the major religions word document sec 1 version

7/28/2019 The Major Religions Word Document Sec 1 Version

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The Major ReligionsA summary guide to Buddhism, Hinduism,

Sikhism, Judaism, Christianity & Islam

Ethics & Religious CultureSecondary IWestmount High School


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Buddhist Beliefs

What is a Buddha?

A Buddha is an enlightened human being. This means someone who has come to understand the

true nature of life.*many people believe that their life has a meaning and a purpose

*someone who has a deep understanding of these things is said to be enlightened: a buddha

*From this two things follow:1-First, each of us has the capacity or potential to discover the truth about life and be a buddha

2-Secondly, if anyone can become a buddha then presumably there were buddhas in the past and

there will be buddhas in the future

Who was the person known as the Buddha?

The Buddha is known as Siddhartha Guatama, the first buddha in history to have his life and

teachings recorded. He lived around 563 to 483BCE, in northern India.

Buddhist Religious Concepts

The Four Noble Truths

1) All life involves suffering (dhukka)-Buddhism does not claim to be able to prevent suffering but it can help prevent you from

suffering from dissatisfaction with life.

2) The cause of suffering (dhukka) is craving (tanha)-we suffer because we rely on things to make us happy. In other words we measure our

happiness or our experience of pleasure by relying on things.

-Tanha refers to this relationship of reliance, of attachment. It means desire, wanting, orcraving.

-Tanha will cause us dhukka because our actions are dominated by the Three Poisons:

a) greed: refers to our desire to possess things in an effort to improve our lives.

b) hatred: a powerful emotion that ties us unhappily to others.c) stupidity: refers to our ignorance or illusion about the way things really are.

3) The way to overcome dhukka is to overcome tanha.

-if our desire for things causes frustration with life then we must overcome our desires, andonce that occurs then we can overcome our frustration.

4) The way to overcome tanha is the Middle Way.

-a life of luxury is one of attachment which leads to dissatisfaction.

-a life of hardship will cause us to crave and want things.The point at which all cravings cease, a point of peace is achieved, calledNibbana.

-Nibbana describes a state of peace and happiness caused by the extinguishment oftanha.-Those who have achievedNibbana do not respond pain or pleasure in the same way.

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The Noble Eightfold Path

OR

How to live in the Middle Way?

Three Stages

1) The way of wisdom (prajna)

2) The way of morality (sila)3) The way of mental training (samadhi)

The Way of Wisdom---true insight and deep understanding of life

*Right (or Perfect) View ---the Dhamma itself

*Right (or Perfect) Intention---the motivation to follow the Buddhist path voluntarily

The Way of Morality---the general way human beings should behave towards other people/environment.*Right (or Perfect) Speech-avoid telling lies, spreading gossip, speaking harshly, wasting time with idle chatter. Instead

Buddhists should: -be sincere, careful, and accurate in what is said, speak in ways that promoteharmony, be kind and gentle when speaking to others, & value silence when there is nothing useful

to say

*Right (or Perfect) ActionBuddhists should follow a set of guidelines known as the Five Precepts for living.

1) not to destroy or harm life

2) not to take what is not given3) not to misuse sex

4) not to lie

5) not to cloud the mind with drugs or alcohol

*Right (or Perfect) Livlihood-essentially to earn a living that does not violate Buddhist principles and harm others

The Way of Mental Training--these are the spiritual practices so that Buddhists can reach Nibbana.*Right (or Perfect) Effort-set aside negative thoughts and replace with positive ones and always try to see the best in others

*Right (or Perfect) Mindfulness-this is to help people become more aware of themselves and everything around them

-people cannot control their lives if they are unaware of these things

-it also means starting to recognise unconscious motives and impulses as well as observing and

responding to the needs of others*Right (or Perfect) Concentration-mental training through meditation

-Buddhists believe that meditation enables the mind to become calm, to develop lovingkindness, and also to gain insights into the truths of life.

