Rabbi Marc Gellman

Article / Updated 03-31-2022

At the end of Ramadan, the Muslim month of fasting, families break the fast and celebrate during a three-day festival called Eid al-Fitr (Eid means "recurring event,"and Fitr means "break"). It is also known as HariRaya Puasa in Southeast Asia and Seker Bayrami in Turkey. Greetings of "Eid-Mubarak!" ("A Blessed Eid!") fill the air. Eid al-Fitr is celebrated during the months of April and May. The dates change every year in the Gregorian calendar (also known as the Western or Christian calendar) because Muslims, for religious matters, use a lunar calendar -- one that follows the phases of the moon. Within the Islamic calendar, the holiday takes place during the ninth month of the year. Although festivities include family gatherings, new clothes, and feasting, a strong focus remains on giving alms. Charity, especially to the poor and needy, is central to Islam, as represented by its inclusion in the Five Pillars of Islam (the basic tenets of the religion). An economically self-sufficient Muslim is expected to give alms in an act called zakat in Arabic. Giving to charity shows that one's faith in Allah is true and that material possessions do not control his or her life. Eid al-Fitr follows specific Islamic concepts In Islam, this "charity" isn't so much giving because of sympathy for a cause or because of a catastrophe. Rather, it's a regular, sacrificial giving (much like charitable offerings at church) that — in addition to helping the needy — reaffirms the following Islamic ideas: Everything belongs to Allah, even those material possessions that people think they own. By sacrificing these things for the sake of Allah, people are just giving things back to their rightful owner. Nothing should be hoarded. Society works best when things — including money and resources — flow naturally. By giving things away that you don't need or use, you give people who can use them or may need them the opportunity to do so. In this way, you save yourself from greed, and you prevent envy and jealousy in others. Islam also developed another element of charity called waqf. The waqf is a way of endowing money or land to be devoted to the maintenance of mosques, shrines, schools, hospitals, and other public works in Muslim lands.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 03-10-2022

Knowing the people who founded and shaped major religions of the world — along with fundamental beliefs and practices of Buddhism, Islam, and Shinto — will lead you to a better understanding of religion.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

You don't necessarily have to pray and worship quietly. Many people communicate with God through noise and movement. Singing and chanting — otherwise known as letting your voices be heard — are part of the histories of most world religions. This "beautiful noise" often combines with movement such as dancing — ranging from the Native American Sun Dance to the Sufi whirling dervish — to create an experience that enables the participants to transcend beyond themselves. It's about letting go, giving yourself up to the divine ecstasy that is found in God's love. These actions are often part of the rites of passage found among most religions. Singing, chanting, dancing, and whirling can bring people together, part of the communal experience that unites people of faith. Singing and chanting At some point in your life, you've probably participated in — or witnessed — some religious celebration that involves the singing of religious songs. Songs and prayers have a close connection in scripture because some songs are prayers and some prayers are songs. Nearly all religions have some tradition, song, or chant, used as a part of prayer and worship. Om . . . : Chanting and sound in Eastern religions Chanting crosses international boundaries. Among the Hindu religions, chanting dates back to ancient times. For Hindus, the chanting of the Rig-Veda and the Yajur Veda (created to be chanted by priests during sacrifices) is a methodical rearrangement of many of the verses of the Rig-Veda with the addition of prose. The chanting is based on various tones and syllables with a type of heightened speech and one syllable to a tone. Brahmin priests chant the Vedas during rites of passage, such as weddings and funerals. Although Vedic chanting (as well as devotional songs called bhajans) has been a prominent part of the Hindu religious culture for countless generations (almost 3,000 years), in the twenty-first century, the majority of Vedic chanting is found in India. Today, the Hare Krishna movement is bringing many of the teachings of the ancient Hindu scriptures — primarily derived from the Bhagavad-Gita ("Song of the Lord") — into Western society. In Japan, the Shinto faithful perform chants, known as norito, during rituals. These chants are part of the music Shinto worshippers offer the gods as praise and entertainment. Chanting