Arguably, Christianity is the largest religion in the world (Sharlet, 2009). The faith is based on the doctrines and teachings of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. The teachings and doctrines of Jesus are observed to this day. The Christians believe Jesus is the son of God. As such, they worship Him and observe His teachings as the messiah. The life, teachings and death of Jesus had a significant impact on the people of his time. Nevertheless, Mohammed is perceived by the Islamic religion as the last prophet. He lived approximately six hundred years after Jesus. He studied Christianity and Judaism and tried to establish a middle ground arguing that god was one and that people should come together and worship the God, Allah. There are a number of similarities and differences between the lives of Jesus and Mohammed. This paper seeks to compare the doctrines and experiences of Jesus to those of Mohamed, in light of the impacts of their deaths on the followers of either religion.
The history of the lives of Mohammed and Jesus
Jesus was born in a village in Nazareth. His life was said to have been characterized with piety right from the beginning since, according to the Bible, he was born of a virgin woman named Mary (Mohammed, 2011). The Bible is written that Jesus was conceived of the pious Ghost since his foster parents Mary and Joseph had not engaged in any sexual acts. Prior to the birth of Jesus, an angel named Gabriel appeared to Mary and tells her that she was to have a baby boy, and he was to be named Jesus. The birth of Jesus takes place in a humble manger. The birth of the Messiah is surrounded by mysterious manifestations. For instance, angels appear to shepherds and break the news to them. The shepherds are guided by a star to the place where the Messiah was born. Such manifestations lead people to believe that Jesus is the son of God.
Jesus when he grew up was taken care of by his parents. He claimed to be the son of God at the age of twelve. He was full of wisdom and astonished the young the old alike. Throughout his life, he preached through many ways. At the age of thirty, when he started his mission, Jesus performed many miracles (Sharlet, 2009). He raised the dead and did things that raised people’s curiosity. Such miracles and teachings of wisdom made many people follow him. However, the authorities did not like the work of Jesus. They, therefore, organized to get him tortured. He was accused of so many crimes including the act of inciting people not to comply with the tax system. The political leaders had him captured, and tortured to death. He was persecuted and seen as a criminal.
Six hundred years after the existence of Jesus Christ, Mohammed was born to a poor family. It is essential to note that unlike Jesus, Mohammed had biological parents. Mohammed’s father died before his son was born (Mohammed, 2011). The boy was brought up by his poor mother who died as well later on. The boy was then brought up by his uncle, who introduces him to commerce and trade. Again, unlike Jesus who was brought up by a carpenter, Mohammed had to travel the desert to get trading activities moving. Unlike Jesus, Mohammed got married to several women and raises children. He led a life of illiteracy but could read the religious writings through the intervention of the angels. He recited and memorized the religious teachings that enabled him to compile the holy Quran.
Mohammed began his work of spreading Islam at the age of forty. Unlike Jesus who led a peaceful life and encouraged peaceful co-existence, Mohammed’s efforts to spread the religion were characterized by bloodshed (Mohammed, 2011). He engaged people that opposed Islam in the war and led soldiers to the battlefield. He insisted that the wars he fought were holy wars, referred to as jihad, among the Muslims. Like Jesus, Mohammed did perform miracles and unusual things. Again, he was generous like Jesus of Nazareth and encouraged people to share the little they had. Unlike Jesus, Mohammed died a normal death. The Muslims believe that the prophet went straight to paradise and has a special place there. It is essential to note that Mohammed recognized Jesus in his teachings, and referred to him as prophet Isa. He, however, taught the world that he was the last prophet.
Impact the death of each person had on his respective religion.
The death of Jesus Christ, which he had prophesied, was seen as the biggest effort towards the salvation of the world. Jesus died out of torture and final crucifixion by the political leaders who were against his teachings (Menache, 2009). They accused him of telling people that he was the king and telling people to stop paying taxes. He was as well seen as a threat to the leaders since he was becoming widely accepted in the region. Like his birth, his death was as well surrounded by mysterious events. For instance, he died and resurrected after three days. He came back to reassure his followers that he was indeed the son of God. Jesus resurrected and ascended to heaven as his disciples watched. They took his death as a way of bringing salvation to the world. The mixed reactions among the Christians caused them to interpret the gospel differently; hence, there are so many Christian denominations currently.
Unlike the death of Jesus, Mohammed’s death was normal. His natural death sparked a number of reactions among the Islam. While all of them shared the pain of losing a prominent leader, some were of the view that only people from Mohammed’s lineage could lead them (Holland, 2012). On the contrary, others were opposed to the idea. This was the cause of the split of the Islam into the Shias and the Sunnis, with the Shias being in favor of the Mohammed family. Unlike Jesus who died and rose again, Mohammed died forever. Jesus’ death prompted the disciples to put more effort into spreading the gospel. At his death, Mohammed did not speak of coming again, but rather waiting for his people in heaven. Jesus promised his disciples that he would come again.
How Jesus and Mohammed were and are worshipped
During his life in the world, people did not worship Jesus the way they worship him today. This can be said to be because back then, the people were ignorant and illiterate. They could not comprehend the teachings of Christ. Perhaps, people came to believe that he was the son of God after he had died and resurrected (Sharlet, 2009). This was probably the greatest miracles. During his life, people followed Jesus to every place he went. They sat down to listen to him, teach. They praised and worshipped him through prayer. In the contemporary world, Jesus is worshipped in many different ways. Certainly, the most momentous is the use of songs and other arts. People have composed millions of Christian songs that praise and worship Jesus. Christians also worship through preaching, praying and bearing such pieces of arts the crucifix.
In the Islamic faith, Mohammed is worshipped through prayer and recitation of his verses. The Muslims do not engage in hysterical worship as do some denominations of Christianity (Menache, 2009). They worship Allah through Mohammed and visit Mecca, the city where Mohammed established the faith. The Muslims observe such doctrines as fasting, as per the teachings of Prophet Mohammed. Another way through which they worship him is borrowing a lot from his lifestyle and culture. The manner in which the Muslims worship Mohammed today is no different at all from the way they did back in the day.
How the messages of Jesus and Mohamed are being carried out in the world today
The messages and gospel of Jesus are being spread in the world in so many ways today. One of the most significant ways of spreading the gospel of Christ is through the crusades and other religious meetings (Holland, 2012). Through such religious meetings, the pastors and reverends teach the gospel of Jesus, and ask people to accept Christ’s ways. They ask them to join the Christian faith in order to achieve salvation. Other ways of spreading the word are through songs and art as well as the translating of the Bible into various languages, both international and vernacular, so as to reach many people. Missionary work that was prominent in the last two centuries was another way of carrying out the gospel.
The messages and teachings of prophet Mohamed are contained in the holy Quran. The Quran has been interpreted as well, though not to as many languages as the bible. The manner in which the Muslims carry out the messages of Islam in the world currently is more or less the same as the manner in which Mohamed made attempts to gain more acceptances. For instance, the Muslims still fight in the name of jihad. It is worth noting that the similarities between Mohamed and Jesus are almost as many as the differences.
References
Holland, T. (2012). Where Mystery Meets History. History Today, 62 (5), 19-24
Menache, S. (2009). When Jesus Met Mohammed In The Holy Land: Attitudes Toward The “Other” In The Crusader Kingdom. Medieval Encounters, 15 (1), 66-85
Mohammed, K. (2011). The Case of the Overlooked Fatwa. Journal of Ecumenical Studies, 46 (3), 37 Mohammed, K. (2011)8-388
Sharlet, J. (2009). Jesus Killed Mohammed. Harper's Magazine, 318 (1908), 31-43
