Universal Religions

Id Al-Fitr or Eid al-Fitr (Arabic for "Festival of the Breaking of the Fast") is one of Islam's two major festivals.

Meaning
Eid al-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan, the month of fasting. It is a time of celebration and thankfulness to God for the self-control practiced during Ramadan.

Rituals
Rituals and practices of 'Id al-Fitr are characterized by joyfulness, togetherness and thankfulness. They include the following:

communal (mosque) prayer at dawn on the first day
social gatherings and official receptions
gift-giving
eating sweets
wearing new clothes
visiting graves of family
the greeting 'Id Mabarak ("May God make it a blessed feast")

In the religion of Islam, 'Id Al-Adha or Eid al-Adha (Arabic , "Festival of the Sacrifice") is a major festival that takes place at the end of the Hajj. It is also known as 'Id al-Qurban or al-'Id al-Kabir (Major Festival). Eid al-Adha marks the completion of the hajj (pilgrimage) rites at Mina, Saudi Arabia, but is also observed by Muslims throughout the world to commemorate the faith of Ibrahim (Abraham).

Eid Al-Adha begins on the 10th of Dhu'l-Hijja, the last month of the Islamic calendar, and lasts for fours days. It begins the day after Muslims on the Hajj descend from Mount Arafat

Ramadan is not a holy day to Muslims, but a holy month. It is the ninth month of the Islamic year, in which "the Quran was sent down as a guidance for the people". Ramadan is similar to the Jewish Yom Kippur in that both constitute a period of atonement; Ramadan, however, is seen less as atonement and more as an obedient response to a command from Allah.

During Ramadan, those who are able must abstain from food and drink (including water), evil thoughts and deeds, and sexual intercourse from dawn until dusk for the entire month. Because the holiday cycles through the solar year, this fast can be much more challenging in some years than others. When Ramadan falls in the summer season, the days of fasting are longer and it is a greater hardship to do without water.

Non-Muslims in Islamic countries during Ramadan must be careful not to eat, drink, or smoke in the presence of Muslims during the daytime hours of fasting, as the law requires adherence to the fast in public. The traditional greeting during Ramadan is "Ramadan Mubarak" ("May God give you a blessed month") and the reply is "Ramadan Karim" ("May God give you a generous month").

The beginning and end of Ramadan are announced when one trustworthy witness testifies before the authorities that the new moon has been sighted; a cloudy sky may, therefore, delay or prolong the fast. The end of the fast is celebrated with one of two Islamic festivals, 'Id al-Fitr.

In the Islamic religion, Al-Hijra - the New Year - is celebrated on the first day of Muharram, the month in which Muhammad emigrated from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE (the Hijra). The holiday is also known simply as Muharram. Islamic years are calculated from 1 Muharram, 622 CE. They are followed by the suffix AH, which stands for "After Hijira" or Anno Higirae (Latin). In 2005, Al-Hijra falls on February 10, 2005, which will be 1426 AH.

Unlike the important holidays of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, there are few rituals associated with Islamic New Year. There are no prescribed religious observances. Most Muslims regard the day as a time for reflection on the Hijira and on the year to come. In modern times, some Muslims exchange greeting cards to celebrate the holiday.

The Islamic calendar is lunar, like the Jewish calendar. It consists of 12 months of 29 or 30 days each, for a total of 354 days. (The month of Dhu al-Hijjah varies between 29 and 30 days in order to keep the calendar in step with the true phases of the moon, thus some years have 355 days.)

Unlike its Jewish counterpart, however, the Islamic calendar has no corrective system to align it with the solar calendar. Thus the Islamic holidays do not always fall in the same season, and they occur earlier every year on the solar calendar.

The months of the Islamic calendar are as follows:

Muharram
Safr
Rabi' al-Awwal (or Rabi I)
Rabi' al-Thani (or Rabi II)
Jumada al-Ula (or Jumada I)
Jumada al-Thaniyya (or Jumada II)
Rajab
Sha'ban
Ramadan
Shawwal
Dhu al-Qa'dah
Dhu al-Hijjah

Christianity is the world’s biggest religion, with about 2.2 billion followers worldwide. It is based on the teachings of Jesus Christ who lived in the Holy Land 2000 years ago. Through its missionary activity Christianity has spread to most parts of the world. The founder of Christianity is Jesus Christ (Jesus of Nazareth).

Jesus was a Jew who was born in Bethlehem. He lived for 33 years before being crucified by Romans. He came to earth to teach about love and fellowship.

