Muhammad And Jesus: Compare The Men

Muhammad And Jesus: Compare The Men This essay was kindly submitted by Collins Maritim Thomas Carlyle observed that the history of the world is really the biography of great men. And no two men have influenced our world more than Jesus and Muhammad. Nations have used their words as the foundation of their cultures and laws. Fully half of the worlds inhabitants trace the roots of their beliefs back to Muhammads words in the 7th century and the teachings of Jesus Christ in the 1st century. So who were these men who have changed our world, and how do they compare with one another? We begin with Muhammad. Muhammad didnt appear extraordinary at first. But in time his name became known throughout the Arab lands as the one who united a disparate group of nomad Arabs into a powerful force for their God. And today, nearly 1,400 years later, 1.8 billion Muslims revere Muhammad as the greatest of all prophets. About six hundred years before Muhammad another man appeared on the scene who in three short years changed our world. His name is Jesus Christ. Within a few generations after he left earth, the power and might of the Roman Empire was enveloped by the phenomenon of Christianity, and today it is the worlds largest religion with over 2 billion followers. Although Muslims and Christians both believe strongly in God, their religious differences have changed our 21st century world. But, can their many religious differences be traced back to the teachings of Muhammad and Jesus? If these religious leaders were alive today, would they reflect the divisions of their followers, or would they agree with one another? Perhaps we can answer that question by looking at the similarities and differences of Muhammad and Jesus. Both religious leaders had some similarities, but their differences account for much of the division we see today between Islam and Christianity. In the next several pages, we will look at the: Life of Muhammad Life of Jesus Similarities between Muhammad and Jesus Differences between Muhammad and Jesus After comparing Muhammad and Jesus, we will attempt to draw conclusions about what led to their enormous influence upon our world. We will also examine their messages for essential differences. First lets take a brief look at their lives. Life of Jesus Christ Jesus Christ was born about 6 B. C. in Bethlehem, an obscure village in the Roman province of Palestine. It was a time when many Jews were looking for the long promised Messiah spoken of hundreds of years before by Hebrew prophets. Luke, who documented the life of Jesus, writes that Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary, and that the angel Gabriel proclaimed him as the Son of the most High, the Savior of men (Luke 1:26-38). Jesus worked as a carpenter in the Galilean town of Nazareth. At age 30 he began his public ministry by teaching Gods Word and performing nature-defying miracles. Jesus words and miraculous deeds attracted huge crowds like a magnet. He spoke of God with an authority that marveled everyone. Jesus sinless life of moral purity amazed both his followers and his enemies. He also astounded them by turning water into wine, walking on water, calming storms at sea, giving sight to the blind, healing paralyzed limbs, and restoring life to the dead. No one had ever demonstrated such power and authority. And his enemies were unable to refute Jesus amazing power over nature. Not only did Jesus perform great miracles, but he also spoke words of such profound wisdom, that it was said of him that no man has ever spoken like this. His words were spoken with authority and revealed remarkable insight about the human condition. In fact, Jesus said his words were the words of God Himself. Although the crowds that followed Jesus loved and accepted him, Jewish religious leaders were jealous of his fame and wisdom. In their envy, they continually sought to trip him up or catch him in a violation of their law. But Jesus life was pure and above reproach. Rather than violating Gods law, Jesus fulfilled every single command by his righteous life. Jesus continually demonstrated heartfelt compassion for the poor and downcast. He looked beyond the outward appearances of men into their hearts. Jesus was always kind, going out of his way to help people, regardless of how important they were. Jesus never boasted about himself. And his humility was blended with incredible courage and strength. He condemned religious hypocrisy, and spoke boldly in the face of overwhelming opposition from the Jewish leaders and Roman rulers. But Jesus also taught forgiveness, and demonstrated it by forgiving his executioners as he hung on the cross uttering, Father forgive them for they dont know what they are doing. (Luke 23:26-49). Jesus made claims that totally infuriated his enemies. Jesus claims make it impossible that he was simply a prophet, a great religious leader, or merely a good man. He was either who he claimed to be, [God] or he was a liar, or a madman, or something worse. Jesus was betrayed by Judas, one of his 12 disciples, and turned over to his Jewish enemies. The Romans then crucified Jesus on a cross and certified his death. After verifing his death, his body was placed into a rich mans tomb in Jerusalem. Jesus had told his disciples he would rise from the grave three days after his crucifixion. His disciples didnt believe his words at first, and they fled the scene, afraid they would be killed like their leader. But three days after Jesus crucifixion, they were suddenly changed. In a dramatic turnaround, they began proclaiming that