It is unlikely that there will be an adult who would not think about his place in life, about the role that fate has prepared for him, about the purpose of his appearance in this world. Whether a person prays or considers himself an atheist, he believes. It is faith that determines the degree of religiosity. From this the conclusion suggests itself: people are religious. But an individual person may have his own religion, sometimes it is unique. Let's pay attention to what religions there are in the world.
Christianity
Originated among Palestinian Jews in the 1st century AD. The name comes from the Greek "christ", which means anointed one. Christ is called Jesus, who lived in the 1st century AD. From the time of its founding began to count a new era. The largest religion in the world. Has 2.1 billion followers.
Jesus Christ is the founder of Christianity. God in the form of a man, which contains the whole essence of Christianity. He descended to earth to save man from the power of sin, to heal human nature his resurrection after the execution. That is why the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the central dogma of Christianity.
It has three main branches - Orthodoxy, Protestantism and Catholicism. The source of doctrine is the Bible. Features: salvation of the soul in renunciation of the sins of a corrupted world, opposition to the sinful pleasures of strict asceticism, rejection of arrogance and vanity in favor of humility and humility. The reward will be life after the kingdom of God comes to earth. It teaches that unlike other religions, Christianity is given by God and not created by people.
Islam
What world religions are warlike? First of all, Islam. Translated from Arabic as "obedient to Allah". The followers of Allah (God) call themselves Muslim ("submissive to Allah" in Arabic). In Russian, this word was interpreted in Muslim.
Islam arose at the beginning of the 7th century in the western part of the Arabian Peninsula, where the cities of Mecca and Yathrib (later renamed Madinat - "the city of the prophet") flourished. The abbreviated name of the city is Medina. The territory of modern Saudi Arabia.
Muslims see Islam as a way of life. The most significant moment is the role of law - Sharia, which completely, to the smallest detail, regulates the life of a Muslim. Islam sets a lofty ideal of a person whose goal is salvation through intellectual, physical and spiritual self-improvement, and the main task is obedience to God.
Moral values: special role men, elders in age and position, community and family. Islam supports the theory of the equality of people before God and assumes a respectful attitude towards the people of "scripture" - Christians and Jews.
Islam was not the religion of the oppressed, but the religion of conquerors and conquerors. An ideal basis for a centralized state and a relentless struggle against the opponents of Islam. A rigid idea of political organization and power in society is presented. It prescribes to repay good with good, for evil with evil. Teaches generosity and helping the poor.
Buddhism
Since 1996, there have been between 360,000 and 500,000 followers of Buddhism in the world. Buddhism - a religion older than many others - originated in India in the 6th century BC. Its founder had four names, but today they use the name of Buddha - the highest among the Gods. Starting from the 1st century AD, Buddhism is divided into two currents (Hinayana and Mahayana) due to the fact that the supporters did not find agreement on the question of which of the people is worthy to go to the highest paradise - nirvana.
Buddha means "awakened". It is not the name of a person, but a state of mind. The Buddha is a world teacher who explains the four noble truths that help all who wish to achieve enlightenment. These are the noble truth of suffering, the noble truth of the cause of suffering, the noble truth of the cessation of suffering, and the noble truth of the path leading to the cessation of suffering.
The highest goal is the achievement of nirvana - eternal peace and bliss, freedom from all kinds of pollution, including moral ones. The salvation of man is in the hands of man himself, and Buddha cannot save anyone. Love and mercy to all living beings without exception.
Judaism or what religion is ancient
The most ancient religion, distributed mainly among the Jews. It originates in the 10th century BC. A striking example of the unity of religion and statehood. The rejection of Jesus Christ and the expectation of the coming of another ruler, called the Antichrist in Christianity, in the past caused the state and spiritual catastrophe of the Jews, which led to their dispersion throughout the world. How modern religion was formed at the end of the first - beginning of the second century AD. The main principle is the recognition of the one God.
With the advent of Christianity and Islam, he actively conflicts with them, considering these two religions as his own distortion. Christians and Muslims also did not express much sympathy, and attached to the persecution of the Jews for their devotion to the apostate religion.
The international directory "Religions of the World" indicates that there were 20 million Jews in the world in 1993. But these data may be unreliable, since in 1996 other sources cited figures of the order of 14 million people. 40% of all Jews live in the USA, 30% - in Israel.
