Jesus and Mohammed
Jesus did not present fresh teachings to the people, as his was a confirmation to what was written in the Old Testament (Aron, 1962). Mohammed is seen by Muslims as a prophet. Muslims argue that Mohammed was the last prophet of Allah. Muslims believe in other prophets of the Old Testament, but the most significant of them is Mohammed. They call him the law bearer and also believe that he was chosen by God to restore the original monotheistic faith. Mohammed is the originator of the Quran which is regarded as the holy book by Muslims (Mohammed, 1998). This essay analyses the impact of these two historical elements to religion.
Jesus
According to Christianity, Jesus came from God to earth to deliver mankind. He is believed to have been born to Mary (Aron, 1962). The bible talks of Jesus as having been born to a virgin as a fulfillment of what the prophets had predicted. Jesus was not a sinner despite the fact that he spent his life with sinners. Jesus was raised by Joseph who was betrothed to Mary, before the angel appeared to her with the message of his birth. His earthly father was a carpenter and when Jesus was young before he started his ministry, he assisted his father in his work. The exact time of his birth is not clear. As a matter of fact, even the bible that details his birth, life, and ultimate death does not have a record of when he was born. All what is clear is the place of his birth. What is closer to an indication of time is that he was born during the reign of King Herod, and during the first census in Syria and Judea. Jesus spent his childhood in Nazareth (Aron, 1962).
Jesus started his ministry after he was baptized by John in River Jordan. At this time, he was thirty years old. In his ministries, he is said to have raised people from death, healed the sick, delivered people from daemons and performed other miracles and wonders. After his baptism, he went to the desert and fasted for forty days. At the end of those days he encountered the devil who tested him, but he did not fall to those temptations. Jesus taught people a lot in parables and aphorisms. He mostly talked about the kingdom of God that Christians expected after the end of this life. This kingdom is promised to those who believe in him. Those who do not believe in him will be taken to hell (Aron, 1962).
Wherever he taught, many people gathered to listen to what he had to say. He converted many people to Christianity. He converted twelve people who followed him and helped him in his ministry. It is believed that when the time for his death reached, he was betrayed by one of the twelve. The name of the disciple who betrayed Jesus was Judas Iscariot. He had just shared with them bread and wine as a symbol of his body and blood. Even today, Christians perform that ritual, for it is said that he taught them to do so in his remembrance (Vaughan, 1989).
Before Jesus was arrested, he promised the Holy Spirit to his followers who would be their councilor. The temple guards came to arrest him. They had received their orders from Sanhedrin and the high priests. After his arrest, Jesus was delivered to Pilate for persecution. Pilate did not want to prosecute him but the crowd ordered for Barabbas to be released instead of Jesus. Jesus died on the cross where he was crucified among thieves. Jesus is believed to have risen from the dead after three days. His disciples testify to this by arguing that he appeared to them after he rose. He is later believed to have ascended to heaven. Christianity started spreading to other nations through the disciples who went around convincing more and more people to be Christians (Vaughan, 1989).
Mohammed
Mohammed was born in the period between 570 and 580 AD. He was born in Mecca, but later fled when he was threatened with persecution. Mohammed was raised by his uncle when his parents died. Mohammed unlike Jesus was a married man. He got a wife at the age of 25. Mohammed was discontented with his life. This was the reason why he went to a cave for meditation and reflection. It was in that cave at the age of 40 that angel Gabriel talked to him.
Angel Gabriel revealed to him the existence of only one God, Allah. This is the most celebrated month of Ramadan by the muslins. The angel also revealed to Mohammed that after the end of this life, there will be judgment. After the revelation, it took him three years to start spreading the word about the revelation (Mohammed, 1998).
To begin with, Mohammed converted a few people. His message was met with hostility by the people in Mecca. His converts received harsh treatment. He moved to medina with some of his followers to flee from the Meccan people. The movement of Mohammed to medina is the start of the Islamic calendar and is referred to as Hijra. The followers of Mohammed fought Meccan people for many years and later conquered them. By the time they returned to Mecca, they had grown very many in number. The death of Mohammed happened in 623 AD. He died of natural causes after coming back from a pilgrimage. He was able to convert many in the Arabian Peninsula. He also had many converts in Arabia. His revelations from angel Gabriel are the verses of the Quran. Muslims regard it as the word of God. This book does not reveal Mohammed as a miracle worker, but his ultimate miracle is the Quran itself (Mohammed, 1998).
Impact of the death of Jesus and Mohammed
The final words of a hero are very crucial to those who revere him. The final words of Jesus were forgiveness and mercy for his tormenters, because they had no idea of what they were doing. Even during his life, he always taught his followers to do good deeds (Aron, 1962). Mohammed life was full of conflicts and he earned his converts by the sword. During his death, Mohammed spoke a curse to the Jews and Christians for he argued that they had constructed their worship houses on the graves of the prophets. After the death of Jesus, his followers continued to live a life of love, peace, and forgiveness just as they had learnt from their teacher. They also urge others to live a life free of sin so that they can enjoy the everlasting kingdom. Conflicts among the followers of Mohammed began immediately after his death, with the disagreement on who would succeed him. They continued to win converts by sword and fighting to protect their faith. Muslims believe that if they die defending their faith, then they will go to heaven (Mohammed, 1998).
Methods of worship
Christians believe that Jesus is the only key to being a child of God. He is the only key to having a relationship with God. He is the connection between Christians and their creator. Jesus is revered by Christians but in connection with God and also the Holy Spirit (Aron, 1962). The life and ways of Mohammed are upheld by the Muslims. They regard him with reverence. Whenever the name of Mohammed is mentioned, they add the phrase, peace be upon him. Mohammeds birthday is observed by Muslims throughout the world. The Quran refers to Mohammed as the mercy to the world (Mohammed, 1998). To Christians, there is no formula of worship, but they use kneeling sometimes to show surrender to God. Muslims on the other hand, pray five times a day while kneeling and facing Mecca. Men and women in Islamic faith do not pray inside the same mosque (Mohammed, 1998).
Spreading of the two faiths
Christians use the bible in spreading the faith while Muslims use then Quran. Christians spread the gospel of Jesus Christ by following his teaching in the bible. Muslims preach about the belief in one God and Mohammed as his last prophet. This forms the basis of Islamic faith. Every Muslim is supposed to proclaim the Shahadah that Mohammed is the prophet of Allah. The Shahadah is the basic creed and it is the means through which the faith is passed over to people. When a child is born, it is the initial thing he hears, the moment the child is able to understand, it is what they are taught, and it is spoken during the burial. The converts are taught to recite it, and it is what is used to call Muslims for prayers (Vaughan, 1989).
Conclusion
Jesus and Mohammed are significant elements in their successive faiths but they were dissimilar in every aspect of their life. The two religions also contrast in many ways. Their beliefs are different just as the life and origins of their founders were different.
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