...believe in moral living and being good to others, but have different views on God and his interpretations. Both believe that there is a God; however, Christians believe in the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and Muslims believe that God (Allah) is the one and only. Both believe that Jesus Christ existed, but Muslims believe that Jesus was merely a prophet who received a revelation from Allah and not the Lord and Savior that Christians proclaim him to be. The Christian holy Book, The Holy Bible, contains the Old Testament which chronicles the lives of those who lived before Jesus and is also sacred to Islam, and the New Testament which is unique to Christianity and tells the story of Jesus and his affect on the world: the miracles he performed, promises that will be fulfilled, and sacrifices that he made. The Islamic holy book, the Qur’an, is believed to confirm the revelation of other books on various prophets but for Muslims is the only book that is true and complete. The Qur’an is the only book that is memorized in its entirety by more...
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...encyclopedia The Qur'an, the central religious text of Islam, contains references to over fifty people and events also found in the Bible. While the stories told in each book are generally comparable in most respects, important differences sometimes emerge. Anything in the Bible that agrees with the Qur'an is accepted by Muslims, and anything in the Bible that disagrees with the Qur'an is not accepted by Muslims. Many stories in the Bible are not mentioned at all in the Qur'an; with regard to such passages, Muslims are instructed to maintain neutral positions, but to read them and pass them on if they wish to do so. Often, stories related in the Qur'an tend to concentrate Islamic moral or spiritual significance of events rather than the details.[1] Western scholars tend to analyze similarities between Biblical and Quranic accounts of the same person or event as being evidence for the influence of pre-existing traditions on the composition of the Qur'an.[2] From a traditionalist Muslim perspective, such a discussion would make no sense; Muslims believe that the Qur'an was sent from God through the angel Gabriel to the prophet Muhammad in a series of revelations, and this divinely revealed text was then progressively dictated (word for word, and over and over again to make certain that there were no mistakes) by Muhammad to the followers of Islam. Moreover, Muslims believe that the Biblical tradition was corrupted over time. similarities between the bible and the qur’an By Stefan 55 Comments ...
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...Study Guide for Quiz 2 – Women in Islam Part I Be prepared to answer the short answer questions below. Two of them will be on the quiz. (10 points) 1. Name six facts about the life of Mohammad, including where he lived and approximately when. What women were in his life? (Study Guide 18) * 1. Born in Mecca in the year 570. 2. Was an orphaned by the age 3 and raise by his uncle 3. Became a business man 4. Met a successful wealthy widow named Khadija and marries her. 5. When Mohammad was 40 years old in year 610 he had his first revelation of G-d. 6. After the death of Khadija he made two marriages that were mainly for political reasons, the first is Sawdah and Aisha. 2. What are the five pillars of Islam? (Study Guide 19) * 1. Witness – accepting Mohammad as G-d’s messenger and that there is no G-d but Allah. 2. Prayer- pray five times a day, Friday is a day of communal prayer. 3. “Alma” – give charity, obligatory for those who are able to give 2.5% of one’s wealth to the poor. 4. Fasting- during the month of Ramadan. 5. Pilgrimage to Mecca at least ones in a lifetime, obligatory for those who are able to economically and physically. 3. Contrast the view of Adam and Eve in the Qur’an with comments on them in later Muslim writing and thinking such as exegesis and legend. (See Study Guide 20, based on Kvam, pp. 185-203.) * In the Qur'an the creation story never describes Eve as being created secondary to Adam, it also...
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...The story of Joseph in the Quran is very similar to that in the Bible. Joseph is the son of Jacob, and has 11 brothers who grow jealous of him. They leave him in a pit, where he is eventually sold into slavery in Egypt. He uses his ability as a dream-interpreter to gain repute, and eventually makes his way as the pharaoh’s advisor, after he interprets the king’s dream. Eventually, he encounters his brothers, and forgives them. One thing that struck me greatly was the compassion of Joseph. While Joseph is clearly a character that Muslims are supposed to aspire to be, he is incredibly different from Muhammad, who “exemplifies” Muslim life, according to Islam: The Straight Path. While Muhammad unified Arabia by conquering and converting its nomadic tribes (i.e. Meccans), and while he took revenge on those who “betrayed” his cause (the Jews living in Medina, with whom he had peacefully coexisted, for example), Joseph was very forgiving of his brothers. Another concept I found interesting throughout my readings was the role of women in the Qur’an. While the wife of Joseph’s master plays a significant role in the story of Joseph (the story of the seduction is much more elaborate than that in the Bible), her name is never mentioned. This is the same in the story of Adam, where Eve’s name is never mentioned (at least not in Readings in the Qur’an). In both cases, they are simply referred to as X’s wife. Again, going back to Muhammad, the exemplar of Muslim life (who had...