Hinduism
Formed in the 1st century AD. It is not like any other religion that exists in the world. First of all, it does not represent a holistic teaching and was created in the process of synthesis of several religious beliefs. He has no scriptures. This is reflected in the psychological make-up of the Hindu. An unthinkable combination of adherence to beliefs with unscrupulous behavior, the desire to achieve social status and envy of those who managed to achieve this. Hinduism does not have a unified authority in religious matters.
Confucianism
An ethical-political doctrine founded by a thinker Ancient China Confucius. According to the doctrine, a respectful son is obliged to take care of his parents throughout his life. Parents should be served and pleasing, for their good, be ready for anything, and honor them, regardless of circumstances. In addition, the teaching called for the education of a highly moral person who would be honest and sincere, possessed of straightforwardness and fearlessness, modesty and justice. Restraint, love for people, dignity and disinterestedness should adorn such a person.
Jainism
A religion that has adopted the concept of karma and liberation at the end of the path - nirvana, common to all Indian religions. Doesn't recognize gods. He considers the human soul to be incorruptible, and the world to be primordial. The body shell is given to the soul according to the results of previous lives. The soul can endlessly improve and achieve omnipotence and eternal bliss.
It is very problematic to comprehensively consider the question of which countries have which religions in one article, because there are a great many religions and religious teachings in the world. But, the main most massive areas are presented in full.
The birth of religions
The process of sociogenesis, which lasted 1.5 million years during the "Stone Age" (Paleolithic), ended approximately 35-40 thousand years ago. By this turn, the forefathers - Neanderthals and Cro-Magnons already knew how to make fire, had a tribal system, language, rituals, and painting. The presence of tribal relations meant that food and sexual instincts were placed under the control of society. There is an idea of what is permitted and forbidden, totems appear - initially these are "sacred" symbols of animals. There are magical rites - symbolic actions aimed at a specific result.
In the IX-VII millennium BC, the so-called neolithic revolution- the invention of agriculture. The Neolithic period lasts until the appearance of the first cities in the 4th millennium BC, when the history of civilization is considered to have begun.
At this time, private property arises and, as a result, inequality. The processes of disunity that have arisen in society must be opposed by a system of values and standards of behavior recognized by all. The totem is modified and becomes a symbol of a higher being that has unlimited power over a person. Thus, religion acquires a global character, finally taking shape as a socially integrating force.
Ancient Egypt
Arising on the banks of the Nile IV millennium BC Egyptian civilization one of the oldest. The influence of totemism in it is still very strong, and all the original Egyptian gods are animal-like. Faith in the afterlife retribution appears in religion, and existence after death is no different from earthly. For example, here are the words of the formula of self-justification of the deceased before Osiris: "... I did no harm ... I did not steal ... I did not envy ... I did not measure my face ... I did not lie ... I did not idle talk .. ... I did not commit adultery ... I was not deaf to right speech ... I did not offend another ... I did not raise my hand to the weak ... I did not cause tears ... I did not kill ... I did not cursed..."
It is believed that Osiris dies daily and is resurrected as the Sun, in which his wife Isis helps him. The idea of resurrection will then be repeated in all religions of redemption, and the cult of Isis will exist in the time of Christianity, becoming the prototype of the cult of the Virgin Mary.
Egyptian temples are not only a place of worship - they are workshops, schools, libraries, and a gathering place not only for priests, but for scientists of that time. Religion and science, like other social institutions, did not yet have a clear differentiation at that time.
Ancient Mesopotamia
In the 4th millennium BC, in the valley between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, the state of the Sumerians and Akkadians developed - Ancient Mesopotamia. The Sumerians invented writing, began to build cities. They passed on to their historical successors - the Babylonians and Assyrians, and through them - to the Greeks and Jews, their technical achievements, legal and moral norms. Sumerian tales of global flood, the creation of a man from clay, and women from the rib of a man became part of the Old Testament traditions. In the religious beliefs of the Sumerians, man is a lower being, his destiny is enmity and illness, and after death - existence in the gloomy underworld.
All the inhabitants of the Sumerians belonged to their temple as a community. The temple took care of orphans, widows, beggars, performed administrative functions, settled conflicts between the townspeople and the state.
