3 Abrahamic Religions

• Judaism
• Christianity
• Islam
– All originated in Southwest Asia
– All are monotheistic
– All recognize Abraham as their first prophet
Judaism
 Judaism
• Oldest surviving of the monotheistic
religions.
• Founded approx. 3900 years ago with a
covenant between Abraham and God.
– God asked Abraham to move from Ur to
Canaan. In return he promised Abraham’s
descendents a homeland.
http://oneyearbibleimages.com/nations_of_canaan_800.jpg
 1 Diaspora
st

• Approx. 3800 years ago the Hebrews were

forced to leave their land because of
drought and famine.
• Migrated to Egypt
• Eventually enslaved by the Egyptians and
forced to do hard labor.
 2nd Covenant
• Approx. 450 years after God’s covenant with
Abraham, God made a covenant with Moses.
• Moses led the Jews out of slavery (the exodus)
back to the land of Canaan.
• At the top of mount Sinai, Moses made a covenant
with God producing the 10 Commandments
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLRge3L1Ijc
 2nd Diaspora
• Approx. 70 C.E. the Hebrews revolted
against Roman rule.
• A brutal crackdown ensued.
• Surviving Jews were forced out of Palestine

• The second temple of Solomon was

destroyed.
 Beliefs
• Strictly monotheistic
• God = Yahweh
• Torah: Jewish law
• Talmud: Collection of writings based on
the Torah and traditions…began in 400s
C.E.
 Beliefs II
• Shema: Profession of faith, “Hear O Israel,
the Lord our God, the Lord is One.”
• “There is no instinctive evil, original sin or
fundamental impurity in human beings
since people are made in God’s image.”
• Does not recognize Jesus Christ as the
Messiah.
• Belief in an afterlife and judgment day.
 Key Festivals
• Rosh Hashanah: The beginning of the Jewish New
Year
• Yom Kippur: The Day of Atonement, the last 10
days of penitence which marks the opening of the
New Year.
• Hanukkah: An eight day festival which
commemorates the re-dedication of the temple in
Jerusalem after expelling the occupying Syrians in
164 BCE
 Key Festivals II
• Passover (Pesach): Week long memorial retelling
the Israelites’ release from Egypt
• Bar Mitzvah: Coming of age for boys aged 13. In
liberal traditions, an equivalent ceremony (Bat
Mitzvah) is carried out for girls
• Shabbat (Sabbath): Day of rest, worship and
fasting, from sunset Friday to sunset Saturday,
requiring strict observance for Orthodox Jews
 Third Diaspora
• Jews throughout Europe were rounded up
and placed into concentration/labor camps
by Nazi occupiers.
• Approx. 5.5 million Jews were murdered
during the Holocaust.
 Today
• Approx. 12 to 18 million Jews in the world
• 1 Israel (2009)[1] 5,636,000 75.5% 43%
• 2 United States (2007)[2`] 5,275,000 1.7%
40.3%
• 3 France 492,000 0.9% 3.76%
• 4 Canada 373,500 1.2% 2.7%
• 5 United Kingdom 297,000 0.6% 2.4%
 Holy City
• Jerusalem: Home of the “western wall”, the
last remaining part of Solomon’s 2 nd temple.
Christian symbols
 Christianity
• World’s largest religion 2.1 billion
• Over 38,000 different denominations of
Christianity throughout the world.
• Two largest:
– Catholicism (approx. 1.1 billion)
– Protestantism (approx. 650 million)
 Jesus Christ
• Christianity is the religion based on the life,
death and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth,
also known as the Christ or Messiah.
• Jesus was a Jewish teacher and prophet who
lived in Palestine in the first century CE.
• He revealed himself to be the Son of God in
fulfillment of Hebrew scripture.
 Jesus Christ con’t
• His assertion to be the son of God created
both political and religious enemies among
Jews and Romans alike.
• Christ is crucified at the age of 34.
• Crucifixion:
– Cruel form of death
– Nailed to a cross through the wrists and ankles
– Eventually die of suffocation
 Beliefs
• Belief in original sin
• Belief in Baptism
• Belief that the Old Testament (Torah) is
holy.
• Belief that Jesus Christ was the prophesized
messiah from the Old Testament.
• Christians believe that there is only one
God, who is all-powerful and all-knowing.
 Beliefs con’t
• Most Christians believe that God is a Trinity made
up of the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit.
• The second person of the Trinity, God the Son,
became a human being in the person of Jesus.
• Jesus was born to a human woman, Mary (whom
many believe was a virgin), and was subject to
pain, suffering, and sorrow like other human
beings.
 Beliefs con’t
• Jesus was put to death on a cross and three
days later was raised from the dead (the
resurrection). Forty days after this he
ascended to heaven (the ascension).
• After Jesus’ resurrection and ascension, the
Holy Spirit was sent to bring the knowledge
and power of Jesus to the church.
 Beliefs con’t
• Christians believe in eternal life after death,
but not earthly reincarnation.
• Christians await the second coming of
Christ which will bring fulfillment of the
Kingdom of God and a final day of
judgment.
 The Apostles’ Creed
• 12 Apostles
– 12 closest followers of Jesus Christ that went on to spread his
teaching after his death.
Peter Matthew
Andrew Thomas
James James, son of Alphaeus
John Thaddeus
Philip Simon
Bartholomew Judas
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLU9RP5khyQ&feature=related
 Festivals/Celebrations
• Advent: The beginning of the Christian
Year. Four Sundays before Christmas,
Christians set aside time for reflection and
preparation for recalling the coming of
Christ.
• Christmas (December 25): The celebration
of Jesus’ birth
 Festivals/Celebrations II
• Easter: The holiest period of the Christian
calendar. It begins with Good Friday, which
solemnly commemorates Jesus’ crucifixion,
and continues until Easter Sunday which
celebrates the resurrection of Jesus.
 Holy Cities
• Jerusalem: Where the early church was
started.
• Bethlehem: Birth place of Jesus
• Nazareth: Where Jesus lived and began
ministry.
• The Vatican: Home to the pope
Early Christianity Expansion
Spread of Christianity 2009
Symbol of Islam
 Islam
• Islam has several translated meanings
including “peace and submission”
• Allah = God
• Muslims believe that the God mentioned in
Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are the
same
• Originated in the Arabian Peninsula
• Monotheistic
 Origins of Islam
• Prophet Muhammad 570-632 CE
• Approx. 610 CE the angel Gabriel orders
Muhammad to speak to his people and
deliver to them the word of God.
– The Arabian Peninsula was still heavily
polytheistic at the time.
• Muhammad won few converts initially.
 Islam
• The Koran or Qu’ran is believed to be the
literal word of God that was presented to
Muhammad through several conversations
with Gabriel.
• Muhammad dictated these conversations to
his friends who wrote them down.
• Koran = recitation
• Koran is divided into 114 suras (chapters)
1st sura of the Koran
 Beliefs
• 5 Pillars
• Belief in a Final Judgment led by the
Islamic savior known as “al-Mahdi” who
will restore the Kingdom of God
• Belief in an afterlife
• Believe Moses and Jesus to be important
prophets
• Muhammad final and greatest prophet
 1) Shahada:

