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- Church is a place Christians go every Sunday

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-After every pray Christians say "Amen" it means let it be so.

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Began 2,000 years ago in the middle east

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2.4 billion followers

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one of the worlds biggest religion

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Muslims believe that their is one god name Allah

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it was found in the middle east

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Began 1400 years ago

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Worlds second largest religion

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-some of the followers of Islam are called Muslims

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1.6 followers

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-One of the biggest religion in the world

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believe only 1 god

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Christianity is the largest world religion by number of adherents (around 2.4 billion). Members of the religion are called Christians. Christians generally believe Jesus to be the Son of God, the second person of the Trinity. It is a monotheistic religion, meaning it has only one God. It is based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth.

To most of the people of his time Jesus was a preacher, teacher, healer, and prophet from ancient Judea. However, his disciples believed him to be much more than that: they believed that Jesus was God's one and only son who was sent down to earth to die on a cross for their sins. The man said to be his father, Joseph, was a carpenter. Jesus was executed by being nailed to a cross (or crucified) under Pontius Pilate, the local Roman governor at the time. His life and followers are written about in the New Testament, part of the Bible. Christians consider the Bible, both the Old Testament and New Testament, as sacred. The Gospels or "The Good News" are the first four books of the New Testament and are about the life of Jesus, his death, and him rising from the dead.

God created the world. Jesus is the name of God the Son. Christians believe Him to be the Son of God. They believe that He was the human son of the Virgin Mary and the divine Son of God. They believe he suffered and died to free humans from their sin and was later raised from the dead. He then went up into Heaven. At the end of time, Jesus will come back to Earth to judge all mankind, both alive and dead, giving everlasting life to those who believe in him. The Holy Spirit is the spirit of God on the Earth that spoke through prophets.

The prophets foretold in the Old Testament of Jesus as the Savior. Christians think of Jesus Christ as a teacher, a role model, and someone who revealed who the Christian God was.

Christianity has been an important part of the shaping of the world. As of the early 21st century, Christianity has approximately 2.2 billion followers.

Jesus Christ

The most basic part of Christianity is the belief in Jesus as the Son of God and Messiah ( Christ). The title "Messiah" comes from the Hebrew word מָשִׁיחַ ( māšiáħ) meaning anointed one. The Greek translation Χριστός ( Christos) is the source of the English word " Christ". Joshua is English for the Hebrew word Yeshua.

Christians believe that, as the Messiah, Jesus was anointed by God as ruler and savior of all people. Christians also believe that Jesus' coming was the fulfillment of prophecies of the Old Testament. The Christian belief of the Messiah is much different than the contemporary Jewish concept. The main Christian belief is that, through the death and resurrection of Jesus, sinful humans can be reconciled to God. Through this, they believe they are given salvation and eternal life.

Death and resurrection of Jesus

Christians believe the resurrection of Jesus to be the main part of their faith (see 1 Corinthians 15) and the most important event in human history because it would show that Jesus has power over death and has the authority to give people eternal life.

Among Christian beliefs, the death and resurrection of Jesus are two main events of Christian doctrine and theology. From what the New Testament says, Jesus was crucified, died a physical death, was buried in a tomb, and rose from the dead on the third day afterwards. Most Christians place his death on a Friday each year, which is the first day of his death. Saturday is the second day, and Sunday is the third day. The New Testament writes that several times Jesus appeared many times before his Twelve Apostles and disciples, and one time before "more than five hundred brethren at once," before Jesus' Ascension to heaven. Jesus' death and resurrection are remember by Christians in their worship services, and most commonly during Holy Week, which has Good Friday and Easter Sunday in the week

Salvation of Christ

Protestantism teaches that eternal salvation is a gift that is given to a person by God's grace. It is sometimes called "unmerited favor." This would mean that Salvation is God bringing humans into a right relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ. It is the belief that one can be saved (rescued) from sin and forever death. Many Protestants believe in the "assurance of salvation"-that God can put confidence in a believer that he has truly received salvation from Jesus Christ.