The religion of the Sumerians was associated with the observation of the planets and the interpretation of the cosmic order - astrology, of which they became the founders. Religion in Mesopotamia did not have the character of strict dogmas, which was reflected in the freethinking of the ancient Greeks, who adopted a lot from the Sumerians.
Ancient Rome
The main religion of Rome was the cult of the polis gods - Jupiter ( chief god), Hope, Peace, Valor, Justice. The mythology of the Romans is little developed, the gods are presented as abstract beginnings. At the forefront of the Roman Church is expediency, assistance in specific earthly affairs with the help of magical rites.
Judaism
Judaism - begins to take shape in its present form in the XIII century BC. when the Israelite tribes came to Palestine. The main god was Yahweh (Jehovah), whom the Jews considered their own god of their people, but did not exclude their gods from other peoples. In 587 BC. e. Jerusalem was captured by the troops of the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar. When after 50 years Babylon fell, begins new era Judaism: the myth of the prophet Moses arises, Yahweh is recognized the only god of all things, and the people of Israel - the only God's chosen people, on condition that they honor Yahweh and recognize his monotheism.
Religiosity in Judaism is reduced to purely external worship, strict observance of all prescribed rituals, as the fulfillment of the terms of the "agreement" with Yahweh, in expectation of a "fair" retribution from him.
Kabbalah. In the 12th century, a new trend appeared in Judaism - cabal. The essence of which is the esoteric study of the Torah and other Jewish religious artifacts as sources of mystical knowledge.
world religions
Buddhism
Buddhism originated in India in the 6th-5th century BC. e. in contrast to caste Hinduism, where only the highest castes of Brahmins can achieve enlightenment. At that time, in India, as well as in China, and Greece, there were processes of philosophical rethinking of existing norms, which led to the creation of a religion independent of caste, although the concept of karma (reincarnations) was not denied. The founder of Buddhism, Siddhartha Gautama Shakyamuni - the Buddha - was the son of a prince from the Shakya tribe, who did not belong to the Brahmin caste. For these reasons, Buddhism was not widely spread in India.
In the views of Buddhism, the world strives for peace, the absolute dissolution of everything in nirvana. Therefore, the only true aspiration of a person is nirvana, tranquility and merging with eternity. In Buddhism, no importance was attached to any social community and religious dogmas, and the main commandment was absolute mercy, non-resistance to any evil. A person could rely only on himself, no one will save and save him from the suffering of samsara, except for a righteous lifestyle. Therefore, in fact, Buddhism can be called a teaching, an "atheistic" religion.
In China, where Buddhism was very widespread, although not as much as Confucianism, Zen Buddhism arose in the 7th century, absorbing the rationalism inherent in the Chinese nation. It is not necessary to achieve nirvana, you just need to try to see the Truth around you - in nature, work, art and live in harmony with yourself.
Zen Buddhism also had a huge impact on the cultures of Japan and some other countries of the East.
Christianity
One of the fundamental differences between Christianity and other world religions is the integrity of the historical description of the world, which once exists and is directed by God from creation to destruction - the coming of the Messiah and the Last Judgment. In the center of Christianity is the image of Jesus Christ, who is both god and man at the same time, whose teachings must be followed. The holy book of Christians is the Bible, in which the New Testament, which tells about the life and teachings of Christ, is added to the Old Testament (the holy book of the followers of Judaism). The New Testament includes four Gospels (from Greek - the gospel).
The Christian religion promised its followers the establishment of peace and justice on earth, as well as salvation from the terrible judgment, which, as the first Christians believed, was to take place soon.
Christianity became the state religion of the Roman Empire in the 4th century. In 395, the Roman Empire split into western and eastern parts, which led to the separation of the western church, headed by the pope, and the eastern churches, headed by the patriarchs - Constantinople, Antioch, Jerusalem and Alexandria. Formally, this gap ended in 1054.
Christianity brought to Russia from Byzantium a high level of culture, philosophical and theological thought, contributed to the spread of literacy, softening of morals. Orthodox Church in Russia, in fact, it was part of the state apparatus, always following the commandment "all power is from God." For example, leaving Orthodoxy until 1905 was considered a criminal offense.
