Similarities between Judaism, Christianity and Islam - Essay Example

The origins of Judaism are linked with the Old Testament stories more commonly known as the Tanakh. Even though the Tanakh is not substantiated to date by the related historical bases, a pretty lucid study of the Tanakh suggests that Abraham who was the first patriarch of the Jews was alive in the centuries between 1700 and 1900 BC. The situation of famine in Canaan gave way for the men to move with their respective families towards Goshen in Egypt. The Jews within Egypt were not appropriate for the same. The Israelites became the slaves of the pharaohs and thus built the huge statues and monuments that exist even to this day. (Rousseau, 1983) The book of Exodus states that the new leader of the Jews - Moses led the people from their state of bondage within Egypt and thus the defining moment came within the Jewish tradition when God spoke to Moses and presented him the Ten Commandments which were engraved on different stone tablets. In forty years, the Jews did come back to Canaan and thus drove out the present-day inhabitants as well as named the city as Jerusalem, which was in essence the capital.

The religion of Christianity is focused on the teachings of Jesus Christ while Islam derives its basis from Mohammad, the last messenger sent by God on earth. Christians believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God while the followers of Islam, called Muslims do not believe in God having anyone in His family, let alone anyone related to God. For Christians, Jesus Christ has revealed the basis of God which is not different for the Muslims for whom Mohammad discovered that there was One God alone upon whom Muslims should base their thinking ideologies, and beliefs. (Swidler, 2002) Christians are of the view that Jesus has ascended into heaven and he is the one who will eventually differentiate between the living and the dead whilst allowing the everlasting lives to those who follow the teachings preached by him. This is pretty true in the case of Islam where Mohammad will pave the way for the Muslims to enter heaven on Judgment Day and will ask God to allow the followers of Islam to enter heaven and thus seek an everlasting life full of God’s bounties and splendor. Christians base their beliefs on the Holy Book Bible while Muslims believe firmly in the last book that was sent on earth by God – The Holy Quran.

Both Christianity and Islam are classified as the religions classified as Abrahamic. This is because both religions revere Abraham and thus the term was coined. The former spread initially in the Middle East, Europe, and parts of North Africa after which it entered India and then through the whole world. Islam started in Saudi Arabia and then towards Africa, Asia, and Europe at later stages. The religion of Islam is linked with peace all around. (Neuhaus, 2008) The followers of this religion are known as Muslims and they are spread all over the world. They believe that God exists and is invisible to the naked eye. He has brought into action each and everything on this earth and the believers are of the view that it is God that can indeed change and alter anything anywhere. 

Their beliefs are of the utmost significance when they weigh the same as the teachings of Islam. Christianity has a lot of similarities which are discussed in the following paragraphs and hence the reason that there are characteristics that are common between the two beliefs.

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