BASIC BELIEFS AND WORSHIPS IN ISLAM

Islam:
The word “Islam” in Arabic Language means “submission” & “peace” A Muslim is a person who
submits to the will of Allah and finds therein peace. Islam is derived from the Arabic word
“salaam” meaning peace.

Basic believes of Islam:

“Righteous is he who believes in Allah and the Last Day and the Angels and the Scriptures and
the Prophets.” (Quran 2:177)

There is no official creed to which one must adhere to be considered a Muslim. All that is
required is to believe and recite the Shahada:

“There is no God but God, and Muhammad is his Prophet.”

Beyond this core belief, however, Muslim doctrine is often summarized in “Six Articles of Faith.”
Many Muslims believe that one must adhere to the six articles to be considered a Muslim.

Six Articles of Faith:

There are six basic believes of Allah.

i. Belief in God (Allah)

ii. Belief in Angels (Mala-eka)
iii. Belief in the Books of Allah
iv. Belief in the Prophets of Allah
v. Belief in Day of Judgment (Yawm al-Qiyama)
vi. Destiny, Divine and Decree or predestination (Qadawal-Qada)

 Belief in God (Allah):

Islam teaches that there is one Unique God (Allah) who should be worshipped. The single most
important belief in Islam, and arguably the central theme of Islam, is that there is only one God.
The name of God is Allah, which is simply Arabic for “the (al) God (Ilah).”

 Belief in Angels (Mala-eka):

Muslims believe that Allah created unseen creatures such as Angels. Muslims believe in their
existence, their names, their tasks, and descriptions as explained in the Quran and in the Sunnah
(Teachings of the Prophet).

 Belief in the Books of Allah:

Muslims believe that Allah from time to time revealed books to mankind through his Prophets.
These books originated from the same divine source. They are all divine revelations. Muslims
believe in the original text of these books when they were revealed.

The four prominent divine books are:

a. Zabur (Psalms) revealed to Prophet David

b. Tawrah (Torah) revealed to Prophet Moses
c. Injil (Gospel) revealed to Prophet Jesus
d. Quran revealed to Prophet Muhammad

 Belief in the Prophets of Allah:

Muslims believe that Allah sent Prophets to all mankind as messengers for their guidance.
Muslims believe in their existence, their names, and their messages, as Allah and His Prophet
informed about them. Prophets are void of divinity because divinity is exclusive only to Allah
(God) the Almighty. They are all righteous, truthful, and pious men chosen by Allah to be models
to all mankind, both their words and deeds being in accordance with the divine
commandments.Muhammad, the founder of Islam, is revered as "the Seal of the Prophets" the last
and greatest of the messengers of God.

 Belief in Day of Judgment (Yawm al-Qiyama):

Muslims believe that the life of this world and all that is in it will come to an end on one
appointed day, when everything will be annihilated. For a Muslim, the object of life is to live in a
way that is pleasing to Allah so that one may gain Paradise. This day will resurrect all the dead.
Allah will judge with perfect justice each person individually according to his good or bad actions
that he did during his life, and every victim will have his/ her rights. Allah will reward those who
lead a righteous life and did good deeds by sending them to Paradise (Jannah). Allah forgives
whom He pleases of those who disobeyed His Command, or punish them in the Hellfire
(Jahannam).

 Destiny, Divine and Decree (Qadawal-Qada):

Muslims believe that since the whole universe is entirely under the direction and control of Allah,
then everything that is or that happens in this universe, from the smallest to the greatest event is
governed by Allah. Muslims put their trust in Allah only they are required, however, to make a
sincere effort to strive and do their best, and not simply sit back and let things take their course in
blind resignation. Such belief gives a person a tremendous degree of inner certainty, confidence
and peace of heart, especially in the face of afflictions. Moreover, he lives with the assurance that
whatever is to come to any individual, including death, cannot fail to come at its appointed time.

Concept of worship in Islam:

The concept of worship in Islam is misunderstood by many people including some Muslims.
Worship is commonly taken to mean performing sacred acts such as prayers, fasting, charity, etc.
This limited understanding of worship is only one part of the meaning of worship in Islam. That is
why the traditional definition of worship in Islam is a comprehensive definition that includes
almost everything in any individual’s activities.

The definition goes something like this:

“Worship is an all-inclusive term for all that God loves of external and internal sayings and
actions of a person.”

In other words, worship is everything one says or does for the pleasure of Allah. This, of course,
includes rituals as well as beliefs, social activities, and personal contributions to the welfare of
one’s fellow human beings.

Islam looks at the individual as a whole. He is required to submit himself completely to Allah, as
the Quran instructed the Prophet Muhammad to do:

"Say (O Muhammad) my prayer, my sacrifice, my life and my death belong to Allah; He has no
partner and I am ordered to be among those who submit, i.e.; Muslims." (6:162-163)

The concept and purpose of worship in Islam is unparalleled to any other religion in existence. It
combines the mundane with the spiritual, the individual with the society, and the internal soul
with the external body. Worship has a unique role in Islam, and through worship, a person is
regarded as a true Muslim who accords his entire life to the Will of God.

The concept of worship in Islam encompasses every aspect of human life, and is central to the
goal of freeing the individual, as well as society, from the worship of created things to the
worship of the Creator of all things. It is this concept of worship that humanity needs so
desperately, and wherein lies the key to our collective salvation.

The Five Pillars of Worship in Islam:

Muslims are united across boundaries of geography and culture through their observance of five
practices known as pillars of Islam.

In the Islamic faith, Muslims are expected to fulfill five fundamental acts of worship. The Five
Pillars of Worship are the basic acts involved in being a believing and practicing Muslim, but
each Pillar is also a gateway to deeper understanding and greater spirituality as one grows in the
Islamic faith.

There are following five pillars of Islam:

i. Pledging the faith

ii. Ritual prayer
iii. Charity to the poor
iv. Fasting during the month of Ramadan
v. Pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca

The Five Pillars are mentioned in the Quran, and are required of all Muslims. Muslims agree that
these are the essential duties of all Muslims. The Five Pillars are strong expressions of the Islamic
ideals of equality and unity. The pillars of ritual prayer, the Ramadan fast, and the hajj are
particularly powerful signs of Muslim egalitarian unity, since all Muslims in all places pray, fast,
and go on pilgrimage at the same time.

 Pledging the faith: (Shahada)

A person becomes a Muslim by making the basic statement of testimony or witness.

“I testify that there is no God but God, and I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of God.”

A person becomes a Muslim by reciting this sentence with sincere belief in the presence of
witnesses. It is also recited in daily prayer, and inscribed outside the doors and inside the domes
of mosques. It captures the essential Islamic belief in one absolute God, and affirms that
Muhammad was God's messenger, the last and final prophet sent by God.

 Ritual prayer: (Salat)

Salat is a formal, ritualized prayer performed at five specified times each day facing Mecca. Salat
consists of a sequence of recitations and bodily positions, including prostration with one’s
forehead touching the ground. Ritual prayer or salat is a basic activity of daily life.

Muslims are called to pray five times a day:

a. Before dawn
b. At midday
c. In the mid-afternoon
d. At sunset
e. At night

The call to prayer is made by a muezzin, who calls out from the top of a tower, called a minaret.
The muezzin's call is an art form, and begins by proclaiming “God is great” (Allahuakbar), and
then continues

“I bear witness that there is no god but God; I bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of
God; hasten to prayer; hasten to success; establishing the communal ritual of prayer.”

In many places in the contemporary Islamic world, recordings of a muezzin's call are played over
loudspeakers, replacing a live person.

 Charity to the poor: (Zakat)

Zakat is an obligatory charitable contribution, theoretically due annually from every Muslim at
the rate of 2.5 percent of liquid assets and income producing property. Zakat supports charitable
works and the promotion of Islam.

Zakat is an important pillar of Islam. In the Qur'an, Salah and Zakat have mostly been mentioned
together. Like Salah, Zakat is a manifestation of faith that affirms that Allah is the sole owner of
everything in the universe. Muslims believe that the wealth they own is a trust and that Allah
expects them to discharge a defined portion of it to the needy. In this respect Zakat is an act of
devotion that, like prayer, brings the believer nearer to his Lord. Zakat is also a means of
redistribution of wealth in a way that reduces differences between classes and groups. It makes a
fair contribution to social stability. By removal the soul of the rich from selfishness, and the soul
of the poor from envy and resentment against society, it closes down the channels leading to class
hatred. Such stability is not merely based on the personal feelings of the rich. It stands on a firmly
established right. Zakat is an act of worship that benefits the attitude of the giver by removing
from their heart greed and selfishness and replacing it with a feeling of compassion for mankind.

 Fasting during Ramdan: (Saum)

Fast from dawn to dusk each day during the ninth month (Ramadan) of Islamic calender, Muslims
are not supposed to eat, drink, or engage in sexual intercourse. This is a time of spiritual renewal.

Fasting which functions to make a Muslim pure from "within". By such purity, one promotes
what is good, and shuns what is evil. The glorious Qur'an confirms, in an authentic tradition, the
Prophet (peace be upon him) reported Allah as saying about the one who fasts:

“He suspends eating, drinking, and gratification of his sexual passion for My sake.”

Thus his reward is going to be according to Allah's great bounty. Whilst many of us might have
food on the table each and every day, how often do we reflect on the many million people in the
world that do not? Fasting is an act of worship that awakens one's conscience, and reminds an
individual of the suffering of the less fortunate. It thus promotes thankfulness and appreciation to
Allah for the many rewards He has provided us.

 Pilgrimage: (Hajj)
At least once in his or her life, if physically and financially able, each Muslim makes the
pilgrimage to Mecca during the twelfth Muslim month. During the five main days of the hajj,
those on the pilgrimage duplicate the ritual first performed by Abraham, including circling the
sacred shrine Kaaba, standing on the plain of Arafat, and offering a sacrifice.

Pilgrimage is an act of worship that follows the example of the Prophet Abraham, who rebuilt the
first house for the worship of the one true Allah in Makkah. Muslims from all corners of the
world, wearing the same dress, respond to the call of Hajj in one voice and language:

“Here I am at your service O Lord!”

There are many lessons to be learnt from Hajj. Humility, for example, is one. Men going for the
pilgrimage dress in two plain white garments. This is a reminder that Allah is not concerned about
the wealth or status that we have accumulated in this world. Instead, when we present ourselves to
Allah, everyone is equal and it is only the good deeds that we have conducted that matter. During
Hajj there is a strict exercise of self-discipline, where not only sacred things are revered, but even
the lives of plants and birds are made inviolable so that everything lives in safety. In addition, a
pilgrim is strictly prohibited from entering any dispute or quarrel with another person, regardless
of blame.
The importance of worship may be seen in the fact that it has been prescribed by God in all
religions prior to Islam. God said in the Quran:

“And assuredly we have sent among every people a messenger (with the command) worship
God…” (Quran 16:36)

Worship in Islam has so many sides that it is difficult to describe them all in words. The most
general meaning of worship in Islam is inclusive of everything which is pleasing to God, whether
they deal with issues of belief, or deeds of the body. It may include everything a person
perceives, thinks, intends, feels, says and does. It also refers to everything that God requires,
external, internal or interactive. This includes rituals as well as beliefs, work, social activities,
and personal behavior, as human being is a whole, such that every part affects every other.

Classification of worship:
Worship may be classified into two types:

a. Specific Beliefs, feelings and visible acts of devotion paid in homage to God which He
has commanded.
b. All other acts of goodness generally encouraged in the life of a Muslim.

 Devotion to God:
This side of worship entails that one fulfill certain deeds which God has commanded in His
religion, whether they deal with the inner self or the outer body, and whether they be obligatory or
voluntary. This facet of worship is not only limited to following His commandments, however,
but it is also inclusive of leaving those things which He has forbidden. Worship in this sense,
maybe defined as anything believed, felt, or done as an act of obedience to God.

In this respect, worship may also be called servitude, as it is in essence living one’s life in
complete servitude to God, doing what He commands, and avoiding what he forbids, as a slave
lives within the will of his master. In essence all creations are slaves of God, whether they like it
or not, for they are all subject to the laws He has placed within His creation.

“There is none in the heavens and the earth but comes unto the Most Beneficent (God) as an
obedient slave.” (Quran 19:93)

“To Him submitted all creatures in the heavens and the earth, willingly or unwillingly.”

(Quran 3:83)
It must be emphasized that worship is a right with is solely for God. Islam follows to the strictest
form of monotheism and does not tolerate that any act of worship be directed towards other than
God. It is God alone who demands our obedience, and it is God alone who deserves our love.

 The Inner Forms of Worship:

As mentioned earlier, acts of worship prescribed by God either deals with the inner self or the
outer body. Those which deal with the inner self do so with belief and feelings. Humans are
commanded to believe in certain ultimate truths, discussed in the articles of faith, and this is the
most important aspect of worship. Belief is the basis for what a person feels and does actions and
feelings are a reflection of belief. If a person’s belief in incorrect or weak, it will never produce
the desired results in regards to their feelings or actions. For example, if a person incorrectly
believes that God has forgiven them their sins due to their mere faith, their belief will not produce
the desired feeling of fear which should be present in their heart, nor will this belief cause a
person to stop sinning and perform deeds of righteousness.

God has also commanded us to maintain certain feelings in our hearts, both towards God as well
as others of His creation. Muslims must love God, fear him, have respect in Him, place their trust
in Him, and worship Him. Muslims have also been commanded to love their fellow Muslims, to
have mercy and compassion towards them, to love righteousness and to hate sin. These are all
considered acts of worship of the inner self because they are in spirit a fulfillment of the
commandments of God. Muslims will be rewarded for fulfilling them.

Festivals:
There are only two Muslim festivals set down in Islamic law.

i. Eid-ul-Fitr
ii. Eid-ul-Adha

Eid is word significance for festival.

 Eid-ul-Fitr: (1 Shawwal)
This marks the end of Ramadan, the month of fasting, and is a festival of great celebration. In
Islamic countries it is a public holiday. The first Eid was celebrated in 624 CE by the Prophet
Muhammad (P.B.U.H) with his friends and kins after the victory of the battle of Ghazwa-e-Badar.
Muslims are not only celebrating the end of fasting, but expressing gratitude to Allah Almighty
for the assistance and potency that he gave them throughout the previous month to help them
carry out self-control. The holiday begins when the first view of the new moon is seen in the sky.
The festive feeling is enlarged by everyone wearing best or new attire, and decorating their
homes. There are extraordinary services out of doors and in masjids, parade through the streets,
and of course, a special celebratory meal eaten during daytime, the first daytime meal Muslims
will have had in a month. Eid is also marked as a time of pardon, and making atonement.

 Eid-ul-Adha: (10 DilHijja)

This holiday symbols the end of the Hajj or holy pilgrimage, which is one of the 5 pillars of
Islam. It is celebrated by all Muslims, not just individuals who are on the pilgrimage. This is a
three day public holiday in Muslim countries. The festival memorizes the prophet Ibrahim's
readiness to sacrifice his son when God decree him to... Ibrahim's whole compliance to the will of
God is celebrated by Muslims each year. Each Muslim, as they celebrate, reminds themselves of
their own submission to God, and their own willingness to sacrifice anything to God's wishes.
During the festival Muslims who can afford to, sacrifice domestic animals, usually sheep, as a
sign of Abraham sacrifice. The meat is dispersed among family and the deprived, who each get a
third share.

