They are not at the same time each day as they are timed by the sun, which changes path throughout the seasons. Each prayer is offered while facing the Kaabah in Mecca that holds the black stone. These prayers are recited in the Arabic language, and consist of verses from the Qur’an. While reciting these ritual prayers Muslims raise their hands, bend down their body, and also bow down to the ground in worship. These prayers are invalidated if they are not followed strictly in prescribed order, manner and environment.
In Christianity, prayers are not inherently ritualistic; rather, they are spontaneous, emotional, and relational. Islamic ritual prayers are completely foreign to biblical patterns of prayer. According to biblical teaching, prayers can be personal or communal without any prescribed order, manner, or environment. In fact, the Bible discourages prayers that are done for public display. In Christianity, prayer is considered one form of worship. The essence of prayer is to communicate with God honestly and intimately in spirit and in truth. Its goal is to praise, thank, and make requests to God. According to the Bible, true worship is not limited to any specific space, time, or direction (Jn. 4:23-24).
- Zakat (alms-giving): Zakat is the compulsory giving of a set proportion of one’s wealth to charity within the Muslim community. It is regarded as a type of worship and self-purification. Zakat does not refer to charitable gifts given out of kindness or generosity, but to the systematic giving of 2.5% of one’s wealth each year to benefit the poor. This 2.5% rate only applies to cash, gold, silver, and commercial items. There are other rates for farm produce, mining goods, and animals.
According to the Bible, everything a person owns belongs to God; therefore, everyone should be thankful and grateful to God for the wealth they possess. However, Christians are encouraged to give tithes (10% of their income) to God through spiritual activities and services, as well as freewill offerings—as much as they wish—as a token of gratitude. Apart from this, Christians are also commanded to help and care for the poor, needy, and suffering, regardless of their religion, race, gender, or relationship.
- Sawm (fasting): Islam requires Muslims to fast during Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. During the 29 or 30 days of Ramadan, all adult Muslims must give up food, drink of any sort, smoking, and sexual activities, but only during the hours of daylight. The month of Ramadan ends with the festival of Eid al-Fitr. Muslims not only abstain from physical things during Ramadan; they are also expected to do their best to avoid evil thoughts and deeds.
The high spiritual standard that Muslims aim to achieve and maintain during the Ramadan fast is what is expected of true Christians as a normal way of life before God. In Christianity, fasting is voluntary, and its aims are purification, drawing closer to God, and acquiring spiritual strength. This, of course, should not be done as a public display or for personal boasting before others, but before God in secret. Fasting is not merely shifting meal times from daylight hours to the night, as in Islam, but abstaining from food altogether, day and night (Lk. 4:2).
- Hajj (pilgrimage): This must be done during Dhu al-Hijjah, the twelfth month of the Islamic calendar, in the city of Mecca. Every able-bodied Muslim who can afford it must make the pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their lifetime. Hajj is a religious journey with specific rites and rituals performed along the way. Pilgrims walk counter-clockwise around the Kaaba seven times and, if possible, kiss the Kaaba and the Black Stone. They also run back and forth between the hills of Al-Safa and Al-Marwah, drink water from the Zamzam Well, stand in vigil at Mount Arafat, and spend a night in the plains of Muzdalifah. Additionally, they perform the symbolic stoning of the devil by throwing pebbles at three pillars, shave or trim their hair, participate in an animal sacrifice, and conclude by celebrating the three-day festival of Eid al-Adha. Muslims believe that this pilgrimage was originally established by Abraham. They also consider Mecca a holy sanctuary, and therefore, non-Muslims are not permitted to enter the city.
As a matter of fact, the Hajj pilgrimage, along with its various current religious rites and rituals, was practiced for more than a century prior to Muhammad establishing Islam. Before Muhammad, it was entirely associated with Arabian paganism. However, from 630 A.D. onwards, it was reformed and incorporated into Islam.
The Muslim belief that the Hajj was originally established by Ibrahaim (Abraham) is based on the Quran revealed by Muhammad and the Hadith literature produced in subsequent centuries. There is neither a biblical allusion to the Hajj nor any ancient historical reference from pre-Islamic times that associates the pilgrimage with biblical patriarchs such as Ibrahim (Abraham), Ishaq (Isaac), or Musa (Moses). The location and pilgrimage that form the fifth pillar of Islam are foreign to both the Christian and Jewish faiths. Historically, Ibrahim (Abraham) and Ishaq (Isaac) never set foot on the Arabian Peninsula. It is tragic that many Muslim pilgrims frequently lose their lives in accidents and stampedes during this pilgrimage.
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- Jihad (holy war): To fight in the cause of Allah is considered to be the sixth pillar of Islam by some Muslims, particularly radical Muslims. However, moderate Muslims do not consider it as one of the pillars of Islam.
To fight in the cause of Allah is considered the sixth pillar of Islam by some Muslims, particularly radicals. However, moderate Muslims do not consider it one of the core pillars of Islam. The Arabic word ‘Jihad’ comes from the root J-H-D, which means to strive or struggle. In the Quran, the Arabic root J-H-D is used forty-one times. Of these occurrences, six clearly refer to an inner struggle or personal spiritual effort. Another twenty-three instances refer to a physical struggle or combat against non-Muslims. The remaining twelve instances are ambiguous and can be interpreted in several different ways.
Some people tend to equate the Islamic concept of Jihad with the medieval Catholic Crusades. However, this comparison is flawed for several reasons:
– Papal authority vs. scripture: The Crusades were based on the commands of Catholic Popes rather than biblical instructions.
– Socio-political drivers: The Crusades resulted from complex socio-political and religious upheavals in medieval Europe.
– Diverse victims: The Crusaders victimized not only Muslims but also Eastern Christians.
– Contradiction of teachings: The violence of the Crusades directly contradicted the teachings and life examples of Jesus Christ.
– Reactive nature: The Crusades were launched as reactive attacks by Christian zealots against Islamic expansion into historically Christian lands.
Ultimately, both violent Jihad and the Crusades represent actions that many theologians view as contrary to biblical principles and the peaceful will of true God.