Christianity Christianity began in Judah, in the city of Bethlehem Jesus was born and believed to be the son of God He began a religion while preaching a recruiting 12 apostles or followers His 12 apostles helped to spread the word of Jesus

Christianity  What made people appeal to Jesus? He healed people He told grade stories called parables (good Samaritan) He attracted people who were sick of Rome

Christianity  One of Jesus’ apostles Paul was a great mission and helped spread the word of Jesus throughout the world  Peter was another apostles and he was responsible for starting the church of Jesus, this is known as Roman Catholicism  Peter was the first Pope of the church, who is the leader of the church

Christianity: Seizing the Moment Anything before Jesus is considered BC Anything after Jesus is born is considered AD (2014 AD) This is do to the church controlling time and the calendar of years

Islam

c. Mecca: City in Western Arabia (Modern day Saudi Arabia) i.Ka’aba: ancient shrine people came to worship at 1.Black stone- built by Abraham and son Ishmael 2.Contained 360 idols worshipped by many tribes

ii.Muhammad 1.Orphaned at age 6 and raised by grandfather and uncle 2.At age 25 Muhammad became a businessman and trader Life changes: While meditating in a cave, he is visited by angel Gabriel who proclaims to Muhammad to preach message that there is only one true god 1.Began to preach and spread Islam 2.Not seen as divine (having extra power)

 Islam: Submission to will of Allah (god)  Muslim: One who has submitted

iii.Hijrah & Return to Mecca 1.in 622 AD, Mohammad and followers leave Mecca for Medina and continue to spread Islam known as the Hijrah 2.Becomes “year 1” for Muslims 3.First mosque established for Islam AD, Muhammad returns to Mecca and destroys the idols in the Ka’aba 5.Ka’aba becomes the most sacred site in Islam 6.Muhammad dies 2 years later at age of 62

 Muhammad did not name a successor or instructed his followers on how to chose one  Tribal customs led to the election of Abu-Bakr, a loyal friend of Muhammad to be the successor  Abu-Bakr became the first caliph or “successor” or “deputy”  Later, disagreements over who should succeed caused a split in Islam ▪ Shi’a, or Shi’ites believe that the caliph needed to be a descendent of Muhammad ▪ Sunni Muslims acknowledge the first four caliphs as rightful successors of Muhammad even though they weren’t of same blood

3. Five Pillars a. Faith: There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah b. Prayer: Pray 5 times a day towards Mecca c. Alms: Give alms (money for the poor) d. Fasting: During holy month of Ramadan, Muslims fast between dawn and sunset e. Pilgrimage: Must visit Mecca at one point in lifetime if capable. Known as the Hajj.

4. The Qur’an OR (KORAN) a. Islamic holy text b. Allah is the source of authority c. Written in Arabic, only true version

5. Links to Judaism and Christianity a. Muslims, Christians, and Jews trace ancestry back to Abraham b. To Muslims, Allah is the same god that is worshipped in Christianity and Judaism c. Qur’an is the word of Allah as revealed to Muhammad in the same way that Jews and Christians believe the Torah and the Gospels (books of the Bible- the sacred text of Christianity) were revealed to Moses and the New Testament writers. d. All three are “people of the book” due to their use of a holy book

Islam in the world today…

Islam Today 1. A Statistical Look a. Today there are over 1.2 Billion Muslims in the world b. Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world c. Experts predict that it will be the largest religion in the world someday d. Most populous Muslim countries include: Indonesia, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and India. e. Indonesia alone has over 175 Muslims which exceeds combined total of Egypt, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Iraq, the traditional heartlands of Islam f. Populations are rising in Europe and North America

Peaceful Islam vs. Radical Islam

Islam Today 2. Peaceful Islam vs. Radical Fundamental Islam a. Islam, at heart, is a peaceful religion b. Most Muslim’s faith is stronger than the average Christian c. Beginning in the 1970s and 1980s Islam remerged as a potent political force, associated with both reform and revolution d. Radical Islamic Fundamentalists are opposed to Western civilization’s way of life and imperialistic pursuits

Islam Today e. These fundamentalists represent a small percentage of the population of Islam, so we must be careful not to label or assume f. Jihad: a holy war waged on behalf of Islam as a religious duty; a personal struggle in devotion to Islam especially involving spiritual discipline g. No where in the Qu’ran does it say you will go to paradise if you martyr yourself with a suicide bomb h. Important: The majority of Muslims do not live this way