INTRODUCTION TO ISLAMIC THEOLOGY.pdf - CUEA

6JudaismJudaism is a religion of the Jews whose founder is Abraham. Like Islam, Judaism is more than areligion because, for the Jews, it is a way of life; it contains commandments, rites traditions andbeliefs. Contrary to other religions of Semitic world, Judaism is monotheism with a revealed book.Since the time of the Patriarchs, but developed after exile, Judaism is contained in the book calledTorah.The Torah was given only as a means of purifying men - so runs a famous rabbinic dictum. It is noimpossible set of demands, meant for angels or a very few men of superior piety. Its wisdom andordinances are the way of holiness for all men, even the most ordinary among them. 17Through the Torah, Jews honoured God, one and Creator of the universe. He is mighty andpowerful; no single creature can represent him. He is also unseen but he is always with hispeople. "You will have no gods other than me. You must not make yourselves any image or anylikeness of anything in heaven above or on earth" (Dt 5, 7-8).Judaism is also guided by a tradition. Tradition carries along with its values and patterns ofbehaviour so that the young ones will be enlightened. In time of crisis, tradition was called tochallenge and to give the truth. Torah and tradition are the source of Judaism. Priests are guardsof Torah and tradition; they were also ministers of the cult that rendered God praise andforgiveness. To honour God faithfully, the Jews have some festivals namely, the Sabbath, thePassover, the Shabuoth, Sukkoth and Yom Kippur. In short, Judaism is the life of Jews. It helpsJews to live faithfully with God and their fellowmen, to keep God's commands and to be preparedagainst various systems.In fact the belief of the countries surrounding Judaism was quite different. Jews were the onlymonotheistic people in the Semitic world, so that Judaism suffered from within and without.Because of its monotheistic concept of God and its consequences, Judaism was always in conflictand war with its surroundings. By the way, there was also great influence from the outside, whichbrought some deviation in the religious practice of the Jews. Jews borrowed from all the countriessurrounding it. In spite of this deviation, Jewish nationalism made the survival of monotheismpossible and so it continues till the present day.Really, with the fore-going information and analysis, some may say that Arabian traditional pre-Islamic thought, as well as the traditions and philosophy of the ancient world, together withJudaism, gave birth to Islamic monotheism. If they did not give birth to it, at least all these ancientideas did influence Islam widely and strongly. Muhammad, the prophet of Islam, adopted some,corrected a little and rejected what was totally against his revelation and its implications. The newMuslim community superseded the old Arabian tribal society, which drew inspiration from the wholeSemitic world.17 Arthur Hertzberg, Judaism, (New York: George Braziller, 1962), p. 256.