Christians believe that Jesus rose from the dead and appeared to his disciples (followers) to show everyone that there is another life after death. They also believe that there is one God, but it consists of three «persons» — God the Father, God the Son and the Holy Spirit.

The most important Christian Festivals are Lent, Easter and Christmas.

Lent is the period preceding Easter, which is devoted to fasting in commemoration of Christ’s fasting in the wilderness.

Easter is the most important festival of the Christian Church, celebrating the resurrection of Christ.

Christmas is the annual Christian festival celebrating Christ’s birth.

There are three main branches of Christianity — the Catholic Church, the Church of England and the Orthodox Church.

The Catholic Church is the branch of the Christian Church that accepts the Pope as its leader and is based in the Vatican in Rome.

The Church of England is the English branch of the Western Christian Church, which combines Catholic and Protestant traditions, rejects the Pope’s authority, and has the monarch as its titular head. The English Church was part of the Catholic Church until the Reformation of the 16th century; after Henry VIII failed to obtain a divorce from Catherine of Aragon he repudiated papal supremacy, bringing the Church under the control of the Crown.

The Orthodox Church is a Christian Church originating in the Greek-speaking Church of the Byzantine Empire, not accepting the authority of the Pope of Rome, and using elaborate and ancient forms of service.

All Christians share common beliefs that God revealed himself in Jesus Christ, that Christ was crucified and resurrected.

The Christian place of worship is a Church, also a Chapel and a Cathedral. They are often built in the shape of a cross with the altar facing east towards the rising sun. Churches are usually beautifully decorated. Christian worship involves praising God in music, speech, readings from scripture.

The Bible, the Christian holy book, is divided into the Old and New Testaments. Parts of the writing contained in the Old Testament are also sacred to Jewish and Muslim people.

Old Testament is the first part of the Christian Bible, comprising thirty-nine books and corresponding approximately to the Hebrew Bible.

New Testament is the second part of the Christian Bible, written originally in Greek and recording the life and teachings of Christ and his earliest followers.

Advent

Advent, which stems from the Latin adventus ("coming") is a time for Christians to contemplate both Christ’s first coming to the world as baby and his return in glory. It’s also a time to reflect on important foundations of the Christian faith, including the Incarnation and the Virgin Birth.

Christmas

One of the most important holidays on the Christian calendar, Christmas is also the most controversial. The so-called "Christmas Wars" garner headlines every year for battles over manger scenes and the use of "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays" (and other seasonal greetings). But Christmas is also a time for theological and spiritual reflection on important foundations of the Christian faith, including the Incarnation and the Virgin Birth.

Lent
Lent marks a 40-day period on the church calendar leading up to the celebration of Easter. During Lent, Christians have traditionally engaged in practices of self-denial, like fasting, meant to orient their hearts and minds to the sufferings of Christ, who spent 40 days in the desert fasting and enduring temptations from Satan. While many evangelicals reject Lenten disciplines for their associations with Catholicism, in recent years a greater number have experimented with practices like giving up a favorite indulgence or abstaining from meat on Fridays.

Easter
A celebration of Christ's resurrection, Easter marks Christ's triumph over death and, as the Apostle Peter writes, our "new birth into a living hope." It's a time to reflect on salvation, redemption, and the future coming of Christ's kingdom.

Thanksgiving

Today’s Thanksgiving feast has its origins in an English Reformation tradition carried on by the pilgrims who arrived at Plymouth in 1620. In an affront to the Catholic liturgical calendar, Puritans celebrated days of fasting and days of feasting—notably the day of feasting at the end of the fall harvest—in gratitude for God’s provision. In an age where consumption of food is often far removed from fields where it is produced, a growing number of evangelicals have reinterpreted the holiday as a time not only to thank God for abundance, but to examine where abundance comes from and the ethics of food, hunger, and environment.

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The History Of Judaism

It is history that provides the key to an understanding of Judaism, for its primal affirmations appear in early historical narratives. Thus, the Bible reports contemporary events and activities for essentially religious reasons. The biblical authors believed that the divine presence is encountered primarily within history. God’s presence is also experienced within the natural realm, but the more immediate or intimate disclosure occurs in human actions. Although other ancient communities also perceived a divine presence in history, the understanding of the ancient Israelites proved to be the most lasting and influential. It is this particular claim—to have experienced God’s presence in human events—and its subsequent development that is the differentiating factor in Jewish thought.

