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The Tao Te Ching
The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh
The Quarn

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A holy man reading the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of Sikhism. Editorial credit: Tukaram.Karve / Shutterstock.com.

Religious texts are those sacred and central to the teachings of almost every given religion. They are significant as these texts convey spiritual truth, establish a connection with the divine, foster communal identity, and provide the promotion of mystical experiences and spiritual practices.

Significant Religious Texts of Major Religions

The Seven Valleys and The Four Valleys

These are two distinct texts of the Bahá'i faith written that were by Baha'u'llah, the founder of the Bahá'i faith. The Seven Valleys, written in the year 1860 in Baghdad, explains the journey of the soul through seven stages of life that focus on finding the right path. The Four Valleys, written in the year 1857 in Baghdad, states qualities of the mystical wayfarers as the observance of laws of religion, journey to God by using logic and reason, with love of God and journey through reason, obedience and inspiration.

The Tipitaka

The Tipitaka was written around 1st century BCE, and is authoritative mainly in the Theravada Buddhism. Their focus is on the dress code, certain dietary rules to be followed, and the teachings of the Buddha.

The Bible

The Bible is considered a divine inspiration that records the relationship between God and humankind. The sacred text dates back to 4 th Century from when copies have been preserved in the Vatican Library, and includes the holy writing related to Jesus. It is regarded by Christians as the inerrant word of the God.

The Vedas and The Upanishads

The Vedas in their written form were compiled around 4,000 to 6,000 years ago. It includes the original texts known as Mantra and the commentary portion as Brahmana. It includes four Vedas with teachings, like the procedures of wedding in the Rig Veda, sacrificial rites in the Yajur Veda, chanting of songs of praise in the Sam Veda, and philosophical and political issues are a part of the Atharva Veda. The Upanishads, also known as Vedanta, are considered as ends of Vedas, and are spiritual contemplation of the same.

The Quran and The Hadiths

The Quran in Islam is regarded as the word of God that is revealed to Muhammad, and the Hadiths contains the saying of the Muhammad and his followers, as this is a kind of narrative. These are authoritative texts in Islam.

The Agamas

The Agamas are based on the tirthankara, which is itself related to the body of doctrines that come through authoritative teachers. These are fixed truths and a tradition without any discernible origin.

The Tanakh and The Talmud

The Tanakh is a collection of Jewish texts, and some of its source material serves as the basis for the Christian Bible's Old Testament. Many of the same divine teachings from the Bible are recorded in it. In the Talmud, rabbinic teachings are described which tell about the meaning of work and the prohibition of different types of work.

The Kojiki

This text, first translated into English in the year 1882 and first written in Japanese, is a record in the Shinto religion which explains the customs, ceremonies, and magical practices followed in Japan by Shintos.

The Guru Granth Sahib

This sacred text, first compiled between the years 1563 and 1606 by Guru Arjan, the fifth Sikh Guru, also includes the teachings of 13 Hindu Bhakti movements' saints, and two from Islam.

The Dao De Jing

It is a Chinese philosophical text, authored by Laozi in the 6th Century B.C.E. The Dao De Jing denotes many of the most important philosophical teachings of the religion in 81 chapters.

The Book of Shadows

The text includes magical rituals found in the Neopagan religion known as Wicca. The Wicca movement proliferated in early 20th Century England, and has now spread across large parts of the English-speaking world.

The Avesta

The Zoroastrian Avesta includes the law, teachings, and liturgy from the prophet Zarathushtra, and includes hymns, prayers, and minor texts.

Religions

Most Sacred Text(s)

Baha'i

The Seven Valleys and The Four Valleys

Buddhism

Tipitaka

Christianity

Christian Bible

Hinduism

The Vedas and The Upanishads

Islam

The Quran and The Hadiths

Jainism

The Agamas

Judaism

The Tanakh and The Talmud

Shintoism

Kojiki

Sikhism

Guru Granth Sahib

Taoism

Dao De Jing

Wicca

The Book of Shadows

Zoroastrianism

The Avesta

1. Home

2. Society

3. Sacred Texts Of Major World Religions

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Religious texts are those sacred and central to the teachings of almost every given religion. They are significant as these texts convey spiritual truth, establish a connection with the divine, foster communal identity, and provide the promotion of mystical experiences and spiritual practices.

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every person apart of a religion is ether a part of a community or is a community

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have faith towards each other (give people chances and trust them)

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certain diet like not eating somethings because its religion related, like milk,or certain meats

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Religious Dietary Restrictions: Essential Quick Reference Guide | Thrive!

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There are many religions with dietary restrictions and food traditions. Some are more famous than others, but all need to be respected and observed as closely as we are able when menu planning. This is your Thrive! religious dietary restrictions guide

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Ramadan,Grand Ceremony for Blessings,Hanukkah

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Embodying a culturally and spiritually diverse community, Drexel University recognizes that on the occasion of important or solemn religious days, certain of its members will observe practices that preclude them from attending to their regular duties whether as faculty members, staff or students. On the occasion of such days, it is important for all who do not share in these same practices to accommodate their colleagues and peers.

The University is committed to making every reasonable effort to accommodate religious observances, which include fasting and work restrictions in many religions. The Office of Equality and Diversity is available to provide information, resources and options about reasonable accommodations at any stage in the process. For more information, please view the University’s Religious Observances policy.

RELIGIOUS HOLIDAYS CALENDAR 2022

The following calendar provides a non-exhaustive list of globally recognized religious observances. Please note that Jewish and Islamic observances begin at sundown the evening before the date listed. Some of the dates may be approximate, as many holidays, such as Islamic and Hindu holy days, are based on the lunar calendar.

2022 Date | Holiday | Religion
| |
January 1 | Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God | Roman Catholic
January 1 | Oshogatsu | Shinto
January 6 | Epiphany or Three Kings Day | Christian
January 13 | Maghi | Sikh
January 14 | Makar Sankranti | Hindu
January 16 | World Religion Day | Baha'i
January 16 - 17 | Tu BiShvat | Judaism
February 1 - 2 | Imbolc | Pagan and Wiccan
February 3 | Setsubun | Shinto
February 1 | Lunar New Year | Buddhist
February 15 | Nirvana Day | Buddhist
March 2 - April 4 | Lent | Christian
March 2 | Ash Wednesday | Christian
February 25 - March 1 | Festival of Ayyam-i-Ha | Baha'i
March 16 | Ta'anit Esther | Judaism
March 16 - 17 | Purim | Judaism
February 16 | Magha Puja | Buddhist
March 1 | Maha Shivaratri | Hindu
March 1 | Lailat al Miraj | Islam
March 13 | Birthday of L. Ron Hubbard | Scientology
March 19 | Feast of St. Joseph | Roman Catholic
March 20 | Ostara | Pagan and Wiccan
March 20 - 21 | Naw Rúz | Baha'i/ Zoroastrian
April 15 - 23 | Passover | Judaism
April 10 | Palm Sunday | Christian
March 18 - 19 | Mid-Sha'ban | Islam
March 18 | Holi | Hindu/Sikh/Buddhist/Jain
March 18 - 20 | Hola Mohalla | Sikh
April 14 | Maundy (Holy) Thursday | Christian
April 15 | Good Friday | Christian
April 16 | Holy Saturday | Christian
April 17 | Easter Sunday | Christian
May 8 | Buddha's Birth | Buddhist
May 6 | Vesak | Buddhist
April 27 - 28 | Yom HaShoah | Judaism
April 2 - May 2 | Ramadan | Islam
April 14 | Vaisakhi | Hindu/ Sikh
May 3 - 4 | Yom HaZikaron | Judaism
May 4 - 5 | Yom HaAtzma'ut | Judaism
April 14 | Mahavir Jayanti | Jain
May 18 - 19 | Lag B'Omer | Judaism
May 1 | Beltaine | Pagan and Wiccan
April 24 | Easter/Pascha (Orthodox) | Christian
April 29 | Laylat al-Qadr | Islam
May 2 - 3 | Eid-al-Fitr | Islam
June 4 - 6 | Shavout | Judaism
June 5 | Pentecost Sunday | Christian
June 16 | Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev Sahib | Sikh
June 24 | Litha | Pagan and Wiccan
June 15 - 16 | Fast of Tammuz | Judaism
July 9 - 10 | Martyrdom of Báb | Baha'i
July 7 - 12 | The Hajj | Islam
August 5 - 6 | Tisha B' Av | Judaism
July 9 - 13 | Eid al-Adha | Islam
July 24 - 25 | Pioneer Day | Christian
August 1 | Lughnasadh | Pagan and Wiccan
July 29 - 30 | Islamic New Year | Islam
August 15 | Feast of Assumption | Roman Catholic
August 18 - 19 | Krishna Janmashtami | Hindu
September 25 - 27 | Rosh Hashanah | Judaism
September 28 | Tzom Gedaliah | Judaism
October 4 - 5 | Yom Kippur | Judaism
September 21 - 29 | Mabon | Pagan and Wiccan
September 16 - 17 | Arba'een | Islam
October 16 - 18 | Shemini Atzeret | Judaism
October 9 - 16 | Sukkot | Judaism
October 17 - 18 | Simchat Torah | Judaism
September 26 - October 5 | Navarati | Hindu
October 5 | Dussehra | Hindu
October 8 | Mawlid | Islam
October 31 - November 1 | Samhain | Pagan and Wiccan
November 1 | All Saints Day | Christian
November 2 | All Soul's Day | Christian
October 24 | Diwali | Hindu/Sikh/Jain
October 25 - 26 | Birthday of Báb | Baha'I
October 26 - 27 | Birthday of Baha'u'llah | Baha'i
November 24 | Martyrdom of Guru Bahadur | Sikh
December 18 - 26 | Hanukkah | Judaism
November 28 - January 6 | Christmas Fast | Christian
November 27 - December 24 | Advent | Christian
December 8 | Feast of the Immaculate Conception | Roman Catholic
January 10 | Bodhi Day | Buddhist
December 12 | Our Lady of Guadalupe (Feast Day) | Christian
December 16 - 24 | Las Posadas | Christian
December 21 - January 1 | Yule | Pagan and Wiccan
December 24 | Christmas Eve | Christian
December 25 | Christmas Day | Christian
December 26 | St. Stephen's Day | Christian

