Comparing Islam, Judaism and Christianity.

In both Judaism and Christianity, it’s “hear o’ Israel, YHWH, our God, is one and only, and you shall love YHWH from all your heart, soul and ability”^[1], and “love your neighbor as yourself”^[2], both of which come from two different books within Torah, the Jewish scriptures. Christianity tends to omit the “hear o’ Israel” part though.

In Islam, it’s “there is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is his messenger”. These two phrases exist individually in Qur’an^[3], but nowhere in conjunction. Nevertheless, it is the ubiquitous shahada, the recitation of which marks oneself a Muslim.

In Judaism, the emphasis and weight is on following God’s commandments and studying his word. These commandments provide the framework of every person’s life, as well as the entire nation’s life, governing things like what is food and what is not, how one should treat their neighbors (with charity) and how one should treat idolatry (stay far away and remove from midst).

In Christianity, the emphasis and weight is on salvation through God’s grace as opposed to through one’s own works; in the life and teachings of Jesus, and in a personal relationship with God, filled with everyday bidirectional communication with God through his Holy Spirit.

In Islam, the emphasis and weight is on the unquestioning submission to every little thing that Muhammad said and did, ranging from the five daily prayers to how they should wipe their butt^[4]. While nominally Islam forbids shirk — the practice of associating partners with Allah — in practice Muhammad is essentially considered identical to Allah, in that everything he said and did is to be considered^[5] teaching directly from Allah.

In both Judaism and Christianity, God is considered metaphorically the father of everyone, and we are to approach him like his children^[6].

In Islam, Allah is the father of nobody^[7], and the best relationship one can have with Allah is like a slave and master^[7].

Judaism focuses always in the present day, drawing from past experiences such as the freedom from slavery in Egypt^[8]. Past good events are much celebrated.

Christianity focuces heavily on the hereafter, with one of the highest virtues being inviting other people into God’s kingdom^[9] and thereby giving them eternal life.

Islam focuses on both the present and in the hereafter.

Judaism’s stance with unbelievers is that the Torah forbids taking an idolator as a wife^[10], or having idolators in the midst of their nation^[11]. This is something that is not really enforced today, as the state of Israel is largely secular. However, religious Jews will not take for a wife one who is not religiously Jewish. Foreign nations serving foreign idols are no concern; it is God’s responsibility to judge their sins. Israel itself should only take care to not let themselves be tempted into serving idols. Nations that continue to live in sin and outside the covenant that makes one part of Israel, will be judged by God sooner or later.

Christianity’s stance with unbelievers is that all mankind has sinned^[12], and everyone, no matter which nation, religion, skin color, or past deeds, can be forgiven and taken as a child of God^[13], if they repent and turn from their wicked ways. Then, God himself will guide the person towards a new life here and in the hereafter. Those who do not repent and do not turn, will be judged by God, and their fate is eternal separation from God, the source of life, love and joy.

Islam concerns itself more with unbelievers than it does with Muslims themselves. About 64% of Qur’an, 37% of Hadith and 81% of Sira concerns the unbelievers^[14], i.e. the kafir. Unbelievers living amidst Muslims are traditionally given three options: Convert to Islam, or live as a lower-class citizen^[15] who is barred from many of the freedoms that Muslims enjoy, and who have to pay a religious tax that will be used to advance Islam — or be killed. Muslims living amidst unbelievers are advised to work towards increasing their numbers through means that include subterfuge (if their numbers are small) or warfare (if their numbers are large). Muhammad himself said that he has been made victorious with terror^[16].

In Judaism, those who commit apostasy, willingly disregarding God’s laws, will be cast out from their nation^[17] or killed^[18]. This is not really enforced today, as the state of Israel is largely secular. Those who commit small sins are to repent, atone for their sins, and reimburse the loss. God will also forgive sins through his mercy, but often a sacrifice of some sort is required. Human sacrifice is absolutely forbidden.

In Christianity, those who commit apostasy, denouncing their faith in Jesus, will be grieved over, and will become essentially as they were before they become Christian, except that there is little hope in convincing them again^[19], especially if they aspostasized in adulthood. Those who commit sins, either small or large, are to be chastised in person, and then by their congregation elders^[20]. If the person repents, God will always forgive, and the sin has already been paid for by Jesus, but the person must attempt to reimburse if at all possible.

In Islam, those who commit apostasy, denouncing their Islamic faith, are to be unconditionally killed^[21]. Those who commit smaller crimes, such as “mischief in the land”, are to be imprisoned, or their hands and feet cut off from opposite sides, or killed^[22]. How much these rules (sharia) are enforced depends on how strictly Islamic the society is. More Islamic societies, such as Pakistan or Nigeria, follow these rules more strictly. Less Islamic socities, such as Turkey, less so. Since Islam also teaches that every person is innately born a Muslim, interpretations vary what should be done with people who reject Islam without ever testifying it in the first place. Some believe that all unbelievers are apostates for this reason. Regardless, if they choose to testify the shahada again, Allah is merciful and they can be a Muslim again, although in some interpretations they still deserve to be punished for their momentary apostasy — with death.

In Judaism, critical study of the religious texts is a virtue. Jewish study of the Torah often engages in arguments and debates regarding the content and application of the text. Archaelogy and study of history is encouraged.

Likewise Christianity has a long history of critical and academic study of the Biblical scriptures, and of the historicity of the events described within. However, criticism of certain topics deemed central to Christianity, such as the divinity of Jesus, or whether Bible is God’s word to begin with, can be labeled as heresy and blasphemy in some circles. In some other circles, most of Bible is taken metaphorically and emphasis is put on the moral teachings, such as turning the other cheek, charity, and mercy. Many sects of Christianity maintain that faith without evidence is a virtue.

In Islam, criticism of Qur’an and Muhammad’s life is absolutely forbidden. The very word “Islam” means submission. Qur’an teaches that one who has any resistance to Muhammad’s judgments is not a real Muslim.^[23] In today’s world, any implications that the Qur’an might be wrong about something or that Muhammad might have been an evil amoral person, are labelled as “islamophobia” and aggressively shut down. The closest that Islam approaches the concept of critical study is the reliability grading of Hadith texts. Some texts are graded “Ṣaḥīḥ”, reliable, which means their chain of narration is considered authentic. Some are labeled “ḥasan” which basically means “good enough”, and others are “ḍaʻīf” meaning weak. Nonetheless there are disagreements between different schools of Islam regarding which texts are considered authentic or relevant.

Judaism does not particularly focus on the afterlife. The general understanding is that every person has a soul, which will return to God after they die, but the focus is in the here and now, to commit good deeds, Mitzvot, so that God may bless the deeds of their hands, and so that nations will marvel who is the mighty God that gives such righteous judgments and laws that makes their people flourish and prosper^[24]. However, the topic of afterlife is a subject of intense debate, and a motivation for doing those good deeds.

Christianity focuses heavily on the afterlife, which is characterized by eternal joy and happiness in unseparated relationship with God.^[25] Christianity teaches that there will be ultimately a judgment from God, and some people will get to live with God, the source of life, while the vast majority of people will be cast out to death, or eternal suffering,^[26] depending on interpretations. The only way to be absolutely sure that you will get the good side of the deal is to believe in Jesus and to follow him.^[27] Salvation does not depend on anyone’s merits, so that nobody could boast, but simply on one’s heart’s attitude towards God^[28]. Blessed are the meek. Many people report having their lives completely changed the moment they decide to submit to Jesus and accept Him as their Lord, in a manner that is consistent with biblical descriptions of the presence of Holy Spirit encompassing a person; many also report no immediate changes.

Islam makes passing mentions of the afterlife, including the well-known teaching that the first of the joys in the Paradise will be sex with 72 virgins^[29]. In general, the Islamic afterlife, the Jannah, is characterized with hedonistic pleasures and closeness to Allah. However, Islam provides no certainty whatsoever of getting there. Allah’s mood varies, he is a known trickster, and his mercy is completely unpredictable.^[29] One can only ever hope that their good deeds (as defined by Islamic teachings) outweigh their bad deeds, but ultimately the decision is in Allah’s hands — inshallah. Even Muhammad, the perfect model of every Muslim, said he can’t know for sure at all whether he gets there.^[30]

In Judaism, while Muslims serve a singular God like Jews do, Muhammad himself is considered a false prophet, because his teachings totally fail to line up with Torah. In the days of Moses, Muhammad would have been stoned to death.^[31] Christians are considered idolators for having three gods (which is an inaccurate assessment) or for having a God that has had a presence in our reality, and (sometimes) law-breakers for breaking God’s commandments gleefully. However, anyone can turn into Judaism, get circumcised and begin obeying the commandments. Before this can happen, you have to insistently show that you are really serious about it.

