Jesus/Mohammed Both Jesus and Mohammed

Jesus/Mohammed Both Jesus and Mohammed have had enormous influence on the way the world currently worships as well as the way the world has worshipped throughout the centuries following each man's birth and death. Jesus was born in Bethlehem approximately 2040 years ago. At the time there were many events taking place in the world that were interpreted as signs of a coming Messiah. One of those stories was that a new star would rise in the sky brighter than any other.

Many of these events are written about in the New Testament, which those people who practice Christianity believe are the words of Christ and his disciples. Mohammed was born approximately AD 570 into a turbulent world that was also searching for a Messiah, and similar to the time of Jesus many events were taking place that were interpreted as signs that such a Messiah had come. A familiar story says that when Mohammed was born the entire earth was filled with light.

The individuals who follow Islamic teaching believe that Mohammed was the last prophet of God on earth and that his words and teachings supercedes the words of all previous prophets, including those of Jesus. One of the differences between Mohammed and Jesus was that there seems to be few stories that concern Mohammed as a child such as the ones that are told about Jesus. "Jesus is often pictured as a divine child, born in a humble stable, and forced to flee on a donkey with his parents" (Fisher, 2005, p. 287).

One common story is that at the age of 12, Jesus was inadvertently left behind when his father and mother left to travel home. His parents anxiously returned to the city only to find him teaching the learned Jews concerning God. When asked why he was doing that, he replied; "Did you not know I must be about my Father's house?" (Fisher, 2005, 289). According to Fisher, this story is used to show his sense of mission, his incredible knowledge, and the close relationship between Jesus and God.

A comparable story concerning Mohammed has him traveling to Syria with his uncle. "Mohammed was noticed by a Christian monk who identified marks on his body indicating his status as a prophet" (Fisher, 2005, p. 365). There were also differences between Mohammed's death and the death of Jesus. When Jesus was crucified, it was due to false charges and testimony from those Jews who were afraid that Jesus was gaining to much popularity, and that their livelihoods would be threatened by his teachings.

Jesus died young and violently, Mohammed on the other hand, at about the age of 62 fell ill, was sick for three days and then passed on. He died young and in his sleep. Mohammed also married a number of different women and fathered a number of children, whereas Jesus did not marry at all, and did not experience fatherhood. The disciple John wrote in the New Testament that Jesus said "I am the way, the truth, and the life, no man cometh unto the Father, but by me" (John 14:6).

If this is true, and millions of believers say it is, then those who follow Mohammed are erroneous in their belief that following Mohammed is the only way to gain eternal life. The impact each has had on their respective followers, as well as the millions of other individuals who choose not to follow their teachings is overwhelming in nature. For two individuals who lived so many centuries ago to still hold sway over such a large portion of the population is a testament to their influence.

Currently both Mohammed and Jesus are honored on special days throughout the year, and more than that they are also venerated and revered every single day by millions of faithful followers of their respective teachings. The teachings of Jesus are currently being presented through the Christian Bible and primarily through the four gospels of the New Testament. These four books were written approximately forty to sixty years after the death of Jesus and relate the stories of his life and times.

"What Christians believe about Jesus' life and teachings is based largely on biblical texts, primarily the first four books of the New Testament...they are based on the oral transmission of the stories and discourses, which may have been influenced by the growing split between Christians and Jews" (Fisher, 2005, p. 285). These four books; the gospels, were supposedly written by close companions of Jesus.

The close companions were known as his disciples, and they shared his life and traveled with him as he taught and preached to the people in the land. Many of the teachings found in these gospels were geared towards the poor and lower classes in society. Mohammed teachings are not to be found in the Christian Bible, but can be found in the Quran.

Technically Mohammed's life and teachings are actually presented in the "not fully authenticated literature called the Hadith, which reports on the prophet's Sunnah (sayings and actions)" (Fisher, p. 386). According to Fisher, many Muslims follow Mohammed's.