Policies & Calendars

Academic Policies

Academic Calendars

Administrative Calendars

Religious Observances Calendar

2021

2020

2019

2018

Faculty and Student Forms

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Religious Observances Calendar - Office of the Provost

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The Provost Office oversees all academic programs, as well as supporting academic and administrative offices. Discover more about Religious Observances Calendar 2022 today.

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respect for the human person is the main rule of “do as you would be done by”

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treat others the way you want to be treated

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improvement of your knowledge of your religion

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Islamic philosophy is a development in philosophy that is characterised by coming from an Islamic tradition. Two terms traditionally used in the Islamic world are sometimes translated as philosophy-falsafa , which refers to philosophy as well as logic, mathematics, and physics;[1] and Kalam , which refers to a rationalist form of Islamic theology.

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emphasized an inexorable link between science and religion and the process of ijtihad to find truth.

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Victoria Ziva Frappollo

Victoria Ziva Frappollo

1

Email author

1. 1. Department of Religious Studies McMaster University Hamilton Canada

Reference work entry

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-8265-8_1609

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Related Terms

Description

The relationship between Judaism and philosophy has historically been complex, dynamic, and, at various times, oppositional. Whereas Christianity, in its nascent formation, came almost immediately to think of itself in terms proffered by Hellenism, Judaism, understanding itself in its own terms as covenantal witness to the utterly transcendent and personal God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, has often found philosophy to be an alien mode of thinking in which that personal and covenant-making God is necessarily replaced by an abstract and impersonal first principle – which, to the Jewish mind, more resembles a thing than it resembles any person. Leo Strauss, in his well-known essay (Strauss 1983), asserted the fundamentally incompatible orientations of Athens and Jerusalem and affirmed the essential inability of philosophy to speak of God as God is known by Judaism or to provide epistemological justification for...

References

1. Borowitz, E. (1983). Choices in Modern Jewish Thought: A Partisan Guide. Behrman House.Google Scholar

2. Frank, D. H., & Leaman, O. (Eds.). (2003). The Cambridge companion to medieval Jewish philosophy. New York: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar

3. Husik, I. (1948). A history of medieval Jewish philosophy. Philadelphia: JPS.Google Scholar

4. Manekin, C. (Ed.). (2007). Medieval Jewish philosophical writings (Cambridge texts in the history of philosophy). New York: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar

5. Samuelson, N. M. (1976). Medieval Jewish thought: the philosophies of Judaism. Charlottesville: University of Virginia School of Continuing Education Independent Study Department, Fall.Google Scholar

6. Samuelson, N. M. (1989). An introduction to modern Jewish philosophy. Albany: State University of New York Press.Google Scholar

7. Samuelson, N. M. (2004). Jewish faith and modern science: On the death and rebirth of Jewish philosophy (p. 4). New York: Rowman & Littlefield.Google Scholar

8. Samuelson, N. M. (2009). Jewish faith and modern science: on the death and rebirth of Jewish philosophy. New York: Rowman & Littlefield.Google Scholar

9. Seeskin, K. (Ed.). (2005). The Cambridge companion to Maimonides. New York: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar

10. Strauss, L. (1983) “Preliminary Observations on the Gods in Thucydides’ Work,” Leo Strauss. In T. Pangle (Ed.), Studies in platonic political philosophy. Chicago: Universityof Chicago Press.Google Scholar

Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2013

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Jewish philosophy; Jewish theology; Jewish thought The relationship between Judaism and philosophy has historically been complex, dynamic, and, at various times, oppositional. Whereas Christianity, in...

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"human reason, while limited, is a gift of God and that the Torah teaches nothing that is contrary to reason"

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The Prophet Muhammad

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Islam teaches that there is life after death, and this is known as . In Islam, it is who decides when a person dies and most Muslims believe that when they die, they will stay in their graves until , the . On that day, they will be raised from their graves and brought before Allah and judged on how they lived their earthly lives. This belief is known as the resurrection of the body.

Those who have performed more good deeds than bad will enter , or . Jannah is a place described as a 'garden of everlasting bliss' and a 'home of peace'. In Jannah there will be no sickness, pain or sadness.

Those who have performed more bad deeds than good will enter or Hell. This is a place of physical and spiritual suffering.

Muslims believe that Allah is forgiving, merciful and compassionate, so not all bad actions will be punished. Allah will forgive those who have repented for their sins and those who have done some good in their lives, for example showing kindness to others.

There are, however, some sins that many Muslims believe to be unforgivable. These include the sin of .

Why do Muslims believe in life after death?

Muslims believe that Allah is in charge of their lives and decides how long they will live. The Qur'an says:

Nor can a soul die except by Allah's leave. The term being fixed as by writing.

People's deeds will be taken into account on the Day of Judgement. The Qur'an states that the good will receive reward, while the bad will receive punishment:

Of the good that they do nothing will be rejected of them; for Allah knoweth well those that do right. Those who reject faith - neither their possessions nor their (numerous) progeny will avail them aught against Allah: they will be companions of the fire, dwelling therein forever. Qur'an 3:115-3:116

Belief in life after death is central to the meaning and purpose of most Muslims' lives. Many Muslims believe that they are on this earth for a relatively short time and during this time they are preparing themselves for life after death. They view this life as a test and try to do as many good deeds as they can. In order to get to Jannah, they must also fulfil their Islamic obligations.

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What does Islam teach about life after death? - Life after death - GCSE Religious Studies Revision - BBC Bitesize

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Islam teaches that there is life after death, and this is known as . In Islam, it is who decides when a person dies and most Muslims believe that when they die, they will stay in their graves until , the .

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Islams believe in a after life

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Template:Jewish and Israeli holidays | Wikiwand

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Islam believes there is a god and that he is the creator of all things

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Islam teaches the importance of both belief and practice; one is insufficient without the other (except for some Sufis). The following six beliefs are those that are commonly held by Muslims, as laid out in the Quran and hadith.

Six Major Beliefs
Belief in the Divine Decree: This article of faith addresses the question of God's will. It can be expressed as the belief that everything is governed by divine decree, namely that whatever happens in one's life is preordained, and that believers should respond to the good or bad that befalls them with thankfulness or patience. This concept does not negate the concept of "free will;" since humans do not have prior knowledge of God's decree, they do have freedom of choice.

Muslims are asked to put their beliefs into practice by performing certain acts of worship. As in all faiths, since adherence to religious obligations and practices is a matter of individual choice, some people are very strict in performing these duties, while others are not.

The five pillars or acts of worship in Islam

Fasting (sawm): Muslims are required to fast from dawn to sunset during the month of Ramadan, the ninth month of the lunar calendar. People gather in the evenings for a festive breaking of the fast. When fasting, Muslims refrain from food, liquid, and sexual activity. During Ramadan, Muslims are also supposed to abstain from negative behaviors such as lying, gossip, petty arguments, and negative thoughts or behaviors, including getting angry. Muslims are required to start fasting when they reach puberty, although some younger children may also fast. People who are sick, traveling, menstruating, and pregnant or nursing may break their fast, but may make up the days later in the year. The elderly and people with disabilities are excused from fasting.

Ramadan was the month in which the revelation of the Quran to Muhammad began. Therefore Muslims are encouraged to read the Quran during this month and often gather in the evenings in mosques to listen to recitations from the Quran.

Eid al-Fitr (eed' al fi'-ter), or the "Festival of the Fast-Breaking," one of the major Muslim holidays, celebrates the completion of the Ramadan fast and occurs on the first day of the month after Ramadan. This is a day of celebration, prayers, feasts and gift giving.

Pilgrimage to Mecca (hajj): Every Muslim is required to make the pilgrimage to Mecca, located in Saudi Arabia, once in their lifetime if financially and physically able. Mecca is home to the first house of worship of God, the Kaaba, said to have been built by the prophet Abraham and his son Ishmael. Muslims all over the world face towards the Kaaba when they pray. All outward symbols of rank and wealth are erased during the pilgrimage, as Muslim from every part of the globe come together for the purpose of worshipping God. Muslims who complete the pilgrimage are referred to as "Hajji" and greeted with great celebration and respect in their communities when they return.

