In our comparative study of Islam and Christianity we must also consider the path of salvation. How does one assure they will enter the kingdom of heaven, or paradise? The topic parallels some of what we learned in our contrasting of Allah and Jehovah since salvation is entwined with the topics of sin and judgment.

Yesterday we learned that Jehovah has a very high view of sin, meaning that one sin is enough to eternally separate a person from God. Allah, however, has a meritorious system of weighing ones sins against one’s acts of goodness. This is an important distinction as on the one hand one can do nothing to save themselves and on the other one is more or less in control of their fate.

I say “more or less” in control because of the nature of Allah. Again, as we learned yesterday, Allah is capable of anything including damning an innocent or showing grace to a villain. Furthermore, since Allah is the source of the Muslim’s information about how to be saved, and since Allah is capable of lying, there is no guarantee of any outcome regardless of how one lives. Unless of course you believe Allah’s promise that all who die for him in jihad are guaranteed entry to paradise.

Judaism teaches that one must trust in God to make a way of salvation for sinners through Messiah and that it is faith in God and his plan that saves. Christians understand Jesus to be that Messiah and therefore have the same plan of salvation as the Old Testament saints, namely faith alone in God’s provision (Jesus). Since man can never be good enough to enter into fellowship with God on his own merits, God must find a way for him that doesn’t violate God’s own character.

Allah, then, appeals to a weights and measure system (primarily) to determine who is worthy to enter Paradise, with a guarantee of salvation given to those who die in jihad and the right to refuse or grant entrance to any as he sees fit. And that’s if Allah can be trusted to tell the truth on the matter.

Jehovah’s righteousness and perfection cannot tolerate sinfulness of any kind and therefore must condemn humanity due to their condition. In order to save humanity God had to take upon himself all the punishment that would have been given each person he wished to save. In this case, God took the punishment for all the worlds’ sins so that all might be saved. Yet since even our bodies are corrupted by sin even our bodies must be redeemed, which they will be on the day of Resurrection (1 Corinthians 15.42). Those who accept God’s gift will receive the grace they do not deserve; those who do not accept the gift will receive the just punishment their sins require.

Allah is therefore distant and not terribly interested in connecting with mankind. He has an expectation of worship from humanity but has no desire to be responsible for them in any way. His approach is very much to command worship and destroy those who don’t, and this is reflected in the actions of his followers. If one does not repent of their faith to become a Muslim they are beheaded, burned alive or otherwise murdered.

Jehovah is necessarily personal and close and willing to connect and even befriend people. In both the Jewish and Christian Scriptures God is depicted as walking the earth and having real relationships with real people. He walked in the cool of the day with Adam and Eve, we are told Enoch walked with God and God had dinner with Abraham and Sarah before destroying Sodom and Gomorrah. Jesus of course was born and grew up among humanity, befriending many, holding 12 close friends and among them a very few best friends. No one is threatened into Heaven, instead all are invited.

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