What the Bible and Koran have in common

By Felipe Lopez

(January 19, New Delhi, Sri Lanka Guardian) Christianity and Islam are somewhat known to be opposite religions (depending on who you ask). When we watch the news, there are always seem to be some sort of religious conflict brewing. A Christian living in a Muslim community may have a hard time continuing his faith, because of religious discrimination. Muslims also have difficulty preserving their religious cultures when they move into Christian communities.

The main similarity between them (Muslims and Christians) is that they have a holy book wherein they can get all the information about their religion. For Christians, it’s the Bible and Muslims have the Koran (sometimes spelled as Qur’an). The beliefs Bible and Koran hold are quite different; they don’t have the same views in life. While their differences are very much true, they offer some similar teachings and stories. This isn’t known to many, because so many people focus on the disparity rather than the common ground of the two religions.

Both the Bible and the Koran believe in only one Superior Being. Christians believe in God, while Muslims believe in Allah. The God they believe in can do all things if He wants. Both of the religions believe that God sent a messenger. For Christians, God sent Jesus Christ while Allah sent Muhammad to spread the Word of God.

Another big similarity between the two books is the story of Creation. Genesis, the first book of the Bible, details how God created the universe and everything that’s in it. The same goes for the Koran. Allah and God created the world in six days, without being tired. They have similar stories about the creation of man, which is we were molded from clay and the Lord just breathed life into us.

Another notable and similar teaching that the Bible and Koran have are the Ten Commandments. The Bible has its version of the Ten Commandments written in order. The Koran has similar verses with the commandments though it wasn’t written in the same order. Nevertheless, both give the same message. Only one god is to be worshipped and it is God/Allah. There should be no idol worship, nor make any images of the one true God. The name of the Lord shouldn’t be used needlessly, nor should we call out to Him in vain. We should consider the Sabbath day holy. Our parents should be respected and obeyed. Killing, stealing, adultery, lying, and envy are not allowed by either religion.

The moral codes of both Christians and Muslims are also similar in many ways. First of all, they believe that faith without works is useless. It doesn’t matter if you believe, if you’re not going to abide by the rules given by the holy book. Both of them abhor homosexuality and intoxication, although the person can be forgiven if he repents. The Koran also has its version of seven deadly sins which was taught similarly.

Last, but not the least, the two religions have similar practices. Although we all know not everything is the same. Prayer is important in both cases, since it is a way to communicate with God and He listens to our prayers. Charity to others is highly encouraged and doing so will have its own rewards. Muslims celebrate the birth of Muhammad, and Christians rejoice over the birth of Christ.