History of How Religion Spread Around the World

From this video, courtesy of Business Insider, we believe from Prophet Adam and Noah, there already exist the true religion of One God which was revealed to them and their people. From this map, we can see that Hinduism started around 5000 years ago which started in the Indus River Valley, India. We have seen recorded history in Hinduism Holy Books of Upanishad and Vedas that there is teaching of Oneness of God.

In Chandogya Upanishad 6:2:1 - He is One only without a second.
Svetasvatara Upanishad 6:9 - Of Him there are neither parents nor lord.

In the books of Vedas, Yajurveda 32:3 - There is no image of Him
Yajurveda 40:8 - He is bodyless and pure.

Then, around 4600 years ago, Prophet Abraham (The Father of All Prophets) were born in Ur, in the land of Israel which received revelation for the children of Israel, in the land of Israel. Prophet Abraham was thought the Oneness of God to his people and was given laws for mankind to follow.

Around 3500 years ago, Prophet Moses was born and prophesised to save his people from Pharaoh in Egypt who proclaimed himself as God. He performed many miracles by the will of God including turning his cane into serpent, the plagues and parting the red sea. Few hundred years after that, the Israelites conquered Canaan as described in this verse Joshua 22:9 - So the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh left the Israelites at Shiloh in Canaan to return to Gilead, their own land, which they had acquired in accordance with the command of the LORD through Moses.

Then, in the year 563 BCE, Buddha was born in Lumbini, which spreads Buddhism from Nepal, towards India and China. Buddha's teaching continues to grow rapidly in the land of China. It is believed in the early Buddhism, Buddha teach the oneness of God but later on mixed up with Taoism culture and religion in China. Accordingly to Gospel of Buddah by Carus page 217 and 218 -"Ananda said to the Blessed One, ‘Who shall teach us when thou art gone?' And the Blessed one replied, 'I am not the first Buddha who came upon the earth nor shall I be the last. In due time another Buddha will arise in the world, a holy one, a supremely enlightened one, endowed with wisdom in conduct, auspicious, knowing the universe, an incomparable leader of men, a master of angels and mortals. He will reveal to you the same eternal truths, which I have taught you. He will preach his religion, glorious in its origin, glorious at the climax and glorious at the goal. He will proclaim a religious life, wholly perfect and pure such as I now proclaim. His disciples will number many thousands while mine number many hundreds.'

Around 2000 years ago Jesus was born in Bethlehem and received revelation to lead the children of Israel. Jesus performed many miracles by the will of God in his times (Cure Leprosy, Blindness, Deafness and Raising the Dead) and preached his people to worship One God and follow his laws. In the year 33 A.D., the Crucifixion event occurred. The Romans were in power at that time, Jerusalem was sacked and most Jews were exiled. Saint Paul were persecuting Christians including a disciple of Jesus named Stephen. After that Paul (Who's known as Saul of Tarsus) claimed that he saw Jesus on the way to Damascus and declared himself an Apostle. He tried to preach Christianity in Jerusalem, however, his teaching and ideas were disapproved by Disciple of Jesus including Peter and Barnabas. The main reason is because Paul beliefs and teachings does not adhere to Jewish Laws including unclean food, the old laws are for Jews only and circumcision. Because of this reason, Paul went to preach to the Gentiles outside of Israel. Saint Paul said in his books while he was preaching them that it does not necessary to follow the laws, as long as you have faith in Jesus Christ. This idea was meant to make it easier for Gentiles to accept this new religion. While other Disciple of Jesus have different beliefs and said the laws cannot be simply broken as this was strict words by Jesus himself.

Christianity began to spread with these different beliefs all across Europe and the Roman Empire and until the year 313 A.D, Emperor Constantine was born who was later became Saint Constantine which unite Christians into a single belief and finalize the final laws in the Holy Bible.

Then in the year 570 A.D, Prophet Muhammad was born in the City of Mecca, Arabia. Muhammad was from the descendant of Abraham's first Son, Ishmael. We can also find in history in this article Jewish Praying Traditions and Where did the Black Stone Come From? He was born during the Year of the Elephant, which before he was born, it is believed that his grandfather Abdul Mutalib was the ruler of the Kaa'ba at that time, which are believed to guard the black stone since the time of Abraham and his family of generations. The year is called the Year of the Elephant, because there's an Abyssinian ruler from Yemen, named Abraha wished to destroy the Kaa'ba which was preserved since the time of Abraham. He and his army of 13 elephants marched towards the Kaa'ba but upon reaching the elephants stopped and refused to continue. However Abraha still insist to march on and forced the elephant to go and they were destroyed by large flock of birds carrying stones turning them to ashes which story can be found here.

Around the year 600 CE, it is believed that Muhammad received the first revelation from God from archangel Gabriel who revealed him the verse of the Holy Quran. Muhammad passed on with his head resting on his beloved wife Aisha's lap in the year 632 A.D and Islam continues to spread rapidly throughout Arabia, Africa, Europe and Asia.

In 1492, Christopher Colombus sailed further west and Age of Discovery begins, Christianity further spreads to the west towards America and South Africa until the Philippines. The Othordox Christians spreads mostly to the east towards the land of Russia, while the other denominations such as the Catholics and Protestants spreads more towards the west from Europe to America. Judaism spreads sparsely to America as well and Islam spreads to the borders of Asia towards South East Asia.