Catholicism teaches that although in most cases someone must be baptized a Catholic to be saved, it is sometimes possible for people to be saved who have not fully joined the Catholic Church. Catholics normally believe in the importance of "faith working through love" and sacraments in receiving salvation. The Catholic Church teaches that good works and piety, such as obedience to commands, taking the sacraments, going to church, doing penance giving alms, saying prayers, and other things, are important in becoming holy, but strongly emphasize that salvation is through God's grace alone, and all we can do is receive it.

Different denominations and traditions of Christianity believe in forms divine grace. Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy teach the complete importance of the free will to work together with grace. Reformed theology teaches the importance of grace by teaching that a person is completely incapable of self-redemption, but the grace of God overcomes even the unwilling heart. Arminianism believes in a synergistic view, while Lutheran and most other Protestant denominations teach justification by grace through faith alone.

Scriptures

Christianity uses the Bible, a collection of many canonical books in two parts, the Old Testament and the New Testament. It is believed by Christians that they were written by people who were inspired by the Holy Spirit, and therefore it is most often believed to be the word of God. The Bible has been translated into over 600 languages. The translators are able to verify accuracy by using thousands of handwritten copies of the scriptures which are in the original languages of Hebrew Aramaic, and Greek.

Creeds (from Latin credo meaning "I believe") are direct doctrinal statements or confessions, usually of religious beliefs. They started as formulas used when someone was baptised. During the Christological controversies of the 4th and 5th centuries they became statements of faith.

Some main Christian creeds are:

Many Christians accept the use of creeds, and often use at least one of the creeds given above. A smaller number of Protestants, notably Restorationists, a movement formed in the wake of the Second Great Awakening in the 19th century of the 19th century United States, oppose the use of creeds.

Trinitarianism

The Bible mentions God the Father, God the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and yet Christian believe that there is only one God. This idea, called Trinity, was started at the First Council of Nicaea, in 325, and developed during several church meetings or councils. Today, many Christian groups agree with it. Oriental Orthodox Churches did not agree with the idea, and split after the council. The biggest of the Oriental Orthodox is the Coptic Orthodox Church. The Oriental Orthodox Churches agree with the ideas in the First Council of Nicaea, but they disagree with other councils. Trinitarianism is the teaching that God is three different persons, or has three different relations, within One God; the , the Son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit. In the words of the Athanasian Creed, "the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God, and yet there are not three Gods but one God."

An example of a more recent Christian movement that rejects trinitarianism is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Latter Day Saints started in the first half of the 19th century, in the United States. There are other smaller Christian groups who also reject trinitarianism.

The afterlife and end times

Christians believe that human beings will receive judgement from God and are given either eternal life or eternal damnation. This includes the " Last Judgment" as well as the belief of a judgement particular to the soul after death.

There are also some differences among Christians in this belief. For example, in Roman Catholicism, those who die in a state of grace, go into purgatory, where they are cleansed before they can go into heaven.

Christians believe that at the second coming of Christ at the end of time, all who have died will be raised up from the dead for the Last Judgment, when Jesus will establish the Kingdom of God. There is also the belief of Universal Reconciliation. That is the belief that all people will someday be saved, and that hell is not forever. Christians who believe in this view are known as Universalists.

Christians have different ways to talk about the purpose of Jesus' coming:

to learn the best way to live and to follow his example

to pay the price of sin in our lives by being the perfect sacrifice, without sin. (John 3:16)

to tell people that their mistakes and sins will be forgiven and will be saved if they believe and have faith in the Lord Jesus and confess that they have sinned (1 John 1:9) (John 3:16) (Ephesians 1:7) (Romans 10:9).

to teach people to forgive each other and repent of their own sin through grace. (Matthew 6:14)

to "destroy the devil's work" (1 John 3 v 8)

to help people share in his life through the gift of God's Spirit.