Eid al-Adha (eed' al ad'-ha), or the "Festival of the Sacrifice," is the second major holiday in Islam. It falls on the tenth day of the month at the conclusion of the pilgrimage, and is celebrated by all Muslims with special prayers, feasts, gifts and the sacrifice of an animal (usually a lamb or goat). The meat is distributed to relatives, friends and the needy.

Islam contains many rules for daily life and human relationships. The first source of these rules is the Quran and the second is the hadith or reports of the prophet Muhammad's words or actions.

Conversion to Islam: Muslims are encouraged to share their faith with others. However, Muslims are told not to attack others' beliefs or engage in conflicts or debates about matters of religion. There is no formal ceremony for conversion. People must merely believe in and recite the shahada to convert to Islam.

Contrary to how popular culture portrays Muslim women's rights and privileges, Islam gives women many rights, including the right to inherit, to work outside the home, and to be educated. As in all cultures and communities, these rights are often violated. This is the result of the intersection of Islam with existing cultural norms, which may reflect male-dominated societies. In Muslim communities, women often have a strong influence in the family, the workplace, the religion and society in general. This section provides an overview of women's roles and rights in several areas.

Marriage: Since men and women are not supposed to date, parents arrange marriages in some Muslim countries. However, the ultimate decision lies with the prospective couple. In Western countries, prospective spouses usually meet in a family setting or a public place, and often choose their partner on their own, although they still seek the approval of their parents.

Marriage in Islam is a mutual contract between a man and a woman to live together according to the teachings of Islam and to bring up their children in their faith. According to Islamic law, the man is completely responsible for taking care of his wife's and children's financial needs. A woman's earnings are hers to spend as she chooses, although she may contribute to the expenses of the household if she wishes. Although Islam permits men to practice polygamy, it is an exception, not the norm, and carries the condition that a man must treat his wives equally. Since the Quran says that no man can treat more than one wife equally, many Muslims consider polygamy forbidden.

Relations between Men and Women: Islam requires that Muslim men and women observe modesty in their interactions. Muslim men and women should relate as brothers and sisters, and avoid any interaction that might lead to sexual or romantic activity prior to marriage. Although this prohibition is often affected by Westernized ideas, Islam requires that both men and women remain chaste until marriage.

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Teachers Guide - Muslims | Teacher Center | FRONTLINE | PBS

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Islam teaches the importance of both belief and practice; one is insufficient without the other (except for some Sufis). The following six beliefs are those that are commonly held by Muslims, as laid out in the Quran and hadith. Six Major Beliefs Belief in the Divine Decree: This article of faith addresses the question of God's will.

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Islam is tied to the government

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Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project

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Muslims around the world express broad support for democracy and for people of other faiths being able to practice their religion freely. At the same time, many Muslims say religious leaders should influence political matters and see Islamic political parties as just as good or better than other political parties.

Many Muslims express concern about religious extremist groups operating in their country. On balance, more Muslims are concerned about Islamic than Christian extremist groups. And while the vast majority of Muslims in most countries say suicide bombing is rarely or never justified to defend Islam against its enemies, substantial minorities in a few countries consider such violence justifiable in at least some circumstances.

Democracy

In 31 of the 37 countries where the question was asked at least half of Muslims believe a democratic government, rather than a leader with a strong hand, is best able to address their country's problems.

Support for democracy tends to be highest among Muslims in sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia. In 12 of the 16 countries surveyed in sub-Saharan Africa, roughly two-thirds or more prefer a democratic government, including nearly nine-in-ten (87%) in Ghana. Fewer, though still a majority, prefer democracy over a strong leader in Guinea Bissau (61%), Niger (57%) and Tanzania (57%). In Southeast Asia, more than six-in-ten Muslims in Malaysia (67%), Thailand (64%) and Indonesia (61%) also prefer democracy.

In the Middle East and North Africa, at least three-quarters of Muslims support democracy in Lebanon (81%) and Tunisia (75%). At least half in Egypt (55%), the Palestinian territories (55%) and Iraq (54%) do so as well.

Attitudes vary somewhat in the other regions surveyed. In South Asia, the percentage of Muslims who say a democratic government is better able to solve their country's problems ranges from 70% in Bangladesh to 29% in Pakistan. In Central Asia, at least half of Muslims in Tajikistan (76%), Turkey (67%), Kazakhstan (52%) and Azerbaijan (51%) prefer democracy over a leader with a strong hand, while far fewer in Kyrgyzstan (32%) say the same.

In Southern and Eastern Europe, support for democracy is much higher among Muslims in Kosovo (76%) and Albania (69%) than in Bosnia-Herzegovina (47%) and Russia (35%), where a majority of Muslims favor a powerful leader.

Views about the better type of government differ little by frequency of prayer, age, gender or education level.

Religious Freedom

Muslims generally say they are very free to practice their religion. Most also believe non-Muslims in their country are very free to practice their faith. And among those who view non-Muslims as very free to practice their faith, the prevailing opinion is that this is a good thing.

Muslims in Southeast Asia, South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa are particularly likely to say they are "very free" to practice their faith. Roughly seven-in-ten or more Muslims in each country surveyed in these regions hold this view.

There is more variation in the Middle East-North Africa region, where Muslims in Iraq (48%) and Egypt (46%) are much less likely than Muslims in Lebanon (90%) and Morocco (88%) to believe they are able to practice Islam very freely. Muslims in Uzbekistan (39%) are the least likely among the Muslim populations surveyed to say they are very free to practice their faith.

In addition to freedom for themselves, most Muslims believe individuals from other religions are able to practice their faith openly. In 33 of the 38 countries where the question was asked at least half say people of other faiths are very free to practice their religion. (This question was not asked in Afghanistan.)

Muslims in Central Asia and the Middle East and North Africa are generally less likely to believe non-Muslims can practice their faith freely. Fewer than half in Kyrgyzstan (48%), Tajikistan (47%) and Uzbekistan (26%), for example, say others are able to practice their faith openly. Similarly, in the Middle East-North Africa region, fewer than four-in-ten Muslims in Iraq (37%) and Egypt (31%) believe non-Muslims are free to practice their religion.

In 15 of the countries surveyed, Muslims are significantly more likely to say they themselves are very free to practice their religion than to say the same about people of other faiths. The gaps are particularly wide in Jordan (-22 percentage points), Kyrgyzstan (-20), Turkey (-20) and Egypt (-15).

Overall, Muslims broadly support the idea of religious freedom. Among Muslims who say people of different religions are very free to practice their faith, three-quarters or more in each country say this is a good thing.

Religious Leaders' Role in Politics

Compared with support for democracy and religious freedom, sharper regional differences emerge over the question of the role of religious leaders in politics. The prevailing view among Muslims in Southeast Asia, South Asia and the Middle East-North Africa region is that religious leaders should have at least some influence in political matters. By contrast, this is the minority view in most of the countries surveyed in Central Asia and Southern and Eastern Europe. With the notable exception of Afghanistan, fewer than half of Muslims in any country surveyed say religious leaders should have a large influence in politics.

Support for religious leaders having a say in political matters is particularly high in Southeast Asia. At least three-quarters of Muslims in Malaysia (82%) and Indonesia (75%) believe religious leaders should influence political matters, including substantial percentages who say they should play a large role (41% and 30%, respectively).

In South Asia, a large majority in Afghanistan (82%) and Bangladesh (69%) believe religious leaders ought to influence political matters, while 54% of Pakistani Muslims agree. Afghan Muslims are the most likely among the populations surveyed to say religious leaders should have a large influence on politics (53%), while roughly a quarter of Muslims in Pakistan (27%) and Bangladesh (25%) express this view.

In the Middle East-North Africa region, a majority of Muslims in most countries surveyed say religious leaders should play a role in politics. Support is highest among Muslims in Jordan (80%), Egypt (75%) and the Palestinian territories (72%). Roughly six-in-ten in Tunisia (58%) and Iraq (57%) agree. Lebanese Muslims are significantly less supportive; 37% think religious leaders should have at least some role in political matters, while 62% disagree. In each country in the region except Lebanon, about a quarter or more say religious leaders should have a large influence on politics, including 37% in Jordan.

Muslims in Southern and Eastern Europe and Central Asia tend to be less supportive of a role for religious leaders in political matters. Only in Russia does a majority (58%) believe religious leaders should have at least some influence. Meanwhile, Muslims in Kyrgyzstan are divided over the issue (46% say religious leaders should have an influence on political matters, 51% disagree). In the other countries surveyed in these two regions, fewer than four-in-ten Muslims believe religious leaders should have a role in politics.

In some countries, Muslims who pray several times a day are more likely than those who pray less often to say religious leaders should influence political matters. The gap is particularly large in Lebanon, where 51% of Muslims who pray several times a day believe religious leaders should have at least some political influence, compared with 13% of those who pray less often.

Islamic Political Parties

In most countries where the question was asked at least half of Muslims rate Islamic parties as better than, or about the same, as other political parties.

