Two of the most influential people in all of religious history would have to have been either Jesus or Muhammad. From the moment they were born and extending far beyond their deaths they were both solely responsible for the founding and the continuation of their respective religions. In the year 6 B.C.E (before common era) the son of God Jesus Christ was born near the town of Bethlehem.(Fisher, 2006) Almost 600 years later in the town of Mecca the eventual Prophet Muhammad was born. The influences and religious experiences of these two people shaped the future of both religions. A look at the lives of these two men and the impacts of their deaths follows. A comparison of how both the men influenced their religions and also how they are both revered and worshipped in today's societies will happen as well. All of these thing will try and explain how the preaching and messages these two men tried to convey to their followers are being followed today.
A look at the historical life of Jesus Christ reveals that he was born to the Virgin Mary and his father Joseph in the year 6 B.C.E. His birth occurred during the Judean reign of King Herod. (Fisher, 2006) There isn't a lot of written history concerning Jesus' early years up to the age of about 24 years old. Jesus was a simple carpenter who was known for his fierce devotion to the Lord. He began to preach publicly at the age of 25 or so. (Fisher, 2006) This time during his life was a very successful one, he was adapt at healing the sickly and exercising demons. On a pilgrimage to Nazareth, Jesus was said to have been baptized by John, who later became one of Jesus' Apostles. This occurrence marked the beginning of Jesus' public life and rose his preaching to a higher level of interest among both his followers and his detractors. (Maas, 2003) Shortly prior to the first Passover of his life Jesus entered the Temple in Jerusalem and abruptly cast out the buyers and merchants who had been accustomed to buying and selling their wares in the holy Temple for a long time. The death, and the eventual resurrection of Jesus Christ which happened on the day after the Last Supper, was a major point in the Christian religion. Both occurrences had major impacts on the religion, while Jesus' resurrection is looked at as the most memorable historical event in the religious theatre.
There are two declarations of faith in Islam: That there is only one God and that Muhammad is the Messenger of God. In Memories of Muhammad, Omid Safi explores the ways in which Muhammad – both the historical and spiritual Muhammad – is remembered, commemorated, and contested by Muslims throughout the centuries. Safi focuses on the movements and moments in Muhammad’s life and after his death that for many Muslims best exemplify the teachings of Islam. He succeeds in opening up the dialogue to correct the negative portrayals of Muhammad and the religion of Islam, calling it a “Muhammad problem” in his introduction. Furthermore, he provides a book that is accessible and intelligible to both Muslims and non-Muslims, drawing from historical and spiritual sources, and addresses relevant issues contested between Muslims in relation to other religions, presenting Muhammad as a historical figure and one who is beloved by the Umma.
Jesus grew up to become a carpenter in Bethlehem. He continued to do this until the age of 30; at which he started his ministry, approximately at 24 BCE. He gathered 12 apostles (Peter, James the Greater, James the Lesser, Andrew, Bartholomew, Judas Iscariot, John, Simon, Phillip, Jude, Matthew, Thomas), who were his innermost circle of supporters, and hundreds of disciples, who followed him and agreed with his views on religion. As Jesus proliferated his message all over Judea, he also performed many miracles, such as turning water into wine and walking on water. About a week before his death, Jesus returned triumphantly to Jerusalem, a day that is still celebrated by Christians all over the world as Palm Sunday. However, just as soon as Jesus gained popularity, everything suddenly changed.
The two most polarizing and influential religious figures of time, Jesus Christ and Muhammad, have been considered to be two people who, at two different times, attempted to bring messages that would change the landscape of the spirituality of the world and gain followings from the masses. Timothy George shows the two for being responsible for creating two of the three historical religions in the world, with both descended from the third, Judaism, in his article in Christianity Today. While both may have lived a parallel path for some parts and shared a similar message amongst a few issues, they severely disagreed in their teachings on others, and encountered different events in their life span, especially towards the end. From their lives’, to their actions, and to their teachings, this paper will examine the similarities and differences in the two great “teachers” of the religious movements of the Anno Domini age, and how vastly contrasting the two truly were at the core of their leadership and values. The heart of Islam and Christianity, examined to the core of their founders.
The three most influential books in human history, the holy books of the three main Abrahamic religions, share a common though checkered history. With a string of familiar figures and incidents, each book builds upon its predecessor, sometimes retaining the exact nature of the story and sometimes giving it a new version. Each book seems to have been influenced by its specific purpose and the circumstances of the time it was revealed, with the stories meeting the demands of the day. I believe that the Quranic treatment of Jesus was to establish a firm monotheistic belief.
