Righteousness, A Comparison...Righteousness is basically the state of a relationship in which all the demands of that relationship are fulfilled. We all have demands that we place on people that want to have a good relationship with us. Basically, we expect people that want to have a good relationship with us to act in a certain way. All three of the Abrahamic faiths accept the fact that GOD has placed demands on people to have a good relationship with Him. The differences in the faiths are based on the understanding of those demands. In the Torah (Old Testament of the Bible), which all three faiths accept, GOD gave His people a set of laws to live by. The first demand to have a good relationship with GOD, was obedience to those laws. A violation of any of those laws was called sin. The second demand was that, when a violation of the laws (sin) occurred, payment had to be made to restore the relationship. The payments were prescribed by GOD for each sin and most of them required the sacrifice (killing) of an animal. The blood (life) of the animal was accepted as payment in the place of the offenders life. According to Jewish tradition, the sacrifice had to occur at the Temple in Jerusalem. After the destruction of the Temple (A.D. 70), it was not possible to perform the sacrifices. Tzedakah (charity) has taken the place of the prescribed sacrifices. The word tzedakah is derived from the hebrew root Tsadei-Dalet-Qof which means righteousness. Tradition says that GOD has decreed judgement on all who have sinned but repentance, prayer, and tzedakah can alleviate the decree. Basically, personal sacrifices, although they do not include the shedding of blood, have replaced the prescribed animal sacrifices. Islam builds on that tradition by adding other works to the three in Jewish tradition. According to surah 002.177 of the Qur'an, it is righteousness to : 1. believe in Allah, the Last Day, the Book, and the messengers 2. spend of your sustenance 3. be steadfast in prayer 4. practice regular charity 5. fulfill the contracts you have made 6. be firm and patient Other parts of the Qur'an have been used to develop the five pillars of Islam. These pillars are given in place of the acts of the Jewish tradition. As in Judaism, the pillars involve personal sacrifice although they do not include the shedding of blood.
In Christianity, the payment for the violations of the law (sins) was paid once and for all with the perfect sacrifice. Jesus taught us, in Matthew 5:17-20, that no one can enter heaven unless their righteousness surpasses the Pharisees and Teachers of the Law (Jews). Jesus kept all of the laws and therefore His righteousness surpassed that of the Jews. When He was crucified (shed His blood) the payment for the sin was made.
In summary, the modern traditions of Judaism are based on a necessity for a replacement for the sacrifices prescribed by GOD. This need for a replacement is due to the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem and not due to a demand that GOD has placed on our relationship. Although Islam has a longer list of actions, it is still based on the same replacement. In surah 003.003, the Qur'an says that the Book (Qur'an) confirms what came before it (the Torah) but the Torah does not provide a replacement for the prescribed sacrifices. Only in Christianity, are the demands of GOD from the Torah met. Instead of coming up with a replacement for the prescribed sacrifices, the prescribed sacrifice was offered in Jesus. We can see that the only faith that results in keeping the demands GOD has placed on our relationship (righteousness) is Christianity. RETURN FROM RIGHTEOUSNESS TO HOME
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