Jessus and Mohammed

Jessus and Mohammed

A Comparison of the Lives of Muhammad and Jesus

JD

February 17, 2009






















The lives of the Prophet Muhammad and Jesus of Nazareth are separated by almost 600 years and yet their lives, their teachings, and their deaths have affected millions and their legacy continues today.   Conflicts between the followers of these two men dominate many world political situations to this day.   These conflicts are a product of a multitude of differences between two men and two dogmas.
Muhammad was born in Mecca in 570 C.E.   Mecca was already an important city in terms of its sacred nature, as it contained the Ka’bah, and was a major trade center.   The city was the site of an annual pilgrimage from members of surrounding tribes (Smart, 1998).  
Muhammad was a member of the tribe of the Quraysh. Orphaned at a young age and raised by relatives, the young man lacked the funds to become a trader in the market city.   Eventually, he found employment with a wealthy widow and though she was forty years old had been married twice, he married her (Ahmad, 2005).   Muhammad became a successful trader and merchant and still managed to spend one month each year meditating and reflecting in a cave outside Mecca.   It was during these reflection periods in the year 610 C.E. that Muhammad began to have several religious experiences and he started to view himself as a messenger of Allah.   In the beginning, Muhammad told only close friends and family of his experiences.   The messages he was receiving and disseminating were controversial and would have not been deemed popular.   In addition, people would have questioned the authenticity of the message given he was the only one to hear it (Smart, 1998).
After three years, Muhammad went public with his messages sent by Allah.   His first set of messages attacked the idea of polytheism.   Muhammad stated that in the end, everyone would be judged by God, no matter how much money they left at the multitude of...