Dominated in Western Europe Roman Catholic Church(Catholic - universal, universal). For the Catholic Church, claims to supreme power both in politics and in secular life are typical - theocracy. Related to this is the intolerance of the Catholic Church towards other confessions and worldviews. After Second Vatican Council(1962 - 1965) the positions of the Vatican were significantly adjusted in accordance with the realities of modern society.
The anti-feudal movement that began in the 16th century was also directed against Catholicism, as the ideological pillar of the feudal system. The leaders of the Reformation in Germany and Switzerland - Martin Luther, John Calvin and Ulrich Zwingli - accused the Catholic Church of distorting true Christianity, calling for early Christians to return to the faith, eliminating intermediaries between man and God. The result of the Reformation was the creation of a new variety of Christianity - Protestantism.
The Protestants came up with the idea universal priesthood, abandoned indulgences, pilgrimages, church clergy, veneration of relics, etc. It is believed that the teachings of Calvin and Protestant ideas in general contributed to the emergence of the "spirit of capitalism", became the moral basis of new social relations.
Islam
Islam can be called a religion of humility and complete submission to the will of God. In VII, Islam was founded by the Prophet Mohammed on the foundation of the Arab tribal religions. He proclaimed the monotheism of Allah (al or el - the general Semitic root of the word "god") and obedience to his will (Islam, Muslims - from the word "submission").
Muslims explain the numerous coincidences of the Bible and the Koran by the fact that Allah had previously transmitted his commandments to the prophets - Moses and Jesus, but they were distorted by them.
In Islam, the will of God is incomprehensible, irrational, therefore, a person should not try to understand it, but should only blindly follow it. The Islamic Church is essentially a state itself, a theocracy. The laws of Islamic Sharia are the laws of Muslim law that regulate all aspects of life. Islam is a powerful motivating and unifying religious doctrine, which has allowed short time to create a highly developed civilization from a few Semitic tribes, which in the Middle Ages for some time became the head of world civilization.
After the death of Muhammad, a conflict broke out between his relatives, accompanied by the murder of Muhammad's cousin Ali ibn Abu Talib and his sons, who wished to continue the teachings of the prophet. Which led to the split of Muslims into Shiites (minority) - recognizing the right to lead the Muslim community only for the descendants of Muhammad - imams, and Sunnis (majority) - according to which, power should belong to caliphs elected by the entire community.
"submissive" religion
Alternative descriptionsMost of the world is faithful to this religion
Otherwise, Islam, Mohammedanism is one of the three world religions, founded in the 7th century. n. e. prophet Mohammed (Mohammed) At the heart of the belief in one God - Allah
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To accept this religion, it is necessary to say in the presence of a Muslim "There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet"
The main principles of this religion are stated in the Qur'an.
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. "there is no god but Allah" (religion)
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Islamism m. Mohammedanism, Mohammedanism, faith of Mohamed; in translation: the way to salvation
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World religion, whose name is translated from Arabic as "obedience"
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What do we know about the religion of Islam? A lot and nothing at all? What should a Muslim do in a given situation? Studying your religion, you find answers to many questions. But religious knowledge is so vast, like an endless sea, that the more you dive into it, the further and further the shore moves away. The sea of knowledge cannot be crossed, but it is also impossible to drown in it, because this knowledge is divine, it teaches a person the elementary basics of life, teaches correct behavior in the family, society, in relations with parents, children, teachers and students, leaders and subordinates. Islam has everything, because Islam is a way of life. Each of our inhalation and exhalation is saturated with religion, the divine plan. Whoever catches this will be happy, for humble and submissive behavior and following all the commandments of Islam are salvation both in this life and in the next.
Islam is the religion of all prophets. The religion of Allah began to spread in the Arabian Peninsula at the beginning of the seventh century AD. The main history of Islam is connected with two cities - Mecca and Medina (then Yathrib).
At that time, various tribes lived on the Arabian Peninsula, who led a nomadic lifestyle. And only a few of them settled around reservoirs, oases. Those tribes that were located there gradually formed certain settlements. The indigenous Arabian tribes played a very important role in cohesion, in decision-making.
In Mecca and the territory adjacent to it, the tribe of Quraysh dominated, who was destined, by the will of Almighty Allah, to give the world a great man who played a huge role in spreading the religion of the Creator - Islam. His name was Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). He was born in Mecca, and at the age of forty, revelations began to be sent down to him, which formed the religious basis of Islam.
Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) had a hard time in spreading Islam, he met many obstacles on his way, he had to endure many trials, one of which was farewell to the city of childhood, the city in which he was born - Mecca. He had to leave it and move to Yathrib, now Medina, where they were waiting for him and where he was received.
Medina became his last refuge, here today is the ziyarat of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), where millions of Muslims aspire, especially during the pilgrimage season - the Hajj, when it is almost impossible to get close to the ziyarat itself, when it is also necessary to perform a two-rakah sunnat prayer for almost heads of other pilgrims. All this suggests that Islam is spreading, every year its ranks are replenished with new Muslims who want to visit the places where the beloved of Allah lived, from where he began to spread, to visit the places where the most important and great person in the history of mankind.
Islam is spreading, and so it will be until the Day of Judgment, for Allah Almighty Himself says about it. If you take a closer look at the world map, you can see how the world is gradually turning into green tones of Monotheism, obedience to the Almighty. Islam walks the planet with confident steps and no obstacles are afraid of it.
Islam is a religion of submission
The word "Islam" in Arabic means "obedience", "obedience to the laws of Allah Almighty". In the terminology of Sharia, Islam is complete, absolute monotheism, submission to the Creator in everything.
We are taught obedience from childhood, when children obey their parents, do not ask them unnecessary questions, but simply rely on their wisdom, experience, and their mature look. To be submissive does not mean infringement of the will or the word. Of course, children have every right to express their opinion on certain issues, to offer their own methods for solving some problems. Children should grow up with their own mind, and not borrow someone else's, but be that as it may, the parental word and opinion is authoritative. When there is no consent of the parents in something, we can confidently say that there will be no mercy in this. No wonder, perhaps, there is such a thing as "parental blessing." Without it, nowhere, since ancient times, a traveler going on a journey went to his parents in order to receive that same parental blessing.
When choosing a life partner, they also listened to the opinions of adults and tried to get their approval and contentment.
School, madrasah also teaches obedience, when exemplary behavior is required from a student, obedience to his teacher, unquestioning fulfillment of his tasks and assignments.
Submission is also required from the wife, because her obedience leads to contentment with her husband, and hence with Allah Almighty.
Obedience is learned from childhood, in youth, in adulthood. You can learn it until the end of your days, and since we are all slaves of our Creator, the same humility is required from us without any questions. The diploma of how much we have been submissive, the Creator will “give out” to us on the Day of Judgment, and it is better if this “diploma” is red.
Submission is the main distinguishing quality of a Muslim. Akin or synonymous with this quality are also such: hope, humility, obedience. A Muslim relies in everything only on the will of Allah, therefore the words "insha'Allah" - "may it be the will of the Creator" - are often used in any language that a Muslim speaks.
From here, strong, healthy sprouts of our faith in the Oneness of God begin to grow. That faith is true, which is brought up on humility and obedience, hope and submission. It is impossible to reach any heights without being obedient. A disobedient worker will never become a boss, an athlete will never become an Olympic champion. Also, a disobedient and rebellious slave will never be able to achieve the satisfaction of His Master, who for us is Allah Almighty.
Goethe wrote about Islam:
“How stupid to chant this way and that
Your thoughts on this and that!
After all, if Islam means obedience to God,
We all live and we all die in Islam.”
Islam is obedience to God, acceptance of everything that He sent down to us through His Messenger Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). Muhammad himself (peace and blessings be upon him) is the clearest example of humility and trust in Allah. How much he had to endure, spreading the religion of the Almighty, we never dreamed of. Today it is easy to be submissive, all conditions have been created for the fulfillment of all the commands of Allah. There are no insurmountable obstacles to the observance of religion. We ourselves just need to learn to listen to the decisions of the Shariah, learn to live in accordance with them, then humility will increase in us, and we will more seek contentment with us by Almighty Allah. Our obedience is His contentment, this is a happy and only true path, the path of happiness and salvation. Submission is the key to heaven, insha'Allah.
Islam is the religion of peace
Another meaning of the word "Islam" is "peace". This world begins with the words "Assalamu alaikum", when one Muslim wishes peace to his brother or sister in faith.
