Teagan Seeley Word Count: 1294 HWC 204 Benjamin Guyer December 17th 2013 “Exploration of Similarities in Religious Texts: A Further Look at the Koran, the Tanakh and the New Testament” People who practice the Abrahamic faiths of Judaism, Christianity and Islam collectively comprise over one half of the world’s population, and while disparities between these three religions are widely spread and politicized, the similarities between their religious texts outweigh their differences. A crucial similarity between these three religions is their view on Abraham as their spiritual patriarch (lecture). The Koran makes use of both the Tanakh and the New Testament, and while minor differences exist between these texts, the perspectives they share are far more significant. The Koran retains many of the core ideas found in the Tanakh and the New Testament, specifically in regards to the perception of Abraham, the status of God, and the role of women. Any religious text can be interpreted in any number of ways, and while it is easy to pull apart texts of different faiths and dissect the differences, finding common ground and similarities is arguably more important. As previously mentioned, one of the most important similarities between these three texts is the perception of Abraham. Abraham’s commitment to God was tested, and as it was proved, he is the basis for all three of the Abrahamic faiths. In Genesis, God speaks directly to Abraham, saying, “I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall by blessed.” (Genesis 12:1-3) In the Tanakh, Abraham’s loyalty to God is tested throughout the Bible, and as Abraham’s devotion become apparent, God solidifies ... ... middle of paper ... ...he New Testament, large themes and important messages resonate similarly across the three faiths. The power, authority and oneness of God is undeniable and unquestionable. Similarly, those who disobey the direct commands of God and who do evil will undoubtedly face his punishment. Also, all three religious texts outline a specific hierarchy that is inherent to the believers; God is above Christ, Christ is above men, and men are above women. The roles and rights of women were limited, and not questioned. As with any ancient text, a reader must be aware of the difference in historical cultures, interpretations and biases. With these texts not all being written at the same time, cultural shifts undoubtedly occurred, but the Koran makes use of ancient Jewish and Christian Scriptures, as evidenced by the similarities between the Koran, the Tanakh and the New Testament.
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Mystery of the New Testament The New Testament is a part of the Christian Canon, which is inclusive of the Old and New Testament. The New Testament consists of twenty-seven books, and is the foundation of the Christian religion. The New Testament has set the bar for Christianity as a religion, but many questions surround the New Testament. These questions surrounding the New Testament have continuously sparked controversy.
Islam and Christianity both come from a common foundation as religions of peace, both of these religious traditions share the foundational element of peace of their beliefs. In both the sacred texts of Islam and Christianity peace is a virtue and is seen more as a sense of wellbeing than just the absence of conflict and violence. Overall peace is found in unity with God, for Christians and Muslims are taught to live a life a life of peace with others, not only in their own communities but the entire of human society. The Qur’an in Islam and the New Testament in Christianity are respectively the principal sacred texts for these religious traditions. The Qur’an and the New Testament both express the importance of peace and peacemaking as evident in Jesus’ Beatitudes “Blessed are the peacemakers”. The search for inner peace is the core message of the Qur’an and the New Testament and the adherents of both traditions are taught that inner peace will come through faithfully devoting yourself to God.
...ics, their religious texts contain tales that are almost completely opposite. Biblical scholars accuse Hebrews of borrowing and even plagiarizing stories from neighboring religions and cultures. So which stories can be deemed true within The Bible and The Koran? The truth is obvious and can be found within the revelations of Muhammad.
The three most influential books in human history, the holy books of the three main Abrahamic religions, share a common though checkered history. With a string of familiar figures and incidents, each book builds upon its predecessor, sometimes retaining the exact nature of the story and sometimes giving it a new version. Each book seems to have been influenced by its specific purpose and the circumstances of the time it was revealed, with the stories meeting the demands of the day. I believe that the Quranic treatment of Jesus was to establish a firm monotheistic belief.
Secondly, the writer’s highly selective use of quotes again, generalizes the issues at hand and Sheehan distils the Holy Qur’an, a very intricate, dense and complex text, to, more or less, a mere collection of fragmented quotes. In order for unbiased meaning to be sourced from the Qur’an, some degree of academic knowledge about the historical context of particular verses, understanding of the process of revelation(wahy), kn...
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Every religion has its own goal, and their own path and believe to reach their goals, however there are also many similarities in believes. Although the followers of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam may see things differently, they all fundamentally hold the same values and codes. To Islam, the Prophet Mohammad’s teaching is a complete and final revelation. On the other hand, according to the bible, Christianity believes that Jesus Christ is the true lord and savior will grant you the access to heaven in the afterlife. Judaism is founded by Abraham, and it is the base from which both of the other two religions sprung. Even though the three religions differ in many areas and on many aspects, they also agree on the monotheistic, the belief in ‘One True God.’ Those religions have many similarities and a number of significant differences about God, role of women, prayer, and salvation.
