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Sample Essay
Introduction
Religion plays an important role in our world today. Two popular religions are Judaism and Islam.
Judaism was founded by Abraham in the Middle East around 3500 BCE. Islam was founded by
Muhammad in the Middle East round 600 CE. Islam and Judaism are both very alike and very different.
The traits of these religions can cause both unity and division.
Compare:
Islam and Judaism have many similarities. The first thing they have in common is their deity. For
example, followers of both religions believe that there is one God that is all-knowing and created
everything. This is important because believing in the same God should be a unifying trait. Another trait
both religions share is their sacred city. Both consider the city of Jerusalem sacred because important
events in their religion have occurred there. Jerusalem is important to Jews because they believe it is
there that God dwells and where God spoke to Abraham. Muslims believe Jerusalem is sacred because
they believe that Muhammad ascended to Heaven from there. These similarities are important because if
they share a sacred they could work together to keep it holy.
Contrast:
Although they have many similarities, Islam and Judaism also have some important differences. The first
difference between the two religions is their holy text. Muslims read the Quran, which is a collection of
the revelations made to Muhammad by Allah. Jews read the Torah, which is a collection of the revelations
made to Moses by God. This is an important difference because the revelations are different and that
could lead to differences in the major beliefs of each religion. The second difference can be found in their
codes of behavior. Muslims follow the Five Pillars, which highlight the responsibilities of Muslims,
including giving to charity and devotion to Allah. Jews follow the Ten Commandments, which deal with
relationships with God, family and others. This difference is important because if people are expected to
follow different rules, they will behave differently and have different beliefs about right and wrong.
Conclusion
By comparing and contrasting Judaism and Islam, it is obvious that religion can be both unifying and
divisive. Sharing major beliefs or a sacred city can be unifying because it can show people how alike we
really are by providing a common ground. However, having different laws or holy texts can lead to
disagreement over which side is “correct” and could cause conflict. Overall, religion has both a positive
and a negative impact on our world, and if these religions could focus on what unifies them instead of
what divides them, the world would be a better place.