What are their beliefs?
Hindus are polytheistic, which means that they worship many gods and goddesses. The most important gods worshipped are Brahman, the
creator of the universe; Vishnu, its preserver; and Shiva, its destroyer. Another important Hindu deity is Shiva's wife, who has several names.
She is best known as Durga, Kali, Parvati, or Uma. As Parvati or Uma, she is the beloved goddess of motherhood. As Durga or Kali, she is the
feared goddess of destruction.
According to Hindu doctrine, animals as well as humans have souls. Hindus believe that souls live innumerable lives in different bodies, being
born again, or reincarnated, after death as animals or humans. They believe that if a person lives a good life, his soul will be born into a higher
state. Whereas, if he leads an evil life, his soul will be born into a lower state, perhaps even as a worm! The cycle supposedly continues until
the soul achieves spiritual perfection and enters a higher state of existence.
In contrast, Muslims believe that there is only one god, Allah. Theirs is a religion of works based on five basic "pillars." Muslims must affirm that
"there is no god but Allah, and Mohammed is his prophet." They are also required to pray five times a day, give alms to the poor, fast during the
month of Ramadan, and try to make at least one pilgrimage to Mecca.