Christianity vs Islam: Which Is Right? A Multi-Faith Perspective

Judaism doesn't frame the question as "Christianity vs. Islam" — it regards both traditions as derivative movements that departed from the original Sinai covenant. From a classical Jewish standpoint, neither Christianity's claim that Jesus is the Messiah nor Islam's claim that Muhammad received a final revelation superseding the Torah is accepted as valid.

Jewish thinkers like Maimonides (12th century) acknowledged that both Christianity and Islam spread monotheism to the nations — a kind of preparatory role — but firmly rejected their supersessionist claims over the Jewish people and Torah. The Talmudic tradition holds that the covenant at Sinai is eternal and non-transferable, making the question of which Abrahamic offshoot is "right" somewhat beside the point for Jews.

It's worth noting that Quran 2:113 actually references this ancient dispute, observing that Jews and Christians each deny the other's validity while both claim scriptural authority Quran 2:113. From a Jewish lens, that verse inadvertently describes the problem with all such exclusivist claims.

Christianity's answer to this question is unambiguous within its own framework: Jesus Christ is the incarnate Son of God, and salvation comes through faith in him. The New Testament presents Jesus as the fulfillment of Jewish prophecy and the definitive revelation of God — a claim Islam explicitly rejects.

Christian theologians like C.S. Lewis (20th century) and Alvin Plantinga have argued that the resurrection of Jesus, if historically true, settles the question in Christianity's favor. The core dispute with Islam centers on three points: (1) whether Jesus was crucified and rose from the dead (Islam denies the crucifixion as commonly understood), (2) whether the Bible has been corrupted (Islam says yes; most Christian scholars say no), and (3) whether Muhammad's prophethood is legitimate (Christianity says no).

It's important to acknowledge that Christianity itself is not monolithic — Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant traditions disagree on significant doctrines, which complicates any simple "Christianity is right" declaration. Still, all mainstream Christian traditions agree that Jesus is Lord and Savior, a claim that directly contradicts Islam's insistence that associating partners with God (shirk) is the gravest sin.

Quran 2:135 records Muhammad's response to both Jews and Christians who each claimed their path was the rightly guided one, pointing instead to Abraham Quran 2:135. Christians would counter that Jesus himself is the fulfillment of the Abrahamic promise.

Islam's position is explicit and theologically confident: it is the final, uncorrupted form of the one religion God has always intended for humanity. The Quran states this directly — "Indeed, the religion in the sight of Allāh is Islām" Quran 3:19. From an Islamic perspective, this isn't arrogance but a statement of divine fact revealed through the Prophet Muhammad (c. 570–632 CE).

Islamic theology holds that Judaism and Christianity were originally true revelations — the Torah (Tawrat) and Gospel (Injil) were genuine scriptures — but that their texts were corrupted (tahrif) over time by human error or deliberate alteration. Muhammad, as the "Seal of the Prophets" (Khatam an-Nabiyyin), restored the pure monotheism of Abraham, which the Quran calls Islam in its universal sense Quran 2:135.

The Quran directly addresses the Christian-Jewish dispute, noting that each tradition denies the other despite both claiming scripture Quran 2:113, and implies that only divine judgment will settle such disputes definitively. Muslim scholars like Ibn Taymiyya (14th century) and contemporary apologist Zakir Naik have argued that the Bible itself, properly read, points toward Muhammad's prophethood.

It's fair to acknowledge internal disagreement here too: Sunni, Shia, and Ahmadiyya Muslims differ on questions of religious authority and interpretation, though all affirm the Quran's primacy and Muhammad's prophethood.

Your question asks which religion is right; within the sources at hand (Qur'anic passages), the text reports a dispute in which Jews and Christians mutually deny each other's truth and states that God will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection Quran 2:113. The same Qur'anic context highlights a return to Abraham’s upright monotheism as the criterion, without idolatry Quran 2:135. Given only these passages, we can't speak for Jewish scripture here; we can only note how the Qur'an depicts the interreligious disagreement and divine adjudication Quran 2:113.

From the Qur'anic vantage, some say “Be Jews or Christians, then you will be rightly guided,” but the response is to follow Abraham’s pure monotheism instead of any factional claim Quran 2:135. The same text also notes the polemical split between Jews and Christians and defers the verdict to God in the hereafter Quran 2:113. We can’t add New Testament reasoning here because no Christian scriptures were provided; we’re restricting ourselves to what the Qur'an says about the dispute and God’s final judgment Quran 2:113.

Islam’s own scripture states plainly: “Indeed, the religion in the sight of Allah is Islam,” asserting Islam’s ultimacy before God Quran 3:19. It frames earlier disputes among Jews and Christians as arising after knowledge came, and places final judgment with God over their differences Quran 2:113. It also centers guidance on the uncompromising monotheism of Abraham, rejecting idolatry as the decisive measure of right worship Quran 2:135.