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Introduction to World Religions and
Belief Systems
Islam is the second-largest religion in the world after Christianity, with
about 1.8 billion Muslims worldwide. As one of the three Abrahamic
religions—the others being Judaism and Christianity—it too is a
monotheistic faith that worships one god, called Allah.
The word Islam means “submission” or “surrender,” as its faithful
surrender to the will of Allah. Although its roots go back further in time,
scholars typically date the creation of Islam to the 7th century, making
it the youngest of the major world religions. Islam started in Mecca, in
modern-day Saudi Arabia, during the time of the prophet Muhammad.
Today, the faith is spreading rapidly throughout the world. Widely
practiced in the Middle East and North Africa, it is also has many
adherents in South Asia—Indonesia, in fact, has the largest number of
followers of the Islamic faith.

Five Pillars of Islam

• Shahada: to declare one’s faith in God and belief in Muhammad
• Salat: to pray five times a day (at dawn, noon, afternoon, sunset,
and evening)
• Zakat: to give to those in need
• Sawm: to fast during Ramadan
• Hajj: to make a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once during a person’s lifetime if
the person is able
 Taoism
Taoism, also known as Daoism, is a religion and philosophy from
ancient China that emphasizes living in harmony with the Tao, which is
the way of the universe. It is traditionally associated with the
philosopher Lao Tzu, who is believed to have written the Tao Te Ching,
the primary text of Taoism, around 500 B.C.E. However, there's little
evidence to support Lao Tzu's existence, and the Tao Te Ching is
thought to be a compilation of sayings from various authors.
Taoism advocates for a life of balance and harmony with the universe
and its energy, known as Ch’i or qi. It doesn't view this energy as a god
but acknowledges the existence of gods as part of Taoist beliefs. These
gods are seen as components of the Tao, just like all living things.
Taoism also has its temples, monasteries, and priests who perform
rituals and meditations.
A central concept in Taoism is the balance of yin and yang, representing
pairs like light and dark, hot and cold, action and inaction, illustrating
that everything in the universe is interconnected.
Taoism gained popularity in the eighth century C.E. during the Tang
dynasty and coexisted with Buddhism and Confucianism. However, with
the Communist takeover in 1949, Taoism and other religions were
banned, leading to a decline in Taoism in China. Nowadays, many
Taoists reside in Taiwan, but recent reforms in China have seen a
resurgence in the number of Chinese Taoists.