...Jesus vs. Mohammad “Compare and Contrast” Introduction The information contained in this document is to depict two highly religious idols, and how they influence many during their ages. Jesus was the center and founder of Christianity, while Mohammed was a great prophet of Islam. Christianity and Islam are the largest religions in the world. They account for over 2 billion of the world’s population. Christianity and Islam also share many things in common, but they differ in other aspects. Although, Jesus and Mohammed lived righteously by the principles that were created by them, they affected humanity like an echo in the past and present. This research is to compare and contrast the key elements of Jesus and Mohammed historically, respectively, and how their legacy is still being carried out in the world today (Wikipedia, 2008). (1) Trace the lives of Jesus and Mohammed historically The Life of Jesus Christ (**6** BC - **29-33** AD) Historians do not exactly know the birth date of Jesus Christ. It has been said his birth took place on or around December 25th 6 BC in the city of Jerusalem. This day is traditionally celebrated by Christians as the birthday of Jesus. Jesus was born unto a father Joseph, and a mother “The Virgin Mary. Other than shortly after his birth, little is known of the life of Jesus other than what is recorded in the “Four Gospels”. These events were written some fifty to eighty years after the death of Jesus. These Gospels are derived of an...
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...Christianity developed and expanded at the beginning of the Common Era. In addition, Christian Ethics can be defined as “ moral standard, rules or laws which guide the thought, words and deeds of the Christians” (Messer, 2009:10). This quote further explains that it can be considered as part of a code of conduct between the relationship of Christians and God, the human race and of natures surroundings. Islam developed in the country of Saudi Arabia and this tradition is owned by the monotheistic family of faiths (Sanneth, 1996:6). The philosophy of Islam, being a religion, focused on a prophet by the name of Muhammad who was born in AD 570 (Sanneth, 1996:6). This essay will be explaining the similarities and differences of both the Christian and Islamic traditions as well as highlighting some of the ways in which both traditions advocate religious harmony in contemporary society. The first similarity between Christian and Islamic traditions is that both worship one god making both traditions monotheistic and that God is the most supreme being over anyone else of which both traditions worry about the behaviour as well as the beliefs of human beings (Zahniser, 2008:3). The second similarity is that both believe in a Heaven and Hell and God's future judgment, both have Prophets and prophecy’s, including many of the same characters Adam, Noah, Abraham, David, Jesus (Neusner et al, 2002:54). The third similarity is that both traditions fast. Within the Bible, it is said that Jesus...
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...types of religions in this world. Some of them are monotheistic, meaning that they only believe in one God, and some are polytheistic. Some examples of world religions are Judaism, Islam, Christianity, and Confucianism. Most of these religions have been practiced for years and they are still practiced today. Judaism is oldest known monotheistic religion still practiced in the world today. Its fundamental teachings have been influential and are the basis for more recently developed religious such as Christianity and Islam. Abraham is generally recognized as the founder of Judaism due to his covenant with God. However, Moses is also considered a founder due to his role in the liberation of the Hebrews from Egypt, and his delivery of the Ten Commandments from Mount sometime around 2000 BC. Judaism was developed in the Middle East in and around the area that is currently Israel. The Holy Scriptures in the Jewish religion are the Torah and the Talmud. Jews worship in temples called Synagogues and mass is conducted by Rabbis. Islam, which when translated from Arabic, means "to submit to the will of Allah," is the youngest of the world's major religions. Worshippers of this monotheistic religion are know as Muslims, which means "one who submits to the will of Allah." Islam is currently the second most practiced religion in the world, and experts predict that it will overtake Christianity as the most popular religion in the world sometime in the future. Islam was founded by the prophet...
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...Contemporary Issues in Western Religions Islam Struggles within Christianity and Judaism Islam’s nature of sacred reality is monotheistic just as Christianity and Judaism, and is very similar in their religious formation. The theoretical foundations of each belief are historically similar and all saying the same message, that there is only one true God. The Islamic religious structure believes in the same God as Judaism and Christianity, the God of Abraham, but Islam knows him as Allah. There are some differences in the way Islam refer to Allah as God and Christianity and Judaism prefer to say God but theoretically they are referring to the same one true God. The origin of Islamic way of living is to seek to serve Allah only, through the instructions given by Allah to the prophet and first Muslim Muhammad. The history of the Islamic religion is connected to Judaism and Christianity in the same way because they also believe the way of the righteous is to submit to God and instruction on God’s will has been given through prophecy. Only Christianity submission is through the redemption of Jesus Christ by the New Testament and Judaism submission to God is to follow the Laws of the Old Testament. They all began in the Middle East where Islam’s prophet Muhammad was the prophecy of Abraham’s first son Ishmael by Hagar his servant and Judaism and Christianity’s prophecy developed in the Middle East by Abraham’s youngest son Isaac from Sarah Abraham’s wife. Even though each prophecy...
