Critical Reflection And Intercultural Relations Between Jewish And Muslim Traditions And Nature Of Experiencing The Divine

Judaism, Islam, and Christianity are some of the religions that most individuals can relate to, being the three largest religions in the world. Like many religions they share many differences and also some similarities. One difference that these religions hold is their view of Jesus Christ. Similarities are surprisingly common to find among some religions because of the basis they put on one another. Some similarities between these religions include: belief of monotheism and the influence of Zoroastrianism had on each religion. Also another similarity carried out by these three religions would be the significance of Abraham. Some other differences include: religious texts and also how they approach God in prayer.

There are many similarities and differences between Judaism, Christianity and Islam. There are also many differences that separate the three major religions of the world. This paper will delve into all three of them.

How have Judaism, Christianity, and Islam shaped the politics and culture of the Eastern Mediterranean?

Judaism and Islam have a large history of fighting which has separated them significantly but they have also grown similarly side by side. On one hand there is the oldest religion and on the other one there is the youngest religion but both of them possess the same belief in monotheism, and to a large extent a similar code of law and scriptural authority. These religions share a similar creation story and patriarchy, since the roots of these two are to be found in the basin of Mesopotamia, dubbed the “Fertile Crescent” of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. The story is used here as an opening to introduce a religious law effecting God and the surrounding area of the Arab nations, the Hebrews, the Muslims, and even a mention of Mesopotamian law. Chatim Potok phrases their story in his book Wanderings: Chaim Potok’s history of the Jews and he wrote “Abraham was probably born in the Sumerian City of Ur four thousand years ago a scholar invented a label for the descendants of Shem; he called them Semites,” (23).1

In this paper I will examine the differences between Jewish mysticism and the beliefs of Maimonides and how the two are influential to the Jewish faith.

The assessment by Muslims view Judaism and Christianity as early accounts of Islam and Islamic tradition does identify Jewish and Christian prophets and Christians and Jews are mentioned in the Quran and are protected as “People of the Book.” The Islamic legal tradition upholds the views that Christians and Jews have the right to practice their faith in Islamic land. "All three religions vary in their interpretation, their sacraments, and observations of their religions. Christianity, Judaism, and Islam are monotheistic with a belief in only one God, the creator of the world and mankind. Christianity and Islam are the two largest religions in the world, and both religions were created from Judaism" (Esposito, John L. 2002).

It has been thought to believe the Quran is influenced by the Hebrew Bible. There are many similarities between the two scriptural texts whom Christian and Jewish readers would find the Quran corresponds with the Hebrew bible. Muslim followers of the Quran first started off by giving oral scriptures around the same time the Israelites were. There is a common conception the two crossed paths and Muslims followers were predisposed to the Israelites biblical scriptures. Although the research conducted by Waldman, Neuwirth, Wheeler, and Reeves give us undoubtedly a better understanding between the two. There still lacks further studies on this matter that would help answer open ended questions. Studies including the Jewish borrowings in the Quran text have brought up questions of Muhummad’s Jewish teachers. Islam is centered on Muslim thought, culture, devotion, and the tales of biblical prophets whom have continuously been reinterpreted for centuries. For many scholars the reinterpretations and oral scriptural stories given of the Quran does not set a solid foundation providing us a skeptical and confusing origin.

At this point in the experience, it could have been plausible for me to make a connection from my past experiences to my current realizations about Judaism and the practices surrounding it. There is a consistent idea regarding connections, spirituality, and tactile relationships that appear in the two phases of this mulitcomponential experience. However, it wasn’t until after my interview with an insider, Rabbi Steve, and my subsequent listening of the recording that the pieces began to come together, the clouds parted and suddenly there was a clarity that hadn’t been there previously. At the end of phase two I discuss Moran’s final stage in his cultural framework, appropriately named, “Knowing Oneself”. As it suggests, this is the point in the cultural experience where the experiencer reflects on different elements to not only include the experience but the individual feelings and opinions, and reactions that accompany it. While I engaged in some level of reflection, I can now say that this reflection was somewhat superficial as it merely penetrated the surface of a much deeper and complicated issue. I concluded the second phase saying that although the experience was new, it was still familiar as I have had previous involvements in church settings. The positive that I walked away with was this notion that perhaps we aren’t as different as we think, and that there will always be a connection. This statement, is the beginning to what I believe Moran meant by his last stage