Worship is thought by most Christians to be a very important part of Christianity all through its history. Many Christian theologians have called humanity homo adorans, which means "worshiping ," and so the worship of God is at the very center of what it means to be human. This would mean that because God created all humanity, Christians should worship and give praise to God.

Most Christian worship has Scripture reading, talk about Scripture from a leader, singing, prayer together, and a small time for Church work. Christians may meet in special buildings, also called Churches, or outdoors, or at schools, or anywhere Christians feel they are needed.

The main worship service in Catholic Churches is the Mass and the main worship service in many Orthodox Churches is called the Divine Liturgy. In both of these Churches, along with the other parts of worship, the Eucharist or Communion is central. Here a priest by prayer asks God to change a small amount of bread and wine into what Catholics and Orthodox believe is Jesus's real body and blood, but without changing the accidents (appearance, taste, colour, etc.) of the bread and wine. Then the people each may receive a portion. Many Protestant churches have worship services similar to the Mass, some every week, others a few times a year. Some Protestants believe Jesus is really present at the Communion service, and some believe the bread and wine are symbols to help them remember what Jesus did

The Catholic Church has developed a short ceremony, Eucharistic Benediction, worshiping Jesus present in the Eucharist. They also may visit a Church building to pray in the presence of the Eucharist, Eucharistic Adoration.

The Orthodox and Catholic Churches spirituality place importance on the use of human senses such as sight and on the use of beautiful things. Catholic spirituality often involves the use of statues and other artistic representations, candles, incense, and other physical items as reminders or aids to prayer. The Orthodox Churches also use candles, incense, bells, and icons, but not statues. Orthodox and Catholic worship also makes use of movements, such as the Sign of the Cross, made by each person touching first the forehead, then chest, one shoulder, then the other shoulder. There is also bowing, kneeling, and prostration in Catholic and Orthodox worship.

Sacraments

In Catholic belief and practice, a sacrament is a religious symbol or often a rite which shows divine grace, blessing, or sanctity for the Christian who receives it. Examples of sacraments are Baptism and the Mass." The word is taken from the Latin word sacramentum, which was used to translate the Greek word for mystery.

The two most regularly used sacraments are Baptism and Eucharist (communion). Most Catholics use seven Sacraments: Baptism, the ritual immersion of a candidate to welcome them into the church; Confirmation, the sealing of the Covenant; the Eucharist, a ritual where consecrated bread (discs of unleavened, toasted bread) and wine representing Jesus' body and blood are consumed; Holy Orders, Reconciliation of a Penitent (confession), Anointing of the Sick, and Marriage. Some Christian denominations prefer to call them ordinances. These are the Orders from Christ to all believers found in the New Testament.

Liturgical calendar

Roman Catholics, Anglicans, Eastern Christians, and traditional Protestant groups center their worship around a liturgical calendar. Some events that are part of this calendar are the "holy days", such as solemnities which honor an event in the life of Jesus or the saints, times of fasting such as Lent, and other events, such as memoria. Christian groups that do not follow a liturgical tradition often keep some celebrations, such as Christmas, Easter,and Pentecost. A few churches do not use a liturgical calendar.

These are some symbols that some denominations or individual churches may use:

Alpha and Omega - The Greek letters Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. Alpha and Omega is a reference to God, who calls himself the "Alpha and Omega" (the first and the last letter of the Greek alphabet) in the Book of Revelation.

Chi - The Greek letter Chi is the first letter of 'Christ' (Greek: Χριστός "Christos").

Chi Rho - The Greek letters Chi and Rho are the first two letters of 'Christ' in Greek: Christos. Usually, the long stem of Rho (ρ) runs up and down through the cross of the Chi (χ).

Christian cross - The cross is the most common symbol of Christianity. Christians believe that their savior Jesus Christ was crucified by the Romans. The cross is important because Jesus died as a sacrifice for the sins of believers. It represents God's love for humanity.