Moreover, the ancient Israelites’ entire mode of existence was affected by their belief that throughout history they stood in a unique relationship with the divine. The people of Israel believed that their response to the divine presence in history was central not only for themselves but for all humankind. Furthermore, God—as person—had revealed in a particular encounter the pattern and structure of communal and individual life to this people. Claiming sovereignty over the people because of his continuing action in history on their behalf, he had established a covenant (berit) with them and required from them obedience to his teaching, or law (Torah). This obedience was a further means by which the divine presence was made manifest—expressed in concrete human existence. The corporate life of the chosen community was thus a summons to the rest of humankind to recognize God’s presence, sovereignty, and purpose—the establishment of peace and well-being in the universe and in humankind.

History, moreover, disclosed not only God’s purpose but also humankind’s inability to live in accord with it. Even the chosen community failed in its obligation and had to be summoned back, time and again, to its responsibility by the prophets—the divinely called spokespersons who warned of retribution within history and argued and reargued the case for affirmative human response. Israel’s role in the divine economy and thus Israel’s particular culpability were dominant themes sounded against the motif of fulfillment, the ultimate triumph of the divine purpose, and the establishment of divine sovereignty over all humankind.

Judaism, monotheistic religion developed among the ancient Hebrews. Judaism is characterized by a belief in one transcendent God who revealed himself to Abraham, Moses, and the Hebrew prophets and by a religious life in accordance with Scriptures and rabbinic traditions. Judaism is the complex phenomenon of a total way of life for the Jewish people, comprising theology, law, and innumerable cultural traditions.

Jewish philosophy
Main article: Jewish philosophy
Jewish philosophy refers to the conjunction between serious study of philosophy and Jewish theology. Major Jewish philosophers include Solomon ibn Gabirol, Saadia Gaon, Judah Halevi, Maimonides, and Gersonides. Major changes occurred in response to the Enlightenment (late 18th to early 19th century) leading to the post-Enlightenment Jewish philosophers. Modern Jewish philosophy consists of both Orthodox and non-Orthodox oriented philosophy. Notable among Orthodox Jewish philosophers are Eliyahu Eliezer Dessler, Joseph B. Soloveitchik, and Yitzchok Hutner. Well-known non-Orthodox Jewish philosophers include Martin Buber, Franz Rosenzweig, Mordecai Kaplan, Abraham Joshua Heschel, Will Herberg, and Emmanuel Lévinas.

Islam and War

The beginning of Jihad goes back to the words and actions of Muhammad and the Koran.[5] in the Quran, however, never uses the term Jihad to fight and struggle in the name of Allah; qital is used in the meaning of "fighting". According to legal historian Sadaqat Qadri, Islamic jurists first developed the classical Jihad doctrine "by the end of the eighth century", using the Naskh doctrine (that God gradually improve his revelations for prophet Muhammad's mission) they are subordinated to the ayats of the Quran emphasizing harmony more "confrontational" verses of Muhammad years later and related verses to effort (Jihad) for those battles (qital)

The war is Islamic forces until 1918

European crusaders once again conquered most of the territory occupied by the "Islamic state", dividing it into four kingdoms, the most important of which are the state of Jerusalem. The Crusades were not originally intended to recapture Jerusalem and the Holy Land (former Christian territories) from Muslim rule and were initially launched in response to the call of the Orthodox Byzantine Empire for help against the expansion of Muslim Seljuks in Anatolia. There was little drive to recapture the land from the crusaders, save a few attacks on Egyptian Fatimids. This has changed, however, with the arrival of Zenga, the ruler that is now in Northern Iraq. He took Edessa, who was provoked by a second crusade, which was a little more than a 47-year-old stagnation. The impasse was ended with the victory of Salah al-DIN al-Ayyubi (known in the West as Saladin) over the forces of Jerusalem at the horns of Hattin in 1187. It was during the time of stagnation, which was written a lot of literature about Jihad.[2][page needed] during the creation of his troops in Syria, Saladin had to create a doctrine that would unite his forces and force them to fight to the bitter end, if only they could re-conquer the lands that were selected in the first crusade. He said that anyone who leaves Jihad, commits a sin which cannot be washed off by any means. He also put his emirs in the center of power, just under his power. While this propaganda was successful in unifying its forces for some time, the fervor quickly burned down. A large part of Saladin's teachings were rejected after his death.