History provides us with few disputes as entangled as Jewish-Muslim relations. Though it was not always such a pervasive problem, it has compiled into one of the most divisive, exclusive, and problematic debates of the current era. Countless scholars have attempted to interpret the Muslim outlook towards the Jewish people. Islamic anti-Semitism is one of the greatest oversimplified nuances of the modern Middle East and of Islamic theology. The mere mentioning of Islam in conjunction with anti-Semitism, can act as a prism through which passes widely varying opinions, histories, and myopias. It can be argued that it is a dire imperative that must be

Islam is similar to other religions such as Christianity and Judaism. Nevertheless, it is also characterized by distinct differences such as the creation story where there is no reference to the ‘original sin’. Islam, Christianity, and Judaism are all monotheistic religions that believe in the God of the universe. The oneness of God, prophets, angels, and Satan and emphasize on moral accountability and responsibility in terms of eternal reward and punishment. Peace is central to all though Islam, as opposed to Christianity is keen on practice rather than belief. Muslims also indicate that Islam is superior to the other two, the Quran is the final word of Allah, and Muhammad is the last prophet. The Quran praises the superiority of men over women based on the qualities that Allah has bestowed or rather gifted them. Allah has placed one above the other men are superior to women because they often spend their wealth on them thus women should obey and respect them (Maudoodi 329). Men have the authority to manage women affairs, act as protectors, and maintainers of women since Allah has clearly preferred one over the other.

Judaism, a religion of today, dates all the way back around 3500 years. Having been founded in the 1800’s B.C in the Middle East; it is known as one of the world 's oldest religions. Being the original of the three Abrahamic faiths, the others being Christianity and Islam. It is the most ancient “monotheistic” religion. As opposed to polytheistic religions, monotheism is the belief in a singular entity as a God. The core beliefs of this religion can be found in The Torah. The Torah is composed of the five books of Moses, the main founder of Judaism. These are Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. This is the law of the Jewish people or the holy book by which all abide. Being one of, if not the most resilient religions known to date, I have developed a deep understanding and relation with the faith. This is one of the many reasons as to why I chose to study Judaism.

Muslim-Jewish relations is the enormous trial of the 21st century. There is a general public of fear, and a general public of anxiety must be directed by associations. The disdain, political fierceness and uncertainty, has divided Jews and Muslims for a truly long time. The suspicions between the social affairs has shaded their relations for a huge segment of their basic history.Muslim-Jewish relations is the enormous trial of the 21st century. There is a general public of fear, and a general public of anxiety must be directed by associations. The disdain, political fierceness and uncertainty, has divided Jews and Muslims for a truly long time. The suspicions between the social affairs has shaded their relations for a huge segment of their

For the one billion or more Muslims (about six million in the United States), who are of many racial and ethnic backgrounds -- Arabs being a minority -- Islam is the middle way between Judaism and Christianity; it restores the unity of the children of Abraham and overcomes the limitations of Judaism and Christianity. Jesus, the prophet to "the lost sheep of Israel," limits Christianity; Judaism is similarly limited. Islam proclaims a practical synthesis of Judaism and Christianity for all humanity.

The Qur’an is believe to the ultimate source of God by many Muslim believers. It contains 114 suras for the believers as the core practices of the Islamic religion and Muslims throughout the world recites its verses (Chang, Lecture. 1/21/14). They believed the prophet of Allah was Muhammad, who received the words of Allah through Angel Gabriel, and was passed on with the Qur’an during Ramadan. Angel Gabriel one night came to Muhammad “in clear human form” (“Scripture and Tradition in Islam- The Qur’an and Hadith” 104), and gave the messages from Allah to him. From the establishment of the Qur’an, Muslims have viewed the book as the last revelation of their god Allah, and thus are the true words from God for their ways of life and in

The Quran or Koran is the sacred text of Islam, believed to contain the revelations made by Allah to Muhammad. All Muslims study the Quran. The Quran is the final evidence of the Divine origin of the Prophet’s mission (Phipps, 9).