...Christianity, Judaism and Islam serve to be three of the most prominent religions practiced and studied within the contemporary generation today. Moreover, each religion is classified by its own individuality and traditions, however similarities are present between the three leading them to reach a single focal point within the subject of religion. For example, Christianity, Judaism, and Islam are a derivation of “Abrahamic Traditions” as each religion holds a significant connection to the patriarchal ancestor, Abraham (Molloy 2013). Furthermore, each of the three religions are defined as monotheistic (Molloy 2013) as their beliefs reside under the guidance of one God who is viewed as omniscient and omnipotent (Molloy 2013) leading to similarities that bring each religion...
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...Christianity, Judaism and Islam serve to be three of the most prominent religions practiced and studied within the contemporary generation today. Moreover, each religion is classified by its own individuality and traditions, however similarities are present between the three leading them to reach a single focal point within the subject of religion. For example, Christianity, Judaism, and Islam are a derivation of “Abrahamic Traditions” as each religion holds a significant connection to the patriarchal ancestor, Abraham (Molloy 2013). Furthermore, each of the three religions are defined as monotheistic (Molloy 2013) as their beliefs reside under the guidance of one God who is viewed as omniscient and omnipotent (Molloy 2013) leading to similarities that bring each religion...
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...Islam (Arabic: الإسلام; al-'islām is a monotheistic Abrahamic religion originating with the teachings of Muhammad, a 7th century Arab religious and political figure. The word Islam means "submission", or the total surrender of oneself to God (Arabic: الله, Allāh).An adherent of Islam is known as a Muslim, meaning "one who submits (to God)". There are between 1.1 billion to 1.8 billion Muslims, making Islam the second-largest religion in the world after Christianity,but the largest single religious denomination. Muslims believe that God revealed the Qur'an to Muhammad, God's final prophet, and regard the Qur'an and the Sunnah (words and deeds of Muhammad) as the fundamental sources of Islam. They do not regard Muhammad as the founder of a new religion, but as the restorer of the original monotheistic faith of Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and other prophets. Islamic tradition holds that Jews and Christians distorted the revelations God gave to these prophets by either altering the text, introducing a false interpretation, or both. Islam includes many religious practices. Adherents are generally required to observe the Five Pillars of Islam, which are five duties that unite Muslims into a community. In addition to the Five Pillars, Islamic law (sharia) has developed a tradition of rulings that touch on virtually all aspects of life and society. This tradition encompasses everything from practical matters like dietary laws and banking to warfare. Almost all Muslims belong to one...
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...The Five Pillars of Islam Islam is defined not only as a set of beliefs but also as a body of actions that reveal the inner convictions of the believers (Cornell 76). The five pillars of Islam comprise five official acts, or religious duties, considered obligatory for all Muslims. Every Muslim is expected to perform these duties, as long as he can do. The Quran presents these Five Pillars as a framework for worship and a sign of commitment to faith. These five pillars are mentioned individually throughout the Quran and Muhammad listed them together in the Hadith of Gabriel when he was asked to define Islam. Within a few decades of Muhammad's death, the five practices were singled out to serve as anchoring points in the Muslim community and designated "pillars." Fulfillment of the Five Pillars is believed to bring rewards both in this life and in the afterlife. The five pillars of Islam are the Shahada (witnessing the oneness of God and the prophet hood of Muhammad), regular observance of the five prescribed daily prayers (Salah), paying Zakat (almsgiving), fasting (Sawm) during the month of Ramadan, and performance of the hajj (pilgrimage during the prescribed month) at least once in a lifetime for those who are able. First Pillar The first pillar is to declare with conviction that, there is no god worthy of worship except God and Muhammad is His messenger. This declaration of faith is called the Shahada, a simple formula that all the faithful pronounce. In Arabic, the...