Jesus had risen, and eventually died as martyrs for what they believed to be true. Before he ascended, Jesus promised that he would return to earth someday as Ruler. His followers conviction spread like a wildfire, consuming the entire Roman Empire. Our world has never been the same. Life of Muhammad Muhammad was born in 570 A.D in Mecca, a city in Western Saudi Arabia. He was an orphan, having lost both parents by the age of 6. After age 8 the young Muhammad was raised by his uncle, Abu Talib. In time he joined the trading caravans as a merchant. At age 25 Muhammad married a wealthy widow by the name of Khadijah, 15 years his senior. The couple had four daughters and two sons who died in infancy. During Muhammads life he had a total of eleven wives. He was described as gentle and humble by nature. He loved children and animals. At age 40, Muhammad fell into a trance in a cave on Mount Hira near Mecca where he claimed to have heard the angel Gabriel speak to him. Muhammad reportedly ran home crying out, O, Kadijah! I have either become a soothsayer or else I am possessed of the Djin [demon] and gone mad. Khadijah and her Christian cousin Waraqah consoled Muhammad, assuring him his vision must be real, and that he was truly Gods prophet. Muhammad had additional revelations of Gabriel speaking to him, but he still had agonizing doubts about their reality. He was even more troubled when the revelations ceased, becoming dejected and entertaining suicide. It wasnt until later when his revelations resumed, that Muhammad finally began proclaiming himself as a prophet, and preaching in the one sovereign God, resurrection, and the last judgment, and the practicing of charity to the poor and the orphans. Muhammad was illiterate and recited his revelations orally. It wasnt until after his death that they were compiled and written down in the Quran. Muslims accept the Quran as a miracle, believing it is 100% inspired with no human error. Much of what we know as Islam the lives and sayings of the Prophet is based on texts from between 130 and 300 years after Muhammads death. In the face of rampant idolatry, Muhammad became zealous for Allah. It was his zeal that led Muhammad to take up the sword for Allah. He would spread Islam by conquering the infidel (unbelieving) peoples, including Christians and Jews. Prior to taking up the sword, Muhammad had co-existed peacefully with the many Jewish inhabitants of Medina. But when he realized the Jews rejected his prophetic calling and radical ideas, he became angry, and began treating them cruelly. As a result, some Jews were driven into exile by his militia, while others were executed with their widows and children being sold as slaves. Prior to his death, Muhammad led several military campaigns. He proved to be a courageous and capable military leader. By the time of his death in 632, Muslims ruled only in Arabia. But within ten years the Arab Muslims conquered Palestine, Syria, Egypt, Iraq, and then Persia (Iran). In one generation Muhammad and his followers had changed the political landscape of the Eastern world. Today Muslims around the world honor Muhammad as Allahs one True Prophet. Similarities between Jesus and Muhammad Before we look at the differences between Jesus and Muhammad, lets identify a few of their similarities. Great religious leaders Jesus and Muhammad established the worlds two largest religions, Christianity with 2.1 billion, and Islam with 1.8 billion people, together half of the worlds population. Monotheism Although their views of Gods nature were different, both men believed in and taught about one true God who is sovereign, infinite, all powerful, all-knowing, and the ultimate judge of all mankind. Old Testament Scriptures Both men accepted the Old Testament as Gods Word, and acknowledged Abraham, as the one through whom God would make a great people. Jews and Christians believe Gods promise is through Abrahams son, Isaac, while Muslims believe it is through Abrahams other son, Ishmael. Written legacy Neither Jesus nor Muhammad wrote a book. However, their respective followers recorded their words that we have today; the New Testament detailing the eyewitness accounts of Jesus life and words, and the Quran, which records Muhammads account of his revelation. Whereas Muslims regard the Quran as a Miracle that must be taken by faith without the necessity of evidentiary support, Christians point to numerous evidences of ancient documents substantiating the reliability of the New Testament. Worldwide influence Muhammads most enduring influence has been his ability to unite disparate groups of Arab peoples under the banner of Islam, primarily by military conquest. This influence spread further by conquests of several surrounding countries. Between the 8th century to the 13th century, Islam was instrumental in several developments in the arts and sciences. This period of cultural advancement is called The Golden Age of Islam During this Golden Age Muslim scholars made contributions to literature, mathematics, astronomy, medicine, and chemistry. Muhammads influence rings loud today through his 1.8 billion followers around the world. Jesus Christ influenced Western Civilization peacefully. He told us that God loves each of us individually and created us for Himself. He taught us to love and forgive each other. Secular world historian Will Durant credits Jesus teachings with the beginning of democracy. Jesus teaching of the high value of the individual resulted in the establishment of schools such as Yale and Harvard, the abolition of slavery, the elevated dignity of women, and