1. Religions of the Middle East
Three main religions

2. Judaism Oldest monotheistic faith Followers of Judaism known as Jews
Jews trace origin to ancient Israelites (Hebrews) who set up kingdom of Israel along eastern Mediterranean
Jerusalem established as the capital & religious center

3. Judaism Calls for obedience to God’s laws & creation of just society
Believe that events have divine purpose
Hebrew bible is the Torah (The Old Testament in the Christian Bible)
Worship services are in synagogues and officiated by rabbis

4. Christianity
Jesus, a Jewish teacher, began preaching message of mercy & renewal in Israel
Made him unpopular with Roman officials who put him to death
Teaches that Jesus is the world’s savior who lives in heaven & grants salvation to those who believe
Christians spread message of Jesus throughout Mediterranean World, Asia, Africa, Europe, and Americas

5. Islam
The major religion of North Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia
610 A.D. - revelation from God (the angel Gabriel) came to Muhammad while he was on retreat
Afterwards, Muhammad began preaching people should turn away from sin & worship the one true god.

6. Islam Various groups on Arabian Peninsula accepted Muhammad’s message
Islam spread throughout the Mideast region by 800s and had a profound religious, political, & cultural influence
Muslims worship in mosques & face Mecca when they pray

7. Islam Muslim scholars have made important contributions to society
Medical, Arabic numerals, decimal system, & algebra
Also preserved ancient Greek and Roman knowledge, writings, and translations

8. Islam Today, over one-fourth of world’s population follows Islam
Indonesia is home to the highest population of Muslims, with 188 million, or approximately 87% of Indonesia's population
Follow the Qur’an (similar to the Torah and the Bible)
Muslims believe Torah and Bible come from God but believe Qur’an carries greatest authority = represents God’s final message to humanity
Qur’an teaches Allah = same God in Jewish & Christian traditions

10. Islam Five Pillars of Islam are central to Islam faith
Declaration of Faith – “There is no god but Allah (God) and Muhammad is the messenger of God.
Obligatory Prayer
Compulsory Giving- charity-helping the poor
Fasting from dawn until dusk during month of Ramadan
Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca)
Muhammad considered Abraham, Moses, and Jesus to be messengers from God & believed he was the last of God’s prophets.

11. Islam - Sunni and Shia
In 661, Muslims split over a disagreement about the qualifications to be Caliph
Both groups share the same fundamental Islamic beliefs and articles of faith

12. Islam - Sunni and Shia
Sunni Muslims – constitute the majority of Muslims (85%)
Believe the Caliph (leader) should be elected from among those capable of the job

13. Islam - Sunni and Shia
Shia Muslims (sometimes called Shi’ites) – live mostly in Iraq and Iran
Believe leadership should stay within the Prophet's own family, among those specifically appointed by him, or among Imams appointed by God Himself.

14. Major Religious Cities
Mecca, Saudi Arabi
Most sacred place in Islam
The Kaaba is a square building that Muslims believed was built by Abraham and his son to worship God
The Prophet Muhammad designated Mecca as the holy city of Islam

15. Major Religious Cities
Medina, Saudi Arabia
The second holiest site in Islam, the “City of the Prophet”
Muhammad fled here when he was initially driven out of Mecca
This is the place where he attracted his first followers

16. Major Religious Cities
Jerusalem, Israel
Judaism: Wailing/Western Wall & Temple Mount
Jews believe the Temple Mount is the place where God gathered the dust used to create the first man, Adam
Jews believe the Wailing Wall is the Western Wall of the Second Temple
Islam: Dome of the Rock
Muslims believe this is the location where Muhammad ascended to visit Allah in heaven

18. Major Religious Cities
Jerusalem, Israel
Christianity: Church of the Holy Sepulcher
Christians believe this is the site of Golgotha where Jesus of Nazareth was crucified and where he was buried.