A Comparison of Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism

Jordan Brown
Salt Lake Community College

Christianity. This religion is considered the largest on Earth (i.e. in number of people
who support it.) (Pew Research Center, 2015). Christianity originated from Judaism. The focus
of this religion is Jesus Christ (whom the religion takes its name).
Jesus was born in the nation of Israel sometime between 4 BCE and 1 CE (Fisher, 2014).
Jesus was a Jew and was thus educated and brought up with an understanding of Judaism. His
ministry and teaching began sometime in His mid-adult life. During this time of teaching He was
reported to perform many miraculous signs (i.e. multiply food, heal those who were sick, and
raise those who had died, back to life again.). Along with these signs, during some of the lessons
He gave, He essentially told the people that He was God.
This teaching was offensive to some, especially the Jewish religious leaders at that time.
The penalty for blasphemy (i.e. actions or speech that seem disrespectful or untrue in regards to
God; in this case, how the Jewish religious leaders felt about Jesus teachings) was that the
blasphemer be put to death, and this is exactly what the religious leaders intended to do with
Jesus. Through cooperation with the Roman government (the provincial power at the time) they
eventually got what they wanted. Jesus was ultimately put to death by hanging on a cross (this
method of execution being termed crucifixion).
Before this however, Jesus had prophesied (among His many prophecies) that He would
be murdered this way. He even went so far as to prophesy that three days later He would come
back to life after this tragic event. According to Jesus disciple Matthew, Jesus said, For just as
Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so shall the Son of Man be
three days and three nights in the heart of the earth (Matthew 12:39-40 KJV). The prophecy
apparently came true and this event can be considered the foundation of the Christian religion.

Christians have a distinct set of beliefs that make them unique to other religious peoples.
Christians believe that there is only one God, and that this God is manifested as three separate
entities (Jesus being the physical entity and the other two spiritual). Jesus whole life and ministry
is the basis for the Christian faith.
Christians receive their philosophy from the Bible (considered inspired by God/Jesus).
The Christian Bible is composed of the Jewish Bible, plus various writings of Jesus original
disciples and early Christian church leaders. In summary, the core messages contained in these
writings is that: everything is created by God, the moral values expressed in the Bible should be
followed by every person, and that Jesus is the only way for people to have eternal life (Slick,
n.d.). Christians also understand that they must love God and love people.
Islam. According to the Pew Research Center (2014), Islam is the second largest religion
in the world. Islam was greatly influenced by Christianity and Judaism. The term Islam is
defined as: submission to Allah (The Meaning of Islam, n.d.). Muslims (followers of Islam) are
dedicated to Allah (the Arabic term for God) and are explicit in that the prophet Muhammad was
Allahs messenger.
Islam originated through Muhammad. Muhammad was born in Saudi Arabia in 570 CE
(Fisher, 2014). At this time the Arab world varied in religious beliefs. Some groups practiced
Judaism and Christianity, while the majority of people in the area believed in many deities.
Muhammad took notice of these circumstances as he grew up. According to Fisher (2014), when
Muhammad was twenty-five years old he married a woman named Khadijah who greatly
supported him in his early establishment of Islam.

Fifteen years after the marriage, Muhammad decided to go be by himself and meditate
(Fisher, 2014). While he meditated he was reportedly visited by the angel Gabriel (known in the
Jewish and Christian tradition) who gave him his first revelations (Fisher, 2014). He shared these
revelations with only a trusted few. Three years later however, Muhammad began to push for the
other Arabs around him to accept his message (Fisher, 2014).
During these early years, Muhammad and his followers experienced intense persecution.
Originally based in the city of Mecca, Muhammad and his group eventually left the city
(temporarily) and resettled in the city of Medina to escape persecution. This event is called the
hijrah (Fisher, 2014). The hijrah is vital to Islam because, according to Dr. Ibrahim Syed (n.d.),
it started the beginning of Islams foundation as a world religion (i.e. Muslims became more
organized and began to gain more power.). The hijrah also became the inspiration for the Muslim
calendar (Fisher, 2014). Eventually, Muhammad came back to Mecca with force and conquered
his enemies. As the years went by, Islam spread throughout Arabia and into the surrounding
areas.
While Muhammad was alive, he would occasionally receive additional revelations. When
these revelations were related to the other Muslims, they would copy the words down from
memorization (Fisher, 2014). Sometime after Muhammad died, these revelations were collected
and compiled into a book called the Quran. According to Muslims, the message and underlying
principle of the Quran is found in its opening chapter called the fatiha (Fisher, 2014). It is a
prayer that says, In the name of God, the infinitely Compassionate and Merciful. Praise be to
God, Lord of all the worlds. The Compassionate, the Merciful. Ruler on the Day of Reckoning.
You alone do we worship, and You alone do we ask for help. Guide us on the straight path, the
path of those who have received your grace; not the path of those who have brought down wrath,

