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Abrahamic Faiths: fun facts and quiz
The essentials in 7 ideas, with fun facts, an illustrated story and a quiz to see how much you know.
The essentials
Abraham
Judaism, Christianity and Islam all honour Abraham as a father of their faith. They also share figures like Moses, and belief in one God.
Key fact
Muslims know Abraham as Ibrahim.
Judaism
Judaism is based on the Torah and centuries of teaching. Many Jews rest on Shabbat, from Friday evening to Saturday evening, and worship in synagogues.
Key fact
There are around 15 million Jews worldwide.
Christianity
Christianity centres on the life and teachings of Jesus. With about 2.3 billion followers, it’s the world’s largest religion, with branches like Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant.
Key fact
Easter celebrates Christians’ belief in Jesus’ resurrection.
Islam
Muslims believe the Quran was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. The Five Pillars of Islam include prayer, fasting in Ramadan and the pilgrimage to Mecca, called the Hajj.
Key fact
Many Muslims pray five times a day, facing Mecca.
Jerusalem
Jerusalem is sacred to all three faiths. Its Old City holds the Western Wall, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Al-Aqsa Mosque, all within a small area.
Key fact
The Old City covers less than 1 square kilometre.
Branches of Faith
Each faith has branches. Islam’s largest are Sunni and Shia; Judaism includes Orthodox and Reform; Christianity includes Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant churches.
Key fact
Most Muslims worldwide are Sunni.
Holy Days
Key festivals include Passover and Yom Kippur for Jews, Christmas and Easter for Christians, and Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha for Muslims.
Key fact
Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is a day of fasting.
Fun facts
The Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron, said to hold Abraham’s tomb, is holy to Jews, Christians and Muslims.
A Torah scroll is written by hand by a trained scribe, and it can take over a year to finish one.
The full Bible has been translated into over 700 languages, more than any other book.
Around two million people take part in the Hajj in a typical year.
For centuries, the keys of Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre have been kept by Muslim families.
Iran and Iraq are among the few countries where most Muslims are Shia.
Many Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas on 7 January.
Story: The Immovable Ladder
The Immovable Ladder
Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre is shared by six Christian churches, under rules called the Status Quo, fixed in the 1700s and 1800s.
Nothing may change without everyone’s agreement. So a wooden ladder, left on a ledge above the entrance by the 1700s, has stayed there ever since.
It’s known as the Immovable Ladder. In 1997 a prankster hid it behind an altar; it was soon found and put back in its place.
True or false?
Tap your answer to see if you got it, and why.
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Question 1 of 10
Judaism, Christianity and Islam all honour Abraham.
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True. That’s why they’re called Abrahamic.
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Question 2 of 10
Shabbat runs from Friday evening to Saturday evening.
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True. A weekly day of rest.
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Question 3 of 10
Christianity is the world’s largest religion.
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True. About 2.3 billion followers.
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Question 4 of 10
The Hajj is a pilgrimage to Mecca.
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True. One of the Five Pillars.
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Question 5 of 10
Jerusalem is sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims.
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True. Its Old City holds sites holy to all three.
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Question 6 of 10
Most Muslims are Sunni.
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True. Roughly 85 to 90%.
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Question 7 of 10
Yom Kippur is a Jewish day of fasting.
Show the answer
True. The holiest day of the Jewish year.
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Question 8 of 10
Moses is honoured only in Judaism.
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False. All three faiths honour him.
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Question 9 of 10
Jewish worship takes place in mosques.
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False. Jews worship in synagogues.
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Question 10 of 10
Easter celebrates the birth of Jesus.
Show the answer
False. It celebrates his resurrection; Christmas marks his birth.
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Sources
- Pew Research Center (2025) — The global religious landscape
- Encyclopaedia Britannica — Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Jerusalem
- BBC Bitesize — Religious Studies: Judaism, Christianity, Islam
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre — Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls
- Encyclopaedia Britannica — Benedictines, Camino de Santiago, Sufism, Dead Sea Scrolls, Islamic arts, Schism of 1054
- UNESCO — Mevlevi Sema ceremony