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Dhamma:

1) the universal law of life.2) the teachings of the Buddha

Kamma

-the word means 'action'

-kamma is also known as the Law of Kamma

-it can best be summed up as 'actions have consequences-our lives today are, therefore, a result of our past actions, and our past lives. Once the

actions is made the effect is determined

Action=Effect

*positive action=positive effect*negative action=negative effect

Therefore, a person's kamma is the accumulated effects of his or her actions, thoughts, and feelings,which leads to 'rebirth' or 're-becoming'---essentially, that a person's kamma determines the circumstances

of their birth (the family you are born into, sex, the colour of your skin, etc. As a result we are the product

of our kamma; we are kamma

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Hinduism

Hinduism is the religion of the majority of people in India and Nepal. The Hindu religion is not

regarded as a religion as such. Hindus regard their religion as a way of life wherein their beliefs

affect all aspects of their behaviour and outlook on life. What you believe in affects the sort ofperson you become.

A central concept in Hinduism is Dharma.

-the word derives from the word 'Dhru', which means 'to hold and support' and the conceptof 'Rta', which means 'harmony' and 'order' as opposed to destruction, disorder and chaos.

-this Hindu concept essentially means goodness and truth.

Dharma and Karma

Dharma refers to all the rules that must be followed by everyone to provide a happy, well orderedand harmonious world to live in. These rules and laws are called morality.

Since karma is a result of your actions then Hindus follow Dharma so as to ensure their lives will bein goodness and have good consequences for themselves and others.

Why is following Dharma so important for Hindus?

Sanatan dharma means the eternal law or eternal religion. Hindus follow the following guidingprinciples of moral behaviour.

*non-harm or non-violence (ahimsa)

*truthfulness (satya)*not stealing (asteya)

*purity of mind and body (sauca)

An example of ahimsa is not harming or killing animals.*Hindus believe that the cow in particular is a sacred animal.

The most famous Hindu of recent times was Mahatma Ghandi who, regarded as a saint, based his

whole life upon the principle of non-violence and inspired many from the West to solve theirconflicts in a non-violent way.

Varnashramadharma

When Hindus ask themselves 'Who am I?' they refer to their caste and their stage in life.

Caste (Varna) is one of the four divisions of society, and their stage in life is one of four stages

(Ashramas)

Karma and Caste

Hindus believe that if they live their lives in a pure and moral way, do many generous deeds, fulfill

their duties, develop good character and then, according to the law of karma they will be

reborn into a higher caste in the next existence.

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The Caste System

Untouchables(Dalits)

Because some tasks were considered to be particularly unclean, especially those dealing

with dead animals or rubbish, the people associated with those activities were considered so

unclean as to be outside the caste system altogether.

Mahatma Ghandi renamed the Dalits as Harijans, which means 'Children of God', to ensure thatthey were treated with respect by all Hindus and to change their status in everybody's eyes.

Varna

A person is born into the same caste as or social group as their parents, and this caste is handed on

to their children, so this is known as hereditary caste. In the past, caste was very important in

Hindu society, but today it seen as out of date by modern Hindus. The caste system still persistsand they are divided into four categories:

1) Brahmins (priests)

2) Kshatriyas (warriors and rulers)3) Vaishyas (traders)4) Shudras (manual workers)

Brahmins

*priests, teachers, and doctors

*they help preserve the traditions and rituals of Hinduism

Kshatriyas

*they are the rulers and military forces in society

*they are members of the royal family, the prime minister, of government, and officers in the armed

forces

Vaishyas

*they are the business people in society dealing with money and commercial activities*they are directors of companies, bankers, financial advisors, solicitors, shop owners and traders

*they provide for the material goods and wealth of society

Shudras

*they are the workers and servants in society

*they are farm labourers, factory workers, builders, and manual workers

The Ashramas

The four stages of life:1) Brahmacharya (student stage)

2) Grihasta (householder)

3) Vanaprastha (retirement stage)4) Sannyasin (renunciation stage)

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Brahmacharya

*begins with the initiation rite of the sacred thread, which is only performed on boys in the threeupper castes

*in the past the boys would be taught by a guru the Vedic scriptures

-it involved service to the guru and his family, the practice of yoga, the study of scriptures,

and living a life of simplicity and self-discipline, truth, and to honour their mother, father &teacher.

