Abrahamic Religions

1. Abrahamic Religions Judaism, Islam, and Christianity and their customs

2. Islam • Buildings and places of Worship • Masjid • a place of prostration • collective mosque • state owned center for community worship • Place of Friday afternoon Services (jum'ah) • Difference from churches and Synagogues • marriage or birth not preformed in mosque • confession, penitence, confirmation don't exist

3. Islam Cont. • Prayer • preformed in bows and prostrations • Congregation gathers in a large room in rows barefooted • follow imam's movements • Women are separated from the men, like in orthodox Judaism • No music in services, only chanting of the Qur’an

4. Islamic Service Customs • Congregants gather in a large great hall • Women and men are separated • Men are on the ground floor • Women in the balcony • Individual Prayer • Entrance to the great hall • Individual prayer is done upon entering

5. Islamic service Cont. • Imam chants the Qur'an • First in Arabic • Then in English • Sermon is given by the Imam • Group Prayer • All congregants come to the front of the great hall and do a prayer to Allah as one group

6. Music in Abrahamic Religious Services • Islamic Services • Music is not used due to the fact that it is considered Haram • Chanting of the Qur’an is permitted • Jewish Services • Singing of certain prayers is an integral part of the services especially in services on holidays

7. Music in Abrahamic Religious Services Cont. • Christian Services • A Choir is used to sing hymns throughout the service which is also an important part of the service • Summary • Christian and Jewish services use music as an important part of worship • Islamic services don’t use music because it is part of their law in regard to music

8. Christian Worship Services • Buildings and places of Worship • Usually held in a Church or Chapel • Can be held anywhere. • Services are held on Sundays • Churches are also used for. • marriages • baptisms(specifically a Christian tradition) • confession, penitence, confirmation • Funeral services

9. Christian Worship Services Cont. • Prayer • Preformed in a group, but is also followed by personal prayer. • There are a variety of ways to pray • Bowing is the most common • Full body prostration is not often done. • Face raised to the sky. • No real specific or right way to pray.

10. Christian services Cont.(basic outline of a Sunday service) • Entrance • Greetings, music, song, prayer, praise • Proclamation and Response • Scripture readings, prayer, offering, preaching • Included in this section • Music • Witnessing • Media messages • Communion served (Could be once a month or every week) • Benediction

11. Jewish Services • Recitation of prayers is the central characteristic of Jewish worship. • There is often help from the people in the congregation (Rabi speaks, and congregation answers) • Cantor is in a room, usually with an organ, singing the prayers

12. Jewish Services Cont. • 10 men needed to open the ark and take out the Torah • Passages are read during each prayer service • 3 times of prayer • Morning prayer ( week day, and Saturday morning) • Afternoon prayer • Evening prayer (weekly, congregational services on Friday evenings)

13. Jewish Services Cont.(Friday evening Service) • Services begin with the song of songs • composed of six psalms, 95 to 99, and 29, representing the six week-days • Sermon from Rabi • List of honored deceased is read (if any) • Benidiction

14. Pictures and Videos • http://youtube.com/watch?v=rk5qei2TtoM • Recitation of the four questions (said on Passover by the youngest child at the Passover sader)

15. Cited Sources "mosque." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2008. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 19 Apr. 2008 http://www.search.eb.com/eb/article-9053913 "jum'ah." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2008. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 19 Apr. 2008 <http://www.search.eb.com/eb/article-9044135>. United Methodist Hymnal Book of United Methodist Worship. Nashville: Abingdon P, 1989. 2.