Hello, fellow witches and wizards! Today, I will be giving you an insight into different religions, specifically Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism. Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion and Islam is also an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, whereas Hinduism differs due to it being a polytheistic religion.

Now, enough with the introduction. Let’s dive right in!

・ꨄ︎・∘₊✧──────✧₊∘・ꨄ︎・

CHRISTIANITY:
➸  Christian believers are called Christians. 
➸  Christianity developed in Judea in the mid-first century CE. 
➸  Christians believe that God sent his Son to earth to save humanity from the consequences of its sins.
➸  One of the most important concepts in Christianity is that of Jesus giving his life on the Cross and rising from the dead on the day of Resurrection.
➸  Christianity is the most widely practised religion in the world, with more than 2 billion followers.
➸  A Christian worships Jesus Christ in a Church and their religious book is the Holy Bible.
➸  The Bible is subdivided into two main sections, the Old Testament and the New Testament.
➸  The Bible has different versions, e.g. King James Version, Christian standard Bible and King George’s version.
➸  Christians mostly speak the English Language.
➸  The essence of Christian morality is love. Reflect on the words of Jesus: 'You must love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.
➸  Some notable Christian celebrations are: 
: ̗̀➛  Christmas ~ An annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25
: ̗̀➛  Easter ~ commemorates the resurrection of Jesus from the dead
: ̗̀➛  Good Friday ~ observes the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary
: ̗̀➛  Pentecost ~ commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles of Jesus while they were in Jerusalem celebrating the Feast of Weeks
➸  Christians follow the Gregorian Calendar. It has the following months in this order: 
: ̗̀➛  January
: ̗̀➛  February
: ̗̀➛  March
: ̗̀➛  April
: ̗̀➛  May
: ̗̀➛  June
: ̗̀➛  July
: ̗̀➛  August
: ̗̀➛  September
: ̗̀➛  October
: ̗̀➛  November
: ̗̀➛  December
➸  Christians are estimated to make up a majority of the population in 157 countries and territories including The U.S., Brazil, Mexico, Russia and Germany.

・ꨄ︎・∘₊✧──────✧₊∘・ꨄ︎・

ISLAM: 
➸  Islamic practitioners are called Muslims.
➸  Islam was founded back in 610 CE, following the first revelation to the Prophet Muhammad at the age of 40.
➸  There are 5 main beliefs in Islam: 
: ̗̀➛  Profession of Faith ~ Shahada
: ̗̀➛  Prayer ~Salat
: ̗̀➛  Alms ~ Zakat
: ̗̀➛  Fasting ~ Sawm
: ̗̀➛  Pilgrimage ~ Hajj
➸  The most important concept of Islam is to worship Allah (SWT) alone, and to not associate partners with Him.
➸  Islam is centred on the Quran and the teachings of Muhammad (PBUH), commonly known as Hadith.
➸  Islam is the second-most practised religion in the world, with more than 1.9 billion followers worldwide. 
➸  A Muslim worships Allah in a Mosque, and their religious book is the Holy Quran. 
➸  There is only one version of the Quran, meaning that wherever you go in the world, you’ll find the exact same version, with no changed words. 
➸  Muslims follow the Hijri calendar, otherwise known as the Arabic, Muslim, or Islamic Calendar. It has the following months in order:
: ̗̀➛  Muḥarram
: ̗̀➛  Ṣafar
: ̗̀➛  Rabīʿ al-Awwal
: ̗̀➛  Rabīʿ al-Thānī
: ̗̀➛  Jumādā al-Awwal
: ̗̀➛  Jumādā al-Thānī
: ̗̀➛  Rajab
: ̗̀➛  Shaʿbān
: ̗̀➛  Ramaḍān ~ the holy month of fasting 
: ̗̀➛  Shawwāl
: ̗̀➛  Dhū al-Qaʿdah
: ̗̀➛  Dhū al-Ḥijjah.
➸  Muslims consider Arabic language to be important because Arabic was chosen by Allah and the Islamic holy scripture is written entirely in Arabic. Furthermore, the cities of Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia are also of immense importance as Mecca was the birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad. Medina is the second-most important place in Islam, due to the Prophet Muhammad's temporary exile there, and is also where the prophet was laid to rest at the time of his death.
➸  Some notable Islamic celebrations are: 
: ̗̀➛  Eid al-Fitr ~ celebrated by Muslims worldwide because it marks the end of the month-long dawn-to-dusk fasting of Ramadan
: ̗̀➛  Eid al-Adha ~ it honours the willingness of Ibrahim (A.S) to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience to Alllah’s command
: ̗̀➛  The month of Ramadan ~ Especially the last ten nights because the Quran was revealed during them
: ̗̀➛  Dhū al-Ḥijjah ~ Muslims from all around the world come together in Makkah to perform Hajj
➸  There are 7 basic beliefs that shape the Islamic way of life. They are: 
: ̗̀➛  Belief in the Oneness of God.
: ̗̀➛  Belief in the Angels of God. 
: ̗̀➛  Belief in the Revelations (Books) of God.
: ̗̀➛  Belief in the Prophets of God.
: ̗̀➛  Belief in the Day of Judgment.
: ̗̀➛  Belief in Predestination(Qadar).
: ̗̀➛  Belief in Resurrection after Death
➸  Islam is the main religion in 49 countries, including, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, Bangladesh and Egypt.