The word "salaam" - "peace" - is the basis of many Islamic concepts. Even Almighty Allah has the name "As-Salam". One of the names of paradise is Dar As-Salam. Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said: You will not enter Paradise until you believe, and you will not believe until you love each other! Shall I tell you about the action by which you will fall in love with each other? Spread salam "(greeting each other)!" (Imam Muslim).
Islam does not teach cruelty or violence; on the contrary, it welcomes only such qualities as kindness, mercy, compassion. Islam spreads goodness, teaches a good attitude towards all the creations of the creator, starting with an ordinary leaf on a tree.
Remember how Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) spread religion? Only good, peace. He did not show any violence, only personal example and behavior were decisive factors in spreading the word of Allah. Islam is also spreading today - only by peace, kindness to other people, respect for other opinions and in no case by any imposition, because there is no coercion in religion.
Islam is a religion of equality
For Almighty Allah, we are all slaves, we are all equal for Him. He does not distinguish between us either by skin color, or by social status, or by language, nation, gender, age. The difference between us is only in one quality - in God-fearing. The Creator draws attention to this, how much each of us fears Him, trusts in His mercy and hopes for His forgiveness.
Allah has assigned the same duties to each of us - prayer, fasting, zakat, hajj. There are certain indulgences, and this is the mercy of the Almighty. Otherwise, each of us is obliged to strive to earn the mercy and pleasure of Allah. I repeat, there is no difference whether we are a man or a woman, we are rich or poor, we are all slaves of the One Creator - Almighty Allah, we are all obliged to follow His commands and strive for His favorable attitude towards us.
Islam is a religion of justice, a religion of wisdom, a religion of knowledge… Islam has absorbed all the best. Not on our merit, we are honored to be his supporter and bear the name of a Muslim. That is mercy to us, and we must justify it with our actions, thoughts, intentions. A Muslim is an honorary title, and to be an adherent of Islam is an honor, only you need to justify this amanat.
We are glad that we can worship our Creator and say every day: “I testify that there is no one and nothing worthy of worship than Almighty Allah, and I also testify that Muhammad is His Prophet and Messenger.”
And may Allah Almighty grant us the opportunity to see Him in next life not by our merit, but only by His grace! Amen.
Muslimat Rajabova
Those who lived millennia ago had their own beliefs, deities and religion. With the development of human civilization, religion also developed, new beliefs and currents appeared, and it is impossible to unequivocally conclude whether religion depended on the level of development of civilization or vice versa, it was people's beliefs that were one of the guarantees of progress. IN modern world there are thousands of beliefs and religions, some of which have millions of adherents, while others have only a few thousand or even hundreds of believers.
Religion is one of the forms of understanding the world, which is based on faith in higher powers. As a rule, each religion includes a number of moral and ethical norms and rules of conduct, religious rituals and rituals, and also unites a group of believers into an organization. All religions rely on a person's belief in supernatural forces, as well as on the relationship of believers with their deity (deities). Despite the apparent difference in religions, many postulates and dogmas of various beliefs are very similar, and this is especially noticeable when comparing the main world religions.
Major world religions
Modern researchers of religions distinguish three main religions of the world, the adherents of which are the vast majority of all believers on the planet. These religions are Buddhism, Christianity and Islam, as well as numerous currents, offshoots and based on these beliefs. Each of the world's religions has more than a thousand years of history, Holy Bible and a number of cults and traditions to be observed by believers. As for the geography of distribution of these beliefs, if even less than 100 years ago it was possible to draw more or less clear boundaries and recognize Europe, America, South Africa and Australia as "Christian" parts of the world, North Africa and the Middle East as Muslim, and the states located in the southeastern part of Eurasia - Buddhist, now every year this division is becoming more and more conditional, since on the streets of European cities you can increasingly meet Buddhists and Muslims, and in secular states Central Asia on the same street can be christian temple and a mosque.
The founders of world religions are known to every person: the founder of Christianity is Jesus Christ, Islam - the prophet Mohammed, Buddhism - Siddhartha Gautama, who later received the name Buddha (enlightened). However, it should be noted that Christianity and Islam have common roots in Judaism, since the beliefs of Islam also include the prophet Isa ibn Maryam (Jesus) and other apostles and prophets whose teachings are recorded in the Bible, but Islamists are sure that the fundamental teachings are still the teachings of the prophet Mohammed, who was sent to earth later than Jesus.
