LSC:CHRISTIANITY AND VALUES IN ISLAM AND AFRICAN TRADITIONAL RELIGION

Introduction 

In this chapter, you will appreciation the beliefs and moral practices in other  religions. This will enable you to develop tolerance for other faiths and live in  harmony with them in a diverse world. 

You learnt about some of the rituals practised in the Christian Church. You also  discussed the importance of each of them. The focus of this chapter is learning about  two religions other than Christianity. Before discussing the details of other religions,  read the activity below, discuss it and do the tasks that follow. 

Activity 3.1: Reading, discussing and answering 

I stop and think 

I imagine an end 

I wonder and wander 

In search of your meaning 

In what is taught. 

Religion! Religion! Religion! 

Christianity, Islam, ATR, Hinduism, 

Buddhism, Baha’ism, Judaism, Sikhism, 

Confucianism, Shintoism, 

Those but just a few world religions. 

Religion! Religion! Religion! 

Is it about God, or about beliefs? 

Is it about objects, or about books? 

Though thee answer are many,  

It is about faith, and faith it is. 

Religion! Religion! Religion! 

Promoting different values 

Providing a living hope 

It’s a limitless discipline. 

Religion! Religion! Religion! 

What exactly are you? 

By Annette Nanfuka

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Questions  

1. How does the speaker in the poem define religion? 
2. What is the importance of religion? 
3. What comprises religion? 
4. Suggest a suitable title for the poem. 
5. In your opinion, why does the poem make religion so difficult to understand?  6. Name any five world religions that you know. 

In the world, there are countless religions. They all have followers and believers.  Religion is an organised set of beliefs, cultural systems and world views that relate  humankind to an order of life. 

Many religions have narratives, symbols and sacred stories that aim to explain the  meaning and origin of life, and the universe. Each community in the world has some  kind of religion they subscribe to. 

Origin of Christianity and Islam 

You have read the meaning of religion. You also now know some of the religions  in world. In this section, you will learn about the origins of Christianity, Islam and  African traditional religion. 

Christianity 

Activity 3.2: Reading and answering 

In this section you will learn about the origin of Christianity. Read the text and answer  the questions after. 

Christianity developed out of Judaism in the 1st century. It is based on the life,  teachings, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and those who follow him are  called “Christians”.  

Christianity has many different branches and forms with an accompanying variety in  beliefs and practices. The three major branches of Christianity are Roman Catholicism,  Eastern Orthodoxy and Protestantism, with numerous subcategories within each of  these branches.  

Christianity became legal by the Pronouncement of Milan in 313. Emperor Constantine  the Great of the Roman Empire converted to Christianity. He convened the First Council 

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of Nicaea (325) where Early Christianity was consolidated into what would become  the state religion of the Roman Empire (380). The First Council of Nicaea formulated  the Nicene Creed (325), and the Church fathers supervised the development of the  Christian biblical canons (5th century). This period during the initial of the first seven  ecumenical councils is sometimes referred to as the Great Church, when the Catholic  Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church and Orthodoxy thrived in communion. This lasted  until Oriental Orthodoxy split after the Council of Chalcedon (451) over differences in  Christology, and the Eastern Orthodox Church and Catholic Church (representing the  Great Church in the east and west, respectively) separated in the East–West Schism (1054) especially over the authority of the Pope. Similarly, Protestantism, while not  a single but numerous denominations, later split from the Catholic Church in the  Protestant Reformation (16th century) over theological differences. 

While influencing Western civilisation, particularly in Europe during the Middle Ages,  persecution has been an issue ever since the Roman Empire. This intensified from the  Early Islamic conquests (622–750) on, around what then became the Islamic world.  Yet, following the Age of Discovery (15th century), Christianity spread to the Americas,  Oceania, sub-Saharan Africa and the rest of the world through missionary work and  colonisation. Conversely, in the Western world since the late modern era, various  variants of state-sponsored secularist and marxist movements have been significant  opponents.  

Until the latter part of the 20th century, most followers of Christianity lived in Europe.  It has spread to every continent and is now the largest religion in the world.  

Christian beliefs include the belief in the one and only true God, who is one being and  exists as Father, Son and the Holy Spirit, and the belief that Jesus is the divine and  human Messiah sent to save the world. 

 Christianity is also noted for its emphasis on faith in Christ as the primary component  of religion. The sacred text of Christianity is the Bible, including both the Old Testament  and the New Testament. 

Central to Christian practice is the gathering at churches for worship, fellowship and  study, and engagement with the world through evangelism and social action. 