*nowadays most boys attend the primary and secondary schools in their neighbourhood

-it is still regarded as a duty to gain knowledge through study-furthermore, they are still expected to show regard for teachers and parents and to learn the

rituals and rules of the Hindu tradition

Grihasta

*after returning from his studies he is expected to take on the duties of a householder

*marriage is considered a sacred duty in order to continue the family and all the social and religious

obligations that go with it

*the rite of marriage is called vivaha

Vanaprastha

*this stage occurs when the children are grown up and able to run their own lives, and when a

grandson is born to ensure the continuation of the family and the duties of this stage are to becomedetached from worldly goods and materials and to devote time to quietness, solitude, and the study

of scripture and meditation

Sannyasin

*this stage is especially noted in Hinduism

*this stage requires the giving up of all worldly ties and possessions and devoting one's entire life to

the spiritual goal of liberation or moksha: this is a life of prayer, meditation, and the study ofscripture

One God: Many Forms

*there is one universal spirit called Brahman, which pervades the whole universe and issymbolised in the syllable Om*there are there main aspects of Brahman expressed in the trimurti---Brahma the creator, Vishnu

the preserver, and Shiva the destroyer.There are three different purposes of Brahman's powers:

*to create the universe including planet Earth with all its living beings

*to keep the universe going*to destroy the universe in order to re-create it

Sacred Writings

The Vedas are the at their core timeless and eternal truths given by God for the benefit of

humankind. The word Veda means 'to know' and the scriptures have extensive knowledge about

art, medicine, mathematics, science, and philosophy.The Upanishad scriptures explain the Vedas and have a very special status due to their revealing of

sacred truths in philosophical formulas.

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Sikhism

Guru Nanak

Sikhism originated in the Punjab, in northern India, in a place called the land of the five rivers, an

area that is very fertile. The word 'panj' means five. As a result of the fertility of the region manyrulers wanted to rule the Punjab so many invaders came through, which influenced the people of the

area. They were highly influenced by the Hindu beliefs of India and the Muslim religion.

Guru Nanak, born in 1469 CE of a high caste Hindu, was the first of ten Gurus (religious teachers)who founded the Sikh religion and stories of Guru Nanak's childhood and youth were collected in

the Janam Sakhis. Guru Nanak entered a river and was brought into the presence of God. After

that he went on four great teaching journeys. He visited the holy places in the north-east, south andwest of India, Sri Lanka and Tibet. He went to the holy places of Makkah, Madina and those in

Iraq and Iran. His friend Mardana, a talented Muslim musician, always went with him because at

the time no one could read and write so learning a song helped people remember what he taught.

*he taught that all people were equal before God, which was difficult in a place where the castesystem existed

*in 1521 CE Guru Nanak established a new town called Karturpur, 'the seat of God' where his

disciples, orSikhs could hear and learn his teachings*he began a free kitchen, called a langar, where visitors ate together; it didn't matter who they were

The Last Guru

The tenth Guru, Guru Gobind Rai, was the last human Guru. He made very important changes and

contributions to the Sikh community and religion:*he trained Sikhs to be soldiers (to defend themselves against persecution); encouraging them to

develop physical strength and mental toughness through sports.

*the Sikhs were attacked by Emperor Aurangzeb but due to Guru Robind Rai's training the attackdid not succeed*in 1699 Guru Gobind Rai wanted to show strength and unity during the celebration of Vaisakhi (a

day when Sikhs gather together) so he asked for volunteers to give their heads for him. He led each

volunteer into a tent and each time he came out his sword was bloodied, except the last time whenhe came back out of the tent with all five of the volunteers.

