Islamic Blog for New Muslims: Support for New Muslim Converts - Basic Understanding of the Similarities and Differences Between Islam, Christianity, and Judaism

Basic Understanding of the Similarities and Differences Between Islam, Christianity, and Judaism

03/11/22 • 15 min

Islamic Blog for New Muslims: Support for New Muslim Converts

Before moving forward, it is imperative to know the basic similarities and differences between each of the three Abrahamic religions—the world's three biggest religions. They are Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. All three religions consider themselves monotheistic faiths, as they all claim to worship one God. While Muslims and Jews are indeed strict monotheists worshipping one God as a single, indivisible entity, Christians, on the other hand, while thinking they are monotheists worshipping one God, are not, as they believe in the Trinity. Christians claim they believe in one God represented by or manifests himself in three persons. They claim they do not believe in three individual Gods; instead, they think they believe in one God who manifests himself through different identities, roles, and images: the Father in the Heavens, the Son, Jesus Christ, who came down in human form as the savior, and the Holy Spirit, the Counselor.

Christians believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and God Himself. They believe that Jesus Christ has a divine and created nature. They also believe that each of these personas in the Trinity equally co-exists as God and that each of these entities is eternal and all-powerful. They do not think that each is a separate entity; instead, they believe that God the Father is the God, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This, of course, is a contradiction; common logic dictates that there cannot be three Gods at the same time as there is one God. It is either one or three, as one and three are not the same.

Prophets are to be loved and respected, but no form of worship is directed toward them, nor are they treated as demi-gods or intermediaries between humanity and God. Christians appointed Jesus Christ to divine heights he was not entitled to, which eventually became the dominant Christian belief. Jesus Christ was a mighty messenger sent from God, but he was only a mortal human. He was born to a mother; he ate and drank, slept, and used the bathroom; he suffered pain and emotions. This differentiates him from God the Almighty, as God does not need to eat, sleep, or drink. The Prophet Jesus' mission was to confirm the Torah previously sent, make certain things lawful to ease the lives of the Children of Israel, and proclaim and re-affirm the belief in One God. He was only the servant and slave of God. The Trinity—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—and the concept that Jesus died for our sins are firmly rejected in Islam.

Just like Muslims believe that Jesus Christ was only a created human Prophet sent by God, Muslims believe the Prophet Muhammad PBUH was also a mortal human prophet sent by God after Jesus Christ. Prophet Muhammad PBUH is separate and distinct from Allah (God). God is eternal and immortal; He never had a beginning and was never created. All the powers that Jesus Christ is said to have had were given to him by God. On the other hand, God's Attributes and Powers were not given to Him; they were within Him all along. God's Attributes and powers never knew a beginning, nor will they ever have an ending. He has always been, and will always be, All-Knowing, All-Mighty, All-Powerful. God hears everything from the buzz of a mosquito's wing to the eruption of volcanoes. All His Attributes are infinite.

The three religions worship the same God. The God in the Heavens that Christians worship and refer to as the Father is the same God worshipped by Muslims and Jews. Muslims use Allah to refer to God: Allah translates to God. Allah is not a foreign God, nor does He bear a foreign name. Allah, instead, is the semantic term for God. Regardless of this, some people harbor the mistaken belief that Muslims worship a different God than Christians and Jews and that Allah is the God of the Arabs or the Muslims. This is far from the

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Who is Allah? A Brief Introduction to Your Creator

Before we talk about Jesus Christ and his actual teachings in detail, you will need an introduction to Allah. Allah is not a foreign God and does not bear a foreign name. Allah, instead, is the semantic term for God. Regardless, some people harbor the mistaken belief that Muslims worship a different God than Christians and Jews and that Allah is the God of the Arabs or the Muslims. This is far from the truth. The word Allah is the unique name of God. It is the Arabic name connoting Almighty God. Arabic-speaking Jews and Christians use this same word to refer to God. If one were to peruse an Arabic translation of the Bible, one would see the word Allah used in place of the term God. However, Muslims, Christians, and Jews all have different concepts of God. Muslims and Jews reject the Christian belief in the Trinity and the Divine incarnation. Yet, this does not mean that these three religions worship a different God: There is only One true God.