Questions 

1. Where did Christianity evolve from? 
2. Who is the founder of Christianity?  
3. Where did the religious tradition begin? 
4. What are the divisions of Islam? 
5. Explain the three beliefs that Christians hold dearly. 
6. Draw a world map showing the distribution of Islam.

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Activity 3.3: Writing a Christianity timeline 

Visually chart the rise of Christianity on a timeline. 

1200. i) Create a timeline about the rise of Christianity, ranging from A D 1 to A D 1200. 
1201. ii) It should begin with Jesus and end with the separation of the Eastern Orthodox  and Roman Catholic churches. 

iii) The timeline should be coloured and engaging, and can be done on a poster  board or in your exercise book. 

Activity 3.4 

Important personalities in the spread of Christianity  

After the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the apostles continued with the  spread of the teachings of Jesus Christ.  

Activity: Reading the Bible and making a summary  

Read the Acts Chapter 2: 1 – 47. 

Try out the tasks that follow: 

1. Describe what happened in Acts 2:1 – 13. 
2. What lessons do you learn from the event? 
3. What message did Peter give the people who had gathered in Jerusalem  according to Acts 2:14 – 41? 
4. How did the believers respond to the teachings of the apostles, according to Acts  2: 42 – 47?  

During the early days of Christianity, the Good News of Christ was being spread  by word of mouth. This is called the apostolic age or the oral period. The apostles  attracted many followers, who created a community of believers. These spread the  Gospel far and wide. They shared the bread and wine in memory of Jesus Christ.  They also shared their possessions with the poor. The apostles performed miracles  of healing. This attracted many followers. However, it also attracted hostility towards  them and their followers.  

The rulers of the Roman Empire started persecuting the church. The direct apostles  were imprisoned and tortured, and some were even killed by crucifixion, particularly  James the son of Zebedee and Andrew.

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Activity 3.5: Reading and making a summary 

1. Read the Acts of the Apostle. 
2. Identify the persecution of Peter and Stephen.  
3. Write a brief description of their persecution. 
4. How did they meet their death? 

Among the people who persecuted the apostles was a man named Saul. He hated  Christianity and hunted down the followers. 

Activity 3.6: Reading and making a summary 

1. Read Acts 9:1 – 42. 
2. Describe what happed to Saul. 
3. Describe his new life.  

Activity 3.7: Studying and answering 

Map showing Paul’s missionary journeys and the churches started 

Figure 3.1

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1. In reference to the map, write down the churches Paul started.  2. Write the missionary journeys that Paul made. 

The missionary work of Paul was very important for the spread of Christianity at that  time. He travelled tens of thousands of miles around the Mediterranean, spreading  the word of Jesus. Paul also wrote books of the New Testament which include  Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Colossians, Philippians, Philemon  and 1 Thessalonians.  

Christians believe that there is only one God whom they call Father as Jesus Christ  taught them. They recognise Jesus as the Son of God and believe that God functions  as a Trinity. 

They believe in the death, descent into hell, resurrection and ascension of Jesus  Christ. They also believe in the holiness of the Church and the communion of saints,  Christ’s second coming, the Day of Judgement and the salvation of the faithful. 

Christian worship involves praising God in music and speech, reading the scriptures,  prayers of various sorts, sermons, and various holy ceremonies such as the Eucharist. 

The Cross is the main Christian symbol. The Christian Bible has two sections: the Old  Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament is the original Hebrew Bible,  the sacred scriptures of the Jewish faith written at different times between about  1200 and 165 BC. The New Testament books were written by Christians in the first  century AD. 

• Research an important personality of the Christian faith such as Saint Augustine. •  Write a 500 – 700 word biographical essay about the person you choose. •  Describe how and why this person was very important in the spread of Christianity. 

Prophecies in the Old Testament about the Messiah 

Activity 3.8: Reading and answering 

Did you know that the Old Testament was fulfilled in the New Testament? There are a  number of prophecies that were fulfilled. Read the following biblical texts about the  Messiah and discover more about that. 

Jeremiah 31:31 

Psalm 16:8–11

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Daniel 9:24–27 

Zechariah 12:10 

Hosea 11:1 

Psalm 2:1–12 

Zechariah 9:9 

Malachi 3:1 

Identify where each of the verses are fulfilled in the New Testament.  Pre-Islamic Arabia  

You have learnt about the origin of Christianity. You have also learnt about the  geographical distribution of Christianity in the world. In this section, you will learn  about Islam. Before you learn about Islam, you will need to first understand the  period before Islam in Arabia. This period is also known as Jahilliya. 

