Religious activities

Key Unit competence: Explain the fundamental elements of faith in 

Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

Introductory Activity

1. Basing on your experience and using research identify religions 

found in your community and come up with their fundamental 

teachings and practices.

2. Explain what you know about Judaism.

3. Compare the fundamental teachings of Christianity and Islam, 

and come up with similarities and differences. 

4. What do you think was the religion of Jesus, what did they believe 

in?

The concept of Abrahamic religions refers to three religions: Judaism, 

Christianity and Islam. These religions are very closely related in their 

origins and their Holy Scripture. They also have similar beliefs about morals 

and ethics. They do differ, however, in important aspects of their beliefs. 

Historically, relations among these faith groups reflect both conflict and 

cooperation. They all originate from the personality and faith of Abraham 

which is a pure monotheism. They are like children of a single parent, capable 

of reaching understandings and living in peace together despite difference in 

some aspects of faith and practice. 

4.1. Jewish Faith and Torah

4.1. Learning activitiy :

Using various resources discuss the Jewish religion and its key teachings.

Judaism is the theistic religion of Jews, which means that they believe in the 

existence of supreme God who is transcendent. Judaism is a monotheistic 

religion and Jews consider Abraham as their ancestor. Jewish faith is based 

on Torah (The first five books of Moses).

Torah is a Hebrew term which means “Instruction”, “Teaching” or “Law”. The 

word Torah has a range of meaning. It can most specifically mean the first 

five books (Pentateuch or Five books of Moses) of the 24 books of the 

Hebrew Bible (Tanakh

Torah consists of the origin of Jewish peoplehood: their call into being by 

God, their trial and tribulations, and covenant with their God, which involves 

following a way of life embodied in a set of moral and religious obligations 

and civil laws.

The Torah starts from the beginning of God’s creating the world through the 

beginning of the people of Israel, their descent into Egypt, and the giving 

of the Torah at biblical Mount of Sinai. It ends with the death of Moses, just 

before the people of Israel cross to the promised land of Canaan.

The first five books of Moses are Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and 

Deuteronomy

Genesis

The book of Genesis is the first book of the Torah. It is divisible into two 

parts, primeval history (Chapters 1-11) which is the story of the first years of 

the world’s existence, and the Ancestral history (Chapters 12-50).

The primeval history (Chapters 1-11) sets out the author’s (or authors’) 

concepts of the nature of the deity and of humankind’s relationship with its 

maker: God creates a world which is good and fit for mankind, but when 

man corrupts it with sin God decides to destroy his creation, saving only the 

righteous Noah to re-establish the relationship between man and God.

The Ancestral history (Chapters 12-50) tells of the prehistory of Israel, God’s 

chosen people. At God’s command Noah’s descendant Abraham journeys 

from his home into the God-given land of Canaan, where he dwells as a 

sojourner, as does his son Isaac and his grandson Jacob. Jacob’s name is 

changed to Israel, and through the agency of his son Joseph, the children of 

Israel descend into Egypt, 70 people in all with their households, and God 

promises them a future of greatness. Genesis ends with Israel in Egypt, 

ready for the coming of Moses and the Exodus

Exodu

The book of Exodus is the second book of the Torah, immediately following 

Genesis. The book tells how the ancient Israelites left slavery in Egypt through 

the strength of Yahweh, the God who has chosen Israel as his people. God 

used the prophet Moses to rescue his people Israel as their leader.

Leviticus

The book of Leviticus begins with instructions to the Israelites on how to use 

the Tabernacle, which they had just built (Leviticus 1-10), This is followed 

by rules of clean and unclean (Leviticus 11-15), which includes the laws of 

slaughter and animals permissible to eat, the Day of atonement (Leviticus 

16), and various moral and ritual laws sometimes called the holiness Code 

(Leviticus 17-26). Leviticus 26 provides a detailed list of rewards for following 

God’s commandments and a detailed list of punishments for not following 

them. Leviticus 17 establishes sacrifices at the Tabernacles as an everlasting 

ordinance, but this ordinance is altered in later books with the Temple being 

the only place sacrifices are allowed.

Numbers

The book of Numbers is the fourth book of the Torah. The name of the book 

comes from the two censuses taken of the Israelites.

Numbers begins at Mount Sinai, where the Israelites have received their 

laws and covenant from God and God has taken up residence among them 

in the sanctuary. The task before them is to take possession of the Promised 

Land, Canaan. The people are counted and preparations are made for 

resuming their march. The Israelites begin the journey, but they murmur at 

the hardships along the way, and about the authority of Moses and Aaron 

and God destroys many of them.

Deuteronomy

The book of Deuteronomy is the fifth book of the Torah. Chapters 1-30 of 

the book consist of three sermons or speeches delivered to the Israelites by 

Moses on the plains of Moab, shortly before they enter the Promised Land.

