Islam and Judaism are two different religions but bound by similarities in values, guidelines, and principles. Islam religion incorporates some of Jewish history as part of theirs, for example, the concept of Children of Israel. Moses I Judaism is a prophet, and in Islam religion, he is considered as a messenger. Islam and Judaism share the same origin, which is from the Middle East, and they are both considered as Abrahamic religions. Judaism strongly influenced Islam in different aspects from religious outlook, practice, structure, and jurisprudence. Despite the similarities, there has been an overlap in the political, physical, and theological outlook of the two faiths. Similarities and differences in Islam and Judaism can be looked at through their history, basic beliefs, and influence in law and social justice.
Islam and Judaism share various common beliefs and aspects though some are different. The Holy Scripture, which is considered as a revealed scripture through a difference, exists in the precision of texts and interpretations. On religious law, the two faiths are unique, each with different basis on oral law, which at times overrides he written the law. In Islam, the law is known as Sharia, while in Judaism, it is recognized as Halakha (Neusner & Sonn, 2002). The religious law in the two religions, however, is considered as a form of worship.
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The two faiths have rules of conduct which are meant to promote social justice. The rules guide the interaction with other human beings and with God. In Islam, the Muslims are able to observe five prayers a day which is known as Salat while the Jews have between two to five prayers known as Shema Yisrael. There are some shared faith practices between the religious such as almsgiving, fasting, dietary laws, and purity rituals. Some foods such as pork are prohibited in the two religions. There are also laws which guide the morals of Muslims and Jews by forbidding sex before marriage and homosexuality. Such laws are meant to uphold morals in society and guiding how people interact.
Islam and Judaism have had historical interactions which explain some similarities. There conversion of Jews to Islam, for example, where Jews volunteered to join Islam, and it was considered a treacherous act as they ended up abandoning Torah. Another historical event is when Muslims decided to be converted to Judaism (Lewis, 2013). There have been interfaith activities between the two religions, for instance, the Judeo-Muslim culture found in Middle-East against the Christian culture in the western region.
One of the conflicts which exist between Islam and Judaism is the religious claim on Jerusalem. The two faiths have Abrahamic background, and they both believe that Jerusalem was the Promised Land. Claiming the land is meant to settle their people as it is a holy place. Islam believes that Jerusalem is holy to them because it was the last place God spoke to Muhammad. The conflict existed between Islam and Judaism as they both felt the need to control the city so that they can uphold their religious beliefs (Little, 2017). The Muslims felt that if Jews ruled the city, then it would lose its historical significance to them.
Islam and Judaism trace their background to Abraham, which explains the similarities such as on Holy Scripture. However, each has its laws on how to practice their religion and the control it has in society. The claim over Jerusalem has caused large conflicts between the two faiths, each holding that the land is holy to them.
References
Lewis, B. (2013). The jews of Islam. Routledge.
Little, B. (2017, December 06). Why Jews and Muslims Both Have Religious Claims on Jerusalem. Retrieved June 1, 2019, from https://www.history.com/news/why-jews-and-muslims-both-have-religious-claims-on-jerusalem
Neusner, J., & Sonn, T. (2002). Comparing religions through law: Judaism and Islam. Routledge.
