Transcript Judaism and Christianity notes for wiki

Judaism
• According to the Torah, God came to Abraham
and struck a deal with Abraham whereby his
descendants would be His Chosen People, the
Covenant.
• God promised Abraham and his descendants
the land called Canaan (the area between the
Nile delta and Mesopotamia).
Teachings of Judaism
• The Hebrew faith is monotheistic.
• God was called Yahweh.
• Their history as well as the moral and religious laws are
recorded in the Torah and taught by a Rabbi. (1st 5 books
of the Bible).
• The laws were strictly upheld and were somewhat
different than others at the time. Slaves were to be treated
kindly.
• They took and ethical world view – that is, the belief that
people and rulers should lead moral acceptable lives.
• Religious leaders of their time, called prophets, reminded
the Jews of their duties.
The Rise of Christianity
• Jesus began to teach people about God’s
goodness and mercy.
• The Gospel records that he preformed miracles
such as healing the sick and raising the dead.
• Jewish prophets had predicted that a messiah,
or anointed one by God, would deliver the
Jews from foreign rule and restore the
kingdom of Israel.
• Some Jews believed Jesus to be the messiah,
others saw him as a troublemaker who opposed
traditional Jewish laws.
• Jesus was seen as a threat to the Roman
officials and considered a rebel.
• Although he taught respect for the Roman
emperor, he refused (as other Jews) to accept
him as a god.
• He was arrested by the Romans and crucified.
• Crucifixion was a Roman method of execution
where a person was nailed to a cross, a post, or
tree, and left to die of exposure.
Islam
• Muhammad Ali was born in Mecca in 570
A.D.
• He was raised by an uncle who worked for a
wealthy widow as a trade caravan leader.
• Muhammad went to work for Khadija as well
and when he was 25, he married her.
• She encouraged him to spend time away in
prayer and became his first convert.
• As Muhammad was on one of his retreats, he was
approached by the angel Gabriel and was ordered to
“submit to God and proclaim” his faith to all people.
• Khadija urged Muhammad to accept the mission and do
his duty as God’s prophet.
• At first, he gained only a few followers, but also
managed to anger the merchants in the town.
• The Quraysh were a powerful tribe who controlled the
lives of the Meccans.
• Muhammad’s clan was a part of that tribe but were
poorer and less influential within the tribe.
The Hejira
• In 622, Khadija died and Muhammad and his
followers were forced out of the city of Mecca.
• Muhammad (and his followers) went north to what
became Medina and was welcomed as a respected
leader.
• This event marks the first year of the Muslim
calendar.
• In 630, he returned to Mecca with a strong army and
captured the city.
• “Truth has come and falsehood has vanished” he
declared as he smashed the false idols of gods in the
Kaaba.
• He then dedicated the Black Stone to God.
The Five Pillars of Islam
1. Declaration: You must declare your faith.
There is only one God and Allah is his name.
2. Prayer: You pray 5 times per day.
3. Charity: You should give 2 1/2 % of your
income, or do continuous acts of kindness.
4. The Fast: During the month of Ramadan, you
don’t eat during daylight hours, drink minimal
amounts.
5. Pilgrimage: (Hajj) Once in your lifetime, if
possible, you will travel to Mecca.