Judaism According to the Torah, God came to Abraham and struck a deal with Abraham whereby his descendants would be His Chosen People, the Covenant. God promised Abraham and his descendants the land called Canaan (the area between the Nile delta and Mesopotamia). According to the Torah, God came to Abraham and struck a deal with Abraham whereby his descendants would be His Chosen People, the Covenant. God promised Abraham and his descendants the land called Canaan (the area between the Nile delta and Mesopotamia).

Teachings of Judaism The Hebrew faith is monotheistic. God was called Yahweh. Their history as well as the moral and religious laws are recorded in the Torah and taught by a Rabbi. (1 st 5 books of the Bible). The laws were strictly upheld and were somewhat different than others at the time. Slaves were to be treated kindly. They took and ethical world view – that is, the belief that people and rulers should lead moral acceptable lives. Religious leaders of their time, called prophets, reminded the Jews of their duties.

The Rise of Christianity Jesus began to teach people about God’s goodness and mercy. The Gospel records that he preformed miracles such as healing the sick and raising the dead. Jewish prophets had predicted that a messiah, or anointed one by God, would deliver the Jews from foreign rule and restore the kingdom of Israel. Some Jews believed Jesus to be the messiah, others saw him as a troublemaker who opposed traditional Jewish laws.

Jesus was seen as a threat to the Roman officials and considered a rebel. Although he taught respect for the Roman emperor, he refused (as other Jews) to accept him as a god. He was arrested by the Romans and crucified. Crucifixion was a Roman method of execution where a person was nailed to a cross, a post, or tree, and left to die of exposure.

Islam Muhammad Ali was born in Mecca in 570 A.D. He was raised by an uncle who worked for a wealthy widow as a trade caravan leader. Muhammad went to work for Khadija as well and when he was 25, he married her. She encouraged him to spend time away in prayer and became his first convert.

As Muhammad was on one of his retreats, he was approached by the angel Gabriel and was ordered to “submit to God and proclaim” his faith to all people. Khadija urged Muhammad to accept the mission and do his duty as God’s prophet. At first, he gained only a few followers, but also managed to anger the merchants in the town. The Quraysh were a powerful tribe who controlled the lives of the Meccans. Muhammad’s clan was a part of that tribe but were poorer and less influential within the tribe.

The Hejira In 622, Khadija died and Muhammad and his followers were forced out of the city of Mecca. Muhammad (and his followers) went north to what became Medina and was welcomed as a respected leader. This event marks the first year of the Muslim calendar. In 630, he returned to Mecca with a strong army and captured the city. “Truth has come and falsehood has vanished” he declared as he smashed the false idols of gods in the Kaaba. He then dedicated the Black Stone to God.

The Five Pillars of Islam 1.Declaration: You must declare your faith. There is only one God and Allah is his name. 2.Prayer: You pray 5 times per day. 3.Charity: You should give 2 1 / 2 % of your income, or do continuous acts of kindness. 4.The Fast: During the month of Ramadan, you don’t eat during daylight hours, drink minimal amounts. 5.Pilgrimage: (Hajj) Once in your lifetime, if possible, you will travel to Mecca.