HINDUISM
One of the oldest religions, Hinduism began 5,000
years ago in India. Hindus believe in a supreme spirit,
Brahman, who reveals himself through hundreds of
gods and goddesses. Hindus practise their faith in
different ways, but share a belief in reincarnation –
the idea that a person’s soul has lived before and
will live on after death in another form.ISLAM
Muslims believe that God revealed his
words through an angel to the prophet
Muhammad, who collected them in the
Qur’an, the holy book. The faithful try to
live by the rules in this book. The most
important duties are the Five Pillars:
prayer, helping the needy, fasting for
one month a year, making a pilgrimage
to Mecca, and showing faith in God.Krishna This popular
Hindu god is thought to
bring great happiness
to believers.Ganesh Hindus pray to Ganesh,
the elephant god of wisdom and
help, when facing a new challenge.Om This is
an image of
the sacred
sound, Om,
spoken after
Hindu prayer.Water shaker In one
Hindu ritual, priests
sprinkle water over
the worshippers.Islamic scribe Because the Qur’an
is believed to contain God’s exact
words, great care is taken when
Muslim scribes recreate them.Qibla Muslims must
face the holy city of
Mecca when they pray,
five times a day. This
instrument helps them
to find its location.Islamic tile The
sacred words
of the Qur’an
appear on many
decorative
objects, such
as this tile.Prayer beads God, or Allah, is thought
to have 99 names. This string of 99 prayer
beads can be used to remind Muslims of
the many names of the one God.Torah scroll The most important
book in the Jewish faith, the
Torah contains a list of
instructions for everyday life.Religion
A religion is a set of beliefs that helps explain life’s mysteries. People
seek guidance from their religion on how they should live their lives.
Most people with religious faith believe in either one God or many
gods. They express their faith through rituals, such as gathering
together with others to worship, and by studying sacred books.
There are many different religions, but those included here have
the most followers around the world.Krishna is usually
shown as a smiling
youth with
sky-blue skin219
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