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...Contemporary Issues in Western Religions Harry Potter REL/134 November 20, 2011 UoP Instructor Contemporary Issues in Western Religions Religious beliefs have been the center of many conflicts across the entire world since the beginning of time. Christianity, Islam, and Judaism the major monotheist religious traditions have been at the heart of many of those religious conflicts. Historical connections and theological similarities are prevalent between the three. In parallel to the similarities exists the contemporary struggles affecting these western religious traditions. From the internal struggles within Christianity such as abortion, to its struggles with Islam and Muslim extremists, finally to the contempt against Christianity from actions of the Holocaust, each tradition faces contemporary struggles within their own right. Gaining a better understanding and insight into the historical, theological, and contemporary struggles between Christianity, Islam, and Judaism will enhance appreciation for each belief. Historical Connections and Theological Similarities: One main pillar of similar theology between Christianity, Islam, and Judaism is the belief in one god. However, each has different perspectives in relation to God. For example, Christians believe in [pic]the Trinity[pic] of [pic]God; God the Father, the Son (Jesus[pic] Christ), [pic]and the Holy Spirit[pic] ("Judaism, Islam, Christianity-Comparison", 2002-2011). Also Christians consider Jesus...
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...World Religions Darlene Lovely Hum/130 August 3, 2011 Charles Hall World Religions Islam is one the largest and fastest growing religions in the world, second only to Christianity. The Islamic faith believes that there is only one God, who is named Allah. The Qur’an is the holy scriptures of Islam, believed by Muslims to be the words of God revealed to the great prophet Muhammad for the purpose of educating Muslims on how to live spiritually, mentally, and physically pure lives. An interview on the religion of Islam was conducted with Lonna al’ Moctar, a thirty-nine-year-old administrative assistant at The Muslim Community Center of Louisville in Louisville, Kentucky. The Muslim Community Center of Louisville is the newest mosque in Louisville and is the “boldest architectural expression of Islam to date in Louisville” (Smith, 2010, para. 2). The Muslim Community Center of Louisville is a mosque “intended as a place of interaction for all faiths” to learn about Islam, and is also home to an adjacent school, the Islamic School of Louisville, for pre-school, elementary, and middle school students (Smith, 2010, para. 7). Not unlike the construction of other mosques across the nation, The Muslim Community Center of Louisville had its share of opposition; however, its neighbors never complained about the construction of the mosque itself. Shortly...
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...is undeniable doubt that there is a sense of inequality towards women in terms of religion. The purpose of this research paper is to discover and understand feminist views on religion, as well as define the term “religious feminist.” In my findings, I have yet to conclude whether being a feminist and being a full devote, faithful follower to a religion can coexist. Although, when researching on the topic of “religion and feminism,” sites such as religionandfeminism.com are full of commentators and scholars who believe otherwise: that there can be such a thing as the religious feminist. However, it seems as though equality within religion is a never-ending battle. Author of Bad Feminist: Take One/ Take Two, Roxanne Gay, describes her favorite definition of feminism as “just women who don’t want to be treated like shit.” (303). Like others, Gay feels as if she falls short of what a true feminist is. The online dictionary describes a feminist as one who advocates social, political, legal, and economic rights for women equal to those of men. So what does it mean when one claims to be a “bad” feminist? Gay goes on in her excerpt about how some feminist public speakers often contradict themselves when advocating the ideal feminist. Does being a religious feminist mean you are a contradictory? In Kristin Aune’s Why Feminists Are Less Religious, she tries to examine the possibility of feminism leading to women rejecting traditional religion. Aune and her colleague, Catherine...
