CATEGORIZATION
OF MAJOR WORLD RELIGIONS
by
Dr Zakir Naik
Religions
of the world can be broadly categorized into Semitic religions and non-Semitic
religions. Non-Semitic religions can be divided into Aryan religions and
non-Aryan religions.
Semitic
religions
Semitic
religions are religions that originated among the Semites. According to the
Bible, Prophet Noah (pbuh) had a son called Shem. The descendents of Shem are
known as Semites. Therefore, Semitic religions are the religions that
originated among the Jews, Arabs, Assyrians, Phoenicians, etc. Major Semitic
religions are Judaism, Christianity and Islam. All these religions are
Prophetic religions that believe in Divine Guidance sent through prophets of
God.
Non-Semitic
religions
The
non-Semitic religions are further subdivided into Aryan and non-Aryan religions:
Aryan
Religions
Aryan
religions are the religions that originated among the Aryans, a powerful group
of Indo-European speaking people that spread through Iran and Northern India in
the first half of the second Millenium BC (2000 to 1500 BC). The Aryan
Religions are further subdivided into Vedic and non-Vedic religions.
The
Vedic Religion is given the misnomer of Hinduism or Brahminism. The non-Vedic
Religions are Sikhism, Buddhism, Jainism, etc. Almost all Aryan religions are
non-Prophetic religions. Zoroastrianism is an Aryan, non-Vedic religion, which
is not associated with Hinduism. It claims to be a prophetic religion.
Non-Aryan
Religions
The
non-Aryan religions have diverse origins. Confucianism and Taoism are of
Chinese origin while Shintoism is of Japanese origin. Many of these non-Aryan
religions do not have a concept of God. They are better referred to as ethical
systems rather than as religions.
Reference:http://www.irf.net/irf/comparativereligion/index.htm
