Due to time constraint, I didn’t have time to attend or observe rituals of other religions so

I did a little research about the different religions in the world. I have chosen to study about
Islam.

Man has been searching for answers to certain basic life questions such as: a) the
meaning of and purpose of life; b) Death and the afterlife; c) the concept of God or the Divine; d)
the reality of evil and suffering; and e) what is right and what is wrong. Our religions help us
answer these questions.

Islam is a religion founded by Mohammad, who denounced the worship of idols and
proclaimed that there was only one God or Allah in Arabic. The holy book of Islam is the Koran
(Qu’ran) which sets forth the fundamental beliefs of Islam. This book includes the five basic
duties of every Muslim and the rules that govern moral behavior and social life. The teachings of
Mohammad are called Sunna and are collected in the Hadith (traditions). Together, the Koran
and the Sunna provide instructions governing all aspects of the personal and communal life of
the Muslims. A system of law, the Sharia, has been developed on the basis of Koran and the
Sunna. Public worship is held in buildings called mosques. At midday, every Friday, special
services are held. Before entering a mosque, Muslims have to ritually wash themselves in the
courtyard. The mosques are usually elaborately decorated but no representation of animal or
human figures are permitted because of the direction of their holy city, Mecca. Worship is led by
a lay religious leader call the “Imam”. The two main sects of Islam, Sunni and Shiah, originated
in the seventh century as a result of disputes over the succession of caliphs or religious rulers.

Christianity is the world’s biggest religion which is grounded on the life and teachings
and death of Jesus who is acknowledged by all Christians as the Son of God. Jesus of Nazareth
was recognized by a group of Jews as the Messiah or Christ. Jesus died by crucifixion in the
hands of His very own people who accused Him of blasphemy. Later on, His disciples continued
to spread His teachings and preached His Gospel. Although Peter laid the foundation of the
Jewish Christian community, Saul of Tarsus, popularly known later as Paul, was responsible for
the spread of Christianity among the Gentiles and the Graeco- Roman world. Central to Christian
worship is the celebration of the Eucharist presided by a priest or a bishop.

In the first three early centuries, Christians were persecuted until Constantine declared
Christianity as the state religion in 324 A.D. Because of differences in beliefs and doctrines,
Christianity was divided into different sects such as the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern
Orthodox Churches, and the Protestant Churches which include Methodists, the Anglicans, the
Presbyters, the Quakers and many others. All Christians, however, refer to the teachings of the
Holy Bible or the Sacred Scriptures which is divided into the Old Testament and the New
Testament.

Jesus taught that we must love God above all things with our whole heart, mind, soul, and
strength; seeking God’s reign before all things. He valued human beings before all laws and
material things. He taught us to pray and to forgive those who have offended us and to seek
God’s protection from temptation and from all harm. From Jesus, we Christians learn love for
the poor and the outcasts. Following Jesus means being gentle, being a peacemaker, and being
concerned with the welfare of the poor. To express our love for Jesus, we must love our fellow
humans in the same way Jesus did.

As I was doing research and writing this reflection, I realize that our religious affiliation
represents our faith convictions and commitment. Our religious conviction is a personal process
of searching. Thus, we must observe respect for whatever others believe in. Another thing, I
realize that there are common elements among different cultures and religions such as concern
about life, death and the afterlife that are evident in elaborate burial rites. Another element
common is the longing or yearning of our soul to be one with God. Spirituality for Christians
emphasizes self-denial, and indiscriminate love for every member of the human family, even
one’s enemy. Muhammad’s vision was the straight path of surrender to Allah, the one and only
God.