HISTORY OF All WORLD'S MOST POPULOUS RELIGIONS.

Before we grasp what history of religion means, it is appropriate to consider what history and religion mean in their own rights. After we do so we can arrive at a better understanding of the history of religions.History is a social science. The word derives from the Latin historia which presupposes a narrative or narration of past events, a tale or story and the Greek historienwhich suggests an inquiry to know. The word history presupposes a looking into the past through the eyes of the present so as to grasp the present and prepare for the future. When we talk about history we must take into cognizance some words- what, where, when, why, who and how. In history talking about what moves us to definitions that make up the stories told or written. Where concerns places that events took place. When refers to timings, eras and civilizations in which events occurred. The reasons recorded in relation to events are linked to the why of history. How deals with conditions under which events unfolded. The above is very relevant if any history is to be told accurately. To this end we can decipher that history is more than facts and diaries, it is bigger than the chronicler. The assemblage of facts here must go with asking relevant questions as well as interpreting things that happened. To this end caution is taken as regards the danger of excessive subjectivity in stories told or exaggeration. Edward Hallett Carr in ‘What is History viewed history as a continuous process of interaction between the historian and his facts, an unending dialogue between the past and present.  One major goal of studying history is to equip us with basic information about events in the annals of different religions. When we do history we interpret the past, give our verdict- learn what should be done and what should be avoided. If we are wary of the fact that future generations would read us as part of history then we ought to be careful and put order to our actions and inactions
In times past the words of mouth was treasured to high standards beyond the written word. The word may have been heard by just one person but if is still priced and highly regarded, Jesus never wrote down his words yet He founded a religion.

          The word religion derives from the …latinreligio, religare
Hard question to answer is, what religion is.
Is religion the way we think about God? If so then Buddhism may not pass
Is it living an ethical life? I doubt because many ethical atheist are religious
Is it only an organized institution? It is more than this.

EMILE DURKHEIM saw religion as a unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things. This was after the model of religio –reverence for God or gods. The nearest term in Hebrew is halakha (walk, path) which suggest “law” which guides religious practice.

FRIEDRICH SCHLEIRMACHER
He defined religionas a feeling of absolute dependence.

E. TYLOR- the belief in spiritual beings

WILLIAM JAMES- the feeling acts and experiencing of individual men in their solitude so far as they apprehend themselves to stand I relation to whatever they may consider divine.

JOACHIM WACH 1898-1955 talked of three forms of religious expressions
Theoretical
Practical
Sociological

Theoretical
Religions teach something it has a theoretical content it teaches through myths, doctrines, and customs.
Atheists still fear hell- [childhood teachings]
-when we study a new religion we ask what is teaches
-This is one function of religion
-Teachings on world creation
-On human origin
-Future of the world
-How to live now
-Value orientation
Practical
This deals with the way of worshipping
What we do shows forth function
There is Mass for catholics,or service for other Christian denominations, synagogue and temple gatherings. The muslims pray five times
Each religion is known by what her adherents do viz their tradition. All religions have one form of ritual or the other.
Sociological
This deals with the relationships and expressions of different religions as well as their symbols and traditions. The Dome in Jerusalem, Kaaba of Mecca.Cross as a sign of Christianity  
In defining religion from whatever perspective, one thing is very clear that every religion deals with beliefs, behaviors and teachings. It is a felt, practical relationship with a supernatural being or  beings, it is the human being’s highest effort to know nature of the ultimate being to recognize his activities and his weed if us humans. From the anthropologist and sociologist response to the existence of the human condition in which human is to seek security, status and permanence by identifying himself with a reality greater, more worthy and very durable than himself. Religion is a search for the meaning of life amidst fears, doubts, uncertainties, insecurities, death, sufferings, pain, life, hereafter. In   the Christian sense religion simply means believing in and accepting Jesus Christ as the son of God and thereby procuring salvation and eternal life for whosoever believes in his name. The church history is more than a history of an institution or movement. It is the history of the deeds of the Holy spirit in and through men and women, though this history; even though this history may show all features of pure human history. There were and there still will be episode in the course of church history where it will be very difficult to see the action of the Holy Spirit: the inquisitions, the crusades. There are three pillars of religion namely;
FAITH In a Supernatural Being
MORALITY A written or unwritten code of guides for actions
WORSHIP Relationship of reverence to the Supernatural Being
Thesethree elements are not linked to a written word. A religion i not a religion because its tenets are written down but its tenets are written down because there is a religion.
WHAT IS A LIVING RELIGION
A living religion is one that is alive, relevant and sensitive to present needs and situations of people. Such a religion evolves with time.It changes according to the needs of the times keeping it ESSENCE even though it essence is same; it is reinterpreted according to the needs of the times. Any belief system that changes and evolves to suit time, and environment is alive. A bad example of a living religion is a religion has not altered since its birth; holding on to dogma without recourse to explaining it within contexts and adapting it to situations –any religion that acts in such a manner may be doomed to irrelevance.

