Christians today increasingly encounter Islam, not only as a global religion but also through personal conversations, apologetic debates, and online discussions. Many believers want to respond faithfully but feel unsure how to do so without sounding hostile or unprepared. Scripture calls Christians to speak with both truth and love (Ephesians 4:15, KJV). 

1. Begin With the Right Attitude

Before addressing doctrines, Christians must address the heart posture. Islam should not be answered with mockery or fear, but with conviction and compassion.

The Bible commands:

“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.” (1 Peter 3:15, KJV)

This verse sets the tone. Christians are called to give reasons, not insults; explanations, not anger. Muslims are not the enemy. False teaching is (Ephesians 6:12).

2. Understand Islam Before Critiquing It

A major mistake Christians make is criticizing Islam without understanding what it actually teaches. Islam is built on several core beliefs:

• Allah is one, and God has no Son

• Muhammad is the final prophet

• The Qur’an is the final and perfect revelation

• Salvation is earned through submission and works

The Qur’an explicitly denies the Sonship of Christ:

“He begets not, nor is He begotten.” (Qur’an 112:3)

This immediately creates a direct contradiction with the Bible, which teaches:

“But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God… which were born… of God.” (John 1:12–13, KJV)

You cannot harmonize these two positions. Both cannot be true at the same time (John 18:37).

3. Jesus Christ Is the Central Divide

The most important issue between Christianity and Islam is the identity of Jesus Christ.

Islam affirms Jesus (Isa) as a prophet but denies His deity, crucifixion, and resurrection. Scripture makes these truths non-negotiable.

Jesus Is Fully God

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1, KJV)
“For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.” (Colossians 2:9, KJV)

Jesus Was Crucified

“Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures.” (1 Corinthians 15:3, KJV)

Islam denies the crucifixion (Qur’an 4:157), yet the crucifixion is one of the most attested events in ancient history, affirmed by Roman, Jewish, and Christian sources. If Christ was not crucified, the gospel collapses (1 Corinthians 15:14).

4. The Question of Revelation. Bible vs Qur’an

Islam claims the Bible was originally from God but became corrupted. However, there is no manuscript evidence to support this claim.

The Bible is preserved through thousands of manuscripts, many dating centuries before Islam. Jesus affirmed the authority and preservation of Scripture:

“Thy word is truth.” (John 17:17, KJV)
“Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law.” (Matthew 5:18, KJV)

If the Bible was corrupted before Muhammad, then Muhammad received false confirmation. If it was corrupted after, there is no historical record of such a corruption. The Islamic claim fails on both grounds.

5. Salvation by Grace vs Salvation by Works

Islam teaches that salvation depends on obedience, submission, and Allah’s will. There is no assurance of salvation.

The Bible teaches the opposite:

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.” (Ephesians 2:8–9, KJV)

Christian salvation rests on what Christ has done, not what we earn (Titus 3:5). This difference is not minor. It defines whether salvation is certain or uncertain, finished or conditional.

Jesus declared:

“It is finished.” (John 19:30, KJV)

Islam has no equivalent statement.

6. The Trinity Is Not Polytheism

Muslims often reject Christianity by claiming the Trinity teaches three gods. This is a misunderstanding.

The Bible teaches one God in three Persons, not three gods (Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19). The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct yet one in essence.

Scripture shows this unity clearly:

“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all.” (2 Corinthians 13:14, KJV)

The Trinity is revealed truth, not philosophical invention (John 1:18).

7. Use Questions, Not Just Statements

When answering Islam, questions can be more effective than assertions:

• Why does the Qur’an affirm the Gospel if it contradicts it?

• Why does God need to correct His revelation six centuries later?

• Why does Allah require works when God is perfectly just and merciful?

Jesus often answered objections with questions to expose the heart and assumptions (Matthew 21:23–27).

8. Trust the Power of the Gospel

Ultimately, no argument converts the soul. The gospel does.

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation.” (Romans 1:16, KJV)

Christians answer Islam not to win debates, but to bear witness to Christ (Acts 1:8). The goal is not intellectual victory but eternal salvation.

Answering Islam as a Christian requires biblical grounding, historical awareness, and spiritual humility. Islam and Christianity differ fundamentally on who God is, who Christ is, and how salvation works. These differences matter because truth matters (John 8:32).

Christians need not fear these conversations. The same Jesus who said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6, KJV) still saves, still speaks, and still calls people from every nation to Himself.