Crucifix - The crucifix is a cross with the body of Jesus still hanging on it. It is a more popular symbol with Catholics and Eastern Orthodox. It has the same meaning as the cross.

Dove - The dove is a bird and a symbol of the Holy Spirit. When Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit came to him in the form of a dove and rested on him.

Ichthys - In Greek, the word ichthys /iktheews/ means 'fish', and forms an acronym, "Ίησοῦς Χριστός, Θεοῦ Υἱός, Σωτήρ", meaning "Jesus Christ, God's Son, Saviour" in Greek.

Lamb - A lamb may be a symbol of Jesus himself, portrayed as the sacrifice for humans.

Shepherd - A shepherd is also a symbol of Jesus himself and is used in the earliest Christian art. In the Bible, Jesus calls himself the good shepherd who cares for his sheep.

INRI - INRI is an acronym in Latin "Iēsus Nazarēnus, Rēx Iūdaeōrum" meaning "Jesus the Nazarene, King of the Jews." This is the message that was put on the cross as being the crime for which he was being punished. Christians now use it as a symbol that Jesus is the Messiah, or King of all kings.

Interlocking rings - Three interlocking rings are a symbol of the Trinity. Each ring is a complete circle, representing each complete person of the Trinity. But each ring is locked with the other two rings, showing that each divine person cannot be separated from the Trinity.

Types of Christianity

People who call themselves Christians may show or live their faith in different ways. They may also believe different things. Through history the ten main groups or "denominations" of Christianity have been the (Eastern) Orthodox, the Church of the East (Nestorian), the Oriental Orthodox (Miaphysite), the Catholic, the Anglican, the Lutheran, the Reformed, the Anabaptist, the Evangelical, and the Nontrinitarian churches. These latter six are often grouped together as Protestant, but Nontrinitarians are also more commonly grouped separately. Not all Christians use these titles. Some believe Christianity is bigger and includes others. Some believe Christianity is smaller and does not include all these churches.

Disagreements

Some of these groups could not agree on certain points about Christian teaching (called "doctrine") or practice. The first split was in the 5th century after the Church Council of Ephesus. The council agreed Nestorianism was wrong. The Assyrian Church of the East did not agree and split from the rest. The argument was about the nature of Jesus. Should he be regarded as God and human in one combined nature, or in two separate natures? Most of the bishops, following the Pope (the Bishop of Rome), refused to stay in communion with any bishop who would not say "two separate natures". This was also discussed at the Council of Chalcedon, about 20 years later. The Christians who did not agree with the decision of the Council to excommunicate them, became the non-Chalcedonian Orthodox. The largest Non-Chalcedonian Churches are the Coptic Orthodox in Egypt, the Ethiopian Orthodox, the Armenian, and some Lebanese Orthodox Churches. In general, these churches are known as Oriental Orthodox Churches. Recent discussions between the Roman Catholic Pope John Paul II and the Coptic Orthodox Pope Shenouda III concluded that they believe many of the same things after all, even though the Coptic Church does not recognize the Pope of Rome as its leader.

The third split happened in the 11th century. It is called the Great Schism. It was mostly based on the creed being translated incorrectly from Greek into Latin. The disagreements were made worse because the two cultures often did not understand one another. Also, many Crusaders from Western Europe behaved badly. The Christians in Western Europe were led by the Bishop of Rome, known also as the Pope. They are called the Catholic Church. Most Christians in Eastern Europe, Russia, the Middle East and South Asia, and northeast Africa belong to Orthodox, Nestorian, and Miaphysite Christianity, led by the Bishops of other cities or areas.

Groups have different ideas on the nature of God.

Groups have different ideas on the nature and work of the Holy Spirit in a believer's life.

The pope is the leader of all Catholics. Other churches have leaders similar to the pope. For example, in the Eastern Orthodox Church, these are called Patriarchs. Still other groups let each church decide about things.