=Should religion be all about orthodox and dogma alone??
=Has mankind known more true peace, inner contentment and happiness after technological advancement?
=Religion has become a form of rituals instead of a way of life- religion is a way of life
=A living religion emphasizes the personal conciseness of believers it has sympathy for history, traditional of indigenous people.
It can be doctrinally rooted in the past yet emphasizing strongly personal consciousness and responsiveness of the adherents. Doctrines may not change but presentation to successive generations is ever changing.
THE ABRAHAMIC RELIGIONS
No colossus stands astride the monotheistic religious history of the world like Abraham. When we talk of the Abrahamic religions we refer to the trio ofJudaism, Christianity and Islam who trace lineage to the patriarch Abraham. Abraham is the mythological progenitor of the Abrahamic faiths. To this end we could then link the faith of Judaism and Islam through Isaac and Ishmael accordingly and spiritual father in faith of Christians through Romans 4:1. Apart from Jesus the name Abraham appears a lot in NT. Abraham lived about 2000 BCE. We could read of him in Genesis 12. Abraham (exalted father) lived in Ur, now in in present day Iraq before he later migrated to Haran in Mesopotamia now Canaan (Palestine) now Israel. Of the more than six billion people who occupy the world, fifty four percent (54%) belong toJudaism, Christianity or Islam. The statistic hence would be represented thus;Christians make up 1/3 of the population of the world. Muslims make up 1/5 of the population of the world. To this end ½ of the world is either Christian or Muslim. Judaism is only 2 to 3 percent of the size of Christian and Muslim population, yet their historical influence far outweighs its small number of present adherents. The major similarities that place these religions together are common origin, unified creation story, salvation, pedigree of Adam among others.
JUDAISM
Among the world’s major extant historical religions, Judaism may well be the oldest. Origin is unstable scholars are divided as to the origin. Some trace to Abraham, others trace it to the time Israelites nomads came to Canaan yet others talk of the descendants of Abraham. Perhaps some talk of Moses the Liberator others Joshua. Other scholars and students of religion history prefer to say it is simply the result of religion evolving from worship in the desert to worship in the city from the Canaanites Gods to universal Yahweh(cfDeut 6:4-5).
The central point of Judaism is this Jews felt called by God to be a unique people with a divine contract and promise them a nickname God’s chosen people. Their religion never consisted in too much striving to attain this position.Their Holy Books called Tanakh being abbreviated of 1st letters of 3 major sections or divisions: Torah (5 books of Moses), Nevi’im (Prophets), and Kethuvim (writings) hence represented by the acronym (TA NA KH).
Later the interpretations, teachings, practices, doctrines and customs of Jewish life and religion became codified and written down in the literary of books called Talmud. Hebrew people are posterity of Abraham. Hebrew Religion came through Moses who led the people in the wilderness which was a defining point in their covenantal life with Yahweh. From wilderness and Moses you hear of Ark of Covenant, Decalogue, Sacrifices, Burat offerings, Tabernacle, Priesthood, Levites.
Judaism traces its calendar to the first words of its scriptures namely in the beginning the creation of the world, the Jewish year is based on a lunar system not solar. Jewish year has 12 months each with 30or 29 days based on the phases of the moon. The leap year for Judaism falls in the 3rd, 6th, 8th, 11th, 14th 17th, and 19th year of each 19 year cycle. There are complicated adjustments from time to time. To this end the Jewish New Year Rosh Hashanah sometimes more. The calculation was done by Patriarch Hillel II traced it to 3760 years before common era (BCE) so year 2000 CE or AD corresponds to 5760 CE
JEWISH   MONTHS
Tishre (Sep-Oct)                                                  Nisan (March-April)
Heshvan (Oct- Nov)                                              Iyar (April-May)
Kislev (Nov-Dec)                                                   Sivan (May-June)
Tevet (Dec-Jan)                                                      Tammuz (June-July)
Shevat (Jan-Feb)                                                     Av (July-Aug)
Adar (Feb-March)                                                    Elul (Aug-Sept)
Scholars hold on to Nisan as first month elute others  prefer Tishre hence a scriptural reference to first or second month can be confusing- Which is the author referring to?
SOME JEWISH FEASTS
Passover                                                  Redemption from slavery in Egypt
Feast of Weeks                                        Thanksgiving for first harvest
Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur)            Repentance
Feast of Tabernacles                                 Harvest Celebration
GOD IN JUDAISM
Covenantal relationship is at the core of Judaism’s belief in God. God is creator and revealer. In Jewish history the high and low points of Israelites its life are interpreted as the result of obedience or defiance to covenant. God reveals laws to guide human action. Prophets reminds them of their obligation to covenant.
The Shema (hear) of Deut 6:4 is the creed of Judaism. One God yet influences with others, we hear salient mention of deities (Canaanite influence), polytheism from Greek influence such intermediaries accounted for Yahweh’s actions on earth. Intermediating connection was taken up by Christianity. Judaism has its choosiness or election at the center of its own history. The role of Jews was principally to transmit to humanity the Torah received though Moses on Mount Sinai. This was a special responsibility never a privilege.
SECTORIAN NATURE OF JUDAISM
THE SAMARITANS
The people of Samaria are descent from North Israelites and mixed with the Assyrian had rifts with Judeans. They are believed to be Gentile and this is traced to the rivalry between North and South kingdoms (an interregional rivalry). More technically they are descendants of foreigners who were settled in Israel after the deportation in 721BCE (cf 2Kings 17, Ez 4, Neh 4). The Samaritans differ from Jews in respect of portion of scripture. They reject the prophets and writings accepting only Pentateuch as canonical (even their Pentateuch is an edited one). They sacrifice animals (lambs) till date. High priests perform these sacrifices. There were some Samaritan Synagogues in Corinth, Greece and other places of antiquity. Jews do not deal with Samaritans as recorded in John 4:9- this is so because from the foregoing differences the Jews saw the Samaritans as a heretical and schismatic group whom they detested more than pagans. According to Acts 8:5-25, the people of Samaria was well disposed towards Christianity.
THE HELLENISTS
Hellenists were Jews outside Palestine who used Greek as their language of worship. Hellenism helped in diffusing Christianity beyond Jewish frontiers since Greeks had their own civilization.  We must comment that Hellenistic Judaism was political in thrust. The Maccabean revolt was the watershed of the Hellenization process. Hellenization met its waterloo with the traditional constitution of Israel (the Torah). It was Greek in orientation. They were for an extent thought living in a foreign empire. They were sympathetic to a universal way of life devoid of national or racial barriers and they taught equality and unity of all people under one divine father.
THE ESSENES
