The Bible or the Quran Trivia Quiz

Answer: Muslims

A minaret is a narrow tower that is usually attached or next to a mosque. In some mosques, a muezzin stands on a balcony at the top and calls Muslims to prayer. Muslims are called to pray five times a day: at dawn, midday, mid-afternoon, sunset, and once at night.

As technology has advanced, minarets have begun to serve a more traditional and decorative role. In many 21st century mosques, Muslims are called to prayer through a microphone and speaker system.

Answer: Purim

Purim is a Jewish festival to celebrate the Jews being saved from genocide over 2500 years ago. It is based on the story of Esther, a Jew who was chosen to become King Ahasuerus's wife in Persia. After she had become queen, Esther's cousin displeased the king's viceroy, Haman.

In revenge, Haman plotted to kill all of the Jews in the empire. When Esther heard about the plan to execute all of the Jews, her cousin convinced her to use her position as Queen. She begged the King to stop the genocide, revealing herself to be a Jew.

She explained to the King that Haman intended to kill her and her people. The King was shocked and ordered Haman to be executed instead.

Answer: Sikhs

The first Gurdwara was built at Kartarpur in 1521-2 by Guru Nanak. One of the most well-known Gurdwaras is the Golden Temple in Amritsar, in India. It gets its name from its gold exterior, but the building is also heavily decorated inside. The main structure was built over a man-made pool and is accessible by a bridge.

Answer: The Bible

Saul was a man in the New Testament, which is part of the Bible. He was partly responsible for the persecution of early Christians after Jesus' death. Saul was travelling to Damascus when he saw a bright light and he heard a voice saying, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" The voice revealed itself to be Jesus and Saul was blind for three days. Saul's friends took him the rest of the way to Damascus.

He spent time with Christians in the city and began to preach that Jesus was the Son of God. The conversion of Saul is recorded in Acts 9. Later on, in Acts 13, Saul began to be referred to as Paul.

Answer: Sikhism

Sikhism was founded on the teachings of Guru Nanak. When Nanak was alive, the main religions in the Punjab area were Hinduism and Islam. Like Islam, Sikhism teaches that there is only one God. Sikhs also believe that humans go through the process of birth, life, and rebirth as Hindus do.

There are other similarities to Islam and Hinduism, as well as differences that make Sikhism unique. For example, Sikhs have their own holy book, the Guru Granth Sahib.

Answer: Baptism

In Mormonism, children are baptised once they are considered to be accountable for their actions. Total immersion in water symbolises the death of a person's old life and the start of their new one.

The Sacred Thread ceremony is a Hindu practice for children as they are growing up. Bar Mitzvah is a similar coming of age ritual for Jewish boys. Vision quests are a part of some Native American cultures. They mark the transition from childhood to adulthood by spending time alone in nature and receiving guidance for the future through visions.

Answer: Quran

According to Islamic tradition, Allah (God) revealed the Quran to Muhammad over a period of time. Muhammad dictated what he had been told and scribes recorded it. The oldest full copy of the Quran dates back to the 9th century, but some fragments of the text are around 300 years older. Experts at the University of Birmingham in the UK found pages of the Quran in the university library in 2015. When they were radiocarbon dated, they discovered that the parchment was from between 568 and 645. As the text is so old, it is likely that the scribe knew Muhammad and had listened to him preach.

Some religions (such as Candomble in Brazil) are oral traditions, so they don't have any religious texts at all.

Answer: Buddhism

Siddhartha Gautama was born into a royal family in present-day Nepal. The dates of his birth and death are uncertain, but he lived between 500-400 BCE. As a prince, he was sheltered from some of life's suffering until he left the palace for the first time as a young adult.

He saw three people: an elderly man, a sick man, and a corpse. Siddhartha spent the rest of his life trying to find a way to alleviate suffering.

Answer: Hinduism

Hinduism is a diverse religion containing a wide range of beliefs and practices. Most Hindus, however, believe in the triumvirate: three gods who represent creation, preservation, and destruction. Brahma is the creator and Vishnu preserves the good things that have been created. Shiva destroys things (often negative things) so that new things can be created. All three gods are part of one Brahman, which is the Ultimate Reality in the universe.

The concept is comparable to the Christian Trinity in which one God is manifest in three parts: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Answer: Jainism

Believers in any religion may choose to be vegetarian, but vegetarianism is a key principle in Jainism. Jains believe in complete non-violence, known as ahimsa. Their reverence for all life means that they do not eat meat, but it extends further than that. Jains do not eat root vegetables like potatoes because doing so destroys the whole plant.