The final four chapters (31-34) contain the song of Moses, Blessing of 

Moses and narratives recounting the passing of the mantle of leadership 

from Moses to Joshua and finally, the death of Moses on Mount Nebo.

4.1. Application activity: 

1. Define the following terms: Judaism and Torah.

2. List the five books of the Law. And summurize major teaching

3. Explain how laws can help you to live peacefully in your community

4.2. Christian faith 

4.2. Learning activitiy :

Using various resources, discuss the meaning of the term christianity and 

its fundamental faith.

Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and 

teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. Its adherents, known as christians, believe 

that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and the Saviour of all people. His 

coming as the Messiah was prophesied in the Hebrew Bible, called the Old 

Testament in christianity, and chronicled (recorded) in the New Testament.

Christians believe in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ who died 

because of people’s sins. All christian denominations believe that Christ 

is the word of God incarnated. They confess that He came to save them 

through his death and resurrection. He rose from the dead and appeared to 

the apostles who became the witnesses of what they saw (Acts 2:32). The 

Christian faith came from the apostles who had followed Jesus Christ.

The word of God about Christ was written in the Holy Scriptures. Thus, 

Christians also believe in the written Scriptures to nourish their faith.

The creed summarises the Christian faith and its main points include:

Belief in God the Father, Jesus Christ as the Son of God, and the Holy Spirit

The death, descent into hell, resurrection and ascension of Christ

The holiness of the Church and the communion of the Saints

Christ’s second coming, the Day of Judgment, and Salvation of the Faithful.

Like Jews, Christians have no fundamental reason to live in disunity with one 

another. After all the one they believe in is One! Salvation is universal for all 

who believe and confess the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

We note that the name Christians was first used at Antioch and it means the 

Disciples of Christ, the ones who believe and imitate Christ (Acts 11:25-26)

4.2. Application activity: 

1. What does the term Christianity mean?

2. Briefly explain the beliefs of christians.

3. How christian beliefs can help you to live in harmony in your 

society?

4.3. Six pillars of Islamic faith

4.3. Learning activitiy :

Using various resources identify the pillars of Islamic faith

Islam is a theistic religion. The word Islam means submission under Allah’s 

laws. Muhammad, the prophet of Allah started receiving the content of the 

Quran from 610 up to 632. Officially Islam was founded in 622. Muhammad 

was born at Mecca probably in 570. He went in Medina by exile.

Iman, this term literally means faith or belief. In Islamic theology it denotes a 

believer’s faith in the metaphysical aspects of Islam. Its most simple definition 

is the belief in the six articles of faith known as arkan al iman. The term iman

has been described in both Quran and hadith.

Quran (Koran) is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims believe 

to be a revelation from God (Allah). Hadith refers to the record of the words,

actions, and the silent approval of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. According 

to the Quran, “iman” must be accompanied by righteous deeds and the two 

together are necessary for entry into Paradise.

The six pillars of faith: Faith (iman) breaks down into six pillars:

1. Belief in the existence and oneness of God (Allah). Believing in 

Allah above all else is the first and most important. It is not only belief 

in Allah alone but in the way He is described through the Quran and 

the hadith (Sayings) of Prophet Muhammad.

2. Belief in the existence of Angles. The second pillar of Iman is the 

belief in Allah’s angels. The angels are messengers of Allah. They 

are not His children as some may think. They were created from light 

and were created before humans, for the purpose of worshipping 

Allah. They can also appear in the shape of a man if so ordered 

to so. Some of the angels’ names, which we know of, are Jibra’il, 

Mika’il, Israfil, and Malik. They have many jobs such as guardians, 

gatekeepers, and Trumpeters.

3. Beliefs in the existence of the books of which God is the author: 

the Quran (revealed to Muhammad), the Gospel (revealed to Jesus), 

the Torah (revealed to Moses), and Psalms to David. Muslims are to 

believe in all of these books and not just the Quran alone.

4. Belief in the existence of all prophets: Muhammad being the last 

of them, Jesus the penultimate (second from the last, Muhammad), 

and Moses sent before them.

5. Belief in the existence of the Day of Judgment: in that day, 

humanity will be divided into two groups: that of paradise and that of 

hell. These groups are themselves composed of subgroups.

6. Belief in the existence God’s predestination, whether it involves 

good or bad or pre-ordainment. What this means is that everything 

in our lives is already written. It is our duty to know that whatever 

Allah wills will occur. Also He is creator of everything including our 

deeds. Allah knows our past, present, and the future. Our lives are 

set, but that does not mean that we strive any less toward perfection.