Jesus the Christ and Mohammed no two single men have touched more lives. They founded two related yet separate religions that today have seem to become the main stream of society around the world. In the year, “0” B.C. near the town of Bethlehem Jesus was born. Almost 600 years later in the town of Mecca the Prophet Mohammed was born. These two events changed the course of history for all humankind.
There are many similarities and differences between Judaism, Christianity and Islam. There are also many differences that separate the three major religions of the world. This paper will delve into all three of them.
The two largest religions in the world, Christianity and Islam, were implemented by two of religions most powerful leaders, Jesus and Muhammad. Without question, both Jesus and Muhammad have affected humanity powerfully. As religious leaders both men laid down the principles upon which Christianity and Islam are founded yet today. However, while Jesus performed miracles and arose from the dead, thus proving to his followers he was God, Muhammad performed no such feats, and made no such claims. In fact, Muhammad’s only claim was that he was the last prophet sent from God.
According to the book of Matthew, “Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king,” indicating he was born between 6 and 4 BCE (Matthew 2:1). The Bible refers to this as the virgin birth because Joseph and Mary never conceived him. He was a human being in which God took his form. Very little is known about his childhood and the Bible only reveals a picture of Jesus and his teachings when he was approximately 30 years of age. Whatever happened to Jesus during these years is a mystery to us all, but whatever happened transformed him into the divine being which he is today.
Al Ghazali a significant person in Islam has helped shape Islam to be what it is today - a living religious tradition for the lives of its adherents. His contribution to Islam though his theories, knowledge and works have left a positive impact upon the Islamic world that continues into the present. An everlasting impact upon the faith, Muslims and the expansion of Islam to be one of the most popular religious traditions in the present world for the lives of its adherents is seen as Al Ghazali’s
Throughout his life, the Prophet Muhammad proved to be exceptionally adept at uniting diverse groups, negotiating a series of alliances and loyalty arrangements that spanned religious, tribal, ethnic, and familial lines (Berggren 2009). Among other things, this ability enabled Muhammad to forge a shared identity and found a nascent Islamic state from a diverse and even heterogeneous community (Rahman 1982; Ernst 2003, pp. 87-93). This diversity proved to be both a source of strength and conflict for Islam, and following the death of Muhammad early Islamic communities engaged in extensive debates not only about the nature of his teachings or how to carry his legacy forward, but also about the terms that should be used to define his authority. Although this debate produced a colorful array of movements within the tapestry of early Islamic civilization, this essay offers a critical examination of two particularly distinct perspectives on the nature of prophetic authority: namely, those articulated
However much Islam and Christianity would seem to share common ground, the discussion is not complete without noting the parallels between this two that have taken center stage. Some of the remarkable differences as they try to answer deep life complexities arise in the areas of religious practices by both their adherents and the clergy (Dorothy 13-28). “There is also a stark contrast to the belief system subscribed to, means of salvation, scriptures”. The most prominent difference present concerns the belief of life after death and practices of depicting the metaphysical
After ‘The Year of Sorrow’ in which both Muhammad’s uncle- Abu Talib and wife- Kadijah died Muhammad is warned by the angel Gabriel that the situation is getting too dangerous for him in Mecca. “Muhammad knew the faith must find expression in a community which would insure its external force and the opportunity to prevail against opposition” (Cragg). It is at this point that Muhammad is invited to become a leader in Medina (622ce).
Although there are many religions in the world that have affected the lives and cultures of many people it is clear that most of the historical developments that have affected the way people now live seem to have been greatly influenced by the three religions with close relationships to each other resulting in being clustered together as the Abrahamic faiths. While there are many differences among the three most populous religions called the Abrahamic faith (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam), there are a number of similarities that deserve a closer look. In this article will look at three major similarities. At times there may be more similarities between any two of them but dissimilarity with the third. For instance, on the personality and
At the first glance, Islam and Christianity appear to have nothing in common, however; as you go beyond the surface, they appear to have many similarities such as their beliefs of God, their beliefs of life after death, their holy scriptures, and their prayers. These religions, although are two entirely different beliefs, share a similar origin. Like many other religions, they both claim to be the one and only true way to God. In order to truly see and understand their similarities, one must date back to the rise and birth of Christianity and Islam. Throughout the course of this essay, I will compare the many facets that show the alikeness between these two growing religions.
During Muhammad’s time, he united many areas in Arabia and was able to establish a religious communi...