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...Bismillah al rahman al rahim: Ultimate pillar connecting divine and vicegerent. The religion of Islam is rich in rituals, myths and symbols, but the true testimony of an individual’s relationship with god, or in the case of Muslims Allah, is seen in the duties of worship “ibadat”. Duties of worship are also better known as the five pillars of Islam, which creates a relationship between Allah and his people, as well as the relationship that human beings have amongst themselves. From the name of the faith there can already be seen the importance of Allah, as Islam in Arabic can be translated as submission, and as one will see, the follower of Islam submits himself first and foremost to Allah. Through the submission of oneself to Allah, a Muslim person performs rituals that bring them closer to the transcendent, whilst creating a sense of universal community. The foundation of Islam is as the nature of the word implies, that the believer recognises only Allah, and submits to all the commands that Allah puts forward (Waines, D. 1995: 3). Prior to an individual becoming a follower of Islam, they are to pronounce the Shahadah. The shahadah is the first pillar of Islam, and is the declaration that the individual chooses to bear witness to the oneness of god and that Muhammad is his prophet (Jomier, J.1989: 53). The shahadah becomes a part of the daily life of a Muslim as it is not only said at the declaration of one to the following of Allah, but it is also pronounced at a birth...
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...In this informative document the topic of discussion will mainly be about Christianity the life of Jesus Christ and the development of this religion over the years. Along with that other areas will also include the way people worship, practice, and different sectors of this religion. We will also discuss the birth and death of Jesus Christ and how his death affected this religion dramatically and why this religion continues grow till this day. Also discussed Christianity alongside Islam and compare and contrast the different between these religions and practices. Jesus born more than 2000 years ago in Israel as many believe him to be the form of god sent to earth as a human being in place for the sins man committed Jesus himself was no different than typical Israeli a working man that work as a carpenter in the town of Nazareth. When Jesus entered his thirties he began to spread his teachings and founded what we know today as Christianity. He toured northern Israel though never recorded traveling more than 200 miles from home Jesus drew followers worldwide he recorded unexplained miracles and teachings of love and strict moral principles in which he was able to accomplish publically for 3 years. With these miracles Jesus began to draw attention from Jewish leaders of this time although never convicted of any crime though being on trial many times. His crucifixion was ordered by corrupt officials for the crime of blasphemy or claiming to be god. This was viewed as a crucifixion...
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...world’s cultural achievements focused more on the development and interaction of cultures while the Byzantine Empire’s cultural achievements revolved more around the ideology of state building and the arts, but although there are some obvious differences between the two civilizations, their cultural achievements were very similar in many ways. Although the two civilizations practiced religions that shared some similarities, they did have religious oppositions as well and differed in many of their beliefs. Contrary to their very different religious values, they had very similar economic structures by trading on the silk roads and having very strong banking systems. The Muslim World and Byzantine Empire do share some similarities when it comes to economic activities and cultural achievements, they vary and contrast greatly when it comes to each of the civilization’s religious values. The Dar Al-Islam and the Byzantine Empire had quite different religious values, although some similarities are prevalent. Both Islam and Christianity, in particular, Eastern Orthodox Christianity are both Abrahamic religions, meaning both of the civilizations emphasize and trace their origins to Abraham and that they are both monotheistic. Another similarity between both Dar Al-Islam and Christianity is that they both believe in God, the Muslims call God “Allah”. A big difference between the two...
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...Islam, along with Christianity and Judaism is a major monotheistic religion of the world. It was founded by Prophet Muhammad in Arabia, in the 7th century CE. According to Encyclopedia Britannica Online, “the Arabic term Islam, literally ‘surrender,’ illuminates the fundamental religious idea of Islam—that the believer, called a Muslim, accepts surrender to the will of Allah (God)” (Mahdi, Rahman, Schimmel). In Islam, Allah is considered the only God, and it is believed that humans must submit to his will. The Prophet Muhammad is considered the last Islamic Prophet, and the one to whom Allah had revealed sacred scriptures known as Qur’an. Although Muhammad started with a small group of followers, they quickly grew in number and his teachings started spreading rapidly “through the Middle East to Africa, Europe, the Indian subcontinent, the Malay Peninsula, and China”(Mahdi, Rahman, Schimmel). Today, there are about 1.6 billion Muslims in the world which makes it 2nd largest religion of the world. However, Islam is perceived to be radical and contradictory religion by many non-Muslims. Moreover, due to the terrorist attacks which had been associated with this “religion of peace,” Muslims call it, Islam had been viewed as a “bad” religion. Since America is the “melting pot” of different cultures and religions, non-Muslims should strive to learn about the Islamic religion, its teachings and interpretations, its differences and similarities with Christianity and Judaism, and how to...