Activity 3.9: Researching, drawing and answering 

1. i) Research and draw the map of the Arabian Peninsula before the coming of Islam.  ii) What are the current countries in the Arabian Peninsula? 

iii) Comment on their current Islamic practices.  

Activity3.10: Reading and answering 

The pre-Islamic period 

Did you know that the pre-Islamic period was the darkest age in human history? It  was a time of ignorance and disorder in the religious and social life of the world. 

The political, social and cultural life developed by the peoples of the ancient world  was shattered by their barbarians. The social and religious order previously organised  by Judaism, Christianity and Zoroastrianism had broken down. 

The people had forgotten the ideals of their religion. Morality was at its lowest.  Corruption, intolerance, persecution and wrangles over beliefs and sects existed 

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everywhere. 

The greatest disorder existed in the social life of the Arabs. There was no ideal morality  or discipline in the society. 

Corruption, vices, superstition, unrestrained freedom and unrestricted enjoyment  ruled supreme in the Arab society. Plurality of wives and husbands was the order of  the day. 

Adultery was common among the pre-Islamic Arabs. Stepsons could marry their step mothers and even brothers sometimes married their own sisters. Men and women  could have full freedom with those of the opposite sex. 

Human beings were sacrificed to false gods. Fathers sometimes killed their children  for fear of poverty. 

The position of the women was very degrading in the Arab society. They were treated  as property and with disrespect. The birth of a female child was considered as a great  curse and she was often buried alive by the heartless father. 

Women could not have any share of the property of their husbands or fathers. In  short, women had no status in the society. Slavery, in its worst form, prevailed in the  Arab society and the master could even put his slave to death. 

Economically, pre-Islamic Arabian society was very much at the primitive stage. The  soil, barren as it was, offered little agricultural practices. 

Before the rise of Islam, the worst disorder and confusion prevailed in the religious life  of the Arabs. There were some Jews and Christians in Arabia, but they had become  corrupt and did not hold any higher religious ideals than the Arabs. 

Except for the Jew and Christians, the rest of the Arabs followed the most primitive  form of religious belief. They were idol worshippers who adored many gods and  goddesses. 

The above mentioned evils not only existed among Arabs, but also in most of the  world civilisations at that time. 

There were no basic human rights: the rich ruled the poor and imposed whatever  laws they wanted. The world society was primarily divided into the ruling class and  the ruled. 

 Attempt the tasks below. 

1. Describe the social evils of the Jahiliyya period. 
2. Compare the evils of the Jahiliyya period to those in Uganda today.

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Islam  

Activity 3.11: Reading and answering 

Islam is a monotheistic religious tradition that originated in the Middle East in the  7th century. Islam was founded on the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad as an  expression of submission to the will of Allah, the Creator and sustainer of the world.  

The Quran, the sacred text of Islam, contains the teachings of the Prophet that were  revealed to him from Allah. Essential to Islam is the belief that Allah is the one and  true God with no partner or equal. Islam has several branches and varieties within  those branches.  

The two divisions within the tradition are the Sunni and Shi’a, each of which claims  different means of maintaining religious authority. 

The five pillars are key in Islam. They include the profession of faith, ritual prayer, the  zakat (charity), fasting and the hajj (a pilgrimage to Mecca).  

Many Muslims are characterised by their commitment to pray to Allah five times a day.  One of the defining characteristics of Islam is the primacy of sacred places, including  Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem. Muslims gather in mosques to worship Allah through  prayers and reading of the Quran. All aspects of a Muslim’s life are to be directed  towards serving Allah.  

Muslims consider the cities of Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem as the home to the three  holiest sites in Islam. 

Historically,  Islam is believed to have originated in the early 7th century  CE  in  Mecca,  and by the 8th century the Umayyad Islamic caliphate extended from Iberia in  the west to the Indus River in the east.  

The Islamic Golden Age refers to the period traditionally dated from the 8th century to  the 13th century, during the Abbasid Caliphate, when much of the historical Muslim  world  was flourishing scientifically,  economically  and culturally. The  expansion  of  the Muslim world involved various caliphates and empires, traders and conversion to  Islam by missionary activities 

There are many denominations of Islam. The major two are: Sunni (75–90%) or Shia  (10–20%). About 13% of Muslims live in Indonesia, the largest Muslim-majority country,  31% in South Asia, the largest population of Muslims in the world, 23% in the Middle  East-North Africa  where it is the dominant religion and 15% in sub-Saharan Africa.  Sizeable Muslim communities are also found in the Americas, the Caucasus, Central  Asia, China, Europe, Mainland South East Asia, the Philippines, and Russia. 