nor of those who wander astray. Amen. (Sura 1). The Quran may be considered Islams version
of the Bible. Many characters and concepts from the Christian and Jewish traditions are found in
it.
In regards to primary beliefs, Islam has what is called the Five Pillars. These five
concepts must be accomplished by every Muslim individual within their lifetime. They must
have Shahadah (faith in Allah and that Muhammad was his prophet), they must perform Salah
(prayer five times a day), they must perform Zakat (giving to the poor and needy), they must
perform Sawm (fasting), and they must make a trip to Mecca, called Hajj, and perform certain
rituals (Information Office of the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Washington DC, 2016).
Islam seems well intentioned. Overall, it promotes cooperation in interaction with
Muslim communities and non-Muslim communities. As Islam continues to grow in the United
States, it is important to understand it and be educated in its concepts.
Hinduism. Coming in third place in terms of religious supporters, Hinduism is right
behind Christianity and Islam, respectively (ReligionFacts, 2015). Hinduism is a seemingly
complex religion due to the assumption that it contains a variety of deities and also that it lacks a
sole founder. Although Hinduism is practiced globally, its mainly concentrated in the nation of
India.
Most scholars conclude that Hinduism was formed through various philosophies and
cultural beliefs over a certain period of time before the common era (Fisher, 2014). The people
group most associated with these beliefs and philosophies are the Dravidians (early Indian
natives) (Fisher, 2014). It is still unclear though on what the Dravidians practiced specifically.

In essence, in regards to deity, Hindus worship Brahman, who is the god of creation
(Srinivasan, 2016). As described by the Hindu philosopher Adi Shankara, Brahman is the only
truth, the world is unreal, and there is ultimately no difference between Brahman and Atman,
individual self (The Best Upanishads Quotes, n.d.). According to Hinduism, Brahman
manifests himself in all things (i.e. the various supernatural beings recognized in Hinduism,
humans, animals, and inanimate forces and materials). Since people are essentially Brahman, the
purpose of existence is to live righteously in order to free the Brahman inside and therefore
achieve fulfillment.
Hinduism is very philosophical. The three key ideas of understanding existence are
Samkhya (the world is spiritual and physical), Advaita Vedanta (the physical world as we know it
is not real, it is purely spiritual), and Yoga (exercises used to attain ultimate enlightenment and
soul satisfaction) (Fisher, 2014). These three philosophies derive from the Vedas and Upanishads
(considered Hinduisms most important spiritual writings). These writings have no known
author(s) (Fisher, 2014).
This religion is very old and somewhat more difficult to comprehend than others.
Nevertheless, it gives a majority of Indians hope for the future. It encourages moral living and
inner peace, therefore sustaining the society and people it pervades.
Conclusion. It is interesting to compare the worlds three largest religions. A possible
explanation for why they are the three largest religions could be the factor of the want of peace
(expressed directly and indirectly) by them. There are many similarities between these three
faiths, but possibly, just as many contradictions

When it comes down to the most basic belief of god, in a way, these religions are all
monotheistic. However, it becomes divisive due to Hindus recognition of their god as many
gods, and Christians and Muslims asserting that god is either Jesus or allah. To further
complicate the matter, Christians are adamant that their belief in this area is the only one that
leads to true life.
Overall, these religions stress the importance of cooperation, kindness and respect. The
motivation behind this however, differs. Christians are motivated by the realization of the
kindness showed to them by Jesus; Muslims are motivated by a prophets words explaining that
it is gods will; and Hindus are motivated by the potential to eventually achieve fulfillment.
Each of these faiths claim that their sacred writings are the guide for humans to follow.
The Bible, the Quran, and the Vedas/Upanishads contain good life advice and give many
explanations to some of lifes greatest questions (i.e. What is the meaning of life? Where did we
ultimately come from? How should I live my life? Why should I live my life this way?).
However, these writings greatly contradict each other in regards to these questions.
It is important to understand the world in which we live. Religions play an important part
in this world. Many people have questions and religions provide answers for them. Although on
the surface, the three religions discussed seem to have similar values, digging deeper reveals that
they are mostly in contrast with one another. However, understanding how these religions reflect
and differ from each other will make anyone understand their world much better.

References
Fisher, M. (2014). Living Religions, Ninth Edition. Pearson Education Inc., 72, 75, 7779, 315, 378-385.
Information Office of the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Washington, DC. (2016). The five
pillars of Islam. Retrieved from https://www.saudiembassy.net/about/countryinformation/Islam/five_pillars_of_Islam.aspx
Pew Research Center. (2014). Global religious diversity. Retrieved from
http://www.pewforum.org/2014/04/04/global-religious-diversity/
Pew Research Center. (2015). The future of world religions: population growth projections,
2010-2050. Retrieved from http://www.pewforum.org/2015/04/02/religious-projections2010-2050/
ReligionFacts. (2015). Hinduism. Retrieved from http://www.religionfacts.com/hinduism
Slick, M. (n.d.). What is a Christian worldview and why do Christians need one? Retrieved from
https://carm.org/what-christian-worldview-and-why-do-christians-need-one
Srinivasan, A. (2016). Core beliefs of Hindus. Retrieved from http://www.dummies.com/howto/content/core-beliefs-of-hindus.html
Syed, I. (n.d.). The significance of the hijrah (622 CE). Retrieved from
https://historyofislam.com/contents/the-age-of-faith/the-significance-of-the-hijrah-622ce/

The best Upanishads quotes. (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://www.yogananda.com.au/upa/Upanishads01.html
The meaning of Islam. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.barghouti.com/islam/meaning.html