From the above pillars, the first five are mentioned together in the Quran and 

by Muhammad, while including a corollary of belief in Allah, the good and 

evil of fate ordained by God, has referred to all six together in the following 

manner in the Hadith of Gabriel. Iman is that you believe in God and His 

angels and His books and His Messengers and the Hereafter and the good 

and evil fate ordained by your God.

Similarities and differences of Abrahamic Religions

Abrahamic religions have things in common and have also differences. 

The following aspects constitute the commonality and uniqueness of each 

religion

• Basic Beliefs and Common Stories 

Jews, Christians and Muslims believe that God made a covenant, or 

agreement with Abraham to keep the faith in One God and to worship Him 

and teach the practice of worship to his children down the generations. God 

would preserve, protect and multiply the children of Abraham. 

The Jews believe that the covenant of God with Abraham goes only for 

their people as one nation, while Christians and Muslims believe that the 

covenant and message of God goes for all mankind. This covenant became 

the legacy, or trust, for the children of Abraham to continue.

According to the scriptures, Abraham was promised that his offspring would 

become the fathers of great nations. These nations are the people who are 

now called Jews, Christians, and Muslims. They are called monotheists, 

meaning people who believe in one God, the Creator of all that is in the 

universe and on earth. The common core of Abraham’s story is his faith and 

obedience to the call of God. It is expressed in the Jewish and Christian 

traditions in a verse of the book of Genesis. 

Another act of Abraham that belongs to the core story is that God told him 

in a dream to sacrifice his son. He and his son were prepared to obey this 

divine command, but God redeemed the sacrifice with a magnificent ram. 

This miracle meant that God does not require human sacrifice, but only the 

willingness to obey. The Biblical account says that the son to be sacrificed 

was Abraham and Sarah’s son Isaac, while the Qur’an states that it was the 

first-born son Ishmael, whose mother was Hagar. The lesson of obedience 

and strength of faith, however, is the same.

• God, Prophets, and Revelation

All of the Abrahamic monotheistic faiths share a belief that God, the Creator, 

has “spoken” to humankind over time. The word for this divine communication 

is “revelation”. Adherents of the Abrahamic religions believe that God 

revealed Himself to certain individuals called prophets over the course of 

human history. They believe that God communicated five main messages: 

• The nature and qualities of the one God;

• The purpose and nature of the universe created by God; 

• The need to worship one God; 

• The purpose of human life and the need to live a righteous life and the 

news of judgment after death, and reward or punishment in the afterlife;

• Morals and laws which people are told to follow. 

The Abrahamic faiths have in common a belief in angels as God’s messengers 

to human beings. The angel of revelation is named Gabriel. The human 

beings chosen by God as bearers of revelation to other human beings are 

called prophets. Some of them were chosen and inspired to teach people, 

while the Major Prophets received revelations that have been memorized, 

recited and written in Holy books or scriptures.

• The Messiah 

• Jews believe that Messiah is still awaited and coming at some future 

time. The Reform tradition does not expect an individual Messiah. 

Jews do not believe that Jesus was the Messiah. Some Jews believe 

that Jesus was a spiritual leader. 

• Christians believe that Jesus was the Messiah. They also believe that 

Jesus was the son of God, who came to redeem human beings from 

sin or wrongdoing, and that he compensated for all human sins with his 

suffering and death. This salvation, or being saved and given eternal 

life, is the central teaching of the New Testament (which means promise 

or pledge, i.e. the salvation through Jesus).

• Muslims also believe that Jesus was the Messiah. They do not believe 

that he was the son of God, but a human being. Muslims also believe 

that God did not allow him to die or be crucified at the hands of human 

beings.

Both Christians and Muslims believe that Jesus was raised up to God, but 

Christians believe that Jesus was raised from the dead or resurrected. 

Muslims believe that Jesus was one of the greatest prophets. Muslims also 

share the belief with Christians in the Second Coming of Jesus Christ near 

the end of time. 

Among adherents of the Abrahamic faiths, only Christians and Muslims 

believe Jesus as a messenger of God and only Muslims believe that 

Muhammad was a prophet, a man who was born in Makkah in about the 

year 570 AD. They believe that he received the final revelation from God 

through the holy book called the Quran. Historically, Muhammad was not 

accepted as a prophet by Christians and Jews. Similarly, Jews do not accept 

Christian or Muslim beliefs about Jesus.

• The Monotheistic Concept of God and the Afterlife 

All three Abrahamic faiths share many ideas about the nature of God. He is 

the Creator of the Universe. The monotheistic tradition of God includes the 

idea of a covenant, or promise, of God. The covenant is a trust placed upon 

human beings to believe in God, to worship only Him and not to worship 

any other gods. The scriptures describe God’s characteristics or attributes, 

such as justice, mercy, and power over all of Creation. The scriptures of 

the Abrahamic faiths also describe the promise of God to judge all human 

beings on the Judgment Day, after they have died, and to reward or punish 

them according to God’s justice. All of the faiths believe that God requires 

human beings to show mercy to others, to do good deeds such as helping 

others, and that He will reward those who have faith and do well in this world. 

