RELIGION

It is well known that there is a presence of Arabic influence in many parts of the Tanzanian culture. The Islamic religion got its start as early as the14th century. The first Moslem presence in East Africa dates back to AD 830. Today the Islamic religion makes up about 35% of the religious population in Tanzania, which makes it one of the most practiced religions (Nationmaster.com).

The images above show the Qur'an (Image 5) and a Muslim worshipping in Mecca (Image 6). The Qur'an is the sacred book of Islam and is thought to have come about via a revelation to the prophet Mohammed. As part of the five pillars of Islam, a pilgrimage (Hajj) to Mecca during the month of Dhul Hijjah should be accomplished at least once in a Muslim's lifetime (Nationmaster.com).

The second most practiced religion in Tanzania is Christianity. The earliest evidence of the first Catholic evangelization was in 1499 at Zanzibar (a tiny island off the coast of Tanzania). There was heavy Arab Moslem opposition therefore the evangelism did not last long. Successful evangelism did not occur until 1863 by a religious congregation called, The Holy Ghost Fathers. The goal of this Christian church was to incarnate the Christian faith into the traditional African cultural values. The Christian faith involves the belief in God, his son Jesus (Image 7) and the Holy Ghost. Christians also believe that Jesus was born (Image 8) and walked the earth as a man (Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia).