Throughout all the religious changes on the court level, the common people adopted part of each new religion as an additional layer on top of their traditional local beliefs. Today, the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, part of Oriental Orthodoxy, is by far the largest denomination, though a number of Protestants churches have recently gained ground. By the 15th century, Islam had gained a firm footing in coastal areas of other islands of the archipelago as well. Other areas of high rural population are found in parts of Sumatra and Celebes. There is little formal commercial activity; goods are obtained from peddlers and small shops (warung) or from the market towns, which often are also local government centres. Small communities of Christians, Jews, and Zoroastrians are also found throughout the country. Goats, chickens, banana and papaya trees, and a host of small children are characteristic of village life. In the heavily populated areas of central and eastern Java, there are thousands of such settlements, some of which have sizable populations. Nearly half of Indonesia’s population lives in rural areas. Local religions are practiced in some remote areas.

Like all forms of culture, Asian religions may be considered geographically in terms of both their places of origin and their distribution. Theories such as the “compensatory control model” suggest that individuals who feel a lack of control in their lives may be drawn to the perceived certainty and agency offered by black magic practices. The floor-level toilets have separate holes for liquids (which are diverted to pots outside) and solids, plus a cleansing water basin and a hole for users to drop a handful of lime, sawdust, ash or something similar after depositing solid waste to help with decomposition, moisture reduction and odor control. However, the many local rituals connected with birth, death, and marriage are carefully observed by people at all levels, and ceremonies (selamatan) are held on all special occasions. Here are ten lesser-known saints and the people they watch over. Sassy, the cat from “Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey.” She likes nice things but will get her paws dirty for her friends if they are in need. The main course of study in such an institution is Islamic jurisprudence (Arabic fiqh), but a student need not complete his madrasah studies to become a faqīh, or jurist.

To become a mullah, one need merely advance to a level of scholarly competence recognized by other members of the clergy. It sounds crazy just typing it out, but lo and behold the strangest comic book character in Marvel lore turned out to be one of the studio’s most popular movie characters of all time. As for the Arabs, to whom God has at this time given rule (shultãnâ) over the world, you know well how they act toward us. The process of dating and forming relationships has changed quite dramatically over time. They directed Joan to cut her hair short and don men’s clothing in order to meet the dauphin and eventually lead the French to victory over the English, bringing Charles VII to the throne. Shiʿis of every level defer to clergymen on the basis of their reputation for learning and judicial acumen, and the trend has become strong in modern Shiʿism for every believer, in order to avoid sin, to follow the teachings of his or her chosen marjaʿ-e taqlīd. By the end of August disease and a shortage of supplies had reduced his army, and he had to order a retreat towards his base at Dunbar.

Religious toleration, one of the characteristics of Iran during the Pahlavi monarchy, came to an end with the Islamic revolution in 1979. While Christians, Jews, and Zoroastrians are recognized in the constitution of 1979 as official minorities, the revolutionary atmosphere in Iran was not conducive to equal treatment of non-Muslims. The vast majority of Iranians are Muslims of the Ithnā ʿAsharī, or Twelver, Shiʿi branch, which is the official state religion. Christians, Jews, and Zoroastrians are the most significant religious minorities. The earliest recorded Indonesian history shows extensive religious influences from India; the early Indonesian states that centred on Java or Sumatra evolved through many forms of Hinduism and Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism. The blending of the two religions continued until the 14th century, when Islam, brought by Muslim traders primarily from South Asia, emerged as the dominant religion along the coasts of Java and Sumatra. Regions such as central Kalimantan and western New Guinea, the mountains of northern Sumatra, and the interiors of other mountainous islands long remained virtually untouched by outside religions. The Zoroastrians are largely concentrated in Yazd in central Iran, Kermān in the southeast, and Tehrān. The Kurds and Turkmen are predominantly Sunni Muslims, but Iran’s Arabs are both Sunni and Shiʿi.