Jesus & Muhammad Paper

Axia College of University of Phoenix

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Both Jesus of Nazareth and the Prophet Muhammads tea!hings are follo"ed in
the !urrent era# $heir lives and the manner of their deaths have %rought inspiration to
literally millions "orld&"ide# 'a!h of these histori!al individuals is !onsidered the
greatest prophet of their o"n religion# $hey "ere ea!h "ere radi!al leaders of their
people during their lives and are still highly regarded %y follo"ers today#
(t is %elieved that Jesus "as %orn a fe" years %efore the %eginning of our !urrent
Christians !alendar )ear *ne# +e is said to have %een %orn in Bethlehem in !urrent day
(srael# $he Ne" $estament of the Bi%le tells the story of Jesus life as %eginning "ith a
virgin %irth %y Mary# +e "or,ed as a !ommon !arpenter- follo"ing in his father Josephs
trade# 1. years of Jesus life are unre!orded in the Ne" $estament# +is story pi!,s up
"hen he is /0 years of age and %egins prea!hing among the people# +e gathers dis!iples
during this time "ho follo" him throughout the region# +is tea!hings in!lude the %asi!
pre!epts of living in humility- faith and forgiveness# +e also taught of 1ods mer!y and
forgiveness to man# +e is said to have performed mira!les during his travels# 2ome of
these are turning "ater to "ine at a "edding !eremony- healing the %lind and si!, and
raising the dead# +e "as !onsidered a threat to the prevailing po"er stru!ture in his
time- so as he gained popularity he %egan to experien!e repression#
+e "as arrested %y the 3oman Pontius Pilate# Pilate as,ed Jesus if he %elieved he
"as the 2on of 1od and the 4ing of the Je"s# Jesus ans"ered that he "as# (t is re!orded
that this led to the !ro"d demanding his exe!ution on the %asis of his %eing a threat to the
emperor Caesar# 2u%se5uently- Jesus is said to have %een %rutally !ru!ified# +e "as
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removed from the !ross and interred# +e is said to have risen from the tom% after three
days# $his resurre!tion is !ele%rated at the 'aster !eremonies# After his death- his
apostles and various dis!iples !ontinued to prea!h his tea!hings#
Muhammad "as %orn into the tri%e the 7uraysh in Me!!a in 890 C#'# Muslims
say that he is the last of a !hain of prophets "ho !ame to them to %ring the true religion
%a!, to the people# +e "or,ed as a prosperous mer!hant and trader# +e "ent into
!aves outside the !ity of Me!!a to meditate and %e!ome !loser to 1od# +e says he "as
given his first revelations that later %e!ame the 7uran during these meditations# +e
experien!ed a series of religious revelations and sa" himself as Allahs messenger# (n
the %eginning he only shared these revelations "ith his !lose a!5uaintan!es and his
family# :inally- after three years of these experien!es- he %rought the "ord and its
tea!hings to the people# +e "as driven out of Me!!a into Medina %e!ause of this "or,#
+is tea!hings "ere very unpopular# (n ;6< C#'#- after having risen in the politi!al arenas
in Medina- he returned to Me!!a# +e %e!ame a "idely regarded tea!her over mu!h of
Ara%ia %efore his death in ;/6 C#'#
Muhammads life is of great importan!e to Muslims "orld"ide# :ollo"ers of
(slam !ele%rate his %irthday mu!h as Christians !ele%rate Christmas as Jesus %irthday#
Muhammads inspired prophe!ies still influen!e his follo"ers in many "ays#
$he follo"ers of ea!h of these great tea!hers praise and venerate these t"o all
over the "orld# Christians do so in 2unday masses and daily prayers that honor all 1od
%rings to them# Christians honor 2unday as their holy day ea!h "ee, and follo" the $en
Commandments# Many Christians pra!ti!e the ritual of !ommunion as a sym%oli! feast
on the %ody and %lood of Christ# Christians also hold the %elief that their lives on earth
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"ill %e mirrored in their life after death# $hey are told in the Bi%le that Jesus "ill return
on =udgment day and all the people of the earth "ill %e a!!ounta%le for their sins on that
day#
As a "hole- Muslims follo" rituals more !losely than Christians# Muslims attend
"orship ea!h "ee, in the mos5ue and also pray five times daily "ith the instru!tion that
they must fa!e Me!!a from "herever they are- sin!e Me!!a is the !enter of their faith# (n
a!!ordan!e "ith the :ive Pillars of their faith- they fast during 3amadan and ma,e a
pilgrimage to the !ity of Me!!a at least on!e in their life# $he :ive Pillars are the
!ommandments of Allah as handed do"n to Muhammad and must %e follo"ed# (n the
:irst Pillar the unity and divine nature of 1od is professed and the Prophet Muhammad
honored# $he 2e!ond Pillar mandates the five times daily prayer and its stan!e# $he
$hird Pillar mandates the donation of 6 > ? of ea!h Muslims yearly earnings to other
Muslims in need# $he :ourth Pillar mandates fastings# $he :ifth Pillar !alls for the
pilgrimage to Me!!a#
'a!h of these tea!hers has provided inspiration and "isdom to millions around the
"orld# $hey ea!h suffered greatly at the hands of their fello" men to %ring the "ord
they %elieved "as 1ods "ord to the people# $hese messages are still taught today and
the pra!ti!es that arose around their tea!hings are pra!ti!ed in !ountries all over the
"orld# $heir "or,s "ill !ontinue far into the future as man has great need and use of
faith and these t"o faith&%ased religions have %rought sola!e and order for many people
for !enturies#
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3eferen!e Page
:is!her- Pat @6008A# Living Religions# Prenti!e +all#
:is!her - Pat @6008A# Islam# Prenti!e +all#




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