“Windows To Spirituality”
Eid Prayers Eid prayers, also known as Salat al-Eid (صلاة العيد) and Șālat al-’Īdayn (صلاة العيدين “Prayer of the Two Eids”), is the special prayers offered to commemorate two Islamic festivals traditionally in an open space allocated (musalla or Eidgah) or field available for prayer. The two festivals on which these prayers are conducted in large...
Miracles Of Jesus The miracles of Jesus are the supernatural deeds attributed to Jesus in Christian and Islamic texts. The majority are faith healings, exorcisms, resurrection, control over nature, and forgiveness of sins. In the Synoptic Gospels (Mark, Matthew, and Luke), Jesus refuses to give a miraculous sign to prove...
What Is Celibacy? Celibacy is the state of voluntarily being unmarried, sexually abstinent, or both, usually for religious reasons. It is often in association with the role of a religious official or devotee. In its narrow sense, the term celibacy is applied only to those for whom the unmarried state is the result...
Prophets And Messengers In Islam This article covers the prophets and messengers in Islam. Prophets in Islam ( ٱلْأَنۢبِيَاء فِي ٱلْإِسْلَام, nabī, ‘prophet‘ pl. الأنبياء,نب anbiyāʼ) are individuals who Muslims believe were sent by God to various communities in order to serve as examples of ideal human behavior and to spread God’s message on Earth. Some...
Sources For The Historicity Of Jesus This article covers the sources for the historicity of Jesus. Christian sources, such as the New Testament books in the Christian Bible, include detailed stories about Jesus, but scholars differ on the historicity of specific episodes described in the Biblical accounts of Jesus. The only...
Moses In Islam Mûsâ ibn ‘Imran ( ٰمُوسَى, Mūsā) known as Moses in Judaeo-Christian theology, considered a prophet and messenger in Islam, is the most frequently mentioned individual in the Qur’an, his name is mentioned 136 times. The Qur’an states that Musa was sent by Allah to the Pharaoh of Egypt and his...
Temptation Of Christ The temptation of Christ is a biblical narrative detailed in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. According to these texts, after being baptized by John the Baptist, Jesus fasted for 40 days and nights in the Judaean Desert. During this time, Satan appeared to Jesus and tried to tempt...
Baptism Of Jesus The baptism of Jesus is described in the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. John’s gospel does not directly describe Jesus’ baptism. Most modern theologians view the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist as a historical event to which a high degree of certainty can be...
Brothers of Jesus The New Testament describes James, Joseph (Joses), Judas (Jude), and Simon as brothers of Jesus( ἀδελφοὶ, adelphoi, ‘brothers’). Also mentioned, but not named, are sisters of Jesus. Some scholars argue that these brothers, especially James, held positions of special honor in the early Christian church. Catholic, Assyrian, Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox believe in the perpetual virginity of...
Return Of The Family Of Jesus To Nazareth The return of the family of Jesus to Nazareth, also known as the Return from Egypt, appears in the reports of the early life of Jesus given in the Canonical gospels. Both of the gospels which describe the nativity of Jesus agree that he...
John The Baptist John the Baptist (יוחנן המטביל Yokhanan HaMatbil, Ἰωάννης ὁ βαπτιστής, يوحنا المعمدان; Late 1st century BC – 28–36 AD) was a Jewish itinerant preacher in the early first century AD. John is revered as a major religious figure in Christianity, Islam, the Bahá’í Faith, and Mandaeism. He is called...
David In Islam This article explains the biblical David in Islam. The biblical David (داؤد, Dā’ūd or داوود, Dāwūd), who was, according to the Hebrew Bible, the second king of the United Kingdom of Israel and Judah, reigning c. 1010–970 BCE, is also venerated in Islam as a prophet and messenger of God, and as a...
Samsara In Buddhism Samsara (Saṃsāra) in Buddhism is the beginningless cycle of repeated birth, mundane existence and dying again. Samsara is considered to be dukkha, unsatisfactory and painful, perpetuated by desire and avidya (ignorance), and the resulting karma. Rebirths occur in six realms of existence, namely three good realms (heavenly, demi-god, human) and three evil realms...
Prophet David Prophet David (דָּוִד) is described in the Hebrew Bible as the second king of the United Kingdom of Israel and Judah after Saul and Ish-bosheth. In the biblical narrative, David is a young shepherd who gains fame first as a musician and later by killing the enemy champion...
Adam In Islam Âdam or Aadam (آدم,ʾĀdam) is believed to have been the first human being and nabi (نَـبِي, prophet) on Earth, in Islam. Adam’s role as the father of the human race is looked upon by Muslims with reverence. Muslims also refer to his wife, Hawa (حَـواء, Eve), as the “mother of mankind”. Muslims see Adam...
Uzair Uzair (عزير, ʿUzayr) is a figure mentioned in the Quran, in the verse 9:30, which states that he was revered by the Jews as “the son of God“. Uzair is most often identified with the biblical Ezra. Modern historians have described the reference as “enigmatic”, since such views have not been found in Jewish sources. Islamic...
Prophet Elisha Elisha (אֱלִישָׁע, ʼElišaʻ, ʼĔlîšāʻ, “My God is salvation”, Ἐλισ[σ]αῖος, Elis[s]aîos or Ἐλισαιέ, Elisaié) was, according to the Hebrew Bible, a prophet and a wonder-worker. Also mentioned in the New Testament and the Quran, Elisha is venerated as a prophet in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Amongst new religious movements, Bahá’í writings refer to...
Who Is Ezra? Ezra (עזרא, ‘Ezrā; fl. 480–440 BCE), also called Ezra the Scribe (עזרא הסופר, Ezra ha-Sofer) and Ezra the Priest in the Book of Ezra, was a Jewish scribe (sofer) and priest (kohen). In Greco-Latin, Ezra is called Esdras (Ἔσδρας). According to the Hebrew Bible, he was a descendant of Sraya (Ezra 7:1) the last...
Dhul-Kifl Dhul-Kifl, or Zul-Kifl (ذُو ٱلْكِفْل) literally means “Possessor of the Fold” (c. 600 BCE) is an Islamic prophet who has been identified with various Hebrew Bible prophets, most commonly Ezekiel. It is believed that he lived for roughly 75 years and that he preached in what is modern day Iraq. Dhul-Kifl is...
Fear Of God The Fear of God refers to fear or a specific sense of respect, awe, and submission to a deity. People subscribing to popular monotheistic religions might fear divine judgment, hell or God‘s omnipotence. Bahá’í In the Bahá’í Faith, “The heart must be sanctified from every form of...
