What Is Islam, and What Do Muslims Believe?
Islam is one of the world’s major monotheistic religions and the only significant world religion to emerge after the coming of Jesus. It arose in the 7th century through the teachings of Muhammad, whom Muslims regard as the final prophet. Islam explicitly rejects the Christian confession that Jesus is the Son of God incarnate, and therefore stands in direct theological contrast to Christianity’s central claims. Understanding Islam requires examining how Muslims view God, revelation, prophecy, scripture, and salvation, as well as how the Christian faith responds to these beliefs. The Bible provides a framework that shapes how Christians understand Islam, its teachings, and its relationship to the Gospel.
The Core Beliefs of Islam
Islam begins with an uncompromising monotheism. Muslims believe that Allah is the one and only God, utterly transcendent, without partners, and without form. They emphasize God’s absolute uniqueness, rejecting any idea that God could be known through incarnation or visible appearance.
Allah as Totally Transcendent
Muslims regard Allah as so exalted that he cannot be represented, embodied, or personally revealed in human form. This is why Islam denies Jesus’s divinity: the Christian belief that the eternal Son became incarnate is seen as incompatible with Allah’s transcendence. The Christian confession that “the Word became flesh” (John 1:14) directly contradicts Islamic theology, which views the incarnation as impossible.
Jesus as Prophet, Not Lord
In Islam, Jesus (Isa) is honored as a prophet and miracle-worker, but only as a human being. Muslims consider him the second-greatest prophet after Muhammad. They deny the crucifixion, reject his divine sonship, and consider worshiping Jesus to be shirk—idolatry. This is one of the clearest points of separation between Islam and Christianity, which proclaims Jesus as Lord, the visible image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15).
Muhammad as the Final Prophet
Muslims believe Muhammad received the final revelation from God through the angel Gabriel. This revelation was compiled into the Quran. Because Islam views Muhammad’s message as the definitive and last word from God, it considers previous revelations—such as the Torah and the Gospel—to be true in their original form but now obsolete.
Submission as the Essence of Religion
The very word Islam means “submission,” and a Muslim is “one who submits.” The core of Islamic faith is complete obedience to God as revealed through Muhammad. In this view, God’s fundamental nature is understood primarily as irresistible power, and human beings find their purpose in yielding to that power.
Islam and the Muslim Community (Ummah)
Islam is more than private belief; it is a community identity. The Muslim ummah is a global brotherhood that unites followers of Islam across cultures and nations. This community is seen not merely as a religious association but as a kind of sacred “nation” bound together by shared faith, practices, and law.
A Unified Community
Muslims believe the ummah transcends boundaries, forming a single people who submit to God. This sense of unity shapes Islamic worship, law, social relationships, and moral expectations. The Five Pillars of Islam—confession of faith, prayer, almsgiving, fasting during Ramadan, and pilgrimage to Mecca—function as communal practices that solidify the identity of the ummah.
Christianity Viewed as Earlier Revelation
Islam teaches that Judaism and Christianity were true revelations in their original forms but have since been distorted. Muslims therefore see Islam as a restoration of the pure religion of Abraham. Christianity is respected as part of the same stream, but believed to be superseded by the revelation given to Muhammad.
Why Christians Do Not View Islam as a True Revelation
From a Christian perspective, Islam cannot be accepted as a true or final revelation from God. The New Testament declares that God’s definitive word has been spoken in his Son (Hebrews 1:1–2). Jesus asserts that no one comes to the Father except through him (John 14:6), and the apostles teach that there will be no further revelation completing or replacing his work.
The Centrality of Christ
Christian faith rests on the incarnation, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus. Islam denies all three. If Jesus is not the Son of God, not crucified, and not raised, then the Gospel collapses. Conversely, if the New Testament’s testimony about Jesus is true, then Islam’s denial of these truths cannot be accepted as revealed by God.
Personality and the Nature of God
Christian theology also argues that a strictly unitary concept of God—devoid of relationality—cannot adequately explain human personhood or the diversity and unity observed in creation. The Christian understanding of the Trinity affirms that God is one Being in three Persons, a relational unity that reflects the richness of divine life. Islam rejects this entirely. The Bible insists that the fullness of God is revealed in the Son (John 1:18), while Islam denies that God can be revealed in this way.
The Gospel’s Irreplaceable Claim
The New Testament’s message does not leave room for another prophet or another revelation. It proclaims the risen Christ as the final revelation of God’s purposes for humanity. Christians therefore cannot accept Islam’s claim to restore or complete divine revelation; to do so would deny the authority of Scripture and the uniqueness of Jesus.
Islam, Christianity, and the Question of Salvation
Islam and Christianity not only differ in doctrine but also in their understanding of salvation. Islam teaches that obedience, submission, and good works secure God’s approval. Grace is present, but not central. Christianity teaches that salvation comes through faith in the crucified and risen Christ, whose death reconciles humanity to God and whose resurrection brings new life.
Islam’s View of Judgment
In Islam, God weighs a person’s deeds. Paradise is earned through obedience, sincerity, and submission. While God may show mercy, salvation is not guaranteed.
Christianity’s View of Salvation
Christianity teaches that righteousness cannot be earned: “By grace you have been saved through faith” (Ephesians 2:8). The Gospel announces that God reconciles sinners to himself through Christ, not through works of the law. This difference strikes at the heart of the two religions’ distinct identities.
The Hope of New Creation
Christian teaching about the future points toward a renewed creation where Christ reigns and God dwells with his people (Revelation 21:1–4). This hope is grounded in Jesus’s resurrection. Islam also speaks of resurrection and final judgment, but the basis of hope differs entirely. Christianity places all hope on the finished work of Christ.
Conclusion
Islam is a monotheistic religion that affirms one God, reveres Muhammad as God’s final messenger, and views submission as the essence of faith. Muslims believe Allah is entirely transcendent, deny the incarnation, and regard Jesus as a human prophet rather than the Son of God. From a Christian perspective, Islam cannot be accepted as a true revelation because it contradicts the central truths of the Gospel: the incarnation, the cross, the resurrection, and the exclusive lordship of Jesus. Christianity holds that God’s final revelation is found in his Son, who alone brings salvation and reveals the Father. Understanding Islam therefore involves recognizing both its beliefs and its profound theological differences from biblical Christianity.
Bible Verses Related to the Uniqueness of Christ
“In the beginning was the Word… and the Word was God” (John 1:1).
“No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).
“In these last days he has spoken to us by his Son” (Hebrews 1:2).
“He is the image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15).
“There is salvation in no one else” (Acts 4:12).
“The Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14).
“Every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God” (1 John 4:3).
“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16).
“Whoever has the Son has life” (1 John 5:12).
“At the name of Jesus every knee should bow” (Philippians 2:10).