Holy days:
There are several other unique days which Muslims celebrate.

 The Islamic New Year and Al-Hijra: (1 Muharram):-

This carnival celebrates the Hijra (or Hegira) in 622 A.D when the Prophet Muhammad
(P.H.U.H) moved from Mecca to Medina. Al-Hijra, the Islamic New Year, is the first day of the
month of Muharram. It symbols the Hijra (or Hegira) in 622 A.D when the Prophet Muhammad
(P.H.U.H) moved from Mecca to Medina, and set up the first Islamic state. The Muslim calendar
counts dates from the Hijra. There is no precise spiritual service required on this day, but Muslims
will think about the broad meaning of Hijra, and observe this as a good time for "New Year
Resolutions". The Qur'an uses the word Hijra to mean moving from a bad place or state of affairs
to a good one and so Muslims may believe about how their belief helps them leave behind bad
ways of living and attain a healthier life.

 Lailat al Qadr: (27 Ramadan)

The fiesta of The Night of command symbols the night in which the Qur'an was first opened to
the Prophet Muhammad (P.H.U.H) by Allah Almighty. Muslims observe this as the most
important event in history, and the Qur'an says that this night is better than a thousand months,
and that on this night the angels come down to earth. This is a festival that Muslims spend in
study and prayer. Some will spend the whole night in prayer or in reciting the Qur'an. The date of
27 Ramadan for this day is a customary date, as the Prophet Muhammad (P.H.U.H) did not tell us
when the Night of Power would be, although he suggested it was in the last 10 days of the month.
As of this, many Muslims will treat the last 10 days of the month of Ramadan as a mainly fine
time for prayer and understanding the Qur'an.
"Whoever establishes the prayers on the night of Qadr out of sincere faith and hoping to attain
Allah's rewards (not to show off) then all his past sins will be forgiven." (BukhariVol 1, Book 2:
34)

 Ashura: (10 Muharram)

Shi'aat in particular uses the day to commemorate the martyrdom of Hussain, a grandson of the
Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) in 680 A.D.

 Mawlid an Nabi: (12 Rabi' the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad

(P.B.U.H)
Those Muslims who celebrate this festival do so joyfully. Some Muslims disapprove of
celebrating the birthday, on the grounds that it is an innovation, and innovations in religious
matters are forbidden. Because if changes were made in religious matters it would imply that
Islam was not complete when it was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H), or that the
Prophet (P.B.U.H) did not tell Muslims everything that was revealed to him.

 Lailat al Miraj: (27 Rajab)

The night of journey and ascent of the Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H), and the revelation of Salat.
The festival is celebrated by telling the beautiful story of how the Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H)
was visited by two archangels while he was asleep, who purified his heart and filled him with
knowledge and faith. The Prophet (P.B.U.H) travelled from Mecca to Jerusalem in a single night
on a strange winged creature called Burqa. From Jerusalem he ascended into heaven, where he
met the earlier prophets, and eventually God. During his time in heaven Muhammad (P.B.U.H)
was told of the duty of Muslims to recite Salat (ritual prayer) 5 times a day.

 LaylatulBara’ah:

LaylatulBara’ah is Arabic for “the Night of Freedom from Fire.” It occurs on the night between
the 14th and 15th of Sha’ban. It is considered a night when Muslims are graced with Divine
Mercy and blessings. The night is spent in the recitation of the Qur’an and special prayers.

 Jumu’ah-tul-Wida: (last Friday in the month of Ramadan)

Muslims regard this jumu’ah as the second holiest day of the month of Ramadan and one of the
most important days of the year. Some Muslims spend a large part of their day on Jumu’ah-tul-
Wida doing special worship called ibadah.

 Shab-e-Br’aat: (15th of Shabaan)

Shias believe that Muhammad al-Mahdi was born. Shias believe him to be the twelfth, final and
current Shia Imam and also the Mahdi, a very important Islamic figure who is believed by all
Muslims to bring absolute justice to the world by establishing Islam as the global religion.

Some Sunni groups believe that Mid-Sha’ban is a night of worship and salvation and it is
commonly believed that during this night, Allah prepares the destiny for all people on Earth for
the coming year. For this reason it is sometimes called Night of Emancipation.

BASIC BELIEFS AND WORSHIPS IN CHRISTIANITY

Beliefs in Christianity:

 The Trinity of God:

Christians believe that there is only one God, whom they call Father as Jesus Christ taught them.

Christians believe in the Trinity that is, in God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Some confuse this
and think that Christians believe in three separate gods, which they don't.

Christians believe that God took human form as Jesus Christ and that God is present today
through the work of the Holy Spirit and evident in the actions of believers.

 The Father:

The first person of the Trinity is the one Jesus revealed to us, as “The Father” God is not some
remote, unknowable spiritual entity. Rather God is our loving, powerful heavenly Father.

 Jesus:

Christians recognize Jesus as the Son of God who was sent to save humankind from death and
sin. Jesus Christ taught that he was Son of God. His teachings can be summarized, briefly as the
love of God and love of one's neighbor. Jesus said that he had come to fulfill God's law rather
than teach it. The Christ, Jesus fulfilled all the Old Testament prophecies about a Messiah who
would redeem God’s people. The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus are grounded in historical
fact.

 The Holy Spirit:

When Jesus ascended bodily to heaven, he promised his disciples a comforter, a source of power;
one that would “lead them into all truth.” This gift was the Holy Spirit. Ever since then, the Holy
Spirit has dwelled in and empowered God’s people.
The Holy Spirit is the presence and power of God with us here and now, leading the church,
uniting God’s people, applying God’s forgiveness to our broken lives, speaking to us, and
spurring us individually and communally to godly living.

 Justification by faith:

Christians believe in justification by faith that through their belief in Jesus as the Son of God, and
in his death and resurrection, they can have a right relationship with God whose forgiveness was
made finally through the death of Jesus Christ.

 Life after death:

Christians believe that there is a life after earthly death.

While the actual nature of this life is not known, Christians believe that many spiritual
experiences in this life help to give them some idea of what eternal life will be like.

 The Saints:

These days, the word saint is most commonly used to refer to a Christian who has lived a
particularly good and holy life on earth, and with whom miracles are claimed to have been
associated after their death.

The formal title of Saint is conferred by the Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches through a
process called canonization.

Members of these Churches also believe that Saints created in this way can intercede with God on
behalf of people who are alive today. Most Protestants do not accept this.

 The Bible:

Christians believe that the Bible is the authoritative Word of God. It contains all that people in
any age need to know for their salvation. We call the Bible God’s Word, believing that, by the
power of the Holy Spirit, God speaks to us through this book.

Christian Festivals:

There are numerous Christian festivals:

 Saint days:
Some Churches celebrate saint’s days. A day for honoring saints and a Holy Day of Obligation in
the Roman. Catholic Church where saints have special formal status.
 Ascension of Jesus:
Celebrates the ascension of Jesus into heaven, where Christians believe he sits at the right hand of
God the Father and prays for the world. Ascension Day is a reminder to Christians that Jesus took
his humanity into heaven. The festival marks the end of Jesus' post-resurrection appearance and is
perhaps the earliest observed celebration in Christianity.
 Ash Wednesday:
The day Lent begins, forty days before Good Friday. It is a day of penitence to clean the soul
before the Lent fast. Roman Catholic, Anglican, and some other churches hold services at which
worshippers are marked with ashes as a symbol of death, and sorrow for sin. The use of ashes,
made by burning palm crosses from the previous Palm Sunday, is very symbolic.
 Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary:
Roman Catholic observance honoring the belief that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was taken directly
to heaven at her death.
 Candlemas:
This festival takes place 40 days after Christmas and comes from two separate events- the
presentation of Jesus in the temple and the purification of the Virgin Mary. Today it is recognized
primarily by Roman Catholic and Anglican churches. New beginnings are celebrated and candles
are lit.
 Christ the King:
Roman Catholic celebration of the pre-eminence of Jesus over all earthly authorities.
 Christmas:
The 25th of December each year, celebrates the birth of Christ. The Eastern celebration is on 6 th
January. Christian celebration of Christmas should not be confused with the secular holiday of
Christmas. Christians celebrate with carols, which talk of the incarnation of Jesus. Whilst the
giving of gifts is part of the Christian celebration, it is not the focus of the celebrations. Many
churches emphasize the need to give to the needy through charities at Christmas.
 Easter:
This is one of the most holy of Christian sacred days. The day commemorates the resurrection of Jesus
Christ from his death by crucifixion. Observances include worship services beginning at sunrise, special
music, feasting, and parades. The Greek and Russian Orthodox churches celebrate this Festival on a
different day from western churches and therefore may request leave of absence for their festival during
term time.
  Epiphany:
It is celebrated by most Christians on January 6 to commemorate the presentation of the infant
Jesus to the Magi, or three wise men. Roman Catholics celebrate Epiphany on the Sunday, which
falls between January 2 and January 8.
 Fast in honor of the Holy Mother of Lord Jesus:
In this Orthodox start of a 14 day fast to prepare for the Falling Asleep (dormition) of the
Theotokos.
 Feast of St. Basil:
It is Orthodox celebration of the liturgy. Bread is often shared as a symbol of prosperity and good
luck.
 Good Friday:
It is Remembrance of the crucifixion of Jesus and related events.
 Holy Pascha:
In this Greek and Russian Orthodox festival celebrating the resurrection of Jesus.
 Holy Week:
Christians observe the week before Easter with solemn ceremonies based on events in Jesus’ life,
especially on Holy Thursday and Good Friday.
 Pentecost:
It is celebration of the day when the Holy Spirit came to the disciples in the forms of tongues of
fire and rushing wind. It is a traditional day for baptism and confirmation of new Christians. It is
Always celebrated 50 days after Easter.
 Trinity Sunday or Day:
Celebrated the first Sunday after Pentecost, Christians honor the belief in one God with a
threefold nature.

Christianity Worships:

In Christianity, worship is reverent honor and homage paid to God. In the New Testament,
various words are used for worship. The word proskuneo "to worship" means to bow down to
Gods or kings. The Holy Eucharist was the central act of worship in early Christianity. The
liturgy of the synagogues and the ritual of the Jewish temple, both of which were participated in
by early Christians, helped shape the form of the early Christian liturgy, which was a dual liturgy
of the word and of the Eucharist.
Most Christians attend worship services at church on Sundays, which generally include singing,
prayer and a sermon. Most Christian churches have a special ritual for ordination, or designating a
person fit for a leadership position in the church. At home, most practicing Christians pray
regularly and many read the Bible. A Christian can worship at any time of the day or night but the
expected worship time is Sunday mornings.

Christian worship is from god to god. Worship come from god in two senses.

 It focuses on who God is and what he has done.

 God himself puts into people’s heart and mind the desire for prayer and praise.

Different kinds of worship:

 Public Worship:

Gathering together of the congregation is a basic part of Christian life. Where two three gather
for prayer, singing, devotion, study, and decision-making; there is Christian worship. When
thousands gather outdoors or in buildings to honor God, there is Christian worship. Worship is
sometimes led by formal leaders and at other times by persons who simply arise from the
company of people present. 
 Private Devotion:

Individuals focus on the personal presence of Jesus using the Bible, traditional prayers,
spontaneous words and sounds, poems and other media that bring serenity and clarity of
mind. Some persons find that health of body and peace of mind grows out of such private
devotional living. 

 Daily Worship:

 The liturgical day begins at sundown, and at that time, the churches and monasteries hold
a service of prayer called Vespers
 A prayer service called Compline occurs after the evening meal and before bed.
 A service called the Midnight Office is held at midnight, usually only in the monasteries.
 The service of Matins is held just before sunrise

 Sunday Worship:
However, the majority observance of Christian Sabbath is as Sunday rest. The Christian made a
confession that holds that not only is work forbidden in Sunday, but also "works, words, and
thoughts" about "worldly employments and recreations." Instead, the whole day should be taken
up with "public and private exercises of [one's] worship, and in the duties of necessity and
mercy." Reading from Bible, with homily and Partaking of bread and wine by people also takes
place on Sunday in church.
 Sacraments:

In Christian belief and practice, a sacrament is a rite, instituted by Christ, that mediates grace,
constituting a sacred mystery. The term is derived from the Latin word sacramentum, which was
used to translate the Greek word for mystery. Views concerning both what rites are sacramental
and what it means for an act to be a sacrament vary among Christian denominations and
traditions.

Worship (variously known as the Mass, Divine Liturgy, Divine Service, Eucharist, or
Communion) is formal and centers on the offering of thanks and praise for the death and
resurrection of Christ over the people's offerings of bread and wine, breaking the bread, and the
receiving of the Eucharist, seen as the body and blood of Jesus Christ. Churches in this group
understand worship as a mystic participation in the death and resurrection of Christ, through
which they are united with him and with each other. Services are structured according to a liturgy
and typically include other elements such as prayers, psalms, hymns, choral music (including
polyphonic chant, plainchant, and hymnody) the reading of Scripture, and some form of teaching
or homily

The most conventional functional definition of a sacrament is that it is an outward sign, instituted
by Christ that conveys an inward, spiritual grace through Christ. The two most widely accepted
sacraments are Baptism and the Eucharist (or Holy Communion).

 Baptism:

Baptism is a Christian rite of admission and adoption, almost invariably with the use of water,
into the Christian Church generally and also a particular church tradition. The canonical Gospels
report that Jesus was baptized an historical event to which a high degree of certainty can be
assigned. Baptism has been called a sacrament and an ordinance of Jesus Christ. In some
traditions, baptism is also called christening, but for others the word "christening" is reserved for
the baptism of infants.

The usual form of baptism among the earliest Christians was for the candidate to be immersed,
either totally (submerged completely under the water) or partially (standing or kneeling in water
while water was poured on him or her). While John the Baptist's use of a deep river for his
baptism suggests immersion, pictorial and archaeological evidence of Christian baptism from the
3rd century onward indicates that a normal form was to have the candidate stand in water while
water was poured over the upper body. Other common forms of baptism now in use include
pouring water three times on the forehead; a method called effusion.
  Eucharist:

Eucharist is a Greek word for thanksgiving. Its celebration is to commemorate the final meal that
Jesus took with his disciples before his death. This rite comes from the actions of Jesus who, at
that meal, took bread and wine and asked his disciples to consume them and continue to do so in
memory of him.

At the meal, the wine represented his blood and the bread his body. The Eucharist (also known as
a Communion meal in some churches) is central to the Church and is recognized as a sign of unity
amongst Christians.

Different Churches understand and practice the Eucharist in different ways. As a result, the
central ideas of the Eucharist can cause disharmony rather than unity. For example, the idea that
Christ is present in the bread and wine is interpreted literally by some churches and
metaphorically by others. This has given rise to substantial and often irreconcilable disagreement.

 Exorcism:

Exorcism is the Christian practice of driving evil spirits or demons out of a person they are
believed to have strongly influenced or physically possessed. Exorcism is commonly performed
by means of a ritual that often consists of prayer to God, Bible readings, and sometimes
conversing with the evil spirit for the purposes of identification in order to utter direct commands
to leave the afflicted person. Rituals vary depending on the exorcist and the person believed to be
possessed. Exorcisms may be considered successful after one session; other exorcisms take
countless sessions, sometimes-spanning years.