Some Christians say that women may not become priests or pastors.

Some Christians say married people may not become priests.

Some Christians say that priests can forgive sins by giving out the forgiveness of God, others say that only God can do this.

In modern times, the rise of atheism and scientific challenges to the traditional Christian story of creation have caused some to believe in "Young Earth Creationism", or a literal interpretation of the first chapters of the Bible, and others to argue that those parts of the Bible are not literally true, but more like poetry.

Most Christians worship on Sunday, but some believe that Saturday is the true "Sabbath" and should be kept.

Some Christians believe that baptism must mean going fully under water, others put some water on the head.

Some Christian groups baptize babies, while Baptists only baptize persons who have chosen for themselves to follow Jesus .

Demographics

In most countries in the developed world, the number of people going to church who claim to be Christians has been dropping over the last few decades. Some believe that this is only because many no longer use regular membership in places, for example, churches, while others believe it is because people may be thinking that religion is no longer important.

Most churches have for a long time showed that they want to be tolerant with other belief systems, and in the 20th century Christian ecumenism (the uniting of Christians from different backgrounds), advanced in two ways. One way was more cooperation between groups, such as the Edinburgh Missionary Conference of Protestants in 1910, the Justice, Peace and Creation Commission of the World Council of Churches started in 1948 by Protestant and Orthodox churches, and similar national councils, for example the National Council of Churches in Australia with Roman Catholics.

The other way was creating unions for different churches to join together. Congregationalist, Methodist, and Presbyterian churches joined together in 1925 to form the United Church of Canada, and in 1977 to form the Uniting Church in Australia. The Church of South India was formed in 1947 by the union of Anglican, Methodist, Congregationalist, Presbyterian, and Reformed churches. And other such formations have been done by different Christian groups throughout the years.

Related pages

Images for kids

In Spanish: Cristianismo para niños

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There are different branches of Christianity because some Christians worship in different ways.

What are the different branches (denominations) of Christians?

There are several denominations of the Christian faith, however all Christians share common beliefs.

Church of England - Anglicanism
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England.

Roman Catholic
The Catholic Church is the oldest institution in the western world. It can trace its history back almost 2000 years.

Baptists
For Baptists, the church is not just a particular place or building, but rather a family of believers, committed to Christ, to one another and to the service of God in the world.

Methodist
The calling of the Methodist Church is to respond to the gospel of God's love in Christ and to live out its discipleship in worship and mission.

Orthodox The Orthodox Church shares much with the other Christian churches in the belief that God revealed himself in Jesus Christ, and a belief in the incarnation of Christ, his crucifixion and resurrection.

Seventh-day Adventist
The belief which makes Seventh-day Adventists really stand out, though it is not the most important part of the faith, is the belief that Saturday is the Sabbath (the day of worship)

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World Religions for Children doing their homework

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-Muhammad

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Muhammad

According to Muslims, in 610 an angel told Muhammad that Allah had chosen him as a prophet. Throughout his life, Muhammad continued to receive messages that he believed came from God.

This idea that there is only one God was unusual for Arabs at the time. Many people in Muhammad's hometown of Mecca disliked the new religion because of that belief. To avoid their hostility, Muhammad encouraged his followers to move to the nearby city of Medina. Muhammad's journey to Medina ended on September 24, 622, which is considered the starting point of Islamic history.

Division and Spread of Islam

Muhammad eventually persuaded most of the people of Arabia (including Mecca) to practice Islam. But after his death in 632, Muslims disagreed as to who should lead them. Muhammad's son-in-law ʿAli became the Muslim leader, or caliph, in 656. But he was murdered in 661. Some Muslims maintained that Muslim leadership belonged to ʿAli's descendants alone. They formed the Shiʿite branch of Islam. The Muslims who disputed this claim became the Sunnis.