The word essene derives from the Greek essenoi, essaioi or probably the Aramaic  which mean ‘the pious ones’ and they trace their origin to the Hasidean movement (1 Macc 2:42). They were the group that was the source of the manuscript of the Dead sea scrolls at Qumran. They were a separate groups who rejected the appointment of a certain high priests they didn’t like, they preferred a different candidate (the Christened him teacher of Righteousness). They became a sect moving into the desert with this Righteous teacher. They led monastic life, though they also lived in cities. They observed priestly purity laws. For the Essenes, the past referred to in the Torah was mirror to view the future. The essenes saw events as having apocalyptic apogee in view. The essenes are not mentioned in the New Testament because their aloofness brought them less in contact with early Christianity. This sect believed they were children of Israel since they spent another 40 years in desert they conquered Promised Land.
THE SADDUCEES 
They occupied the higher stratum of Judean society, hence were a priestly and aristocratic movement among the Jews. Sadducee as a name comes from the Greek saddoukaioi or Aramaic word sadduqaye which suggests or connotes claims to the old priestly family of Zadok. They were intimately connected to temple life. The temple was the centre of their power. They ran the temple. Their root is in the priestly class. They read the law literally they and the Pharisees were the powerful of the Sanhedrin. As ‘sons of Zadok’, they should have opposed the Hasmonean usurper of priestly dignity but they supported hasmonean priest-kings probably to access and wield their own influence. Josephus believes they denied divine providence as well as denied reward or punishment of the soul afterlife and never believed in existence of angels or spirits. In the New Testament they are depicted as opposing Jesus Christ alongside the scribes and Pharisees.
THE PHARISEES
The word Pharisee derives from the Greek word pharisaioi or Aramaic perisaye which means ‘separated ones’.  They had 613 prescriptions which they regarded as guarantee for piety. They are described in New Testament as hypocrites whose interest was in ritual than inward substance of righteousness- this is a potential explanation of Pharisaism. Though to the extreme they wanted the law to be humane and livable they were very popular. Thepharisees ruled synagogues and were middle class: some land owners, tentmakers, carpenters some were scribed workers. They are described by Josephus a Jewish historian as very accurate interpreters of the laws and prophets. They lay down rules for exegetical interpretation of scriptures. They held rules of purity and fitting was dear to them. They had brotherhoods. They sometimes saw the priests as merely cultic functionaries while themselves as major custodians of the law.
DIASPORA JEWS
Jews in the diaspora interpreted the Torah as their rule in life. Diaspora Jews saw the scripture and Greek philosophy as harmonious.
THE ZEALOTS
The zealots refused Roman authority and rule. Their existence was connected to some political motives. In their pedigree were revolutionaries of this sect namely Ezekias, Judas of Galilee, Menorem among others. They made war against Rome. Their revolt against Rome left Jerusalem and the temple in ruins.
RESURRECTION OF THE RIGHTEOUS
The destiny of the soul after death is related to what the body did while alive. This comes under eschatology from Greek eschatos and logos (end time-last things –discourse). The Jewish equivalent would apocalypse (unveiling –revelation)- most apocalyptic literature is related for eschatological and visionary : Apocalyptic literature would carry prefixes like. I saw, I behold: Originally the solution to problem of life after death was shed (Jew) and it is like Hades in Greek. Sheol is not heaven or hell but a pit (place of estrangement from God to which all the spirits of the dead go. They prefer to the presence of God to be the abode of the righteous yet the nature of this is not too definite or clear. This is one level. The other level is progeny. Scripture upholds that a curse for one whose blood line is blotted out. Though not too pronounced, it seems the post biblical ideas of paradise or resurrection as reward for righteous living is anticipated in Hebrew thought. Later, it seems the issue of resurrection came up as a response to concern of martyrdom. (Principally in the Maccabean Revolt) Daniel 12:2- this verse is a must read.
Those who died in this revolt in this being loyal for Yahweh Torah will be vindicated: saved as sleepers in the dust. Resurrection as in Judaic thought is this world in orientation with an imagination of the next world to be near in proximity to this one. Hence, resurrection was reward of the righteous and samefor punishment of the vicious. The Sadducees rejected resurrection and it was contentious though Pharisaism accepted it.
THE MESSIAH
Hope for Messiah to emerge is in the core of Judaic thought. Hellenists saw him as an expected king who would lead Israel to victory by showing God’s power Messiah (Hebrew-Mashiah)- Anointed one, Anointing was a ritualistic feature of inauguration for divinely sanctioned mission. In Israel history kings and priests were appointed to office with oil poured over their heads, Mashiah Hebrew in christos in Greek. Greek had crowning not anointing. In Isaiah 45 Cyrus Persian king was anointed. We know the place of David in the kingship of Israel and the fact that traditional Jews link latter kings to him.
Expectation of a Messiah is linked to hope for divine vindication. Messiah will show God’s sovereign control of events and reward his faithful followers. In their writings they had no reference to a messiah who would suffer and die. He is a spiritual but also political rule. This came lately after the death of Jesus with the Bar Cochba revolt- yes a Messiah could die as a martyr and rise as Jesus did. Messiahs before Jesus and after him (activists) were annoying to Jews due to the war from Rome. The rabbis cautioned their followers never to give in to despair but hope for a messiah yet they would say:  “If you are ploughing and heard report that a Messiah had arrived finish ploughing then go and see whether the Messiah had come’’. In their reckoning, while hope must not be lost, they counseled that Jews must never be too gullible to give easy credence to anyone hence the fire of hope was not quenched but merely dimmed.
THE SYNAGOGUE
From the Greek- Assembly/ gathering – in other words the congregation not the building. Jews prays thrice a day. It was a place for assembly, study and prayer. Their liturgy consisted of prayers, poems, and psalms. Later, synagogues were held in house of wealthy patrons synagogues had no provision for special seating for women. This is because either their duties of religious sort could be done at home. Or the distinction was yet to have taken place. Some women were matriarchs and at other times treasurers though not necessarily having function in synagogue that they must appear there.
Later on in 2nd and 3rd centuries synagogues began to have better definite architectural design- the congregation prayed facing Jerusalem. Torah placed in front during the service (East Mizrah) in Hebrew. Torah was wheeled like an ark. There was a lamp near the ark an imitation of lamps in the temple. For Greek was the bema – rostrum stand on which the Torah is read, lamp stand was also used. There was six- pointed star (Magen David, shield of David)
SCRIPTURE
5 Scrolls of the law ascribed to Moses completed around 400BCE
Prophets
Psalms
Wisdom  (Job and Proverbs)
CANON IN 2NDCENTURYBCE
Law             (Torah)
Prophets       (Nevi’im)
Sacred Writings   (Ketuvim) Acronym is T-N-K (Tanakh)
MIDRASH
Is a copy of Scriptural interpretation (commentary). They are line by line interpretations of scriptural text. Sometimes they were in the form of lectionary cycles. It had legal discussions on texts. It is a communal and had rabbinical sayings. It was homiletical in nature. Through centuries it now reflects efforts to relate scripture to concerns of the time.
MISHNAH
This relates to the ordering and certifying of oral Pharisaic instruction in written form. It had its own special arrangement. It’s ordered in six segments.
Seeds, 2. Festivals 3. Women 4. Damages 5. Holy things 6. Purifications
It is a summary of application of traditional laws, in the oldest datable rabbinic document. They gave this work authority by saying it was oral instruction of Moses for day to day affairs of Judaism complementary to the Torah. They saw it as the continuation of prophetic insight.