In Christianity, the Jews have blindness on their eyes^[32], that prevents them from seeing Jesus as their Messiah and their Savior, and Christians are to pray for their salvation. Some sects believe that God has forsaken Jews as a punishment for killing Jesus. Jews worship the same god as Christians, but Muslims are no different from any other religion that serves idols; they are pagans. However God can forgive anyone who repents and turns from their wicked ways. According to Christianity, Muhammad is considered a false prophet for the same reasons as in Judaism, but also an Anti-Christ, for he denied the death, burial and resurrection of Christ^[33].

In Islam, there are multiple views. On one hand, the Qur’an commands Jews and Christians to judge by the Torah and the Gospel respectively, rather than by the Qur’an^[34], and is perfectly happy at leaving it at that. On the other hand, the Islam teaches that Jews and Christians are pigs and apes respectively^[35] (and quite literally), and that in the last days, the prophet Isa will return and help Muslims massacre all of them. Additionally modern-day Muslims believe that the scriptures of the Jews and Christians are somehow corrupted (a view supported by none of the Islamic writings), and that unless they turn into Islam, they are no different from any other idolator. According to Islam, Jews and Christians were originally Muslims: Moses was a Muslim, Jesus was a Muslim, and so on, and they all worshipped Allah.

[1]) Deut. 6:4—5 and Mark 12:29—33
[2]) Lev. 19:18 and Mark 12:31
[3]) Qur’an 37:35 and 48:29
[4]) Sunan Abu Dawud 7., ṣaḥīḥ
[5]) Qur’an 4:65
[6]) Matt. 6:9; see for example Avinu Malkeinu
[7]) See https://www.dcciministries.com/allah-is-father-to-no-one/
[8]) Exodus 10:2, 12:26—27, etc.
[9]) Matt. 28:19—20
[10]) Exodus 34:16
[11]) Deut. 13:5
[12]) Rom. 3:23
[13]) Eph. 2:11—22
[14]) See research of Dr. Bill Warner, Center of Study of Political Islam
[15]) See concept of dhimmi
[16]) Sahih al-Bukhari 4.52.220: Allah’s apostle said: “[...] I have been made victorious with terror”.
[17]) Exodus 31:14
[18]) Exodus 35:2, Hebrews 10:28
[19]) Hebrews 10:26—27
[20]) 1.Thess. 5:14, Eph. 5:11, Matt. 18:15—17
[21]) Sahih al-Bukhari 4.52.260: “[...] The Prophet said, ‘If somebody (a Muslim) discards his religion, kill him.’”
[22]) Qur’an 5:33
[23]) Qur’an 5:43
[24]) Deut. 4:6
[25]) Rev. 7:16—17, 21:3—4
[26]) Matt. 7:23, Rev. 20:10,15
[27]) John 14:6
[28]) Eph. 2:8—9
[29]) See https://wikiislam.net/wiki/Authenticity_of_72_Virgins_Hadith
[29]) See https://www.answering-islam.org/Quran/Versions/007.099.html
[30]) See https://answering-islam.org/authors/shamoun/muhammad_salvation.html
[31]) Deut. 18:20—22
[32]) 2.Corinth. 3:14—17
[33]) 1.John 2:22 “He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.”, crf. Qur’an 19:88—89 “They say: ‘(Allah) Most Gracious has begotten a son!’. Certainly you have made an abominable assertion.”, see also Matt. 16:21—23, Mark 8:31—33, Qur’an 4:157
[34]) Qur’an 5:43—48, 68 et al
[35]) Qur’an 5:60

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email QhgbiA02sq_u7wirt@aikoCi.F6fi, https://iki.fi/bisqwit/

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P.S. Anyone who tries to refute my points by referring to something Zakir Naik said, will be subject to ridicule. Zakir Naik is a joke.