Life History Jesus Christ and Prophet Mohammed - Essay Example

? Jesus and Mohammed Introduction According to Hafez.et.al (2000) the bible gives an account of Jesus while Quran talks about Prophet Mohammed. Both Jesus and Prophet Mohammed established their followers on earth and this has become the foundation of Christianity and Islamic religion. In both situations, Jesus and Mohammed have portrayed some similarities and some differences which have resulted to the existence of two separate groups. Though born at different periods, the two have established foundations which depict the existence of Supreme Being. In a way, both have presented themselves as messengers of God who came to bring message of hope to the world. However, they differ in the way they presented their messages. Jesus came with full authority as the son of God, to win the world on his side as a representative of God. Mohammed came to deliver the news of God on earth and was not representing God. The differences in teachings have resulted to differences between Christianity and Muslims. Life History Jesus Christ and Prophet Mohammed Jesus was born six hundred years before Prophet Mohammed. He was born of a Virgin Mary and had no biological father. He had no family unlike Mohammed who had married several wives (Hafez.et.al, 2000). During the birth of Jesus, the shepherds were visited by an angel. The angel directed them to the place of birth in Bethlehem, where they took presents to him. It was an extraordinary event which brought people from different parts of the world to witness the birth of the spiritual king. His birth was of significance to the human race because he had come to bring salvation to mankind. On the other hand, the birth of Prophet Mohammed brought favor upon his nurse Halima. He was born during a period of famine but his nurse received abundant favor and her harvest was bumpers. Even her animals produced a lot of milk. The visitors who came to see prophet Mohamed received healing (Hafez.et.al, 2000). Therefore, the coming of both Jesus and Mohammed was marked with blessings and inspired many people who were present. During their time, both Jesus and Mohammed performed wonders and showed different signs to their followers regarding the spiritual matters. They represented their kings on earth and established their spiritual rule on earth (Hafez.et.al, 2000). For example, Jesus is said to have healed many sick people, converted water into wine, fed five thousand people with five loaves of bread and two pieces of fish among other wonders. Jesus taught people how to humble themselves and worship God. He recruited his followers and trained them to spread the gospel to the entire world by preaching the salvation of God. Similarly, Prophet Mohammed introduced Islamic religion on earth. He established his followers and taught them the way of Allah. He taught people how to live righteous life according to the doctrines of Allah. Jesus taught his followers to practice kindness, mercy and love as a way of defeating their enemies. He taught his followers to uphold sanctity of life and respect for God through loving their enemies (Hafez.et.al, 2000). He emphasized on the need of forgiveness of sins and tolerance for one another. According to his teachings, Jesus told his followers never to take revenge against those who wrong them. Mohammed taught his followers to safeguard their religion through whatever means they could. Jesus was son of God, while Mohammed was a representative of Allah. Jesus death was through crucifixion by the Jews who accused him of profaning the name of God by proclaiming to be the son of God (Hafez.et.al, 2000). Though he died and was buried, he resurrected and ascended to heaven and is said to be seated with his father at His throne. As for Mohammed, he died in the presence of Aisha his wife. Impact of Jesus and Mohammed Death on their Religion The death of Mohammed caused great bewilderment among his followers. This is because; there was no prior arrangement on who would take over the leadership after his death. Two factions the Shia and the Sunni emerged, each claiming to have the right to inherit Mohammed’s throne (Hafez.et.al, 2000). Since there was no consensus between the two groups on who the truthful heir was, each group set of on its own and has continued to spread their doctrine to the rest of the world. The death of Jesus was extraordinary in the sense that he was raised from the dead after three days. He ascended to heaven where he is said to be mediating for his followers before His father (Hafez.et.al, 2000). His followers faced severe persecution by the Roman rulers due to the gospel of Christ. The ascension of Jesus strengthened his followers who continued to spread his teachings by recruiting new followers. Following their persecution by the Romans, they scattered to all parts of the world spreading good news of resurrection of their master. Worship of Jesus and Mohammed Jesus performed various miracles which amazed most of his followers. They got terrified and bowed before his feet. They marveled at his greatness and shouted praises of honor to the king of heavenly glory (Hafez.et.al, 2000). Even at present, the followers of Jesus Christ all over the world revere him as the son of God. He is referred to as the first and the last king. The bible has shown that Jesus was there at the beginning even before the world was formed and it was through his name that everything came into being. He is respected as the savior of the world who sacrificed his own life to deliver the world from the bondage of sins. Prophet Mohammed is respected by his followers as the last prophet of Allah. Mohammed was just a servant of God and does not deserve any praise. He taught his followers to worship God alone and revere him (Hafez.et.al, 2000). Following the teaching of Prophet Mohammed, Muslims have continued to win more followers of Allah by declaring holy war on non-Muslims. How the messages of Jesus and Prophet Mohammed is carried out in the world today. Through the teachings of Jesus, Christians have continued to show mercy on other people across the world. Jesus taught his disciples how to pray and therefore, this has been adopted in the Christians worship (Hafez.et.al, 2000). He taught his followers to do wonderful and greater things than what He did. As a result, Christians have continued to pray for the sick, visiting the needy and recruiting new followers to expand the gospel of Christ to the rest of the world. Christians also sing songs of praise to their master as a sign of worship. They also read scriptures about Jesus Christ regarding his birth, death and resurrection. This has become an integral part in Christian lives because it has strengthened their faith in the gospel of Christ. The resurrection of Jesus is very significant to Christian’s teachings because it gives them assurance of eternal life. Christians also observe other teachings of Jesus such as baptism, fasting, singing and reading the bible. Jesus taught his followers to show kindness to other people and therefore, Christians practice this by sharing their possessions with the less fortunate people like orphans and windows (Hafez.et.al, 2000). Therefore, through the life of Jesus and his resurrection, Christians continue to trust in eternity of life. It has also encouraged them to continue showing kindness to other people of the world a sign of obedience to his teachings. On the other hand, Muslims through the teaching of their prophet Mohammed have continued to spread their religion by conquering non Muslims through holy wars (Hafez.et.al, 2000). They also continue to observe other teachings of Mohammed such as washing of feet, hands and head to signify the sanctity of Allah. Muslims pray five times a day while facing Mecca, the place of their prophet. They give alms to the needy people in the society as a show of mercy in accordance to the teachings of Prophet Mohammed. Both Jesus and Mohammed shared several things in common. They established a group of followers and have formed an integral part of human lives in the world today. The followers of Jesus have propagated his teachings through practicing art of mercy (Hafez.et.al). This has strengthened the community of believers around the world. Through his ministry, Christians have continued to preach unity across the world. On the other hand, Muslims follow the teachings of Prophet Mohammed by conquering non Muslims through their teachings. They show kindness by sharing with the needy. References Hafez, K., Arkoun, M., Steinbach, U. and Kenny, M.A. (2000). The Islamic World and the West: An Introduction to Political Cultures and International Relations. Brill: Boston. Read More