THE TALMUD
The Talmud is drawn from the mishnah. The structure of the mishnahis in its six-three tractates, subdivided into a total of sixty- three tractates, came to serve as the skeleton of this body of expansion, a large collection known as the Talmud. Each Talmud consists of the Hebrew Mishnah of Rabbi Judah together with one of the two bodies of commentary, known as a gemarah (Hebrew- gemarothi, “completion”).Typically, the text of the Talmud starts with a short passage from the mishnah and then follows that with the text of the related Gemarah, which could be many times the length of the mishnah text to which it was attached.
STATUS OF TORAH
The meaning of Torah developed as against the early temple times. It was taken in the early temple times to mean only laws that governed priestly behavior, but starting with the book of Deuteronomy, it was used to refer to a written book of law, then the whole Pentateuch, the first five books of the bible, attributed to Moses.In a wider sense, the Torah is the entire Hebrew Bible the TANAKH. Furthermore, even the books of oral law, Midrash, mishnah and Talmud, can also be termed Torah. This is probably so because every decision of holy law and procedure, whether it be moral ritual or ceremonial, was considered part of the same divine revelation continuity unabated over millennia. The Torah can refer to any revelationary or canonical literature.
JEWISH OBSERVANCES
The observance of the Jews in early times will be considered under various segments;
PRAYER                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  This is an essential feature of Rabbinic Judaism. Thespirit of prayer is strongly motivated under their shema as found in Deut. 6:4-7. This commands Israel love the Lord, to teach his law diligently to the children, to keep them in the heart, and to speak of them morning and evening. Going by the instruction prayer followed the order of the service, which was performed thrice daily. Therefore, Jews characteristically pray before retiring, after rising, and three times a day in a fixed order. For convenience some of the prayers may be combined. First and last prayers every day tend to be private as others may be as well.
THE CONTENT OF PRAYER
Prayers were strictly judged so as not to be idolatrous, for instance, no prayers to angels or intermediary beings were allowed. And indeed, we often find such prayers in documents like the sefer ha-Razzim(Book of mysteries) which contain clearly heretical magic. In a sense, the Rabbis obviated the need to distinguish between magic and religion by declaring prayers to any intermediary to be a kind of idolatry.  To this end, one may ask petition of God’s special favour, provided the advantage sought does not adversely affect anyone else. Jews are enjoined not to pray for things that might cause harm to others
THE SPIRIT OF PRAYER
The Rabbinic law provides that prayer should be rightly intentioned towards God. The intention or Kauwanah can be defined in a variety of ways and indeed should be appropriate for each action, not just prayer. Thus, individual prayer may be chanted and synagogue services are always chanted.