After joining his father, Suleiman the magnificent began a series of military conquests in Europe.[13] on 29 August 1526, he defeated Louis II of Hungary (1516-26) at the battle of Mohács. In its Wake, Hungarian resistance collapsed and the Ottoman Empire became the leading power in South-Eastern Europe.[14] in July 1683 Sultan Mehmet IV proclaimed a Jihad and the Turkish Grand vizier Kara Mustafa Pasha, laid siege to Vienna with an army of 138,000 men.[15][16][17]

On 14 November 1914, in Constantinople, the capital of the Ottoman Empire, the religious leader Sheikh ul-Islam announced Jihad on behalf of the Turkish government, calling on Muslims all over the world-including in allied countries—to take up arms against England, Russia, France, Serbia and Montenegro in the first world war.[18] on the other hand, Sheikh Hussein bin Ali, Sharif of Mecca, refused to accommodate Ottoman requests that he endorse this Jihad, a requirement that Jihad had become popular, thanks to British pressure and on the basis that:'Holy war doctrinally incompatible with an aggressive war, and absurd with a Christian ally: Germany'[19]

In Saudi Salafi sheiks were convinced that it was their religious mission to wage Jihad against all other forms of Islam. In 1801 or 1802, the Saudi Wahhabis under Abdul Aziz Ibn Muhammad Ibn Saud attacked and captured the Holy Shia cities of Karbala and Najaf in Iraq, massacred the Shiites and destroyed the tombs of the Shiite Imam Husayn and Ali bin Abu Talib. In 1802 they overtook TAIF. In 1803 and 1804 the Wahhabis overtook Mecca and Medina

Muslin prayers

Sunni Muslims are the largest denomination of Islam and are known as Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-Jamā‘h or simply as Ahl as-Sunnah. The word Sunni comes from the word sunnah, which means the teachings and actions or examples of the Islamic prophet, Muhammad. Therefore, "Sunni" refers to those who follow or maintain the sunnah of Muhammad. In many countries, overwhelming majorities of Muslims are Sunnis, so that they simply refer to themselves as "Muslims" and do not use the Sunni label.

The Sunnis believe that Muhammad did not specifically appoint a successor to lead the Muslim ummah (community) before his death, and after an initial period of confusion, a group of his most prominent companions gathered and elected Abu Bakr, Muhammad's close friend and a father-in-law, as the first caliph of Islam. Sunni Muslims regard the first four caliphs (Abu Bakr, `Umar ibn al-Khattāb, Uthman Ibn Affan and Ali ibn Abu Talib) as "al-Khulafā’ur-Rāshidūn" or "The Rightly Guided Caliphs." Sunnis also believe that the position of caliph may be attained democratically, on gaining a majority of the votes, but after the Rashidun, the position turned into a hereditary dynastic rule because of the divisions started by the Umayyads and others. After the fall of the Ottoman Empire in 1923, there has never been another caliph as widely recognized in the Muslim world.

Shia Islam (شيعة Shia, sometimes Shi'a; adjective "Shia"/Shi'ite) is the second-largest denomination of Islam, comprising 10–13% of the total Muslim population in the world. Shia Muslims, though a minority in the Muslim world, constitute the majority of the Muslim populations in Iran, Iraq, Bahrain and Azerbaijan as well as a plurality in Kuwait, Yemen and Lebanon. In addition to believing in the authority of the Qur'an and teachings of Muhammad, Shia believe that Muhammad's family, the Ahl al-Bayt (the "People of the House"), including his descendants known as Imams, have special spiritual and political authority over the community and believe that Ali ibn Abi Talib, Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law, was the first of these Imams and was the rightful successor to Muhammad, and thus reject the legitimacy of the first three Rashidun caliphs.

Kharijite (literally, "those who seceded") is a general term embracing a variety of Muslim sects which, while originally supporting the Caliphate of Ali, later on fought against him and eventually succeeded in his martyrdom while he was praying in the mosque of Kufa. While there are few remaining Kharijite or Kharijite-related groups, the term is sometimes used to denote Muslims who refuse to compromise with those with whom they disagree.

The major Kharijite sub-sect today is the Ibadi. The sect developed out of the 7th century Islamic sect of the Kharijites. While Ibadi Muslims maintain most of the beliefs of the original Kharijites, they have rejected the more aggressive methods.

Later branches

African-American movements

Many slaves brought from Africa to the Western hemisphere were Muslim. Although it is thought that the Islam of slaves did not survive past the 1920,the early twentieth century saw the rise of distinct Islamic movements within the African-American community, such as the Moorish Science Temple of America and the Nation of Islam. They sought to ascribe Islamic heritage to African-Americans, thereby giving much emphasis on racial aspects (see Black nationalism). These Black Muslim movements often differed greatly in doctrine from mainstream.