The percentage of Muslims who say Islamic parties are better than other political parties is highest in Egypt (55%), Tunisia (55%) and Afghanistan (54%), although at least four-in-ten share this view in Jordan (46%), Malaysia (43%) and Bangladesh (41%). By contrast, fewer than a quarter of Muslims view Islamic parties more favorably than other parties in the Palestinian territories (21%), Kosovo (16%), Bosnia-Herzegovina (12%), Azerbaijan (11%) and Kazakhstan (9%).

In all countries where the question was asked, substantial percentages of Muslims rate Islamic parties as the same as other political parties, including at least half in Indonesia (57%) and Lebanon (51%). Elsewhere, at least one-in-five rate Islamic and other political parties the same.

Relatively few Muslims consider Islamic parties to be worse than other political parties. Only in the Palestinian territories (29%), Azerbaijan (27%) and Turkey (26%) do more than a quarter subscribe to this view.

In many countries, favorable assessments of Islamic political parties track with support for religious leaders having an influence on politics. In Lebanon, for example, Muslims who say religious leaders should have at least some political influence are 53 percentage points more likely than those who disagree to say Islamic parties are better (63% vs. 10%). In 15 of the other countries surveyed, similar double-digit gaps emerge over the question of Islamic parties, with those who support a role for religious leaders in politics consistently more favorable toward Islamic political parties.

Views on the role of religion in politics may not be the only factor affecting attitudes toward Islamic parties. Local political circumstances may also influence opinions on this question. Both Tunisia and Egypt, for example, experienced major political upheavals in 2011, with Islamic parties emerging as the dominant political blocs. At the time of the surveys in Tunisia and Egypt, Muslims who said they were satisfied with the direction of the country were significantly more likely than those who were dissatisfied to say Islamic political parties are better than other political parties (+24 percentage points in Tunisia and +11 in Egypt).

Concern About Religious Extremism

At least half of Muslims in 22 of the 36 countries where the question was asked say they are at least somewhat concerned about religious extremist groups in their country. In most countries, Muslims are much more worried about Islamic extremists than Christian extremists. Substantial proportions in some countries, including countries surveyed in the Middle East and North Africa, express concern about both Muslim and Christian extremist groups.

The survey finds widespread concern about religious extremism in Southeast Asia, South Asia and the Middle East-North Africa region. In nearly every country surveyed in these regions, at least half of Muslims say they are very concerned or somewhat concerned about extremist groups. In Indonesia, nearly eight-in-ten Muslims say they are worried about religious extremism (78%), including more than half (53%) who are worried about Islamic extremists. In Malaysia, too, a majority of Muslims (63%) are worried about extremist groups; however, more Malaysian Muslims express concerns about Christian than Muslim groups (31% vs. 8%). In the Middle East-North Africa region, on balance, Muslims are more concerned about Islamic than Christian extremist groups, but more than one-in-five in most countries surveyed in the region are worried about both Islamic and Christian groups.

At least half in nine of the 16 countries surveyed in sub-Saharan Africa also say they are concerned about religious extremism. And in most countries, Islamic extremism rather than Christian extremism is the principal worry. For example, in Guinea Bissau, more than half of Muslims (54%) say they are at least somewhat concerned about Islamic extremist groups; in Ghana 45% say the same, as do roughly a third of Muslims in Djibouti (36%), Chad (33%), Kenya (33%) and Niger (32%).

In Southern and Eastern Europe, worries about religious extremism are most widespread in Bosnia-Herzegovina, where more than six-in-ten (63%) are at least somewhat concerned about religious extremist groups, including 27% who are specifically concerned about Islamic extremists. A similar proportion of Muslims (30%) in Bosnia-Herzegovina are worried about both Muslim and Christian groups in the country. Fewer than half say they are very or somewhat concerned about religious extremist groups in Russia (46%), Kosovo (45%) and Albania (21%).

In Central Asia, the percentage of Muslims concerned about religious extremism ranges from roughly six-in-ten in Kazakhstan (63%) and Kyrgyzstan (62%) to fewer than one-in-ten in Azerbaijan (6%). In most of the countries surveyed in the region, worries about Islamic extremists are more common than are concerns about Christian extremists, although one-in-five in Kyrgyzstan are concerned about extremists of both faiths.

Suicide Bombing

In most of the 21 countries where the question was asked few Muslims endorse suicide bombing and other forms of violence against civilian targets as a means of defending Islam against its enemies. But in a few countries, substantial minorities believe suicide bombing can be often justified or sometimes justified.

Muslims in some countries surveyed in South Asia and the Middle East-North Africa region are more likely than Muslims elsewhere to consider suicide bombing justified. Four-in-ten Palestinian Muslims see suicide bombing as often or sometimes justified, while roughly half (49%) take the opposite view. In Egypt, about three-in-ten (29%) consider suicide bombing justified at least sometimes. Elsewhere in the region, fewer Muslims believe such violence is often or sometimes justified, including fewer than one-in-five in Jordan (15%) and about one-in-ten in Tunisia (12%), Morocco (9%) and Iraq (7%).

In Afghanistan, a substantial minority of Muslims (39%) say that this form of violence against civilian targets is often or sometimes justifiable in defense of Islam. In Bangladesh, more than a quarter of Muslims (26%) take this view. Support for suicide bombing is lower in Pakistan (13%).

In the countries surveyed in Central Asia and Southern and Eastern Europe, fewer than one-in-six Muslims consider suicide bombing justified in Turkey (15%), Kosovo (11%) and Kyrgyzstan (10%). Elsewhere in these two regions, even fewer say this tactic can be justified.

In Southeast Asia, Malaysian Muslims are more likely than Indonesian Muslims to consider suicide bombing justifiable (18% vs. 7%).
Footnotes:
20 The survey in Egypt was conducted Nov. 14-Dec. 18, 2011. Parliamentary elections were held in November 2011 through January 2012, and the Islamist Freedom and Justice Party was declared the winner of a plurality of seats in January 2012. The survey in Tunisia was conducted Nov. 10-Dec. 7, 2011. The Islamist party Ennahda won a plurality of seats in the Constituent Assembly elections in October 2011, and the Constituent Assembly met for the first time in November 2011. (return to text)

Photo Credit: © Scott E Barbour

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Muslims around the world express broad support for democracy and for people of other faiths being able to practice their religion freely. At the same time, many Muslims say religious leaders should influence political matters and see Islamic political parties as just as good or better than other political parties.

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Islam, major world religion promulgated by the Prophet Muhammad in Arabia in the 7th century ce. The Arabic term islām, literally "surrender," illuminates the fundamental religious idea of Islam-that the believer (called a Muslim, from the active particle of islām) accepts surrender to the will of Allah (in Arabic, Allāh: God). Allah is viewed as the sole God-creator, sustainer, and restorer of the world. The will of Allah, to which human beings must submit, is made known through the sacred scriptures, the Qurʾān (often spelled Koran in English), which Allah revealed to his messenger, Muhammad. In Islam Muhammad is considered the last of a series of prophets (including Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Solomon, and Jesus), and his message simultaneously consummates and completes the "revelations" attributed to earlier prophets.

Retaining its emphasis on an uncompromising monotheism and a strict adherence to certain essential religious practices, the religion taught by Muhammad to a small group of followers spread rapidly through the Middle East to Africa, Europe, the Indian subcontinent, the Malay Peninsula, and China. By the early 21st century there were more than 1.5 billion Muslims worldwide. Although many sectarian movements have arisen within Islam, all Muslims are bound by a common faith and a sense of belonging to a single community.

This article deals with the fundamental beliefs and practices of Islam and with the connection of religion and society in the Islamic world. The history of the various peoples who embraced Islam is covered in the article Islamic world.

The foundations of Islam

The legacy of Muhammad

From the very beginning of Islam, Muhammad had inculcated a sense of brotherhood and a bond of faith among his followers, both of which helped to develop among them a feeling of close relationship that was accentuated by their experiences of persecution as a nascent community in Mecca. The strong attachment to the tenets of the Qurʾānic revelation and the conspicuous socioeconomic content of Islamic religious practices cemented this bond of faith. In 622 ce, when the Prophet migrated to Medina, his preaching was soon accepted, and the community-state of Islam emerged. During this early period, Islam acquired its characteristic ethos as a religion uniting in itself both the spiritual and temporal aspects of life and seeking to regulate not only the individual's relationship to God (through conscience) but human relationships in a social setting as well. Thus, there is not only an Islamic religious institution but also an Islamic law, state, and other institutions governing society. Not until the 20th century were the religious (private) and the secular (public) distinguished by some Muslim thinkers and separated formally in certain places such as Turkey.

This dual religious and social character of Islam, expressing itself in one way as a religious community commissioned by God to bring its own value system to the world through the jihād ("exertion," commonly translated as "holy war" or "holy struggle"), explains the astonishing success of the early generations of Muslims. Within a century after the Prophet's death in 632 ce, they had brought a large part of the globe-from Spain across Central Asia to India-under a new Arab Muslim empire.