Buddhist hymns is known as shomyo. In both Shinto and Buddhism, chanting enables adherents to participate in their own divine communication. Sing, sing a song: Music in Western religions You can find chanting among the Western religions, too. In Judaism, you can find a wonderful example of the interweaving of singing and chanting into the religious experience. The hazzan, or cantor, directs all liturgical prayer and chanting when Jews come together in the synagogue. If no cantor is present, a skilled layperson, called the ba'al tefilah, chants the prayers, which the congregation then repeats. If you have the opportunity to visit a synagogue during prayer services, you can see for yourself the power of this rhythmic back and forth chanting of praise and devotion to God. Chanting became part of the Roman Catholic Church during the days of Pope Gregory I (circa 590–604 B.C.E.). The Gregorian chant is the monophonic liturgical music of the Catholic Church; it was first used to accompany the text of the mass. The Gregorian chant has evolved over the centuries, becoming one of the many lyrical ways that Christian faithful offer praise or prayer to God. Today, the music of the church includes both chants and songs, such as religious psalms. Psalm tone is the melodic recitation that is used in the singing of psalms and canticles (or text) of the Bible. Think of the psalm tone as a two-part formula that enables the faithful to use the proper intonation to express the feelings in their heart. The Muslim Qari (professional class of reciters of the Qur'an) become so focused and impassioned in their recitation of the Qur'an that they appear to be "chanting" as they communicate with Allah. While singing is not permitted among the Muslim faithful, the chanting to Allah is viewed as a powerful form of prayer. The Qari seem to lose themselves in this form of prayer. This intoning or chanting of the Qur'an is known as tajwid. Responsorial singing (style of singing in which a leader alternates with a chorus) is part of many Christian worship services. However, you can find this type of singing in traditions beyond Christianity, commonly among the folk music of many cultures, including the indigenous religions of the world. Song and sound in indigenous religions The combination of chanting and singing is present among the tribes of the North American nations, the thousands of African tribes, and the first peoples of Australia. Many of the sacred songs, such as the ones sung by the Native Americans — such as the Hopi or the Zuni (from the Pueblo Nation) — are affiliated with rituals and rites of passage. Through these songs, worshipers ask the gods to listen to their pleas for rain, crops, and other elements needed for survival. Many indigenous religions combine singing and chanting with dancing in order to create a highly energetic offering to the spirits. One of the most famous rituals was the Ghost Dance of Native American tribes in the western United States. Using music and dance, and performing the ritual over a period of four or five consecutive nights, Native Americans sought to rejuvenate their traditional cultures, oust the white man from the land, and return to their traditional way of life. The combination of song — actually, sounding like repeated chanting — and prayers ask for intervention from the divine. White Americans, blaming the Ghost Dance on Native American uprisings, outlawed its performance. Dancing and whirling Movement is inextricably tied with the music and songs of prayer. Although some restrictions may be placed upon specific types of dancing — for example, in orthodox Judaism, men and women are not allowed to dance together, and during the Middle Ages, the Christian church didn't allow dancing (some groups, such as Southern Baptists, still prohibit dancing) — dancing remains popular throughout many religions today. Dance is a form of celebration. If you've ever attended a Jewish wedding, you've probably witnessed the horah, a communal dance in which family and friends raise the bride and groom onto chairs to honor the unity of their love and their roles in perpetuating Judaism (with marriage comes the promise of children). Still, dance as part of religious rituals and rites of passage is most common in indigenous religions and in the religions and cultures of the Middle East: In Africa, dance is as varied in style and function as the music of Africa. Dancing plays a critical role in rituals such as naming of infants, weddings, and funerals. African dancing includes both individual and group dancing. Among Native Americans, the rain dance is one of the most well-known rituals. A group performs this dance to ask for divine intervention in bringing rain. This dance is nature-oriented, and dancers usually perform it outdoors so to be closer to the power above. In Native American culture, both men and women perform the ritualistic circle and line dances. Circle