Islam
Comparison between Prayer in Islam and Judaism
Historically, Islam has the same origins as Judaism, both religions being founded by the descendants Abraham (Ibrahim, 1997). Judaism was however the first religion to be founded, having been practiced in the Sinai Peninsula by the Semitic groups that left Egypt after being held as slaves by the Pharaohs. Islamic and Judaic prayers therefore have a lot in common.
Prayer is held in very high esteem by followers of both religions and is the way in which people can connect with their God (Brockopp, Sonn Neusner, 2000). Both Muslims and Judaists believe that prayer is the most important pillar of religion, and without it, there cannot be any essence to the religion. Muslims believe that prayer was imposed unto them by Allah after the belief in oneness. In both religions, a believer is supposed to first wash his feet and hands to symbolize cleanliness and then to lay prostrate on the ground as a sign of reverence to the most high. However, there have been speculations that believers of Judaism have deviated from this form of prayer to more contemporary prayers as practiced by Christians (Brockopp, Sonn Neusner, 2000).
Gender and Sexuality in Islam and Judaism
Both Islam and Judaism hold the belief that the differences between men and women are fundamental and therefore gender matters a lot in how one participates in religious matters as well as in contemporary life (Brockopp, Sonn Neusner, 2000). Muslims have however held the roles defined by gender as non-amenable through rational analysis and this is why the Muslim community has constantly come under criticism from human rights groups and feminists who argue that Muslim women are mistreated. In both religions, women are not allowed to be teachers of the faith in religious places but this trend is more pronounced in Islam. Despite the effort of female reformists and their sympathizers, it is very unlikely in the near future that the world will witness the phenomenon of Muslim women leading mixed gender congregational prayers (Brockopp, Sonn Neusner, 2000). Menstruation is considered as a form of impurity and therefore a hindrance to the execution of religious duty.
Nature and Role of Sin in Islam and Judaism
Muslims conceptualize sin as the consequences of human weakness. Like in Judaism, the concept of original sin is radically rejected. Muslims vehemently reject the concept of vicarious atonement for sin while maintaining that all human beings are born without sin (Brockopp, Sonn Neusner, 2000). Judaism believes that atonement for sins can be achieved by seeking forgiveness from God through prayer and repentance. Judaism also sets aside the Day of Atonement as the day in which believers can seek divine forgiveness for the sins they have committed through fellowship with their creator.
The Nature of Allah
Islam is founded in the belief of Allah, the only God who should be worshipped as he is the creator of all things that exist. He is the most high and most merciful, and is the one who delivered his last covenant with the people through his prophet Muhammad (Esposito, Haddad, 1998). The faith is all about believers submission to him. Islamic faith is also founded on the revelations by God to other prophets including Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Jeremiah. As the supreme creator, Allah first created intellect and conceptualized holy war (Jihad) as the means to achieving divinity. Through the teachings of the prophet Muhammad, the holiest Jihad is that of the conquest of the self, and the effort of a believer who uses his or her intellectual prowess to bring order and harmony in the society is more important that the one who sheds his or her blood for the cause of the religion.
Allah is one being and one essence and is the originator of all that the faithful must believe in and the doctrines they should abide by. Islam differs from Christianity through its rejection of a trinity (Esposito, 2002). In fact, the most important statement that can be found in all mosques is that No one is to be worshipped but Allah. It is therefore blasphemous to think, believe, state or ac in a manner that is likely to suggest that there is more than one God.
To all Muslim faithful, Allah is the genesis of all things and events that have, are, and will ever exist or take place (Wenner, 2001). He is the sovereign ruler and determinant of the past and future of the entire universe. As the protector of all mankind, nothing can ever happen besides that which he himself has ordained. He leads his children, the believers, astray at will and also accords his guidance and ordination to any person at his will. This is the origin of the maxim Insha-Allah meaning If God wills.
