A Comparison of the Islamic and Jewish Faiths

In modern times information about both the Islamic and Jewish faiths is often confined to being
explained through the political ideals of Israel and the various Islamic countries in the Middle
East. When approached in this manner there is always a great deal of bias in the information
received about the beliefs and practices of these two great religious traditions. Though the
modern preconceptions of Judaism and Islam are heavily influenced by exaggerated and often
negative stereotypes, the true belief systems of these two vibrant and interrelated religious
practices in reality both represent the ideals of peace and understanding, as well as the shared
belief in and love of a single, almighty God. Judaism and Islam are also directly linked through
the intertwining historical narratives of the two faiths, which began in the very roots of Judaism
some 6000 years ago when monotheism was first manifesting into a coherent ideology (Adams,
2000 p. 42 43).
Once solidified into a belief system, the ideals that came to be known as Judaism were also
representative of the beginnings of a historically influential shift in religious ideology. Early
Judaisms ideological shift toward monotheism resonated throughout the world but lay virtually
dormant throughout Arabia until the early parts of the first millennium; where like many
ideologies it was enriched by the prospering of the Silk Route (Hartney, 2011 p.278) The
monotheistic ideals and practices presented by early Judaism can be seen to have had a clear
influence on the ideological development of Islam, as evident in sura (chapter) 42, ayah (verse)
13 of the Quran.
The same religion has He established for you as that which He enjoined on Noah - the which
We have sent by inspiration to thee - and that which We enjoined on Abraham, Moses, and Jesus:
Namely, that ye should remain steadfast in religion, and make no divisions therein
This quote not only epitomizes ideological parallels between Islam and Judaism but also
represents a definitive progression of monotheistic ideals in world religion and history. Therefore,
this essays focal point will be the identification of parallel areas of belief and practice within
Islam and Judaism, with the intent to then compare the differing ideological expressions found
within the two faiths similarities.
The crossover evident between Islam and Judaisms fundamental ideologies can be seen to
correlate with the historical narratives recognized by the two faiths. A notable example can be
seen in the story of the Kaba, a Muslim holy site in the city of Mecca that is believed to have a
direct connection to the patriarch of Judaism, Abraham and to the story of Adam and Eve. The
proclaimed Jewish origins of the Kaba are outlined by T.J. Winter (2002, p.6) where it is
explained that;
The Kaba is the place of worship which God commanded Abraham and Ishmael to build over
4,000 years ago. The building was constructed out of stone on what many believe to the original
site of a sanctuary established by Adam. God commanded Abraham to summon all mankind to
visit this place
A command that resonated and ultimately came to define the practices of many primordial
religious traditions in and around Mecca; combine with the influx of ideals being transmitted
through Silk Route trading; this phenomena of information sharing can be seen as causality for
the spiritual and ideological developments evident in Mecca. The subsequent shifts in perspective
can be seen as very influential on the systems of thought presented by Islams Holy Prophet
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A Comparison of the Islamic and Jewish Faiths

Muhammad (Bowker, 1997 p. 160 - 161). The story of Muhammad is summarized well by
Christopher Hartney (2011 p.280 281) where he writes that;
Muhammad became the prophet of Islam, but is not the first prophet according to Islam.
Muslims believe the first prophet was Adam who was followed by many other biblical prophets
such as Abraham and Moses; Jesus is even accepted as a prophet of Islam. All prophetic figures
are considered vital to the conveying of Gods message to humanity but Muhammad is special to
Muslims as he is seen to be the last prophet of God.
This quote not only highlights the significance of Muhammad to Islam, but also the importance of
Jewish patriarch, Abraham. The evident belief in a divine connection between God and humanity
in Islam is a concept that can be seen to have in fact resonated from the two religions shared
belief in the story of Abraham and the Covenant; a conceptualization of the connection between
God and humanity. The themes of divine connectivity, unwavering faith and reverence for God
central to the Covenant resonate heavily within Islamic ideology; further highlighting the
engrained ideologies that bind these two great faiths (Breuilly, 1997 p. 22 23).
It is now evident that Judaism and Islam have both, an intertwined historical narrative as well as a
shared belief structure regarding divine revelation and various historical events. Although these
two faiths are of the same religious lineage, the practices and expressions of faith evident in
Judaism and Islam can be seen as similar, the differences evident between Islam and Judaism can
be seen to have spread from the shared idea of the divine connectivity. The manifestation of
beliefs that stemmed from this ideal has in turn resulted in the two faiths developing and
maintaining entirely different perceptions on relatively similar ideologies (Stangroom, 2007 p. 62
63).
This distant parallel becomes especially evident in the fact that both Muslims and Jews are held
to a specific divine law, evident in the authority of Halakha (divine instructions derived from the
Torah) in Judaism (Ehrlich, 2010 p.60) and the Sharia (moral code) of Islam; a set of laws
derived from the Quran and Hadith (written deeds and quotes of Muhammad) (Hinnells, 1997 p.
178 - 180). Both sets of moral ideologies are seen to be in one way or another based on the ideal
of divine revelation; transmitted from God to Moses in regards to the creation of the Torah in
Judaism and from God to Muhammad in regards to the concepts of Sharia in Islam. Evident also
is the fact that both sets of laws are very detailed in nature, thus ensuring that worship is a part of
the everyday life of a devout Muslim or Jew, in turn making each day into a form of recognition
and worship in of itself.
Though both Sharia law and the Torah lay strict daily acknowledgements that dictate the personal
behaviour of adherents, it can also be seen that in both religions, overarching ideologies set a
standard for living a more righteous life in the eyes of God. These core, all encompassing
ideologies become evident in Judaism in the perceived transmission of the Ten Commandments
(Appendix 1) to Moses on Mount Sinai; the all encompassing concept of the Ten
Commandments is echoed in Islam through the ideals and practices presented by the Five Pillars
of Islam (Appendix 2) (Morrissey, 2005 p.474 - 475). The potential influence of the Ten
Commandments on the development of Islamic ideology can be seen clearly in the way the Five
Pillars of Islam encompass the ideals and moral laws seen in the Ten Commandments. It is also
evident that the Five Pillars carry expressions of faith unique to Islam; for instance the Hajj