 Psalm:

The English title is from the Greek translation, "psalmoi", meaning instrumental music and, by
extension, the words accompanying the music. There are 150 psalms in the Jewish and Western
Christian tradition (more in the Eastern Christian churches), many of them linked to the name of
King David, but his authorship is not accepted by modern Bible scholars. Psalms involve the
praise of God for his power and beneficence, for his creation of the world, and for his past acts of
deliverance for Israel.

The psalms envision a world in which everyone and everything will praise God, and God in turn
will hear their prayers and respond. Worst of all is when God "hides his face" and refuses to
respond, because this puts in question the efficacy of prayer, which is the underlying assumption
of Psalms. Psalms have remained an important part of worship in most Christian Churches.
Churches have always made systematic use of the Psalms, with a cycle for the recitation of all or
most of them over the course of one or more weeks. In the early centuries of the Church, it was
expected that any candidate for bishop would be able to recite the entire Psalter from memory,
something they often learned automatically during their time as monks.

 Liturgical Calendar:

Roman Catholics, Anglicans, Eastern Christians, and traditional Protestant communities frame
worship around a liturgical calendar. This includes holy days, such as solemnities which
commemorate an event in the life of Jesus or the saints, periods of fasting such as Lent, and other
pious events such as festivals commemorating saints. Christian groups that do not follow a
liturgical tradition often retain certain celebrations, such as Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost. A
few churches make no use of a liturgical calendar.

 Prayer:

Prayer is the means by which Christians communicate with their God. The New Testament
records that Jesus taught his disciples how to pray and that he encouraged them to address God as
Father. Christians believe that they continue this tradition.

Sometimes the prayers are formal and part of a ritual laid down for hundreds of years. Others are
personal and spontaneous, and come from personal or group need. Whilst prayer is often directed
to God as Father, as taught by Jesus, some traditions encourage prayer to God through
intermediaries such as saints and martyrs. Prayers through Mary, as the mother of God, are central
to some churches and form a traditional part of their worship.

 Christian Meditation:

It is a form of prayer in which a structured attempt is made to become aware of and reflect upon
the revelations of God. The word meditation comes from the Latin word meditari, which has a
range of meanings including to reflect on, to study and to practice. Christian meditation is the
process of deliberately focusing on specific thoughts (such as a bible passage) and reflecting on
their meaning in the context of the love of God.

Christian meditation aims to heighten the personal relationship based on the love of God that
marks Christian communion. Both in Eastern and Western Christianity meditation is the middle
level in a broad three-stage characterization of prayer; it involves more reflection than first level
vocal prayer, but is more structured than the multiple layers of contemplative prayer. Teachings in
both the Eastern and Western Christian churches have emphasized the use of Christian meditation
as an element in increasing one's knowledge of Christ.

Christians, like Jews and Muslims, seek God in their daily lives through prayer and the study of
scripture. Filled with promises of blessings to those who pray in a manner acceptable to God, the
New Testament strongly encourages prayer, providing both instructions and examples. The
Gospel of Matthew contains an example of prayer that Jesus gave to his followers, setting the
pattern for how to pray and what to pray for.

 Lord's Prayer:

Famously known as the "Lord's Prayer," this short text, containing many of the fundamental
assumptions of Christianity, is the most influential prayer for Christians. They should approach
God as a child approaches a parent, with simplicity and directness, in confidence and in love. The
will of the Christian is subordinate to the will of God, and the immediate needs of the Christian
are subordinate to a devout longing for God's reign.

The Lord's Prayer teaches the Christian to ask for physical and spiritual goods, but only after
praying that God will bring about the supreme end that God seeks. Prayer must not be selfish. The
Gospel of Luke tells how Jesus followed these spiritual principles until his death. When he prayed
that he might be saved from his impending arrest and crucifixion, he concluded by saying,
"Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done"

Sacrifices:

In Trinitarian Christian teaching, God became incarnate in Jesus Christ, sacrificing his first-born
son to accomplish the reconciliation of God and humanity, which had separated itself from God
through sin. God's justice required atonement for sin from humanity if human beings were to be
restored to their place in creation and saved from damnation. However, God knew limited human
beings could not make sufficient atonement, for humanity's offense to God was infinite, so God
created a covenant with Abraham, which he fulfilled when he sent his only Son to become the
sacrifice for the broken covenant. In Christian theology, this sacrifice replaced the insufficient
animal sacrifice of the Old Covenant; Christ the "Lamb of God" replaced the lambs' sacrifice of
the ancient Korban Todah (the Rite of Thanksgiving)

In the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Churches, as well as among some High
Church Anglicans, the Eucharist or Mass, and the Divine Liturgy of the Eastern Catholic
Churches and Eastern Orthodox Church, it is seen as a sacrifice. it is exactly the same sacrifice,
which transcends time and space renewed and made present, the only distinction being that it is
offered in an unload manner. The sacrifice is made present without Christ dying or being
crucified again; it is a re-presentation to God, of the "once and for all" sacrifice of Calvary by the
now risen Christ, who continues to offer himself and what he has done on the cross as an oblation
to the Father. The complete identification of the Mass with the sacrifice of the cross is found in
Christ's words at the last supper over the bread and wine:
 "This is my body, which is given up for you," and "This is my blood of the new covenant, which
is shed..., unto the forgiveness of sins."

The bread and wine, offered by Melchizedek in sacrifice in the old covenant, are transformed
through the Mass into the body and blood of Christ, and the offering becomes one with that of
Christ on the cross. In the Mass as on the cross, Christ is both priest (offering the sacrifice) and
victim (the sacrifice he offers is himself), though in the Mass in the former capacity he works
through a solely human priest who is joined to him through the sacrament of Holy Orders and
thus shares in Christ's priesthood. Through the Mass, the merits of the one sacrifice of the cross
can be applied to the redemption of those present, to their specific intentions and prayers, and to
the release of the souls from purgatory.

Some Protestants reject the idea of the Eucharist as a sacrifice, inclining to see it as merely a holy
meal. The more recent the origin of a particular tradition, the less emphasis is placed on the
sacrificial nature of the Eucharist. The Catholic/Orthodox response is that the sacrifice of the
Mass in the New Covenant is that one sacrifice for sins on the cross, which transcends time
offered in an unload manner, and that Christ is the real priest at every Mass working through mere
human beings to whom he has granted the grace of a share in his priesthood. The Orthodox
Church sees the celebration of the Eucharist as a continuation, rather than a reenactment, of the
Last Supper.

The concept of self-sacrifice and martyrs are central to Christianity. Often found in Roman
Catholicism is the idea of joining one's own sufferings to the sacrifice of Christ on the cross.
Thus, one can offer up involuntary suffering, such as illness, or purposefully embrace suffering in
acts of penance.

BASIC BELIEFS AND WORSHIPS IN JUDAISM

Judaism:
Judaism is the religion of the Jews.  There are an estimated 13.5 million Jews in the world,
approximately 5.3 million in the United States, 5.8 million in Israel and the remainder dispersed
throughout the world, many of them in Eastern Europe. 

Early Jewish history is told in the Hebrew bible, beginning with the “Pentateuch” (Five Books of
Moses), also known as the “Torah” (written law), which is only complete with the inclusion of
other specific holy writings and an oral tradition that was later committed to written form. Torah
focuses on the Patriarchs (founding fathers) and Matriarchs (founding mothers) of the Jews, the
first Patriarch Abraham who is said to have made a direct agreement with God that would then
extend to all of Abraham’s descendents.  To this day, Jewish prayer invokes the names of the
Patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and of the Matriarchs Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah. In
biblical times, these Hebrew speaking people were known as “Israelites”
(Children of Israel), from the name given to Abraham‘s grandson Jacob by God, and then during
the post-biblical Kingdom of Judah they became known as “Jews.”

Beliefs/Major Teachings:

“Judaism” is the term for the religion of the Jewish people.  It is the oldest of the three western
monotheistic religions and so is the ancestor of both Islam and Christianity.  At the heart of
Judaism is the belief that there exists only one eternal God who is the creator and the ruler of the
universe and all that is in it.  God is transcendent and eternal, knowing and seeing everything. 
God has revealed His law (Torah) for the Jews, who are to serve as a light and example to the
world.  Abraham, the biblical Patriarch was the first to give expression to this faith, and it is
through him that the blessing and the inheritance from God to the Jewish people comes,
particularly the promise of the land that has a central place in Jewish thought and practice.

Importance of Worship in Jewish people life’s:

In the Jewish faith worship is of fundamental importance. In addition to the spontaneous prayers,
the tradition prescribes both private and public worship.

Private worship normally takes place in the home and is related to various formal occasions;
public prayer is similarly fixed by time and takes place within the synagogue sanctuary where the
Torah Scroll is continued within a scared Ark.

For the Jewish people prayer has served as the vehicle by which they have expressed their joys,
sorrows and hopes; it has played a major role in the religious life of Jewish nation, especially in
view of the successive crisis and calamities in which they were involved throughout their history.
In such situation Jews continually turned to God for assistance. Thus, in Torah the patriarchs
frequently addressed God through personal prayers. Abraham, for example, begged God to spare
Sodom since he knew that by destroying the entire population he would destroy the righteous as
well as the guilty.

Later Moses too prayed to God. After Israel made a golden calf to worship, Moses begged God to
forgive them for this sin. Joshua also turned to God for help. When the Israelites went to conquer
the city of Ai, their attack was repulsed. In worry Joshua prayed to God for help in defeating
Israel’s enemies. Later in the Prophetic books, the prophets also offered personal prayers to God,
as did the psalmist and others. This tradition of Prayer continued after the canonization of
Scripture and, as a consequence, prayer has constantly animated the Jewish spirit through
personal encounter with the Divine, Jews have been consoled, sustained and uplifted. In addition
to the personal prayer, throughout the history Jews have turned to God through communal
worship.
  Prayers:
In ancient times, Jewish communal worship was centered on the Temple in Jerusalem. Twice day
in the morning and afternoon the priests offered prescribed sacrifices while the Levites chanted
psalms. On Sabbaths and festivals additional services were added to this daily ritual. At some
stage it became customary to include other prayers along with the recitation of the Ten
Commandments and the Shema in the Temple service. With the destruction of the second temple
in 70 CE sacrificial offerings were replaced by the prayer service in the synagogue, referred to by
the rabbins as avodah she-ba-lev (service of the heart). To enhance uniformity, they introduced
fixed periods for daily prayer which corresponded with the times sacrifices had been offered in
the Temple: the Morning Prayer (Shaharit) and afternoon prayer (Mincha) correspond with the
daily and afternoon sacrifice; evening prayer (Maariv) corresponds with the nightly burning of
fats and limbs.

 Holy Books:

The Holy books are Torah (Pentateuch ‘bible’); Nevi’im (21 books of Prophets); Ketuvim (13
books of Writings, including Psalms). Prayer books containing liturgies for the Sabbath, various
Festivals and Holy Days are necessary for worship. 

 Work Proscription Days:

Jews are not permitted to work entirely or engage in various other ‘weekday’ pursuits on the
weekly Sabbaths, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, the first two day and the last two days of
Sukkoth (including Shemi Atzeret), Simchat Torah, Purim, the first two days and last two days of
Pesach, Shavuot, and prior to midday on Tisha B’Av.

 Holy Days:

 The Sabbath

Sabbath is a weekly day devoted to God through religious activities and it is considered to be the
most important of all Jewish holy days.  The beginning of the Sabbath just prior to sundown each
Friday is marked by the lighting of candles, a minimum of two per household which must be
capable of burning for at least one half hour and which must be allowed to burn out by
themselves.  A special prayer must be recited over the candle lighting by somebody who is
properly Jewish.  Similarly, following Friday evening and Saturday morning worship services, a
special prayer is recited over wine by somebody who is properly Jewish. 

 Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur

 The two day Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashanah) is a period of religious self examination and
resolution.  A ram’s horn (Shofar) is blown as a call to look into one’s soul and improve one’s
ways.  It is customary at the meal on the eves of Rosh Hashanah to eat apple dipped in honey and
to wish others a good and sweet year.  A new fruit, usually pomegranate, a sweet carrot dish
(tizimmes), honey cake, round Challah bread and other foods are also traditional.  Another custom
is to send greeting cards to one’s relatives and friends.

The ten days beginning with Rosh Hashanah are considered to be “Days of Awe” and repentance,
culminating with the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) which is considered to be the most solemn
day in the Jewish calendar as it is believed that this is when God decrees each Jew’s fate for the
remainder of the year. It is a day spent praying and fasting during which white garments are worn,
a special fifth worship services is added, and it concludes with the Shofar being blown. 

 Succoth

Succoth is an eight day period of rejoicing on which temporary booths covered with branches are
built on porches, terraces, roofs or yards. Observant Jews eat all their meals and may sleep within
these small huts.  Four species of plants, the citron (Esrog), palm branch (Lulav), myrtles
(Hadassim) and willow (Aravos) as enumerated in the Torah are bound together and used
individually by Jews during services in synagogue and the booths. These items may be obtained
for Jewish inmates from Jewish chaplaincy organizations.

 Shemini Atzeret/Simchat Torah

 This holiday corresponds to the final day of Succoth, but is a separate and complete holy day in
itself that is usually marked by a festive meal. On the following day of “Simchat Torah”, the
annual reading of the entire Pentateuch and initiation of the next year’s reading is joyfully
conducted, most notably by dancing with Torah scrolls in synagogue.

 Chanukah

This post-biblical eight day celebration commemorates the recapture of the Holy Temple in 165
B.C.E from Assyrian- Greek oppressors.  In preparation for rededication of the temple, which had
been spoiled by the enemy, only one small jar of acceptable oil was found with which to rekindle
the temples candelabra. This single day’s supply lasted for the entire days required to prepare
acceptably pure olive oil to burn.  In honor of this miracle, Jews light candles on each of the
evening of Chanukah, beginning with one candle on the first evening, two in the second evening,
etc.  Each evening an additional candle is used to light the others, requiring a total of 44 candles
for the entire holiday.  Children are often given gifts of coins and they play a traditional game
with a spinning top. Because of the significance of oil in the Chanukah miracle it is also
customary to eat potato pancakes fried in oil and/or jelly filled donuts during the holiday.
  Purim

This day commemorates the saving from massacre of the Jewish community under Persian rule in
450 B.C.E., as recalled in the Book of Esther that is publicly read on this day with much flourish. 
This is a particularly joyous holiday during which gifts of food and charity are given.  A festival
meal is required and it is traditional to eat pastries shaped in the triangular form of the hat of the
villain in the Purim story.

 Pesach

The Passover (Pesach) Festival recalls the deliverance of the Jews from slavery in Egypt during
biblical times.  It lasts for eight days beginning with “Seder” ceremonies on the first two evenings
during which the deliverance from Egypt is recounted from a special book. Certain ceremonial
items are consumed, including unleavened bread, bitter herbs and four cups of wine or grape
juice.  No products containing any leavening can be consumed during this period, and many Jews
also refrain from eating other foods (such as legumes and rice).  The Seders are required to be
particularly festive and they are often the highlight of the year for Jewish inmates.  Even Jewish
inmates who do not maintain a religious (i.e. kosher) diet during the rest of the year will follow
the special Passover diet.  It is also very important that Jewish dietary authorities be consulted
regarding currently certified Passover foods.

 Lag B’Omer

This holiday occurs during the 49 days “Omer” counting to mark the time between the Exodus
from Egypt and the revelation of Torah.  On the 33rd day, Jews commemorate the ending of an
epidemic that befell students of the great scholar Rabbi Akiva and the anniversary of the great
sage Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai.