Ahmadiyya movement

The Ahmadiyya movement was founded in India in 1889 by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, who claimed to be the promised Messiah ("Second Coming of Christ"), the Mahdi awaited by the Muslims and a "subordinate" prophet to Muhammad whose job was to restore the Sharia given to Muhammad by guiding or rallying disenchanted Ummah back to Islam and thwart attacks on Islam by its opponents. The followers are divided into two groups, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community and the Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement for the Propagation of Islam, the former believing that Ghulam Ahmad was a non-law bearing prophet and the latter believing that he was only a religious reformer though a prophet in an allegorical sense. Ahmadis consider themselves Muslims and claim to practice the pristine form of Islam as re-established with the teachings of Ghulam Ahmad.

Gülen / Hizmet movement

The Gülen movement, usually referred to as the Hizmet movement, established in the 1970s as an offshoot of the Nur Movement and led by the Turkish Islamic scholar and preacher Fethullah Gülen in Turkey, Central Asia, and in other parts of the world, is active in education, with private schools and universities in over 180 countries as well as with many American charter schools operated by followers. It has initiated forums for interfaith dialogue. The Cemaat movement's structure has been described as a flexible organizational network. Movement schools and businesses organize locally and link themselves into informal networks. Estimates of the number of schools and educational institutions vary widely; it appears there are about 300 Gülen movement schools in Turkey and over 1,000 schools worldwide.

Islamism

Islamism is a set of political ideologies, derived from various fundamentalist views, which hold that Islam is not only a religion but a political system that should govern the legal, economic and social imperatives of the state. Many Islamists do not refer to themselves as such and it is not a single particular movement. Religious views and ideologies of its adherents vary, and they may be Sunni Islamists or Shia Islamists depending upon their beliefs. Islamist groups include groups such as Al-Qaeda, the organizer of the September 11, 2001 attacks and perhaps the most prominent; and the Muslim Brotherhood, the largest and perhaps the oldest. Although violence is often employed by some organizations, most Islamist movements are nonviolent.

Liberal Muslims

Mahdavia

Quranism

Salafism and Wahhabism

Mahdavia, or Mahdavism, is a Mahdiist sect founded in late 15th century India by Syed Muhammad Jaunpuri, who declared himself to be the Hidden Twelfth Imam of the Twelver Shia tradition. They follow many aspects of the Sunni doctrine. Zikri Mahdavis, or Zikris, are an offshoot of the Mahdavi movement.

Liberal and progressive movements have in common a religious outlook which depends mainly on Ijtihad or re-interpretations of scriptures. Liberal Muslims at thought have led to the birth of certain small denominations from primarily unaffiliated followers who believe in greater autonomy of the individual in interpretation of scripture, a critical examination of religious texts, gender equality, human rights, LGBT rights and a modern view of culture, tradition, and other ritualistic practices in Islam.

Hinduism

Clothing in Islam

History of Buddism

Meat of animals that die of themselves

Blood

The meat of pigs

Any food that dedicated to other than God

Alcohol

Name Means

Persian hindu, Sanskrit sindhu, literally "river," meaning "of the Indus Valley" or "Indian." First used by British writers in the 19th century.

Adherents

1 billion

Beliefs

One Supreme Reality (Brahman) manifested in many gods and goddesses. Reincarnation based on karma.

Practices

Yoga, meditation, worship (puja), devotion to a god or goddess, pilgrimage to holy cities, live according to one's dharma (purpose/ role).

Main Holidays

Holi, Diwali, Mahashivaratri

Texts

Vedas, Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, Ramayana, etc.

