Judaism vs. Islam
In this essay I will review my understanding of the major beliefs and practices of two of the great Abrahamic religions, Judaism and Islam. I will attempt to take the position of proponents of each religion, and delineate areas of agreement and disagreement. What makes this comparison so compelling, and relevant, is the great human suffering that has resulted, and continues to result, from those who cloak their aggression and hatred under the veil of each religion. Judaism is quite liberal on the issue of the exact nature of God. Thus, it allows for a wide range of interpretations of God. Jewish theology encourages followers to personally grapple with issues of the nature of God. So for example, some Jews perceive God to …show more content…
Emphasis is also placed on absolute loyalty to Allah, which includes not putting money, possessions, country, or even family ahead of Him.
The Islamic view of God is perhaps best captured in the throne verse of the (Sura 2:225) Qur 'an. This passage asserts that God knows everything, that God can do anything, and that everything happens according to His will. It also stipulates that God love eternally that the Qur 'an is the external speech of God and nothing says hidden from God.
Upon reviewing the literature it was fascinating to learn that many theologians argue that Jews and Muslims worship the same God. While some of the arguments are convincing (e.g., both recognize the God of Abraham) I believe the God of Islam is most definitely NOT the God of the Old Testament. Here are some key distinctions: Allah is unknowable whereas the God worshipped by the Jews is knowable (2 Timothy 1:12); Allah is impersonal whereas the God of Judaism is knowable; and finally, Allah is capricious whereas the God of Judaism is trustworthy.
The Islamic position on the purpose of life is quite clear. Scripture from the Quran stipulates that God created humans to be His trustee on earth. Humankind 's basic trust and responsibility is to believe in and worship …show more content…
Certainly, a fundamental area of disagreement is whether Muhammad was a true prophet of God. However, it 's truly heartbreaking that monotheism has regressed to a debate over "whose God is the real God." So much human suffering could be averted if the emphasis could be rightly shifted to "we 're all humans on a path to the one God. Both Judaism and Islam believe that God created humankind with free will for the purpose of obedience and service to Him. In the book of Genesis from the Old Testament, the biblical story of the fall of Adam is detailed. The Quran includes a version of the biblical story of the fall of Adam (Surah 7). However in the Qur 'anic version of the story, Adam and Eve beg God 's forgiveness and he punished them with a mortal life on earth but added, "from it (earth) you will be taken out at last." (7.25). Muslims believe that we are all born in a natural state of submission to God because He forgave the sins of Adam and Eve. Muslims believe that genuine repentance from sin will return a person to this original sinless
In this essay I will review my understanding of the major beliefs and practices of two of the great Abrahamic religions, Judaism and Islam. I will attempt to take the position of proponents of each religion, and delineate areas of agreement and disagreement. What makes this comparison so compelling, and relevant, is the great human suffering that has resulted, and continues to result, from those who cloak their aggression and hatred under the veil of each religion. Judaism is quite liberal on the issue of the exact nature of God. Thus, it allows for a wide range of interpretations of God. Jewish theology encourages followers to personally grapple with issues of the nature of God. So for example, some Jews perceive God to …show more content…
Emphasis is also placed on absolute loyalty to Allah, which includes not putting money, possessions, country, or even family ahead of Him.
The Islamic view of God is perhaps best captured in the throne verse of the (Sura 2:225) Qur 'an. This passage asserts that God knows everything, that God can do anything, and that everything happens according to His will. It also stipulates that God love eternally that the Qur 'an is the external speech of God and nothing says hidden from God.
Upon reviewing the literature it was fascinating to learn that many theologians argue that Jews and Muslims worship the same God. While some of the arguments are convincing (e.g., both recognize the God of Abraham) I believe the God of Islam is most definitely NOT the God of the Old Testament. Here are some key distinctions: Allah is unknowable whereas the God worshipped by the Jews is knowable (2 Timothy 1:12); Allah is impersonal whereas the God of Judaism is knowable; and finally, Allah is capricious whereas the God of Judaism is trustworthy.
The Islamic position on the purpose of life is quite clear. Scripture from the Quran stipulates that God created humans to be His trustee on earth. Humankind 's basic trust and responsibility is to believe in and worship …show more content…
Certainly, a fundamental area of disagreement is whether Muhammad was a true prophet of God. However, it 's truly heartbreaking that monotheism has regressed to a debate over "whose God is the real God." So much human suffering could be averted if the emphasis could be rightly shifted to "we 're all humans on a path to the one God. Both Judaism and Islam believe that God created humankind with free will for the purpose of obedience and service to Him. In the book of Genesis from the Old Testament, the biblical story of the fall of Adam is detailed. The Quran includes a version of the biblical story of the fall of Adam (Surah 7). However in the Qur 'anic version of the story, Adam and Eve beg God 's forgiveness and he punished them with a mortal life on earth but added, "from it (earth) you will be taken out at last." (7.25). Muslims believe that we are all born in a natural state of submission to God because He forgave the sins of Adam and Eve. Muslims believe that genuine repentance from sin will return a person to this original sinless