In public debate, Catholics and Muslims are often portrayed as inhabiting separate moral and theological worlds. Yet one of the most striking — and least acknowledged — areas of agreement between the two faiths concerns the end of history itself. When it comes to what the world looks like at the end of time, and the role Jesus plays in it, Catholics and Muslims stand far closer than most people realize.
Both believe Jesus is alive today. Both believe He will return bodily, not symbolically. Both believe His return occurs amid global moral collapse, widespread deception, and the rise of a false savior. And both believe His return marks the decisive turning point before God’s final judgment.
That is not a minor overlap. It is a shared vision of humanity’s final crisis.
Catholic teaching describes a “final trial” in which truth is distorted, faith is pressured into compromise, and a powerful figure — traditionally called the Antichrist — deceives the world with false promises of salvation and peace. The Catechism speaks of a moment when humanity is tempted to solve its problems apart from God, at the cost of truth and justice.
Islamic tradition describes nearly the same scenario. Muslims expect a period of fitna — severe tribulation and deception — culminating in the appearance of al-Masih ad-Dajjal, the false messiah. Like the Antichrist, Dajjal is portrayed as a global deceiver who draws vast followings, performs false signs, and leads humanity away from truth.
Different names. Same problem.
In both faiths, the solution to that deception is not political reform, military power, or philosophical awakening. It is Jesus Himself.
Catholics believe Jesus returns in glory and destroys the Antichrist by the sheer force of His presence, exposing lies and restoring truth. Muslims believe Jesus returns by God’s permission and defeats Dajjal, bringing an end to false claims and moral corruption. The theological explanations differ, but the role is the same: Jesus ends the greatest deception in human history.
Importantly, neither faith believes the world ends the instant Jesus returns. Both traditions describe a period in which justice is restored, truth clarified, and oppression restrained. Catholic theology speaks of Christ’s definitive victory over evil, preparing humanity for final judgment. Islamic tradition speaks of a just era under Jesus before the Last Day.
Again, the expectations align more than they diverge.
Catholics and Muslims also agree on what comes next: resurrection of the dead, accountability for one’s actions, and eternal consequences. Heaven and hell are real. Justice is complete. Nothing hidden remains hidden.
Where the two faiths part ways — honestly and irreducibly — is over who Jesus ultimately is. Catholics confess Him as God incarnate. Muslims honor Him as a great human prophet. That difference matters deeply to both communities and should not be minimized.
But here is the overlooked truth: Catholics and Muslims expect the same end-time events unfolding in the same order, involving the same central figure, confronting the same moral crisis.
A Catholic and a Muslim living at the end of time might disagree about Jesus’ divine identity — but they would likely agree on what they are witnessing: a world unraveling morally, a false savior exposed, Jesus returned to restore truth, and God’s judgment approaching.
In a fractured global landscape where religious differences are often weaponized, this shared horizon matters. It reminds us that Catholics and Muslims are not merely arguing about the past. They are, in many ways, looking toward the same future — one in which truth defeats deception, justice overcomes oppression, and history answers to God, not human power.
Interfaith understanding does not require theological compromise. Sometimes it begins by recognizing that, when it matters most, we are describing the same storm — even if we speak in different tongues.
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