Islam vs Judaism

The Quran is the primary scripture of Islam, believed by Muslims to be the verbatim word of God revealed to Muhammad over approximately 23 years (c. 610-632 CE). It consists of 114 chapters (surahs) of varying length, arranged roughly from longest to shortest rather than chronologically. The Quran addresses theology, law, ethics, narrative, and eschatology, and is recited in Arabic in worship regardless of the worshipper's native language. [2][3]

"In the name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful. Praise be to God, Lord of the Worlds.", Quran 1:1-2, Marmaduke Pickthall translation, 1930 (public domain). This opening of the Fatiha is recited in every unit of Muslim prayer. [6][2][3]

The Hadith literature, collections of reports about the sayings, actions, and approvals of Muhammad, serves as the second major source of Islamic guidance. Sunni Muslims recognize six major hadith collections (the "Six Books"), with those compiled by al-Bukhari and Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj considered the most authoritative. Shia Muslims maintain their own hadith collections, which also include reports from the Imams. [2][3]

Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh) draws on the Quran, Hadith, scholarly consensus (ijma), and analogical reasoning (qiyas) to derive legal and ethical rulings. Four major Sunni legal schools (Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i, and Hanbali) and the Ja'fari school in Shia Islam represent different methodological approaches to interpreting these sources. [2][3]

The Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) is the foundational scripture of Judaism, consisting of three sections: Torah (Teaching/Law, the Five Books of Moses), Nevi'im (Prophets), and Ketuvim (Writings). The Torah, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, is the most authoritative section, traditionally understood as divinely revealed to Moses at Sinai. [2][3]

"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.", Genesis 1:1, King James Version, 1611 (public domain). This opening verse establishes the monotheistic creation narrative foundational to Jewish (and later Christian and Islamic) theology. [6][2][3]

The Talmud is the central text of rabbinic Judaism, consisting of the Mishnah (compiled c. 200 CE by Rabbi Judah ha-Nasi) and the Gemara (rabbinic commentary and discussion, compiled c. 500 CE). Two versions exist: the Babylonian Talmud (Talmud Bavli, more authoritative) and the Jerusalem Talmud (Talmud Yerushalmi). The Talmud addresses law, ethics, philosophy, history, and narrative through a distinctive dialectical method. [2][3]

Additional important texts include the Midrash (collections of biblical interpretation), the Zohar (the central text of Kabbalah, Jewish mysticism), Maimonides' Mishneh Torah and Guide for the Perplexed, and the Shulchan Aruch (the standard code of Jewish law compiled by Joseph Karo in the 16th century). The tradition of commentary and interpretation (including Rashi, Tosafot, and later authorities) is itself considered sacred and authoritative. [2][3]