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On the surface, Catholicism and Islam appear to have very little in common, but as you delve deeper into areas such as rituals, beliefs, ethics, founders, governing concepts and sacred objects, the two show strong mutual similarities, particularly in the fundamental areas, while being totally different. In this essay I will compare and contrast many of the facets that make up the worlds largest and most recognized religions, Catholicism and Islam. Both Muslims and Catholics are monotheists, believing in the same god, referred to as Allah by the Muslims and Yahweh or simply God by Catholics. In this sense Islam and Catholicism are considerably intertwined, appearing to come from the same beginning. Both Islam and Catholicism are based primarily on the lives and teachings of men sent by God.
In Catholicism, Jesus was the son of God, sent down to earth to spread the word of the Lord to the people, and ultimately die a brutal death so that this people may reach eternal peace in heaven. Catholics praise Jesus suffering for them as well as for his teachings and for the miracles he performed to assist the needy. Despite Islam and Catholicism having a sharing a mutual God, Muslims do not believe that Jesus was his son, instead they identify Jesus as a prophet. This greatly distinguishes the two religions as Jesus relation to God is one of the fundamental beliefs in Catholicism. The Islamic religion is almost based solely on the teachings of the prophet Muhammad, who like Jesus, was a shepherd boy. Muhammad spent much of his adult life meditating as he was upset by the way that people lived.
Each year, during the holy month of Ramadan, Muhammad would go alone to a cave on Mount Hira. At the age of forty, after visiting the present cave for five years, the angle Gabriel appeared to Muhammad and announced that he had been chosen as a prophet. From then on Muhammad began to preach the simple message that you should not worship idols as there is only one god, Allah, who has no family or partners. Not surprisingly, this conflicts greatly with Catholicism, which believes that there are three facets to the one god; God The Father, God The Son and God The Holy Spirit. This is known as the holy trinity. The Holy Trinity is arguably the governing belief that set Catholicism apart from any other religion.
Catholics believe that God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are three distinct persons yet one god. It is often referred to as being like three candle flames, each flame is individual and complete, but when combined form one inseparable flame. Both Muslims and Catholics believe that God is omnipresent and not confined to one place at a time. Muhammad based the Islamic religion around what the messenger from Allah had told him; that there is only one god and he created the earth and people to worship him, so it is therefore wrong to worship any idols. Perhaps, most simply put, Islam is summed up by a simple prayer known as the Shahadah. There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his messenger.
Both Catholics and Muslims have one book, that is broken down into section, which tells the message of God. The Catholic bible is roughly divided into the old and new testaments. The Old Testaments tell of the prophets before Jesus time while the New Testaments tells of Jesus life. The Qur an is the Islamic holy book and is broken down into 114 chapters. A true Muslim reads from the Qur an often.
Both Islam and Catholicism have practices or duties which are central to the life of there religious community. Catholics are expected to take part in as many of the Seven Sacraments as possible, while Muslims are expected to practice all of the Five Pillars Of Islam. In accordance with Islams absolute commitment to monotheism, the first duty is the profession of faith (the Shahadah): There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his Prophet. This profession must be made publicly by every Muslim at least once in his or her lifetime. The second duty is that of five daily prayers. The first prayer is offered before sunrise, the second in the very early afternoon, the third in the late afternoon, the fourth immediately after sunset, and the fifth before retiring and before midnight.
In prayers, Muslims face the Kaaba, a small, cube shaped structure in the courtyard of the great mosque of Mecca. A single unit of prayer consists of a standing posture, then a genuflection followed by two prostrations, and finally a sitting posture. In each of these postures prayers and portions of the Koran, the holy book are said. The third duty of a Muslim is to pay zakat.
This was originally the tax levied by Muhammad on the wealthy members of the community, primarily to help the poor. Only when zakat has been paid is the rest of a Muslims property considered purified and legitimate. In most Muslim states zakat is no longer collected by the government and instead has become a voluntary charity, but it is still recognized as an essential duty by all Muslims. Most Muslims see the Zakat as an act of worship, not charity and it is therefore normally done in private. The fourth duty is the fast of the month of Ramadan. Because the Islamic calendar is lunar, Islamic festivals are not confined to any one season.
Even during hot summers, most Muslims meticulously observe fasting. During the fasting month, one must refrain from eating, drinking, smoking, and sexual intercourse from dawn until sunset. The fifth duty is the pilgrimage to the Kaaba at Mecca. Every adult Muslim who is physically and economically able to do so must make this pilgrimage at least once in his or her lifetime. Held during the first ten days of the last month of the lunar year, the rite requires that the pilgrims enter into a state of purity in which they wear only a seamless white garment, abstain from shedding blood and cutting either hair or nails, and avoid all forms of vulgarity. The main areas of this lengthy rite are seven laps of the Kaaba, walking fast between two mounds near the sanctuary seven times, marching three miles to Mina, then proceeding six miles to Arafat, staying the afternoon and listening to a sermon there, then marching back to Mecca and once again marching around the Kaaba.
Catholics are expected to take part in as many of the sacraments seeing that it is not possible to receive them all as certain ones do conflict. Baptism is the first sacrament received by a Catholic. It involves the poring of water over an person head and symbolizes the entry into the Catholic Church. Confirmation is the sacramental rite admitting baptized persons to full membership in the Catholic Church.
Confirmation is administered from two to seven years after infant baptism. Confirmation is effected by the laying on of hands and, in the Roman Catholic church, anointing with consecrated oil. In the Roman Catholic church the ceremony is performed by a bishop or a specially authorized priest. Holy Communion is the central rite in Catholicism, in which bread and wine are consecrated by a priest and consumed by the minister and members of the congregation in memory of Jesus. The sacrament of penance, also referred to as the sacrament of reconciliation, is a rite undertaken for the remission of sins committed after baptism.
To make a private confession, a person who has sinned enters the confessional box or room and, either kneeling or sitting, tells the priest how long it has been since the last confession. The person then acknowledges all serious sins committed since the last confession and expresses sorrow and a desire to repent. The priest may then offer a few words of advice or encouragement before discussing with the penitent some form of sacramental penance, for the sins, involving the recitation of prayers or some specific action. The priest then pronounces absolution and dismisses the penitent. The sacrament of holy orders is undertaken when a man wants to become a Priest. The priest has the power to celebrate Mass and to administer the sacraments, except holy orders (reserved for the bishop), matrimony (administered to one another by the couple and witnessed by the priest), and, in the Roman Catholic church and the Church of England, confirmation.
The visible sign of the sacrament is the imposition of hands by a bishop, sometimes accompanied by the transmission of an object associated with the order, such as a chalice. Anointing of the sick is a sacrament performed for spiritual comfort for the seriously ill or aged. Catholics believe that Holy Orders cleanse the soul before death. The sacrament of Marriage is undertaken by a male and female who wish to be seen as one in the eyes of god. Marriage involves the exchange of rings and signifies that the man and woman are now a family. It is almost inconceivable that the two largest religions could be so alike.
From founders to fundamental beliefs, Islam and Catholicism share many beliefs, almost to the point were you could be forgiven for thinking that they are in fact the same religion, with some minor changes.
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Research essay sample on Roman Catholic Church Fundamental Beliefs
