Similarities Between San And Abrahamic Religions

This essay is based on making a comparison between an African religion and an Abrahamic religion. The religions that I have chosen to compare to each other is the San and Islam religions. In order to make a comparison I will start by dissecting the religions into its history, beliefs, practices, rituals, holy days and religious festivals, sacred texts, and lastly religious institutions. This will form my basis of my essay in making a comparison between the two religions. These religions do differ in so many ways from each other but also share some similarities and these similarities and differences will be discussed in detail in the essay below. These differences and similarities will be discussed in detail based on the history, beliefs, practices,
The San clearly believed in a spirit realm (ancestral spirits, nature spirits and deities) beyond the tangible world around them and this is depicted in the many rock paintings which can be seen in the Drakensberg shelters. They also believed in a ritual trance dance which is seen as prime importance to the San people. This ritual dance was would gain them entry into the spirit world and will be discussed in greater detail when I make comparison between the two religions practices. The most important spiritual being to the Southern San was Kaggen (the trickster deity). The San believed that Kaggen created many things and appears in numerous myths where he can be wise or foolish, tiresome or helpful. Islam on the other hand believe in Allah as the one and only God, belief in Angels, belief in the holy book known as the Quran, belief in Prophets, belief in the day of judgment as well as the belief in Predestination. Islam also belief in the five pillars of Islam which is the shahadah, 5 daily prayers, Zakat, fasting the month of Ramadan, and pilgrimage to Mecca. It is quite evident in comparison that these two religions share no similarities in their belief
Islam however have two important sacred scriptures known as the Quran and the Hadith (Tradition). It is believed that the San religion transmits their indigenous religion by means of oral stories, ritual dances, songs and rock paintings. Islam on the other hand have sacred scriptures which are also believed to have been transmitted but unlike the San who transmits information from one person or generation to the next, Islam believes that information was transmitted to the Prophet Muhammad through the angel Gabriel and that the Prophet Muhammad did not write the Quaran. Muslims believe that the Islamic holy scriptures were recorded by the Prophet Muhammad’s supporters and was then organized by editors working under the Caliph Uthman which was the companion and successor of the Prohet into what today is known as the Holy Quran (means reading or reciting). Muslims view the Quran as the poor essence of divine revelation – the “final revelation” and while the Quran has similarities with religions such as Christianity it shares very little in common with the San religion in this