Christianity and Islam are two religions that are monotheistic, meaning they believe in only one God.
Christianity believes in Jesus, while Judaism believes in Mohammed.While the two religions are monotheistic, it does not mean they believe in the same beliefs nor have the same beliefs about their Gods. While Christianity believes Jesus to be the son of God, Islam believes in Mohammed; a young orphan, whose parents died when he was six (father) and nine (mother) (Smith, 2004).Both religions have deep roots based upon their God, which helps to found their beliefs, but where are the two religions the same and where go they vary? By tracing the lives of Mohammed and Jesus it will become apparent who each God is, how their lives impacted the religions of Christianity and Islam, and how their messages are being carried out today.Jesus Christ was born between two and six BCE; His mother, “Mary, was a virgin who was betrothed to Joseph, a carpenter. Christians believe Jesus was born through Immaculate Conception (A&E Networks, 2012).
” At the age of 12 Jesus became separated from his parents in Jerusalem and was later found three days later discussing affairs with the elders of Jerusalem (The Gospel of Luke (2:41-52).At the age of 30 Jesus began his ministry after he was baptized by John the Baptist, who declared him to be the son of God. After the baptism, Jesus went into the Judean desert, fasted for 40 days and nights, while being tempted by the devil; once to turn stone to bread, once to cast himself off a mountain where angels would save him, and once to offer him all the kingdoms of the world.All three times Jesus denied the devil by turning him down (A&E Networksl, 2012).
Jesus traveled through Galilee and Judea preaching using parables and miracles to explain how the prophecies were being fulfilled and that the kingdom of God was near. Jesus preformed miracles, healed the sick, and the crowds continued to grow in size.Jesus had twelve disciples and explains to them of the Pharisees’ conspiracy against him and of his fate to suffer and be killed, only to rise from the dead on the third day. All four Gospels describe Jesus in his final week in Jerusalem. During which Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, confronted moneychangers and merchants in the temple, and debated with the high priests who questioned Jesus’ authority.He told his disciples about the coming days and that Jerusalem’s temple would be destroyed.
Meanwhile, the chief priests and elders met with high priest Caiaphas, and set plans in motion to arrest Jesus. One of Jesus’ disciples’ betrayed him to the Pharisees for 30 pieces of silver.Jesus took his disciples to pray with him, but they kept falling asleep. Soldiers and officials appeared, and Judas (who betrayed Jesus) was with them.
He gave Jesus a kiss on the cheek to help the Pharisee’s know who he was and the soldiers arrested Jesus.One disciple tried to resist the arrest, drew his sword and cutting off an ear of a soldier. Jesus was then interrogated by the high priest, hit and spat upon for not answering. Jesus was mocked, condemned, and beat up in a high court because he stated he was the son of God.
Pilate washed his hands of the responsibility of what happened to Jesus, but ordered him to be executed. Jesus hung on a cross for three days, died, was buried in a tomb, and rose again on the third day.With his dying on the cross he took the sin of the world. Mohammed was born at “Mecca between 569 and 571 of the Common Era; died June, 632, at Medina. Mohammed was a posthumous child and lost his mother when he was six years old.
He then came under the guardianship of his grandfather 'Abd al-Mu??alib, who at his death, two years later, left the boy to the care of his son Abu ?alib, Mohammed's uncle” (Grimme, 2002).He later worked mostly as a merchant, as well as a shepherd, and was first married by age 25. Being in the habit of periodically retreating to a cave in the surrounding mountains for several nights of meditation and prayer, he later reported that it was there, at age 40, that he received his first revelation from God.Three years afterwhich is started preaching his reveleations to people, and quickly got followers. He and his few followers were treated harshly and to escape persecution, Muhammad sent some of his followers to Abyssiniabefore he and his remaining followers in Mecca migrated to Medina (then known as Yathrib) in the year 622.In Medina, Muhammad united the tribes under the Constitution of Medina.
After eight years of feuding with the Meccan tribes, all 10,000 followers, conquered Mecca.Muhammad destroyed the symbols of paganism in Mecca and sent his followers out to destroy all of the pagan temples throughout Eastern Arabia. He later became ill and died, by which time most of the Arabian Pennisula had converted to Islam and he had united the tribes of Arabia into a single Muslim religious polity. With the death of Jesus, it led to the understanding, belief, and cementing of that belief that Jesus is in fact the son of God.
The disciples took the message of Jesus to all corners of the Roman Empire and Christianity spread like wildfire. Despite an initial period where Christians were persecuted for about 300 years, by 313 AD Christianity had become the religion of the Roman Empire. Their numbers had grown too large for Emperor Constantine I to ignore or take for granted.The death of Mohammed brought chaos to the empire because there was no one to fill the leadership spot he had, which led to an unresolvable conflict between the Shia’s and Sunni’s. The Shia’s believed that leadership belonged to Mohammed’s direct descendants. The Sunni’s on the other hand were of the opinion that the Caliphs should provide leadership.
Islam continues to proliferate growing over the years and being exported to faraway lands such as India, Afghanistan, and The North & East African coast.This leads to how both are worshipped. Mohammed and Jesus are not worshipped in the sense that people think. Jesus is worshipped by Christians giving praise and glory to his father God, the same as with Islam.
Mohammed is considered to be a major prophet in the Islamic culture. With Christians, they give thanks to God for Jesus, who died on a cross so their sins could be forgiven. Jesus is given praise in songs, known as worship. Mohammed.
The Islam religion read a Qur’an and the Christians read a bible, which they use to learn the word of God and to pray upon his word. Today Jesus’ word is carried out through song, praise, worship, preaching, attending church, following the Ten Commandments, on television, and through radio. Importantly there are people in countries where the gospel has yet to be found that are spreading the word.These people are referred to as Missionaries and their job is to teach people about the word. With the bible being in many different languages today that makes the job easier.
Mohammed’s message today is not being carried out the way he would want it to be. Unfortunately, this religion has gotten a bad name with radical groups like the Taliban and Al Qaida. The terrorist attacks on the United States have helped to further give Mohammed’s religion a bad name.Mohammed’s religion is about peace, worshipping God, and loving one another. To those who follow the Islam religion, they read the Qur’an and pray, while attending worship services.
Mohammed and Jesus are two important men who help to shape the religions of Christianity and Islam. Together they have led lives that many people could not.They helped followers to have something to believe in, although one in a positive light, and the other in a negative light. Islam and Christianity have their own books, the bible and Qur’an. If more people were to read the word in either book, they would see the religions are about peace, love, worshipping God, and being a good person.ReferencesA&E Networksl.
(2012, January 7). Jesus Christ. Retrieved May 25, 2012, from Jesus Christ Biography: http://www.biography.
com/people/jesus-christ-9354382 Grimme, M. (2002, February 7). Mohammed. Retrieved May 25, 2012, from Jewish Encyclopedia.com: http://www.
jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/10918-mohammed Smith, H. (2004, November 7). Life of the Prophet Muhammad .
Retrieved May 26, 2012, from Religion Facts: http://www.religionfacts.com/islam/history/prophet.htm
