IntroductionReviewing the Islamic and Biblical worldview looks at the unifying aspect each provides for followers of the two religions. The following is an examination of how Islam and the Bible cognitively organize the meaning of life. As a practicing Muslim and Christian become more experienced in relating the guidance of the Holy Qur’an and Holy Bible this worldview is like to become refined or may even drastically change (Ochs 2009). The intention of a worldview is to give guidance in understanding life, death, faith, morals, society, and the view of where self fits into this perspective (MacDonald 2014). Gaining perspective as a Muslim and as a Christian guided by their religious worldview is the manner they respond to life circumstances (Hemphill 2015) and are compared and contrasted in the following.
Islamic and Biblical Worldview
Often Islam is confused with the cultures of the people who call themselves Muslims. Islam is historically a tradition of the vision of, practice, and focus of which the faithful live according to the Prophet Muhammad. The similarity of the world vision of Islam with the Bible worldview is the worship as the same God (who has different names) that began in the tradition of Judaism – Jehovah. Allah is merely an Arabic word meaning God. The God of the Christian and Jew (The Old Testament Jewish connection to the Christian) is the same God worshiped by Muslims and in the same tradition there is the foundation of these religions based on the patriarchy established by Abraham.
In the Christian/biblical worldview according to the Bible the origin of humans is found in Genesis1:11, 12, 21-18 and Acts 17:24, 25, 28. These are references to the creation of the world and everything in it. God is life and God gave life to everything. In the Qur’an the same is explained in Al-Nissa 4:1- O humans! Be pious (careful of your duty) to your Lord, Who created you from a single self (soul), and from it He created its mate, and from them He has spread a multitude of men and women. Similarly, the Bible – Ecclesiasts 2:1-11 and Matthew 6:19-21,24,33 defines the purpose of the creation of humans is that life is about learning to be closer to God in order to be a part of His love that will spread His Kingdom of Love on earth. In comparison, “Verily, I am God, there is no god beside Me, so worship Me and establish regular prayer for My remembrance” (Quran 20:14), the inference is similar. The purpose of creating humankind is to remember God and in doing so to learn His will and become closer.
Comparatively, “Say: ‘Surely my prayer, my sacrifice, my living and my dying are for God, the Lord of all the worlds’” (Quran 6:162) and the Bible – “But be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the LORD gave you: to love the LORD your God, to walk in obedience to him, to keep his commands, to hold fast to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul” (Joshua 22:5).
Conclusion
Contrasting Islamic worldview to that of the Biblical seems to be a matter of perception. The message in both worldviews is the same – trust, love, and serve God. The application of either worldview as a direction for understanding life challenges the same things. The contrast is in the wording when studying both texts. They both express the purpose of a worthy life is through the love and service of God and in doing so humans are fulfilling their purpose for being created. The Old Testament and the New Testament as a single worldview – the worship of the one true God and following His Ways is the prescription for a life worth living as is the same worldview expressed in the Qur’an.
- Hemphill, Ken. Life Answers. Copyright © 2015 North American Mission Board, SBC. 2015. Web.
- MacDonald, Don. “Connections between Relational Theologies, Personalism, and a Natural Systems Worldview.” Journal of Psychology and Christianity 33.3. 2014: 203+. Print.
- Ochs, Carol. “Co-Creating My Worldview.” Cross Currents Dec. 2009: 457+. Print.