countless hospitals charities and humanitarian works. Differences between Muhammad and Jesus Although some similarities exist between Muhammad and Jesus, their differences are far greater. Lets look at a few of the most important. Different Claims Muhammad said he was just a man; Jesus claimed to be God. In fact, Muhammad never claimed to be more than a man, a prophet of Allah. His following prayer reflects that: O Allah! I am but a man. (Ahmed, Musnad, Vol. 6, pg. 103) Although Jesus was fully a man who felt pain, became hungry, tired, and was tempted like us, Jesus also claimed to be fully God, equal with his heavenly Father. He said that prior to becoming a man, he and the father had always existed as one God, and had jointly created the universe. Several popular conspiracy theories, like The Da Vinci Code, have asserted that the church invented Jesus divinity, but historical evidence indicates the earliest Christians believed that Jesus is both Lord and God. Christianity would not be the same if Jesus disciples hadnt truly believed he was God. (The term, Son of God does not mean a biological offspring, or that Jesus is inferior to his Father, it only reflects their relationship with one another within the godhead). All the evidence points to the fact that the disciples totally embraced his deity. Different Character As a mortal man, Muhammad sinned like us. Jesus was said to be without sin (John 8:46). Even his enemies were unable to accuse him of breaking any of Gods Commandments. But Muhammad admitted he had erred, and asked Allah for forgiveness three times (Sura al-Ghafir 40:55; 47:19 al-Fath 48:2). Different Authority Muhammad never performed a miracle (Quran 29:50), but Jesus exhibited complete authority over nature by performing numerous miracles (Mark 3:9,10). Different Credentials Jesus fulfilled ancient Hebrew prophecies; Muhammad did not. Muhammad offered no credentials but his revelation. Yet, nearly 300 Old Testament prophecies with 61 specific details were fulfilled by Jesus Christ. Only God could have brought all those details to pass. Thus, Jesus is a perfect match for each of them. Jesus divine credentials were established by his fulfillment of Gods prophetic Word. Different Power Jesus resurrection demonstrated divine power; Muhammad died and his bones are reportedly within his grave at Medina. Jesus, on the other hand, came back to life three days after he was crucified and confirmed dead by Roman executioners. Both Jesus crucifixion and resurrection are historical facts for which there is compelling evidence. Different Message Jesus taught love and grace; Muhammad taught submission and rules. Muhammad taught that we must attain salvation by adhering to Islams Five Pillars of the Faith. In other words, our salvation depends on our own efforts. Even then, one has no assurance of forgiveness, and must depend upon the mercy of Allah for forgiveness. Some Muslims believe that the Quran teaches that becoming a martyr for Allah will gain them favor and they will be rewarded by a heavenly harem. Jesus said God created us for a relationship with Himself. His plan is to adopt us into His heavenly family as His beloved children. However, we rebelled against Him and broke His moral laws. The Bible calls this sin. Such disobedience against a holy God requires judgment. Our good deeds, money, or prayers cannot take away our sins. The Bible tells us God is a pursuing God who devised a plan to free us from our sin debt. Gods solution was to pay the price Himself. In order to accomplish that, Jesus became a man who would die in our place (Philippians 2:5). Jesus said: God so loved the world that He sent Jesus to die for us (John 3:16). Jesus taught that salvation is a free gift which must be embraced by faith in him alone, not our deeds. It is our choice to accept or reject Gods free pardon. Jesus and Muhammad have at time been confused amongst scholars as being one in the same. Both of these individuals were born at completely separate times; however, both men served very similar purposes while on Earth. Jesus promoted Christianity and Muhammad promoted

The Characters of F. Scott Fitzgeralds The Great Gatsby Essays

The Characters of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the main characters Tom and Gatsby are both similar and different in their attitudes and their status. Both Tom and Gatsby have attained great wealth and live in very lavish conditions. They differ greatly, on the other hand, in the way that they acquired this wealth, and the way in which they treat other people. Even though both characters have great amounts of wealth, they are almost complete opposites due the way in which they acquired their wealth. Tom and Gatsby are very similar in their wealth and lavishness. Gatsby spends his money on any whim, regardless of what it may cost. His parties, for example, cost him huge amounts and are held almost every weekend. Trucks must bring in the food, and the servants work all day to prepare and organize the grounds. The beverages are also brought in by the truckload, and all of the attendees drink heavily. Gatsby then hires a complete string orchestra, a jazz band, an opera singer, and various other entertainers. Most importantly, Gatsby does all of this just to get Daisy's attention, and he has enough wealth to keep doing it every day for as long as it takes.