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A Comparison of the Islamic and Jewish Faiths

pilgrimage to the Kaba in Mecca (mentioned earlier) is a celebration of Islamic culture and
history. Although intertwined with Jewish myth, the Hajj is seen as an expression of faith
completely unique to Islam and to Muslims the world over (T.J. Winter 2002, p.18 - 19).
The evident manifestation of fundamentally similar ideals that define the core features of Judaism
and Islam can also be seen to resonate within many other significant expressions of both faiths.
The significant differences can be seen in the celebratory days and events recognized by Jews and
Muslims, though again, as seen before even when different, Judaism and Islam are bound by
similarity. This can be seen in the fact that Jews and Muslims run their lives off distinctively
different calendars to the Gregorian calendar, that are shaped not by the solar cycle but of the
lunar cycle (Wenisch, 2011, audio book)
The potential influence of Jewish practice on Islam is again evident in the use of ritualistic prayer
and fasting, evident in Judaism, Yom Kippur, translated as Day of Atonement is acknowledged
on the 10th day of the Hebrew month of Tishrei. Generally Yom Kippur lasts for a 25 hour period
where Jews fast from food, sex and bathing as an expression of empathy for the discomfort of
others and for the reflection of the discomfort caused by sin (Ehrlich, 2010 p.80 83). The
ritualistic and stringent practices evident in Yom Kippur are evident in Islam when the holy
month of Ramadan is discussed, the month of Ramadan is important in Islam as it is seen be the
month that the prophet Muhammad had his first revelations and is also seen as the month that the
Torah was transmitted to the prophet Moses (Ridgeon, 2003 p. 247). Due to the variations created
in abiding by a lunar calendar the month of Ramadan can fall in almost any season, but always
begins with the sighting of the lunar months first crescent moon (Raatma, 2010 p. 20).
The parallel between Yom Kippur and Sawm is seen in the fact that prayer and fasting are the key
elements of expression, though it can be seen in Islam that the fasting period is prolonged for the
whole month of Ramadan, and the fast is only required between dusk and dawn each day. This
shows a key difference between these sacred practices of Islam and Judaism, evident as Yom
Kippur is an intensive period of fasting, as opposed to Ramadan which is a less intensive though
more prolonged acknowledgement of faith. Thus showing how Judaism and Islam use the
common elements of fasting and intensive prayer in unrelated, yet ultimately similar practical
expressions of faith.
Similarities also appear in the hermeneutic (study/interpretation of texts) practices that over
history have influenced the creation rich religious commentaries by both Islamic and Jewish
scholars and philosophers. The similarity between the hermeneutic natures of these two religions
is evident in the importance placed on not only the study, but also the recitation of large parts of
the Tanakh/ Torah in Judaism and of the Quran in Islam. The importance of knowing the Quran
is evident in the fact that the word itself can be translated to recitation, leading Muslims even
outside of Arab speaking countries learn to read and speak Arabic; as it is said the Quran are the
perfectly preserved words of Muhammad that were spoken (in Arabic) during his revelations
from God (Winter, 2002 p.10). The importance of religious knowledge to the adherents of these
two faiths is highlighted from a Jewish point by Karen Farrington (2000, p. 50) who writes;
To a Jew the quest to know the Torah and its meaning begins in boyhood and never ends. One
verse from the Ethics of the Fathers sums up the Jewish attitude toward the Tanakh: Turn it, and

