Introduction
Worldview refers to the orientation of a person or community that encompasses the point of view or philosophical view of a society or individual. Religion is one of the ways through which the society shapes its worldview ( Dworkin, 2013) . Currently, two of the most influential and powerful religions in the world are Christianity and Islam. Even though the two Abrahamic religions have some fundamental differences, they enjoy numerous similarities which are also expressed in the worldview of their adherents. This paper compares the worldview of both the Islamic and Christian factions in the context of destiny, morality, meaning of life, identity and origin.
Question of Origin
Creation is one of the most contentious topics in the contemporary society. Different religions offer explanations on how human came into existence, and this is not any different in Christianity and Islam. The most glaring and obvious similarity between the worldview of the two religions is that both believe that human beings were created by a supreme being. They both believe that God created Adam from mud. They also believe that human beings were created to be special and unique. They have free will, knowledge, wisdom, and above all a soul, factors that differentiate humans from other animals ( Weir, 2012) . The two religions also state that creation took place in six days. All the other elements of the universe were created during the period and on the 6 th day, man was created.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Despite the obvious similarities between the two viewpoints, there is also some distinctions in the creation story. For example, the Islamic viewpoint believes that all creatures were created from the water. All crawling, flying, walking, and swimming creatures came from the water. In addition, they argue that God poured rain in torrents, breaking up the soil to give rise to the vegetation that covers the planet. The Quran is also not forthcoming with information on how Eve was created. Even though Eve plays a crucial role in the creation story from a Christian perspective, she does not stand out in the creation story in the Quran. On the other hand, Eve was the product of Adam’s rib in the Christian viewpoint. In addition, all creatures did not emerge from the water in the Christian story as the earth was separated from the water before the creation of the animals. Despite some differences in the viewpoints of both Christianity and Islam, the two religions share a great deal when it comes to creation.
Question of Identity
According to Christian doctrine, humans were created in the image of God. Therefore, human beings were different from the rest of the living creatures since they are intelligent, able to reason, create and think rationally ( Yandell, Werther, & Linville, 2011) . They are considered to be the pinnacle of creation since they were made or a higher purpose and given dominion over other animals and creations. Human beings have been given a great responsibility of taking care of the ecology and the ecosystem. Humans have also been given free will to choose how to live their lives, despite the existence of laws from the creator. This worldview is similar to that of Islam whereby humans are seen as a perfect creature. It is clear that both religions emphasize on the special nature of man and the responsibility he holds in the universe ( Dworkin, 2013) .
Meaning of Life
In Islamic worldview, the purpose of human life is to serve God. According to the Quran, the sole purpose of the creation of man was to do good and to serve him. In this context, human beings were created as superior beings. In addition, they were given the ability and material to succeed and benefit from the world. Once humans fulfill their role on earth, their ultimate goal is to meet the creator. Even though humans pursue material possession, this should not be the main purpose of life. Instead, they should seek to worship Allah. The name Islam means submission, obedience, peace, and purity. People who embrace these characters are referred to as Muslims. Therefore, the Islamic worldview on the purpose of human life is accepting the will of Allah at the expense of their own. Even though the life of humans on earth is short, they can leave a meaningful and purposeful life if they submit totally. Similarly, Christians are expected to live a life of service and obedience. According to the bible, humans are created to glorify God. This is evident in Isaiah 43:1 whereby humans are instructed to proclaim the greatness and goodness of God ( Yandell, Werther, & Linville, 2011) . In this context, God has given humans a reason for existence and a purpose. Even though humans have free will, they are informed of their main purpose of life. There is no greater life than to purpose than to worship, adore, and to trust God.
Question of Morality
Morality refers to a person’s belief on what is right and acceptable. They guide the actions and decisions of individuals in a society. Since religion is an important part of the society, it has influence on what is considered to be right or acceptable. In this context, there are several moral viewpoints that differ between Islam and Christianity. For example, Islam views the death penalty favorably. They believe in the eye-for-an eye concept where revenge was not discouraged ( Valk, Albayrak, & Selçuk, 2017) . In contrast, Christianity advocates for forgiveness where there are transgressions. People are encouraged to turn the other cheek as opposed to seeking retribution in cases where they are wronged. In addition, practices such as polygamy are also encouraged in Islam but they are denounced by the New Testament ( Yandell, Werther, & Linville, 2011) . Therefore, even though both religion promote peace, love, tolerance, and holiness, their viewpoint on morality has some differences, mainly due to the doctrines and beliefs of the two religions.
Question of Destiny
In Islam, human beings have been created to serve Allah and to perform good deeds. The end game of living a righteous life according to Islamic doctrine is to meet the maker. According to Islam, death is inevitable and every soul should experience it. It marks the end of life on earth and the commencement of the afterlife. Death separates the human soul and the body and facilitates its transfer to the afterlife. The religion provides graphic details of the death experience and the afterlife, explaining the belief of its adherents. When a person is dying, the soul is extracted by Hazrat Izraeel. A person then encounters both angels of punishment and mercy. When a person was a non-believer or he or she chose to believe in Islam after death, the faith is not relevant since they only changed after seeing proof. However, when a person is a believer, the soul is taken respectfully by the angels. Conversely, the soul of a non-believer is taken with great pain and disgrace. The soul is not hosted in another body and stays in “Barzakh" until resurrection. The deeds and faith of the person depends where the soul stays until resurrection. For example, infidels’ souls are imprisoned. Therefore, the religion believes that there is life after death, and the destiny of true believers is eternal life after resurrection and eternal damnation for infidels.
The viewpoint of Islam is significantly similar to Christianity. Christians believe that there is life after death. Just like Christ resurrected and descended into the heavens after three days, Christians will have an opportunity to join him in heaven after judgment day, while sinners would be condemned to eternal suffering in the fire of hell. However, Christians do not provide details on how the soul is collected after death when compared to Islam. However, factions such as the Catholic Church have concepts such as the purgatory to explain further where human souls go after death.
Conclusion
Religion is one of the ways through which the society shapes its worldview. Currently, two of the most influential and powerful religions in the world are Christianity and Islam. Even though the two Abrahamic religions have some fundamental differences, they enjoy numerous similarities which are also expressed in the worldview of their adherents. Considering the Islamic and Christian worldview in the context of destiny, morality, meaning of life, identity and origin provides a clear outlook on how the scripture, teachings, and beliefs of a religion can shape the attitude, behaviors, and opinion of the society.
References
Dworkin, R. (2013). Religion without god . Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press.
Valk, J., Albayrak, H., & Selçuk, M. (2017). An Islamic worldview from Turkey: Religion in a modern, secular and democratic state . Cham: Palgrave Macmillan.
Weir, T. (2012). Monism: Science, philosophy, religion, and the history of a worldview . Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Yandell, K. E., Werther, D., & Linville, M. (2011). Philosophy and the Christian worldview: Analysis, assessment and development . New York: Continuum.