dancing was popular among the once great hunting peoples, such as the Navajo nation. Line dancing was found among the people who were the great agriculturists — such as the Iroquois and the Pueblo nations. Line dancing is also found among the first peoples of Australia. In the East, one of the more well-known forms of religious dance is the dervish (defined as doorway), founded in the thirteenth century. The whirling dervish is a Sufi dancer (an Islamic mystic) who performs the intoxicating religious ritual. In the dance, the dancer goes into a prayer trance to Allah. The dance of the dervish is accompanied by music and chanting as his movements build in intensity. At the height of the ceremony, the dervish is considered to be spinning in ecstasy. People in Middle Eastern countries believe that the dervish goes so deeply into prayer that his body becomes open to receive the energy of God. Dervishes derive not only energy from Allah but also words and messages, which they transcribe and rehearse for others. According to Sufis, the dervish is considered an instrument of God, who retains God's power only during the solemn ceremony. As the communities of the faithful continue to grow, the celebration of prayer through actions such as singing, chanting, dancing, and whirling will forever be part of the rituals and rites of passage of the world's religions.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Religious ethics are the moral principles that guide religions and that set the standard for what is and isn't acceptable behavior. Surprisingly similar from one religion to the next, these fundamental principles flow from the core beliefs and ancient wisdom of religion, as well as its teachers and traditions. Virtues are standards for ethical, moral conduct — they enable you to look at yourself in the mirror every morning without cringing. Personal virtues, such as humility, gratitude, and hope honor God or, in Eastern religions, reflect a higher state of being. The golden rule: A universal principle As a small child, you may have grabbed a toy from your playmate, who, of course, immediately started to wail. You'd then hear your mom/dad/teacher say something like, "Well, how would you like it if someone did that to you?!" Sound familiar? The lesson these adults were trying to teach is what is popularly known in the West as the "golden rule." This rule commands people to get beyond their own selfishness and self-absorbed isolation. The golden rule serves as a reminder that what hurts us hurts others, and that what heals us, heals others. In nearly all the world's religions, personal morality begins with this simple concept: Treat others as you would like to be treated. As such, the golden rule is perhaps the most basic of the personal virtues. The different faiths all have their own version of this universal message: "Not one of you is a believer until he desires for his brother what he desires for himself" (40 Hadith of an-Nawawi 13, Islam). "Wound not others, do no one injury by thought or deed, utter no word to pain thy fellow creatures" (The Law Code of Manu, Hinduism). "Do not do to others what you would not like yourself" (The Analects 12:2, Confucianism). "If you do not wish to be mistreated by others, do not mistreat anyone yourself" (Counsels of Adurbad 92, Zoroastrianism). "We obtain salvation by loving our fellow man and God" (Granth Japji 21, Sikhism). "Having made oneself the example, one should neither slay nor cause to slay. . . . As I am, so are other beings; thus let one not strike another, nor get another struck. That is the meaning" (Dhammapada, Buddhism). "One should not behave towards others in a way which is disagreeable to oneself. This is the essence of morality. All other activities are due to selfish desire" (Anusansana Parva 113.8, Hinduism). "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself" (Leviticus 19:18, Judaism). "Therefore, all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them." (Matthew 7:12, Christianity). Compassion The word compassion means, "to suffer with." Having compassion means that you can feel others' pain. In Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, showing compassion to others is how believers imitate the infinite kindness and mercy that God showers upon them. Although humans' capacity for compassion and kindness isn't limitless, as God's is, believers strive to nurture it, even when doing so is hard, because it brings them closer to God. One of the central virtues of Buddhism is karuna, understanding and identifying with the suffering of all living beings. Karuna is the reason that some people who achieve enlightenment return to this world as Bodhisattvas to teach others. Their compassion is so great, they return to a world that needs them. In Hinduism, compassion is called daya, and, along with charity and self-control, it is one of the three central virtues in Hinduism. Humility In the monotheistic