*the volunteers had shown true devotion and trust in the Guru and his beliefs

*they became the Panj Pyares (the 'five beloved ones') who formed the basis of the Khalsa, whichmeans the pure community

*the five were given a special mixture called Amrit to initiate them

*the Guru then laid down a strict code of dress and gave them new names. All men would be called

'Singh', which means lion, and all women 'Kaur' which means princess*these new Sikhs did not recognize differences of caste or religion

*the Guru was now known as Gobind Singh

*the Guru was stabbed to death by his enemies but before he died his last contribution was to saythat there would be no more human Gurus. In the future the Guru would be the scriptures, known

as the Guru Granth Sahib.

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The Khalsa

The first members of the Khalsa were the Panj Pyares and Guru Gobind Singh gave them the

symbols of their identity and strength. These are known as the Panj Kakke or the 'Five Ks'. They

must be worn by both men and women and are outward symbols of their dual identity to be both

saint and soldier.

The Five Ks

*Kesh---uncut hair*Kangha---a comb

*Kaccha---shorts

*Kara---a steel wristlet*Kirpan---a sword

Kesh

*Sikh's believe that uncut hair, kesh, is a gift from God and a sign of saintliness*to cut and shape the hair is a sign of human vanity

Kangha

*the comb is used to keep the long, uncut hair neat and tidy, the hairmust be washed and combed regularly, and the comb is used to tie the hair up

*men do not shave

*men are expected to wear a turban

Kara

*this is a plain steel band worn around the right wrist, and being a

circle it is without beginning or end, and therefore reminds Sikhs thatGod is eternal and that they should do good deeds

*the circle reminds Sikhs of the unity of the Khalsa, their freedom, and

the steel as a sign of strength further reminds Sikhs of their

responsibility to defend themselves and others

Kachna

*these shorts, worn by both men and women, remind Sikhs of their

duties to others because, some say, the shorts make fighting easier, so Sikhs are always ready togo into action

Kirpan

*the kirpan (sword) is a symbol of freedom and reminds Sikhs of theirduty to protect and defend the weak

Guru Granth Sahib

After the death of Guru Gobind Singh there were to be no more human Gurus so Sikhs turned to

the Guru Granth Sahib, their holy book.

Guru Arjan is the one who gave the scriptures their form by collecting the writings of the first fourGurus and added his own. He also included hymns written by Hindu and Muslim poets, as long as

they agreed with Sikh teachings, and taught Sikhs that there is much to be learned by listening to

others

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Sikhs respect the Guru Granth Sahib very highly but they do not worship it, as it is believed to be

the word of God, and it is in a position of honour in the gurdwara (the place of worship), andeveryone sits at a level below it. When it is moved all must stand, and it is carried on the head of

the bearer, wrapped in clean, decorated cloths.

Rahit Maryada

Rahit means conduct or discipline and the Rahit Maryada may be taken as the key to Sikh spiritual

and social philosophy, and it starts by saying that a Sikh is anyone who believes in:

one eternal God

the Ten Gurus and their teachingsthe Guru Granth Sahib

baptism by Amrit, and

is not a member of another religion

Sikhs consider service to others one of the highest ideals and it is known as seva. There are three

forms of seva:

1) intellectual (using your mind)2) manual (physical work)

3) material (giving things)

What Sikhs Believe

1) God: Sikhs believe that God is truth, and their main beliefs are expressed in the Mul Mantra(basic prayer)

2) Guru: 'gu' (means darkness) and 'ru' (means light) so a Guru is someone who leads people from

the darkness into the light. Sikhs must listen to the gurbani, the teaching of the Guru. Sikhs areguided by the will of God, therefore the Guru Granth Sahib is often opened at a place that Godguides and it is read from the start of that section. This is known as the hukum, which means order

from God.