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...- Christianity, Islam and Judaism. Even though, number of various spiritual movements has increased all over the years, these three belief classification have mad the most influence on development of the West. To better appreciate this influence, it is essential to draw the progress of Christianity, Islam and Judaism, and assess the correlations between them. Whereas, each belief category is distinctive, there are several similarities because of their common foundations. According to Smith, (1991), Christianity, Islam and Judaism are all referred to as Abrahamic religions because they all mention Abraham as their originator. As such, they have several general beliefs. Christians and Jews share some of the similar Holy Scriptures that is the first five books of the Old Testament in the bible. There are a not many common foundations and several common aspects of Christianity, Islam and Judaism –in what is referred to as Abrahamic spiritual heritage. Similarities The beliefs and practices of Christianity, Islam and Judaism most significantly starts with the originator of the Hebrews called Abraham ca 1800 B.C.E. Historically, these ideas were also pledged to by nomadic tribes, who settled in current Palestine, close to Mt. Sinai. The individuals of these tribes did not tag themselves same as Hebrews, and knew god of Abrahim as the supreme God (Peters, 2003). This merged as God assured Abraham a son, and in the development of the incidents hesitant that is old wife may...
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...5 Influences of Christianity in America Christianity is the largest religion in the United States, with around 78% of those polled identifying themselves as Christian, as of 2009. This is down from 86% in 1990 and slightly lower than 78.6% in 2001. Christianity was introduced to the Americas as it was first colonized by Europeans beginning in the 16th and 17th centuries. Today most Christian churches are Mainline Protestant, Evangelical, or Roman Catholic. Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, claiming over a billion members. Its spiritual and administrative head is the Pope. The Church's leadership body in the United States is the U. S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, made up of the hierarchy of bishops and archbishops of the United States and the U.S. Virgin Islands, although each bishop is independent in his own diocese, answerable only to the Pope. Catholic beliefs and worship are detailed in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (or CCC) is the official text of the teachings of the Catholic Church. A provisional, "reference text" was issued by Pope John Paul II on October 11, 1992 "the thirtieth anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council" with his apostolic constitution, Fidei depositum. The new Catechism was first published in 1994 in French and was then translated into many other languages. Catholic tradition and doctrine holds that...
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...Comparative Analysis: 1. Differences between Jewish denominations, which are more commonly known as "movements," reflect varying responses to changing times and cultures. The historical Jewish movements (Pharisses, Sadduccees, and Essenes) were responses to the Roman rule of Israel, while the major modern movements (Reform, Orthodox, and Conservative) are responses to the modern, secular culture of Europe and America. Jewish denominations differ from one another primarily with regard to practice. Orthodox Judaism is the most traditional expression of modern Judaism. Orthodox Jews believe the entire Torah - including "Written," the the Pentateuch, and "Oral," the Talmud) was given to Moses by God at Sinai and remains authoritative for modern life in its entirety. Reform Judaism is the most liberal expression of Judaism. In America, Reform Judaism is organized under the Union for Reform Judaism (known as the Union of American Hebrew Congregations until 2003), whose mission is "to create and sustain vibrant Jewish congregations wherever Reform Jews live." About 1.5 million Jews in 900 synagogues are members of the Union for Reform Judaism. Conservative Judaism may be said to be a moderate position between Orthodox and Reform Judaism. It seeks to conserve the traditional elements of Judaism, while allowing for modernization to a less radical extent than Reform Judaism. The teachings of Zacharias Frankel (1801-75) form the foundation of Conservative Judaism. Hasidic...