The period of Islamic conquests and empire building marks the first phase of the expansion of Islam as a religion. Islam's essential egalitarianism within the community of the faithful and its official discrimination against the followers of other religions won rapid converts. Jews and Christians were assigned a special status as communities possessing scriptures and were called the "people of the Book" (ahl al-kitāb) and, therefore, were allowed religious autonomy. They were, however, required to pay a per capita tax called jizyah, as opposed to pagans, who were required to either accept Islam or die. The same status of the "people of the Book" was later extended in particular times and places to Zoroastrians and Hindus, but many "people of the Book" joined Islam in order to escape the disability of the jizyah. A much more massive expansion of Islam after the 12th century was inaugurated by the Sufis (Muslim mystics), who were mainly responsible for the spread of Islam in India, Central Asia, Turkey, and sub-Saharan Africa ( see below).

Beside the jihad and Sufi missionary activity, another factor in the spread of Islam was the far-ranging influence of Muslim traders, who not only introduced Islam quite early to the Indian east coast and South India but also proved to be the main catalytic agents (beside the Sufis) in converting people to Islam in Indonesia, Malaya, and China. Islam was introduced to Indonesia in the 14th century, hardly having time to consolidate itself there politically before the region came under Dutch hegemony.

The vast variety of races and cultures embraced by Islam (an estimated total of more than 1.5 billion persons worldwide in the early 21st century) has produced important internal differences. All segments of Muslim society, however, are bound by a common faith and a sense of belonging to a single community. With the loss of political power during the period of Western colonialism in the 19th and 20th centuries, the concept of the Islamic community (ummah), instead of weakening, became stronger. The faith of Islam helped various Muslim peoples in their struggle to gain political freedom in the mid-20th century, and the unity of Islam contributed to later political solidarity.

Sources of Islamic doctrinal and social views

Islamic doctrine, law, and thinking in general are based upon four sources, or fundamental principles (uṣūl): (1) the Qurʾān, (2) the Sunnah ("Traditions"), (3) ijmāʿ ("consensus"), and (4) ijtihād ("individual thought").

The Qurʾān (literally, "reading" or "recitation") is regarded as the verbatim word, or speech, of God delivered to Muhammad by the archangel Gabriel. Divided into 114 suras (chapters) of unequal length, it is the fundamental source of Islamic teaching. The suras revealed at Mecca during the earliest part of Muhammad's career are concerned mostly with ethical and spiritual teachings and the Day of Judgment. The suras revealed at Medina at a later period in the career of the Prophet are concerned for the most part with social legislation and the politico-moral principles for constituting and ordering the community.

Sunnah ("a well-trodden path") was used by pre-Islamic Arabs to denote their tribal or common law. In Islam it came to mean the example of the Prophet-i.e., his words and deeds as recorded in compilations known as Hadith (in Arabic, Ḥadīth: literally, "report"; a collection of sayings attributed to the Prophet). Hadith provide the written documentation of the Prophet's words and deeds. Six of these collections, compiled in the 3rd century ah (9th century ce), came to be regarded as especially authoritative by the largest group in Islam, the Sunnis. Another large group, the Shiʿah, has its own Hadith contained in four canonical collections.

The doctrine of ijmāʿ, or consensus, was introduced in the 2nd century ah (8th century ce) in order to standardize legal theory and practice and to overcome individual and regional differences of opinion. Though conceived as a "consensus of scholars," ijmāʿ was in actual practice a more fundamental operative factor. From the 3rd century ah ijmāʿ has amounted to a principle of stability in thinking; points on which consensus was reached in practice were considered closed and further substantial questioning of them prohibited. Accepted interpretations of the Qurʾān and the actual content of the Sunnah (i.e., Hadith and theology) all rest finally on the ijmāʿ in the sense of the acceptance of the authority of their community.

Ijtihād, meaning "to endeavour" or "to exert effort," was required to find the legal or doctrinal solution to a new problem. In the early period of Islam, because ijtihād took the form of individual opinion (raʾy), there was a wealth of conflicting and chaotic opinions. In the 2nd century ah ijtihād was replaced by qiyās (reasoning by strict analogy), a formal procedure of deduction based on the texts of the Qurʾān and the Hadith. The transformation of ijmāʿ into a conservative mechanism and the acceptance of a definitive body of Hadith virtually closed the "gate of ijtihād" in Sunni Islam while ijtihād continued in Shiʿism. Nevertheless, certain outstanding Muslim thinkers (e.g., al-Ghazālī in the 11th-12th century) continued to claim the right of new ijtihād for themselves, and reformers in the 18th-20th centuries, because of modern influences, caused this principle once more to receive wider acceptance.

The Qurʾān and Hadith are discussed below. The significance of ijmāʿ and ijtihād are discussed below in the contexts of Islamic theology, philosophy, and law.

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Islam | Religion, Beliefs, Practices, & Facts

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Islam, major world religion that emphasizes monotheism, the unity of God ('Allah' in Arabic), and Muhammad as his final messenger in a series of revelations. As the literal word of God, the Qur'an makes known the will of God, to which humans must surrender (lending the name Islam, meaning 'surrender').

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The Quran is the holy book of the Islamic world. Collected over a 23-year period during the 7th century C.E., the Quran is said to consist of Allah's revelations to the prophet Muhammad, transmitted through the angel Gabriel. Those revelations were written down by scribes as Muhammad pronounced them during his ministry, and his followers continued to recite them after his death. At the behest of the Caliph Abu Bakr, the chapters and verses were collected into a book in 632 C.E; that version of the book, written in Arabic, has been the holy book of Islam for over 13 centuries.

Islam is an Abrahamic religion, meaning that, like Christianity and Judaism, it reveres the biblical patriarch Abraham and his descendants and followers.

The Quran

Organization

The Quran is divided into 114 chapters of different topics and lengths, known as surah. Each surah is made up of verses, known as ayat (or ayah). The shortest surah is Al-Kawthar, made up of only three verses; the longest is Al-Baqara, with 286 verses. The chapters are classified as Meccan or Medinan, based on whether they were written before Muhammad's pilgrimage to Mecca (Medinan), or afterward (Meccan). The 28 Medinan chapters are mainly concerned with the social life and growth of the Muslim community; the 86 Meccan deal with faith and the afterlife.

The Quran is also broken into 30 equal sections, or juz'. These sections are organized so that the reader can study the Quran over the course of a month. During the month of Ramadan, Muslims are recommended to complete at least one full reading of the Quran from cover to cover. The ajiza (plural of juz') serve as a guide to accomplish that task.

The themes of the Quran are interwoven throughout the chapters, rather than presented in chronological or thematic order. Readers may utilize a concordance-an index that lists each usage of every word in the Quran-to look for particular themes or topics.

Creation According to the Quran

Although the story of the creation in the Quran does say "Allah created the heavens and the earth, and all that is between them, in six days," the Arabic term " yawm" ("day") might be better translated as "period." Yawm is defined as different lengths at different times. The original couple, Adam and Hawa, are looked upon as the parents of the human race: Adam is a prophet of Islam and his wife Hawa or Hawwa (Arabic for Eve) is the mother of the human race.

Women in the Quran

Like the other Abrahamic religions, there are many women in the Quran. Only one is explicitly named: Mariam. Mariam is the mother of Jesus, who himself is a prophet in the Muslim faith. Other women who are mentioned but not named include the wives of Abraham (Sara, Hajar) and Asiya (Bithiah in the Hadith), the wife of the Pharaoh, foster mother to Moses.

The Quran and the New Testament

The Quran doesn't reject Christianity or Judaism, but rather refers to Christians as "people of the book," meaning people who received and believe in the revelations from God's prophets. Verses highlight commonalities between Christians and Muslims but consider Jesus a prophet, not a god, and warns Christians that worshiping Christ as a god is sliding into polytheism: Muslims see Allah as the only one true God.

"Surely those who believe, and those who are Jews, and the Christians, and the Sabians-whoever believes in God and the Last Day and does good, they shall have their reward from their Lord. And there will be no fear for them, nor shall they grieve" (2:62, 5:69, and many other verses).

Mary and Jesus

Mariam, as the mother of Jesus Christ is called in the Quran, is a righteous woman in her own right: The 19th chapter of the Quran is entitled The Chapter of Mary, and describes the Muslim version of the immaculate conception of Christ.

Jesus is called 'Isa in the Quran, and many stories found in the New Testament are in the Quran as well, including those stories of his miraculous birth, his teachings, and the miracles he performed. The main difference is that in the Quran, Jesus is a prophet sent by God, not his son.

Getting Along in the World: Interfaith Dialogue

Juz' 7 of the Quran is dedicated, among other things, to an interfaith dialogue. While Abraham and the other prophets call upon the people to have faith and leave false idols, the Quran asks believers to bear the rejection of Islam by nonbelievers with patience and not to take it personally.

"But if Allah had willed, they would not have associated. And We have not appointed you over them as a guardian, nor are you a manager over them." (6:107)

Modern critics of Islam say the Quran promotes terrorism. Although written during a period of commonplace inter-trial violence and vengeance, the Quran actively promotes justice, peace, and restraint. It explicitly admonishes believers to refrain from falling into sectarian violence -violence against one's brothers.