religions, humility is a sign of respect for God and awareness that all blessings flow from God to whom all thanks are due. In Judaism, for example, Moses is considered virtuous primarily because of his humility. Christianity provides the classic religious statement of humility in the Sermon on the Mount, "Blessed be the meek for they shall inherit the earth" (Matthew 5:5). Jesus' point here, which other religious traditions echo, is that the secular world recognizes and rewards power and wealth, but the religious world lifts up the ones whom the world has passed over and crushed. Humility, therefore, is not just a virtue, but also an opposite virtue from the ones that the nonreligious world prizes. In Islam (which itself means surrender), humility is a primary virtue. Muslims demonstrate their awareness of the greatness of God and humankind's place in the world by observing the Five Pillars of their faith. Each pillar reinforces the proper order of the universe. Taoism focuses believers' thoughts on the awesome beauty and wonder of Nature. As you ponder the magnificence of Nature, you learn to respect our place relative to the stars and the seasons — a humbling experience. Through humility, Buddhists can release anger and learn to live a life free from attachments and suffering. Hope Many of the sacred Jewish, Christian, and Islamic texts and rituals include the idea of hope. In Christianity, it's one of the three cardinal virtues (the other two being faith and love). In Islam, it's the understanding that Allah knows all; what happens, happens for a reason, and the faithful will be rewarded in paradise and the irreligious punished in hell. In the world's religions, hope is made possible by human limitations. Most people don't know the future and, because they don't know it, they fear it. Hope reduces this fear. In religion, hope is closely linked with what comes after death. For Christians, the hope that sustains them is the hope for the speedy second coming of Jesus as the Christ and eternal life in Heaven. This hope sustains Christians through what they often perceive to be the immorality of the earthly kingdom. In Zoroastrianism, Islam, and, to a lesser extent, Judaism, the hope is life or some form of existence after death. That belief in the world to come is a sustaining virtue. Knowing that death isn't the end helps people believe that no burden is too great to bear and that they won't be separated forever from the people they love. Of course, monotheistic faiths aren't the only ones that consider hope a virtue. In Buddhism, hope springs from the idea that any person can attain enlightenment. Religious hopefulness is not the same thing as optimism. Optimism is the attitude that things are great. Religious hopefulness is actually built upon the idea that things aren't so great, but that we don't see the whole picture. The incompleteness of human knowing is met by the hope that the world holds more promise than we can see from our limited perspective.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

For some religions, such as Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, communal worship is important. The faithful gather at particular times on particular days and interact in a faith experience. For other religions, like Shinto and Buddhism, for example, individual worship is the focus. In yet other faiths, such as Hinduism and Zoroastrianism, worship can be both individual (daily prayers) and collective (celebrating religious festivals). Although they may get together for prayer, the prayers are generally individual for members of most religions, not collective. Whether communal, individual, or both, most religions have structures that serve as places of worship. Although these structures are often buildings, they don't have to be. Nor do they have to be grand or imposing. A storefront church or mosque can be as central for routine worship as an ancient shrine. Synagogues: Jewish houses of prayer A Jewish house of prayer, study, and gathering has many names: beit kenesset, shule, kehilat kodesh, Temple, Congregation, Jewish center, and more. The Greek word synagogue is the most generic; it's also the one most people are likely to recognize. The synagogue is a place of study (beit midrash), a house of gathering (beit kenesset), and a house of prayer (beit tefilah). The most important thing in a synagogue is the ark (aron hakosh), a container or cabinet that contains the Torah scroll: The ark represents the Holy of Holies (originally, the inner sanctum of Solomon's Temple that contained the original tablets holding the Ten Commandments). As such, it's the most sacred place in a synagogue and the focal point of prayer. The ark has doors as well as an inner curtain, called a parokhet. This curtain is named after and modeled from the curtain in the sanctuary in the first temple in Jerusalem. During certain prayers, the doors and/or curtain of the ark may be