Welcome dear students! Today we are going to learn about Western Religions from Class 9 Social_Science. In this chapter, we will explore the growth of Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Christianity, and Islam. We will study the lives of Jesus Christ and Muhammed Paigambar, and understand their core teachings. Since ancient times, various religions have been born and developed in world history. Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Christianity, and Islam originated in Western regions. They are also known as Semitic Religions. These religions are spread across many countries of the world. Among them, we can identify five common factors. First, belief in one God. Second, belief in the messenger of God. Third, compliance with the Holy book which contains the preachings of the Prophet. Fourth, the community must follow the specific do's and don'ts of the Holy book. Fifth, mass prayer in a specific place. Let us begin with Judaism.
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Judaism is the ancient religion of the Western world. Its followers are called Jews. Their primordial language is Hebrew. Their God is Yahweh. Abraham, also known as Ebraham, was their forefather, and Moses was their messenger or Prophet. The principles and traditions of this religion form the base for both Christianity and Islam, which emerged later. These three religions are called Abrahamic religions because they consider Abraham as their prominent leader. Now, let us look at the history of the Jews. Jews consider David as their progenitor. He defeated Goliath, who was many times stronger than himself, and became the ruler of the Jews. His son, Solomon, the famous king, reigned for a long period. He built a huge temple for the Jews in his kingdom. After the death of King Solomon, the kingdom split into two. One was called Israel and the other was Juda.
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The Israel and Juda regions were attacked continuously over the next several centuries. Because of these invasions, Jews had to settle down not only in the Middle East, but also in Europe, Asia, and African continents. Thus, the civilization of Jews is the story of a struggle for their existence. During the Second World War, Adolf Hitler, the German dictator, got 60 lakh Jews killed. After the end of the Second World War, with the help of UNO, a separate nation called Israel was formed for the Jews. Thus, the most widespread Jews got their motherland after 3,000 years. The holy book of the Jews is the Hebrew Bible. It is also called the Old Testament. It has three divisions: Law, writings, and writings of Prophet Moses. The ten rules imposed by these are as follows. One, do not have any other God except Yahweh. Two, do not worship idols. Three, do not disrespect or misuse God's name. Four, remember 'Sabbath' as the Holy day. Five, honour your mother and father. Six, adultery is not acceptable. Seven, do not commit murder. Eight, do not steal. Nine, do not tell lies. Ten, do not be envious.
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Sabbath commemorates the day on which God rested after completing the creation. It is observed from Friday evening to Saturday evening. Now let us move on to Zoroastrianism. Although the Parsi religion originated in Persia, also known as Iran, it has its own influence in India. They came and settled in India during the Muslim invasions. It is important to note that India has the largest population of Parsis than any other part of the world. Their contribution to the Indian economy, army, and independence movement is enormous. Zoroastrianism, or Parsi religion, was founded by Zarthustra in 6 BCE. He was an Iranian Prophet and a religious reformer. So, this religion is also called Zoroastrianism. Their God is Ahura Mazda. Fasting, celibacy, and purity are their practices. The Parsi religion is more similar to Vedic rituals and practices. For example, their belief that good will be victorious over evil in their conflict, and the worship of the Sun, is also similar. The Holy book Zend Avestha contains shlokas called Gatha. The rituals related to worship are named Yashna. It can be noted that these words are of Sanskrit origin.
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Next, we will learn about Christianity. The birthplace of Jesus is Bethlehem, 5 kilometers away from Jerusalem in the Judea province. He was the only son of the poor couple, Joseph and Mary. Not much is known about his early life. Jesus knew Aramaic and Semitic languages. At this time, the Jews were awaiting the arrival of a Messiah, who would save them from their problems. A person named John had predicted this arrival. John was basically a religious preacher. He used to baptise the people who came to him. Even Jesus was baptised by John. John declared Jesus as the Messiah. Jesus was 30 years old at that time. Jesus started travelling through Israel preaching religious philosophy. Over a period of time, Jews chose Jesus as their religious leader. Jesus had 12 disciples. They are called Apostles. Peter was the first apostle. Jesus sympathised with the helpless and those who suffered from diseases. He always came forward to alleviate the suffering of the poor.
