Islam and Mormonism: Some Similarities and Differences (Second Part)

Last updated on: September 23, 2018 at 6:56 pm by Dan Peterson

Islam and Mormonism: Some Similarities and Differences (Second Part) 2018-09-23T18:56:09-06:00 Dan Peterson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Details of the essentially fourteenth-century Masjid e-Jomeh in Yazd, central Iran. At the top, not quite entirely in the photo, are the Arabic words “Allahu akbar” (“God is Most Great”).
Wikimedia Commons public domain image

Apparently I already posted this little collection of notes sometime last year. But some folks evidently didn’t see that posting, so I think that I’ll finish it:

Similarities (continued)

Both Islam and Mormonism see an end to history, which is moving in linear fashion toward a divinely-determined goal. There are many prophecies about the Last Days in both faiths, and these prophecies are, in a number of ways, rather similar. In Islam, Jesus will return and confront al-Dajjal, an anti-Christ figure. There will be earthquakes and great destruction and, finally, the Last Judgment.

All human beings will be resurrected—literally, bodily—and brought before God for judgment, in both faiths.

When the Prophet Muhammad died, a dispute arose regarding the succession. The group that came to be known as the Shi‘ites holds that his successor (the imam) must be his closest surviving male relative. The so-called Sunnis believe that the lineage of the successor (the caliph) is relatively unimportant, so long as there is a successor to enforce and interpret the law. There is obviously at least a superficial similarity here to the split between the Latter-day Saints and the Reorganized Church. (In practice, however, the line of Shi‘ite imams seems to have died out in the late ninth century, and the Sunni caliphate was abolished by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the reformist founder of modern Turkey, in the early twentieth century.)

The Qur’an is a book of revelations received by the Prophet Muhammad over the course of his twenty-two year ministry. The revelations are arranged, roughly, according to chronological considerations. It is not a narrative about Muhammad, and was not written by him, but is believed to represent the actual voice of God speaking to his prophet (either audibly or by internal inspiration). In several respects, it can be compared to the Doctrine and Covenants.

Islamic culture, like Mormon culture, tends to be patriarchal and to place considerable emphasis on the family. Many of our values (e.g., chastity) are similar. However, Islam allows greater latitude to a double standard than Latter-day Saints can tolerate. (In other words, female chastity tends to be more vital in Islamic eyes—in practice, although not in theory—than does male chastity.) And, while the family plays an indispensable role in Latter-day Saint doctrine and expectations for the afterlife, it appears to be more of a cultural matter in Islamic areas. (Illustration: Plural marriage was an innovation, mandated by revelation to Joseph Smith, in nineteenth century Mormonism. In Islam, although polygamy is permitted, it has no particular religious significance. Islamic law simply regulates a pre-existing practice.)

That said, however, it is clear (with all the talk of the houris, or the virgins of paradise) that Islamic expectations of the afterlife do include gender differentiation and continued sexual behavior. Although the parallel to Latter-day Saint doctrines relating to eternal marriage is only vague, it has been the object of considerable mockery among critics of the Church from the nineteenth century until today.

Stay tuned for “Differences.”

Previous Post

September 22, 2018

"Bathed in a gloriously blue light"

Next Post

September 23, 2018 Big Questions (A)

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 March 2014 August 2013 February 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

I was a scribe skilled in the Law, and I set my heart to study, practice, and teach it. Who am I?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Solomon Nehemiah Ezra Samuel