 Shavuot

The two-day Festival of Shavuot commemorates God’s gift of Torah to the Jews at Mount Sinai,
at which time they formally became a nation.  It is customary for adult males (i.e. those over the
age of 13) to stay up all night and study the Torah.  Consuming a dairy meal is also traditional.

 Tisha B’Av

The 9th day of the month of Av is the final day of three weeks of mourning the destruction of the
Holy Temple on the same date in 587 B.C.E. and 70 C.E. Though it is not a biblically mandated
Festival, work is discouraged during this 25-hour fast day.
  Practices & Rituals:

 Sacrifices and Offerings (Karbanot)

The word "Karbanot" is usually translated as "sacrifices" or "offerings"; however, both of these
terms suggest a loss of something or a giving up of something, and although that is certainly a
part of the ritual, that is not at all the literal meaning of the Hebrew word. The word Karbanot
comes from the root Qof-Resh-Bet, which means "to draw near," and indicates the primary
purpose of offerings, to draw us near to God.

Parts of the rituals involved in the offering of Karbanot were performed exclusively by the
kohanim (priests). These rituals were only performed in the Temple in Jerusalem. The
procedures could not be performed by anyone else, and could not be performed in any other
place. Because the Temple no longer exists, we can no longer offer Karbanot.

There are three basic concepts underlying Karbanot.

 The aspect of giving. A korban requires the renunciation of something that belongs to the
person making the offering. Thus, sacrifices are made from domestic animals, not wild
animals (because wild animals do not belong to anyone). Likewise, offerings of food are
ordinarily in the form of flour or meal, which requires substantial work to prepare.
 The element of substitution. The idea is that the thing being offered is a substitute for the
person making the offering and the things that are done to the offerings are things that
should have been done to the person offering. The offering is in some sense "punished" in
place of the offered. It is interesting to note that whenever the subject of Karbanot is
addressed in the Torah, the name of God used is the four-letter name indicating God's
mercy.
 The idea coming closer. The essence of sacrifice is to bring a person closer to God.

For the most part, the practice of sacrifice stopped in the year 70 C.E., when the Roman army
destroyed the Second Temple in Jerusalem, the place where sacrifices were offered. The practice
was briefly resumed during the Jewish War of 132-135 C.E., but was ended permanently after
that war was lost. There were also a few communities that continued sacrifices for a while after
that time.

Sacrifices were stopped after the Temple's destruction because the Torah specifically commands
Jews not to offer sacrifices just anywhere; they are only permitted in the place that god has
chosen for that purpose. It would be a sin to offer sacrifices in any other location.

 Purposes of Karbanot
Contrary to popular belief, the purpose of Karbanot is not simply to obtain forgiveness from sin.
Although many Karbanot have the effect of expiating sins, there are many other purposes for
bringing Karbanot, and the expiatory effect is often incidental, and is subject to significant
limitations.

Certain Karbanot are brought purely for the purpose of communing with God and becoming
closer to Him. Others are brought for the purpose of expressing thanks to God, love or gratitude.
Others are used to cleanse a person of ritual impurity (which does not necessarily have anything
to do with sin). And yes, many Karbanot are brought for purposes of atonement.

 Types of Karbanot
There are many different types of Karbanot, and the laws related to them are detailed and
complicated. This section introduces some of the major types of Karbanot there are many
subtypes within these classifications and other types that do not fit into these categories.

 Olah: Burnt Offering

Perhaps the best-known class of offerings is the burnt offering. It was the oldest and commonest
sacrifice, and represented submission to God's will. The Hebrew word for burnt offering is olah,
from the root Ayin-Lamed-Heh, meaning ascension. It is the same root as the word aliyah,
which is used to describe moving to Israel or ascending to the podium to say a blessing over the
Torah. An olah is completely burnt on the outer altar; no part of it is eaten by anyone. Because
the offering represents complete submission to God's will, the entire offering is given to God
(i.e., it cannot be used after it is burnt). It expresses a desire to commune with God, and expiates
sins incidentally in the process. An olah could be made from cattle, sheep, goats, or even birds,
depending on the offerer's means.

 Zevach Sh'lamim: Peace Offering

A peace offering is an offering expressing thanks or gratitude to God for His bounties and
mercies. The Hebrew term for this type of offering is zebach sh'lamim which is related to the
word shalom, meaning "peace" or "whole." A representative portion of the offering is burnt on
the altar, a portion is given to the kohanim, and the rest is eaten by the offered and his family;
thus, everyone gets a part of this offering. This category of offerings includes thanks giving
offerings, free will-offerings, and offerings made after fulfillment of a vow.

 Chatat: Sin Offering

A sin offering is an offering to atone for and purge a sin. It is an expression of sorrow for the
error and a desire to be reconciled with G-d. The Hebrew term for this type of offering is chatat,
from the word chayt, meaning "missing the mark." A chatat could only be offered for
unintentional sins committed through carelessness, not for intentional, malicious sins. The size
of the offering varied according to the nature of the sin and the financial means of the sinner.
Some chatatot are individual and some are communal. Communal offerings represent the
interdependence of the community, and the fact that we are all responsible for each others' sins.
A few special chatatot could not be eaten, but for the most part, for the average person's personal
sin, the chatat was eaten by the kohanim.

 Asham: Guilt Offering

A guilt offering is an offering to atone for sins of stealing things from the altar, for when you are
not sure whether you have committed a sin or what sin you have committed, or for breach of
trust. The Hebrew word for a guilt offering is asham. When there was doubt as to whether a
person committed a sin, the person would make an asham, rather than a chatat, because bringing
a chatat would constitute admission of the sin, and the person would have to be punished for it.
If a person brought an asham and later discovered that he had in fact committed the sin, he
would have to bring a chatat at that time. An asham was eaten by the kohanim.

 Food and Drink Offerings

A meal offering (minchah) represented the devotion of the fruits of man's work to G-d, because
it was not a natural product, but something created through man's effort. A representative piece
of the offering was burnt on the fire of the altar, but the rest was eaten by the kohanim.

There are also offerings of undiluted wine, referred to as nesekh.

 Parah Adumah: The Red Heifer

The ritual of the red heifer (in Hebrew, parah adumah) is part of one of the most mysterious
rituals described in the Torah. The purpose of this ritual is to purify people from the defilement
caused by contact with the dead. The ritual is discussed in Numbers 19. If you find it difficult to
understand, don't feel bad; the sages themselves described it as beyond human understanding.
What is so interesting about this ritual is that it purifies the impure, but it also renders the pure
impure (i.e., everybody who participates in the ritual becomes impure).

It is believed by many that this ritual will be performed by the messiah when he comes, because
we have all suffered the defilement of contact with the dead. Thus, the existence of a red heifer
is a possible, but not definite, sign of the messiah. If the messiah were coming, there would be a
red heifer, but there could be a red heifer without the messiah coming.

 Daily Service:

There are three daily services prescribed by tradition: Ma'ariv, Shacharit, and Minchah. Musaf is
an additional service for Shabbat and holidays, though it is not included at all synagogues:

 Ma’ariv: ( Evening Prayers)

 It is a service occurs in Evening after sundown. It includes preliminary prayers, Shema
and its Blessings, Amidah, and Concluding prayers.

 Shacharit: (Morning Prayers)

It is a service occurs in Morning. It includes preliminary prayers, Shema and its

Blessings, Amidah, and Concluding prayer. Includes Torah reading on Shabbat, holidays,
Monday, and Thursday

 Musaf: (Saturday Morning Additional Service)

It is Additional service following Shacharit. It includes Amidah and Ein Keloheinu.

 Mincha: (Afternoon Prayers)

It is aAfternoon service. It includes Preliminary prayers and Amidah. It Includes Torah

reading only on Shabbat and Yom Kippur. It is a substitute for the additional sacrifice
made on Shabbat and other holy days, follows the Torah reading in those communities
which retain the musaf service.

Synagogue:

At a minimum, a synagogue is a beit tefilah, a house of prayer. It is the place where Jews come
together for community prayer services. Jews can satisfy the obligations of daily prayer by
praying anywhere; however, there are certain prayers that can only be said in the presence of a
minyan (a quorum of 10 adult men), and tradition teaches that there is more merit to praying with
a group than there is in praying alone. The sanctity of the synagogue for this purpose is second
only to The Temple. In fact, in rabbinical literature, the synagogue is sometimes referred to as the
"little Temple."

Features of Synagogue Service:

 1st Feature:
In the order of service, the first central feature is Shema. In accordance with the commandment,
“You shall talk of them when you lie down and when you rise”, Jews are commanded to recite
this prayer during the morning and evening service. The first section begins with phrase Shems
Yisreal (Hear, O Isreal, The Lord our God is one Lord). This verse teaches the unity of God, and
the paragraph emphasizes the duty to love God, meditate on his commandments and impress them
on one’s children. In addition, it contains laws regarding the tefillina and the mezuzah. Tefillin
consist of two black leather boxes containing scriptural passages which are bound by black leather
straps on the arm and forehead in accordance with the commandment requiring that, “you shall
bind them as a sign upon your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes”. They are
worn during Morning Prayer except on the Sabbath and festivals.

The mezuzah consists of piece of a piece of parchment, containing paragraph of the Shema, which
is placed into a case and affixed to the right hand side of the entrance. In accordance with the
same decree, male Jews wear an undergarment with fringes (the smaller tallit) and a larger tallit
(prayer shawl) for morning service. The prayer shawl is made of silk or wool with black or blue
stripes with border (tzitzit) at each of the four corners.

 Second Feature:
The second major feature of the synagogue service is the Shemoneh Esreh (Eighteen Benedictions
or Amidah). These prayers were composed over a long period of time and received their full form
in the second century. They consist of eighteen separate prayers, plus an additional benediction
dealing with heretics, which was composed by the sage Samuel the younger at the request of
Rabban Gamaliel in the second century. The first and last three benedictions are recited at every
service; the thirteen other prayers are recited only on weekends. On Sabbaths and festivals they
are replaced by one prayer dealing with the Holy Day.

They consist of following benedictions:

1. Praise for God who remembers the deeds of patriarchs on the behalf of the community.
2. Acknowledgement of God’s power in sustaining the living and his ability to revive the
dead.
3. Praise of God’s holiness.
4. Request for understanding and knowledge.
5. Plea for God’s assistance to return to him in perfect repentance.
6. Supplication for forgiveness for sin.
7. Request for deliverance from affliction and persecution.
8. Petition for bodily health.
9. Request for God to bless agricultural produce so as to relieve want.
10. Supplication for the ingathering of the exiles.
11. Plea for the rule of justice under righteous leaders.
12. Request for the reward of the righteous and the pious.
13. Plea for rebuilding of Jerusalem.
14. Supplication for the restoration of the dynasty of David.
15. Plea for God to accept prayer in mercy and favor.
16. Supplication for the restoration of the divine service in the temple.
17. Thanksgiving for God’s mercies.
18. Request for granting the blessing of peace to Israel.

On special occasions numbers of special prayers are added to theses benedictions.

  Reading of Torah:
From earliest time the Torah was read in public gatherings; subsequently, regular readings on
Torah on Sabbaths and festivals are instituted. In Babylonia the entire Torah was read during a
yearly cycle; in Palestine it was completed once every three years. The Torah itself divided into
four sections, each of which is known as ‘order’ or ‘section’ (sidrah). Each section is subdivided
into portions (each of which is called parashah). Before the reading of Torah in synagogue, the
Ark is opened and one or more Torah scrolled are taken out.

The number of men called up to the reading varies; on Sabbaths, there are seven; on Yom Kippur;
Six, on Rosh Ha-Shanah and the pilgrim festivals (Peasach, sukkot, and Shavuot); Five, on Rosh
Hodesh and Hol Hamoed; Four, on Purim, Hanukkah and fast days; three, on Sabbaths afternoons
and Monday and Thursday mornings (when the first parashah of the forthcoming sidragh is read).
In former times that were called up to Torah read a section of weekly sidrah; subsequently an
expert in Torah reading was appointed to recite the entire sidrah and those called up recite
blessing instead. The first three people to be called are in order: Cohen (priest), Levi (levite), and
Yisreal (member of congregation).

After the reading of Torah, a section from the prophetic books (Haftarah) is recited. The person
who is called up for the last parashah of the sidrah reads the Haftarah, he is known as Maftir. The
section from the prophets parallels the content of sidrah.

 Third Feature:
Another central feature of synagogue service is Kaddish prayer. Written in Aramaic, it takes
several forms in the prayer book and expressed the hope for universal peace under the Kingdom
of God. There are five main forms:

1. Half Kaddish, recited by the reader between sections of the service.

2. Full Kaddish, recited by the reader at the end sections of the service.
3. Mourners’ Kaddish, recited by mourners after the service.
4. Scholars’ Kaddish, recited after the reading of Talmudic midrashic passage in the presence
of a minyan (quorum of ten men).
5. Expanded from the mourners Kaddish which is recited at the cemetery after the burial.

 Fourth Feature:
A further feature of the service is Hallel, consisting of Psalms. In the Talmudic period it was
known as the ‘Egyptian Hallel’ because the second Psalms begins with, “when Israel went forth
from Egypt”. (This designation was used to distinguish this group of Psalms from another Psalms,
the great Hallel, which is recited on the Sabbath and festivals during the morning service). The
complete Hallel is recited on the first two days of Pesach, on both days of Shavuot, on the nine
days of Sukkot, and eight days of Hanukkah. Part of Hallel is recited on intermediate days (Hol
Hamoed), and the last two days of Pesach.

Basic Structure of the Synagogue Worship Service:

While there is great variety in the prayers, moods, and liturgies of the various Jewish worship
services, there are also structural commonalities which mark them as distinctly Jewish. All
Ma'ariv and Shacharit services follow this basic structure:

1. Warm-up Prayers (These vary depending upon the time of day and occasion. Kabbalat Shabbat
is an example of warm-up prayers for the Shabbat evening service.)

2. Shema and its Blessings (Beginning with the Barechu, the Call to Worship, and including
prayers on the themes of Creation, Revelation, and salvation. These prayers establish the common
ground of belief and identity of the congregation: We are creatures created by God, Who created
the universe; God gave our people the Torah, which was revealed at Mount Sinai and which
serves as our guide; and we look forward to a future salvation the messianic age which we
understand from our past experience of salvation from slavery in Egypt, and which we expect will
encompass the world with peace and justice).

3. Amidah (Also known as Ha-Tefillah or Shemona Esrei, the Amidah is the worshiper's
opportunity to approach God in private prayer, reciting both the words in the siddur as well as
whatever prayers his/her heart may prompt. Because the recitation of this prayer is a central
religious obligation, and has always been public by nature, it is often repeated in full by the
chazzan after the congregation has been given time to recite the prayer privately. The weekday
version of the Amidah is considerably longer than the Shabbat/holy day version. Both have a
tripartite structure:

 praises of God;

 Petitions on weekdays, and sanctification of the day on holy days;

 Prayers of thanksgiving.

The model for this tripartite structure is how one would approach a powerful ruler since God is
the sovereign of the universe. On Shabbat, we live as if the messianic age has arrived and we have
no need to petition God; therefore, we eliminate the petitions and replace them with prayers
sanctifying the holy day).

