Religions of the Middle East Three main religions

Judaism Oldest monotheistic faith Followers of Judaism known as Jews Jews trace origin to ancient Israelites (Hebrews) who set up kingdom of Israel along eastern Mediterranean Jerusalem established as the capital & religious center

Judaism Calls for obedience to God’s laws & creation of just society Believe that events have divine purpose Hebrew bible is the Torah (The Old Testament in the Christian Bible) Worship services are in synagogues and officiated by rabbis

Christianity Jesus, a Jewish teacher, began preaching message of mercy & renewal in Israel Made him unpopular with Roman officials who put him to death Teaches that Jesus is the world’s savior who lives in heaven & grants salvation to those who believe Christians spread message of Jesus throughout Mediterranean World, Asia, Africa, Europe, and Americas

Islam The major religion of North Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia 610 A.D. - revelation from God (the angel Gabriel) came to Muhammad while he was on retreat Afterwards, Muhammad began preaching people should turn away from sin & worship the one true god.

Islam Various groups on Arabian Peninsula accepted Muhammad’s message Islam spread throughout the Mideast region by 800s and had a profound religious, political, & cultural influence Muslims worship in mosques & face Mecca when they pray

Islam Muslim scholars have made important contributions to society Medical, Arabic numerals, decimal system, & algebra Also preserved ancient Greek and Roman knowledge, writings, and translations

Islam Today, over one-fourth of world’s population follows Islam Indonesia is home to the highest population of Muslims, with 188 million, or approximately 87% of Indonesia's population Follow the Qur’an (similar to the Torah and the Bible) Muslims believe Torah and Bible come from God but believe Qur’an carries greatest authority = represents God’s final message to humanity Qur’an teaches Allah = same God in Jewish & Christian traditions

Islam Five Pillars of Islam are central to Islam faith Declaration of Faith – “There is no god but Allah (God) and Muhammad is the messenger of God. Obligatory Prayer Compulsory Giving- charity-helping the poor Fasting from dawn until dusk during month of Ramadan Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca) Muhammad considered Abraham, Moses, and Jesus to be messengers from God & believed he was the last of God’s prophets.

Islam - Sunni and Shia In 661, Muslims split over a disagreement about the qualifications to be Caliph Both groups share the same fundamental Islamic beliefs and articles of faith

Islam - Sunni and Shia Sunni Muslims – constitute the majority of Muslims (85%) Believe the Caliph (leader) should be elected from among those capable of the job

Islam - Sunni and Shia Shia Muslims (sometimes called Shi’ites) – live mostly in Iraq and Iran Believe leadership should stay within the Prophet's own family, among those specifically appointed by him, or among Imams appointed by God Himself.

Major Religious Cities Mecca, Saudi Arabi Most sacred place in Islam The Kaaba is a square building that Muslims believed was built by Abraham and his son to worship God The Prophet Muhammad designated Mecca as the holy city of Islam

Major Religious Cities Medina, Saudi Arabia The second holiest site in Islam, the “City of the Prophet” Muhammad fled here when he was initially driven out of Mecca This is the place where he attracted his first followers

Major Religious Cities Jerusalem, Israel Judaism: Wailing/Western Wall & Temple Mount Jews believe the Temple Mount is the place where God gathered the dust used to create the first man, Adam Jews believe the Wailing Wall is the Western Wall of the Second Temple Islam: Dome of the Rock Muslims believe this is the location where Muhammad ascended to visit Allah in heaven

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W73NrKrqz-c

Major Religious Cities Jerusalem, Israel Christianity: Church of the Holy Sepulcher Christians believe this is the site of Golgotha where Jesus of Nazareth was crucified and where he was buried.