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Islam and Christianity
Christianity is based on the teachings, life, and death of Jesus Christ, often described as the son of God. Christians think that Christ died on the cross for their sins before resurrecting and ascending to heaven. There are approximately two billion human beings in the world, practicing Christianity (Ferguson). The largest Christian groups are the Protestant Churches, the Roman Catholic Church, and the Eastern Orthodox Church. The Middle East is thought to be the historical birthplace of Christianity and Islam, with both described as monotheistic. The Islamic faith originated from the teachings of prophet Muhamad in the seventh century. Islam refers to “surrendering to the will of God,” depicting the followers of the faith as “submitters of God” (Armstrong). While Muslims and Christians have fundamental differences in their faith, they both believe in one God. They mainly differ in their perception of Muhamad and Jesus, whereby Christians follow the teachings of Jesus while Muslims follow the latter. Muslims oppose the idea that Jesus was the son of God by noting that he was just a Prophet. Also, Christians view the Muslim tradition as being authoritative and discriminatory against women. The other significant difference is that while Christians follow the teachings in the Bible, Muslims observe the lessons in the Quran (Armstrong). People from both religions respect their books by viewing them as holy. Therefore, significant differences exist between the two traditions despite them worshiping the same God. This paper primarily analyses the differences between two distinct religious holidays. In this instance, while Muslims have Eid Al-Fitr, Christians have Easter.
As a Christian, I view Easter as an important day set aside to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Christians believe that after Jesus died on the cross and got buried at the Calvary by the Romans, he resurrected on the third day. Christians around the world assemble to commemorate the significant event by attending church services. Easter Sunday illustrates the end of the reflection and 40 days fasting period and usually occurs after Good Friday (Brooke). The period of fasting is referred to as the Lent period, where churches allocate time for remembrance and repentance. The lent period begins on Ash Wednesday, lasting until Good Friday, when Jesus was crucified. They believe that while Good Friday represents the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, Easter Sunday represents his resurrection (Ferguson). I was raised in a Christian home that understood that it was necessary to hold the Easter Virgil a night before the Easter holiday. The holiday is significant and is the foundation of the Christian religion because it entails the celebration of the achievements of Christ. In this case, Jesus Christ fulfilled the prophecy through the crucifixion and death, which washed away the sins of human beings (Brooke). I, therefore, view the Easter holiday as an important day that all Christians should observe on their calendar. The exact date of celebrating the holiday has, however, been in contention by many in society. Early Christians held the celebrations on the fourteenth Nisan, the Jewish day of the Passover. Gentle Christians believed that the ceremonies should be held on the nearest Sunday to the Passover because Jesus rose on a Sunday. However, while the exact date for Easter is in contention, the holiday is celebrated by many Christians.
Muslims also have their crucial religious holiday referred to as Eid al-Fitr and is also known as the “Festival of Breaking the Fast.” Muslims around the world celebrate the holiday to signal the end of Ramadhan. The Muslim religious festival is commemorated in the month of Shawwal, allowing the Muslims to end their fast (Heiligman, Deborah, and Neguin). In this instance, it is the only day in the entire month, whereby Muslims end the fasting routine. The fasting period lasts for about 29 to 30 days, from dawn to sunset (Armstrong). The moon sighting determines the exact date of celebrating the religious holiday by the selected Muslim leaders. In this instance, each locality has its religious leaders tasked with deciding when the holiday will commence creating a variation of the exact day of the celebration. The local authorities select the day through the sighting of a crescent moon that appears after sunset. In some instances, where the appearance of the moon is delayed due to unavoidable circumstances, the holiday is marked on the 29th day of the holy month. The number of days allocated for the holiday differs from the country but varies from one, two, or three days (Heiligman, Deborah, and Neguin). Apart from fasting and prayer, Muslims remember the poor or vulnerable in society by donating money and gifts. Therefore they showcase the values of Islam, such as showing empathy, being patient, and worshiping God. During the holiday, Muslims usually congregate in an open field or a large hall to have a special prayer. I have some Muslim friends enabling me to have an insider opinion of the celebration. For instance, they note that God requires them to follow strict fasting guidelines until the end of Ramadhan is signaled by local authorities. I have observed my friends fast and learned that they view the day to be critical in their faith.
Muslims and Christians have special religious holidays, where they hold celebrations according to their traditions and scriptures. Critical differences in Islam and Christianity are overshadowed by the similarities in how they value their holidays. In this case, religious holidays are used to mark important events depicted in the Bible and the Quran. Religious holidays are recognized by most states allowing people to dedicate their time to God. People gather together as a family to pray and engage in traditional spiritual practices associated with their holiday. For example, Muslims remember the needy in society during Eid Al-Fitr by donating money and other vital commodities (Armstrong). In this instance, they believe that it is crucial to involve all people in the celebrations. Also, Muslims congregate in large halls or open fields to pray and give thanks to Allah. Similarly, Christians gather in the church to dedicate their time and celebrate the resurrection of Christ. The day is significant to the Christians because it marks the day where Jesus fulfilled his promises. Christianity is based on the argument that Jesus died for the sins of people and resurrected ascending to heaven (Brooke). Therefore, Easter forms a critical part of the faith, making it essential to all Christians. Fundamental differences between the two religious traditions are overshadowed by the fact that they are aimed at worshiping God. People dedicate their time during the two holidays to reflect on their holy lives by giving their time to God.
Ultimately, while Muslims and Christians have fundamental differences in their faith, they both believe in God. They mainly differ in their perception of Muhamad and Jesus, whereby Christians follow the teachings of Jesus while Muslims follow the latter. As a Christian, I view Easter as an important day set aside to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Christians believe that after Jesus died on the cross and got buried at the Calvary by the Romans, he resurrected on the third day. Christians around the world assemble to commemorate the significant event by attending church services. Muslims also have their crucial religious holiday referred to as Eid al-Fitr and is also known as the “Festival of Breaking the Fast” (Heiligman, Deborah, and Neguin). Muslims around the world celebrate the holiday to signal the end of Ramadhan. The Muslim religious festival is commemorated in the month of Shawwal, allowing the Muslims to end their fast. In this instance, it is the only day in the entire month, whereby Muslims end the fasting routine. The fasting period lasts for about 29 to 30 days from dawn to sunset. Critical differences in Islam and Christianity are overshadowed by the similarities in how they value their holidays. In this instance, religious holidays are used to mark important events depicted in the Bible and the Quran. Religious holidays are recognized by most states allowing people to dedicate their time to God. People gather together as a family to pray and engage in traditional spiritual practices associated with their holiday.
Works cited
Armstrong, Karen. A history of God: The 4,000-year quest of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Ballantine Books, 2011.
Brooke, Jasmine. Origami for Easter. The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc, 2016.
Ferguson, Everett. Backgrounds of early Christianity. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2003.
Heiligman, Deborah, and Neguin Yavari. Celebrate Ramadan & Eid Al-Fitr. National Geographic Books, 2006.