3) Reincarnation and the Goal of Life: Sikhs believe in reincarnation and therefore those who arereborn must have followed their own selfish ways. Breaking free from rebirth means becoming

united with God. Freedom from being reborn is called mukti. Mukti comes from the grace of God

so a Sikh can do this by: *listening to the gurbani*meditating on the name of God

*repeating the Name of God

*through worship

Equality and Place of Women

Sikhs believe that all people are equal and that there should be no distinction of caste, class, colour,

race, or gender. In the gurdwara everyone sits below the Guru Granth Sahib together. Only thereaders (the granthi) sit higher since they must read from the scriptures but this is out of necessity,

not status.

Members of the Khalsa must all wear the same symbols, called the Panj Kakke, the Five Ks.Women can hold any office, or be anything than any Sikh man, religiously or socially speaking.

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Judaism

The Jewish people can trace their origins back to one man, whom they call the Father of the Jews,

Abram (or Abraham) and he lived nearly four thousand years ago in what is now known as Iraq.

The Covenant

God entered into a covenant with Abram, and later with Isaac (the son of Abram). A covenant is an

agreement between two parties and throughout the Bible and later Jewish writings this idea of anagreement between God and the nation of Israel is understood.

At the time many people believed in many gods (polytheism) but Abram believed in one true God

(monotheism). Abram taught that this God cared for them so they should worship only him. WhenAbram was old God told him to travel to a new country, called Canaam, where God would give him

and his descendents this new land which would become a great nation. In turn, Abram and his

family were to obey and worship him.Abram did not have any children but his wife Sarai (later Sarah), quite old at the time, bore Abram

a son, whom they named Isaac (which means laughter) and all were amazed. Abram was given the

new name of Abraham, 'father of the people'.At one point God ordered Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, which he thought was his religious duty (acommon custom at the time) but God sent an angel to stop him.

Many years after Abraham's death a famine in Canaan forced the Hebrews to move to Egypt where

there was plenty of food but they were later enslaved by the Egyptians.

Moses asked the Pharoah to release the Jews but he refused so God sent ten plagues:

1) Rivers of blood, 2) Frogs, 3) Lice, 4) Insects, 5) Animal diseases,

6) Boils, 7) Hail, 8) Locusts, 9) Darkness, 10) Death (of first born son)Finally, Pharoah relented and the Israelites escaped into the desert. This event is known as the

Exodus and this is regarded as the eventthat started the Jewish faith.

Jews and their Relationship to GodGod rescued the Jews from slavery and persecution in Egypt, made them his people, and therefore

Jews have a particular knowledge of God and what (he) requires, in order for them to have that

special relationship with him. The ancient Israelites were unique in the ancient world in that theytold the story of their ancestors being slaves. Other cultures at the time told stories of their

beginnings as being glorious (i.e.: descended from great heroes or gods).

The Jews regard themselves as a people chosen by God because God needs people who will play aspecial role in his plan for humanity.

-Jews do not regard themselves as better than anyone

-God chose the Jews to be a holy nation, a nation set apart, to be called to a different kind of work-Jews are required to obey the Torah for life, a privilege, perhaps, that many people would rather do

without.

The Holy Books

The oldest book is known as the Tenach, the Jewish Bible, a collection of twenty four books, which

Christians call the Old Testament. For Jews the most important part is the first five books, known

as the Torah (which means teaching) and includes a mixture of stories and commandments.Another holy book is called the Talmud, which means study, and it gives advice from early Jewish

leaders. Finally, there is the Book of the Exodus, which tells the story of Moses.

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The Commandments or Obligations (Mitzvah or Mitzvot)

There are 613 commandments in the Torah, which include the ten commandments, which are foundin the Tenach. There are 248 positive Mitzvot (e.g.: 'Honour your father and your mother.'), while

365 are negative (e.g.: 'You shall not kill.') The commandments in the Torah are a guide to living

life. The very first commandment is actually a statement, which places all the other commandments

in context for the Jewish people, which was established at the exodus:'I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house ofbondage.'