"As for those who divide their religion and break up into sects, you have no part of them in the least. Their affair is with Allah; He will, in the end, tell them the truth of all that they did." (6:159)

The Arabic Language of the Quran

The Arabic text of the original Arabic Quran is identical and unchanged since its revelation in the 7th century C.E. About 90 percent of Muslims around the world do not speak Arabic as a native tongue, and there are many translations of the Quran available in English and other languages. However, for reciting prayers and reading chapters and verses in the Quran, Muslims do use Arabic to participate as part of their shared faith.

Reading and Recitation

The Prophet Muhammad instructed his followers to "beautify the Quran with your voices" (Abu Dawud). Recitation of the Quran in a group is a common practice, and the precise and melodious undertaking is a way adherents preserve and share its messages.

While many English translations of the Quran contain footnotes, certain passages may need extra explanation or need to be placed in a more complete context. If needed, students use the Tafseer, an exegesis or commentary, to provide more information.

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A Brief Introduction to the Quran, the Holy Book of Islam

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The Quran is the holy book of the Islamic world. Collected over a 23-year period during the 7th century C.E., the Quran is said to consist of Allah's revelations to the prophet Muhammad, transmitted through the angel Gabriel. Those revelations were written down by scribes as Muhammad pronounced them during his ministry, and his followers continued to recite them after his death.

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founded in the year 610

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Islam has a holy book called The Qur'an

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Mecca, in modern-day Saudi Arabia

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"In addition to imagining ideal forms of governance, the rabbis accept a principle to obey the government currently in power."

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The relationship between Judaism and politics is a historically complex subject, and has evolved over time concurrently with both changes within Jewish society and religious practice, and changes in the general society of places where Jewish people live. In particular, Jewish political thought can be split into four major eras: Biblical , Rabbinic , Medieval , and Modern .

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(Rosh Hashanah,Yom Kippur,Sukkot, ETC

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Jews believe in order to have a after life "all efforts should be made to repair the world around us"
the after life is called "olam ha-ba" or "world to come"

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-any animals killed has to have a quick death,like strike across the neck with a sharp blade
-a jew can't have a meal with both meat and milk in it
-for boy and girls they have a "coming of age ceremony" 3 for boys 1 for girls

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6th century BCE
Judaism is also one of the oldest and most significant religions around the world

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Table of Contents

Hebrew Bible, also called Hebrew Scriptures, Old Testament, or Tanakh, collection of writings that was first compiled and preserved as the sacred books of the Jewish people. It also constitutes a large portion of the Christian Bible, known as the Old Testament. Except for a few passages in Aramaic, appearing mainly in the apocalyptic Book of Daniel, these scriptures were written originally in Hebrew during the period from 1200 to 100 bce. The Hebrew Bible probably reached its current form about the 2nd century ce.

A brief treatment of the Hebrew Bible follows. For full treatment, see biblical literature.

General outline and major themes

In its general framework, the Hebrew Bible is the account of God's dealing with the Jews as his chosen people, who collectively called themselves Israel. After an account of the world's creation by God and the emergence of human civilization, the first six books narrate not only the history but the genealogy of the people of Israel to the conquest and settlement of the Promised Land under the terms of God's covenant with Abraham, whom God promised to make the progenitor of a great nation. This covenant was subsequently renewed by Abraham's son Isaac and grandson Jacob (whose byname Israel became the collective name of his descendants and whose sons, according to legend, fathered the 13 Israelite tribes) and centuries later by Moses (from the Israelite tribe of Levi). The following seven books continue their story in the Promised Land, describing the people's constant apostasy and breaking of the covenant, the establishment and development of the monarchy in order to counter this, and the warnings by the prophets both of impending divine punishment and exile and of Israel's need to repent. The last 11 books contain poetry, theology, and some additional history.

Book of Job Courtesy of the trustees of the British Museum; photograph, J.R. Freeman & Co. Ltd.

The Hebrew Bible is the literature of faith, not of scientific observation or historical demonstration. God's existence as a speculative problem has no interest for the biblical writers. What is problematical for them is the human condition and destiny before God. The great biblical themes are about God, his revealed works of creation, provision, judgment, deliverance, his covenant, and his promises. The Hebrew Bible sees what happens to humankind in the light of God's nature, righteousness, faithfulness, mercy, and love. The major themes about humankind relate to humanity's rebellion, estrangement, and perversion; humankind's redemption, forgiveness, and reconciliation are all viewed as the gracious works of God.

The Hebrew Bible's profoundly monotheistic interpretation of human life and the universe as creations of God provides the basic structure of ideas that gave rise not only to Judaism and Christianity but also to Islam, which emerged from Jewish and Christian tradition and which views Abraham as a patriarch ( see also Judaism: The ancient Middle Eastern setting).

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Hebrew Bible | Definition, Books, & History

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Hebrew Bible, also called Hebrew Scriptures, Old Testament, or Tanakh, collection of writings that was first compiled and preserved as the sacred books of the Jewish people. It also constitutes a large portion of the Christian Bible, known as the Old Testament.

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Judaism has a book called the Hebrew bible

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when and where the religion started, what parts of the world the religion is dominant and whether the religion is tied closely to the government).

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When Judaism began in Isreal About 3,300 year ago. the founder of Judaism is Abraham and over time he created a group of people willing to become Judasim.

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Judaism originated from Israel, that's why the numbers of people who believe in Judaism are the highest there,about 6,894,000 (2021 data). but the place with the second highest that isn't I Israel is the U.S

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One of the oldest and most practiced religions around the world is Judaism. Jewish people first originated in the Middle East and have grown to more than 14 million people worldwide. The enlarged Jewish population includes full or partial ancestry and tops 20 million, based on estimates taken in 2017.

While you can find Jews in nearly every country worldwide, some nations have significant Jewish populations. Based on data from sources including the Jewish Virtual Library and the American Jewish Year Book, the nation with the largest population of Jews is Israel. In 2017, an estimated 6.45 million Jews lived in Israel.

The United States of America also has a large population of Jews. Estimates show that almost 7 million Jewish people live in the United States, with a majority living in New York, California, Florida, and New Jersey. These are the only two nations with Jewish populations that exceed 1 million.

Other nations with significant Jewish populations include:

When considering the enlarged Jewish population - that is, including individuals with partial Jewish heritage - the order of these nations changes a bit. Based on estimates from 2017, the United States has the largest enlarged Jewish population with an estimated 10 million people. Israel comes in second with an enlarged Jewish population of 6.8 million. Again, these are the only two nations with populations that exceed 1 million.

On the other end of the spectrum, there are nations with very low populations of Jews. Those countries include:

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One of the oldest and most practiced religions around the world is Judaism. Jewish people first originated in the Middle East and have grown to more than 14 million people worldwide. The enlarged Jewish population includes full or partial ancestry and tops 20 million, based on estimates taken in 2017.

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Judaism believes that god is the creator of the world and everything in it
they also believe that god is eternal . But has no body or physical form,and that hes always existed.

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Judasim is the world's oldest Abrahamic religion. Andit is almost 4,000 years old.

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Judaism ( Hebrew: יהדות) is the world's oldest Abrahamic religion. It is almost 4,000 years old. There are about 15 million followers. They are called Jews. It is the oldest monotheistic religion. The Torah is the most important holy book of Judaism. The laws and teachings of Judaism come from the Torah, the first five books of the Hebrew Bible and oral traditions. Some of these were first oral traditions and later written in the Mishnah, the Talmud, and other works.

Both Christianity and Islam are similar to Judaism. These religions accept the belief in one God and the moral teachings of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament), which includes the Torah or "תורה."

Basic beliefs

The three main beliefs at the center of Judaism are Monotheism, Identity, and covenant (an agreement between God and his people).

The most important teachings of Judaism is that there is one God, who wants people to do what is just and compassionate. Judaism teaches that a person serves God by learning the holy books and doing what they teach. These teachings include both ritual actions and ethics. Judaism teaches that all people are made in the image of God and deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.

The main teachings of Judaism about God are that there is a God and there is only one God and that god is Yahweh. Only God created the universe and only He controls it. Judaism also teaches that God is spiritual and not physical.

Jews believe that God is one - a unity: He is one whole, complete being. He cannot be divided into parts and people cannot say how He looks in words; they can only say how He is and what He does..

Jews believe that all goodness and morality is from God. God is interested in what people do and He watches what they do.

Judaism teaches that all people are made in the image of God. This is why people must be treated with dignity and respect. A person serves God by being like God. This means that they must do what is fair and just, show mercy, and behave with kindness and love for people.

Judaism says that God exists forever, that He is in every place, and that He knows all things. He is above nature ("supernatural") but He is in the world and He hears people who pray to Him and can answer them. God is the main power in the universe.

Judaism teaches that God allows people to choose what to do - this is called " free will." Free will is the freedom to do whatever a person wants to but must be responsible of his own actions. A person is responsible for their actions. God rewards people who do good actions and punishes people who do bad actions. God gives a person a reward or a punishment in this world, but He gives the final reward or punishment to the soul of the person after they die.