・ꨄ︎・∘₊✧──────✧₊∘・ꨄ︎・

HINDUISM:
➸  Hinduism practitioners are called Hindus.
➸  Hinduism started somewhere between 2300 B.C. and 1500 B.C. in the Indus Valley.
➸  Hindus view the entire universe as God's and everything in the universe as God.
➸  The important concepts of Hinduism is dharma, or ethics and duties; samsara, rebirth; Karma, right action; and moksha, or liberation from the cycle of Samsara.
➸  Hinduism is centred on belief in reincarnation and one supreme god called Brahman. 
➸  Hinduism is the third-largest religion in the world, with 1.2 billion followers worldwide. 
➸  Hindu worship, which is known as “puja,” or “pooja,” typically takes place in the Mandir (temple).
➸  Hindus follow the Hindu calendar, also called Panchanga. It has the following months in order: 
: ̗̀➛  Chaitra
: ̗̀➛  Vaisakha
: ̗̀➛  Jyeshta
: ̗̀➛  Ashadha
: ̗̀➛  Shravana
: ̗̀➛  Bhadrapada
: ̗̀➛  Ashwin
: ̗̀➛  Kartika
: ̗̀➛  Agrahayana
: ̗̀➛  Pausha
: ̗̀➛  Magha Phalguna 
➸  Hindus mostly speak Hindi, the national language of India. However, there are many that embrace other Indian languages like Marathi, Gujarati, Kannada, Konkani, and Malayalam, amongst others. 
➸  Some notable Hindu celebrations are: 
: ̗̀➛  Diwali ~ symbolises the return of Prince Rama of Ayodhya with his wife, Sita, and brother, Lakshman, from a 14-year-long exile and a war in which Prince Rama stood victorious. This tale is chronicled in the Indian Epic, the Ramayana.
: ̗̀➛  Navratri ~ in honour of the goddess Durga.
: ̗̀➛  Holi ~ It celebrates the eternal and divine love of the deities Radha and Krishna.
: ̗̀➛  Karva Chauth ~ for married women to observe a strict fast for the well-being and long life of their husbands.
➸  Hindus form a majority in just three countries: Nepal, India and Mauritius.
➸  There is no historical founder of the religion as a whole. 
➸  Hinduism, also known as Sanatana Dharma, is the world's oldest living religion.
➸  Hindus consider cows to be sacred. Due to this, they don’t eat beef, considering it a taboo.

Alas, that's all for this chapter. But never fear, because many intriguing stories are coming up in the next chapters. Just flip the page, and Voila!
I hope you all enjoyed learning about different religions. And now, I regret to announce — this is The End. I have to put down my quill now and give my aching hands a break. I bid you all a very fond farewell!

Written by Marlee Potter.
Edited by Sara Rowan.
Proofread by Hazel Antler.