During the 600s and 700s, Islam spread far beyond Arabia, from the western Mediterranean region to Central Asia. Holy wars called jihads were fought to gain political control over societies so that they could be run using Islamic principles.

In the 11th century the Turks began their rise as an Islamic power. A group called the Seljuk Turks conquered vast territories in the Middle East. In 1071 they captured Jerusalem. Jerusalem is a city that is important to Christianity and Judaism as well as Islam. It is part of an area known as the Holy Land. Over the next two centuries, Muslim powers fought off Christian attempts to win back the Holy Land in a series of wars known as the Crusades. In the 1200s another group of Muslim Turks, the Ottomans, began an empire. The Ottomans eventually ruled over North Africa, the Middle East, and southeastern Europe for hundreds of years.

Islam in Modern Times

During the 1800s and 1900s, Western powers established colonies in Muslim nations for the purpose of trade. Islamic leaders lost political power. However, Muslims drew together more as a community in the face of colonization. In the 1900s this sense of unity helped many Muslim countries in their struggles for political independence.

In the late 1900s, Islam became one of the fastest-growing world religions. Some Muslims have resisted the influence of the West, which they view as leading to a loss of traditional Muslim values. In Iran a revolution brought Islamic religious leaders to power in 1979. Islam has had a strong influence on the governments of other countries as well.

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Islam is one of the world's major religions. Its founder was Muhammad. The religion has more than 1.5 billion followers worldwide. Most of the followers of Islam, called...

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Top 10 facts

People who practise the religion of Islam are called Muslims.

There are about 1.6 billions Muslims in the world, living in many countries (mainly in the Middle East, north Africa and parts of Asia).

Muslims believe that there is only one God, called Allah.

Muslims believe that Allah sent many prophets to Earth to give his message. A prophet is someone who speaks for God on Earth. For Muslims, a man called Muhammad was the final prophet of Allah. He was responsible for starting the faith of Islam and is referred to as the Messenger of God or the Prophet.

Muhammad was born in Makkah (also known as Mecca), which is now in modern-day Saudi Arabia, in A.D. 570. Muhammad is so highly regarded by Muslims that they say "Peace be upon him" (pbuh) whenever they say or write his name.

The Qur'an, or Koran as it is sometimes known, is the holy book of Muslims.

The Qur'an is written in Arabic and Muslims always try to read and recite it in this language.

The mosque is the building where Muslims go to worship.

Friday is the Muslim holy day, the time of the week when Muslims go to the mosque and pray.

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar; during Ramadan Muslims fast (consume no food or drink) from just before dawn until sunset.

Islam Timeline

Did you know?

Islam is an Arabic word meaning submission and obedience. It comes from a word meaning peace.

A mosque

Minarets, the towers on mosques

A Muslim man praying

Islamic patterns

Pilgrims praying at the Ka'ba in Makkah

The Muslim holy city of Makkah

The Qur'an, the Muslim holy text

Inside a mosque

The Bibi-Khanym Mosque

Like Christians and Jews, Muslims are monotheistic which means they only believe in one God, who they call Allah.

Although their faiths are different, Christians, Jews and Muslims do share many of the stories and traditions that are told in the Old Testament of the Bible. Muslims believe Jesus was a prophet.

Jerusalem is a holy city to Muslims as it is to Christians and Jews too.

Family life is very important in Islam and it is from their families that children learn about the Qur'an and how to pray. The mosque is also used as a place for children to have classes to learn the Qur'an.

Muslims believe that Allah's message was passed to the prophet Muhammad after he was visited by the angel Jibril (Gabriel). Muhammad memorised what he was told and wrote down the exact words; this is the content of the Qur'an.

The Shahadah - The declaration of faith, which Muslims repeat several times a day: "There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is His messenger."

Salah - The five daily prayers, said in Arabic at dawn, just after midday, mid-afternoon, just after sunset and after dark.

Zakah - The duty to give money to help the poor (at least 2.5% of their savings and valuables every year).

