In Islam, all the prophets, including Moses, Jesus and Muhammad (PBUT) believed in and worshipped the same God and followed the same message – this message is Islam.
Hence, despite the many changes which have taken place within the Bible and the different versions available, there are still some distinct common views between Islam, Christianity and Judaism.
Here is a list of some of them.
Please note that we have used quotes from the King James’ Bible version:
Worshipping God alone without any partners or children:
The first of the Ten Commandments: “I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.” (Exodus 20:2 and Deuteronomy 5:6)- Whilst tempted by the devil, Jesus (PBUH) is quoted in the Gospel as reaffirming pure monotheism to him; “…it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” (Luke 4:8)
- “And Jesus answered him, the first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord.” (Mark 12:29)
- “Allah (God)…none has the right to be worshipped except Him alone; the Creator of all things.” (Quran 6:102).
Believing in the prophets (PBUT):
Muslims believe in and accept all the prophets mentioned in the Torah, the Bible, and the Quran as they were all sent by the same God:
- Say, “We have believed in Allah (God) and in what was revealed to us and what was revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the Descendants, and in what was given to Moses and Jesus and to the prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and we are Muslims (who) submit to Him (God).” (Quran 3:84)
Miraculous birth of Jesus PBUH):
Jesus is mentioned twenty five times in the Quran, and besides Christianity, Islam is the only other religion on earth that accepts the miraculous birth of Jesus: this is highlighted in the Quran when Mary is visited by the Angel Gabriel and is given glad tidings of a boy (PBUT).
- She asks: “How can I have a boy while no man has touched me and I have not been unchaste?” He replied, “Thus (it will be); your Lord says, ‘It is easy for Me, and We will make him a sign to the people and a mercy from Us. And it is a matter (already) decreed.” (Quran 19:20-21)
The highest honour for women is given to Mary (PBUH):
- No other religion holds Mary (PBUH) in such high esteem: “And (mention) when the angels said, “O Mary, indeed Allah (God) has selected you and purified you, and chosen you above the women of the worlds.” (Quran 3:42)
Greetings:
- All the prophets (PBUT) had the same custom to greet the believers with ‘peace’: “…came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, ‘Peace be unto you.’” (John 20:19)
- Abu Hurairah (RDA) narrates that the prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: “When one of you comes to a gathering, let him say salaam (peace be with you), and when he wants to leave let him say salaam (peace be with you), for the former is not more of a duty than the latter.” (Abu Dawood)
Taking off shoes:
- God ordered Moses (PBUH) to take off his shoes: “put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.” (Exodus 3:5)
- Muslims take off their shoes when entering a holy mosque.
Purification before prayers:
“And Moses and Aaron and his sons washed their hands and their feet thereat:” (Exodus 40:31).- “Then Paul took the men, and the next day purifying himself with them entered into the temple…” (Acts 21:26)
- Muslims wash and purify themselves before prayer: “O you who have believed, when you rise to (perform) prayer, wash your faces and your forearms to the elbows and wipe over your heads and wash your feet to the ankles.” (Quran 5:6)
Fasting:
- The prophet Moses (PBUH) fasted (Exodus 34:28) and it is also well known that Jesus (PBUH) fasted for forty days (Matthew 4:2).
- Muslims also fast one month each year during Ramadan: “O you who have believed, fasting is decreed upon you as it was decreed upon those before you so that you may become righteous.” (Quran 2:183)
Praying by bowing heads to the ground:
- “And Abram (Abraham) fell on his face.”(Genesis 17:3).
- “And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped.”(Exodus 34:8).
- “Jesus…fell on his face, and prayed.” (Matthew 26:39).
- Muslims do the same and bow in prayer. In The Quran Allah (God) states: “Those were the ones upon whom Allah (God) favoured from among the prophets of the descendants of Adam and of those who We carried (in the ship) with Noah, and of the descendants of Abraham and Israel, and of those whom We guided and chose. When the verses of the Most Merciful (God) were recited to them, they fell down on their faces weeping.” (Quran 19:58)
It is important to note that the prophets including Jesus’ (PBUT) prayer was similar to that of Muslims. There are no narrations of either Jesus or the disciples singing hymns in prayer.
Not bowing to statues and images:
“Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the LORD your God.” (Leviticus 26:1)- “Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them.” (Corinthians 10:10)
- Muslims do not bow to statues, images or anything except God: “And it was already revealed to you and to those before you that if you worship anything along with Allah (God), your (good) deeds would surely become worthless, and you would surely be among the losers.” (Quran 39:65).
Many Christians today kneel before the statue of Christ.
The Sign of the Covenant:
- God made the everlasting covenant with Abraham and his descendents in the Bible: “This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised.” (Genesis 17:10)
- “And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called Jesus…” (Luke 2:21)
- Muslims still keep this covenant and circumcise their sons at birth: Abu Hurairah (RDA) narrated that the prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: “Five practices are the characteristics of the Fitra (natural disposition of men and women in Islam): circumcision, shaving the pubic region, clipping the nails and cutting the moustaches short.” (Bukhari)
Abraham’s son Ishmael:
- The name Ishmael was chosen by God Himself (Genesis 16:11).
- Muslims respect both Ishmael and Isaac as they are both the sons of Abraham (PBUT): “Say, “We have believed in Allah (God) and in what was revealed to us and what was revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac…” (Quran 3:84)
Eating swine (pork) was prohibited:
- God ordered Moses: “And the swine…is unclean to you.” (Leviticus 11:7).
- Jesus was born into a Jewish family and we can hence presume that he never ate swine (pig) during his life. There are no historical transcripts which confirm otherwise.
- Muslims similarly do not eat swine: “He has forbidden you only dead animals, and blood, and the swine, and that which is slaughtered as a sacrifice for other than God.” (Quran 2:173)
Interest is forbidden:
- “Take thou no usury (interest) of him, or increase: but fear thy God.” (Leviticus 25:36)
- “He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent.
He that doeth these things shall never be moved.” (Psalms 15:5) - Interest is forbidden in Islam: “O you who have believed, fear Allah (God) and give up what remains of interest, if you should be believers. And if you do not, then be informed of a war (against you) from Allah (God) and His Messenger.” (Quran 2:278-279)
No Original Sin as everyone is accountable for their own sins:
- “The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son.” (Ezekiel 18:20)
- “…every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.” (Corinthians 3:8).
- Muslims believe that everyone is accountable for their own sins: “Whosoever does righteous good deeds it is for (the benefit of) his ownself, and whosoever does evil, it is against his ownself, and your Lord is not at all unjust to (His) slaves.” (Quran 41: 46).
Summary:
From the above mentioned, despite the changes within the Biblical texts, one can note some common similarities between the three faiths.
This once again reiterates the fact that Moses, Jesus and Muhammad (PBUT) were all sent by and worshipped the same God.
Who is Moses PBUH in Islam?
Who is Jesus PBUH in Islam?
Who is Muhammad PBUH?