THE WEEKLY SABBATH
The Sabbath begins at sunset on Friday and continues to sunset on Saturday. It usually occurs weekly and this day is the holiest day of the Jewish week. The prayers on that day consecrate it as a sacred time.From the creation story in Genesis, the Sabbath is built into the order of the universe. For the Jews today, it is also a remembrance of the Garden of Eden and is an event that prefigures a return to Eden at the coming of the Messiah.The Jews return home early on Friday afternoon so that they can prepare for the Sabbath by cleaning the house and themselves and preparing the special Sabbath meal. The Jews usually light candles before the beginning of the Sabbath.
DIETARY LAWS
The dietary of laws of the Jews applied to three areas.
Permitted and prohibited species
Special requirements for food preparation and
The combination of various foods in the same meal.
Reformed Jews may not observe dietary laws at all, may observe them symbolically by abstaining from shellfish and pork only, or may observe them in full. Conservative Jews usually attempt to observe the rabbinic ordinances but will often eat in restaurants, provided they can find a fish dish.
RITUALS (LIFE CIRCLE)
Common to all world religious traditions is the marking of certain transitional moments in a person’s life. The Jewish tradition is no exception, with its rites of passage: for birth, coming of age, marriage, and death.
BIRTH
The most characteristic ritual concerned with birth is circumcision of the male foreskin. Jews only circumcise males. They do so as a role, on the eight day of life, unless the health of the body is endangered or some other necessity makes the operation undesirable. It is done by a ritual circumciser called aMohel, hired for the occasion.After the birth of a Jew, male or female, the family normally goes to synagogue and is awarded an aliyah (going up), one of the honours sorrowing the reading of the Torah. After the parents recite the blessing over the passage of the Torah being read, the rabbi or the service leader asks for special blessings on the child and announces the child’s name.
MARRIAGE
In Jewish life and thought, the union of man and woman in marriage is universally lauded. Though some scholars are forgiven for not marrying everyone enjoined to do so and raised children, when sexuality occurs within the sanctified borders of marriage, it is encouraged for procreation and for pleasure it brings to the couple. Sexual pleasure and fulfillment is normally listed as a responsibility that a man owes his wife.A Marriage can be celebrated in a home as well as in a synagogue, hotel, or catering establishment. A rabbi is present in a legal than a liturgical capacity; he makes sure that the marriage contract is properly prepared and also that the proper procedures are followed. Official witnesses to the legal proceedings must also be present. The same is true for a Jewish divorce.
DEATH
Jews believe that death, should be faced resolved and without illusion. The Liturgy for the funeral is meant to console the grieving family. It explicitly mentions that God will resurrect the righteous and that they will shine as the brightness of the firmament. They will be bound up into the bonds of life.
In Traditional Judaism, the corpse is washed by a special society of laypersons. In the Hellenistic period, disposal of the body was accomplished using first sarcophagi (stone coffins kept above the floor in tombs), as was normal for the period among gentiles as well. After the flesh had decomposed in the sarcophagus, the bones were ceremonially interred by the family. In modern Judaism, burial is always in a plain coffin. No embalming is allowed.
When there is death in a family, the community bands together to cook for the bereaved family and help them with other tasks that would be difficult thus, freeing them from ordinary affairs for a time. The family announces hours for receiving visitors to the house for seven days after the burial known as sitting shira mirrors are covered.The children, by tradition especially the sons, honour the memory of the dead by reciting a special prayers, the Kaddish for them daily for a year.
ISLAM
The word ISLAM is derived from the Arabic word Salam which means complete or total submission, obedience and peace. If Islam is complete or total surrender or submission, obedience and peace, it is not to one but to the will of “Allah” which we interpret as God. Our God in Christianity is three persons in one. Allah in Islam refers to a supreme being or a supreme Deity. 
In about 570 CE, a new prophet was born, this man, Muhammad, is considered by Muslims to be the last of continuing chain of prophets who came to restore the true religion. They regard the way revealed to him, Islam, not as a religion but as the original part of Monotheism which also developed from Judaism and Christianity.In the 20th century, Islam began a great resurgence. It is not the religion of nearly one-fifth of ¹/5 of the world’s people. Islam is the 2nd world’s largest religion, it has a population number of about 1.3 billion adherents or followers. Again, Islam is not just a religion, Islam is a complete, political, economic, social, education and religion network with forms of government, exercise its laws, teaching the young, and social way of life. Its monotheistic creed is very simple: “There are no gods but Allah (God) and Muhammad is his messenger”. Itsrequirement of the faithful are very straight and foreword if demanding but beneath them are profundities and subtle ties of which non-Muslims are largely unaware.
THE PROPHET MUHAMMED
Muhammad was born of the tribe of Quraysh in 570AD. His mother died after his birth while his father died before his birth.  His wife was Khadijah. Muhammad was trained his paternal grandfather Abd-al-Muttalib. Islam like Christianity and Judaism traced his ancestry to the patriarch Abraham. Isma’il (Ishmael) was said to be a son of Abraham from an Egyptian slave Hagar. Abraham took Ishmael and his mother Hagar to the desert Valley of Mecca in Arabia to spare them from Sarah’s jealousy. Sarah was Abraham’s first wife who bore Isaac.The Sacred book of Islam the Holy Qur’an, received as a sense of revelation by Muhammad relates that Abraham and Ishmael, together, built the Holiest Sanctuary, in Islam named the Ka’bah. It was thought to be the site of Adam’s original site of worship path of the Cubic black stone building and it is a venerated block meteorite. According to the Qur’an, God told Abraham that the Ka’bah should be a place of pilgrimage. It was regarded as a Holy place by the Arabian tribes.
According to Islamic tradition, the religion sank into historical oblivion, for the age of Ignorance as it turned away from Abraham’s monotheism. For many centuries, the events of the rest of the world, passed it by side from contact through, trading caravans then into poor clan of the most powerful of the tribes on the area, born a child called Muhammad meaning (the praised one). His father died before he was born. After the death of his mother and grandfather, Muhammad became the worth of his uncle who put him to work as a shepherd.
Allah is the focus in Islam the sole authority not Muhammad. But Muhammad’s life story to Muslims is very-very important, for his character is considered a model of his teaching in the Qur’an. The stories of Muhammad life and his sayings are preserved in a vast not fully authenticated literature called “The Hadith” which reports on the prophet’s Sunnab (sayings and actions). When Muhammad was Forty (40) years old, he made a spiritual retreat during the month called Ramadan. An angel in human-like called Jibril (Gabriel), reportedly came to him and insisted that he recite three (3) times, Muhammad demurred that he could not for he was an unlettered and three (3) times, the angel forcefully commanded him. In depression, Muhammad at last cried out, “what shall I recite?” and the angel dictated the first words of what became the Qur’an.
Proclaim! (or recite):
In the name of Lord and Cherisher,
who created,
A mere (dot)
of congealed blood,
Proclaim! And the Lord
is most beautiful
He who taught
(The use of ) the pen
Taught man that
which he knew not!
Muhammad return home deeply shaken, Khadijah comforted him and encourage him to overcome his fear of the responsibilities and ridicule of prophethood.
THE QUR’AN
The heart of Islam is not the prophet but the Revelations he receives collectively. They are called the Qur’an (Reading and Reciting). He receives messages over a “period of twenty three years” with some later messages replacing earlier ones. At first, they were striking affirmations of the unity of God and woe of those who did not heed God’s message. Later messages also addressed the organizational needs and social lives of the Muslim community. After Hijrah, Muhammad heard the revelation and dictated them to the scribe, many of his companions then memorizes them. They are said to have been carefully self-guided against and omissions. The passages have a lyrical beauty and power that Muslims belief to be unsurpassed. These qualities cannot be translated. The recitation should be rendered in what is sometimes described as a sad subdued tone, because the messages contain God’s sadness and at the waywardness of the people.
Muhammad said therefore (weep, when you recite it).
The Qur’an is divided into one hundred and fourteen (114)Suras (Chapters).
1. The first Sura or chapter is the Fatila, the opening Sura which reveals the essence of the Qur’an: thus:
In the name of Allah
Most gracious,
Most merciful,
Praise be to Allah,
The Lord of the worlds;
Master of the day of Judgment
Thee do we worship,
And thine aid we seek,
Show us the straightway.
The way of those on whom
Thou hast bestowed thy grace.
Those whose portion is not wrath
And, who go not astray.
ARTICLES OF FAITH IN ISLAM
This Islamic religion or life is based on two solid foundations: (a) Belief (b) Action.A Muslim preaches belief which must be accompanied by action. Belief without action in Islam is of no use and action without belief is without value.
There are three fundamental belief values in Islam which are:
Tawhid: Oneness of Allah
The belief in the prophethood of Muhammad (Risala)
The life after death (Akhira)
ONENESS OF ALLAH OR TAWHID
When you talk about the oneness in God, you don’t compromise him with anybody. He is all powerful and the only ruler and master of all. He is unique; He does not require an offspring, nor family. He is known as Rabb. God is alone, He is the sustainer and nourisher of the world. He is the lawgiver and the administrator of the universe. He is to be praise or worthy to be praise alone or only.