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...Running head: THE RELIGION OF ISLAM The Religion of Islam the Contrasts and Parallels of Christianity Richard Bucher September 9, 2012 THE RELIGION OF ISLAM The Religion of Islam the Contrasts and Parallels of Christianity Numerous individuals define religion as a belief or faith. By practicing a specific religion one agrees to exist in life by a certain creed. Thus, religion is employed as a guide for practitioners’ lives. This is one component that is similar amongst all religions. Furthermore, there is an abundance of religions located everywhere in the world. One of the most commonly practiced religions is Christianity. In the United States alone, 79.5 percent of its citizens claim to be Christian (Fairchild, Christianity). I am apart of this statistic. A person who deems themselves Christian is one who concurs with the teachings of Jesus Christ, and accepts him as man’s savior. Moreover, there is another religion that has a much smaller percentage, but it is growing exponentially, and it is known as Islam. Individuals whom are practitioners of Islam are called Muslims. Islam is a monotheistic belief where they believe that Allah (God) is the creator of all things. Ultimately, before properly educating myself on the religion of Islam, by going to the mosque, through extensive research, and by interviewing an individual from the Muslim community, I had my own notions about this religion. Consequently...
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...between Islam and Christianity. Islam traces its roots back to Abraham and his son Ishmael. In 570 AD, a descendant of Abraham named Mohammed was born. He began his life working as a shepherd for his uncle. In 610 AD, the Qur’an begins to be revealed to Mohammed by God. By 650 AD, the complete written text of the Qur’an is established. Only one hundred years after Muhammad’s death, Islam had spread around the Mediterranean. The Golden Age of Islam (750-1258 AD) saw new legal, philosophical, and religious developments. The major Hadith collections were compiled and the four modern Sunni Madh'habs, or schools of law were established. As the Caliphate, or Islamic Empire expanded, the Muslim culture became enriched by the scholars, poets, and scientists that they conquered. For example, many Muslim thinkers pursued humanistic, rational and scientific discourses in seeking knowledge, meaning and values. Islamic writings emphasizing love, poetry, history and philosophical theology show that medieval Islamic thought was open to the humanistic ideas of individualism, occasional secularism, skepticism and liberalism. Islam has been subjected to many negative stereotypes where they are portrayed as violent uncivilized terrorists who oppress women. This portrayal comes from the lack of...
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...INEQUALITY Equality for women in our society has been a controversial issue for centuries, sparking debates, marches, protests, and movement for the purpose of lifting women out of servitude to men. Many might point to the idea that women are the smaller, delicate, and weaker of the two genders as the reason for male domination. In history there have been many groups that were dominated by another group, but none with such complicity from those claiming to be following the word of God, as men over women. The Bible, perhaps the most influential collection of scripture, seems to align man with God; “Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. Let him have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and the cattle, and over all the wild animals and all the creatures that crawl on the ground” (Genesis: 26). Does this passage from the Old Testament establish men as the rulers of all that lives and breathes on the Earth, or is the word “man” used to establish the human species (men and women) as masters of our world? My guess is that asking a woman might garner a different response than if posed to a man. When it comes to the matter of inequality or oppression, a condition that has affected many groups during human history, it seems that religion, or God in one way or another has been used as an example to stop the onerous treatment of such groups, seemingly with the exception of women. During the 19th century many Christian women took up the fight against...
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...spiritual, physical,intellectual, social, economical, etc. 8. Islam is one of the fastest growing religions in the world. 9. "Allah" is an Arabic word that means "God". 10. Muslims also believe that "Allah" is the personal name of God. 11. Allah is not the God of Muslims only. He is the God of all people and all creation. 12. The Islamic concept of God is that He is loving, merciful and compassionate. 13. . Islam also teaches that He is all-knowing and the perfect judge of affairs, and will punish (or forgive) accordingly. 14. Islam teaches a balance between fear and hope, protecting one from both complacency and despair. 15. Muslims believe that God has revealed 99 of His names, or attributes, in the Qur'an. 16. Muslims neither worship Muhammad nor pray through him. Muslims solely worship the Unseen and Omniscient Creator, Allah. 17. Muslims...