4. Concluding Prayers (The concluding prayers begin with Aleinu, and include Kaddish and a
song on Shabbat usually Yigdal in the evening and Adon Olam in the morning at the end of the
service. The Aleinu bespeaks a time when idolatry will have vanished from our world and hence
God will be acknowledged by all humanity, sometimes considered a prelude to the messianic age.
Kaddish is a prayer which expresses the desire for, and belief in, such a time and is recited in
memory of those who have died).

Daily Service in Later Period:

In the thirteen century the three daily services have concluded with the recitation of Alenu prayer
which proclaims God as king over humanity. In all likelihood it was introduced by Rav in the
third century as an introduction to the Malhuyot, the section recited as part of the Musaf service
for Rosh Ha-Shanah. In the middle ages this prayer was the death song of Jewish martyrs. The
first part of the prayer proclaims God as king of Israel; the second anticipates the time when
idolater will disappear and all human being will acknowledge God as the king of universe.

The traditionally liturgy remained essentially the same until the Enlightenment in the nineteenth
century. At this time reformers in Central Europe altered the worship service and introduced new
prayers in the liturgy in conformity with current cultural and spiritual developments. Influenced
by protestant Christianity, these innovators decreed that the service should be shortened and
conducted in the language as well as in Hebrew. In addition, they introduced western melodies to
the accompaniment of a choir and organ, and replaced the chanting of Torah with a recitation of
Sidrah. Prayers viewed as anachronistic were abandoned (such as the priestly blessing given by
cohanim, the Kol Nidre prayer on the Day of Atonement, and payers for the restoration of the
Temple and the reinstitution of sacrifice). Further, prayers of particularistic character were
amended so that they became more universalistic in scope.

The Conservative movement also produced prayer books in line with its ideology. In general the
Conservative liturgy followed the traditional siddur except for several differences:

1. Prayers for the restoration of sacrifice were changed.

2. The early morning benediction thanking God that the worshipper was not made a woman
was altered.
3. Prayer foe peace ware altered to include all of humanity.
4. In general Yekum Purkah prayer for schools and sages in Babylonia was omitted.
5. Cohanim (priests) usually did not recite the priestly benediction.
6. The Amidah was not usually repeated except on the High Holy Days.

In recent times all groups across the Jewish spectrum have produced new liturgies (such as those
that commemorate Holocaust Remembrance Day, Israel Independence Day and Jerusalem
Reunification Day). Thus prayer and worship continue to be a vital importance to the Jewish
people, yet there have occurred a variety of alterations to its nature within all branches of the
Jewish faith.

BASIC BELIEFS AND WORSHIPS IN HINDUISM

Basic Beliefs of Hinduism:

Most Hindus believe in an immense unifying force that governs all existence and cannot be
completely known by humanity. Individual gods and goddesses are personifications of this
cosmic force. In practice, each Hindu worships those few deities that he or she believes directly
influence his or her life. By selecting one or more of these deities to worship, and by conducting
the rituals designed to facilitate contact with them, a Hindu devotee is striving to experience his or
her unity with that cosmic force.

Beliefs and Practices:

The fundamental teaching of Hinduism, or Vedanta, is that a human being's basic nature is not
confined to the body or the mind. Beyond both of these is the spirit or the spark of God within the
soul. This spirit is within us and also within everything we see. All beings and all things are
really, in their deepest essence, this pure or divine spirit, full of peace, full of joy and wisdom,
ever united with God. This is not just theory, but it can actually be experienced. Anyone who
takes the trouble to undergo the necessary training to purify and refine the mind and senses can
begin to feel the truth of this. This training can take various forms and is known as yoga ("union"-
union of the individual self with this inner spirit).
There are four main types of yoga, meant for the four main types of human temperaments:

 Karma Yoga or the discipline of right actions is for those of active temperament, striving to
eliminate selfishness, and to cultivate universal sympathy by seeing the divine reality in all.
 Bhakti Yoga is the path of devotion to God whose presence can be felt in all things. God
can be worshipped as present in an image in a Temple. God can be worshipped also as
present in suffering humanity by service.
 Jnana Yoga, preferred by those of analytical bent of mind, is the discipline of trying to see
the divine reality within all things directly, by mentally brushing aside all the obstructing
physical and mental coverings that hide it.
 Raja Yoga is the process of mental control, purity, and meditation to make the mind very
calm and quiet. In that profound quiet, the inner divine light reveals itself.

Nine Beliefs of Hinduism:

Our beliefs determine our thoughts and attitudes about life, which in turn direct our actions. By
our actions, we create our destiny. Beliefs about sacred matters God, soul and cosmos are
essential to one's approach to life. Hindus believe many diverse things, but there are a few
bedrock concepts on which most Hindus concur. The following nine beliefs, though not
exhaustive, offer a simple summary of Hindu spirituality.

1. Hindus believe in a one, all-pervasive Supreme being who is both immanent and
transcendent, both Creator and UN manifest Reality.
2. Hindus believe in the divinity of the four Vedas, the world's most ancient scripture, and
venerate the Agamas as equally revealed. These primordial hymns are God's word and the
bedrock of Sanatana Dharma, the eternal religion.
3. Hindus believe that the universe undergoes endless cycles of creation, preservation and
dissolution.
4. Hindus believe in karma, the law of cause and effect by which each individual creates his
own destiny by his thoughts, words and deeds.
5. Hindus believe that the soul reincarnates, evolving through many births until all karmas
has been resolved, and moksha, liberation from the cycle of rebirth, is attained. Not a
single soul will be deprived of this destiny.
6. Hindus believe that divine beings exist in unseen worlds and that temple worship, rituals,
sacraments and personal devotionals create a communion with these devas and Gods.
7. Hindus believe that an enlightened master, or satguru, is essential to know the
Transcendent Absolute, as are personal discipline, good conduct, purification, pilgrimage,
self-inquiry, meditation and surrender in God.
8. Hindus believe that all life is sacred, to be loved and revered, and therefore practice
ahimsa, no injury, in thought, word and deed.
9. Hindus believe that no religion teaches the only way to salvation above all others, but that
all genuine paths are facets of God's Light, deserving tolerance and understanding.

Worships:

Central to Hindu worship is the image, or icon, which can be worshipped either at home or in the
temple.

 Individual Rather than Communal:

Hindu worship is primarily an individual act rather than a communal one, as it involves making
personal offerings to the deity.

Worshippers repeat the names of their favorite gods and goddesses, and repeat mantras. Water,
fruit, flowers and incense are offered to god.

 Worship at home:

The majority of Hindu homes have a shrine where offerings are made and prayers are said.
A shrine can be anything: a room, a small altar or simply pictures or statues of the deity.

Family members often worship together. Rituals should strictly speaking be performed three
times a day. Some Hindus, but not all, worship wearing the sacred thread (over the left shoulder
and hanging to the right hip). This is cotton for the Brahmin (priest), hemp for the Kshatriya
(ruler) and wool for the vaishya (merchants).

 Temple worship:

At a Hindu temple, different parts of the building have a different spiritual or symbolic meaning.

 The central shrine is the heart of the worshipper

 The tower represents the flight of the spirit to heaven
 A priest may read, or more usually recite, the Vedas to the assembled worshippers, but
any "twice-born" Hindu can perform the reading of prayers and mantras

Religious rites:

Hindu religious rites are classified into three categories:

 Nitya:

Nitya rituals are performed daily and consist in offerings made at the home shrine or performing
puja to the family deities.

 Naimittika:

Naimittika rituals are important but only occur at certain times during the year, such as
celebrations of the festivals, thanksgiving and so on.

 Kamya:

Kamya are rituals which are "optional" but highly desirable. Pilgrimage is one such.

Worship and pilgrimage

Pilgrimage is an important aspect of Hinduism. It's an undertaking to see and be seen by the deity.

Popular pilgrimage places are rivers, but temples, mountains, and other sacred sites in India are
also destinations for pilgrimages, as sites where the gods may have appeared or become manifest
in the world.
Kumbh Mela:

Once every 12 years, up to 10 million people share in ritual bathing at the Kumbh Mela festival at
Allahabad where the waters of the Ganges and Jumna combine.

Hindus from all walks of life gather there for ritual bathing, believing that their sins will be
washed away. The bathing is followed by spiritual purification and a ceremony which secures the
blessings of the deity.

River Ganges:

The river Ganges is the holiest river for Hindus.

Varanasi:

This city, also known as Benares, is situated on the banks of the Ganges and is one of the most
important pilgrimage centers.

It is said to be the home of Lord Shiva where legend has it that his fiery light broke through the
earth to reach the heavens. A Hindu who dies at Varanasi and has their ashes scattered on the
Ganges is said to have experienced the best death possible.

Types of Worships:

 Puja:

The most common religious act in Hinduism is puja, which is often translated simply as
"worship." It literally means "honor." This is important, because the practice of and beliefs behind
puja involve not just a formal worship of the gods and goddesses, but also the entering into a
particular sort of relationship. Puja involves the reception, honoring, and in a sense the
entertaining of the deity; in puja, a personal relationship, often a very affectionate relationship, is
formed.

Pujas are performed at a variety of different levels from the simple pujas performed in the home
to elaborate and more formal temple pujas. Fundamentally, puja involves bhakti, in that one must
approach and treat the god with selfless love; indeed, this is the way in which bhakti is most
typically put into practice. Significantly, this love is thought to flow both ways: the devotee loves
the god, and the god also loves the devotee.

A typical temple puja might involve the following steps:

An image, or murti, is first clothed in rather common garments. Then music is played, mantras are
recited, and the plain clothes are removed. In a sense, the deity is not yet present in the image; the
image is simply an empty container. The image is prepared to be bathed, first by being rubbed
down with various liquids. It is then bathed with water that has been specially sanctified by
having mantras chanted.

Now that it is bathed, and thus purified, the image is adorned, and re-dressed with particularly
fine clothes, given a sacred thread, perfumed, and bejeweled and decked with flowers. The priest
or priests then invoke the god, reciting sacred verses and mantras, essentially inviting him or her
to inhabit the image.

The god, having now inhabited the image, is offered food. All of this is typically performed
behind a screen, and thus out of sight of the people gathered in the temple for the ritual. The
screen is then finally removed, and the act of darshan (or darshana) takes place. Darshan is a
particularly significant part of the puja ritual; it is the moment when the god literally sees the
human, and also when the human sees the god. There is, however, much more at play here than
simple vision, because this involves not simply the physical act of seeing, as in sight, but seeing
in the sense of being in the presence of and having a relationship with another being. (Similarly,
in English, one says "I saw John," meaning "I saw him, I talked with him, I spent time with him,"
or "I see what you mean," in the sense of "I understand you.") The moment when the screen is
removed in the puja ritual is thus a moment of intense devotion (bhakti), and in some temples
devotees do not look directly at the deity because such an initial vision is thought to be too
powerful, but instead at a mirror reflecting the god or goddess.

As one of the final acts in the puja ritual, the priest will take a lamp, called the arati lamp, to the
devotees gathered in the temple, who cup their hands over the flame and then touch their eyes and
faces, symbolically bringing the light and warmth of the god into themselves.

Finally, the priests will distribute Prasad, a word that literally means "grace." When the gods are
invited into the human realm, they are, among other things, fed. The leftover food is the prasad,
and it is understood to be a gift from the gods. This partaking of prasad is symbolically highly
significant, in that in this context we humans eat the same food of the gods, and thus are, in a
sense, equal to them. Typically, however, leftover food in the Hindu context is highly polluting;
thus as much as the partaking of the prasad places us on the same level of the gods, it also
demonstrates that we are hierarchically lower than they are–we eat their leftovers. The
significance of prasad is thus very complex. It is at once a symbol of the grace and compassion of
the god, a symbol of the merging of the human and the deity, and a marker that humans are
always inferior to the gods.
  Aarti:

Aarti also spelled arathi, aarthi is a Hindu religious ritual of worship, a part of puja, in

which light from wicks soaked in ghee (purified butter) or camphor is offered to one or
more deities. Aartis also refer to the songs sung in praise of the deity, when lamps are being
offered.

Origin:

Arati is derived from the Sanskrit word Aratrika, which means something that removes Ratri,
darkness (or light waved in darkness before an idol).

Aarti is said to have descended from the Vedic concept of fire rituals, or homa. In the traditional
aarti ceremony, the flower represents the earth (solidity), the water and accompanying
handkerchief correspond with the water element (liquidity), the lamp or candle represents the fire
component (heat), the peacock fan conveys the precious quality of air (movement), and the yak-
tail fan represents the subtle form of ether (space). The incense represents a purified state of mind,
and one’s "intelligence" is offered through the adherence to rules of timing and order of offerings.
Thus, one’s entire existence and all facets of material creation are symbolically offered to the
Lord via the aarti ceremony. The word may also refer to the traditional Hindu devotional song
that is sung during the ritual.

Practice:

Aarti is generally performed one to five times daily and usually at the end of a puja (in South
India) or bhajan session (in North India). It is performed during almost all Hindu ceremonies and
occasions. It involves the circulating of an 'Aarti plate' or 'Aarti lamp' around a person or deity
and is generally accompanied by the singing of songs in praise of that deva or person (many
versions exist). In doing so, the plate or lamp is supposed to acquire the power of the deity. The
priest circulates the plate or lamp to all those present. They cup their down-turned hands over the
flame and then raise their palms to their forehead the purificatory blessing, passed from the deva's
image to the flame, have now been passed to the devotee.

 Yajna: 

Yajna is a ritual of offerings accompanied by chanting of Vedic mantras (also "worship, prayer,

praise, offering and oblation, sacrifice" according to Monier-Williams) derived from the practice
inVedic times. Yajna is an ancient ritual of offering and sublimating the havanasamagri (herbal
preparations) in the fire. The sublime meaning of the word yajna is derived from the Sanskrit verb
yaj, which has a three-fold meaning of worship of deities (devapujana), unity (saogatikarana) and
charity (dana).An essential element is the ritual fire the divine Agni into which oblations are
poured, as everything that is offered into the fire is believed to reach God. The term yajna is
linguistically (but not functionally) cognate with Zoroastrian (Ahura) Yasna. Unlike Vedic Yajna,
Zoroastrian Yasna has "to do with water rather than fire.

 Bhanjan/Kirtan:

A Bhajan is any type of Indian devotional song. It has no fixed form: it may be as simple as a
mantra or kirtan or as sophisticated as the dhrupad or kriti with music based on classical
ragas and talas. It is normally lyrical, expressing love for the Divine. The name, a cognate
of bhakti, meaning religious devotion, suggests its importance to the bhakti movement that spread
from the south of India throughout the entire subcontinent in the Moghul era.

 Vrata:

In the context of Hinduism, the term vrata (pronunciation: vrat or brat) denotes a religious
practice to carry out certain obligations with a view to achieve divine blessing for fulfillment of
one or several desires. Etymologically, vrata, a Sanskrit word (and also used in several Indo-
European languages), means to vow or to promise. A vrata may consist of one or more of several
actions. Such actions may include complete or partial fasting on certain specific days;
a Yatra (pilgrimage) to a particular place or places; a visit, darśana and puja at a particular temple
or temples; recitation of mantras and prayers; performing yajnas.

Forms of Hindu worship:

The process of worship in Hinduism involves the use of three basic techniques such as the mantra,
the tantra and the yantra.

The mantra symbolizes the path of knowledge, the tantra symbolizes the path of devotion and the
yantra symbolizes the path of detached action.

