Question to Jews about Prophet Muhammad(pbuh)

[loverOfTruth]

This thread is not about debates or arguments but rather information for myself.

I would like to know from practicing Jews or people who has authentic knowledge of the Jewish Scripture - if you believe that Prophet Muhammad(pbuh) was a messenger of the same God just like Moses(pbuh) was. If so, why and if not, why not ?

I have heard from some people that they have spoken to Rabbis first hand who confirmed that they believe that Muhammad(pbuh) is a messenger of God. I also heard that, according to Kashrut laws, Jews are allowed to eat Halal (muslim version of Kosher) under extenuating circumstances. Is that true also ? Just FYI, muslims are allowed to eat Kosher.

If you could give a little background about whether you are responding as a Jew or non-Jew with Jewish scriptural knowledge, that would be great. But if you don't feel like it, that's fine too.

Thanks in advance and Peace.

 

[Caladan]

This thread is not about debates or arguments but rather information for myself.

I would like to know from practicing Jews or people who has authentic knowledge of the Jewish Scripture - if you believe that Prophet Muhammad(pbuh) was a messenger of the same God just like Moses(pbuh) was. If so, why and if not, why not ?

You have to understand something very basic about these kind of questions. it would be the same as asking Jews if they believe that Jesus was the son of God, a prophet, a messiah, etc.
Muhammad, like Jesus, is not part of Jewish theology, or Jewish scriptures. individual Jews may say that Muhammad was a legitimate religious leader or reformer to the Arabs, just as they may say that Jesus is a legitimate role model for Christians.

I have heard from some people that they have spoken to Rabbis first hand who confirmed that they believe that Muhammad(pbuh) is a messenger of God.

I have never met Jews or Rabbis who believed that Muhammad was a messenger of God. different Jews may have different personal interpretation on the subject, but it is not part of Jewish Law, scripture or theology.

I also heard that, according to Kashrut laws, Jews are allowed to eat Halal (muslim version of Kosher) under extenuating circumstances. Is that true also ? Just FYI, muslims are allowed to eat Kosher.

It's possible. but I would wait for an opinion of a Rabbi, perhaps Levite will catch on this thread very soon.

If you could give a little background about whether you are responding as a Jew or non-Jew with Jewish scriptural knowledge, that would be great. But if you don't feel like it, that's fine too.

I studied the Hebrew scripture for 12 years in Bible classes in the Hebrew language, took additional classes about the Scriptures in university, and read and study the scriptures on some basis.

Thanks in advance and Peace.

NP.

 

[Flankerl]

Basically what Caladan wrote.

About Kashrut.
Something kosher is always halal but something halal is never kosher. For food to "become" kosher it has to be made/cooked/baked/etc by a jew.


The dietary laws are allowed to be broken if for example the jew in question is about to starve and there is only pork or other trefe food nearby.

 

[Levite]

I would like to know from practicing Jews or people who has authentic knowledge of the Jewish Scripture - if you believe that Prophet Muhammad(pbuh) was a messenger of the same God just like Moses(pbuh) was. If so, why and if not, why not ?

Basically what Caladan said is correct. Muhammad is a figure from another religion. While it is technically possible according to several interpretations of Jewish thought that Muhammad could have been the recipient of divine teachings intended for non-Jews, we generally believe that the age of prophets ended for all people around the time of the beginning of the Second Temple Period (around 400 BCE). But while there is universal agreement that there were no further Jewish prophets after that time, some are inclined to think that it is possible that prophets were still sent to non-Jewish nations after that time, with information relevant to them.

Even if that were the case with Muhammad, we would still believe that his messages were intended for those non-Jews who became Muslims, and that they were not relevant to Jews. We would (and generally do) respect the Quran as sacred text for Muslims, but we could not and do not accept it as sacred text for ourselves; and while many of the laws in it are similar to our own laws, and are thus seen by our scholars as praiseworthy and notable, some of the narratives in the Quran, and some of its other teachings are incompatible with Judaism, and cannot be reconciled to our understanding of what God wants from us. They can easily be reconciled to our understanding of what God wants from non-Jews, so we respect Islam as a very excellent religion for non-Jews to follow, and a sister faith to our own.