While most westerners know the story of Joseph as a passage from the end of the book of Genesis in the Bible or the Torah, understanding the story and its intricacies in sura 12 of the Qur’an proves equally important. Joseph’s story in Genesis emphasizes his personal abilities and God rewarding him and his people’s loyalty and faith amidst hardship. The Qur’an takes the same plot and enforces the theme of monotheism and Joseph’s prophetic role in its spread. The Qur’an’s interpretation serves as a more influential religious text in the context of its body of belief, whereas the Biblical story of Joseph, with its thematically intriguing story line and embellishments, comparatively serves a greater literary purpose. By reading and understanding both passages, one can gain a clearer knowledge of what is regarded as important to the Jewish, Christian, and Islamic faiths.
At the first glance, Islam and Christianity appear to have nothing in common, however; as you go beyond the surface, they appear to have many similarities such as their beliefs of God, their beliefs of life after death, their holy scriptures, and their prayers. These religions, although are two entirely different beliefs, share a similar origin. Like many other religions, they both claim to be the one and only true way to God. In order to truly see and understand their similarities, one must date back to the rise and birth of Christianity and Islam. Throughout the course of this essay, I will compare the many facets that show the alikeness between these two growing religions.
Comparison of Islam to Christianity and Judaism Islam has long been viewed by many in America as a fringe religion. When many Americans here the term Islam or Muslim they associate it with such groups as the Nation of Islam or the Black Muslims. However these groups and others like them often have very little in common with the true Islamic faith. They use the term Islam to generate support for their causes, but in so doing they often destroy the public’s view of the main Islamic faith. The People of the Book is an honorary title given to the Jewish, Christian and Muslim faiths. All three religions believe in one God and in his word, delivered through the prophets: Moses received the word of God in the Torah, Jesus and the Gospels and Muhammad and the Quran. The three religions also share a similar belief in prophethood; many Christians are stunned to hear that many Biblical prophets are also considered Islamic prophets. The Quran says in (2:136) Say we believe in God, and the revelation given to us, and the revelation given to Abraham, Ismail, Isaac, Jacob and the tribes, and that given to Moses and Jesus, and that given to the prophets from their Lord: We make no distinction between one and another of them, and to Him we are submitters. Islam does have many differences from the other two religions but it does preach a message of tolerance. Mohammad said, “Whoever hurts a person from the people of the book it will be as though he hurt me personally.” Islam is closer to Christianity and Judaism then they are to each other since it recognizes both as divine religions where Christians have already seen their Messiah and the Jewish people are still awaiting his appearance.(Islam ...
Islam is a religion that many people believe has stirred up much turmoil and unrest, and often Christians want nothing to do with Islam traditions. The idea that Islam has nothing in common with Jewish and Christian traditions is a false assumption. The Old Testament is the link that bridges Islam to Judaism, and Christianity. Muslims acknowledge three Major Prophets that have influenced Islamic tradition and culture, Jesus, Moses, and Abraham. These men of God are looked up to and admired for the...
Sacred texts are an intrinsic and defining component of all religious traditions. Adherents of the rapidly expanding religion Islam honour two major sacred texts; the Qur’an and the Hadith. The Qur’an is the unaltered word of God, also known as Allah, and is supported by the teachings and sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) which are contained in the Hadith. Working together, the sacred texts successfully teach adherents of the tradition’s origins and beliefs. They also describe the Five Pillars of Islam and guide Muslims in ethical behaviour, allowing them to fully submit to Allah. In conjunction, the Quran and the Hadith reveal the message of Allah for Muslims and guide adherents throughout their lives.
Religion, in many forms, has had the most profound influence on human society throughout history. It’s been the basis for many human traditions, value systems, and conflict throughout the history of human civilization. Understanding religious traditions, relationships, and foundational beliefs enables humans to understand their differences and better prepare themselves to make decisions regarding religious interactions in the appropriate context. Religions are considered to be reliable and important in answering the most profound questions of human existence; where do we come from? What should we do while we are here? Since religion is so important so are the holy texts, because they put into words/ writing of guideline of what that religion is all about. In this essay I will attempt to explore and discuss a passage from Gospel of Luke 10:25-37 “The Good Samaritan” and “Surah Ar Rahman” from 55th Sura of the Qur'an and their relation to that particular religion.
There are many religions today that people worship and adapt into their daily lives are their creed. Some may have a lot of gods, while some only have one god. But three of these religions are considered as the major religion practiced by most people in the world today. Although different in some senses in terms of history and other teachings, they all have things in common that most of their followers do not seem to realize. The similarities are very important to understand each religion better and be able to determine which parts they vary. In this paper, I like to discuss the similarities found in the three major monotheistic religions of Judaism, Islam and Christianity.