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turn it for everything is in it; contemplate it, grow old and grey over it, do not stir from it. You
can follow no better course than this.
A quote that could just as easily be an explanation of the unrelenting belief that a Muslim has
with the teachings of the Quran and in a way the simple fact that a commentary on one is
applicable to other summarizes perfectly the special relationship between the beliefs, practices
and expressions of Judaism and Islam. This essay compared the similar practices and beliefs of
Islam and Judaism, and although it was seen that these faiths share not only fundamental
ideologies and beliefs they also have an intertwined history, that has in turn created a bond
between the two faiths. The unique relationship between Islam and Judaism must first be
analysed in a broad way and the two faiths shared ideals of monotheism are seen to be at the root
of the two faiths parallels. As John Esposito summarized (2012, p. 12) when defining the ideals
of monotheism;
Monotheism has emphasized that there is one God who is like humans, able to know and to
love, but in a superior fashion. Thus God is described as all knowing, all loving and or, all
powerful
The idea of an omnipresent, omnipotent and all loving God is seen in both Islam and Judaism,
and is the most evident causality for the similarities between these two faiths. It can then be seen
that Islam and Judaism are bound by the parallel ideologies and historical events that helped
shape the foundation of both belief systems. Therefore, in conclusion it can be said that the
unique relationship between these Judaism and Islam is highlighted by the parallel views that
both religions share regarding the origins of the universe and connectivity to the divine. Although
similar in fundamental concepts, these two religions are also repeatedly seen to be separated by
distinctively different practical approaches to what is ultimately the same monotheistic set of
ideals that are just being expressed in differing ways.

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A Comparison of the Islamic and Jewish Faiths

Appendix
Appendix 1 10 Commandments, Rabbi Ronald H. Isaacs, (2003) www.myjewishlearning.com
First Commandment (Exodus 20:2): I am the Lord Your God, who brought you out of the land
of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
Second Commandment (Exodus 20:3-6): You shall have no other gods beside Me. You shall
not make for yourself any graven image, nor any manner of likeness, of any thing that is heaven
above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow
down to them, nor serve them, for I, the Lord Your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity
of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.
Third Commandment (Exodus 20:7): You shall not take the name of the Lord Your God in
vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that takes His name in vain.
Fourth Commandment (Exodus 20:8-11): Remember the Sabbath, to keep it holy. Six days
you shall labor, but the seventh day is a Sabbath unto the Lord Your God, in it you shall not do
any manner of work, you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your man-servant, nor your maidservant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger that is within your gates; for in six days the Lord made
heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested on the seventh day. Wherefore the
Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and made it holy.
Fifth Commandment (Exodus 20:12): Honour your father and your mother that your days may
be long upon the land which the Lord God gives you.
Sixth Commandment (Exodus 20:13): You shall not murder.
Seventh Commandment (Exodus 20:13): You shall not commit adultery.
Eighth Commandment (Exodus 20:13): You shall not steal.
Ninth Commandment (Exodus 20:13): You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.
Tenth Commandment (Exodus 20:14): You shall not covet your neighbours house, nor his
wife, his man-servant, his maid-servant, or his ox, or his ass, or anything that is your neighbours.

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Appendix 2 The Five Pillars of Islam - Ishaq Zahid, 2010, www.islam101.com

The Five Pillars of Islam are the foundation of Muslim life:
Shahadha - Faith or belief in the Oneness of God and the finality of the prophethood of
Muhammad;
Salat - Establishment of the daily prayers;
Zakat - Concern for and almsgiving to the needy;
Sawm - self-purification through fasting during Ramadan
Hajj - The pilgrimage to Mecca for those who are able

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References
Adams, S. (2000). Exploring History: World Religions. London: Anness Publishing Limited
Bowker, J. (1997). World Religions: The great faiths explored & explained. Dorling
Kindersley Books.
Breuilly, E. (1997). Religions of the World. Macdonald Books.
Ehrlich, C. (2010). Understanding Judaism (Vol. 2). Watkins Publishing

Esposito, J. (2012). World Religions Today. 4th ed. New York: Oxford University Press

Farrington, K. (2000). Buddhism. History of Religion. London: Octopus Publishing Group Ltd

Hartney, C, (2012). Cambridge Studies of Religion. 2nd ed. Cambridge University Press

Hinnells, J.R, (1998). Handbook of Living Religions. 1st ed. Penguin Books

Isaacs, Rabbi R. H. (2003). The 10 Commandments, www.myjewishlearning.com

Morrissey, J. (2005). Living Religion. 3rd ed. Melbourne: Pearson Longman

Prophet Muhammad. (632 CE). Sura 42, Ayah 13. The Holy Qur'an

Ridgeon, L. (2003). Major World Religions. Routledge - Taylor & Francis Group

Stangroom, Dr. J, (2007). Little Book of Big Ideas: Religion. 1st ed. ABC Books

Winter, T. (2002). Understanding Islam and the Muslims. Fons Vitae Publishing

Wenisch, F. (2011). Judaism, Christianity, and Islam: Differences, Commonalities, and

Community. Cognella Publishing

Zahid, I. (2010). The Five Pillars of Islam, www.islam101.net

Ben Dimmock