opened or closed. Typically, a member of the synagogue opens and closes the doors (or pulls the curtain); being the person to do this is considered an honor. The ark also has an eternal light (ner tamid) that symbolizes the eternal flame that once burned on the Temple Mount. In most synagogues, the ark has a raised area in front of it called a bima. In orthodox synagogues, the bima is often in the middle of the congregation. This is where the Torah is read on Mondays, Thursdays, and on the Sabbath. In other synagogues, the bima is up front. Synagogues try to put the ark on the wall that faces Jerusalem so that worshippers face Jerusalem during prayer. If the synagogue can't be arranged that way, worshippers face the ark. In synagogues, you won't find exact representations of any of the holy objects that were once in the Temple (it's forbidden). For example, if a synagogue has a menorah (a candelabrum), it can't be seven-branched like the menorah in the Temple at Jerusalem. Buddhist temples You won't find regular daily prayers at Buddhist temples. Buddhist temples are places for personal devotion, ancestor worship, meditation, and offerings for the monks and for the Buddha. Individual devotion is so important to Buddhism, in fact, that Buddhists can construct shrines in their own homes. These shrines, like the great temples, help believers remember their ancestors and Buddhist scriptures. At home, shrines (or altars) should be located in a separate room or quiet area. The shrine contains the following items: An image of Buddha: This image, whether a statue or picture, represents the Buddha who passed on his teaching and the potential for everyone to attain enlightenment. It is placed on a special shelf high on the wall, in a place of honor. A vase or tray with flowers: The flowers symbolize the impermanence of all living things and are usually arranged to represent some aspect of Buddhist teaching. For example, a single flower represents the unity of all things; four flowers can represent the Four Noble Truths, and so on. A candle (or oil lamp, in some traditions): The lighted candle or lamp symbolizes the light of enlightenment. Incense: Because the fragrance fills the room, incense symbolizes how Buddha's teachings spread throughout the world. A miniature stupa: The relics of the Buddha are buried within a dome-like shrine, or stupa. A miniature one on a home altar can represent Buddha's relics, or it can contain family relics. Scripture: Most people have a Buddhist text on or near the altar to both refer to and to remind Buddhists of the Middle Way. Mosques: Places of ritual prostration The word mosque comes from the Arabic masjid, which means a place of ritual prostration, and that, in a nutshell is what a mosque is. Although mosques, since Muhammad's time, have served various functions — political social, and educational, as well as religious — the main function of a mosque is as a place devoted to the praise and worship of Allah. A mosque is any place devoted to prayer. It could be a house, a community building, or an open area of ground that was marked off as sacred. In fact, the early mosques were based on the place where Muhammad worshipped: the courtyard of his house. The builders kept the basic design — open space — and added a roof. Many mosques have domed roofs, atop of which is the symbol of Islam: a star cradled by a crescent moon. The star has five points, reminding Muslims of the five obligations of Islam. The crescent moon reminds Muslims of Allah the Creator and the lunar calendar that marks Islamic holy days. Attached to many mosques in Muslim countries is a tower, called a minaret, where the muezzin (or crier) calls people to prayer. Most mosques also have an ablutions room, a place where the faithful can perform the ritual washing before prayer. When you enter a mosque, you may notice the following: Mosques don't have furniture. Everyone sits on the floor, not in pews or chairs. In larger mosques, the carpeting often has a design that marks out the prayer lines so that people know where to sit to leave enough room for someone else. The wall that faces Mecca (and the wall Muslims face when they pray) is called the qiblah. Set in this wall is a niche or an alcove, called a mihrab that points in the direction of Mecca. The mihrab is not an altar (even though it kind of looks like one). Its function is to direct Muslims' minds and thoughts toward God. To the right of the arch is a raised platform called the minbar. Similar to a pulpit, this is where the imam reads the prayers and gives sermons. Mosques don't have statues or pictures. You won't find images of God, Muhammad, or any of the prophets, for example. Instead, you'll find beautiful calligraphy of verses from the Qur'an.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