Jews believe that God made an agreement called a "covenant" with Abraham, the ancestor of the Jewish people. The Bible says that God promised to bless Abraham and his descendants if they worshipped God and were faithful to him. God made this covenant with Abraham's son, Isaac, and with Isaac's son, Jacob. God gave Jacob another name, Israel. This is how Jacob's descendants got the name the "Children of Israel" or " Israelites." God later gave the Torah to the Israelites through their leader, Moses. The Torah told the Israelites how to live and build their community. God gave the Israelites the Ten Commandments and other laws in the Torah.

The Jews are sometimes called the " Chosen People." This is because the Bible says God told them "you will be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation" (Exodus 19:6) and "For you are a holy people to the Lord your God, and the Lord chose you to be His own special nation out of all peoples on the earth" (Deuteronomy 14:2). Jews understand this means that they have special duties and responsibilities commanded by God. For example, Jews must build a just society and serve only God. Jews believe that this covenant works in two ways: if they follow God's laws, He will give them his love and protection, but they are also responsible for their sins - bad actions - and not doing what God told them. Jews believe that they must teach other people that God exists and that God wants all people to do good actions. Jews believe that their job in the world is to be "a light to the nations" (Isiah 49:6) by showing the people of the world ways to make the world a better place.

Jews believe that God has given them a special job to repair the world. Their job is to make the world a better place with more good in it. They must use the things in the world to increase good and come closer to God. They call this " tikkun olam" - repairing the world. Jews see themselves as God's partner to repair the world in any way they can - to find ways to lessen suffering of people and animals, to make more peace and respect between people, and protect the earth's environment from destruction.

Jews do not try to convince other people to believe in Judaism. Jews believe they have a special job to show all peoples that God exists, but people do not have to be Jewish to follow God. All people can serve God by following the Seven Commandments (rules) given to Noah. But, Judaism accepts people who choose to change their religion to Judaism.

Jews believe that God tells them in the Torah the way of life that they must follow. The Torah says God wants the people of Israel to walk in His ways, to love Him, and to serve Him, and to keep God's commandments (Deut. 10:12-13). Actions are more important than beliefs and beliefs must be made into actions.

These actions are called " mitzvot" in Hebrew (singular: a mitzvah מִצְוָה). Sometimes they are called " laws," "rules" or "commandments". Many people think of a mitzvah as "a good act," or "a good thing to do." There are 613 mitzvot in the Torah. Jews believe that the Torah gives mitzvot for all people; all people must keep seven laws that were taught to Noah and his children after the flood. The Jews must keep 613 mitzvot, which are listed in the Torah. The rabbis counted 365 mitzvot that Jews must not do ( negative mitzvot), and 248 mitzvot that Jews must do ( positive mitzvot). Some mitzvot are for everyday life, and some are only for special times, such as Jewish holidays. Many of the 613 mitzvot are about the Holy Temple in Jerusalem and cannot be done now, since the Temple was destroyed.

Some of the mitzvot are about how people must act to other people. For example, they must give charity to a poor person, or help a person who is in danger. They must not steal or lie. These are ethical and moral mitzvot.

Some mitzvot are about how people must act towards God. For example, they must respect God's name, or not work on the Sabbath. These are religious or ritual mitzvot. Jews believe that God tells them to do both ethical and religious acts.

Jews see mitzvot as acts that sanctify - bring holiness - to the world and bring people and the world closer to God. Jews do the mitzvot to sanctify the physical world and the things in it, such as food and drink, clothing, and natural activities such as work, or seeing beautiful sights. Before doing many acts, such as eating, Jews say a blessing - a short prayer - that God makes and gives a person the things that they need for life. In Judaism, life is most holy and important. A Jew must stop doing other mitzvot of the Torah to help save another person's life.

Jews believe that they must do the mitzvot with happiness and joy because the Bible says "Serve God with joy; come before God with singing" (Psalms 100:2). Doing a mitzvah helps a person come close to God and that makes the person happy. A group of Jews called the Hasidim say this is the best way to live. They say that worrying takes people away from joy and they will not see the beauty and good in the world.

Many mitzvot in the Torah are about the Land of Israel. The Talmud and later books call these mitzvot "commandments connected to the Land" because Jews can only do them in the Land of Israel. For example, Jews give gifts to the poor or the priests from their fields every year, take fruit or animals to the Temple in Jerusalem, and must stop working on the land every seven years (the "shmittah" - sabbatical year).

The Land of Israel

The Land of Israel is holy in Judaism. A Jewish belief is that God created the Earth from Mount Moriah in Jerusalem in the Land of Israel, and He is always closest to this land. Jews believe that this land is where God told the Jewish people to build a society to serve Him, and many mitzvot ( commandments) in the Torah are about the Land of Israel.

The Jewish people believe their history as a nation begins with Abraham. The story of Abraham in the Torah begins when God tells Abraham to leave his country. He promises Abraham and his descendants a new home in the land of Canaan. This is now known as the Land of Israel. It is named after Abraham's grandson, Jacob, who was also called Israel and who was the father of the twelve tribes. This is where the name "Land of Israel" comes from. The land is also called "the Promised Land" because in the Torah, God promises to give the land to the children of Abraham (Gen 12:7, Gen 13:15, Gen 15:18, Gen 17:8).

The rabbis of the Talmud understood from the Torah (Num 33:53) that it is a "mitzvah" for Jews to live in the land of Israel. They saw living outside of Israel as not natural for a Jew. Jews often called the land outside of Israel "galut." This is usually translated as " diaspora" (a place where people are scattered), but the word more closely means " exile".

The Messiah and Saving The World

The story of leaving Egypt, called the Exodus, is very important in the way the Jewish people understand the world. The Torah tells how God took a group of slaves, the Israelites, from slavery, and tells them how to be His partner to build the world. Jews see this story as a model for the whole world. In the future, the whole world will change, and all the people of the world will serve the one God. This will be God's kingdom on Earth. They believe the whole of Jewish history, and world history, is part of this process.

The prophets taught that God would send a person to the world who would help all the people of the world see that God is the maker, king of the world and has supreme power. This person is called the Messiah. The word Messiah comes from the Hebrew word mashiah, which means "the anointed one". The Book of Isaiah says the Messiah will be a just king who will unite the Jewish people and lead them in God's way. The Messiah will also unite all the people of the world to serve God. People will act with justice and kindness, and the whole world will be filled with peace.

Jews still wait for the Messiah to come. They believe that this will be a person. Other Jews believe in a future time when justice and peace will come through the cooperation of all people and the help of God.

Jews believe that to know what God wants them to do, they must study the books of Torah and its laws and do what they teach. These include both laws about how to behave to other people and how to serve God.

The two most important groups of books in Judaism are the Bible and the Talmud. The beliefs and actions of Judaism come from these books. Jewish teachers and scholars wrote more books, called commentaries. They explain and say more about what is written in the Bible and Talmud.

The Torah is the most important of all Jewish writings. The first five books of the Hebrew Bible (known to Christians as the "Old Testament") make up the Torah. The Torah contains the basic laws of Judaism and describes the history of the Jews until the death of Moses. Jewish tradition says that God told Moses what to write in the Torah, which is also called the Five Books of Moses. Religious Jews believe that Moses brought the Ten Commandments and the Torah down from Mount Sinai. The Ten Commandments are special because they were heard by all of the Jewish people at Mount Sinai. However, in traditional Judaism, all of the 613 mitzvot in the Torah are equally important.

Jews divide the Hebrew Bible into three parts and call it the Tanakh. The three parts are the Torah, which is the first five books; the Nevi'im, which are the books of the prophets; and the Ketuvim, meaning the Writings, which are other books of history and moral teachings.

Rabbinic Jews also believe that there is another part of the Torah besides the five books of Moses. It is called the Mishnah, also called the Oral Torah or Oral Law. It explains how to follow the laws written in the 5 books. There is a commentary (explanation) of the Mishnah, called the Gemara. Together, the Mishna and the Gemara make up the Talmud. But Karaite Jews believe that there is no additional Torah besides the five books of Moses.

Traditional Jews believe that God gave the written Torah and the oral Torah to Moses and that Moses told it to the Jewish people, and that it is the same today as it was back then. Traditional Jews also believe that all of the commandments must still be followed today.

Liberal Jews believe that the Torah was inspired by God but written by human beings. Liberal Jews believe that all of the ethical laws in the Torah must still be followed, but many ritual laws do not need to be followed today.

It is considered good in Judaism to talk about the commandments and to try to understand how to follow them. The Talmud has many stories about Rabbis who argued about the commandments. Over time, some opinions have become the rule for everyone. Some rules are still being argued about. Jews praise logical argument and looking for truth.

There is no single leader of Judaism who can decide how to follow the commandments or what to believe. Even though Jews believe different things and they disagree about the rules, they are still one religion and one people.

Daily way of life

Kashrut: Jewish food laws

Jews who follow the religious rules called "kashrut" only eat some types of food that are prepared by special rules. Food that a Jew can eat is called kosher food.

Traditional Jews are very careful about kashrut. They usually cannot eat many foods in non-kosher restaurants or in the home of someone who does not keep kosher. Sometimes, this makes it hard to visit people or to do business. It is important to understand that this is part of their religion. People help avoid this problem by choosing to dine with Traditional Jews in a kosher restaurant or serve them kosher food in their home.

