Abrahamic Faiths: How Are We Different One From Another?
First, a little family tree, remember Abraham from the Old Testament? He is widely accepted as the patriarch of all three religions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
Abraham Anctient Judaism
Isaac Ishmael Son of Sarah Son of Hagar
Ancestral Lineage
Judiasm Messianic Judaism Islam Jesus Mohammed
Abraham practiced Judaism along with his wife Sarah. As the tradition is
recounted, Sarah was past child bearing age and offered her servant or “hand maiden” to
her husband to produce an heir. This was common practice at the time and Hagar bore a
son and named him Ishmael. In what is believed to be a miracle and gift from God, Sarah
belatedly also became pregnant and bore a son and named him Isaac. According to the
Christian and Jewish faith traditions, God asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac to prove his
love. In the Muslim faith tradition – it was Ishmael that Abraham was asked to sacrifice. It is important to note here that it is also the Muslim belief that Mohammed is a descendant of Ishmael and believed to be the founder of Islam. The tradition continues with an explanation that the Angel Gabriel visited Mohammed with a message from God which made him the last great prophet, but not the savior. These faith traditions have collided in “Holy Wars” fought in the “Holy Land” over geography that is sacred to all three. Jerusalem is considered by Jews to be the place where the binding of Isaac took place, Christians believe it is where Jesus was crucified and resurrected, and Muslims believe it is where Mohammed was visited by the Angel Gabriel and given the foundations of the Islamic faith.
For more intriguing similarities, and to find out how the B’hai faith also is connected to the Abrahamic religions, do a little digging on the internet! Or for the real academic, find stories in the Bible, the Torah, and the Quran which have the same cast of characters and sacred messages. And by the way, Muslims and Christians both believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Jewish people are still waiting for the Messiah to appear.
The similarities are as easy to pick out as the differences between the faiths. Why don’t we look for those instead?