The Essence of Hope; a Contrast between Islam and Christianity

Hope is one of the main prerequisites of man's life. Whoever is optimistic about the future feels that he/she has everything at his disposal, because real happiness and everlasting felicity consist in the feeling of peace and tranquility, hope and optimism. One who has not mental peace is bereft of the least provision even if one possesses material power, and this can be ascribed to mental problems, distress and overwhelming satanic temptations.We may not find among the teachings of divine religions any instance that lacks optimism about the future and its developments and that does not look directly or indirectly at the improvement of man's condition and realization of his ideals in the future. Divine religions which are based on revelation pay greater attention to this idea than other beliefs and most of their follower's religious doctrines are related to it.The present paper sheds light on how the concept of "hope" is reflected in Islamic and Christian religious texts and seeks to make explicit the general parameters of this teaching in these texts in order to prepare the ground for bringing religions closer and closer.