The Mitzvot can also be divided into ritual (to do with worship) and ethical (to do with morality).'Remember the Sabath day to keep it holy' is a ritual mitzvah, while 'You shall not steal' is a moral

mitzvah.

Some Important Jewish Rituals and Observances

Birth and Brit Milah: Circumcision

-circumcision does not make someone a Jew but symbolizes his membership of the covenantpeople.

-a Jewish boy is given his Hebrew name at the Brit and a girl is named in the synagogue, usually on

the first Sabbath after her birth.Bar and Bat Mitzvah

-Bar Mitzvah (son of the commandment)

-Bat Mitzvah (daughter of the commandment)

From now on it is the responsibilities of the children to carry out family and religious duties and

they won't be reminded. It is essentially the first step into adulthood for Jewish boys and girls.

Christianity

Christian Beliefs About God

Christians believe God is the creator of the universe, infinite (without limit), eternal (withoutbeginning or end) and omniscient (all-knowing).

*for human beings who are finite and temporal (we start in time--are born, and we end in

time---we die) we can therefore never know everything or the mind of God. Therefore,there is no understanding of the mystery of God---questions like where does God come from

or whether God was created, etc....---as finite and temporal beings do not have the capacity

to understand the infinite and the eternal. In other words Christians must accept and take onfaith that there will always be the unknown and the unknowable. Furthermore, Christians

believe that human beings have been given the role of ambassadors or protectors of theworld (nature) by God. Finally, Christians believe that all human beings have been given

free will.

Jewish Hopes

For all intents and purposes Christianity is the child of Judaism. The roots of Christian belief comedirectly from the idea of a Messiah (Hebrew) or in the Greek language, 'the Christ'---a special

chosen man who would guide and bring peace to the world, and free the Jewish people from the

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Romans. John the Baptist, a preacher and later regarded as a prophet, baptised people in the River

Jordan, and spoke of this person, the Coming One in his sermons. John baptised a man namedJesus, a carpenter's son, and when Jesus was baptised he had a shattering experience of God and

then was revealed to be the Messiah sent by God.

Father GodJesus taught his disciples the 'Our Father' prayer:

Our Father, who art in heaven,hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come; thy will be done.

On earth as it is in heaven. For ever and ever.Amen

Jesus preached that God was like a loving father, using the Aramaic word 'Abba'. Jesus also

preached that God's rule of peace and justice would one day come to be and that we must learn toforgive one another of our sins. Jesus' touch was said to heal.

The Cross

Jesus was condemned as a heretic by the Jewish and Roman authorities and sentenced to death on a

cross. He was buried and then, according to the Bible, was raised from the dead, and ascended into

heaven where one day he would return to judge the living and the dead. The cross is the mostimportant Christian symbol but there are various meanings and interpretations placed on the

symbol. The death of Jesus on the cross represents sacrifice and Jesus' (God's) willingness to

forgive the people their sins and open the gates of heaven to all who seek forgiveness andredemption in God.

The cross may symbolise:

1) that God is love (God forgave the people for rejecting him---the crucifixion of Jesus).2) that God can suffer; that God is involved in the everyday struggles of people.

3) and that God has entered all the darkness in the world, that darkness can be transformed

and that good is stronger than evil.

The Eucharist

Before Jesus was crucified he, along with his disciples, shared the famous last supper (this wasprobably the Passover meal) where he offered up the bread as his body and the wine as his blood, in

remembrance of him, which is celebrated as a Holy Communion. The bread can symbolise life (a

basic foodstuff) and wine for celebrations (as in joy). Spiritually speaking the bread and wine

become the body and blood of Christ and may either remind Christians of the death and resurrectionof Christ or as bringing Jesus' presence to them or reaffirming the connection of the faithful to their

Lord Jesus Christ. This sharing of food is a 'thanksgiving' meal known as a Eucharist.

The Holy Trinity

Christians view God in three different but equally important aspects, which are 1) the Father the

Creator, 2) the Son as the Saviour or Redeemer, and 3) the Sanctifier, or the Spirit as the one whogives new life and makes holy all things. This view of God as threefold suggest that God is

dynamic, able to relate to himself, and act outwards into the world: three in one; one in three.

