Jesus and Mohammed: comparative religious figures

Jesus & Mohammed

The lives of Jesus and Mohammed have interesting similarities and differences. Both came out of relative obscurity to found major world religions. However, one is regarded by his followers as God's greatest prophet, while the other is regarded by the great majority of His followers as the literal Son of God.

THE LIFE of JESUS

Jesus, the most important individual in Christianity, is also regarded as a major prophet in the religion founded by Mohammed, Islam. Although after Jesus' death he was regarded as a person of great importance, very little is known about his childhood. The Christian religion teaches that Jesus was born in Bethlehem via a religious miracle because his mother Mary was a virgin (Wikipedia, 2000).

Clues in religious texts suggest that Jesus was born in the spring or summer, in the town of Nazareth in Galilee. Historical accounts say that wise men recognized that there was something special about His birth, and they traveled for months to visit the baby and to bring him gifts. These stories also reached the Roman authorities, who feared that a child had been born who would threaten their rule, and Mary had to flee Galilee with her baby. Only one other account is made of Jesus' childhood, when he went to the temple at the age of 12 and instructed the scholars there (Wikipedia, 2000).

In his adulthood, Jesus was depicted as a Jewish preacher and healer who followed the Torah but often disagreed with Jewish authorities (Wikipedia, 2000). The last three years of his life received the most attention. At about the age of 30, after being baptized by John the Baptist, he began actively preaching publicly. He continued to confront Jewish leaders for hypocrisy and other flaws. Jewish leaders were also troubled by claims that Jesus was the Messiah foretold in the Old Testament.

Eventually, Jesus was crucified after Roman and Jewish religious leaders acted together. Romans feared that the crowds following Jesus could become a mob that could threaten their power, while Jewish leaders were upset that he had challenged the status quo (Wikipedia, 2000). Jesus' death had a profound effect on the establishment of Christianity, because Christians believe that on the third day after his death, he rose from the dead and walked among them again, proving his divinity. This convinced more people that he was the Messiah. His crucifixion was viewed as a personal sacrifice. Those who believed in Him as the Son of God would have their sins washed away by this sacrificed, and join Jesus Christ in heaven when they died. While subgroups of Christians disagree on many things, the great majority believe that the New Testament stories, and especially the report of His resurrection, are literally true and central to their beliefs (Wikipedia, 2000).

THE LIFE of MOHAMMED

Mohammed (Arab for "the praised one") was born to Abdallah and Amina of the family of Zuhra ("Biography of Mohammed," 2005). He had a difficult childhood. Born into poverty, his father died around the time of his birth. When he was six years old his mother also died, and he was adopted by his grandfather, Abd-Al-Mutallib. When his grandfather died only two years later, he was adopted by his uncle, Abu Talib, who raised him and remained an important person to him for the rest of his life ("Biography of Mohammed," 2005).

Not much more about his childhood can be confirmed ("Biography of Mohammed," 2005), but when he was 2t, he married Chaddidja, a rich widow and trader. He traveled with her via caravan to fairs. This life of business made him a wealthy man, and he was able to spend much of his time alone in meditation ("Biography of Mohammed," 2005). He had his first religious revelation when he was 40 years old, on the mountain called Hira, which was near Mecca. He reported that he was visited by the angel Gabriel, who told him to preach and to write his teachings down so they could be shared ("Biography of Mohammed," 2005).

At first, he preached only to close relatives and friends. After four years, however, he started preaching publicly, and began gathering followers. More revelations brought more holy verses to him. In the city of Mecca, however, he was not taken seriously at first. Most people saw him as a poet or seer, and in addition, he was thought to be either crazy or a liar ("Biography of Mohammed," 2005).

However, as some Meccans began listening to him, they grew concerned that his ideas might interfere with the current religious beliefs, which called the gods they believed in "idols." Relgious leaders worried about loss of power and income ("Biography of Mohammed," 2005). This is an interesting parallel to Jesus' life, because Jesus also worried the religious leaders of his time for similar reasons (Wikipedia, 2000). Mohammed and Abu Talib fled Mecca, and his uncle hid him in a fortified castle away from the city.

Within ten to fifteen years (accounts vary), Mohammed moved to the city of Medina, where he and his teachings were welcomed ("Biography of Mohammed," 2005). He rapidly became the city's leader, becoming the judge, ruler, and law-giver for the city. He aligned himself with the two most powerful tribes, and led a ware against the Meccans in the name of Allah. Mohammed's army was victorious, and he gradually became accepted in Mecca as well. Six years after his victory, he led his first pilgrimage to Mecca, and Islamic missionaries began carrying the new religion to other countrys including Abyssinia, Egypt, and several other Arabic provinces ("Biography of Mohammed," 2005).

Some years after his victory over the army of Mecca he led 40,000 Muslims there on a pilgrimage. While there he climbed Mount Arafat and instructed his followers in specific rituals and ways to practice their religion properly. He gave them many laws to follow, including the requirements to protect those who were poor or invalided, or women, and to refrain from the practice of usury ("Biography of Mohammed," 2005).

Shortly after the end of this pilgrimage Mohammed became ill, and he died in June of 632 ("Biography of Mohammed," 2005).

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN the TWO MEN

Both men spent time in solitary contemplation, and both preached the belief in one God. Both instructed their followers in how to live a pious life. However, one dramatic difference between the two men involves divinity. Mohammed is not an object of worship in Islam, and he is not believed to be the Son of God. He is regarded as a prophet, and the most important prophet, but not as a deity. By comparison, the great majority of Christians believe that Jesus is part of the triune God that is a cornerstone of the faith: God made up of three - the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Because of this, Jesus is worshipped while Mohammed is not.

EVANGELISM

The religions of Christianity and Islam have one major trait in common. Both believe (although there are exceptions within Christianity) that it is their duty to spread the word about their religion and to attempt to convert others. Each religion believes that it is the one true religion and that it offers the pathway to salvation for its followers. This is particularly notable when reading the Gospels from the New Testament of the Holy Bible. Theologians not that when Matthew, Mark, Luke and John wrote their gospels, the goal was to persuade others to embrace Christianity (Goodacre, no date given).