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Islam spread beyond its birthplace in the Arabian Peninsula, and now has significant  influence in Africa, and throughout Asia, Europe and America. 

Questions 

1. What is monotheism? 
2. Who is the founder of Islam?  
3. Where did the religious tradition begin? 
4. What are the two divisions of Islam? 
5. Explain the five pillars that hold Islam. 
6. Draw a world map showing the distribution of Islam. 

Activity 3.12: Writing about Islam using the timeline 

1. Visually chart the rise of Islam on a timeline. 
2. Create a timeline about the rise of Islam, ranging from AD 570 to AD 1200. 
3. The timeline should be coloured and engaging, and can be done on a poster  board or in your exercise book. 

Values in Islam 

You learnt about values as a characteristic of religion. You also learnt that the values  differ from one religion to another. Religious values are ethical principles found in  religious traditions, texts and beliefs. The Islamic values are based on the pillars of  Islam which are embedded in the Muslim lifestyle. They are the testimony of faith,  prayer, giving zakat (support of the needy), fasting during the month of Ramadan,  and the pilgrimage to Mecca once for those who are able. 

When a Muslim observes the five pillars he/she gets spiritual benefits. Apart from  spiritual benefits, there are other good things that are associated with the pillars of  Islam. 

The testimony of faith 

The testimony of faith is saying with conviction, “La ilahailla Allah, Muhammad  urrasoolu Allah.” This statement means, “There is no true god (deity) but God (Allah),1 and Muhammad is the Messenger (Prophet) of God.” The first part: “There is no true  god but God”, means that none has the right to be worshipped but God alone; and  that God has neither partner nor son. This testimony of faith is called the Shahada, a 

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simple formula which should be said with conviction in order to convert to Islam. The  testimony of faith is the most important pillar of Islam. 

The good practice in the pillar of faith believes in one God. This practice is also known  as monotheism. 

Prayer 

Figure 3.2 

Muslims perform five prayers a day. Each takes a few minutes to perform. Prayer in  Islam is a direct link between the worshipper and God. There are no intermediaries  between God and the worshipper. 

Prayers are performed at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset and night. A Muslim  may pray almost anywhere, such as in the fields, offices, factories or at universities. 

In prayer, a person feels inner happiness, peace and comfort, and that God is pleased  with him or her.  

Good practices in Islamic prayer 

• It involves cleaning before prayer, which promotes body hygiene.  
• Muslims wash their mouths before prayer as part of cleansing before prayer,  which gives good breath. 
• Islam prescribes that the washing of private parts be done using the left-hand  since the right-hand is usually the one used for eating. 
• Prayer involves physical actions, hence keeping one physically fit.

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• Prayer involves meditation which provides people with inner peace.  •  Congregational prayer promotes the spirit of togetherness. 
• Prayer enables Muslims to reduce the stress of the day since they have to  break off and pray. 

Activity 3.13: Reading, discussing and answering 

1. Using the good practices in the prayer, identify and discuss each of them with  example.  
2. Share the discussion findings with the class.  

Fasting 

Ramadan is a period of fasting, reflection, devotion, generosity and sacrifice observed  by Muslims around the world. Fasting is supposed to be undertaken by adult Muslims  aged 15 years and above. They must be mentally stable and healthy. They are required  to abstain from food and drink from dawn to dusk.  

Fasting in itself attracts spiritual benefits which include: 

• Enabling Muslims to sympathise with those in the world who have little to eat  every day through experiencing hunger and thirst. 
• Enabling Muslims to feel closer to their creator, and recognise that everything  there is in this life is a blessing from God. This is through increased devotion. 
• Through self-control, a Muslim practises good manners, good speech and good  habits. 

Good practices associated with fasting 

Fasting helps and promotes weight loss and detoxifies the body. This means that  it helps reduce chances of developing weight-related diseases such as high blood  pressure. 

Fasting also brings people together since at the break of the fast Muslims are advised  to provide food for those who are needy but fasting. 

Fasting also promotes the value of sharing. 

Through changing their routine, Muslims have a chance to establish healthier lifestyle  habits, particularly with regard to diet and smoking. 

Through increased charity, Muslims develop feelings of generosity and good-will