COMMONALITIES IN DOCTRINE AMONG THE BIBLICAL RELIGIONS

Abstract

Prof. Saad Ali Al-Shahrani*

This study aims to examine the doctrinal commonalities among the Biblical religions (Islam, Christianity, and Judaism), highlighting the shared theological foundations that connect them and their impact on understanding the relationship between these divine religions. The research explores the fundamental doctrinal principles that these religions agree upon, such as monotheism-albeit with variations in its interpretation due to textual alterations—belief in angels, sacred scriptures, prophets, the afterlife, and divine predestination. This is achieved through a comparative analysis of religious texts from each tradition, assessing the extent of convergence and divergence in doctrinal concepts. The study also discusses how Islam emerged as the final divine revelation, completing and rectifying the previous messages, while emphasizing that the exploration of commonalities does not imply the validation or equalization of all religions. Instead, it aims to clarify the unity of the divine source of these revelations and highlight Islam’s uniqueness as the final and authoritative faith that confirms and supersedes previous scriptures. The findings indicate that while all Biblical religions share fundamental theological principles, textual distortions have led to substantial deviations in some doctrines. Consequently, Islam remains the definitive doctrinal reference that preserves the original monotheistic creed. The study concludes with recommendations for further comparative research on doctrinal beliefs in the Biblical traditions and their role in fostering interfaith dialogue and mutual understanding, while maintaining the integrity of the Islamic creed as the ultimate completion and culmination of prior revelations.