!

esus and Mohammed 1

Jesus and Mohammed
Joe Marlow
HUM130
John PapazaIiropoulos
November 6, 2010

!esus and Mohammed 2

Several people know Jesus and Mohammed as Iigure heads in the two biggest religions
that the world has ever known this being Christian and Islam not to mention these were real
people on a mission Irom God. These two men have impacted many people Ior over thousands oI
years, what`s so remarkable is these religions are still being practiced today. Both Jesus and
Mohammed lived two totally diIIerent lives they both had a strong impact in history and
humanity. In this paper I plan to compare and contrast the lives oI these two great men in relation
to each respective religion. I will include traces oI the lives oI Jesus and Mohammed historically.
I will also be comparing the impact the death oI each person had on the respective religion. I will
explain the ways each individual was or is worshipped and Iinally explaining how their messages
are being carried out the world today.
First I would like to start will Jesus and the live he lived historically. Traditionally,
Christians believe that Jesus was born in Bethlehem. This detail IulIills the rabbinic
interpretation oI the Old Testament prophecies that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem
(Fisher, 2005). There isn`t much about his childhood except Ior when Jesus was at age twelve,
according to the Gospel oI Luke, he accompanied his parents on their yearly trip to Jerusalem Ior
the Passover. Jesus was leIt behind by mistake, He was to have discovered by his parent about
three day later in the Temple discussing the Torah with the rabbis (Fisher, 2005). In the New
Testament there isn`t any record oI the years oI Jesus` young manhood. Jesus stated his ministry
at the age oI thirty years oI age and ended around the age oI thirty-Iour aIter being cruciIied. As
Ior wives or children there is no record that Jesus had either. Jesus was executed on a cross,
which Christians today remember his death by wearing a cross or have a cross in their homes.
Jesus taught that his Iollowers should concentrate on laying up spiritual treasures in
heaven, rather than material treasures on earth, which are temporary (Fisher, 2005). As Jesus
!esus and Mohammed 3

traveled, speaking, he is said to have perIormed many miracle, such as his Iirst miracle at a
wedding, turning water into wine. He was also healed the sick, restoring the dead to liIe, walking
on water, casting out demons out oI the possessed, and also Ied Iive thousand just with a Iew
loaves oI bread and a couple oI Iish. Jesus perIormed these miracles quietly and
compassionately, these were signs that the coming oI the Kingdom oI God (Fisher, 2005).
Muhammad received revelations Irom God, reIerred to as Allah, and it was recorded onto
the Qur`an. The Qur`an is also known as the Islamic holy text. In the Qur`an Islam traces the
same ancestors as the Jewish and the Christian religions. Abraham has a relationship with an
Egyptian slave named Hager and had a son named Ishmael. Abraham took Ishmael to Mecca to
protect him Irom the jealousy oI his wiIe Sarah. In Mecca they built the holiest sanctuary in
Islam the Ka`bah; this is believed the place where Adam worshipped God (Fisher, 2005). In the
beginning God created Adam. According to the Qur`an, God told Abraham that the Ka`bah
should be the place oI pilgrimage. Muhammad ('the praised one) was born into a poor clan oI
the most powerIul oI the tribes in the area. His Iather died beIore he was born, Muhammad
became the ward oI his uncle, who put him to work as a shepherd, aIter the death oI his mother
and grandmother. He later married a wealthy woman named Khadijah (Fisher, 2005).
When Muhammad was Iorty years old, he made a spiritual retreat during the month
called Ramadan. The Angel Gabriel came to him and insisted that he recite. Three times
Muhammad was told to recite and Iinally Muhammad asked what should he recite and the angel
began dictating the Iirst words oI what became the Qur`an (Fisher, 2005). Muhammad returned
home, deeply shaken. Khadijah his wiIe comIorted him and encouraged him to overcome his Iear
oI the responsibilities and ridicule oI the prophethood. When Muhammad was Iorty-three he was
instructed by the revelations to preach publicly. He was stoned by the Qurayshites (Fisher,
!esus and Mohammed 4

2005). Muhammad`s IiItieth year was the 'Year oI Sorrow, was the worst oI all. In that year he
lost his wiIe Khadijah and his protective uncle. According to tradition, at the height oI his trials,
Muhammad experienced the Night oI Ascension. He is said to have ascended through the seven
heavens to the Iar limits oI the cosmos, and the thence into Divine Proximity. There he met
Iormer prophets and teachers Irom Adam to Jesus, saw paradise to hell, and received great
blessings Irom Divine Presence. Muhammad died at the age oI sixty-two and he had seven
children and Iour wives (Fisher, 2005).
The death oI Jesus and the belieI oI the resurrection is the base oI salvation in the
Christian Iaith. The death oI Muhammad and the passing oI the torch to his successor is the base
oI the Islam Iaith. The tomb oI Muhammad can be visited today. The body oI Jesus is not
honored by Christians because Christians believe the he rose Irom the dead. So there really isn`t
a tomb to visit where his body would be.
Both Jesus and Muhammad are leaders that played a historic part in the religious history.
Both religions had lineage trace Irom Abraham the Iather oI the Jewish religion (Fisher, 2005).
Both have covenant with God Irom Abraham, They both shared in burdens oI sin due to the
impatience and disobedience oI Abraham not willing to trust in God. The disagreement oI the
Iaiths could be traced back to Abraham and his broken Iamily that he created. It is said the both
Isaac and Ishmael was both present at Abraham`s burial (Fisher, 2005).
The liIe oI Jesus was short lived compared to Muhammad. Jesus was cruciIied by the
Romans. In contrast Mohammed Iormed an army to prolong his liIe. Muhammad was viewed as
a person to enlighten people about Allah. Jesus on the other had been the son oI God and the son
oI man. People don`t worship Muhammad because he is just a Prophet telling people his
!esus and Mohammed 3

revelations oI God. On the other hand Christians believe that Jesus is the Messiah that came to
save us. The Christian believe that Jesus sacriIiced his liIe as an oIIering Ior all the sinners in the
world who would accept him as their savior. Christian worship Jesus everyday as God.
The lives oI both individuals have shaped the two biggest religions in the world. Both
religions are intertwined Irom the past and are shared. The liIe oI Muhammad was persecuted Ior
trying to spread the message he was chosen to deliver. The death oI Jesus that God created
IulIilled the Jewish prophecy. The death oI the other leIt a religion Iorever changed by the
teachings by the controlling power by his military. Both their lives are diIIerent but by their
message they were able to transIorm their religions so greatly and the eIIects oI their teachings
can be seen today. One thing could be Ior sure being diIIerent in the world iI both Muhammad
and Jesus never existed (Fisher, 2005).
Finally in my Jesus and Muhammad paper I have covered the trace oI the lives oI both
Jesus and Muhammad historically. I compared what impact the death oI each person had on his
respective religion. I described the ways each individual was or is worshipped. And last but not
least I explained how their messages are being carried out in the world today.

!esus and Mohammed 6

ReIerence Page
Fisher, M. P. (2005). Living religions (6th ed.). New Jersey: Prentice-Hall.