Buddhism
Buddhism is the oldest of the world's major religions, with a history of more than two and a half thousand years. This religion originated in the southeast of India, its founder is considered to be Prince Siddhartha Gautama, who through contemplation and meditation achieved enlightenment and began to share the truth that had been revealed to him with other people. Based on the teachings of the Buddha, his followers wrote the Pali Canon (Tripitaka), which is considered a sacred book by the followers of most of the currents of Buddhism. The main currents of Buddhism today are Hinayama (Theravada Buddhism - "Narrow Path to Liberation"), Mahayana ("Wide Path to Liberation") and Vajrayana ("Diamond Path").
Despite some differences between the orthodox and new currents of Buddhism, this religion is based on the belief in reincarnation, karma and the search for the path of enlightenment, after which you can free yourself from the endless chain of rebirths and achieve enlightenment (nirvana). The difference between Buddhism and other major religions of the world is the belief of Buddhists that a person’s karma depends on his actions, and everyone goes his own way of enlightenment and is responsible for his own salvation, and the gods, whose existence Buddhism recognizes, do not play a key role in the fate of a person, for they are also subject to the laws of karma.
Christianity
The birth of Christianity is considered to be the first century of our era; The first Christians appeared in Palestine. However, taking into account the fact that Old Testament The Bible, the holy book of Christians, was written much earlier than the birth of Jesus Christ, it is safe to say that the roots of this religion are in Judaism, which arose almost a millennium before Christianity. Today, there are three main areas of Christianity - Catholicism, Protestantism and Orthodoxy, branches of these areas, as well as those who also consider themselves Christians.
At the heart of the beliefs of Christians is the belief in the Triune God - the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, in the redemptive sacrifice of Jesus Christ, in angels and demons and in the afterlife. The difference between the three main directions of Christianity is that Orthodox Christians, unlike Catholics and Protestants, do not believe in the existence of purgatory, and Protestants consider inner faith to be the key to the salvation of the soul, and not the observance of many sacraments and rites, so the churches of Protestant Christians are more modest than the churches of Catholics and Orthodox, as well as the number church sacraments Protestants have fewer than Christians who adhere to other currents of this religion.
Islam
Islam is the youngest of the world's major religions, it originated in the 7th century in Arabia. The holy book of Muslims is the Quran, which contains the teachings and instructions of the prophet Mohammed. At the moment, there are three main branches of Islam - Sunnis, Shiites and Kharijites. The main difference between the first and other branches of Islam is that the Sunnis consider the successors of Magomed to the first four caliphs, and, in addition to the Koran, they recognize the sunnahs telling about the prophet Magomed as sacred books, and the Shiites believe that only his direct blood can be the successors of the Prophet. descendants. Kharijites are the most radical offshoot of Islam, the beliefs of the supporters of this trend are similar to those of the Sunnis, however, the Kharijites recognize only the first two caliphs as successors of the Prophet.
Muslims believe in the one God of Allah and his prophet Mohammed, in the existence of the soul and in the afterlife. In Islam, great attention is paid to the observance of traditions and religious rites - every Muslim must perform salat (daily five times prayer), fast in Ramadan and at least once in his life make a pilgrimage to Mecca.
Common in the three major world religions
Despite the difference in rituals, beliefs and certain dogmas of Buddhism, Christianity and Islam, all these beliefs have some common features, and the similarity of Islam and Christianity is especially noticeable. Belief in one God, in the existence of the soul, in the afterlife, in fate and in the possibility of help higher powers- these are the dogmas that are inherent in both Islam and Christianity. The beliefs of Buddhists differ significantly from the religions of Christians and Muslims, but the similarity between all world religions is clearly visible in the moral and behavioral norms that believers must comply with.
The 10 Biblical Commandments that Christians are required to observe, the laws prescribed in the Koran, and the Noble Eightfold Path contain moral norms and rules of conduct prescribed for believers. And these rules are the same everywhere - all the major religions of the world forbid believers from doing atrocities, harming other living beings, lying, behaving loosely, rudely or disrespectfully towards other people and urge to treat other people with respect, care and and develop in character positive traits.