Religions of Western Asia

Islam vs Judaism vs Christianity Beliefs 610 AD Founder Mohammed Free will Allah Believe in one God and be fair to others mosque Angels/heaven Abraham-God promised to bless those who followed him Free Will God 13 Principles Synagogue Angels/heaven Oldest monotheistic Christ

Duties Islam Jews 5 Pillars of Islam 10 commandments Profession of faith Pray 5 times a day Pay a tax to help the needy Fast during the month of Ramadan Make a pilgrimage to Mecca if we are able. 10 commandments

Books to Follow Koran, in Arabic “The Reading.” The Torah is the primary document of Judaism. Torah, which means "teaching

Places to go -Visit Mecca once during your Life -Muhammad born Mosque Hajj-yearly pilgrimage to Mecca Israel is the home of the Jews synagogue

History of Islam In the year 610 C.E., the angel Gabriel appeared to a descendant of Abraham and Hagar.  His name was Mohammed, a contemplative and respected citizen of the trading metropolis of Mecca.

Enter Mohammed Mohammed could not read or write, but he listened carefully, and the messages from God, brought by the angel, were written down by others during the next 23 years of his life and later put together in a book called the Koran, in Arabic “The Reading.”

Islam Each year 2 million Muslims visit Saudi Arabia on a hajj or pilgrimage to Mecca They circle the holy shrine called Kaaba, seven times reciting prayers Inside Kaaba is a black stone believed sent by God What would be the problem after Muhammad’s death?

The Split Sunni and Shia The differences between these two main sub-groups within Islam initially stemmed not from spiritual differences, but political ones. The division between Shia and Sunni dates back to the death of the Prophet Muhammad, and the question of who was to take over the leadership of the Muslim nation

Sunni Sunni Muslims agree with the position taken by many of the Prophet's companions, that the new leader should be elected from among those capable of the job. This is what was done, and the Prophet Muhammad's close friend and advisor, Abu Bakr, became the first Caliph of the Islamic nation.

Shia - the Minority The Shia Muslims believe that following the Prophet Muhammad's death, leadership should have passed directly to his cousin/son-in-law, Ali.

Results of the Split Sunni Muslims make up the majority (85%) of Muslims all over the world. Significant populations of Shia Muslims can be found in Iran and Iraq, and large minority communities in Yemen, Bahrain, Syria, and Lebanon. Pg. 422 in textbook

Religions Textbook page 830 – Christianity Page 836 – Islam Page 838 - Judaism