Jesus and MuhammadJoin now to read essay Jesus and MuhammadJesus & MuhammadThe religions of Christianity and Islam are radically different but share the same type of concepts. Both religions worshiped figures that were thought of as messengers of God and they both preached to believe and obey the one true God. Obeying the one true God is where things dramatically change and we start to see the differences in both religion. Jesus and Muhammad were two historical figures that transcended their respected religions and delivered the message of God.
BirthsJesus was born as a Jew about two thousand years ago in Roman-occupied Palestine. (Fisher,2005, p.286). He was conceived by Mary and Joseph but his birth wasn’t typical by any means. Mary, a virgin, was told that by God’s power the Holy Spirit, she was going to conceive and bear a son. Joseph took Mary to Bethlehem to register for a census and while there Mary gave birth to Jesus, a name that means “God saves”. Upon hearing that a Savior had been born, people brought Jesus gifts to confirm his kingship. This well-loved birth legend exemplifies the humility that Jesus taught. (Fisher, 2005, p.288).
Muhammad, which means “praised one”, was born about 570 CE in Mecca to his mother Amina, who was part of the Quraish, the then ruling tribe of Mecca. His father Abdallah died a few weeks before his birth while his mother died while he was six so he was primarily raised by his grandfather Abdul Muttalib. After the death of his grandfather, his uncle, Abu Talib assumed responsibility for raising him and put him to work as a Sheppard.
Humble BeginningsNo other stories are told about Jesus’s childhood in Nazareth until he was twelve years old. (Fisher, 2005, p.288) On a trip to Jerusalem, he was found by his parents in a temple discussing the Torah with rabbis and impressing them with his understanding and knowledge. The rest of Jesus’s childhood is a bit of a mystery but he had many friends, including John the Baptist and the 12 disciples. The disciples were men Jesus selected as companions. They traveled with Jesus as he preached. After Jesus died, they taught others about him. The apostles names were: Peter, Andrew, James the son of Zebedee, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alpheus, Thaddeus, Simon, and Judas Iscariot. (Fisher, 2005, p.291). John lived in the wilderness near the Jordan River where people came to hear him preach about repentance and the coming of Christ. John baptized people in the river for the forgiveness of sins. Although Jesus never sinned, he was baptized by John. (Fisher, 2005, p.290).
The stories of Muhammad’s life and his sayings are preserved in a vast, not fully authenticated literature called the Hadith. (Fisher, 2005, p.365) It is said that as a teenager, Muhammad was on a trip with his uncle to Syria and was noticed by a monk who identified him as a prophet. At 25 years old, he was hired to manage the business of a wealthy widow named Khadijah, who was 15 years his elder. They soon married and Khadijah became Muhammad’s strongest supporter during the difficult and discouraging years of his early mission. (Fisher, 2005, p.365)
Legend of GreatnessAs he traveled around Israel, Jesus taught with sermons and parables. He preached that God is forgiving to those who repent. (Fisher,2005,p.295) Jesus delivered his most famous sermon on a mountain. In it, Jesus taught his listeners to: Love your enemies, do not judge others, trust God, dont be anxious about tomorrow, and do unto others as you would have them do unto you (The “golden rule”). (Fisher, 2005, p.293). Jesus also performed miracles to show others that he was Gods son, such as healing the sick, walking on water, restoring the dead, and turning water to wine. The stories of the miracles performed by Jesus have symbolic meanings taken from the entire Jewish and Christian traditions. (Fisher, 2005, p.291) Through the miracles and teachings, Jesus gained many followers that believed he was indeed the son of God.
At the age of 40, Muhammad was on a spiritual retreat during Ramadan when an angel named Gabriel appeared to him and commanded him to recite (96:1-19). This recitation became the first words of the Quran. Muhammad could neither read nor write so he was instructed to memorize the words given to him by Gabriel. This complete recitation which Muhammad received over a 23 year period, ending in 632, the year of his death, is known as the Quran. Initially, Muhammad doubted that he was being called by Allah to be a prophet. Others, including his wife and a cousin, counseled him by saying that Allah would only be truthful to him and would not allow him to be deceived. (Fisher,2005,p.365). He was heavily persecuted at first,
The Quran: the Quran is a spiritual and scientific system written in the four quarters of the Quran. Qurans have been used for over 100,000 years and more than 7 million books. It was recorded in a Quran. Qurans (or Books) are written in a number of formats and are presented in a manner with a lightness the ability to read and understand at will. They are used during rituals and religious ceremonies.
The Quran is one of the most significant texts in Islamic law which allows for God to speak to us through words. They speak about our sins, praise the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and call upon His attention so we may be able to forgive our sins. Qurans tell us the reason we are forgiven. We can hear the sounds of the word and we hear the Spirit’s power and He will be able to hear through us. It gives us an insight into the way of life and the place where God is located. If we are in prayer or a religious service, there will be no prayer. The most important message in the Quran is that God does not want us to think of sin when we talk to God, rather if we want to be believed in God we must look at the light of God alone (Shulhan Bose).
Quran contains an abundance of spiritual knowledge. It has been interpreted and reinterpreted over the years. Many in Islam who have read the Quran may not agree about what the Quran discusses. Therefore, the word Quranic is not the correct translation of “the book” and can be a hindrance to learning. This is why the book of Islamic law is so vital to understanding Islam for many.
There are different levels of literacy and knowledge. To learn the Quran, every person should learn about the Quran. There is no need to know anything about it because they can learn all the verses and parts of it based on the book.
At the end of the day every person should learn the Quran, they will go deeper and deeper into the Quran and see how it has revealed the teachings of all religions and philosophies so that our ancestors can understand the teachings of different religions.
The Quran also contains a great deal about the religion. People who are inspired are those who are seeking knowledge. It is very important that those who need information can turn to the Quran directly. (Abud b. ‘Umar’s book of the Laws of the Quran called ‘The Sunnah’ does some good in explaining this). If a person is inspired they should find a Quran on the internet. There is also help to look up the Quran in google and you would be amazed at how many people use it everyday.
Some people who are influenced by the Quran are not ready