I have heard from some people that they have spoken to Rabbis first hand who confirmed that they believe that Muhammad(pbuh) is a messenger of God.

I have never heard a rabbi say with any certainty that Muhammad was a messenger of God, and I would presume that any rabbi who did say anything resembling such a thing must have specifically meant that he was a messenger to non-Jews, and any teachings of his, even those that might be divinely inspired, are not relevant to or applicable to Jews. Anything less than such a qualification would simply be heretical to us.

I also heard that, according to Kashrut laws, Jews are allowed to eat Halal (muslim version of Kosher) under extenuating circumstances. Is that true also ? Just FYI, muslims are allowed to eat Kosher.

Generally speaking, if a food is not kosher, it is not kosher: whether it is acceptable to the dietary laws of another religion is irrelevant. We respect Halal as a good system of dietary laws for Muslims to follow, and our scholars have often noted the similarities between the two systems. But Halal is not kosher.

For meat to be kosher, it must be slaughtered by a Jewish shochet (trained ritual slaughterer), in precisely the correct way according to Jewish Law; it must be from a kosher animal only (and some animals that are permissible to eat under Halal are not kosher animals), and the animal must be without blemishes as defined in Jewish Law; the meat must be drained of blood by salting and soaking according to the relevant Jewish Laws; and unless the consumer knows the shochet personally and can satisfy themselves as to the expertise and strict observance of the shochet, the entire process must be overseen by a rabbi trained in overseeing ritual slaughter.

Obviously, if one is in a situation where kosher food is unavailable, and one must either eat non-kosher food or starve, one must eat non-kosher food to save one's own life. But in such a case, it doesn't make a difference whether the food is Halal or not, as Flankerl noted.

If you could give a little background about whether you are responding as a Jew or non-Jew with Jewish scriptural knowledge, that would be great. But if you don't feel like it, that's fine too. Thanks in advance and Peace.

I'm a Jew. I am a Conservative rabbi, and my primary areas of expertise are Jewish Law, theology, and Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism).

Salaam aleikoum!

For food to "become" kosher it has to be made/cooked/baked/etc by a jew.

Meat has to be shechted by a Jewish shochet, it's true. But other foods do not have to be prepared by Jews to be kosher: generally, if one is strictly observant, the preparation of foods must be overseen by a rabbi with training in hashgachah (oversight of kashrut), who can certify that the food is kosher, but it can be prepared entirely by non-Jews. Many non-Orthodox Jews will also eat foods baked or otherwise prepared by non-Jews without rabbinic oversight if all the ingredients are known to be kosher, and there is no reasonable likelihood that any non-kosher foods could have been accidentally mixed in with the otherwise kosher foods (for example, I would eat bread baked at a non-Jewish bakery without hashgachah if I knew the ingredients used, and I knew that the bakery did not use any meat or animal fats, etc.).

 

[Levite]

There may be more leeway among Orthodox Jews than you're possibly aware of, Levite, if you'll forgive my interjecting. And I've also heard it said that New York Jews do some things rather differently than Jews elsewhere in the U.S., too.

Some years ago, my husband and I stayed at a b&b run by an Orthodox couple that was conveniently near his parents' home in Brooklyn. It was an odd sort of b&b, because no breakfast was served there. Instead, we were given tickets for breakfast at nearby restaurants and told that we could choose from certain options, not whatever we wished from the menu. And it was actually more of a suites establishment, since each unit had a full kitchen with a separate handwashing sink, a warming plate for the Sabbath, timers on the kitchen and bedroom light switches as well as detailed instructions and supplies for the microwave. A LOT more kosher than his parents' kosher home, as my husband put it.