 The Mantra:

The mantra is an invocation or sacred syllable or set of syllables uttered with specific rhythm,
with sincerity of devotion and purity of thought and action, and with phonetic and grammatical
accuracy, in a manner prescribed by the scriptural injunctions of the Vedas. It is believed that a
mantra invokes a particular deity and compels the deity to assist the invoker to achieve a desired
task. It is also believed that each mantra has the energy of the particular deity hidden and the
energy becomes active with the pronunciation of the mantra accurately.
  The Tantra

The Tantra is the systematic use of the body and the mind for the divine realization. The body and
the mind are sensitive to the desire oriented actions with the triple gunas such as the sattva, the
rajas and the tamas. The Tantra liberates and transforms these into the true instruments of the
hidden self. It is very important and has become the integral part of Hindu spiritualism.

 The Yantra

The Yantra uses certain external objects, symbols and some mechanical means to worship the
divine. An example for yantra is the act of folding of hands in front of the deity. Some of the
forms of yantra are the design of fire place, the manner in which vedic sacrifice is conducted, the
materials used, the design of the temple, the act of visiting the temple, the act of circling around
the temple, the way of entering the temple, the way of lighting the lamps, and the method of
decorations to the god and the places of worship.

Festivals:

 Holi:

This Holi festival known as festival of colours, and sometimes festival of love. It is an ancient
Hindu religious festival which has become popular with non-Hindus in many parts of South Asia,
as well as people of other communities.

It is primarily observed in India, Nepal, and other regions of the world with significant
populations of majority Hindus or people of Indian origin. The festival has, in recent times,
spread in parts of Europe and North Americas as a spring celebration of love, frolic and colors.

Holi celebrations start with a Holika bonfire on the night before Holi where people gather, sing
and dance. The next morning is free for all carnival of colors, where everyone plays, chases and
colors each other with dry powder and colored water, with some carrying water guns and colored
water-filled balloons for their water fight. Anyone and everyone is fair game, friend or stranger,
rich or poor, man or woman, children and elders. The frolic and fight with colors occurs in the
open streets, open parks, outside temples and buildings. Groups carry drums and musical
instruments, go from place to place, sing and dance. People move and visit family, friends and
foes, first play with colors on each other, laugh and chit chat, and then share Holi delicacies, food
and drinks. In the evening, after sobering up, people dress up, visit friends and family. It is a
national holiday in India.

Significance:
There is a symbolic legend to explain why holi is celebrated. The word "Holi" originates from
"Holika", the evil sister of demon king Hiranyakashipu. King Hiranyakashipu had earned
a boon that made him virtually indestructible. The special powers blinded him, he grew arrogant,
felt he was God, and demanded that everyone worship only him.
Holi festival has other cultural significance. It is the festive day to end and rid oneself of past
errors, end conflicts by meeting others, a day to forget and forgive. People pay or forgive debts, as
well as deal anew with those in their lives. Holi also marks the start of spring and for many the
start of New Year.

Description:

Holi is an important festival to Hindus. It is celebrated at the end of the winter season on the last
full moon day of the lunar month Phalguna(February/March), (Phalgun Purnima), which usually
falls in March, sometimes in late February.

The festival has many purposes. First and foremost, it celebrates the beginning of the new season,
spring. In 17th century literature, it was identified as a festival that celebrated agriculture,
commemorated good spring harvests and the fertile land. Hindus believe it is a time of enjoying
spring's abundant colors and saying farewell to winter. Holi festivities mark the beginning of new
year to many Hindus, as well as a justification to reset and renew ruptured relationships, end
conflicts and accumulated emotional impurities from past.

 Dewali:

Diwali also called the "festival of lights” is an ancient Hindu festival celebrated in autumn every
year. The festival spiritually signifies the victory of light over darkness, knowledge over
ignorance, good over evil, and hope over despair. The festival preparations and rituals typically
extend over a five day period, but the main festival night of Diwali coincides with the darkest,
new moon night of the Hindu Lunisolar month Kartik. In the Gregorian calendar, Diwali night
falls between mid-October and mid-November.
Before Diwali night, people clean, renovate and decorate their homes. On Diwali night, Hindus
dress up in new clothes or their best outfit, light updiyas (lamps and candles) inside and outside
their home, participate in family puja typically to Lakshmi the goddess of wealth and prosperity.
Afterpuja (prayers), fireworks follow, then a family feast including mithai (sweets), and an
exchange of gifts between family members and close friends. Diwali also marks a major shopping
period in nations where it is celebrated.

Diwali is an important festival for Hindus. The name of festive days as well as the rituals of
Diwali varies significantly among Hindus, based on the region of India. In many parts of
India, the festivities start with Dhanteras, followed by Naraka Chaturdasi on second day, Diwali
on the third day,Diwali Padva dedicated to wife-husband relationship on the fourth day, and
festivities end with Bhau-beej dedicated to sister-brother bond on the fifth day. Dhanteras usually
falls eighteen days after Dussehra.

Significance:

Diwali is one of the happiest of holidays, with significant preparations. People clean their homes
and decorate them for the festivities. Diwali is one of the biggest shopping seasons in India;
people buy new clothes for themselves and their families, gifts, appliances, kitchen utensils, small
to big ticket items such as cars and gold jewelry. People also buy gifts for family members and
friends which typically includes sweets, dry fruits and seasonal specialities depending on regional
harvest and customs. It is also the period when little kids hear ancient stories, legends, myths and
battle between good and evil, light and darkness from their parents and elders. Girls and women
go shopping, and create rangoli and other creative patterns on floors, near doors and walkways.
Youth and grownups graduate to helping with lighting and preparing for patakhe (fireworks).

Religious significance in Hinduism:

The religious significance of Diwali varies regionally within India, depending on the school of
Hindu philosophy, regional myths, legends and beliefs.

Many see Diwali honouring the return of the hero Rama, his wife Sita and his brother Lakshmana
from exile, as told in the ancient Hindu epic called the Ramayana. To some, Diwali marks the
return of Pandavas after 12 years of Vanvas and one year of agyatavas in the other ancient Hindu
epic called the Mahabharata. Many other Hindus believe Diwali is linked to the celebration of
Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity, and wife of deity Vishnu. The five day festival of
Diwali begins on the day Lakshmi was born from the churning of cosmic ocean of milk during the
tug of war between the forces of good and forces of evil; the night of Diwali is the day Lakshmi
chose Vishnu as her husband and then married him. Some Hindus offer pujas to additional or
alternate deities such as Kali, Ganesha, Saraswati, and Kubera. Other Hindus believe that Diwali
is the day Vishnu came back to Lakshmi and their abode in the Vaikuntha; so those who worship
Lakshmi receive the benefit of her good mood, and therefore are blessed with mental, physical
and material well-being during the year ahead.

Animal sacrifice in Hinduism:

Practices of Hindu animal sacrifice are mostly associated with Shaktism, and in currents of folk

Hinduism strongly rooted in local tribal traditions. It was also practiced in the historical Vedic
Religion, including great sacrifices such as Ashwamedha and Somayajna. Although it is a core
aspect of Vedic ritual, it is not practiced in contemporary Vedantic or Brahminical Hinduism.

Practice:

During the Vedic period, animal sacrifice was a "ubiquitous and extremely frequent occurrence
which preceded almost any endeavor for which the outcome was uncertain." Animal Sacrifice is
practiced by majority of Hindu Castes in Southern state of Tamil Nadu. It is most notably done in
front of Local Deities or Clan Deities. Animal sacrifice is practiced in some Eastern states of
India and Nepal. It is also practiced by some Hindus on the Indonesian island
of Bali. Kshatriyas practice this too.

It is a ritual that is practised today and is mentioned in Medieval Hinduism too. Adherents of the
Sakta sect off Hinduism hold this to be a central tenet of their belief.

Ritual:

The ritual slaughter normally forms part of a festival to honor a Hindu God. For example, in
Nepal the Hindu goddess Gadhimai, is honoured every 5 years with the slaughter of 250,000
animals. Bali sacrifice today is common at the Sakta shrines of the Goddess Kali. Sunil Sehgal
says that "this rite is almost the sole survival of animal sacrifice in modern brahminical
Hinduism".

Ritual animal sacrifice also includes the religious belief of Tabuh Rah, a
religious cockfight where a rooster is used in religious custom by allowing him to fight against
another rooster in the religious and spiritual cockfight of the Balinese Hinduism spiritual
appeasement exercise of Tabuh Rah, a form of animal sacrifice. The spilling of blood is necessary
as purification to appease the evil spirits. Ritual fights usually take place outside
the temple proper and follow an ancient and complex ritual as set out in the sacred lontar
manuscripts. Likewise a popular Hindu ritual form of worship of North Malabar in Kerala, India
is the Tabuh Rah blood offering to Theyyam gods, despite being forbidden in the Vedic
philosophy of sattvic Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism, Theyyam deities are propitiated through
the cock sacrifice where the religious cockfight is a religious exercise of offering blood to
the Theyyam gods.

BASIC BELIEFS AND WORSHIPS IN BUDDHISM

Concept of Worship in Buddhism:
There are as many ways to worship in Buddhism as there are schools, which there is a lot of. The
worshippers may sit barefoot on the floor and face the Buddha icon and chant. The monks will
also chant religious texts and the worshippers will listen and join in on prayers. Sometimes the
chants will be accompanied by musical instruments.

Forms of Worship:
The worship in Buddhism includes monasticism, ringing of bells, bowing, use of incense and
rosary, erection of towers or stupas, prayers and meditation. The Buddhist monk follows Ten
Commandments forbidding

 Fornication
 Drinking alcoholic beverages
 Eating when abstinence is in force
 Dancing, singing, worldly entertainment
 Using perfumes and/or ornamental attire
 Sleeping on beds not on the floor
 Accepting alms of gold or silver.

Buddhism doesn't have God at its centre but people still worship. Buddhists recite devotional
verses called puja. These are directed to the Three Jewels: the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha.

 Puja:
In Buddhism, puja are expressions of "honour, worship and devotional attention. Acts of puja
include bowing, making offerings and chanting. These devotional acts are generally performed
daily at home (either in the morning or evening or both) as well as during communal festivals and
Uposatha days at a temple. Buddhists around the world recite the Refuges and Precepts. They
might recite these in the morning before they begin work, and at other times as a way of
reminding themselves of their buddhist values.

Individual worship may be carried out in the temple shrine or in the shrine at home. Many
Buddhists may meditate rather than pray, as the Buddha taught that prayer was unnecessary
because there is no 'One' to pray to. One of the most important acts of worship is taking refuge in
the triple gem (the three treasures).

Collective worship is at a monastery, or shrine or temple. People take off their shoes before
entering, then go and sit on mats facing the image of Buddha. Worship is silent as; in general,
people meditate on the Buddha's teaching and example. As part of worship Buddhists put their
hands in 'anjali', i.e. they place the palms of their hands together before their forehead then stretch
them up towards the Buddha's image. Prostrate three times in honour of the Buddha, the Dharma
and the Sangha. Give offerings of flowers and lighted candles.
  Puja in daily practice:
Personal devotion usually entails first making an offering to a sacred object (such as placing
flowers or fruits before a Buddha image). When making the offering, one bows while reciting
traditional phrases identifying the offering. Next, the devotee either bows or prostrates three times
to the Triple Gem. While continuing to kneel with palms-together hands held before the heart, the
devotee then intones various chants typically starting with paying homage to the Buddha, taking
the Three Refuges and undertaking the Five Precepts.

 Sevenfold Puja:
In a Triratna centre people may get together and recite a Sevenfold Puja, as a way to more
poetically remind themselves of the value of the three jewels. They recite verses to the three
jewels, chant mantras and make offerings. They may hear a reading about the life of the Buddha,
or a teaching to inspire them. People often feel peaceful at the end of a puja having voiced
appreciation of what is important to them. But in Buddhism people have a choice. Not everybody
responds to chanting verses, and may use other methods to bring what's important to mind.

 Bows:
In the context of puja, bowing refers to the act of raising one's hands together (anjali) and
lowering one's head in a gesture of homage and humility. As a devotional act, one bows to the
Buddha's likeness in a statue, to a stupa (a pagoda that enshrines bodily relics of the Buddha) or to
the Bodhi tree. Traditionally, one also bows to parents, teachers, the elderly and monastic.

When bowing before a sacred object such as a Buddha statue; one usually bows three times,
recalling with the first bow the Buddha, then the Dhamma and then the Sangha. One may simply
offer a head-lowered bow with palms-together hands held in front of one's heart or forehead, or
one may move one's hands in a single flowing movement from the head to the lips to the chest
(representing thought, speech and body). More formally, one may bow with a series of head-to-
floor prostrations.

 Offering:
Symbolic offerings to the Triple Gem are often made prior to meditation. In front of the Buddha
are placed the offerings, which may be just seven bowls of water symbolising the eight
hospitalities offered to a guest. Another preferred style of offerings contains illumination, flowers,
incense, fruit, music and water for washing and drinking. Each represents another aspect of
Buddhist teachings and also the five senses. The flowers for example are a symbol of Anicca
(everything is impermanent) and Samsara (the cycle of birth, death and rebirth), due to their short
life span; unless evergreen is used to show eternity. The candles symbolize enlightenment and the
sense of sight while the incense is used to show that Buddhist teachings can be spread across the
world just like the smell of the incense, which also purifies the air. As water is a necessity of life,
a pure sample is also placed on the shrine to show respect and reverence for life. To show the
interdependence of all things and gratitude for that fruit is offered also as a symbol of taste. A bell
is used to indicate when to begin and end puja and to stimulate hearing but also demonstrates the
belief of cause and effect and karma. It stimulates hearing and is placed on a lotus shaped cushion
once again symbolizing enlightenment and the cycle of rebirth, as it flowers and seeds at the same
time.

 Chanting:
Typically performed in traditional languages, such as Pali or Tibetan, Buddhist chants assist in the
memorization of early canonical formulae and imbue participants with a sense of solemnity and
tranquility.

 Pilgrimage:
Buddhists have a number of special places which have become centers of pilgrimage. Many of
these places are closely associated with the life of the Buddha in some way, such as at Bodh-Gaya
where Buddha sat under the Bo Tree and became enlightened. When Buddha died and was
cremated some of his remains (called relics) were sent to various Buddhist centers where shrines
are built to house them. One of the most famous is the Temple of the Sacred Tooth at Kandy in
Sri Lanka.

Buddhists are not idol worshippers but ideal worshippers:

Buddhists are not idol worshippers but ideal worshippers. Although it is customary amongst
Buddhists to keep Buddha images and to pay their respects to the Buddha, Buddhists are not idol
worshippers. Idolatry generally means erecting images of unknown gods and goddesses in various
shapes and sizes and to pray directly to these images. The prayers are a request to the gods for
guidance and protection. The gods and goddesses are asked to bestow health, wealth, property and
to provide for various needs.

The 'worshipping' at the Buddha image is quite a different matter. Buddhists revere the image of
the Buddha as a gesture to the greatest, wisest, most benevolent, compassionate and holy man
who has ever lived in this world. It is a historical fact that this great man actually lived in this
world and has done a great service to mankind. The worship of the Buddha really means paying
homage, veneration and devotion to Him and what He represents, and not to the stone or metal
figure.

The image is a visual aid that helps one to recall the Buddha in the mind and to remember His
great qualities which inspired millions of people from generation to generation throughout the
civilized world. Buddhists use the statue as a symbol and as an object of concentration to gain a
peace of mind. When Buddhists look upon the image of the Buddha, they put aside thoughts of
strife and think only of peace, serenity, calmness and tranquillity. The statue enables the mind to
recall this great man and inspires devotees to follow His example and instructions. In their mind,
the devout Buddhists feel the living presence of the Master. This feeling makes their act of
worship become vivid and significant. The serenity of the Buddha image influences and inspires
them to observe the right path of conduct and thought.