The active side of Allah as outlined in the above paragraph is complimented by his passive side his being omnipresent. He knows all things that have been, that are and that will ever be. This characteristic separates him from the elements of his creation and emphasizes his power by indicating that his existence is timeless and unlimited by any boundaries that can ever be thought of. He is aware of what everyone does, and shall reserve his judgment accordingly.
Allah is conceptualized as an all-powerful God (He is omnipotent) who does as He pleases. He has the power over all things and aspects of all creation in the universe and his will cannot be thwarted by anything on earth or in heaven (Esposito, 2002). He exists eternally and has neither a beginning nor an end. He reveals himself unto mankind in the way that he wants by virtue of his being at the apex of everything that he ever and will create. He is merciful and gracious, a force so filled with love for everything that he has created.
Practices in Islam
All Muslims are expected to adhere to the five pillars of Islam of which the first and most important is the recital of the Shahadah (the creed that There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his Prophet) at least once in a lifetime (Ibrahim, 1997). Muslims however repeat this creed on a daily basis. The second pillar is the performance of the Salat (prayer) 5 times every day if possible. The Salat is comprised of Morning Prayer, noon prayer, afternoon prayer sunset prayer and a night prayer. The third pillar of Islam is regular donation to charity. Every believer in the Muslim faith is required to give a total of 2.5 percent his net income and worth in assets to the less fortunate in the society but additional donations are also recommended.
The fourth pillar is one of the most important to Muslims and involves fasting during the holy month of Ramadan, believed to be the month in which God gave his first revelation to the prophet Muhammad. Finally, the fifth pillar is a recommendation that all Muslims who are financially able should make at least one Hajj to Mecca (Ibrahim, 1997). This is the visitation to the Holiest place, the Kaaba located in Mecca.
Jihad is a concept in Muslim teachings and involves a personal and internalized struggle within the self of a believer to submit to the will of God (Esposito, 2002). Jihad is supposed to lead a believer to accomplishment in terms of individual conquest of primitive instincts and attainment of a noble goal. The role of Muslims is to teach the principles of Islam to non-believers and believers of other faiths but not to actively recruit since it is the duty and prerogative of Allah to guide whoever he wants. Islam does not permit suicide or mercy killing, people are supposed to rejoice in life since it is a product of Gods mercy to humanity. As the grantor of life, only God (Allah) has the power to take it away. Muslim physicians are in addition not allowed to prolong the suffering of people who have entered a vegetative state since this only prolongs their misery.
Holy Days in Islam
Holy days in Islam are programmed based on the Lunar Calendar and therefore occur around 11 days earlier on the conventional calendar (Esposito, 2002). Al-Hijra is the first in the calendar and is a commemoration of a New Year in the first lunar month. Mawlid al-Nabi is a day set aside to celebrate the birth of the prophet Muhammad unto whom the covenant between God and his people was delivered. The holiest period in Islam is the holy month of Ramadan and it lasts for the entire ninth lunar month of each year. This is the month in which the Holy Scripture, the Quran, was delivered unto the prophet Muhammad. All Muslims above the age of 12 except the sick and the lactating are required to fast from dawn to dusk (Wenner, 2001). During the 10th lunar month, Muslims all over the world celebrate the end of Ramadan through a holiday known as Id ul-Fitr or simply Id. This is a time of rejoicing after the gains made during the fasting period. Muslim faithful buy gifts for relatives and friends and decorate their houses thematically. Finally, the Feast of Sacrifice happens during the 12th month and is the season in which able Muslims make their pilgrimage to Mecca.
Conclusion
Islam was founded by the Prophet Muhammad and borrows heavily from the religious practices of the Jews who lived in his native Mecca. This explains the many similarities between the faith and Judaism in certain issues like circumcision, not eating pigs and conducting daily prayers (Wenner, 2001). The main teaching of Islam is to wholly submit to the will of God entirely, a God who is the creator of all and bears ultimate authority of all things that have been and those that will ever be.
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