The world has mysteries that you confront and problems that you try to solve. However, mysteries are different from problems. The questions, "Does life have meaning?" "Is evil punished and goodness rewarded?" and "What is the cause of suffering?" are mysteries. No matter how many times philosophers and prophets provide answers to these and other of life's big questions, the questions remain real and pressing in every generation and in every life. The questions "What causes lightning?" and "How will I spend my evening if the cable goes out?" are problems. Of course, not all problems are this easily answered or (to be honest) this irrelevant. "How will we feed the children if I lose my job?" and "Where should we go if the war comes to our front door?" are some of the bigger problems that people face. For many folks, trying to find answers to life's mysteries is the place where the religious impulse begins. When you understand mystery, you come to understand God more as an ongoing action than as a thing and the religious life more as a quest than a destination. Comprehending such mysteries helps you figure out how to survive life's problems and enjoy life's blessings. The search for meaning Every culture has some kind of religion, and all faiths answer the question "What is the meaning of life?" Humanity's search for an answer to this question is one of the main reasons that people are drawn to religion. The answers, although different from religion to religion, give people's lives purpose, meaning, and hope. The different religions have their own views on the meaning of life: Hinduism: Gain release from the cycle of rebirth and merge with the eternal Divine, thus escaping an inhospitable world. Buddhism: Gain enlightenment and, in that way, free yourself from the sufferings that come from illusions and attachments to life. Judaism: Do God's commandments. Christianity: Try to love the way Jesus loved. Islam: Submit oneself to the will of Allah. Taoism: Achieve inner harmony. Accounting for sin and suffering "Why is there suffering in the world?" That's another big mystery that religion addresses. For most religions, suffering is the result of human failing or the lack of human understanding. In monotheistic religions, suffering is wrapped up in the concept of sin and human failing. In the Eastern religions, suffering is the result of humankind's lack of understanding, or enlightenment. Whatever the source of suffering and death is — human failure or human "blindness" — religions give their members hope by offering ways to overcome suffering and death. In Western religions, the goal is salvation; in Eastern religions, it's enlightenment. Sin: The devil made me do it One of the most powerful reasons people come to religion is to find salvation from sin. Monotheistic religions use the term sin to describe the brokenness of human existence. The belief is that humans, in and of themselves, are not whole. Only by living through God's commandments or in accordance with God's will can humans be complete. Sin is a human failing, the result of human rebelliousness and arrogance and the source of evil in the world. What makes a sin depends on the religion: An action: All monotheistic religions agree that sins are actions that violate God's law. By behaving in ways that contradict divine will, a person sins. In Judaism and Islam, sin is always an act, a wrong act, and an immoral or impure act. A thought: In Judaism, a thought cannot be a sin, but a thought can lead to a sin. In Christianity, a thought can be a sin. A state of being: In some Christian traditions, sin is not only a thought or an act; it is also a state of being, represented in the concept of original sin. Original sin is a condition that humans are born to because of Adam's disobedience (he ate the forbidden fruit) in the Garden of Eden. Whether sin is an act, a thought, or a condition, it is, at its heart, distance from God. Atonement and salvation For monotheistic religions, sin and suffering are the results of choosing badly, of allowing selfishness and grasping to overcome what we know to be the will of God. By willfully and deliberately violating the divine will, people distance themselves from God. By atoning for bad deeds, people can cleanse themselves from the effects of sins and reconcile with God. Also called reconciliation, atonement requires repentance (being sorry for what you've done) and a change of behavior to conform to a religiously prescribed one. Through the process of atonement, people can reconstruct their relationships with God and those they have sinned against. By teaching people how to forgive others, religion helps people ask forgiveness themselves. In this way, these faiths address the basic human need to admit moral failings and move forward to a better way of living. For most religions, salvation is a lifelong process, aided by both the discipline of ritual and the moral teachings of the faith. Being negative Buddhism doesn't concern itself much with sin as a separate issue. For Buddhists, the goal isn't to find salvation