The Lives of Jesus and Mohammad - Essay Example

Jesus and Mohammad First and of Jesus and Mohammed Both Jesus and Mohammad have significantly affected a great number of people all over the world. There are many religions that exist in the world today, yet approximately more than half of the world’s population follows one or the other of these two religious figures (Silas). There have historically been many people killed for following the other religious leader, yet there are similarities between them. Furthermore, there is also a great deal of difference between them. This paper will contrast and compare the lives of both Jesus and Mohammad through a number of different ways such as their respective lives, the impact of each other’s death on their own religion, how each individual was worshipped, and the way in which their messages are being displayed throughout the world today. Jesus was a Jew and was born approximately two-thousand years ago in a town called Bethlehem. At that time, the Romans had occupation of the lands of Israel. As such, the Jews were expecting a savior to come along and defeat the Romans. Before Jesus was born, a prophecy was given that he would be the Messiah: “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14 New International Version). However, what the Jews considered the Messiah to be was not how Jesus lived. The woman who gave birth to Jesus was a virgin called Mary. At that time, Mary was engaged to a man named Joseph. Because of this, Mary faced many calls of being an adulterer. During Jesus’ childhood, he was taught how to be a carpenter because this was his father’s profession. Once Jesus had reached the age of thirty, he left his hometown and set out on his ministry around the lands of Israel. In contrast to Jesus, Mohammad was born in 570 A.D. and was called Muhummad Ibn Adullah (Slick). (There are a number of variations in the spelling of Mohammad’s name, but for consistency, I will refer to him as Mohammad from here on.) Mohammad grew up in Mecca, the cultural religious center in what is now known as Saudi Arabia. In the early part of his life, Mohammad experienced tragedy as his father died before he was even born and his mother passed away when he was only six years old. Because of this, his uncle Abu Talib took the responsibility of raising him. Later on in life, Mohammad had developed the habit of going up to Mt. Hira to meditate (Slick). During one of his trips, Mohammad claimed that the angel Gabriel appeared to him. This angel instructed him to write the Qur’an over a twenty-three year period. As Mohammad was illiterate, he could only memorize what was spoken to him. Sadly, Mohammad only completed the Qur’an in 632 A.D., which was also the year of his death. Thus the foundations of Islam were made. After Jesus had been betrayed, he was sentenced to death by crucifixion. As Jesus was dying, he remarked “father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). This showed the character of Jesus and how he treated those around him. Jesus predicted that he would be betrayed and killed on a cross. However, three days after he was crucified, Jesus rose from the dead. At first, some of his followers doubted that it really was him, but they believed him after they could touch and talk with Jesus for themselves. After this, Jesus ascended to heaven, and Jesus’ disciples became known as the apostles. These twelve men were commissioned to go out and preach to the world. For the next few centuries, those who decided to follow the Christian religion were persecuted for their faith. However, once Constantine became the Roman Emperor, he endorsed Christianity as the official religion of the empire. In comparison with Jesus’ death, the passing of Mohammad started the rapid growth of Islam across the Middle East and Northern Africa. In his last moments, Mohammad gave a proclamation: “may Allah curse the Jews and Christians, for they built the places of worship at the graves of the prophets” (Silas). Mohammad showed a complete contrast to the way Jesus ended his life; he cursed his enemies and wished them to perish instead of loving them as his neighbor. After Mohammad had died, his followers continued to worship him as God’s true prophet on earth. Mohammad did not see himself as a teacher or spiritual guide, yet his people chose to place their faith in him. His stories were passed down throughout the generations and played a significant role in the spread of Islam. Jesus was claimed that he was the Son of God. When he was questioned about this, Jesus replied, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). In response to this, we all should worship him as the Son of God. This is shown nowadays when Christians gather to worship God each Sunday. Worship is a key component of serving God because it displays our devotion to him. On the other hand, Mohammad never claimed to be God and thus did not want to be worshipped. The ultimate service a Muslim can do is to submit to the will of Allah. Mohammad only thought of himself as a man and never someone to be worshipped. Even so, many Muslims today still revere Mohammad as Allah’s prophet on earth. This does not amount to worship, but he is still elevated above all other key Muslim figures. Today, Jesus’ message of love and compassion is being carried out in both appropriate and inappropriate ways. Before Jesus left earth, he gave one final message for his followers to carry out: All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age (Matthew 28:18-20). There are many people who have taken up the call and followed Jesus’ message. There are many thousands of missionaries who leave their home countries and go to foreign lands to preach the word of God. Jesus commanded that whenever anyone meet those who are not Christian that they show love to those who need it the most. Unfortunately, some people are confused about Jesus’ true message. These people cause terror in the name of Jesus. There are many examples of these types of despicable acts taking place, such as those committed by the Ku Klux Klan, Timothy McVeigh, and Anders Behring Breivik. However, these types of people and organizations make up a small minority of those who call themselves Christians. Mohammad’s message has had similar results throughout history. The large majority of Muslims follow Mohammad and his words with peace. Islam is currently the second largest religion on the earth, but is expected to overtake Christianity within the next century. In spite of this, there are those who choose to follow Islam violently. The recently deceased Osama Bin Laden became one of the biggest advocates for violence against those who are not Muslims. There are a small majority who hold these radical beliefs. In conclusion, both Jesus and Mohammad showed ways for us to live by. However, some people misinterpret these views and carry out the opposite of what was intended. Even so, these two religions combined make up almost three billion people all over the world (Silas). In taking this into account, none of these religious figures is likely to be forgotten anytime soon. The similarities and differences of Jesus and Mohammad can be seen throughout their lives on earth, how their deaths impacted their respective religions, the way in which each individual was worshipped, and how their messages are being followed in today’s modern society. References Silas. (2011). Jesus or Muhammad? A Comparison or the Founders of the World’s Two Largest Religions. Retrieved from http://answering-islam.org/Silas/founders.htm Slick, Matthew J. (2011). Muhammad. Retrieved from http://carm.org/muhammad#footnote1_dd6dtbq Read More