Abou Berete.

Journal- What are the core beliefs of Islam? Examine the relationship, expectations and
responsibilities between Allah and man. Briefly describe the 'People of the Book' and what their
relationship to Allah and Muslims. What is the purpose of the Qur'an? What is the role of
prophets according to Islam? Is gender a theme of importance in these readings? Compare and
contrast Judaism, Christianity and Islam. What key beliefs to these religions have in common?
What are the differences? How can the common tension between these groups be explained?
Reponse
The core beliefs of Muslims include the oneness of God, angels, scripture, prophets,
judgement day and divine decree. These beliefs are portrayed in the Islamic acts of worship that
include a declaration of faith, prayer, acts of charity, fasting and a pilgrimage to Mecca.
According to the Quran, Allah "created man from a clot of blood" at the same time he
created the jinn from fire. Humans are the greatest of all creatures, created with free will for the
purpose of obeying and serving God.
Islam is a religion of peace, love and tolerance. Today, however, some circles have been
presenting a false image of Islam, as if there were conflict between Islam and the adherents of
the two other monotheistic religions. Yet Islam's view of Jews and Christians, who are named
"the People of the Book" in the Koran, is very friendly and tolerant.

This attitude towards the People of the Book developed during the years of the birth of Islam. At
that time, Muslims were a minority, struggling to protect their faith and suffering oppression and
torture from the pagans of the city of Mecca. Due to this persecution, some Muslims decided to
flee Mecca and shelter in a safe country with a just ruler.

believe in resurrection, Heaven and Hell and angels, and that God has created our lives
with a certain destiny.
The beliefs of the People of the Book are in harmony with Muslims, not only in terms of faithrelated issues, but also of moral values. Today, in a world where such immoralities as adultery,
homosexuality, drug addiction and a model of egoism and self-seeking cruelty have grown
widespread, the People of the Book and Muslims share the same virtues: Honor, chastity,
humility, self-sacrifice, honesty, compassion, mercy and unconditional love
According To The Koran, Muslims, Jews And Christians Should Live In Friendship

It is evident there are ample grounds for an alliance between the "People of the Book" and
Muslims. This is also very evident in the Koran. In the relevant verses of the Koran, there is a
significant difference between the People of the Book and the idolaters. This is especially
emphasized in the area of social life. For example, it is said concerning the idolaters: "(they) are
unclean, so after this year they should not come near the Masjid al-Haram (Kaaba)." (Surat atTawba: 28) Idolaters are people who obey no divine law, have no moral precepts and who are
capable of committing every kind of degrading and perverse action without hesitation.
Every book has its objective and the objective of the Quran is to make people aware of
the Creation plan of God. That is, to tell man why God created this world; what the purpose is of
settling man on earth; what is required from man in his pre-death life span, and what he is going
to confront after death.
God conveys His message and relates His will through human prophets. They form a
link between the earthly beings and the heavens, in the sense that God has picked them to deliver
His message to human beings. There are no other channels to receive divine communications. It
is the system of communication between the Creator and the created. God does not send angels

to every single individual, nor does He open the skies so people can climb up to receive the
message. His way of communication is through human prophets who receive the message
through angels.
Something that the five major world religions (Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism,
Hinduism and Islam) have in common is a sense of community. A sense of community provides
group cohesion and identity, as well as a way for rituals and traditions to be passed down from
generation to generation. For Christians, this community most often centers around a church. For
members of the Jewish faith, the synagogue and yeshiva (Jewish school for the study of the
Talmud and Torah) serve as focal points for the community. The sangha, which refers to a
monastic community of monks or nuns and the lay community that supports them, is the central
cohesive force in Buddhism. For Hindus, communities can form among devotees of a specific
guru or deity, or among those who attend a specific shrine or temple. In Islam, a community can
form within a local mosque or among followers of a particular imam. In addition, all Muslims
consider themselves to be part of the worldwide community of Islam which is referred to as the
ummah.
Although not necessarily so, there are some aspects of religion that make it susceptible to
being a latent source of conflict. All religions have their accepted dogma, or articles of belief,
that followers must accept without question. This can lead to inflexibility and intolerance in the
face of other beliefs. After all, if it is the word of God, how can one compromise it? At the same
time, scripture and dogma are often vague and open to interpretation. Therefore, conflict can
arise over whose interpretation is the correct one, a conflict that ultimately cannot be solved
because there is no arbiter. The winner generally is the interpretation that attracts the most
followers. However, those followers must also be motivated to action. Although, almost

invariably, the majority of any faith hold moderate views, they are often more complacent,
whereas extremists are motivated to bring their interpretation of God's will to fruition.