There was a big stack of foam plates on top of the microwave along with a couple of rolls of plastic wrap, a spray bottle of cleaner and paper towels...and that list of instructions. I was mindboggled when I read through it. You were to put food on a plate, set another plate atop it as a lid and fully enclose both plates with plastic wrap before microwaving anything. Then, there was a list of which parts of the microwave must be thoroughly cleaned when going from meat to dairy and vice versa so as to prevent cross-contamination. Needless to say, we resolved immediately not to use the kitchen! I'm not Jewish and would have had no idea whatsoever how to use the kitchen respectfully.

My husband said he was a bit surprised that our first morning's breakfast ticket was for a Halal restaurant around the corner from the b&b when there was a kosher deli a few blocks away. But then, he said that perhaps the deli which he knew was run by some Conservative Jews wasn't kosher enough or maybe didn't open until lunchtime. The Halal restaurant served only acceptable fish and dairy, so that was probably why it was used and undoubtedly it had been approved by the b&b owners' rabbi as strictly kosher as they were.

Yeah, I'm familiar with the kind of leeway you're talking about-- I was raised Orthodox.

I have encountered a few Modern Orthodox Jews (including family members and close friends) who would eat at a non-kosher restaurant that served only vegetarian and dairy foods, for ethical or religious reasons.

This isn't because the dietary laws of other religions make something otherwise non-kosher kosher, but because if they happen to prohibit the eating of foods that are non-kosher, and the foods served are neither intrinsically unkosher or requiring of Jewish preparation, some Jews may trust that the non-Jewish owners of the restaurant will be scrupulously honest and punctilious about not having any unacceptable foods in the restaurant's kitchen. I haven't encountered Orthodox Jews being willing to do this with fish restaurants, but I suppose if one existed that only served fish with fins and scales (necessary to be a kosher fish) as well as dairy and vegetarian foods, for religious or philosophical reasons, some Modern Orthodox Jews might eat there.

I have mostly seen this kind of willingness to go to non-overseen restaurants that are dairy/veg for religious reasons in regard to eating at Indian restaurants that are dairy/veg because of Hindu or Buddhist practice. But I wouldn't at all be surprised if there were a dairy/veg Halal place that some Modern Orthodox Jews might go there. I certainly would.

But the reasons for going would not specifically be because it was Halal, but simply because it was a non-meat restaurant serving foods that are not prohibited by kashrut, whose owners ran it in that way with the scrupulousness that comes from religious or philosophical observance-- it would be no more or less acceptable if it were Hindu or Buddhist or Shinto or secular ethical vegetarian.

My presumption is that the deli run by Conservative Jews must simply not have been open, since I have yet to meet a Modern Orthodox person who will eat dairy (much less fish) meals cooked in a non-hechshered (not having rabbinic oversight for kashrut) restaurant, regardless of the religion or philosophy of the restaurant owners, but will refuse to eat in a deli under Conservative Jewish hashgachah (kashrut supervision).

I have also heard that in New York, there are a few establishments that are both certified as Halal and kosher, having joint supervision both from a rabbi and from a Muslim supervisor. Perhaps this restaurant you encountered was one such.

 

[HerDotness]

Ooopsie! In case anyone wonders why my posting quoted above by Levite became invisible, I'd deleted it and was revising some portions only to return with the perfected version to discover that Levite had immortalized the less-perfect one. Oh, well...

My presumption is that the deli run by Conservative Jews must simply not have been open, since I have yet to meet a Modern Orthodox person who will eat dairy (much less fish) meals cooked in a non-hechshered (not having rabbinic oversight for kashrut) restaurant, regardless of the religion or philosophy of the restaurant owners, but will refuse to eat in a deli under Conservative Jewish hashgachah (kashrut supervision).

I have also heard that in New York, there are a few establishments that are both certified as Halal and kosher, having joint supervision both from a rabbi and from a Muslim supervisor. Perhaps this restaurant you encountered was one such.

I expect you're correct that the Conservative deli wasn't open, and I believe my mother-in-law did say that the b&b's owners were strict enough that the Halal restaurant probably had been jointly certified. I remember she cautioned us not to take any food she'd prepared back to the b&b, because it wouldn't be respectful since the b&b's owners were much more scrupulous about their level of observance than my husband's family even though they did keep a kosher home.