Images are the language of the subconscious. Therefore, the image of the Enlightened One is
often created within one's mind as the embodiment of perfection, the image will deeply penetrate
into the subconscious mind and (if it is sufficiently strong enough) can act as an automatic brake
against impulses. The recollection of the Buddha produces joy, invigorates the mind and elevates
man from states of restlessness, tension and frustration. Thus the worship of the Buddha is not a
prayer in its usual sense but a meditation. Therefore, it is not idol worship, but 'ideal' worship.
Thus Buddhists can find fresh strength to build a shrine of their lives. They cleanse their hearts
until they feel worthy to bear the image in their innermost shrine. Buddhists pay respects to the
great person who is represented by the image. They try to gain inspiration from His Noble
personality and emulate Him. Buddhists do not see the Buddha image as a dead idol of wood or
metal or clay. The image represents something vibrant to those who understand and are purified
in thought, word and deed.

The Buddha images are nothing more than symbolic representations of His great qualities. It is
not unnatural that the deep respect for the Buddha should be expressed in some of the finest and
most beautiful forms of art and sculpture the world has ever known. However, it is not
compulsory for every Buddhist to have a Buddha image to practice Buddhism. Those who can
control their mind and the senses can certainly do so without an image as an object. If Buddhists
truly wish to behold the Buddha in all the majestic splendor and beauty of His ideal presence,
they must translate His Teachings into practice in their daily lives. It is in the practice of His
Teachings that they can come closer to Him and feel the wonderful radiance of His undying
wisdom and compassion. Simply respecting the images without following His Sublime Teachings
is not the way to find salvation.

Buddhists do not worship any person or deity, including The Buddha. They show him reverence
by bowing to his image but we do not say prayers to him. Buddhist prayers are more like a mantra
in which he person praying is reciting a lesson (sutra) or guideline which tells them how to
behave and act. For example, a prayer for compassion is "May all beings be well, happy and
peaceful". The idea behind this prayer is for the person praying to develop compassion and loving
kindness to all. Therefore prayer in Buddhism is self-directed. With all that said when we practice
meditation we usually sit in front of a statute of The Buddha or some other holy person, again not
to worship, but to remind us of the ideal we strive for. We meditate at whatever time we can or
when we feel it is needed.

Basic Beliefs and Practices in Buddhism:

The basic doctrines of early Buddhism, which remain common among Buddhists today, include
the “four noble truths” i.e

 Life is suffering. This is more than a mere recognition of the presence of suffering in
existence. It is a statement that, in its very nature, human existence is essentially painful
from the moment of birth to the moment of death. Even death brings no relief, for the
Buddha accepted the Hindu idea of life as cyclical, with death leading to further rebirth.
 All suffering is caused by ignorance of the nature of reality and the craving, attachment,
and grasping that result from such ignorance.
 Suffering can be ended by overcoming ignorance and attachment.
 The path to the suppression of suffering is the Noble Eightfold Path, which consists of
right views, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right-
mindedness, and right contemplation. These eight are usually divided into three categories
that form the cornerstone of Buddhist faith: morality, wisdom, and Samadhi, or
concentration.

Meditation and observance of moral precepts are the foundation of Buddhist practice. The five
basic moral precepts, undertaken by members of monastic orders and the laity, are to refrain from
taking life, stealing, acting unchastely, speaking falsely, and drinking

Buddhism and its beliefs:

Buddhists do not worship any gods or God. People outside of Buddhism often think that
Buddhists worship the Buddha. However, the Buddha (Siddhartha Gautama) never claimed to be
divine, but rather he is viewed by Buddhists as having attained what they are also striving to
attain, which is spiritual enlightenment and, with it, freedom from the continuous cycle of life and
death. Most Buddhists believe a person has countless rebirths, which inevitably include suffering.
A Buddhist seeks to end these rebirths. Buddhists believe it is a person's cravings, aversion and
delusion that cause these rebirths. Therefore, the goal of a Buddhist is to purify one's heart and to
let go of all yearnings toward sensual desires and the attachment to oneself.

Buddhists follow a list of religious principles and very dedicated meditation. When a Buddhist
meditates it is not the same as praying or focusing on a god, it is more of self-discipline. Through
practiced meditation a person may reach Nirvana "the blowing out" of the flame of desire.

Buddhist practice their beliefs by meditating on a regular basis in order to keep a clear mind and
spirit, they treat their selves with kindness as well as others, and treat their bodies as their temples
by eating healthy. Buddhism is a path that is a practice of spiritual development that shows a
person the true insight and the nature of life. The belief is that all of us have monkey like minds
jumping from one thought to another, but we can retain them through meditation. Not all
Buddhist believe in God, but some do. Some Buddhist believes in rebirth. That one will die and
rise from the ground again. All Buddhist believe in non violence and the practice of meditation.
The teachings of Buddha are to show ways of everlasting happiness. Buddhist practice Buddhism.
That includes meditation, mindfulness, mantras, mudras, pilgrimage, and a ton more.

Animal Sacrifices in Buddhism:

The Buddha was against animal sacrifice. He had to be, for he was staunchly opposed to killing.
Buddhists believe that all those who follow their way of life should not kill any living thing, and
this includes animals, but some buddhist do still eat meat as long as the animal was killed by
someone who does not follow Buddhism. However, most buddhists are vegetarians.

Sacrifice or giving up a desired object, in itself is not important in Buddhism. Buddhists make
offerings and give to the poor, but not out of the conviction that sacrifice is important to spiritual
well-being. Giving things up is important in Buddhism.

One of the central rites of Brahmanism during the Buddha’s time was the sacrifice (yaga or
yanna) which sometimes included the slaughter of animals. The Vedas describe in detail how
these sacrifices should be conducted if the gods were to find them acceptable. Some of these rites
could be very elaborate and very expensive. The Tipiṭaka records one sacrifice conducted by a
brahman named Uggatasarira during which’five hundred bulls, five hundred steers and numerous
heifers, goats and rams were brought to the sacrificial post for slaughter’. The Buddha criticized
these bloody rituals as being wasteful, ineffective and cruel. He maintained that those who
conduct sacrifices make negative kamma for themselves even before they have set up the
sacrificial post (yupa), ignited the sacred fire (aggi) and given instructions for the animals to be
slaughtered. He repudiated the killing of the animals, the felling of trees to make the sacrificial
posts and the threatening and beating of the slaves as they were driven to do the preparations with
tear-stained face. He also made a plea for such sacrifices to be replaced by charity towards
virtuous ascetics and monks.

In time the Buddhist critique of animal sacrifice led to them being phased out within
Brahmanism. Ghee, grain, milk or honey was thrown into the sacred fire as a substitute for the
slaughtered animals. As Hinduism evolved it adopted harmlessness (ahiṃsa) as one of its most
important moral principles, although a good number of Hindu sects continue to practice animal
sacrifice even today.

The Buddhist Attitude to Animal Life:

Animals are said to be conscious only of the present. They live with no concern for the past or
future. Likewise, little children seem to have no notion of the future. They also live in the present
until their faculties of memory and imagination are developed.
A man possesses the faculty of reasoning. The gap between man and animal widens only to the
extent that man develops his reasoning faculty and acts accordingly. Buddhists accept that
animals not only possess instinctive power but also, to a lesser degree, thinking power.

In some respects, animals are superior to men. Dogs have a keener sense of hearing; insects have
a keener sense of smell; hawks are speedier; eagles can see a greater distance. Undoubtedly, men
are wiser; but men have so much to learn from the ants and bees. Much of the animal is still in us.
But we also have much more: we have the potential of spiritual development.

Buddhism cannot accept that animals were created by someone for men, if animals were created
for men then it could follow that men were also created for animals since there are some animals
which eat human flesh.

Buddhists are encouraged to love all living beings and not to restrict their love only to human
beings. They should practice loving kindness towards every living being. The Buddha's advice is
that is not right for us to take away the life of any living being since every living being has a right
to exist. Animals also have fear and pain as do human beings. It is wrong to take away their lives.
We should not misuse our intelligence and strength to destroy animals even though they may
sometimes be a nuisance to us. Animals need our sympathy. Destroying them is not the only
method to get rid of them. Every living being is contributing something to maintain this world. It
is unfair for us to deprive their living rights.

Holidays and Holy Days in Buddhism:

Buddhists celebrate numerous holidays throughout the year. The holidays are based on the lunar
calendar and are different between countries and traditions. Festival occasions normally begin
with a visit to the local temple. After that people will give food to the poor, walk around the
temple three times (to honor the three jewels) and chatting and meditation. Here are some of the
Buddhist holidays :

 The Buddhist New Year:

The New Year is on different days for all kinds of Buddhism. In Theravadin countries, the New
Year is celebrated for three days, starting on the first full moon in April. In Mahayana countries
the New Year starts on the first full moon of January. For Tibeatan Buddhists the New Year is
usually sometime in March.

 Dhamma Day:
Dhamma Day is on the full moon of the eighth month (July). This holiday is to commemorate the
Buddah's first sermon.

 Elephant Festival:

 Elephant Festival is celebrated by Thai Buddhists on the third saturday in November. Buddah
used to use the example of a trained wild elephant to teach his followers that new Buddhists
should look up to the older Buddhists for help.

 Ancestor Day (Ulambana):

In Mahayana countries, it's believed on the first day of the eighth month ghosts come visit the
world for 15 days. During the first 14 days food offerings are made to relieve the suffering ghosts.
On the fifteenth day people visit cemeteries to make offerings to the people.

 Veska (Buddha Day):

 Veska is on the birthday of the Buddha and is by far the most important Buddhist holiday. All
Buddhists celebrate the birth, enlightenment and death of Buddha in one day. It happens on the
first full moon day in May, and it's called Veska because it's the Indian name of the month.

 Sangha Day (Magha Puja Day or Fourfold Assembly Day):

Sangha Day commemorates the Buddha's visit to Veruvana Monastery in the city of Rajagaha,
when 1,250 arhats are said to have spontaneously returned from their wanderings to pay their
respects to the Buddha. Sangha Day iscelebrated on the full moon day of the third lunar month
(March).

 Asalha Puja Day (Dhamma Day):

Asalha Puja means to pay homage to the Buddha on the full moon day of the 8th lunar month
(approximately July). It commemorates the Buddha's first teaching: the turning of the wheel of the
Dhamma (Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta) to the five ascetics at the Deer Park (Sarnath) near
Benares city, India. Where Kondanna, the senior ascetic attained the first level of enlightenment
(the Sotapanna level of mind purity).   

 Uposatha (ObservanceDay):
The four monthly holy days which continue to be observed in Theravada countries - the new
moon, full moon, and quarter moon days. Known in Sri Lanka as Poya Day.

 Pavarana Day:

This day marks the conclusion of the Rains retreat (vassa). In the following month, the kathina
ceremony is held, during which the laity gather to make formal offerings of robe cloth and other
requisites to the Sangha.

 Kathina Ceremony (Robe offering ceremony):

Is held on any convenient date within one month of the conclusion of the Vassa Retreat, which is
the three month rains retreat season (Vassa) for the monastic order. It is the time of the year when
new robes and other requisites may be offered by the laity to the monks.

 Anapanasati Day:

At the end of one rains retreat (vassa), the Buddha was so pleased with the progress of the
assembled monks that he encouraged them to extend their retreat for yet another month. On the
full-moon day marking the end of that fourth month of retreat, he presented his now-famous
instructions on mindfulness of breathing (anapanasati), which may be found in the Anapanasati
Sutta.

 Abhidhamma Day:

In the Burmese tradition, this day celebrates the occasion when the Buddha is said to have gone to
the Tushita Heaven to teach his mother the Abhidhamma. It is held on the full moon of the
seventh month of the Burmese lunar year starting in April who corresponds to the full moon day
in October.

 Songkran:

 
This Thai Buddhist festival goes on for several days during the middle of April. People clean their
houses and wash their clothes and enjoy sprinkling perfumed water on the monks, novices and
other  people for at least two or three days. They gather around the riverbank, carrying fishes in
jars to put into the water, for April is so hot in Thailand that the ponds dry out and the fish would
die if not rescued. People go to the beach or river bank with jars or buckets of water and splash
each other. When everyone is happily wet they are usually entertained by boat races on the river.

 Loy Krathong (Festival of Floating Bowls):

At the end of the Kathin Festival season, when the rivers and canals are full of water, the Loy
Krathong Festival takes place in all parts of Thailand on the full moon night of the Twelfth Lunar
month. People bring bowls made of leaves (which contain flowers) candles and incense sticks,
and float them in the water. As they go, all bad luck is supposed to disappear. The traditional
practice of Loy Krathong was meant to pay homage to the holy footprint of the Buddha on the
beach of the Namada River in India.

 The Ploughing Festival:

In May, when the moon is half-full, two white oxen pull a gold painted plough, followed by four
girls dressed in white who scatter rice seeds from gold and silver baskets. This is to celebrate the
Buddha's first moment of enlightenment, which is said to have happened when the Buddha was
seven years old, when he had gone with his father to watched the ploughing.  (Known in Thailand
as Raek Na)

 The Festival of the Tooth: 

Kandy is a beautiful city in Sri Lanka. On a small hill is a great temple which was especially built
to house a relic of the Buddha - his tooth. The tooth can never be seen, as it is kept deep inside
May caskets. But once a year in August, on the night of the full moon, there is a special
procession for it.

 Avalokitesvara’s (Kuan Yin) Birthda: 

This is a festival which celebrates the Bodhisattva ideal represented by Avalokitesvara. Who
represents the perfection of compassion in the Mahayana traditions of Tibet and China. It occurs
on the full moon day in March.

Comparison Chart:
 Founder of religion:
Christianity. Jesus Christ or Ismail (A.S).
Buddhism. Gautama Buddha (born as Prince Siddhartha)
Judaism. Moses or Mosa (A.S).
Hinduism. Hinduism on the other hand is religious tradition that originated in the Indian
subcontinent in the pre-classical era (1500–500 BCE) and does not have a
specific founder.
Islam. Muhammad (S.A.W).

 Definition:

Christianity. Followers of the Christ.

Buddhism. Teachings of the Buddha
Judaism. Of the tribe of Judah.
Hinduism. The word Hindu has geographical significance and was used originally for
those people who lived beyond the river Sindhu or the region watered by the
river Indus. Hindus themselves; call their religion "Sanatana Dharma”,
meaning "Eternal Law."
Islam. Islam is an Arabic word for "Submission or surrender in Ultimate Peace".
Muslim means a believer in One God (Al-Illah or Allah)

 Place of worship:

Christianity. Church, chapel, cathedral, basilica, home bible study, personal dwellings.
Buddhism. Monasteries, nunneries, pagodas and temples.
Judaism. Synagogues, Western Wall of the Temple in Jerusalem.
Hinduism. Temple (Mandir).
Islam. Mosque/masjid, any place which is clean.