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Gatsby's costly personal possessions also show his ease of spending money. He buys a hydroplane just to take it out several times, not on a long journey, but for a short flight across the sound. Gatsby's car, "was a rich cream color, bright with nickel, swollen here and there in its monstrous length with triumphant hatboxes and supper-boxes and tool-boxes, and terraced with a labyrinth of wind-shields that mirrored a dozen suns."(68), clearly a very lavish and expensive automobile. La... ...ored and throws him away. In essence Gatsby's death is inevitable, just as Tom and Daisy dispose of a city when they do not like the rumors or some of the people, so do they get rid of Gatsby when they realize that he is really not one of them, and that he cannot become one of them because he is too full of hope and life and love.    Works Cited Bewley, Marius. "Scott Fitzgerald's Criticism of America." Twentieth Century Interpretations of The Great Gatsby. Ed. Ernest Lockridge. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1968. 37-53. Fitzgerald, F. Scott.   The Great Gatsby. New York:   Simon & Schuster Inc, 1995. Possnock, Ross. " 'A New World, Material Without Being Real': Fitzgerald's Critique of Capitalism in The Great Gatsby." Critical Essays on Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. Ed. Scott Donaldson. Boston: G.K. Hall & Co., 1984. 201-213.

Topic Essay

When it comes to gay marriage am fine with it because everybody has equal rights in Georgia. Think with people not being able to marry their same sex is taking their equal rights away from them. That is not fair for their equal rights to be taken away because they like what they like. Yeah, you might not like gay marriage together but me on the other hand as long as they are happy with their life and getting treated the way they should then why does it matter what everybody else thinks. I look at it if you are happy with who you are with you, should be able to marry them no matter what.Even if they are the same ex as you. Just because you do not want gays to get married in Georgia does not mean you have to take their rights from them that is wrong on so many levels. â€Å"Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. † â€Å"They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriag e and at its dissolution. † Taking away their equal rights is not fair for them just because you do not want gay marriage to be legalized. Some people say gay marriage is bad for you.You cannot help who you like or if you like the same ex as yourself. It is just a feeling you get when you are with that person. I have a couple of gay friends and they have told me that it was just a feeling they got when they see that guy they are now head over heels for. Of course, they tried to go back to liking their opposite sex but they never could because they said â€Å"l am not as happy as I was when was with him or I get treated better with him. † When it comes right down to people cannot really control who they like.Some people just get those feelings and they cannot control the feeling they get. That is just making the homosexuals suffer because the linings they get from the same sex as them. I just think if you love the person and that is who you want to be with, why does it m atters what color or if they are the same sex as you. Feelings play a big part in your life and if you are not carefully you can just hurt yourself in the long run. I bet gays in this world we live in are probably wishing dang I wish could control my feelings, so I will not have to struggle getting gay marriage legalized.You should be able to go out and get married and express your feelings with your love ones without having to have a debate with someone. One of the major excuses we have n Georgia is people not being able to express themselves or who they like without being judged for it. I think it is bad people do not feel comfortable going out in public with their loved one that is the same sex as them because they feel like people will judge them and think of them differently. Yeah currently at this time if you go out with the same sex in public you will get judged for it and get called ugly names.Maybe if they would legalize gay marriage in Georgia then they would actually feel comfortable going out in public. Being able to express yourself and love who you love in Georgia would aka gays life a little easier. I am sure not every person agrees with gay marriage but the people that do not agree with it do not know what they are putting the homosexuals through because they do not want it legalized in Georgia. That would be like telling a man no you cannot marry that women even if you love her so much. How would that make you feel?I am almost 100 percent that you would not like that. Then why would you make the gays suffer and not be able to express themselves like you and the women you loved. Gay marriage should be legalized in the State of Georgia. Everybody would be able to express themselves without being judge. The biggest thing that kills me right not with gay marriage being illegal is that you are talking away their equal rights from them. Legalizing gay marriage would just make everybody life easier and be able to express themselves however they choos e to do so. Kook as gay marriage the same as marriage beside the fact you are dating the same sex, they are both happy and love each other so why does it even matter. My main thing is why make someone else unhappy because you do not believe in gay marriage just suck it up because they have struggled ay more than what you have because they are trying to fight for what they love and you are taking that from them. Gay marriage is just another thing in Georgia that needs to be legalized and will pretty soon be legalized believe.