PROPHETHOOD OR RISALA
The first prophet we had in Islam was Adam. God use his prophets to talk to us or put his message to all who accept it. He used the prophet as medium to communicate to us. The Muslim uses and accept all the prophets as messengers of Allah. Adam was the first prophet.Allah found necessary to send prophets because mankind left the path of God, therefore, God decided to send his prophets to bring humanity back to him. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Jesus just to mention but a few, these are prophets with different messages the share in different time and Muhammad end up the office of prophet hood. God made him the seal of all prophets.
LIFE AFTER DEATH (AKHIRA)
This present life on earth becomes meaningless if there was no life after death, each will be paid accordingly. There will be judgment, where everyone will be accounted for everything he or she has done. If not, there would not be life after death. The righteous will be rewarded with eternal bliss (aljannafirdausi), while the evil ones will be punished and condemned to eternal fire. Belief in the life after death is tremendous in the life of a Muslim. Life here after is eternal and it should guide one to live a good moral life.
THE FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM
Those things that one must do to be a good Muslim are usually referred to as “the five pillars of Islam”. These five pillars, or obligations are:
Repetition of the creed or belief and witness (Shahadah)
Daily prayers (Salaht)
Almsgiving (Zakaht)
Fasting during the month of Ramadan (Sawm)
Pilgrimage to Mecca (Hajj)
REPETITION OF THE CREED (SHAHADAH)
The most common religious act of the Muslim is the frequent repetition of the creed of Islam: La ilahailla Allah; Muhammad rasul Allah (“There is no God but Allah”). This statement is known as Shahadah (confession of Faith). These are the first words a Muslim child hears, and they are likely to be the last words uttered every day and the mere utterance of it makes the recitee a Muslim.
DAILY PRAYER (SALAHT)
The second pillar is the daily prayer which is the performance of a continual round of prayers five times a day. In addition, the five accepted times for prayers are dawn, midday, mid afternoon, sunset, and nightfall. The faithful are to perform ritual oblations with water (sand or dirt if necessary), facing Mecca and recite a series of prayers and passages of Qur’an and bowing and kneeling and standing on Friday at noon. The muezzin (mu’adhdhin) is the chosen person who leads the prayer for Fridays and daily prayers, proclaiming the call for prayer from the minaret. There is usually a special prayer service in the Mosque but Muslims observe not the Sabbath day remembrance of God is an easy day obligation. Women are encouraged to pray at home and not to carry unnecessary trouble to the Mosque. No priesthood in Islam. One who knows the Qur’an verses can be a leader at prayer. One remembers Allah closely and helps to keep one away from misconduct or evil, it also helps one to become a member of that congregation and again remind one of his/her social responsibility in the spirit of Oneness.