• The declaration, “I testify that there is none

worthy of worship except God and I testify
that Muhammad is the Messenger of God.”
 2) Salat: Prayer

• General Features of Islamic Prayer

• Five prayer times each day:
• early morning
• noon
• mid-afternoon
• sunset
• evening
 Salat Con’t
• Adhan = Islamic call to prayer led by a
muezzin

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=aLFYMkQPakE&feature=related
 3) Zakat: Giving charity
• Originally a free-will donation
• Now largely compulsory
• General rate: 2 1/2% of income annually.
• Given only to needy Muslims, or for
religious purposes, etc.
 4) Sawm: Fast

• In memory of the revelation of the Koran

• During month of Ramadan, daylight hours.
• Ramadan in 2009 will start on Friday, the
21st of August and will continue for 30
days until Saturday, the 19th of September.
• Those who have medical exemptions etc.
should fast at another time.
 5) Hajj: Pilgrimage
• Every Muslim man and woman (if
physically and economically able) should
try to make the pilgrimage to Mecca at least
once in their life-time.
 Statistical breakdown
• Sunni: 90% of all Muslims
• Shiite/Shi’a: 10% of all Muslims
• 1.55 billion Muslims in the world.
• 30 to 40 countries are Muslim majority
• 20% of Muslims are Arab
World Map
 The Sunni-Shiite Split
-It’s All About Family-
Muhammad and Khadija are credited with having several daughters, although the
parentage of them is questioned by scholars; they may have been adopted by Muhammad
rather than sired by him. Uthman (the 3rd Caliph) was married to one of these daughters,
Umm Kulthum bint Muhammad. However, historically these daughters have
been marginalized, most likely because they did not bear any surviving children or survive
their father. For the purposes of this presentation, all family relations have been simplified,
thus we can state that Fatima was the only surviving daughter of Muhammad.

Khadija Prophet
First Wife Muhammad

Fatima
 The Sunni-Shia Split
-It’s All About Family-
Abu Talib Abu Bakr
Friend and Early Convert
Muhammad’s Uncle

Khadija Prophet Muhammad Aisha

(First Wife)

Ali Fatima
Muhammad’s Cousin
 The Sunni-Shia Split
-It’s All About Family-
Ali
Fatima
1st Imam

Hassan Hussein
Zaynab Umm Al-Kaltum
2nd Imam 3rd Imam

Ali Zain Al-Abideen

4th Imam

All Other Imams

Descend from this
Line.
 Muhammad’s Succession

• 632- Muhammad dies, leaving no

confirmed successor
• Disagreement among clans on who will
lead the faith- bloodline or the one most
capable
• The Ummah (the Islamic community) elects
Muhammad’s father-in-law Abu Bakr to
lead the faith. He becomes the first Caliph -
the leader of the Ummah.
 The Rashidun (632-661)
The Rule of the Four Righted Guided Caliphs
Name Ruled Died Known For
Abu Bakr 632-634 Natural causes, Quelled rebellion and
1st Caliph elected appointed his united Arabia
successor
Umar ibn al-Khattab 634-644 Stabbed in a Medina Wars of expansion
mosque by a POW (power not religion but
2nd Caliph appointed
with a personal religion followed) to the
greater Middle East
grudge.

Uthman ibn Affan 644-656 Assassinated by those from Expanded the empire to
the elite of Medina over the North Africa and Central
3rd Caliph elected rise of status and power of Asia- but with much
the Umayyad clan. political cost. Standardized
the Qu’ran.

Ali ibn Abu Talib 656-661 Assassinated by Ruled during the first Fitnah
Kharajiites, a group of (civil war). His place in
4th Caliph/1st Imam elected history is denoted more for
dissenters to Ali’s rule
who he was rather than what
he did.
 Holy Places
• Mecca: Muhammad’s birthplace
• Medina: Where Muhammad spent his time
while in exile.
• Jerusalem: Dome of the Rock, place where
Abraham is believe to have attempted
human sacrifice of his son and where
Muhammad ascended into heaven to
receive commandments from God.
Dome of the rock