Sawm - Muslims must fast during the month called Ramadan and not eat or drink during daylight hours.

Hajj - A religious pilgrimage to Makkah which Muslims are expected to make at least once in their lifetime if they are able to.

The name Qur'an means 'that which has been read or recited'. The Qur'an provides Muslims with guidance on all aspects of their life and the Islamic religion is very much based on what it teaches people. Muslims believe that the Qur'an was Allah's final communication with someone on Earth.

The Qur'an states five main duties for followers of Islam which are known as the Five Pillars.

One of the Five Pillars is Salah, the five daily prayers Muslims must perform. Muslims always wash their face, hands and feet before they pray and always face the direction of the holy city of Makkah.

Islam gallery:

Gallery

About

Islam is thought to be one of the fastest-growing religions. It is currently the second most popular religion in the world after Christianity.
Muslim people follow many laws and customs outlined in the Qu'ran. Life stages (birth, marriage and death) are marked by special ceremonies and traditions.
The religion itself began over 1400 years ago, when Muslims believe that Allah sent his final message to the Prophet Muhammad. In the Muslim faith there were many prophets before Muhammad (including Adam, Abraham, Moses and Jesus) but Muhammad is the Final Prophet, so highly regarded by Muslims that they say "Peace be upon him" whenever they speak or write his name.

The Five Pillars of Islam are the five duties that the Qur'an states any Muslim must follow. They are:

A mosque is a place of prayer and worship for Muslims. Friday is a holy day for Muslims; on Friday at noon, the most important religious service of the week is held. A religious teacher called an imam (a 'man of knowledge') leads local prayer and takes care of the mosque.

The very first mosque was the courtyard in the home of Muhammad, who founded the religion of Islam. If you look inside a mosque, you will see a big open space for people to pray and worship Allah. You won't find pews and seats like in churches; rugs or mats usually cover the floor instead. Mosques are often large buildings with beautiful towers and domes. Outside most mosques is a tall tower, called a minaret. In some mosques this is where a crier or muezzin calls Muslims to prayer from. Every mosque must also have running water as Muslims must wash their face, hands and feet before they pray (ablution). They also take off their shoes when they enter the mosque.

The Ka'ba (or Ka'bah) is an ancient shrine which rests on foundations built by Abraham and Ishmael. Muslims believe it to be holiest place on Earth and all Muslims must face the direction of the Ka'ba while they pray. The Ka'ba is covered in a black cloth, and embroidered in gold and silver with verses from the Qur'an. Every Muslim family, no matter where they live, knows what direction the Ka'ba is from their house.

Women and men don't worship together in mosques. Music and singing are not part of worship in Islam, and there are no pictures of people or animals in a mosque. The Qu'ran forbids the worship of images, and Muslim people also believe that art could never reflect the magnificence of Allah's creation well enough. Islamic art is dedicated to the design of intricate, colourful patterns and to calligraphy, beautiful writing.

Ramadan is part of the Islamic calendar and is the ninth month of the Muslim year. It is a time when Muslims celebrate Allah's message to Muhammad, the words of the Qur'an, by dedicating themselves to prayer and family. During Ramadan Muslims are expected to fast - not eat or drink - during daylight hours. Each day, Muslims traditionally break their fast with a meal at sunset called the iftar.

Eid means festival in Arabic and the two main festivals in Islam are Eid al-Fitr (Festival of the Breaking of the Fast) and Eid ul-Adha (the Festival of Sacrifice). The end of Ramadan is marked by the festival of Eid al-Fitr. It is a time when friends and family get together and worship at the mosque, good food is eaten, children are given presents and money is given to charity.

Hajj is the Muslim religious pilgrimage to Makkah. It takes place during the last month of the Islamic calendar and every adult Muslim who is physically able must perform Hajj at least once in their life. Muslims from all over the world go to Makkah for Hajj so it is the world's largest annual gathering. Pilgrims wear simple white cloths during the Hajj to show they are not thinking about their clothes or any material things.