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Let us discuss the crucifixion of Christ. The Jews considered Jesus as their Messiah and he became very popular. Since Jesus began rejecting the religious dogmas, Jewish fundamentalists started opposing him. Due to all these reasons, when Jesus visited Jerusalem, the Jewish soldiers arrested him and handed him over to the Governor of Rome. The Governor ordered the crucifixion of Jesus. He was crucified on the hillock of Golgotha by the Roman soldiers. The teachings of Jesus Christ are very simple to follow. They are told in the form of stories or parables. First, God is one and he is the most merciful. He is the creator of entire creation. Second, everyone should develop brotherhood feelings about others. Third, loving the people who are in distress is equal to worshipping God. Fourth, one should serve others without expecting anything from them. Fifth, serving people is equal to the worship of God. Sixth, if one repents for his mistakes, God will forgive him. Seventh, love your enemy. Do good to the people who try to harm you. In this manner, his preachings were based on Love, Service, and Brotherhood.
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Now, how was Christianity spread? After the crucifixion of Jesus, his disciples were tortured. Some of them were crucified. During the time of Emperor Constantine, Christianity was adopted as the State Religion. Subsequently, Christianity spread throughout Europe. Today, Christian Churches are found throughout the world and have a large number of followers. The Bible is their Holy book. Let us look at the sects in Christianity. Christianity, which was in the control of Roman Catholics till the 16th century, branched off into various sects. Christianity slowly went beyond the reach of common people and principles of Jesus Christ. Churches were dominated by priests and landlords. People opposed such religious practices. In such a situation, Martin Luther started a reformation movement in Germany. A new sect called Protestant started. With this, two sects emerged in Christianity. They are Catholics and Protestants. Now we will study Islam. Islam originated in Arabia. Arabia is a peninsula of West Asia. It is basically a desert which is not suitable for agriculture. Thus the Arabs migrated to fertile lands and settled in places where water was available. Such places were Mecca and Medina.
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The Prophet Muhammed Paigambar is the founder of Islam Religion. He was born at Mecca in 570. Abdulla and Ameena were his parents. His father died a few months before Muhammed's birth. He lost his mother when he was six years old. Thereafter, he grew up under the care of his uncle, who was basically a trader. He had to travel long distances for his trade. Muhammed used to accompany him during these travels. After some time in Mecca, Muhammed was employed to serve in a rich widow's house. Later, he married that widow. They had two sons and four daughters. Muhammed had the habit of introspecting and meditating all alone. He used to meditate in a cave of Mount Heera in Mecca. Once, while he was meditating, he heard the voice of an angel. The angel said that Muhammed was the Prophet of Allah, which means God. Later, Muhammed convinced his family members, relatives, and friends that he was truly the Prophet. However, he never referred to himself as God, but as the Prophet of Allah, and expressed the Divine truth that he heard.
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These preachings were compiled by his followers. This is the Holy book of Islam, the Quran. The orthodox community of Mecca began to oppose the Prophet. Due to this, Muhammed Paigambar could not preach in Mecca any more. In the year 622, he travelled from Mecca to Medina. This journey became popular in history as Hijira. He settled down for some time in Medina. He brought many small tribes of Arabia together. As a result, his strength doubled. He moved to Mecca again with his followers. After some years, he breathed his last there in 632. Let us understand the teachings of Islam. Islam means submission of oneself before God and Muslim means the follower of God. The teachings are as follows. First, God is one. A simple prayer is enough to win the heart of God. Second, one should lead an honest and principled life and should keep away from all the bad habits. Third, one should have respect for women and compassion for the poor and weak. Now, the practices of Islam.
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There are five practices, known as the Pillars of Islam. First, Kalima, which means belief only in Allah. Muhammed is his Prophet. Second, Namaz, which is prayer for Allah for five times a day. Third, Roza, which is fasting in the month of Ramzan. Fourth, Zakath, where a definite sum of the income should be donated to the poor. Fifth, Haj, which is pilgrimage to Mecca once in a lifetime. As in other religions, there are many sects in Islam, prominent among them are Shia and Sunni. The successors of Muhammed Paigambar are called Khalifs. They became the religious and political leaders of Islam after Muhammed Paigambar. Abobakar was the first Khalif. Please note that BCE refers to Before Common Era. Wherever BCE is not mentioned, it should be considered as CE or Common Era. Now, let us move to the exercises to test your understanding and prepare for exams.