 

[Flankerl]

Meat has to be shechted by a Jewish shochet, it's true. But other foods do not have to be prepared by Jews to be kosher: generally, if one is strictly observant, the preparation of foods must be overseen by a rabbi with training in hashgachah (oversight of kashrut), who can certify that the food is kosher, but it can be prepared entirely by non-Jews. Many non-Orthodox Jews will also eat foods baked or otherwise prepared by non-Jews without rabbinic oversight if all the ingredients are known to be kosher, and there is no reasonable likelihood that any non-kosher foods could have been accidentally mixed in with the otherwise kosher foods (for example, I would eat bread baked at a non-Jewish bakery without hashgachah if I knew the ingredients used, and I knew that the bakery did not use any meat or animal fats, etc.).

Yes thats true. I should have explained it better, like you.

 

[loverOfTruth]

Thanks for the detailed answer. That was really helpful. However, that just raised a few more questions in my mind. It would be great if you could answer them also.

While it is technically possible according to several interpretations of Jewish thought that Muhammad could have been the recipient of divine teachings intended for non-Jews,

Could you please provide some scriptural references/quotes/explanations inferring the same ?

we generally believe that the age of prophets ended for all people around the time of the beginning of the Second Temple Period (around 400 BCE).

So I assume you believe that Moses(pbuh) was the only and/or last Prophet sent for the Jews of His time and for all Jews till end of times. Could you provide some scriptural reference/quotes inferring the same ?

And finally, are the Jews still waiting for a Messiah ? If so, does your scripture give any characteristics of the person or signs of his arrival ? A few brief points should suffice.

Thanks again and peace.

 

[Levite]

Could you please provide some scriptural references/quotes/explanations inferring the same ? So I assume you believe that Moses(pbuh) was the only and/or last Prophet sent for the Jews of His time and for all Jews till end of times. Could you provide some scriptural reference/quotes inferring the same ?

I can't, because the relevant discussions are Talmudic, Midrashic, and in the rabbinic literature of the Middle Ages, none of which exist in translation, and which I haven't time to translate for you right now.

But I can explain generally that the Rabbis of the Talmud make it clear that the age of prophecy ended around the time of Ezra and Nechemiah: some say the last prophets were Zechariah and Malachi; some say that Malachi was the pen-name of Ezra, and that he was the last prophet. All of Rabbinic thought agrees that whoever was the last prophet, prophecy ended around that time, and there will be no further prophets, at least until the messiah comes (some say that at that time, we will have prophecy again, and some say we will not)-- which has not yet occurred.

But some classical scholars have noted that the way in which the Rabbis speak about prophecy leaves room for discussion, in that while they make it clear that prophecy among and relevant to the Jews is ended, if one believes that there are prophets among the non-Jews, they might have had messages for their peoples later than the time of Ezra and Nechemiah. No names are really ever discussed, only the idea is entertained. And, just to be clear, not all scholars even agree that there are such things as prophets to the non-Jews, much less when and where they might be active. But among those who do, the question of whether prophecy ended for the non-Jews at the same time as it did for the Jews remains open for debate.

It is widely accepted that Torah was meant only for the Jewish People, and that we presume that non-Jewish peoples have their own ways of relating to God and doing the things that we believe He wants from everyone (things like establishing just societies and helping the poor and so forth). So to those scholars who believe that there could be prophets to the non-Jews, it makes sense that God would send guidance for doing what is right in His eyes to the non-Jewish peoples, just as he sent guidance for us in the commandments as to how to keep the covenant.

Among those who do not believe that there are prophets to the non-Jews, the predominate presumption seems to be that reason, which is one of the chief gifts of God to all human beings, is enough for non-Jews to work out basic ethics without the aid of divine guidance.

And finally, are the Jews still waiting for a Messiah ? If so, does your scripture give any characteristics of the person or signs of his arrival ? A few brief points should suffice.