The Qu'ran says that men and women should dress and behave modestly, so Muslim men must wear clothes that cover them from the navel to the knee. Some Muslim women wear a head covering called a hijab.

Food must be halal (allowed); all types of food are halal, except pork or pig meat, which is forbidden ( haram). Meat must be slaughtered and prepared according to Islamic principles to be considered halal. Alcohol is also forbidden.
Colour in some Islamic patterns
Dates and milk are traditional Muslim foods and they are offered to guests to welcome them to a Muslim home. Dates symbolise sweetness and milk symbolises purity.

Related Videos

Just for fun...

Try some Ramadan crafting projects: make mini lanterns, a good deeds calendar or a mosque mobile

Paint a watercolour mosque silhouette picture or make your own blue mosque domes

Make some delicious halal stars and crescent shaped Rice Krispie treats

Watch a video in which a Muslim explains his belief system to aliens

See an animated story in which a young boy called Omar is packing for a trip to Makkah

Print Eid colouring pages or make an Eid card or poster

Children's books about Islam

Find out more about Islam

Children's news programme Newsround offers a kids' guide to Islam

Read about the splendours of the Islamic world during the Middle Ages

See how the Islamic celebration of Eid al-Fitr is celebrated around the world with different sweet treats

Hear traditional stories from Islam (Prophet Muhammad and the Spider and Baby Isa speaks) on the British Library's website

Read a BBC guide to the Qur'an and hear some sections of it spoken in Arabic

Understand some of the differences between Sunni and Shi'a Muslims, and listen to a news report about Sunni and Shi'a Muslims in the UK

Find out more about every stage of the Hajj, the pilgrimage to Makkah Muslims complete at least once in their life

In a video for KS1 children, Charlie and her favourite soft toy Blue visit neighbour Seyed in his garden to find out more about the Muslim faith

A BBC video about the Qur'an, the holy book of Islam

Understand why Muslims celebrate Eid and see Eid celebrations in London

Watch videos about Muslim prayer

Watch a video about the five pillars of Islam

The Discover Islamic Art website highlights monuments, sites and artefacts from 14 countries in Europe and the southern and eastern Mediterranean

Glossary of Muslim terms

Allah - the Arabic word for God.

Eid al-Fitr - the festival which marks the end of Ramadan.

Five Pillars - the five acts of worship for followers of Islam.

Hajj - the religious journey to Makkah that all Muslims try to make at least once in their lives.

Imam - a teacher and religious leader in the Muslim faith.

Ka'ba - the first place built for the worship of Allah. All Muslims face it when they pray.

Makkah - the most holy city for Muslims, the place where the Ka'ba is found. Makkah is in modern-day Saudi Arabia.

Minaret - the tall tower in a mosque.

Mosque - the Muslim place of worship.

Prophet - a person who receives a message from God and shares the message with people on Earth.

Qur'an - the holy book of Islam.

Ramadan - the ninth month in the Islamic calendar, when Muslims fast during daylight hours.

Salah - the second of the Five Pillars, the prayers Muslims must perform five times a day.

See for yourself

Take part in Visit My Mosque Day, when 250+ mosques across the UK hold open days to welcome their neighbours from all faiths into their place of worship for an educational visit

See pages of the beautifully illustrated Sultan Uljaytu's Qur'an on the British Library website

See photographs of Ramadan around the world

Explore Islamic art according to the material it uses: ceramics, glass, stone, metalwork or textiles

Britain's first purpose-built mosque was Shah Jahan Mosque in Woking, built in 1889

Also see

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Information, videos and activities about Islam for KS1 and KS2 children to help with homework and at-home learning projects.

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Christianity for kids Learn about religion - Super Brainy Beans

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Christianity for kids learning at Primary School. What is Christianity? How do they worship? Where do they worship?