Similar in the sense that Muhammad got some ideas from Judaism (and Christianity).
Nothing wrong with having rules, it depends on what the rules are.
The problem arises when one lets the letter of the law replace the spirit of it. At their best, legalities should be mere formalizations of what most people already know to be the proper way to behave. Once you start relying on the letter of the law, then all you've got is rules, and the breaking of same. (This was St. Paul's basic point in Romans.)
Thus, you get murderous Islamic nut-cases and, indeed, Pharisees of all religions (e.g., those execrable "God Hates Fags" idiots) who are so focused on imposing the letter of their interpretation that they forget about the loving God whose will they're supposed to represent.