ABSTRACT
Contact with other religions and philosophies has led to the development of metaphysical speculation and of a strong element of mysticism in Islam. Owing to its early association with Greek thought, it has a highly elaborated scheme of theology which attempts to give, in philosophical terms, an interpretation of human history and the purpose of life. It has also its traditional observances and forms of worship, derived from its parent Judaism or from the rites of mystery religions that were prevalent during its early growth. Christianity, like Islam, was Semitic in origin and, like it, began in revulsion from the prevalent formalism and superstition of the time. The tendency to heighten the story by the introduction of supernatural elements is clearly seen in the treatment of the parentage of Jesus. With wealth and power, especially when Christianity was adopted as the official religion of the Roman Empire, came luxury and worldly interests.