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Original Sin

For Christians sinning is turning away from God. The story of Adam and Eve is the ultimate storyfor what is called 'Original Sin', which caused humanity to fall from grace and turn away from God.

God orders Adam and Eve not to eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, and yet they are

tempted by the devil and they taste the fruit, which changes them inside. They are no longer

conscious of God's care and love and try to hide their disobedience. Of course, God finds out andbanishes them from the Garden of Eden---this is known as 'the Fall', i.e. the fall into sin.

This 'state of man' only changes when Jesus sacrificed himself on the cross and therefore returned

grace to humanity. Grace is important in Christianity because it refers to being in good standingwith God.

Islam

What Muslims Believe

Muslims (believers of Islam) are expected to believe and behave according to their beliefs. They

believe the following:

One God: there is only One God (Allah). Muslims often say, "There is no god but Allah and

Muhammad is His Messenger." This is known asShahadah- the confession of faith and anyonewho converts to Islam must say Shahadah in front of witnesses.

*Muslims believe that God, as a spiritual being, cannot and must not be pictured in human

images.

Angels: angels are God's servants and carry out his orders, bringing messages to the prophets,

including Mohammad himself, and some angels keep records of human actions.

His Books: holy books in Islam include the original versions of the Law of Moses, the Psalms of

David, and the Gospel of Jesus. Only the Qur'an has not been changed by human beings, therefore

only the Qur'an is perfect, will never change, and is, as a result the final word of God.*Muslims believe that the Angel Gabriel revealed the Qur'an to Muhammad.

*Muhammad had others write down the words in the Qur'an, he

couldnt write himself, and two years after he died a standard copy was made.*Muslims also consult books called the Hadith, which are collections of words and actions

of Muhammad himself.

*A true Muslim reads the Qur'an everyday, as a guide to living a good life and since the

book was revealed in Arabic there is no way to perfectly translate the words into anotherlanguage. The Qur'an is regarded as a beautiful book and that beauty would become lost in

any other language.

The Prophets: There are twenty-five prophets according to the Qur'an, beginning with Adam and

ending with Muhammad and is known as the 'Last Prophet' or 'The Seal of the Prophets'.

*Muhammad was born in Makkah (Mecca) in 570 CE in Saudi Arabia.*At the time Makkah was already a religious city visited by pilgrims, who came to see the

black stone in the Ka'bah. One day, the Ka'bah, a holy building in Mekkah was damaged by heavy

rains. The repairs were to be done by four tribes but they argued over which tribe would have the

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honour of placing the Ka'bah and the black stone back in place. To avoid violence they decided

that the first man to walk through the temple gates would be asked to sort it all out. That man wasMuhammad (he was already known as the honest one). He came up with the solution where a cloak

was spread on the ground, the black stone was placed on top, and each leader of the four tribes

worked together to place the black stone back inside the Ka'bah.

*Muslims believe that drawing pictures of Mohammad is wrong but he is described as beingof medium height, thick black hair and beard, a wide forehead with heavy eyebrows, large dark

eyes below long lashes, and having a wide chest and shoulders.

*Jesus Christ, the prophet before Muhammad, is regarded as a great prophet and is held inspecial reverence. In the Qur'an Jesus is thought of as a perfect human who was born of a virgin.

Muslims do not believe Jesus was divine but that he was God living in a man (this is known as

incarnation). Finally, Muslims believe Jesus was too holy to die on the cross; therefore, eithersomeone else died in his place, or a trick was played on the crowd.

*Muslims believe in the same prophets as Jews and Christians and believe in the names of

Noah, Abraham, Moses and others.

*Imams: Imams (the word Imam means 'at the front'--the person who leads the prayers) arethe religious leaders in Islam and are chosen because of their extensive knowledge of Islam

and are good Muslims.