 Principle:

Christianity. God created man. Man sinned and fell under its curse. God
redeems sinful man through the shed blood of Jesus Christ.
Those that He redeems, He regenerates them and they
become "born-again".
Buddhism. This life is suffering, and the only way to escape from this
suffering is to dispel one's cravings and ignorance by
practicing the Eightfold Path.
Judaism. By accepting the covenant, they choose to follow God's
commandments. A unique ethnicity. Early monotheists.
Hinduism. To follow dharma, i.e. eternal laws
Islam. Say, "He is Allah, [who is] One Allah, the Eternal Refuge.
 He neither begets nor is born, Nor is there to Him any
equivalent." - Quran: Surah Al Ikhlas

 Basic beliefs:
a. Concept of God/ Deities:

Christianity. God is eternally supreme as the creator and preserver of the

world. The trinity exists as three beings in one god’s head:
The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. One being, three
persons. Three persons, one God.
Buddhism. Instead of deities, Devas or celestial beings are accepted as
those suffering in the samsara.
Judaism. Belief in one God and teachings of the tradition, prophets and
rabbis.
Hinduism. Dependent on school of thought. Monism (everything is a
manifestation of God), polytheism (many deities controlling
different aspects of life), Monotheism (one God, perhaps with
many incarnations or manifestations).
Islam. God (Allah) is the only god and is all-powerful and
omniscient.

b. Concept of angles:

Christianity. Angels are servants of God used as messengers and warriors

and guardians of humanity.
Buddhism. No angels accepted.
Judaism. Angels serve God as messengers. World is full of beings
existing that we cannot see or understand. Kabbalah includes
mystical studies of this.
Hinduism. The concept of angels does not apply in Hinduism. Some
mythological stories include rishis, who sometimes serve as
the messengers of God.
Islam. Angels are created from light and remain unseen as they
worship and follow God's commands.

c. Scripture:

Christianity. The Holy Bible, a collection of canonical books in two parts: the Old
Testament and the New Testament.
Buddhism. Tripitaka - a vast volume of 3 main sections: the Discourses, the Discipline
and the Absolute Doctrine - which appeared only after the death of the
 Buddha, thanks to the monks who collected all the teachings of the Buddha.
Judaism. Tanakh (Jewish Bible), Torah.
Hinduism. Vedas, Upanishad, Puranas, Gita.
Islam. The Quran/Koran (the direct words of Allah through Angels to the Prophet.
Hadith are not holy scriptures but sayings of the Prophet Muhammad.

d. Prophets:

Christianity. Noah ,Moses, Abraham, Isaac, David, Solomon Isaiah,

Jeremiah, Ezekial, Nahum, Elijah, Elisha, Obadiah, Amos,
Hosea, Zechariah, Zephaniah, Malachi, Daniel, Nathan, John
the Baptist and many others.
Buddhism. No prophets accepted in Theravada Buddhism.
Judaism. Moses, and the subsequent Prophets of Israel as told in the
Jewish Bible (Tanakh).
Hinduism. No prophets in religion, but Rishis would be considered
equivalent to prophets in Vedic times. Avataras of Vedic
God are different from human reincarnations, but would be
considered equivalent to Christian idea of God in flesh.
Islam. Many from Adam, Abraham, Noah, Jesus etc to Muhammad
(SAW).

e. Life after death:

Christianity. Man is appointed to die once, and then face judgment. Those
who believe live on in heaven, while those that rejected God
suffer eternity in hell. After the culmination of the events of
the Book of Revelation all believers shall be bodily
resurrected.
Buddhism. Until one has not attained Nirvana, he or she will be reborn
into any of the 31 planes of existence over and over again,
due to his/her karma.
Judaism. Jews believe in a human Soul, and Orthodox believes in A
World To Come and a form of Reincarnation (some groups);
unifying with God, there are different opinions and beliefs .
Very little discussion on after-life. Focus is on time on Earth
now.
Hinduism. A constant cycle of reincarnation until enlightenment is
reached after which moksha is attained.
Islam. A Muslim and all the beings will be accountable to Allah on
the Day of Judgment.
 f. Means of salvation:

Christianity. Through Christ's death and resurrection. Salvation is by

grace, through faith. Not by works, lest anyone should boast.
Buddhism. Salvation can be attained by attaining Nirvana. To do this, we
should let go of our desires, cravings and attachments, and try
to dispel our ignorance
Judaism. Through belief in God, good deeds, complete faith.
Hinduism. Beliefs vary by sect. Upanishads (scripture) say God chooses
who gets salvation. Salvation is attained through good deeds
and righteousness (following the "dharma" and avoiding sin)
Islam. Belief in one God, remembrance of God, repentance, fear of
God and hope in God's mercy.

 Compulsory worships of one day:

Christianity. Worship should be daily. Many Christians attend church on

Sundays. Only Sundays is considered mandatory.
Buddhism. Instead of worshipping, Buddhists pay obeisance to the
Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha.
Judaism. Friday at sunset through Saturday sunset, is the Sabbath,
THE most Holy Day (yes, all 52 of them). Taking time off
from work, once a week, was invented by Judaism. It is more
Holy than any other holiday, and is spent in contemplation
and prayer.
Hinduism. Orthodox schools prescribe three prayer times a day: at
dawn, noon and dusk.
Islam. Prayer five times daily is obligatory. Friday is the day of
congregational prayer, obligatory for men, but not for women.

 Practices:

Christianity. Prayers, sacraments (some branches), worship in church,

reading of the Bible, acts of charity, communion.
Buddhism. Practices of the Threefold Training: Morality, Concentration,
and Wisdom.
Judaism. Prayers 3 times daily, with a fourth prayer added on Shabbat
and holidays. Shacarit prayer in the morning, Mincha in the
afternoon, Arvit at night; Musaf is an extra Shabbat service.
Hinduism. Meditation, Yoga, contemplation, yagna (communal
 worship), offerings in the temple.
Islam. Five pillars: Testament that there is one God and Muhammad
is his messenger (shahadah); prayer five times daily; fast
during Ramadan; charity to the poor (zakat); pilgrimage
(Hajj).

 Holy days:

Christianity. Christmas (birth of Jesus), Good Friday (death of Jesus),

Sunday (day of rest), Easter (resurrection of Jesus),
Halloween, New year.
Buddhism. Kasone Full Moon Day, Waso Full Moon Day, etc.
Judaism. Rosh HaShanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Simchat Torah,
Chanukah, Tu BiShvat, Passover, Lag BaOmer, Shavout.
Sabbath most important one day a week no work, just peace,
joy and prayer.
Hinduism. Diwali, Rangoli, Shivaratri, Saraswati Puja, and Durga Puja.
Islam. Ramadan, Eid (Eid-ul-Azha, Eid-ul-Fitar, Eid-Milad-un-Nabi),
Friday, 9-10 Muharam etc.

 Concept of fasting:

Christianity. In Christianity, especially Roman Catholicism and Eastern

Orthodoxy, they used to observe a 40-day fast during Lent, a
spring period of penitence before Easter, and during Advent,
a penitential period before Christmas. Among Roman
Catholics the observance has been modified with mandatory
fasting only on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday during
Lent. Protestant churches generally leave the decision to fast
to individual church members.
Buddhism.
Judaism. In Judaism, fasting is observed in several annual days,
primarily on days of penitence (such as Yom Kippur, the
Day of Atonement) or mourning and Tisha B’Av (the Fast of
the Ninth of Av, is a day of mourning to commemorate the
many tragedies that have befallen the Jewish people).
Hinduism. In Hinduism fasting is commonly practiced on New Moon
days and during festivals such as Shivaratri, Saraswati Puja,
and Durga Puja (also known as Navaratri). Married Hindu
and Sikh Women fast from sunrise to moonrise on the day of
Karva Chauth for the safety and longevity of their husbands.
Islam. In Islam, the ordinances relating to the fast are clearly stated
and defined. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar
calendar and it is the month when the Holy Quran began to
be revealed to Prophet Muhammad (Peace be On Him). It is
a month of rejuvenation and cleansing. The true purpose of
Ramadan, as of all forms of Islamic worship is to draw
people closer to God. Muslims intensify their worship, self-
reformation and charitable donations during this month.

 Pilgrimage:

Christianity. The key to the origin of Christian pilgrimage is the devotion

to the memory of Jesus. The faithful visited the places that
were filled with the memories of their Lord in his
earthly life.
For most people, pilgrimage seemed unambiguously a most
holy thing to do; and for most Christians, Jerusalem
was associated with the earthly life of Jesus. So from the
beginning, pilgrims traveled to Palestine with the simple goal
of experiencing firsthand the places in which different
biblical events had occurred.
Many Christians associate a pilgrimage center with "sacral
power", the power to heal infirmity, solve problems,
grant wishes, and have their sins forgiven. Pilgrimages were
considered efficacious in this regard.
Buddhism. The earliest centres of Buddhist pilgrimages were the places
associated with the life and Teachings of the great Master.
These four places are Lumbini, Bodh Gaya, Sarnath and
Kusinara. Lumbini, in what is now Nepal, is the birthplace of
Gautama Buddha. The others are in India: Bodh Gaya was
the place, under the pipal or Bo tree, where the Buddha was
enlightened after practising meditation for several years.
Sarnath was the scene of His first teaching and Kusinara was
the place of His death or final Nirvana.
Judaism. There are three festivals celebrated in Jerusalem every year,
and the Jewish families were commanded to undertake a
pilgrimage to the city to participate in.
These three festivals came to be known as pilgrimage
festivals. They are Pesach (Passover) or the Feast of the
Unleavened Bread, Shavuot or the Feast of Weeks, and
 Sukkot or the Feast of Booths. These three
festivals commemorate important events in Jewish history.
The western wall of the original temple, known as the
Wailing Wall, remains in the old city of Jerusalem and has
been the most sacred sight for Jews.
Jews from many countries all over the world make periodic
pilgrimages to the holy sites in Jerusalem.
Hinduism. Pilgrimage is deeply embedded in the Indian culture. In the
Vedas mountain valleys and the confluences of rivers are
spoken of with reverence, as the gods are believed to have
dwelled there. The merits of travel to such places are
mentioned, but the act of pilgrimage itself in not specifically
discussed.
One of the pilgrimage destinations in India that attract
millions of people every year is Varanasi.
Among the several hundred shrines in Varanasi, the most
important is the Golden Temple, dedicated to Shiva. Devout
pilgrims take six days to walk its circuit, visiting numerous
shrines, temples, and gardens along the way.
Islam. Hajj is an obligatory pilgrimage prescribed by God Almighty
on all Muslims who are capable; whereas the pilgrimages of
other religions are optional. The purpose of those
pilgrimages is set by the pilgrims themselves: for
example, the expiation of sins or a special blessing for
themselves.
Muslim pilgrims go to Makah and Madina and other places
connected to the birth, death, or burial of prophet
Muhammad (SAW).

 Poja:

Christianity.
Buddhism. In Buddhism, puja are expressions of "honour, worship and
devotional attention. Acts of puja include bowing, making
offerings and chanting. These devotional acts are generally
performed daily at home (either in the morning or evening or
both) as well as during communal festivals and Uposatha
days at a temple.
Judaism.
Hinduism. The most common religious act in Hinduism is puja, which
is often translated simply as "worship." It literally means
 "honor." This is important, because the practice of and
beliefs behind puja involve not just a formal veneration of
the gods and goddesses, but also the entering into a particular
sort of relationship. Puja involves the reception, honoring,
and in a sense the entertaining of the deity; in puja, a
personal relationship, often a very affectionate relationship,
is formed.
Islam. Forbidden.

 Meditation:

Christianity. Christian meditation is a form of prayer in which a structured

attempt is made to become aware of and reflect upon the
revelations of God.
Buddhism. Buddhist meditation practices are techniques that encourage
and develop concentration, clarity, emotional positivity, and
a calm seeing of the true nature of things.
Judaism. The Judaism meditative practices are intended to deepen the
individual's engagement with all aspects of the religion.
Meditation and techniques of concentration can: heighten
one's understanding of the Torah, develop an understanding
of ritual and other religious observances etc.
Hinduism. Hindu meditation has been described as a journey to the
deeper part of one’s being.  This kind of contemplation can
be energizing and fulfilling.  To enter into the tranquil, deep
part of one’s being, the strength within is tapped.  This
strength is believed to sustain the mediator throughout the
day, preventing the calm center from being disturbed. 
Islam. Muraqaba is the Science of Sufi Meditation practiced in
Islam. It’s more like visualization / image practice based on
the Name of Allah or the deep visualization or watching of
the Sufi Master’s face. The Word means observe, guard or
control or vigilance or being aware, in this context referring
to controlling and guarding one's thoughts and desires.
Muraqaba or visualization is setting aside some private time
to sit and reflect on meaning of life.

 Statues and pictures used in worship:

Christianity. In some denominations regard It as forbidden and Idolatry.

Anglicans and Lutherans allow pictures but forbid venerating
 them. Catholics encourage pictures and statues and venerate
them. Orthodox encourage pictures and venerate them.
Buddhism. Statues are commonly used as symbolic reminders while
paying obeisance to the Buddha.
Judaism. Ancient times: Not allowed as it is considered Idolatry.
Today, great artwork is encouraged. Statues of people are
fine, but not as religious icons.
Hinduism. Common in Hinduism.
Islam. Muslims are not permitted to depict the image of God nor
any prophet.

 Animal sacrifice:

References:
http://www.worshipconcepts.us/judaism.php

http://www.religionfacts.com/judaism/practices/worship_prayer.htm

http://jpsi.org/resources/jewishpractices/

http://www.diversiton.com/religion/main/judaism/worship.asp

http://www.jewfaq.org/liturgy.htm

http://library.thinkquest.org/28505/judaism/worsh.htm

http://www.amazon.com/One-World-Many-Religions-Worship/dp/0679839305

http://www.christianity.org.uk/index.php/worship.php

http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/buddhistworld/about-pilgrim.htm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/judaism/worship/meditation_1.shtml

https://thebuddhistcentre.com/text/what-meditation

http://www.christianity.org.uk/index.php/worship.php

http://www.diffen.com/difference/Christianity_vs_Islam

http://www.diffen.com/difference/Hinduism_vs_Islam
http://www.diffen.com/difference/Islam_vs_Judaism

http://www.diffen.com/difference/Buddhism_vs_Islam

http://www.beliefnet.com/Faiths/2001/02/Fasting-Chart.aspx

http://www.hindupedia.com/en/Worship

http://anglohindu.wordpress.com/2011/08/25/forms-of-worship/

http://hinduism.iskcon.org/practice/307.htm

http://temples.newkerala.com/Temples-of-India/Forms-of-Hindu-worship.html

http://londonmandir.baps.org/worship/murti-puja-image-worship-in-hinduism/

http://books.google.com.pk/books?
id=S0GM6eTNRVkC&printsec=frontcover&dq=concept+of+worship+in+judaism&hl=en&sa=X&ei=Jiy8
UrHjEKKJ7Aa924HoDQ&ved=0CD4Q6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=concept%20of%20worship%20in
%20judaism&f=false

http://books.google.com.pk/books?
id=jIDtDQXZoPUC&printsec=frontcover&dq=concept+of+worship+in+judaism&hl=en&sa=X&ei=Jiy8
UrHjEKKJ7Aa924HoDQ&ved=0CCsQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=concept%20of%20worship%20in
%20judaism&f=false

http://books.google.com.pk/books?
id=6tJ3FiWoxjkC&pg=PA116&dq=worshipped+in+judaism&hl=en&sa=X&ei=8Cy8UrPqO6f7gbSmYG
ACw&ved=0CEsQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=worshipped%20in%20judaism&f=false