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...and Islamic traditions is that both worship one god making both traditions monotheistic and that God is the most supreme being over anyone else of which both traditions worry about the behaviour as well as the beliefs of human beings (Zahniser, 2008:3). The second similarity is that both believe in a Heaven and Hell and God's future judgment, both have Prophets and prophecy’s, including many of the same characters Adam, Noah, Abraham, David, Jesus (Neusner et al, 2002:54). The third similarity is that both traditions fast. Within the Bible, it is said that Jesus fasted for 40 days and 40 nights (Mathew 4:2-Bible) whilst in the Qur’an, Muslims fast 1 month every year from sunrise to sunset (Al-Qur’an:30). The fourth similarity is that both traditions believe in faith. Prophet Muhammad states that faith is obligated to enter Paradise (Zahniser, 2008,40. In both religions faith interlinks with doing good deeds and requires them to perfect it (Qur'an...
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...which means “the praised one,” was born a messenger of God into the most powerful tribe in Islam. His father passed before he was born, followed by his mother and grandfather. This left him with a protective uncle who worked him as a shepherd. Even though Muhammad is not “the focus in Islam, the sole authority,” his life story is important to Muslims because his “character is considered a model of the teachings in the Qur’an,” (Fisher, p. 365). Muhammad and Jesus both have holy books reciting their lives and teachings. Jesus’ life and teaching can be found in the Bible, while the Qur’an focuses on Muhammad. The Bible was not written for 40 to 60 years after the death of Jesus and there are many versions of this holy book. The Bible cannot be put in any chronological order because there are so many missing years of Jesus’ life, plus they are based on oral transmissions of what occurred. “The heart of Islam is not the Prophet but the revelations he received. Collectively they are called the Qur’an (“reading” or “reciting”),” (Fisher, p. 370). The Qur’an covers messages that Muhammad received over a period of 23 years. “At first they were striking affirmations...
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...2015 Daniel Mages Understanding Islam The Muslims are a very devout group. They are steeped in tradition that has been passed down from generation to generation. They are devoted to the study and recitation of the Qur’an on a daily basis. They map their lives according to the Five Pillars that are mentioned in the Qur’an as a support for one’s life and faith. They are adamant about Ramadan and use it as a means to gain both self-enlightenment and unity with other Muslims. The Qur’an is the Holy Book of the Muslims. It is the equivalent of the Holy Bible in Christian faith. Its name means recitation. The Qur’an is a compilation of Muhammad’s sermons and revelations. It is in no particular order or chronology. Unlike other religious texts the Qur’an talks about other religions and the people of other religious texts. It consists of 114 suras. The Qur’an is very repetitive which makes the memorizing of scripture easier. They are repeated daily in prayer and sermons. The Qur’an is also very descriptive in nature. Reading the Qur’an, a person can easily visualize what they are reading. Passages from the Qur’an are incorporated into works of art. Because of the beauty of the written Arabic language, it is also used to decorate mosques and religious schools. The Qur’an teaches about the Five Pillars that support one’s faith. All Muslims are expected to practice the Five Pillars. These are: creed, prayer, charity to the poor, fasting during Ramadan, and pilgrimage to Mecca. The creed...
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...Running Head: HEALTH CARE PROVIDER AND FAITH DIVERSITY HEALTH CARE PROVIDER AND FAITH DIVERSITY Grand Canyon University HLT310V July 08, 2012 Abstract Americans live in the land of free where decisions primarily are ours to make from what pair of shoes to wear, what we ingest, what kind of car we drive to who we vote into the oval office. The same holds true for one’s religious and/or spiritual beliefs. Whether by choice or by upbringing in one’s family and culture, not everyone shares the same philosophy towards a higher power or modern medicine. Healing is a process toward wholeness or wellness and encompasses physical, mental, emotional, and tribal attributes (Zarren, n.d.). Not only does it focus on the disease or illness, but additionally embodies a holistic approach to care. What may not be important to the physician, nurse, or support staff is important to the patient; for it is the patient and their families that we serve. Spirituality is personal and important to everyone. Defined as, “a complex and multidimensional part of the human experience-our inner belief system. It helps individuals search for the meaning and purpose of life, and it helps them experience hope, love, inner peace, comfort, and support.” (Ashcraft, Anthony, & Mancuso, 2010). With this in mind, healthcare providers and institutions need to be cognizant of various faiths and spiritual practices to allow for healing of an individual stricken with disease or illness. In looking at Native...
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