Yeah, historically, most Jews have believed in a messiah whose coming they awaited; today, it's probably about a fifty-fifty split between Jews who literally believe in some kind of messiah or messianic age, and Jews who believe any such references are entirely metaphorical.

Everyone definitely agrees that if the messiah is literal, he certainly hasn't shown up yet, and is unlikely to show up any time soon. Jewish messianists continue to await the messiah's arrival, although I would say that few, if any, are likely to believe his arrival imminent.

Messianism is rooted in prophetic texts, especially Isaiah. The ninth chapter of Isaiah is pretty explicitly messianistic, but there are references in the first, second, tenth, eleventh, twenty-fifth, fifty-first, and fifty-second chapters also-- maybe more, but that's all that comes to mind off the top of my head. There are some messianist references in Ezekiel-- chapters sixteen and thirty-nine, if I recall right; and in Chronicles, Amos, Zechariah, and Jeremiah, although the chapters don't come to mind right now.

But all those references are oblique, not direct. Messianism as it presently exists in Judaism is a Rabbinic development, post-dating the destruction of the Second Temple (70 CE). There are references and elements of discussion all through the Talmud, but the heaviest concentration of such discussion is in the tenth chapter of Tractate Sanhedrin. All of these elements are then refined further by the major rabbis of the medieval period.

A relatively concise overview of what the messiah will do or preside over (and we will know who is the messiah by whether or not he does or presides over the doing of these deeds) is given by the Rambam (Rabbi Moshe Maimonides, 12th century). I am paraphrasing, but he basically lays out that the messiah will come at a time when the People Israel is entirely free and self-ruling, and when war is not practiced in this world anymore; and when the Jewish People will be at peace with each other: everyone will study Torah, and baseless hatred and infighting will end; and when there is fruitful interfaith dialogue between all faiths, and all recognize that we all worship the same One God; the messiah will be a great leader, from the tribe of Judah, directly descended from King David and King Solomon; during his time, the Jewish People will be free to return to live in all parts of the Land of Israel, and the Temple will be rebuilt on the Temple Mount; the Great Sanhedrin will be reconstituted with full authority, as it once existed long ago; the calendrical cycle of sabbatical and jubilee years will be corrected and re-instituted; the proper knowledge of descent will be rediscovered, and everyone will know from which tribe they descend; the ten tribes lost to us when the Kingdom of Israel fell (722 BCE or so) will be found again.

Those are the chief highlights; and it is quite clear that these conditions have never yet come to pass, and nor are they likely to come to pass any time soon. But in the meantime, we all try to work toward tikkun olam (healing/repairing/amending/perfecting the world), because we understand that doing so is the first step to bringing about the coming of the messiah.

 

[loverOfTruth]

I can't, because the relevant discussions are Talmudic, Midrashic, and in the rabbinic literature of the Middle Ages, none of which exist in translation, and which I haven't time to translate for you right now.

But I can explain generally that the Rabbis of the Talmud make it clear that the age of prophecy ended around the time of Ezra and Nechemiah:

That was really good information. Even though I didn't understand some terms and some references from Old Testament. However, now I have the basics so I can go and read/research more on each of those items. Thanks a lot.

While it is technically possible according to several interpretations of Jewish thought that Muhammad could have been the recipient of divine teachings intended for non-Jews,

By the way, you probably missed to explain the above point. Could you also explain the reasoning (i.e.what interpretations) behind the above if no translated references/quotes are available.

Thanks and Peace.

 

[Caladan]

By the way, you probably missed to explain the above point. Could you also explain the reasoning (i.e.what interpretations) behind the above if no translated references/quotes are available.

Thanks and Peace.

Hi LOT,

I'm pretty sute Levite explained it by saying that some people may be fine with the idea that messengers were sent to the none Jews in their own societies. in the concept of Buddha in Northern India, Muhammad in Arabia, or even the Dalai Lama to Tibet.