ALMSGIVING (ZAKAHT)
Muslims are expected to share their possession with the poor, widows, and orphans. Alms may also be used to support religious institutions, scholar, and students. Charity is obligatory according to Islamic law and is assessed as a tax accounting to between 2.5 and 10 percent of one’s wealth. As a result of its emphasis on almsgiving, Islam has never looked to begging as being dishonorable. Receiving as well as giving alms is considered a source of God’s blessing.
FASTING (SAWM)
The fourth pillar of Islam is fasting. Frequent fasts are recommended to Muslims, but the one that is more obligatory is the fast during the holy month of Ramadan commemorating the first Revelation of the Qur’an to Muhammad. The fast is for all who are beyond puberty, excepting those who are infirm or sick or menstruating women or nursing children and mothers. From dawn to sunset, abstinence from food, drink and sexual intercourse, is required for the whole months of Ramadan.
PILGRIMAGE (HAJJ)
The fifth pillar is Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca, the holy city of the prophet Muhammad, as well as Medina. All Muslims who can do so, are expected to make the (Hajj) pilgrimage at least one’s in their lifetime. It involves a series symbolic rituals designed to bring the faithful as close as possible to Allah. During the days of the pilgrimage, visitors to Mecca visit the Zamzam well, this well is believed to have been established by Hagar and Ishmael. They make seven trips around the Kaaba and kiss the sacred black stone. They offer a sacrifice of sheep or goat on the tenth day of the Hajj to commemorate Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice even his son in obedienceAllah’s command. After these duties, they may visit Medina to pay respect to the grave of the prophet Muhammad and to visit his Mosques. When the pilgrims return home, they may have the title Haji attached to their names so all the world will know they have fulfilled this religious obligation.
THE SHIITES AND SUNNIS
THE SHIITES
This Islamic sect opposed prohet Muhammed’s Successors (Abu Barkr-Uthman bin Affan) and wanted Ali bin Talib to be Caliph instead they also wanted all future leaders of Islam to come from the prophet’s family. They came to be known as the Shi’at –Ali, which means “the Party of Ali” they continue to be a strong group within Islam and  today they are know as Shiite (Shi’ah) Muslims. Many Shiites believe it is right to fight for what they believe it is right to fight for what they believe, even if  means being killed in the process. They live mainly in Iran and Southern Iraq. The believe there are twelve Imams who had special powers, the first Imam being Ali, the fourth Caliph. They are now led by teachers called ayatollahs and have other clergy and teachers who explain hidden meanings in the Koran. Shiite Muslims believe that the Imam is sinless by nature and that his authority is infallible because it comes directly from Allah. Therefore, Shiites Muslims often venerate the Imams as saints and perform pilgrimages to their tombs and shrines in the hopes of divine intercession.