Symbols

lotus, swastika, trisula, om

Hinduism

• Hinduism
Hinduism is an Indian Dharma, or a way of life, widely practiced in South Asia. Hinduism has been called the oldest religion in the world, and some practitioners and scholars refer to it as Sanātana Dharma, "the eternal tradition", or the "eternal way", beyond human history. Scholars regard Hinduism as a fusion or synthesis of various Indian cultures and traditions, with diverse roots and no founder. This "Hindu synthesis" started to develop between 500 BCE and 300 CE, following the Vedic period (1500 BCE to 500 BCE).
Although Hinduism contains a broad range of philosophies, it is linked by shared concepts, recognisable rituals, cosmology, shared textual resources, and pilgrimage to sacred sites. Hindu texts are classified into Śruti ("heard") and Smṛti ("remembered"). These texts discuss theology, philosophy, mythology, Vedic yajna, Yoga, agamic rituals, and temple building, among other topics. Major scriptures include the Vedas and Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, and the Agamas. Sources of authority and eternal truths in its texts play an important role, but there is also a strong Hindu tradition of questioning authority in order to deepen the understanding of these truths and to further develop the tradition.
Etymology
The word Hindu is derived from the Indo-Aryan/Sanskrit root Sindhu, the name for the Indus River in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent (modern day Pakistan and Northern India).According to Gavin Flood, "The actual term Hindu first occurs as a Persian geographical term for the people who lived beyond the river Indus (Sanskrit: Sindhu)", more specifically in the 6th-century BCE inscription of Darius I (550–486 BCE).The term Hindu in these ancient records is a geographical term and did not refer to a religion.Among the earliest known records of 'Hindu' with connotations of religion may be in the 7th-century CE Chinese text Record of the Western Regions by Xuanzang, and 14th-century Persian text Futuhu's-salatin by 'Abd al-Malik Isami.
Thapar states that the word Hindu is found as heptahindu in Avesta – equivalent to Rigvedic sapta sindhu, while hndstn (pronounced Hindustan) is found in a Sasanianinscription from the 3rd century CE, both of which refer to parts of northwestern South Asia. The Arabic term al-Hind referred to the people who live across the River Indus. This Arabic term was itself taken from the pre-Islamic Persian term Hindū, which refers to all Indians. By the 13th century, Hindustan emerged as a popular alternative name of India, meaning the "land of Hindus".
Definitions
Hinduism includes a diversity of ideas on spirituality and traditions, but has no ecclesiastical order, no unquestionable religious authorities, no governing body, no prophet(s) nor any binding holy book; Hindus can choose to be polytheistic, pantheistic, monotheistic, monistic, agnostic, atheistic or humanist. Because of the wide range of traditions and ideas covered by the term Hinduism, arriving at a comprehensive definition is difficult. The religion "defies our desire to define and categorize it". Hinduism has been variously defined as a religion, a religious tradition, a set of religious beliefs, and "a way of life". From a Western lexical standpoint, Hinduism like other faiths is appropriately referred to as a religion. In India the term dharma is preferred, which is broader than the western term religion.
The study of India and its cultures and religions, and the definition of "Hinduism", has been shaped by the interests of colonialism and by Western notions of religion.Since the 1990s, those influences and its outcomes have been the topic of debate among scholars of Hinduism, and have also been taken over by critics of the Western view on India.
Typology
Hinduism as it is commonly known can be subdivided into a number of major currents. Of the historical division
• into six darsanas (philosophies), two schools, Vedanta and Yoga, are currently the most prominent. Classified by primary deity or deities, four major Hinduism modern currents are Vaishnavism (Vishnu), Shaivism (Shiva),Shaktism (Devi) and Smartism (five deities treated as same). Hinduism also accepts numerous divine beings, with many Hindus considering the deities to be aspects or manifestations of a single impersonal absolute or ultimate reality or God, while some Hindus maintain that a specific deity represents the supreme and various deities are lower manifestations of this supreme. Other notable characteristics include a belief in existence of ātman (soul, self), reincarnation of one's ātman, and karma as well as a belief in dharma (duties, rights, laws, conduct, virtues and right way of living).
Beliefs
Prominent themes in Hindu beliefs include (but are not restricted to) Dharma (ethics/duties), Samsāra (the continuing cycle of birth, life, death and rebirth), Karma (action, intent and consequences), Moksha (liberation from samsara or liberation in this life), and the various Yogas (paths or practices).
Artha (livelihood, wealth)
Main article: Artha
Artha is objective and virtuous pursuit of wealth for livelihood, obligations and economic prosperity. It is inclusive of political life, diplomacy and material well-being. The Artha concept includes all "means of life", activities and resources that enables one to be in a state one wants to be in, wealth, career and financial security.The proper pursuit of artha is considered an important aim of human life in Hinduism.
Kāma (sensual pleasure)
Main article: Kama
Kāma (Sanskrit, Pali; Devanagari: काम) means desire, wish, passion, longing, pleasure of the senses, the aesthetic enjoyment of life, affection, or love, with or without sexual connotations. In Hinduism, Kama is considered an essential and healthy goal of human life when pursued without sacrificing Dharma, Artha and Moksha.
Mokṣa (liberation, freedom from samsara)
Main article: Moksha
Moksha (Sanskrit: मोक्ष mokṣa) or mukti (Sanskrit: मुक्ति) is the ultimate, most important

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https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindu_deities