Comparison and Contrast between Judaism and Islamic Religions
Religions play integral roles in the lives of people. For many, they are spiritual strength,
inspiration, and identity sources. On the other hand, they can be the leading sources of spiritual
and emotional distress. Broadly, they can all be a mixed bag for many who have limited ways of
understanding and interpreting their traditions and practices. In this paper, however, the analysis
centers on the similarities and differences between Judaism, a religion associated with the Jews,
and Islam, one associated with the Muslims. The baseline between these two religions is their
global influence on faith and traditional practices. While religion can prop an appeal for a change
in the state system, making the guiding ideas value-based brings effectiveness to sustain people,
especially the oppressed. Therefore, many believers of a given faith use religion for reasons
evangelical but not limited to internal practices that provide fulfillment and need to thrive in all
seasons. Both Judaism and Islam lead believers to a life of divine connection with the supreme
being through similar values and different practices.

Similarities between Judaism and Islam

Islam and Judaism share monotheistic reverence for God. In other words, their believers
worship one supreme being, Yahweh for Jews and Allah for Muslims. The attributes associated
with Allah and Yahweh include the creator, the provider, and the sustainer of human beings
(Metz and Molefe 396). The Jews and the Muslims gravitate towards worshiping their supreme
beings by referencing these attributes during prayers. Further analysis of their traditional

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monotheistic beliefs is attribution to Jesus as the son of God (Simple to Remember n.p). Critics
provide that although the Muslims view Jesus as a messenger or a great prophet of God, the Jews
do not share the same conceptuality that God had a literal son (Simple to Remember n.p). This is
a slight deviation in the broader monotheistic consideration of the two religions. The material
significance is that the two religions also believe in the prophets that were sent to guide the
people. The names such as Moses, Abraham, Jacob, and Isaac are prophetically mentioned in the
books of the Torah and Quran, which Jews and Muslims use, respectively (Sabri 18). Therefore,
other prophets like Mohammed and those of the Old Testament Christian bibles are held within
Islam and Jews to relate the purpose and ways in which human beings should live. In summary,
the monotheistic traditions of the two religions canonize approaches to worship, message
delivery, and acceptance and reverence for spirituality.
Both Jews and Muslims believe in the power of prayers and fasting. The Jews practice
prayers that are sometimes accompanied by fasting. This event is known as Yom Kippur when
atonement is sought, and intercession for others occurs (Selekman and Zavadivker 7). During
this holiday, the abled, people without sickness, and women and children who are fit can fast the
whole day. Additionally, expectant women or those who delivered around that time are permitted
to eat. However, it is ritually provided that abstinence from sexual indulgence be kept at bay to
enable the believer to find divinity with God (Selekman and Zavadivker 7). Comparatively,
Muslims also have a special day known as Ramadan. It is a day set aside for prayers, fasting, and
community services. In this case, believers abstain from sexual relations. They also adhere to
purity in their hearts and deeds. Like the Jews, whose dress in robes and read Torah, the Muslims
observe their dress cords and read the Quran (Sabri 14). The cultural rituals around Ramadan
include complete abstinence from all kinds of food, including water, from dawn to dusk (Sabri

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14). The conceptuality is that freedom from these tidings offset a believer on the path of
reuniting with their purpose in life and finding favor with God. Therefore, the tradition and the
rituals associated with the prayer lives of believers in the two religions connotate similar
activities and core beliefs.
The Jews and the Muslims believe in the holiness of the historical cities. According to the
Jews, Jerusalem is a holy city because it was home to Abraham, a leading forebearer of Judaism.
The scriptures denote that Jerusalem is the place where Abraham almost sacrificed his son Isaac
to God (Selekman and Zavadivker 567). Similarly, the reverence of the city in the Hebrew Bible
makes it particularly interesting to understand the historical struggles of the Jews (Selekman and