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Exercise One: Fill in the blanks with suitable words. I will provide the complete answers. One, Progenitor of Judaism is Abraham or Ebraham. Two, The founder of Zoroastrianism is Zarthustra. Three, The birthplace of Jesus Christ is Bethlehem. Four, Christ was crucified on the hillock Golgotha. Five, Christianity became the state religion of Rome during the period of Emperor Constantine. Six, Muhammed Paigambar was born at Mecca. Seven, The Holy book of Islam is Quran. Eight, The successors of Muhammed Paigambar are known as Khalifs. Exercise Two: Answer the following questions by discussing with your friends. I will provide complete answers for each. Question nine: List out the ten rules of Judaism. The ten rules are: Do not have any other God except Yahweh. Do not worship idols. Do not disrespect or misuse God's name. Remember 'Sabbath' as the Holy day. Honour your mother and father. Adultery is not acceptable. Do not commit murder. Do not steal. Do not tell lies. Do not be envious.
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Question ten: Zoroastrianism is more similar to the Vedic rituals and practices. Justify. The justification is that Zoroastrianism shares core beliefs with Vedic traditions, specifically the belief that good will be victorious over evil in their conflict. Additionally, the worship of the Sun is also similar. The holy book contains shlokas called Gatha, and worship rituals are named Yashna, which are words of Sanskrit origin. Question eleven: Write about the life of Jesus Christ. Jesus was born in Bethlehem, 5 kilometers from Jerusalem in the Judea province, to a poor couple named Joseph and Mary. He knew Aramaic and Semitic languages. He was baptised by John the Baptist at age 30 and declared the Messiah. He travelled through Israel preaching religious philosophy, gained 12 disciples called Apostles with Peter as the first, and showed great sympathy for the helpless and poor. He was arrested by Jewish soldiers in Jerusalem, handed to the Roman Governor, and crucified on Golgotha hillock.
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Question twelve: List the teachings of Jesus Christ. They are: God is one and most merciful, creator of all. Develop brotherhood feelings. Loving distressed people equals worshipping God. Serve others without expectation. Serving people equals worshipping God. God forgives those who repent. Love your enemy and do good to those who harm you. His preachings were based on Love, Service, and Brotherhood. Question thirteen: How was Christianity spread? After Jesus's crucifixion, his disciples were tortured and some crucified. During Emperor Constantine's reign, Christianity was adopted as the State Religion, leading to its spread throughout Europe. Today, it is a global religion with the Bible as its holy book. In the 16th century, it branched into Catholics and Protestants after Martin Luther's reformation movement in Germany. Question fourteen: Write a note on the life of Muhammed, the Prophet. He was born in Mecca in 570 to Abdulla and Ameena. His father died before his birth, and his mother when he was six. Raised by his trader uncle, he accompanied him on long trade journeys. He worked for a rich widow, later married her, and had two sons and four daughters. He meditated in a cave on Mount Heera, where an angel declared him the Prophet of Allah. He preached to family and friends, compiled his preachings into the Quran. Facing opposition, he migrated to Medina in 622 in the Hijira journey, united Arabian tribes, returned to Mecca, and passed away there in 632.
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Question fifteen: What is Hijira? Hijira refers to the historical journey of Prophet Muhammed from Mecca to Medina in the year 622, undertaken due to opposition from the orthodox community of Mecca. Question sixteen: Which are the practices of Islam religion? The five practices, known as the Pillars of Islam, are: Kalima, belief only in Allah and Muhammed as his Prophet. Namaz, prayer to Allah five times a day. Roza, fasting during the month of Ramzan. Zakath, donating a definite sum of income to the poor. Haj, pilgrimage to Mecca once in a lifetime. Exercise Three: Activities. The activity asks you to collect more information about various western religions. Exercise Four: Project. The project asks you to write an essay about the teachings of Judaism, Zoroastrianism, Christianity, and Islam. Thank you for listening! Keep revising and practicing. Goodbye! [CHAPTER_COMPLETE]