In Africa the three major religions are Traditional Beliefs, Christianity, and Islam.

Before the introduction of Islam and Christianity, Africa had a very developed system
of religion.

It was called Animism-a religion in which spirits exist in nature and play a role
in daily life. belief that bodies of water, animals, trees, other natural objects
have spirits

 Many Africans believed the spirits of their departed ancestors were

present on Earth
 Ancestral spirits would be called upon for help in times of need/trouble
 Sub-Saharan Africa is the greatest surviving stronghold of animism
 Each tribe has its own characteristic form of animism

1. Traditional Religion in Africa

Traditional beliefs may include worship of:
 ancestors,
 spirits,
 gods,
 animals,
 land,
 inanimate objects,
 and/or natural phenomena.

 The African people who practice traditional religions today often offer daily prayers and
sacrifices, and they celebrate ceremonies that mark the passage of a person from childhood to
adulthood.
 Africans often use masks representing cultural heroes, gods, and ancestors in their worship
ceremonies.
Talking to the Gods

 In some traditions, dancing, chanting, or drumming are used to connect with gods or spirits. This
is very common in groups that practice vodun.

 Vodun followers believe that people who practice these

rhythmic arts can become possessed.
 Gods or spirits are believed to take over their bodies.
 The spirits then communicate with the group through the
possessed people.

 In addition, many African traditional religions use statuettes.

 Believers think these objects to serve as mediators between the
human and spiritual worlds.
2.Christianity

 One of the top religions in Africa

3.Islam

 Islam in Africa is the continent's second most widely professed faith

behind Christianity.
 Islam was founded by Mohammed.
 A vision convinced Mohammed to convert Arabs from a polytheistic
religion (belief in many gods) to a monotheistic religion (belief in a
single God) called Allah.
 This Allah was the same God worshipped by Jews and Christians.
 A follower Islam is called a Muslim.

Quran (Koran)

 is the sacred text of Islam.

 It contains the words God gave to Mohammed.
 It discusses proper worship, treatment of women, etc.
 It contains the fundamental doctrine of Islam –‘There is
no God but Allah and Mohammed is his prophet

5 Pillars of Faith

The pillars establish how a good Muslim should live:

1.Pray 5 times daily facing east towards Mecca

2. Fast during Ramadan (holy month)
3.Make pilgrimage to Mecca
4.Charity towards the poor

5.Faith “There is no God but Allah and Mohammed is his prophet”

 Mecca

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https://www.mappr.co/thematic-maps/religion-map-africa-continent/