 

[Levite]

By the way, you probably missed to explain the above point. Could you also explain the reasoning (i.e.what interpretations) behind the above if no translated references/quotes are available.

When I said that some Jewish scholars believe that there might be prophets to the non-Jews, and some among such scholars are willing to entertain the idea that the prophets to the non-Jews did not stop at the time of Ezra and Nechemiah like Jewish prophecy, then it stands to reason that such scholars might be willing to entertain the possibility that Muhammad was such a prophet to the non-Jews.

 

[loverOfTruth]

When I said that some Jewish scholars believe that there might be prophets to the non-Jews, and some among such scholars are willing to entertain the idea that the prophets to the non-Jews did not stop at the time of Ezra and Nechemiah like Jewish prophecy, then it stands to reason that such scholars might be willing to entertain the possibility that Muhammad was such a prophet to the non-Jews.

Got it...thanks to all for their replies.

 

[JacobEzra.]

I am guessing this may be relevant and worth while to this discussion. Though let me just note, it is not the complete mainstream view of all Jews. So just because this one believes in this, doesn't mean all do.

"Are you a Muslim?"

I say, "La. Ana Mu'min." I'm a believer. I'm not a Muslim, I'm a believer.

And they ask, "What do you believe in?"

And I say, "Ash-hadu." I bear witness. "La illaha ill Allah al-ahad." There is no G-d but G-d, and that G-d is One............................................So I say, "Ash-hadu." I bear witness. "La illaha il Allah, wa Muhammed-ar Rasul'Illah." There is no G-d but Allah. Muhammed is His messenger.

So they say to me, "Then you're a Muslim!"

And I say, "La. Ana Yahud." No, I'm a Jew.

"Then how could you say, how could you say such a thing?"

So I said, "Allow me to go back with you in your history. There was Ismail, he son of Ibrahim Khalil Allah, Abraham the friend of G-d. Ismail still had the Tawhid--the knowledge of the Oneness of G-d--but his children fell into the dark ages, into the jahiliya, into the unknowing. And so, they had lost their way to the Oneness of G-d. So, Ya Rahman, Ya Rahim, the Merciful, the Compassionate, sent out a messenger to the children of Ismail to bring them back to the Tawhid--to the Oneness. I believe that he was a true messenger."

You can read the whole story at Havurah Shir Hadash - Rabbi Zalman Shacter

 

[loverOfTruth]

I am guessing this may be relevant and worth while to this discussion. Though let me just note, it is not the complete mainstream view of all Jews. So just because this one believes in this, doesn't mean all do.

You can read the whole story at Havurah Shir Hadash - Rabbi Zalman Shacter

That is profound. Is that really true or just hearsay ? Thanks for sharing though.

 

[Levite]

That is profound. Is that really true or just hearsay ? Thanks for sharing though.

I would imagine it's true. Reb Zalman is a great scholar of Hasidism, and a terrific human being, but he is also noted as a fringe leader, holding syncretic opinions not tolerated at all by mainstream Jewish tradition.

 

[JacobEzra.]

I would imagine it's true. Reb Zalman is a great scholar of Hasidism, and a terrific human being, but he is also noted as a fringe leader, holding syncretic opinions not tolerated at all by mainstream Jewish tradition.

Very true, which is why I took extra caution in mentioning it not being mainstream.

Though I personally find myself in love with his openess and all, I guess I would take more caution. Like the arabic which proclaims one a muslim and he says it. That's a bit much I think. But what he says of islam as a whole, I could get behind.

 

[Rakhel]

I have also heard that in New York, there are a few establishments that are both certified as Halal and kosher, having joint supervision both from a rabbi and from a Muslim supervisor. Perhaps this restaurant you encountered was one such.

The happens to be the case in quite a few neighborhoods. Some do have joint certifications. There is even a kosher Bagel shop owned and operated by two Muslims here that was hechshered. What is thought is that the rabbi shows up either once a week or every morning to perform the blessing.
I guess it depends on how often they make the dough.

