History The first known usage of the term Christians can be found in the New Testament of the Bible.

The term was thus first used to denote those known or perceived to be disciples of Jesus. Similarly, in the two other New Testament it refers to the public identity of those who follow Jesus. The history of early Christian groups is told in cts in the New Testament. The early days of Christianity witnessed the desert !athers in "gypt, sects of hermits and #nostics ascetics. Christianity began in $st century % Jerusalem as a Jewish sect but spread throughout the &oman "mpire and beyond to countries such as "thiopia, rmenia, #eorgia, ssyria, 'ran, 'ndia, and China. 'slam(s historical development resulted in ma)or political, economic, and military effects inside and outside the 'slamic world. *ithin a century of +uhammad(s first recitations of the ,ur(an, an 'slamic empire stretched from the tlantic -cean in the west to Central sia in the east. +uhammad began preaching 'slam at +ecca before migrating to +edina, from where he united the tribes of rabia into a singular rab +uslim religious polity. *ith +uhammad(s death in ./0, disagreement broke out over who would succeed him as leader of the +uslim community. +any leaders followed. !or the 1mayyad aristocracy, 'slam was viewed as a religion for rabs only. 'slam spread rapidly during 2345$036 the era that they call The #olden ge. Since then this religion has progressed by leaps and bounds across the world.

Beliefs The Christian &eligion encompasses all churches as well as believers without churches, as many modern practitioners may be believers in Christ but not active church goers. Christian will study the Bible, attend church, seek ways to introduce the teachings of Jesus into his or her life, and engage in prayer. Christian seeks forgiveness for his or her personal sins through faith in Jesus Christ. The goal of the Christian is both the manifestation of the 7ingdom of #od on "arth and the attainment of 8eaven in the after5life. +uslims believe that #od revealed the ,ur(an to +uhammad, #od(s final prophet, and regard the ,ur(an and the Sunnah 9words and deeds of +uhammad: as the fundamental sources of 'slam. They do not regard +uhammad as the founder of a new religion, but as the restorer of the original monotheistic faith of braham, +oses, Jesus, and other prophets. 'slamic tradition holds that Judaism and Christianity distorted the messages of these prophets over time either in interpretation, in te;t, or both. Scriptures Christianity regards the 8oly Bible, a collection of canonical books in two parts 9the -ld Testament and the New Testament: as authoritative< written by human authors under the inspiration of the 8oly Spirit, and therefore the inerrant *ord of #od. The principle scriptures of 'slam are the ,uran and the 8adith. The ,uran is the source of llah(s revelations to humanity, transmitted through his messenger, +uhammad. The 8adith is not considered a direct source of revelation= instead, it is supposed to contain the records of the traditions, practices and decision of the very earliest +uslim community. Practices Christians believe that all people should strive to follow Christ(s commands and e;ample in their everyday actions. !or many, this includes obedience to the Ten Commandments. -ther Christian practices include acts of piety such as prayer and Bible reading. Christians assemble for communal worship on Sunday, the day of the resurrection, though other liturgical practices often

occur outside this setting. Scripture readings are drawn from the -ld and New Testaments, but especially the #ospels. 'slam includes many religious practices. dherents are generally re>uired to observe the !ive ?illars of 'slam, which are five duties that unite +uslims into a community. 'n addition to the !ive ?illars, 'slamic law 9sharia: has developed a tradition of rulings that touch on virtually all aspects of life and society. This tradition encompasses everything from practical matters like dietary laws and banking to warfare. Teachings The 8oly ,uran is the highest authority in 'slam. 't contains the e;act words of #od as revealed to ?rophet +uhammad and recorded by his companions. The basis faith teachings of 'slam preach about the divinity and supreme authority of #od9 llah:. 't also preaches tolerance towards other religions. -nly 'slam has >uestioned the basic tenets of Christianity, such as the Trinity, the divinity of Jesus and his atoning death on the cross. 'slam does not approve the use of force in the propagation of religion. !or +uslims, the ,uran answers >uestions about daily needs, both spiritual and material. 't discusses #od and #od(s Names and attributes= believers and their virtues, and the fate of non5believers 9k@fir:= +ary, Jesus, and all the other prophets= and even scientific sub)ects. 'n practice, the laws that +uslims follow are contained in the law collections known as the 8adith. 'slam also teaches respect towards parents and elders. Christianity, on the other hand preaches the trinity of #od and the e;istence of #od9Jesus: as immortal. Christianity talks about Jesus as the savior of the world and doesn(t regard 'slamic principles as true. nother universal teaching of Christianity is following the concept of family values, helping the powerless and promoting peace. Groups There are many people who follow Christianity and have divided themselves into various groupsA sects depending upon varying beliefs. The types of Christians include Catholic, ?rotestant, nglican, Butheran, ?resbyterian, Baptist "piscopalian, #reek -rthodo;, &ussian -rthodo;, Coptic, &astafarian, #nostic. lmost all +uslims belong to one of two ma)or denominations, the Sunni and Shia. Population %ata suggests that there are around one billion and eight hundred million Christians in the world. There are around $.$ to $.6 billion +uslims in the world, making 'slam the second largest religion n the world after Christianity. Demographics Commonly cited estimates of the +uslim population in 0442 range from $.$ billion to $.6 billion. ppro;imately 63C are Sunni and $3C are Shia, with a small minority belonging to other sects. Some /4DE4 countries are +uslim5ma)ority, and rabs account for around 04C of all +uslims worldwide. South sia and Southeast sia contain the most populous +uslim countries, with 'ndonesia, 'ndia, ?akistan, and Bangladesh having more than $44 million adherents each. Christianity is the world(s largest religion. 't is the predominant religion in "urope, the mericas, Southern frica, the ?hilippines and -ceania. 't is also growing rapidly in frica and sia, particularly in China, South 7orea and the +iddle "ast. 't is declining in other countries including ustralia, #reat Britain, !rance and #ermany.