Judaism and Christianity Essay

What beliefs and practices does Islam sh atomic number 18 with Judaism and Christianity? Specify what is distinctive about the Islamic form of those beliefs and practices.The relationships between Islam, Judaism and Christianity in the later parts of the 20th century appear to have improved as easy as worsened from different perspectives as comp bed to any other period in history. A noteworthy facial gesture of the current relationships is that Muslims are now studyd in dialogues with Christians and Jews. Islam is now the fastest growing religion in the world and Muslim leaders and clerics put up be observed functioning together with ministers, priests and rabbis in several(prenominal) religious endeavors. However, the three religions continue to have major differences and are engaged in nationalist and territorial conflicts that have gradu all in ally been characterized with religious or sectarian differences. This paper makes an analysis of the beliefs and practices that Islam sells with Christianity and Judaism because the misunderstandings between the three religions pile be resolved only in recognizing that they have the like roots and share several friendly and religious practices.Islam is a monotheistic religion and is the second biggest in the world after Christianity. The religion has its line of credit in the Middle East and has several customs and beliefs that are the same as Christianity and Judaism. These three religions are commonly referred to as the Abrahamic religions they believe in one perfection and feature their lineage from the Prophet Ibrahim, as homely in the Hebrew. Islam, Christianity and Judaism believe there is only one immortal who is the creator of all things that experience in the world and He is the one who takes care of every living being.The three religions provide that God believes in justice and He has established fundamental rules in guiding people about how they can become virtuous and honorable in complying with His intentions. The three religions hold that God believes in mercy and that with His benevolence people get the power to become more like what is desired of them to become (Wells, 2011). Islam, along with Christianity and Judaism, holds that all human beings are Ibrahims children and are the most capable living beings on Earth.Human beings were created with an part of mystery in being excreten immense potential to grow constantly, individually as well as a species. When people strive towards achieving good, righteous and loving qualities they transform into what God desired them to become. If much(prenominal) freedom is misused and others are harmed with ones actions, it implies that such people are transgressing Gods will, which makes them evil. The three religions believe that it is possible for every individual to seek Gods help in achieving the capability to ward off evil influences. Eventually, the message in all three religions is to be given over and obedient to G od (Los Angeles Chinese knowledge Center, 2012). In being monotheistic, the three religions are different from Buddhism and Hinduism. They share common beliefs about history being the arena of Gods activities and His encounters with human beings, Satan, angels, heavenly apocalypse and prophets. All three religions focus on the importance of Judgment Day, accountability, responsibility and perpetual rewards and punishments.The three religions give immense importance to peace, which is evident from historical patterns of greeting one other, implying Peace Be Upon You, beginning with Assalamalaikim in Islam, with pax vobisum in Christianity and salom aleicham in Judaism. However, such greetings of peace have primarily pertained to greeting one another in a given community or society. All three religions believe that it is essential to engage in holy wars to espouse the cause of empires and to protect societies. The relationships between religion and politics is sheer in the present times also although in different ways, such as the circumstances that prevail in present day Israel, Palestine, Middle East and other parts of the world. All the three religions share the same ancestry and believe in scriptures that were delivered through heaven. They have similar religious practices and rites relative to charity and incessant prayers, value of pilgrimage and common holy places. The three religions give the promise that appropriate behaviors will be rewarded and inappropriate behaviors will be punished in life as well as in the afterlife.They balance and integrate many elements of piety, devotion, legalism and mysticism and appear to be suitable in co-existing mutually in reinforcing one another (Peters, 1990). Islam has similarity with Judaism in regard to the focus on practice instead of beliefs. The chief(prenominal) basis of religious obedience in Islam and Judaism is religious law, while in Christianity the focus is on theology. crossways history, the main differences between Islam and Judaism have pertained to disagreement of religious practices and religious law. The disputes between Islam and Christianity have pertained primarily to the set forth amongst communities about theological belief systems, relative to the relationships between divine and human characteristics. Christianity and Judaism are given specific consideration in Islam in view of the Islamic beliefs that God had conveyed His will through His Prophets, namely Ibrahim, Moses and Jesus. In this regard, the Quran specifically states that God revealed his will through Ibrahim, Ismail and their progeny, as well as through Moses and Jesus.thither is no difference amongst them and in what they say, which is why Muslims adhere to what was said by these Prophets ( spick-and-spanby, 1996). Islam and the Quran hold that Christians and Jews are Ibrahims children and relate to them as people of the book (Esposito, 2011). This is because the three religions originate from the s ame lineage of Ibrahim. Muslims trace their lineage from Ibrahim and his servant Hagar, while Christians and Jews trace their lineage from Ibrahim and his spouse Sarah. Muslims hold that Gods manifestation in the form of the Torah was first delivered to the Jews by Prophet Moses and later to Christians by the Prophet Jesus. Muslims are in agreement about some biblical prophets such as Jesus and Moses and use their names as Isa and Musa respectively (Hipps et al, 2003). They also use the Virgin Marys name as Mariam and it is evident that her name appears more frequently in the Quran than in the New Testament.Muslims do not disown the status of Virgin Mary and Jesus virgin birth but they hold that in cod course, over the centuries, the original revelation as made to Jesus and Moses became despoiled. Muslims view the Old Testament as a mix of human manufacture and of Gods messages. They hold the same views about the New Testament and believe that doctrines referring to Jesus as the Son of God are erroneous without any truth. They do not believe that the death of Jesus represented the redemption and atonement for mankinds sins. It is apparent that Islam, Christianity and Judaism have some common roots and share several common practices. This is because they are all having the same Abrahamic heritage. Islam, Christianity and Judaism are monotheistic religions as they believe in a single God in centre on the unity and oneness of God.The confirmation of one God in Christianity has been often debated because of its adherence to the dedicated Trinity but this cannot be considered as a refutation of monotheism. It is only an acknowledgement of the ways in which God is viewed because in Christianity the Divine Being is God. Islam, Christianity and Judaism hold that God is the source and foundation of all that exists in the world and takes care of all His creations in ensuring their wellbeing. All the three religions confirm that people are governed and guide by bas ic rules that make them take the right path and become righteous in complying with Gods will.References1. Esposito, John L. (2011). What Everyone Needs to Know about Islam, Oxford University Press.2. Hipps, Amelia., Kayanaugh, Dorothy., and Khaled Abou El Fadl. (2003). Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Mason Crest Publishers.Los Angeles Chinese Learning Center. (2012). Judaism, Christianity and Islam Similarities, http//chinese-school.netfirms.com/Judaism-Christianity-Islam.html, Accessed on 16 October, 2012. Newby, Gordon. (1996). Muslim, Jews and Christians Relations and Interactions,The Muslim Almanac, Gale Research Inc, Detroit, p.423-429. Peters, F. E. (1990). Judaism, Christianity, and Islam,Volume 1 From Covenant to Community, Princeton University Press Wells, Mark. (2011). Comparison of Islam, Judaism and Christianity, http//smileyandwest.ning.com, Accessed on 16 October, 2012