How Cutting Edge Scientific Discoveries May Provide...

Discuss how cutting-edge scientific discoveries may provide potential therapies for Schizophrenia Schizophrenia is a long-term, psychotic disorder that affects approximately 1% of the world’s population (Dourish and Dawson, 2014). The condition is characterised by a ‘fundamental disturbance of personality’, as a person suffers from hallucinations (either hearing voices or seeing things that do not exist), delusions, altered perceptions and an overall, quite dramatic, change in behaviour (Tsuang and Faraone, 1997; Roberts, et al. 1993:14.1). The specific signs of schizophrenia can be divided into positive and negative symptoms and cognitive impairment (Kà ¶ster LS et al., 2014). The positive symptoms are those that are obvious indicators of the disorder and are often seen as the most dramatic, as they become extremely visible to the relatives of a patient, pursuing distressing effects on the sufferer (Tsuang and Faraone, 1997). They are referred to as positive as they are a result of the disease producing an abnormal event, such as the creation of intense tho ughts the patient cannot control (Tsuang and Faraone, 1997). However, the negative symptoms and cognitive impairments are just as serious and express the deterioration of normal mental and behavioural manners, such as poverty of speech (Tsuang and Faraone, 1997). Therapeutic treatment for schizophrenia therefore needs to target both of these symptomatic areas, to manage both the mental and behavioural traits. However,Show MoreRelatedThe Marketing Research of Brainquiry33782 Words   |  136 Pagesinformation about the potential target group and related laws and insurance issue and promotion to enter this new market. There is in total 86 golf clubs in Switzerland, and so far, there is no information available shows that they are using bio-feedback or neurofeedback to enhance the performance of their members. It is also difficult to give estimation on how the sales will be, or future market share will be, it depends on how the bra inquiry would use the communication tools and how muc h they wouldRead MoreAlliance Management At Eli Lilly Lesson Essay8924 Words   |  36 Pagesï » ¿Alliance Management at Eli Lilly: Lessons on How Alliance Capability Contributes to Sustainable Advantage Luvison, Dave, Journal of Applied Management and Entrepreneurship Executive  Summary Alliances  have  long  been  an  important  strategy  in  the  pharmaceutical  industry  even  thoughmore  than  half  fail.  Eli  Lilly  set  out  to  create  a  core  competence  in  the  area  of  strategic  alliancemanagement  that  would  not  only  improve  its  success  rate,  but  also  differentiate  the  firm  fromits  competitors  in  the  industryRead MoreGsk Annual Report 2010135604 Words   |  543 PagesGovernance and remuneration This discusses our management structures and governance procedures. It also sets out the remuneration policies operated for our Directors and Corporate Executive Team members. Financial statements The ï ¬ nancial statements provide a summary of the Group’s ï ¬ nancial performance throughout 2010 and its position as at 31st December 2010. The consolidated ï ¬ nancial statements are prepared in accordance with IFRS as adopted by the Eur opean Union and also IFRS as issued by the InternationalRead MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 Pagesmechanical, photocopying, recording, or likewise. To obtain permission(s) to use material from this work, please submit a written request to Pearson Education, Inc., Permissions Department, One Lake Street, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458, or you may fax your request to 201-236-3290. Many of the designations by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products are claimed as trademarks. Where those designations appear in this book, and the publisher was aware of a trademark claim, the designations