Comparing Prayer in Islam and Judism
Prayer: A Fundamental Practice in both Islam and Judaism
Religion has been part of many cultures all around the world for over a thousand years, in particular the monotheistic religions of Islam and Judaism. Islam was established by the Prophet Muhammad in the polytheistic tribal country of Arabia.1 There he had an encounter with God Himself on which the Islamic religion is based. As it is told "that [Muhammad] saw one of the greatest signs of his Lord."2 It was during this encounter and ones following, that Muhammad received revelations along with small segments of the Qur'an.3 Judaism is an ethnic religion that dates back to Abraham and Moses and is based on the historical events that happened to the people of Israel.4 Muslim and Jewish communities can be further divided into sub-classes, depending how strict these different communities hold onto the words of the Qur'an and Tanakh, respectively. Prayer is a ritual practiced in every religion and dates back many years, shaping the foundation of many of today's religions. For both Muslims and Jews prayer has been a fundamental practice. The significance of prayer in the daily lives of Muslims and Jews differ, yet they pray to the same God. These two religions hold opposing views as to how the act of prayer is carried out. Even though Islam and Judaism are monotheistic religions worshipping the same one God, their history and prayer rituals differ in several aspects. Prayer was the first ritual introduced by Prophet Mohammad to become a fixed part in the Islamic religion.5 Prayer is the second of five pillars on which Islam is based, and therefore it is a compulsory and very important component. As Prophet Muhammad said , "the first thing [a] the worshiper of Allah will be called upon to account for on the Day of Judgment [is] prayer. If it is good, his deeds will be good; if it is bad, his deeds will be bad."6 These words from the Prophet Muhammad himself, explain the significance of prayer clearly as
Religion has been part of many cultures all around the world for over a thousand years, in particular the monotheistic religions of Islam and Judaism. Islam was established by the Prophet Muhammad in the polytheistic tribal country of Arabia.1 There he had an encounter with God Himself on which the Islamic religion is based. As it is told "that [Muhammad] saw one of the greatest signs of his Lord."2 It was during this encounter and ones following, that Muhammad received revelations along with small segments of the Qur'an.3 Judaism is an ethnic religion that dates back to Abraham and Moses and is based on the historical events that happened to the people of Israel.4 Muslim and Jewish communities can be further divided into sub-classes, depending how strict these different communities hold onto the words of the Qur'an and Tanakh, respectively. Prayer is a ritual practiced in every religion and dates back many years, shaping the foundation of many of today's religions. For both Muslims and Jews prayer has been a fundamental practice. The significance of prayer in the daily lives of Muslims and Jews differ, yet they pray to the same God. These two religions hold opposing views as to how the act of prayer is carried out. Even though Islam and Judaism are monotheistic religions worshipping the same one God, their history and prayer rituals differ in several aspects. Prayer was the first ritual introduced by Prophet Mohammad to become a fixed part in the Islamic religion.5 Prayer is the second of five pillars on which Islam is based, and therefore it is a compulsory and very important component. As Prophet Muhammad said , "the first thing [a] the worshiper of Allah will be called upon to account for on the Day of Judgment [is] prayer. If it is good, his deeds will be good; if it is bad, his deeds will be bad."6 These words from the Prophet Muhammad himself, explain the significance of prayer clearly as