The promise of God is for eternal life after death, in a heavenly paradise. 

Equally, those who do evil will be punished in Hell. The most important thing 

for human beings, however, is to have faith in God, that He will grant mercy 

to whomever He will, and forgive their sins or wrongdoing. Another important 

concept of God is that He is not from the world, but He is present, and each 

human being can approach God and become near to Him, through prayer 

and other acts of worship.

• Practices of Worship 

Belief in the need to worship God is common to all religions. The most basic 

form of worship is prayer. Each tradition prescribes specific words and 

requirements for prayer, which takes place at appointed day. Public prayer 

in houses of worship is common to all three faiths: Jews on Saturday, for 

Christians on Sunday, and for Muslims on Friday. 

All Abrahamic faiths recognize the personal, private prayer of each believer. 

Prayers that mark the times in the day and the cycle of the year are among 

the most important signs of obedience to God. Such rituals are also the 

source of scientific efforts to achieve accurate timekeeping and calendars. 

The prayer also implies fasting in these three religions and performing 

pilgrimage to Holy lands.

• Celebrations 

Each of the Abrahamic faiths has a few major celebrations during the year. 

Both Judaism and Islam follow a lunar calendar for the timing of these 

celebrations, and some Christian feast days are also influenced by the lunar 

calendar. Some of these celebrations are: 

• Judaism: Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Passover, Shavuot, Sukkot, 

Chanukkah, Purim; these celebrations recall events in the dramatic 

history of the Jewish people. 

• Christianity: Advent, Christmas, Lent, Good Friday, Easter, and 

Pentecost; these are only a few of the celebrations that commemorate 

events in the life of Jesus.

• Islam: Ramadan, Eid al-Fitr; Hajj and Eid al-Adha; Ramadan is a 

month of fasting commanded in the Qur’an, and the feast day that ends 

it is Eid al-Fitr. Eid al-Adha and the Hajj (the ritual journey to Makkah) 

commemorate events in the life of Abraham and his family

Sharing food and other gifts with family, neighbours, and needy people are 

common ways to celebrate, and attending special worship services are part 

of these celebrations.

• Leadership 

Individuals and the community participate in worship and follow ethical, 

practical and religious laws. Leaders especially trained in knowledge of the 

faith and care for the community and its members play roles in guiding the 

faithful. 

• In Judaism, leaders are called Rabbis, and they receive rigorous 

training in the scriptures and other Judaic writings. 

• In Christianity, priests and pastors serve as part of a church hierarchy,or 

ranks of authorities. Only trained, ordained, or initiated priests can fulfil 

certain sacred functions of worship for the lay, or ordinary people.

• In Islam a prayer leader is called an imam“one who stands in front” of 

the lines of worshippers. Leaders who offer advice on how to practice 

Islam, on the law, and other kinds of guidance

• Moral and ethical principles and laws

Christianity, Islam and Judaism share a set of morals and values. The 

most basic set of moral and ethical values in the Biblical tradition is the Ten 

Commandments, which was part of the revelation taught by Moses, and 

are revered by Jews and Christians as they appear in the Torah and the 

Old Testament. This part of the belief system is an important reason why 

Muslims are taught to respect Jews and Christians as fellow “People of the 

Book.” The Qur’an includes all of the Ten Commandments – many of them 

stated in a similar way, with the exception of the Sabbath (day of rest). 

The Qur’an also states that its revelation came to confirm the right message 

that the earlier prophets brought. Much of this message is the central religious 

concept of one God, and the basic commandments to honour parents, help 

the poor, respect neighbours, not to steal, kill, envy, or lie, and so on. Some of 

these commandments also form the basis of civil and criminal law in secular 

governments, and they form the basis for the concept of human rights. The 

fact that they share values, beliefs and ethics, make them to easily interact 

and allow many kinds of interactions possible.

4.3. Application activity:

1. What does the term Islam mean?

2. Define the following concepts:

a. Quran

b. Hadith

3. Identify the islamic six pillars of faith

4.4. End unit assessment

1. Define the following terms: Judaism, Torah

2. List the five books of the Law.

3. Explain how laws can help you to live peacefully in your community.

4. Briefly explain the beliefs of christians.

5. How christian beliefs can help you to live in harmonious life in 

your society? 

6. What does the term Islam mean?

7. Define the following concepts:

a. Quran

b. Hadith

8. Discuss the Islamic six pillas of faith.