Jesus: A Summary of the Points About Which Islam and Christianity Agree and Disagree
Both Islam and Christianity
1) revere Jesus and assert Jesus' holiness, in the sense that he lived in the world while being pure and free of sin;
2) believe that Mary, Jesus' mother, was decent, pure, and holy;
3) declare that Mary, a virgin, miraculously conceived Jesus;
4) assert that Jesus performed a number of miracles.
Concerning Jesus, Islam and Christianity differ in the following ways:
1) While Christianity asserts that Jesus is both human and divine, Islam does not accept the belief in Jesus' divinity. Hence, while Christians worship Jesus, Muslims instead revere Jesus and believe in him as a prophet, using the Qur'an (not the Bible) as a reliable record of knowledge about Jesus;
2) Although Christians believe that Jesus is the son of God, Muslims assert that God does not give birth and therefore has no sons or children. God is not physical for Muslims; and hence for Muslims God cannot be a father.
3) On the one hand, Christianity declares that Jesus was crucified. On the other hand, Islam asserts that it only seemed like Jesus was crucified, and that God miraculously "took him up to God, Himself."
4) While Christianity asserts that Jesus died in order to redeem the original sin of mankind or human sins as a whole, Muslims do not believe in Jesus as a redeemer and saviour, since they do not believe in original sin and since they do believe God's grace, guidance (in the form of prophetic revelation--the word of God), and human effort are sufficient for redemption and salvation.
For a more detailed exposition of these points see: Where Islam and Christianity Agree and Differ on Jesus by Imam Mohamad Jawad Chirri.