The Five Pillars of Islam

When you become a Muslim, there are five basic duties that have been come to be known as the FivePillars of Islam.

1) Shahadah 2) Salah 3) Zakah 4) Sawm 5) Hajj

Shahadah Declaration of Faith

The Shahadah is the first pillar of Islam. It is an open declaration to tell the community that you believethat there is nothing worthy of worship, apart from Allah and that Muhammad is His final Messenger.

Salah Prayer

The second duty of a Muslim is the Salah or the daily prayer. Muslims pray to Allah five times a day.

These prayers are spread throughout the day and help Muslims remember Allah at all times. They also helpus become close to Allah and do good in our lives. When we pray, we face the same point or direction in

unity. This direction is towards the Ka`ba in Mekkah, Saudi Arabia.

Zakah

Zakah (or Obligatory Charity) is the third pillar of Islam.

When Muslims want to help the poor and needy, they can give some charity known as Sadaqah. This

Sadaqah can be of any amount and can be given at anytime throughout the year with no obligation onMuslims to pay it.

The difference between this and Zakah, is that Zakah is paid only once a year to the poor and needy and is

only obligatory on you if you can afford it. Muslims believe that Allah loves those who help out the less

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fortunate and has made a way of doing this kind act wisely and with compassion.

Sawm

Sawm is known as Fasting and is the fourth pillar of Islam.

The act of fasting dates back to many other Prophets, notably Prophet Dawud, who fasted every other day.This is now known as being an extra way of fasting for those who wish to become closer to Allah. Another

way of fasting is to fast every Monday and Thursday. Muslims should fast for one month of the Islamic

Calendar. This is the ninth month, known as Ramadan. This is also a very blessed month as the Qur`an wasrevealed to Prophet Muhammad during Ramadan. Each day of Ramadan, Muslims should stop eating and

drinking between just before sunrise to sunset. At the end of Ramadan, Muslims celebrate by having a

festival known as Eid al Fitr. There is a special Eid prayer said in the morning, followed by a day ofhappiness and sharing. Muslims are directed to remember the blessings received in the month of Ramadan,

which is the month of forgiveness.

Hajj

The fifth pillar of Islam is the Pilgrimage or Hajj.

All Muslims, once in their lifetime, if they can afford and are well enough to do so, should perform the

pilgrimage to Mekkah, Saudi Arabia, following in the path of previous Prophets.Like Sawm, the Hajj is only performed in a certain month of the Islamic calendar. This month is the 12th

month of the Islamic calendar, known as Thul Hijjah. When Muslims perform the Hajj, they are copying

the ways of Prophet Ibrahim as he was the Prophet who built the Ka`ba with his son on the foundations left

by Prophet Adam. Muslims celebrate the end of the Hajj with a festival known as Eid Al Adha.

The Day of Judgement: At the end of the world all dead people will come to life and be judged by Godfor their intentions and actions (in obeying God). Only God can judge and forgive the wicked. Muslims

expect Jesus to return on Final Judgement day. Muhammad said, in reference to Jesus, "I swear by Himwho holds my life between His hands, the son of Mary will come back down among you very soon as a justjudge."

The Will of God: Muslims believe that God has created the world, is in continual control of the world, and

has complete knowledge of what will happen. However, people still face many choices and are entirely

responsible for their intentions/actions.

Life After Death: all who obey God will go to Paradise, a life full of peace and happiness; all who disobey

will go to Hell, but only God gets to judge and forgive.

Muslim Women and Men: Muslim men and women have equal rights in Islam. Muhammad said that,"Paradise lies at the feet of your mothers." Muslim men and women are equal but not identical. The duties

of men are work and public affairs and the duties of women are to look after the home and care for her

family. However, a Muslim woman is free to work outside the home like nurses, doctors, and teachers.Like all religious beliefs around the world what is given in theory does not necessarily translate into

practice. The relationship between religious theory and practice comes down to which countries people

live in because cultural practices do not always reflect religious tenets.

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