Ramadan Day 15-17

Ramadan is half way through! I can't believe it!! and I'm also very excited. Each day is growing harder and harder. Energy is depleted. Also, am very thrilled with this years feelings that have surfaced. I've grown so much more than in previous years. How? I'm calmer, more patient and much much more mindful.

I'm a bit tired this evening...so, I will quote the author John Esposito's book "What Everyone Needs to Know About Islam" (an excellent source for anyone interested in learning more about Islam)

How is Islam similar to Christianity and Judaism?
Judaism, Christianity and Islam, in contrast to Hinduism and Buddhism, are all monotheistic faiths that worship the God of Adam, Abraham and Moses-creator, sustainer and Lord of the universe. They share a common belief in the oneness of God(monotheism), sacred history (history of the theater of God's activity and the encounter of God and humankind), prophets and divine revelations, angels and Satan. All stress moral responsibility and accountability, Judgment Day, and eternal reward and punishment. All three faiths emphasize their special covenant with God (Judaism through Moses; Christianity through Jesus and Islam through Muhammad)

"How do Muslims view Judaism? Christianity?
Both Jews and Christians hold a special status within Islam because of the Muslim belief that God revealed His will through His prophets, including Abraham, Moses and Jesus.

Say: We believe in God and in what has been revealed to us, and in what has been sent down to Abraham and Ismail and Isaac and Jacob and their offspring and what has been revealed to Moses and Jesus and to all the prophets of our Lord. We make no distinctions between them and we submit to Him and obey. (Qu'ran 3:84)

The Koran and Islam regard Jews and Christians as children of Abraham and refer to them as "People of the Book," since all three monotheistic faiths descend from the same patrilineage of Abraham. Jew and Christians trace themselves back to Abraham and his wife Sarah; Muslims to Abraham and his servant, Hagar. Muslims believe that God sent his revelations (Torah) first to the Jews through the prophet Moses and then to the Christians through the prophet Jesus. They recognize many of the biblical prophets, in particular Moses adn Jesus and those are common Muslim names. Another common Muslim name is Mary. In fact, the Virgin Mary's name occurs more times in the Koran than in the New Testament; Muslims also believe in the virgin birth of Jesus. However, they believe that over time the original revelations to Moses and Jesus became corrupted. The Old Testament is seen as a mixture of God's revelation and human fabrication. The same is true for the New Testament and what Muslims see as Christianity's development of "new" and erroneous doctrines such as that Jesus is the Son of God and Jesus' death redeemed and atoned for humankind's original sin."