CONCEPT OF GOD IN JUDAISM:

Judaism is one of the major Semitic religions. Its followers are known as Jews and they believe in the prophetic mission of Prophet Moses (pbuh).


(i) The following verse from Deuteronomy contains an exhortation from Moses (pbuh)

“Shama Israelu Adonai Ila Hayno Adna Ikhad”

It is a Hebrew quotation which means

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord”

[The Bible, Deut 6:4]

(ii) Consider the following verses from the Book of Isaiah :

“I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is no saviour.”

[The Bible, Isaiah 43:11]

(iii)“I am lord, and there is none else There is no God besides me.”

[The Bible, Isaiah 45 : 5]

(iv)“I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me.”

[ The Bible, Isaiah 46:9]

(v) Judaism condemns idol worship in the following verses :

“Thou shalt have no other gods before me.Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor see them; for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God...”

[The Bible, Exodus 20:3-5]

(iv) A similar message is repeated in the book of Deutoronomy :

“Thou shalt have none other gods before me.Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is inheaven above, or that in the earth beneath, or that is in the water beneath the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them; for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God...”

[The Bible, Deut 5:7-9]

CONCEPT OF GOD IN CHRISTIANITY:
 
Christianity is a Semitic religion, which claims to have nearly two billion adherents all over the world. Christianity owes it name to Jesus Christ (peace be on him). Jesus (pbuh) is also a revered figure in Islam.Islam is the only non-Christian Faith that prescribes faith in Jesus (pbuh):


Before we discuss the concept of God in Christianity let us examine the position of Jesus (pbuh) in Islam:

(i) Islam is the only non-Christian faith, which makes it an article of faith to believe in Jesus (pbuh). No Muslim is a Muslim if he does not believe in Jesus (pbuh).

(ii) We believe that he was one of the mightiest Messengers of Allah (SWT).

(iii) We believe that he was born miraculously without any male intervention, which many modern day Christians do not believe.

(iv) We believe that He gave life to the dead with God’s permission.

(v) We believe that He healed those born blind, and the lepers with God’s permission.

One may ask, if both Muslims and Christians love and respect Jesus (pbuh), where exactly is the parting of ways? The major difference between Islam and Christianity is the Christians’ insistence on the supposed divinity of Christ. A study of the Christian scriptures reveals that Jesus (pbuh) never claimed divinity. In fact there is not a single unequivocal statement in the entire Bible where Jesus (pbuh) himself says, “I am God” or where he says, “worship me”. In fact the Bible contains statements attributed to Jesus (pbuh) in which he preached quite the contrary. Consider the following statements in the Bible, attributed to Jesus Christ (pbuh):

“My Father is Greater than I”

(John 14:28)

“My Father is Greater than all”

(John 10:29)

“...I cast out devils by the spirit of God....”

(Mathew 12:28)

“.... with the finger of God cast out devils ”

(Luke 11:20)

“I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge; and my judgement is just; because I seek not my own will, but the will of the Father, which hath sent me.”

The mission of Jesus Christ (pbuh) - he came to fulfill the Law:

Jesus (pbuh) never claimed divinity for himself. He clearly announced the nature of his mission. Jesus (pbuh) was sent by God to confirm the previous Judaic law. This is clearly evident in the following statements attributed to Jesus (pbuh) in the Gospel of Mathew:

“Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the Prophets; I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

“Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the Kingdom of heaven; but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.

(The Bible, Mathew 5: 17-20)

God sent Jesus (pbuh):

The Bible mentions the prophetic nature of Jesus’ mission in the

following verses:

“... and the word whic h ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s

which has sent me.

(The Bible, John 14:24)

“And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou has sent.”

(The Bible,John 17:3)

Jesus refuted even a remote suggestion of his divinity. Consider the following incident mentioned in the Bible:

“And, behold, one came and said unto him, “Good master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?”

And he said unto him, “Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is, God; but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.”

The above statements from the Bible refute the Christian dogma of divinity of Jesus and of salvation through the sacrifice of Jesus (pubh). Jesus (pbuh) exhorts keeping the commandments as the means to achieve salvation.

( The Bible, Mathew 5: 17-20)

Jesus (pbuh) of Nazareth – a man approved of God:


The following statement from the Bible supports the Islamic belief that Jesus (pbuh) was a prophet of God.

“Ye men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, A man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know.”

The First Commandment is that God is One:

The Bible does not support the Christian belief in trinity at all. One of the scribes once asked Jesus (pbuh) as to which was the first commandment of all, to which Jesus (pbuh) merely repeated what Moses (pbuh) had said, namely:

“Shama Israelu Adonai Ila Hayno Adna Ikhat”.

This is a Hebrew quotation, which means:

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord.”

(Mark 12:29)