Christianity, Islam and Judaism- Basic Comparison.

Just for the records I’ve attached table with basic differences and similarities between the three great monotheistic faiths: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. So we all have something in common after all !

Topic	Judaism	Christianity	Islam
Origin of the Name	From the Hebrew:Yehudim, ‘Judah’.	From the Greek: christos, ‘Anointed’ – referring to Jesus Christ.	Derived from an Arabic word for ’submission’. Also related to the Arabic word salaam, ‘peace’.
Leader	Abraham (First Patriarch, born c. 1800 B.C.)	Jesus Christ (c. 4 B.C. – 30 A.D.)	Mohammed (570 – 632 A.D.)
Divisions	Several divisions, including Hasidic (Orthodox), Conservative and Reform Judaism. Ethnic groupings include Ashkenazi (The majority) and Sephardi Jews.	Three main groups: Orthodox, Protestant and Roman Catholic.	Two main groups: Sunni and Shia (The division occured due to a dispute as to the legitimate successor of the prophet Mohammed). There is also a mystical/ascetic movement in Islam known as Sufi.
Followers (2006 Estimate)	14 Million; not every Jewish is Jew!	2,100 Million	1,300 Million, 20% arabs, 80% other nationalities! Not every arab is muslim!
Nature of God	One God (known in English as ‘Yahweh’ or ‘Jehovah’) – “…Hear Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is one.” (Deuteronomy 6:4).	One God, who exists in three distinct persons (The Trinity): Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19).	One God (Arabic: Allah), who is not a trinity. The Islamic view of God is called strict Monotheism (Quran 112:1).
Holy Book(s)	The Hebrew Tanakh, similar to the Christian Old Testament, comprised of the Torah (Hebrew: ‘Law’), Nevi’im (‘Prophets’) and Ketuvim (‘Writings’).	The Bible (from the Greek:Biblos, ‘books’), given by God to man. The Bible writers were inspired by God in their writings. Thus Christians refer to the Bible as the Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16).	The Quran or Koran (Arabic: ‘recitation’), revealed to the prophet Mohammed over a period of about 20 years. The Quran is the final revelation given by Allah to mankind.
Jesus Christ	An ordinary Jew, not the Messiah nor a divine person.	The second person of the Trinity: “…true God from true God” (Nicene Creed), and born of the Virgin Mary.	A prophet, sent by Allah and born of the Virgin Mary, but not divine (Quran 5:17).
Jesus Christ, The Mission of	As Judaism rejects the idea of Jesus as Messiah, his mission is of no relevance.	To reconcile Man to God, through his death as a sacrifice for the sins of all mankind.	To proclaim the Injil, or gospel. This gospel has been corrupted over time by human additions and alterations.
Jesus Christ, The Death of	Jesus was crucified for his claim to be divine.	“For our sake he was crucified…he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again…he ascended into heaven…”(Nicene Creed)	Jesus was not crucified (Quran 4:157), but was raised to Heaven by Allah (4:158).
Holy Spirit	Not a distinct person, but a divine power which for example, was given to the Prophets.	The third person of the Trinity, truly divine: “….with the Father and the Son he is worshipped and glorified.” (Nicene Creed)	Identical with the Angel Gabriel, who appeared to the Prophet Mohammed giving him the Quranic text.
Other Traditions	The Talmud, an oral tradition explaining and interpreting the Tanakh. It includes the Mishnah – a code of Jewish law.	The writings of the early church fathers and ecumenical councils, including the Creeds.	The Hadith, a collection of traditions/sayings of the Prophet Mohammed. The Hadith functions as a supplement to the Quran, giving guidance to Muslims for daily living.
Examples of Rituals	Rituals include the Circumcision of newly born Jewish males, Barmitzvah – a ceremony marking the ‘coming of age’ of Jewish Boys and observation of the Sabbath (Shabat). As in the other faiths, prayer is important. The Jewish prayer book is called the siddur.	The Sacraments, including Baptism and Holy Communion(Eucharist). In Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism, five more are added, viz: Confirmation (Chrismation), Marriage, Penance, Holy Orders and Anointing of the sick. Prayer is also an important part of the faith.	Five important rituals (known as the pillars of Islam): 1. Shahadah – A profession of faith. 2. Salat – Prayer five times daily. 3. Zakat – alms giving. 4. Sawm – Fasting during the Holy month of Ramadan. 5. Hajj – Pilgrimage to the Holy city of Mecca.
Sin	Humans are born with a sinful nature (Genesis 8:21). Atonement is made through seeking forgiveness from God in prayer and repentance. In addition, the day of atonement (Yom Kippur) is set aside specially for this purpose.	We inherit a sinful nature through our common ancestor Adam, who rebelled against God. Jesus Christ atoned for our sins through his death on the Cross (Romans 5:12-17).	There is no concept of original sin, nor vicarious atonement. All Humans are born sinless, but human weakness leads to sin.
Salvation	Through good works, sacrifices and the grace of God. There is no parallel to the Christian view of substitutionary atonement.	By grace through faith in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9).	Achieved through good works, thus personal righteousness must outweigh personal sin (Quran 23:101-103).
Hell	Judaism recognises the concept of Gehinnom or Gehenna – those who die in sin may suffer temporary punishment, but certain sins merit eternal punishment.	A place of everlasting punishment for the unrighteous (Matthew 25:46). There is no crossover between Heaven and Hell.	A place of torment and fire (Quran 25:65, 104:6-7). In Islam, Hell is known as Jahannam. Jahannam has several levels and a person may not necessarily spend eternity there.
Topic	Judaism	Christianity	Islam

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~ by Amina on May 11, 2008.