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...INTRODUCTION Islam is the youngest of the world’s major religions. Originated in South Arabia 1400 years ago. Muslims are generally found in Africa and Asia including Russia and South Western China. Their number has increased in America, Australia and Europe during the end of the 20th century Islam is a monotheistic and Abrahamic religion articulated by the Qur'an, a book considered by its adherents to be the verbatim word of God and by the teachings and normative example (called the Sunnah and composed of hadith) of Muhammad, considered by them to be the last prophet of God. An adherent of Islam is called a Muslim. Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable and the purpose of existence is to submit to and serve Allah (God). Muslims also believe that Islam is the complete and universal version of a primordial faith that was revealed before many times throughout the world, including notably through Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus, whom they consider prophets. They maintain that the previous messages and revelations have been partially misinterpreted or altered over time, but consider the Arabic Qur'an to be both the unaltered and the final revelation of God. Religious concepts and practices include the five pillars of Islam, which are basic concepts and obligatory acts of worship, and following Islamic law, which touches on virtually every aspect of life and society, providing guidance on multifarious...
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...Islam and Christianity are two of the largest and fastest growing religions that have impacted the livelihood of billions of people around the world. Their philosophies and teaching has established a bridge of cooperation and dialogue that has been recognized in both government and society. Both of these religions were discovered in the Middle-Eastern and they are considered as the Abrahamic religion. Even thought both religion share common ground of being monotheistic religion of believing the existence of one God, yet their tradition and mythology is what sets them apart. Islam is a religion that teaches in order for one to gain peace of mind with the universe and humanity he/she must submit to God and follow his rules. On the other hand,...
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...Contemporary Issues in Western Religions Nerkeda Bulter, Regina Edwards Lakisha Lewis Sinceria Lewis Religion/134 October 11, 2012 Stephanie Cripps Contemporary Issues in Western Religions This paper will reflect research on contemporary issues in Western Religions. The main objective is to elaborate on Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. The other key focus is to uncover the struggles within its historical and modern times. Islam is an interesting subject because it has plenty history surrounding Islamic cultures, and the contrast between Judaism, and Christianity. Nevertheless, revealing how time has change from than to now also captivate some attention. Exploring the foundation surrounding Islam such as Abraham, and the other forefathers is rewarding when searching the history of these three religions. Historical connections Islam and Judaism share connections starting very early in history with the patriarch Abraham. Abraham had two sons, Ishmael, and Isaac, who eventually went on to lead two different groups of people. Ishmael led the Arabs who later became known as the Muslims and Isaac led the Israelites who later became Jews. These two different groups of religions grew and traditions known today in modern religion. Each religion shares a monotheistic belief and has similar...
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...Chapter 1: IMAGE JUDAISM God as One Second commandment (A): “You shall have no other gods before me” Abraham “Father of monotheism” Distinctiveness of Israel “Gods of the heathens are nought” Examples: Maimonides 2nd principle (Box 1.1) – “God is one” Yigdal hymn (p. 29) – Maimonides put into poetic song, part of Jewish daily prayer book Shema (Box 1.2) – Part of official evening and morning prayers – Also inscribed in black ink on “kosher” animal skin parchment, placed inside containers: Tefillin – strapped to forehead and left arm at weekday morning prayers => Mind, head, heart Mezuzah – fixed to doorposts of Jewish homes at eye level => constant reminder of oneness of God each time the believer passes God as Invisible & Indivisible Second commandment (B) ...You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth;5 you shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. Moses and the “face” of God Maimonides’ 3rd principle: God is incorporeal – metaphorical language – Jewish scriptures and Talmud occasionally refer to God’s hands, eyes, mouth etc. but Jewish insists that such anthropomorphisms are...
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