from sin but to achieve enlightenment and release from all human issues, including sin. Negativity or attachment to material life, Buddhists believe, is the obstacle that holds people back. Within some Buddhist sects, negativity is expressed in the teaching of tahna (craving) and dukkha (suffering or imperfection). Our human desires, illusions, and attachments cause our suffering. The reason people are so unhappy is that they want or crave things: love, adventure, and material possessions, chocolate, whatever. When people don't get what they want, they become sad. The idea is that we are our own source of unhappiness, and we can change how we feel by changing our attitude and desires. Some Buddhist sects teach that life is a constant process of overcoming this suffering by learning why we suffer and giving up our attachments and our illusions. Dukkha, which describes the source of all human suffering, is the first of the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism. Being born again . . . and again . . . and again . . . In Hinduism, the nature of human limitation is that we are all trapped in the world of samsara, which forces us to die and be reborn endless numbers of times. Hinduism also offers hope that we can stop the process of rebirth and death. With proper practice, a person can attain release (moksha) from the suffering of samsara and find freedom and oneness with the infinite, the ultimate goal in most Hindu sects.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

The Five Pillars of worship provide the foundations and basic support of Islam. These fundamental acts of worship and rituals are obligations for every practicing Muslim with the hope that each pillar is a passage into deeper spirituality and understanding: The First Pillar: The Shahada — Recite the shahadah correctly and deliberately: There is no god but God, and Muhammad is his prophet. The Second Pillar: Salat — Pray five times a day: Pray at rising, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, and before retiring, according to the proscribed ritual. The Third Pillar: Zakat — Give alms: Each Muslim donates 2 1/2 percent of their money to others. The Fourth Pillar: Saum — Observe Ramadan: This month-long fast brings the faithful closer to God and purifies earthly desires. The Fifth Pillar: Hajj — Make a pilgrimage to Mecca: All Muslims should try to make this pilgrimage, or hajj, at least once in a lifetime.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

All religions have important people whose teachings and lives embody the spirit of the faith and present models of faith’s promise. This chart shows the founders, teachers, and key leaders of major religions: PersonRoleReligion Buddha Founder of Buddhism Buddhism Confucius Philosopher and teacher; founder of Confucianism Confucianism Guru Nanak First guru (divine leader) of Sikhism Sikhism Jesus Prophet and Son of God Christianity Lao-Tzu Attributed writer of Tao Te Ching, founder of Taoism Taoism Mahavira Spiritual leader and last of the 24 Tirthankara (Jain saints) Jainism Moses Prophet who talked to God and was given the Ten Commandments Judaism, Christianity, Islam Muhammad Prophet to whom God revealed the Qur’an Islam Zoroaster Founder of Zoroastrianism Zoroastrianism

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

The Eightfold Path of Buddhism, also called the Middle Path or Middle Way, is the system of following these eight divisions of the path to achieve spiritual enlightenment and cease suffering: Right understanding: Understanding that the Four Noble Truths are noble and true. Right thought: Determining and resolving to practice Buddhist faith. Right speech: Avoiding slander, gossip, lying, and all forms of untrue and abusive speech. Right conduct: Adhering to the idea of nonviolence (ahimsa), as well as refraining from any form of stealing or sexual impropriety. Right means of making a living: Not slaughtering animals or working at jobs that force you to violate others. Right mental attitude or effort: Avoiding negative thoughts and emotions, such as anger and jealousy. Right mindfulness: Having a clear sense of one’s mental state and bodily health and feelings. Right concentration: Using meditation to reach the highest level of enlightenment.

Article / Updated 03-26-2016

Shinto, the indigenous religion of Japan, emphasizes living with sincerity and virtue, possible only by an awareness of the divine. The fundamental beliefs in Shinto are the Four Affirmations (affirmations are positive declarations): Tradition and the family: Understanding that family is the foundation for preserving traditions Love of nature: Holding nature sacred Ritual purity: Ritual bathing to spiritually and physically cleanse yourselves before entering a shrine to worship the kami. (In addition, festivals are held twice a year to drive out pollutants or impurities.) Matsuri: Worshipping and honoring gods and ancestral spirits