 

[F0uad]

I have a question regarding these subjects for example if Muslim simply means someone who submits to god then i am pretty sure a jew can call himself a Muslim correct?

Now to my real question what's the difference between ''Non-jews'' who practice real Monotheism such as Islam (in my opinion) and the ''Jews'' themselves.

I know there are different taught of schools in Judaism like in all religions this is a brief video of what one of the schools belief in about Non-Jewish faith:

Interesting video 1.



This has nothing to do with the subject:
The Prophet Mohammed(saws) himself respected Jews there were Jewish Rabi's who converted to Islam in the time of Mohammed(saws), it was also a jewish man who said the Prophet-hood is on the prophet's shoulders as a kid and he even protected them in hes time against other Jewish tribes, Romans, Persians, Pagans and many more. Heck even not that late in WW2 ''Muslims'' countries opened there borders for our fellow brothers.

Interesting video 2.

I have always understand that Judaism is Islam with little differences such as ''Some laws i am pretty sure the majority of laws are the same'', Messengers and Prophets and that's it.

Off-course we can look at the smaller differences but that's just pointless because i am pretty sure some Muslims do not fully follow how they should do and some Jews also have this problem. I also think if we compare religions Judaism and Islam are the closest to each other in General in Laws and being Monotheistic.

 

[Caladan]

I have a question regarding these subjects for example if Muslim simply means someone who submits to god then i am pretty sure a jew can call himself a Muslim correct?

No. he would simply call himself Jewish. let me ask you the same question, would a Muslim call himself Jewish for surrendering to the will of God?
in other words, what's the point of these word plays?

Now to my real question what's the difference between ''Non-jews'' who practice real Monotheism such as Islam (in my opinion) and the ''Jews'' themselves.

In great deal, that seems to be entirely up to personal interpretation.

I know there are different taught of schools in Judaism like in all religions this is a brief video of what one of the schools belief in about Non-Jewish faith:

Personally, I don't find it interesting at all, it is pretty revisionistic.

This has nothing to do with the subject:
The Prophet Mohammed(saws) himself respected Jews there were Jewish Rabi's who converted to Islam in the time of Mohammed(saws), it was also a jewish man who said the Prophet-hood is on the prophet's shoulders as a kid and he even protected them in hes time against other Jewish tribes, Romans, Persians, Pagans and many more. Heck even not that late in WW2 ''Muslims'' countries opened there borders for our fellow brothers.

I'm sorry but what does WWII has to do with this thread? there were also Muslims serving in Nazi divisions, and cooperation between the mufti of Jerusalem and Hitler. furthermore, if you are so interested in the topic of humanitarian aid, Israel has a very good record of sending aid even to Muslim populations in times of crisis, including to Muslims which have historically participated in the extermination of Jews during WWII (see Bosnia).

I have always understand that Judaism is Islam with little differences such as ''Some laws i am pretty sure the majority of laws are the same'', Messengers and Prophets and that's it.

Many Jews share commonalities with Muslims. unfortunately here on the web (and even more unfortunate in the real world) many Muslims have made many Jewish members very sceptical about this idea. I know that from my part, I have been accused of being a devil worshipper, enemy of God, part of a global evil conspiracy, etc. etc. all because many Muslim people who join on line forums are completely indocrinated. personally I don't see any resemblance between what they call religion and what I call religion. they flood forums with the boring threads about the so called scientific miracles in the Qur'an, and their major goal for posting is proclaiming to the world how grand and amazing their religion is.
in short, many Muslim members themselves are making me more prone to have prejudices about Islam and Muslims.
there was a time that I read the Qur'an, Muslim literature, and Muslim history in order to educate myself and in order to have a better dialogue with Muslims, today I tend to see the chance for a fruitful dialogue small. I find much more constructive dialogue and common education partners with members who are Christian, as we actually engage in discussion about Jewish and Christian scripture, and about early history without any of us trying to push his religion down the other guy's throat, and in fact without producing any of the useless postings about scientific miracles in scriptures, why only one group is correct, without condemning each other, and without provoking each other.