Liberal Jews are not so careful about kosher, although some of them may keep some rules.

Kosher foods

Jews can eat any fresh fruit or vegetables that do not have any insects on or in them.

Jews can eat any fish that has scales and fins. This includes fish like salmon and tuna. They cannot eat seafood like shrimp, lobster, or mussels.

Jews can eat meat of any animal that chews its cud (food which has already been partly digested), and has split hooves. For example, cows, sheep, deer, and goats. However, the meat must be slaughtered and prepared in a specific way to be kosher.

Jews can eat many common birds such as chickens and turkeys and duck. The birds must also be slaughtered and prepared in a specific way. Jews can't eat birds of prey, like vultures.

Foods sold in stores or restaurants must be checked by a Jew who is an expert in Kashrut. The name for this person is "mashgiach," or kosher overseer. He makes sure that the kosher rules were kept. Foods bought at the store often have a symbol called a hechsher on them to tell the customer that the food have been checked. Many everyday foods have a hechsher.

Honey is an insect product made by bees, but it is kosher.

It is a well-known myth that kosher food must be blessed by a rabbi, a rabbi cannot bless a food and make it Kosher.

Non-kosher foods

Some call non-kosher foods "Treifah," meaning "torn." This is because the Torah says not to eat an animal that has been killed or torn by another animal.

Jews cannot eat animals that do not have split hooves or animals that do not chew their cud. Unlike cows and sheep, pigs have split hooves, but do not chew their cud and are therefore not kosher.

Jews cannot eat rodents, reptiles or amphibians.

Jews cannot eat any sea animal that does not have scales and fins. For example, sharks, eels, crabs, shrimp and lobsters are not kosher.

Jews cannot eat birds that eat meat like vultures, which are mentioned in a list in the Torah.

Jews cannot eat any insects, except for a few types of crickets or locusts.

Other kosher rules

There are other rules for kosher food as well.

Animals must be killed in a certain way, including using a fast strike across the neck with a very sharp blade which makes sure that the animal dies quickly.

All the blood must be removed from an animal before the meat is eaten. This is done by soaking and salting the meat.

A Jew cannot eat a meal that has both meat and milk in it. This comes from the rule (in the Torah) that a Jew must not cook a young goat in its mother's milk. Because of this, Jews use separate dishes and utensils for foods that have meat in it, and foods that have milk in it.

After eating meat, many Jews do not drink milk products before a time period between 1 to 6 hours has passed.

Kosher food must be cooked in a kitchen for actual kosher food. If the kitchen has been used to cook non-kosher food, such as rabbit and pig then the kitchen must be cleaned in a special way before it can be used to cook kosher food.

One of the commandments is to keep the Jewish Sabbath, or Shabbat. Shabbat starts every Friday at sunset and ends on Saturday at nightfall. Shabbat is a day of rest to thank God for making the universe.

The tradition of resting on Shabbat comes from the Torah. According to the Torah, God created the world in six days and on the seventh day, Shabbat, He rested. Many Jews go to their temple or synagogue to pray on Shabbat.

Religious Jews follow special rules on Shabbat. These rules require Jews not to do creative work on Shabbat. One reason for this is to give people a break from all the things that make them busy during the week. This helps them focus more on appreciating God, their family, and the rest of creation. Also it reminds people that God is the creator and ruler of the world; and no matter how great a person's creative power is, it cannot compare with God's creation of the universe and everything in it. Many of these categories of creative work include actions that people might not think of as work. For instance, on Shabbat a Jew cannot:

Traditional Jews are very careful about Shabbat. It is a special day. They clean their houses and prepare special food for Shabbat. They dress in their nicest clothes. They sing beautiful songs and say extra prayers in the synagogue. They have dinner and lunch with their families. Many families also invite guests for dinner and for lunch. They eat special delicious food, and sing together traditional Shabbat songs. On Shabbat afternoon people study Judaism together or just visit friends.

Liberal Jews do not follow those rules. Some do go to synagogue, visit friends, or have special meals. But they may also talk on the phone, drive cars, and go shopping.

Important points in a Jewish life

Birth

Brit Milah (for boys) a circumcision ceremony when a boy is 8 days old. It includes naming the baby. Some non-Orthodox Jews practice Brit Shalom, a baby naming ceremony for Jewish boys without circumcision.

Pidyon haben (for boys) is when a father does a special ceremony to redeem his wife's first son from the Temple, as originally all firstborn boys were sent to serve in the Temple. Levites (a tribe of Israel) and Cohanim (priests) do not do this ritual.

Bat Mitzvah (for girls) a 'coming of age' ceremony when a girl turns 12 (13 for some Jews). Bat Mitzvah means "daughter of the mitvah" or "daughter of the commandments" in Hebrew. Once a girl turns 12 (or 13), she is considered a woman and is expected to follow Jewish law. A ceremony is not required. Bat Mitzvah not only refers to the ceremony, but also to the girl herself.

Bar Mitzvah (for boys) a 'coming of age' ceremony when a boy turns 13. It includes reading the Torah and special prayers. Bar Mitzvah means "son of the mitzvah" or "son of the commandments" in Hebrew. Once a boy turns 13, he is considered a man and is expected to follow Jewish law. A ceremony is not required. Bar Mitzvah not only refers to the ceremony, but also to the boy himself.

Having Children

Death

Kinds of Judaism

For a very long time, most Jews in Europe believed the same basic things about Judaism. Jews in other lands had different beliefs and customs than European Jews. About 200 years ago, a small group of Jews in Germany decided to stop believing in many parts of Judaism and try to become more "modern" and more like Germans. Those Jews were called Reform Jews.

Today there are three main kinds of Judaism: Reform, Conservative, and Orthodox Judaism. There are also kinds with a smaller number of people, such as Reconstructionist Judaism, and Karaite Judaism. Each group has its own practices according to how it understands the Jewish laws. For example, Reform (also called Liberal or Progressive) Judaism encourages people to choose the ways to be Jewish that mean the most to them based on the traditions. Reform Judaism teaches Jews to focus on the ethical laws of Judaism. Conservative Judaism developed after Reform Judaism. The leaders of Conservative Judaism felt that Reform Judaism was too radical. They wanted to conserve (protect) Jewish tradition instead of reforming (changing) it. Orthodox Jews do not believe that Reform or Conservative Judaism are correct because they believe that the laws given by God are timeless, and can't be changed.

In the most recent survey of Jews in the United States in 2000-2001, it was found that 35% of American Jews say they are Reform, 27% say they are Conservative, 10% say they are Orthodox, 2% say they are Reconstructionist and 25% do not say what type they are.

In Israel, almost all Jews go to Orthodox synagogues. There are very few Reform or Conservative synagogues, but there has been a steady increase since 2009. In Israel, Jews do not call themselves Reform, Conservative, or Orthodox. Instead, they mostly call themselves "Haredi" (completely religious) "Dati" (basically religious), "Masorati" (traditional/conservative) or "Chiloni" (secular). Surveys suggest about 20% of Israelis say they are secular, 25% say they are Dati or Haredi and 55% say they are traditional.

Names of God

Names are very important in Judaism. Many Jews believe that a name not only tells you who someone is, but also tells you something about them. Names of God are very special in Judaism, so Jews do not write them or speak them fully but use other words instead. That is why some Jews write G-d, with a "-" instead of an "o."

HaShem Means "The Name". It is the word Jews use most often when not praying to talk about God.

Adonai means "My Lord." This name tells Jews about God's position. God is the King of the World, and his name Adonai lets us know that.

Elohim means "one who is strong enough to do everything." This name is used when talking about God's power to create or God's justice. This tells us that God is the creator and that God rules the world with just laws.

The two names above are so special that Orthodox Jews use these names only when they pray and read the Torah. When they are not praying or reading the Torah, they say "Hashem" (The Name) or "Elokim".

God - Some Jews write "God" by replacing the "o" with a dash, like this: "G-d". They do this because God's name is very holy so they are not allowed to throw away a piece of paper with "God" written on it. However, if by accident "God" is written, then the paper can be disposed of in a special way and buried in a special place. Others say that "God" is just an English word, not Hebrew, and so it is not holy.

YHWH ("Yehovah"/"Yahweh") is the most sacred name of God in Hebrew, and is not pronounced by most Jews. No one knows where the name came from, or what exactly it means. It looks like the Hebrew word "hayah," which is the verb "to be." (According to Hebrew scripture, when Moses asked God who God was, God told Moses I am that I am/I am who I am.) Jews believe that the name YHWH shows that God is endless. Instead of trying to say it, most Jews say " haShem", which means "The Name." Some people pronounce this name as Yahweh, or Jehovah. Scholars of religion sometimes refer to "YHWH" as the Tetragrammaton, from Greek wo.

Images for kids

In Spanish: Judaísmo para niños

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Islam , transl. "Submission [to God]")[4][5][6] is an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text that is considered by Muslims[7] to be the direct word of God as it was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad.[8][9] It is the world's second-largest religion with more than two billion followers,