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The Transformation of Islam and Judaism and the Introduction of Mysticism in the Early Modern World

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Islam and Judaism were comparable religions both before and after the early modern era. Jews and Muslims believed in the same God and recognized each other’s prophets. Both even denied the resurrection of Jesus, which was a strong bonding factor in a time of impending Christian dominance. During the early modern period, it was not uncommon for Jews and Muslims to interact with one another. Jews even lived in Muslim lands to flee from Christian prosecution and forced conversion. Jews and Muslims, along with Christians, are also all “Peoples of the Book,” meaning that they both have written holy relics that incorporate some of the same characters. While Islam and Judaism teach different methods of ultimately reaching salvation, they are connected through similar beliefs and practices. During the early modern era, both Islam and Judaism underwent religious schism as well as the introduction of mysticism. Islam was founded by a man named Muhammad who received visions of the angel Gabriel and believed himself a prophet of God. The written religious relic for Islam – the Qur’an – was written by Muhammad himself, and it outlined all the instructions God gave him in order to reach salvation in the afterlife. Islam was pretty well-received and inclusive of at least the other religions of the book until the death of Muhammad in 632. At the time of his death, Muhammad had not instructed his followers on who was supposed to rule after his death, and he only had daughters. This started

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