The Three Major Religions Essay

Judaism, Islam, and Christianity are the three religions that make up the Great Western religions. As with the Three Great Eastern Religions each one developed at different times, however the history of all three are very similar going back all the way to Exodus. Christianity and Islam are actually major sects that originated form Judaism, which is why early history of each is virtually the same. Not only do these religions share common history, they also are all monotheistic religions, have similar traditions, belief that there is only one God, they all follow the Bible, and a belief in divine revelation and prophets. These are the main similarities between the three religions. However, they also

Also both Sunni and Shia Muslims both find the Torah and the Old Testament holy books of God.

To start off, even though Sunni and Shia Muslims share the same religion, they disagree who should lead after Muhammad death. Sunni Muslims take up 85 to 90 percent of Muslims. Sunni Muslims believe Muhammad did not clearly

​First is Shahadah, when one devoutly and sincerely professes their Muslim faith. Next is Salat which is the act of performing the ritual prayers. These ritual prayers take place every day of the week, five times a day, being before dawn, noon, afternoon, sunset and evening. Then comesZakat, the giving money to the poor and needy in the form of charity. Following is Sawm, a term meaning the fasting period during the month of Ramadan. Lastly is the Hajj which is a pilgrimage to Mecca. This pilgrimage is an obligation of all able bodied and healthy Muslims to be completed at least once in their lifetime. 2

The Sunni and Shiite branches of Islam have been feuding for hundreds of years dating back to the beginning of the Islamic religion. The deity or god of the Sunnis is Allah. The Sunni branch of Islam is the larger of the two branches with over 80% of the Muslim population. The Sunni are the majority in most of the countries that have Islamic followers. There are a few different translations of what Sunna stands for, one of which is “Habitual Practice.” The differences between the two branches can be traced all the back to the 7th century CE when the disagreements as to who should succeed Muhammad. Sunnis believe that the Muslim community should maintain the right to select who the successor to Muhammad is going to be. The Shiite branch

Islam is the second largest and fastest-growing religion in the world. Pew Research estimated that Muslims in 2050 are expected to make up more than 50% of the population, in over 51 countries. Islam, becoming the majority religion in many countries, has a political impact on the world. Muslims distinguish themselves between two subgroups: Sunni and Shia, between the two major denominations of the religion, there have been wars, rivalries, and revolutions due to the cultural difference in beliefs.

The five pillars of Islam are the things the Muslims have to do to live a good and responsible life according to Islam. The Shahada is the pillar where every Muslim sincerely recites their faith. When a Muslim recites their faith, they claim that Allah is the only god, Muhammad is the prophet, and that they will obey all the commitments of Islam. Salat is the prayers that are to be performed five times a day. Muslims are to pray before sunrise, midday, late afternoon, after sunset, and between sunset and midnight. They believe that prayers set the rhythm of the day. Children are encouraged to start praying at age seven. Zakat is paying taxes that will benefit the poor or those who are less fortunate. Zakat as seen as a type of worship and self-purification. Sawm is the fasting during the month of Ramadan (ninth month if the Islamic calendar). During the Ramadan Muslims are to give up during the day; any food or drink, smoking, and any type of sexual activity. Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca. Once a year Muslims gather together at Mecca and praise to the Allah together. Mecca is the place that is holy for every Muslim, a non-Muslim cannot

The Religion in Iran, Sunni and Shi'i are the two largest branches of Islam, with the

To be a Muslim, one has to follow five religious duties: 1. Repeat a creed about Allah and Muhammad; 2. Recite certain prayers in Arabic five times a day; 3. Give to the needy; 4. One month each year, fast from food, drink, sex and smoking from sunrise to sunset; 5. Pilgrimage once in one's lifetime to worship at a shrine in Mecca (Adamson). These beliefs affect daily life from praying five times a day to financial giving. The interface between the divine and humanity is not only contact but a way of life.

Salat, ritual prayer is the second pillar of Islam. The call to prayer and an affirmation of Gods unity. There are five daily prayers starting at sunrise, midday, afternoon, sunset, and after night falls. The time of each prayer changes from day to day with the orientation of the sun in the heaven. These prayers are continuous reminders for Muslims to submit to God, keeping them on a pure path, rejuvenating their faith, and giving thanks to God for all of the blessings they enjoy. Prior to each prayer one must ritually purified and cleanse one’s self both spiritually and physically in preparation for prayer. There is strict gender segregation during prayer. The Quiblah in each Muslim mosque faces in the direction of Mecca, which is the way one prays, facing the Ka’bah. Prayer starts with Allahu Akbar (Allah is great), standard resuscitation Devotional verses, verses of the Karan. Friday

Two religions that are more related than any other religions are Christianity and Judaism. Both religions have similar beliefs. They also both believe in God and Jesus. This is where there is a difference: Christians believe that Jesus is the Messiah and died to save its followers from sin. Jews believe that Jesus is only a prophet, and the Messiah has not yet arrived. Another similarity is the sacred site. Jerusalem is a sacred city for three religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In addition to Jerusalem, Islamic people travel to Mecca and the city of Medina to pray as well. Another important site for Christians is Bethlehem—the birthplace of Jesus.

The Quran had served as the cornerstone of the Islamic society. They spread the message of

The differences do not stop there. BBC News reports that “the great majority of the world's more than 1.5 billion Muslims are Sunnis - estimates suggest the figure is somewhere between 85% and 90%.“ The Sunnis consider themselves as the true orthodox branch of Islam. The Shia are about 10%

There are subcultures of the Islamic faith, with the most notable being the divide of Sunni and Shi’a. About 85-90% of Muslims consider themselves to be Sunni, with the rest being Shi’a (Turner, 2011). The main difference is their belief about religious leaders, but there are tensions among these groups, with a civil war among them in Iraq, that have made the

Shia and Sunnis would be similar to that of Catholics and Protestants where both have the same fundamental beliefs, but the two religions concepts are so diverse that they both have a strong sense of hate for each other. The driving factor of religion is control. As the two new religious rivalries of the Shia and Sunnis, the two differences are very clear. The difference between Sunni and Shiite Muslims as stated in histornewsnetwork.org/article/934. Shiites favored Ali, Muhammad’s cousin and son-in-law. Ali and his successors are called imams, who not only lead the Shiites but are considered to be descendants of Muhammad. The group now known as Sunnis chose Abu Bakr, the prophet’s adviser, first successor to lead the Muslim state. Both branch consider themselves Muslims. The real difference of the Muslim belief is in power of leadership. Small difference can be found between the Shia and the Sunnis, such as in marriage and prayer.