"Once upon a time, at the dawn of the VII century after the Birth of Christ, in the middle of the Arabian deserts, far from the civilized world, a remarkable event happened. In the darkness of the night, under the low arches of the cave of Mount Hira, to a forty-year-old Arab who spent time here in solitude, someone appeared. Someone strong and terrible, who began to strangle him, forcing him to read a strange text on behalf of some kind of master. Fearing for his life, the Arab gave in and repeated the text — and the vision disappeared. Terrified, he ran to his home and wrapped himself in a blanket in horror, not daring to show himself outside.
For quite a long time after that he he was tormented by doubts, suspecting that he had met that memorable night with dark forces, spirits of evil. But later his family managed to convince him that none other than the messenger of God, an Angel, appeared to him, who thereby called him to become a prophet for his people. Believing in this, this Arab soon announced a new teaching in Arabia: to worship a lonely God (Quran 112.1), distant (Quran 12.31) and cruel (Quran 17.58), the source of both good and evil (Quran 10.107; 39.38), by which everything that happens is predetermined (Quran 33.38). For a man who wished to please such a god, he was commanded to believe in his solitary isolation, as well as that the Arab merchant who announced this teaching was his messenger and prophet; to perform a certain ritual five times a day with the recitation of prayer formulas and the alternation of bodily poses; to once in a lifetime visit a sanctuary in an Arab city and slaughter a sheep on a nearby mountain; to spend a small portion of his earnings on his household, and one month a year, eat and drink only at night. And it was also commanded to wage a holy war with those who do not recognize this teaching until they are subjugated to it (Quran 2.193). Those who observe the above were promised prosperity in this life, and in the life to come a beautiful garden with eternal pleasures — mainly of sexual and gastronomic character, as well as, partially, aesthetic. All this was recorded in a book, compiled already after the death of the founder, which was declared to be the revelation and creation of this god, and its text — eternal and unchangeable to the letter.
This Arab's name was Muhammad, and his teaching was called Islam — derived from the Arabic word "peace" (salam), and many of his followers soon swept across the earth and in merciless bloody wars soon captured vast territories — both from Christians, Western and Eastern, as well as from Zoroastrians, heathens, Hindus. This "religion of peace" eventually spread to many nations, and its adherents continued to wage continuous wars, even to this day.
All is known in comparison, therefore, let's compare the teachings of Muhammad and the teachings of Christ, and consider which of the religions is intended for a strong man, and which has the power to make him strong.
To begin with, the Muslim Holy Scripture itself is three times smaller in volume than the Christian Holy Scripture. Even just to read the Bible requires three times more effort, time and perseverance than to read the Quran. We will see the same proportion when comparing their contents.
Christianity teaches restraint of one's passions — such as hatred, lust, and avarice; Islam, on the contrary, indulges all of them: for example, although it recognizes that mercy is more pleasing to God, it allows revenge, although it says that God is more pleased with the unity of the family, it recognizes divorce at any whim of the husband, although it encourages alms, it also praises the passion of accumulating wealth.
Christianity blesses marriage with only one wife, Islam allows you to have four wives and countless concubines. It is clear to any reasonable person that it is much more difficult to observe marital fidelity in a legal marriage with a single wife than, within the limits of what is permissible, to have a relationship with almost an unlimited number of women.
Islam commands you to pray five times a day, but Christians have the commandment to pray unceasingly (1 Thess 5:17).
Muslims fast for only three weeks, while Orthodox fast for more than half a year, whereby the fast is extended to whole days (day and night), and not only during the day, as in Islam. Of course, in order to fast for more than 180 days and nights, it takes a lot more effort than to fast for twenty days.
Some cite the Muslim law forbidding the use of wine as something sublime. But on closer examination, even in this, Arab religion gives way to the teaching of the Church. Christianity does not prohibit the use of wine as such, but strictly prohibits drunkenness - drunkards do not inherit the Kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 6:10). And it is obvious to anyone that only a strong person can, while drinking alcohol, observe the measure and not fall into drunkenness; a complete rejection of alcohol is a somewhat easier way to overcome this sin.
Islam also prohibits eating pork, and sets some other restrictions in clothing and behavior, but it is quite clear that it is much easier not to eat pork and not to wear silk than to keep the commandment to abstain from sin even in thoughts — as every Christian is commanded.
Take the conduct of war. Those who try to push Christianity into the Procrustean bed of dull pacifism are blind. Defensive warfare is unequivocally blessed by the Church. From the holy warriors — from generals to privates — not just one division is assembled for the King of Heaven in the image of the Saints. But if in Islam the conduct of wars is based on hatred for the killed, in Christianity the basis of military feats is love for those who need to be protected — "greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends" (John 15:13), and these words can rightfully refer to those who died with honor in battle. This is the teaching of Christ, and only a person strong in spirit and will can bear it.
We can go on with the comparisons for a very, very long time. But even on the basis of what has already been given, it can be quite objectively said that Christianity is the religion of strong people, whereas Islam is a religion for the weak and frail. Christianity is for the free, Islam is for the slaves. We are talking here about the most important freedom for man — freedom from sin and his own passions, from which the Muslim faith is unable to free its followers.
And this explains the spread of Islam in the modern world. It is precisely why Islam is becoming popular now in the West, because the era of the weak man is coming; secularized humanity is cultivating its weaknesses and wallows in voluntary laxity. How pleasant it is for them to hear: "Allah wants to make life easier for you; for Man is created weak." (Quran 4.28).
According to Christian teaching, man is created strong, and called to be strong. The fact that for two millennia the Church has not lowered such a high bar of its moral ideal testifies to the fact that this ideal is - in Church - really achievable. And examples of this are not only hundreds of thousands of saints, but also millions of ordinary Orthodox Christians who embodied this ideal in their lives. “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Mt 19:26), and the Lord Jesus Christ, to Whom everything is possible, gives the power to do what we have listed, and more than that.
Each of us has a choice — to remain weak or to become strong. To swim down the current to the precipice or against the current to the shore. And no one will escape (the choice), and it is up to the person, what will be chosen in the end.
You just need to know and remember that from all who were supposed to become strong, but who voluntarily remained weak, will be asked to the fullest extent — in due time."
"The Kingdom of Heaven is conquered with effort, and those who strive gain it (Mt 11:12)."
Priest Georgy Maximov
https://tinyurl.mobi/33fkV
