What happened to all the people who lived prior to Judaism Christianity and Islam if they never had a chance to worship correctly?

Answer 1

Who said they did not worship correctly? It's a matter of opinion. More wars have been started & people killed over religion then any other reason.

At the time, God spoke directly to those few select people that could and would hear his voice. So they got directions on proper worship straight from God. King David worshiped God in spirit and in truth, and obviously physically also, by kneeling in prayer and dancing before the Lord.

Islamic Answer Prophet Muhammad has said that there have come 125 thousand prophets to humanity starting from Adam till prophet Muhammad (pbuh). And 313 of them were Rasuls (Rasul and Nabi are different).

And Allah (God) also says in the Quran that: "We will not punish those to whom We haven't sent a prophet...". (e. g. people before the prophet Muhammad (pbuh) to whom there hadn't come any prophet. And the parents of Muhammad (pbuh) also were saved. The period of FITRAT...)

So there were other prophets before Muhammad, Jesus, and Moses (pbut).

And the people to whom no prophet came are not punished...

Islamic Answer 2 The Islamic answer is that at every time and in every place, each person knows, deep inside, that there is a God and that God is One. If a prophet had come and a person had heard about his message, then he is commanded to follow that prophet. But even if a person never heard of any prophet, nor any religion, that person already 'knows' about God and that person already 'knows' about right and wrong.

So a person is judged on belief and actions - based upon the extent of information he or she had in their lives. God judges you based on what you know.

ANOTHER ANSWER:

What is "worship" but emulating and/or obeying whatever or whoever one adores and puts one's faith and trust? And this worship, according to one definition, is in accordance "with the dictates of one's heart." A heart which God informs us:

"The human heart is most deceitful and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?" (Jer.17:9 NLT New Living Translation)

The first two people whom God created were deceived by "the god of this world" [see Gen.3]; "...the ancient Serpent called the Devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the WHOLE WORLD..." [Rev.12:9].

Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are merely the three main religions of this deceived world [not to mention the hundreds, if not thousands, of other religions in the world]... which developed over the millennia; beginning with the first two deceived people in the beginning.

But, regardless of all the confusing religions in the world... then or now... what happened to all the people who lived prior to today's modern religions happens to people today:

WE ALL DIE!

Contrary to modern religious dogma regarding the dead... God's Word reveals that dead people are in the grave, awaiting the "Last Great Day" of God's plan called "Judgment Day." It tells us that all the dead people since Adam remain in their graves until that day that God comes... at which time a "FIRST RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD" will occur [see Rev.20:4-6].

And it tells us that "the rest of the dead" [all the people whom God never called during this phase of God's plan] will resurrect to Judgment A THOUSAND YEARS, LATER! (see Rev.20:5)

That is... a thousand years AFTER God establishes His Government on earth!

Even Job knew about this part of God's plan, and desired to be "hidden in his grave" until God's wrath was finished:

"I wish you would hide me with the dead [in the grave] and forget me there until your anger is passed. But mark your calendar to think of me again! If mortals die, can they live again? This thought would give me Hope, and through my struggle I would eagerly wait for release. You would call [to a resurrection from the dead] and I would answer, and you would yearn for me, your handiwork... My sins would be sealed in a pouch, and you would cover over my iniquity." (Job 14:13-17 NLT)

In other words... all men from all generations will face their Creator in the Day of Judgment, regardless of whether or not they knew the Truth of God or not. Those whom God called out of the world will rise from the dead, first, and rule the world with Christ for a thousand years, teaching the nations God's Truth and His ways: Obedience, Love and Respect.

All the others [the vast majority of deceived mankind who never knew God's Truth] will rise from their graves a thousand years later... have the books [and Truth] of God's Word opened to their minds and hearts [see Rev.20:12]... and have their opportunity [which they never had before] for their Savior's Mercy and Forgiveness.

Nowhere does God say He'll Judge man according to his former "religious affiliation" [Judaism, Christianity, or Islam; or any other of this world's religions]... but:

"'He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is Righteous, let him be Righteous still: and he that is Holy, let him be Holy still. And, behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give EVERY MAN according AS HIS WORK SHALL BE.'" (Rev.22:11-12)

Answer 2

According to Jewish tradition, even before Judaism was formalized at Mount Sinai there were people who were aware of God and kept the basic 7 Noahide laws, which include the belief in One God.

• Link: The Noahide laws

Then, like now, there were 2 types of people who were idolaters or not religious:

1) Those who knew about God but refrained from properly acknowledging Him. These people are fully responsible for their actions (or indifference).

• Link: How did people know about God?
  

2) Those people who are not aware of God because they were never taught about Him and never heard of Him.
They should have instinctively (or intellectually) realized that there is One God (as Abraham did). These people may not be culpable as the first category - but nor are they completely exonerated.