The name of God in Hebrew is Eloah (pronounced eeLo), and the name of God in Aramaic is Elahh (pronounced as El-aw), and Assyrian Aramaic is Alaha (pronounced the way it is read ʼAlâhâ), and in Arabic, it is Allah (pronounced as AaLaH / Allawh). All the names of God in these languages are pronounced about the same as there is only One True God. If one were to pursue an Arabic bible, it reads: 'In the beginning Allah created the heavens and the earth' (Genesis 1:1) & 'For Allah so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life' (John 3:16)

Muslims prefer to use the name 'Allah' instead of "God" because the word "God" can be made plural and rendered masculine or feminine. In contrast, the Arabic word "Allah" that God chose for Himself cannot be made plural and is genderless. For instance, if you add the letter "s" to the word God, it becomes gods—the plural of God. In the case of the Arabic word Allah, one cannot make the word plural by adding "s" or in any other way morphing the word's structure. Likewise, if one adds "ess" to the end of the word "God," it becomes "goddess," which connotes a female god. God is neither female nor male. He is genderless. The Arabic term Allah does not have a gender. It cannot be made feminine.

Muslims prefer to use Allah instead of God because using the word God has different connotations for different people. God indicates an entity worthy of worship. Regretfully, people assign a godlike status to many other beings, divine or otherwise. However, while speaking to non-Muslims, one may use God instead of Allah to help the intended audience understand the word's context.

Allah originates from the word Al-ilah, which enjoins the two terms "The" and "God," as in The God. The Arabic word illah, the closest synonym to God, is rich and has several meanings. Illah refers to an entity worthy of worship and service, an object of devotion and love, someone you turn to in desperate times, someone you adore and think about. Illah also is one you turn to for protection, help, or aid. One can find sanctuary and rest in their Illah, who is always present to comfort and guide His creation.

The relationship with God is expressed in the Arabic word Al-Rabb, which is used frequently in the Holy Quran. Linguistically, it is defined as sticking close to something. It also means joining something with another. In the Holy Quran, the word Al-Rabb implies that the owner (God) has full authority over His property (his servants) and is the Master wh

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Whom Was Jesus Christ Sent to Address? What Was His Mission? Did He Come with a New Law as Christians Claim?

Now that you have a basic understanding of Jesus Christ's identity, it is time to dig deeper to understand whom God, the Almighty, sent Jesus Christ to address and for what purpose. I have spoken about this already, but it is imperative to cite evidence taken straight from the Bible that Christians follow. God has sent thousands of Prophets to humanity. They all preached the same general message: there stands only One Deity worthy of worship. He is the One and Only God, without a partner, son, daughter, or equal. All other gods are false and only creations of God - not the actual Creator Himself. These Prophets and Messengers came to lead humanity to God with the same purpose.

God communicates His Guidance through human Prophets. Every time human hands altered the Revelation of God, He, out of the His Infinite Mercy and Love, continued to send other Prophets and Books to guide humanity back to Him. More than one hundred thousand Prophets and Messengers were sent to all humanity, nations, and races in all corners of the world. Each Prophet and Book was sent to different nations and people. Some Prophets were superior to others; the best among them were Prophets Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and the Prophet Muhammad PBUT. However, when these Prophets or Messengers would pass, their message would slowly be altered, distorted, and changed by their people. The Revelations sent soon were modified by human hands to contain the words of men and not the Divine Being. God, the Almighty, warns those who changed His Scripture in his final Book, the Holy Quran:

“So woe to those who write the 'scripture' with their own hands, then say, 'this is from Allah,' to exchange it for a small price. Woe to them for what their hands have written and woe to them for what they earn” (Quran 2:79)

The Prophet Jesus PBUH was one of God's mightiest messengers, sent down with the same general Message of all previous Prophets but only to address the Children of Israel—those we know as Jews—since they descended from their forefather, Judah.

God, the Almighty, chose these Jews, the Children of Israel, from all of humanity for a particular purpose. God chose them not because of their race, color, or status in this world; instead, He chose the Children of Israel for a particular purpose, as stated in the Old Testament and the Holy Quran. The favor was a covenant between the Children of Israel and God that the Children of Israel was to be a Kingdom of Priests, guiding others to discover the knowledge of God. The favor to the Israelites came with the condition that they keep their side of the covenant. To do this, they were required to follow the commandments of God and preach them to others. God blessed the Jews with blessed land and an abundance of goodness.

“O children of Israel, Remember My favors upon you. Fulfil your covenant and I will fulfill Mine, and stand in awe of Me alone” (Quran 2:40)

The Prophet Moses PBUH is told to say, Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, you will be my treasured possession out of all nations. Although the whole Earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites. (Exodus 19:5-6). God is speaking through Prophet Moses PBUH, stating to the Children of Israel if they follow the commandants of God and keep their covenant and not break it, then "...you will be my treasured possession" (Exodus 19:5-6). God also states in the Book of the Old Testament that if the Children of Israel did not keep their covenant and carry out their duties and responsibilities, God would punish them seven times more than the rest of humanity. If after all this you will not listen to me, I will punish y

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