SUNNIS
This is an Islamic sect that takes their name from the Sunnah, the ‘way of the prophet’. As do Shiites, Sunni Muslims follow the teachings of the prophet  and believe that the Quran shows them the way to live. They respect Muslims teachers called Imams, but, unlike the Shiites, the Sunnis do not have any special clergy or priest. Sunni life is guided by four schools of legal thought, each of which strives to develop practical application of the Sunnah. For them, there is no basis in Islam for a hereditary privileged class of spiritual leaders, and certainly no basis for the veneration or intercession of saints. Sunni Muslims contend that leadership of the community is not a birth right, but a trust that is earned and which may be given or taken away by the people themselves.
REFERENCES
1). David self, Religious of the world: Islam, China: World Almanac Library Publihsers, 2006, pg 11
2). Huda-HHP://WWW.islam.about.com/cs/division/f/ shia-sunnishtm. (accessed 22 April, 2016) 

To conclude with other details prophets of Islam are Noah (father of humanity’s second start), Abraham (ancient father of Ishmael), Moses (messenger of Allah), Jesus (miracle worker and messenger of Allah) and Mohammed who was last and seal of prophet hood.

REFERENCES
Denny, F.M.An Introduction to Islam, New York: Macmillan 1985.
Esposito, John L. Islam the Straight Path, New York: Oxford University Press, 1991.
Lewis M. Hopfe and Mark R. Woodward.Religions of the World.Seventh Ed. Prentice Hall,   Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, 1998.
Martin, Richard. Islamic Studies.A History of Religion and Politics in Islam.Engelwood Cliffs,   New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1995.