Islam and Christianity Two Figureheads in Two Influential...

Religion is growing worldwide. Two of the fastest growing faiths are Islam and Christianity. Each of these faiths has a book that expresses their beliefs and gives rules or commandments to live by. Islam has the Quran, and Christians have the Bible. Many people in today’s world would deny that there are any similarities between the two books; however, two figures appear in both texts, Abraham and Jesus. The stories of Abraham and Jesus are incredibly similar but, the theological interpretation of these stories creates differences between the Bible and the Quran. Abraham and Jesus were very important during their own lifetime as well as in today’s religious world. It is fitting that they connect the present with the past, Islam and†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to fulfill them.† Matthew 5:17 In the Quran, prophets reference back to Abraham as the only way and best example. In the Bible, Jesus came to build on what Abraham had started then Moses expanded upon. This is an example of how the identity of Abraham differs in each text. Jesus and Abraham have remarkably similar stories in each text that are iconic in the identity of their characters. In the Quran, Allah speaks to Jesus saying, â€Å"by My leave you fashioned from clay the likeness of a bird and breathed into it so that, by My leave, it became a living bird; how, by My leave, you healed the blind man and the leper†¦ restored the dead to life.† Pp. 91-92 In the Bible, Jesus is known for healing the leper, restoring his friend Lazarus to life, and restoring sight to the blind man. These stories are almost identical to the ones in the Quran, and yet the Quran says Jesus is only a prophet, and the Bible views Jesus as the Son of God. The Quran also includes the story of the dead bird emphasizing that the miracles that Jesus experiences and performs stem from Allah instead of from his own power. In the Bible, the feeding of the five thousand and the wedding story are testaments to the power Jesus had from being the Son of God. In theShow MoreRelatedReligion Information Paper : Buddhism3761 Words   |  16 Pagesis a dynamic religious tradition that has continued to develop and evolve†. (Hindupieda.com) A well-known representative of Hinduism from the 8th century is Shankara Acharya. He is credited with commentating on some of the most values and sacred texts. In particular the Upanishads that went on to become the bhakti and meditational yoga practices. Also credited are the many Gurus who were held in high regard and devotedly worshipped by their adoring students. The Gurus knowledge was never doubted