9781422276570

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Origins of Ramadan M uslims practice a religion called Islam. Like Christianity and Judaism, Islam is an Abrahamic religion, whichmeans that Muslims believe that the patriarchAbraham in the book of Genesis was one of the founders of the religion. All three religions share belief in one God. Islam is the youngest of these religions, originating in the 600s. n The Creation of Islam The man responsible for the creation of Islam as a religion was called Muhammad. He is not considered the founder of Islam, because Muslims believe that he simply used the teachings of Allah , or God, to restore purity to an existing faith that had been corrupted by Christians and Jews.

words to understand

Abrahamic : Used to describe a group of religions that recognize Abraham as a patriarch; this includes Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Allah : The Arabic word for God. Caliph : The leader of the Islamic religion; this role does not exist anymore. Pilgrimage : A journey made to a sacred place as an act of religious devotion.

t  Hundreds of thousands of pilgrims perform Friday prayers at the great mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Pilgrims stream into Islam’s holy city for the annual pilgrimage, which all able-bodied Muslim men are expected to make once in their lives.

Origins of Ramadan n

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