Islam, Christianity and Judaism- Basic Comparison.

Name

Judaism
From the Hebrew:Yehudim, ‘Judah’.

Christianity
From the Greek: christos, ‘Anointed’ - referring to Jesus Christ.

Islam
Derived from an Arabic word for ’submission’. Also related to the Arabic word salaam, ‘peace’.

Leader

Judaism
Abraham (First Patriarch, born c. 1800 B.C.)

Christianity
Jesus Christ
(c. 4 B.C. - 30 A.D.)

Islam
Mohammad
(570 - 632 A.D.)

Divisions

Judaism
Several divisions, including Hasidic (Orthodox), Conservative and Reform Judaism. Ethnic groupings include Ashkenazi (The majority) and Sephardi Jews.

Christianity
Three main groups: Orthodox, Protestant and Roman Catholic.

Islam
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)

Judaism
14 Million;
not every Jewish is Jew!

Christianity
2,100 Million

Islam
1,500 Million, 20% arabs, 80% other nationalities!

Not every arab is muslim!

Nature of God

Judaism
One God (known in English as ‘Yahweh’ or ‘Jehovah’) - “…Hear Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is one.” (Deuteronomy 6:4).

Christianity
One God, who exists in three distinct persons (The Trinity): Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19).

Islam
One God (Arabic: Allah), who is not a trinity. The Islamic view of God is called strict Monotheism (Quran 112:1).

Holy Book(s)

Judaism
The Hebrew Tanakh, similar to the Christian Old Testament, comprised of the Torah (Hebrew: ‘Law’), Nevi’im (’Prophets’) and Ketuvim (’Writings’).

Christianity
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).

Islam
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

Judaism
An ordinary Jew, not the Messiah nor a divine person.

Christianity
The second person of the Trinity: “…true God from true God” (Nicene Creed), and born of the Virgin Mary.

Islam
A prophet, sent by Allah and born of the Virgin Mary, but not divine (Quran 5:17).

Jesus Christ, The Mission of

Judaism
As Judaism rejects the idea of Jesus as Messiah, his mission is of no relevance.

Christianity
To reconcile Man to God, through his death as a sacrifice for the sins of all mankind.

Islam
To proclaim the Injil, or gospel. This gospel has been corrupted over time by human additions and alterations.

Jesus Christ, The Death of

Judaism
Jesus was crucified for his claim to be divine.

Christianity
“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)

Islam
Jesus was not crucified (Quran 4:157), but was raised to Heaven by Allah (4:158).

Holy Spirit

Judaism
Not a distinct person, but a divine power which for example, was given to the Prophets.

Christianity
The third person of the Trinity, truly divine: “….with the Father and the Son he is worshipped and glorified.” (Nicene Creed)

Islam
Identical with the Angel Gabriel, who appeared to the Prophet Mohammed giving him the Quranic text.

Other Traditions

Judaism
The Talmud, an oral tradition explaining and interpreting the Tanakh. It includes the Mishnah - a code of Jewish law.

Christianity
The writings of the early church fathers and ecumenical councils, including the Creeds.

Islam
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

Judaism
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.

Christianity
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.

Islam
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

Judaism
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.

Christianity
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).

Islam
There is no concept of original sin, nor vicarious atonement. All Humans are born sinless, but human weakness leads to sin.

Salvation

Judaism
Through good works, sacrifices and the grace of God. There is no parallel to the Christian view of substitutionary atonement.

Christianity
By grace through faith in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Islam
Achieved through good works, thus personal righteousness must outweigh personal sin (Quran 23:101-103).

Hell

Judaism
Judaism recognizes the concept of Gehinnom or Gehenna - those who die in sin may suffer temporary punishment, but certain sins merit eternal punishment.

Christianity
A place of everlasting punishment for the unrighteous (Matthew 25:46). There is no crossover between Heaven and Hell.

Islam
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.

This is just a short list of a few comparrisons

Sallam Alaykum / Peace be unto you

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