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...moder Challenges in Modern Islam Francisco Delgado REL/134 October 24, 2014 Mark Pursley Challenges in Modern Islam One of the biggest enemies of the religion of Islam is its followers as it is their behavior and ways of engagement with the rest of the world which shapes its outward image. Today whether we admit it or not, the fact is that Islam’s name has become intertwined with terrorism, misogyny and intolerance towards the followers of other religions. Muslims or even those who are perceived to be Muslims are on the rise. Religious minorities like Sikhs are today being attacked for their proximity in appearance with Muslims. Moreover, whenever any instance of terrorism occurs the first perception is always that a Muslim is involved. The deterioration of Muslim society is the result of deviation from Islam, while the deterioration of Western society is the result of putting into practice the very principles in which it believes. The evils of Muslim societies stem from the gap between principle and practice, whereas the evils of Western society are the result of a clash between principles and realities. The Western civilization of modern times has formed principles independent of religious principles, to govern social life, and has maintained that modern principles were superior to older principles. Islam and Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) The group began in 2004 as al Qaeda in Iraq, before rebranding as ISIS two years later. It was an ally of...
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...designate a special mark of spiritual disposition, and others have employed it to mark off a higher and final development of life itself. Anyone who reflects God or the Holy Spirit as the vital, determining norm or principle of his or her life could validly be called “Mystical.” Mysticism means, the attainment of higher levels of being in which this knowledge is fully realized in conformity with man’s destiny on earth. Mysticism is a living tradition that continues to occupy a central place in philosophy of the Muslim world. Sufi orders continue to flourish openly in worldwide and its mystical presence is apparent even on the more external plane. In the contemporary world which is full of materialism, Islamic mysticism is...
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...Jesus and Mohammed Paper Jesus and Mohammed Jesus Christ and Mohammad are two prophets that have changed many individuals’ views on both Christian and also Islamic religion. Both religions originate from the Middle East. Christianity and Islam worshippers obey the Ten Commandments. It is also important for each worshipper of the two religions to love their neighbor as well as forgive one another. Although there are many similarities within the two religions there are also major differences that separate the two. Jesus as well as Mohammad’s death had a major impact on the path of Christianity as well as Islamic religion. Life of Jesus Christ Jesus was born in Bethlehem to a spiritual Jewess Mary and a carpenter named Joseph. It is taught that Jesus was conceived by a miracle of the Holy Spirit (Religion Facts 2010). The Gospels do not have any narratives on the early life of Jesus Christ. The book of Luke goes on to explain the life of Christ as age 12. During this time in his life Jesus was found discussing religion in the temple to a rabbi about the torah. The answers that he gave to the rabbi he left many astonished. This was a turning point in Christ life; he was discovered to be the Son of God. At the age of 30 Jesus began his ministry. One of his first acts was when he was baptized by John the Baptist. John the Baptist was known as a captivating and alluring person. He called many to repent and baptized those that responded to his calling...
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...World Religions Report Denise Flythe HUM/130 March 3, 2013 Andrew Stein Islam Islam is one of the most misunderstood religions of the world today. One attributing factor for this misunderstanding has much to do with the fact that in recent years, Islam has been in the spotlight because of heightened tensions in parts of the Middle East. This tension serves to put its culture under the microscope of world attention; and although it is a major part of the Middle Eastern culture, it happens to be so much more. Like Christianity, Islam is one of the fastest growing religions today and it is rapidly spreading for several reasons. Islam has a strong political and cultural base because it happens to be the state religion of Moslem countries. Its simple creed and tenets gives it a universal appeal, and the fact that it has no racial barriers and it embraces universal unity also helps it to spread rapidly in both African and American communities. Furthermore, easy communication and practicality of its Five Pillars also helps it to spread even more swiftly in the Western Hemisphere. Many sources are available that provide information for extensive research on the topic of Islam; however, personal communication as a source, provides a more unique perspective on this topic. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to highlight as well as to summarize a recent interview with an Islamic adherent as he gives his opinion on this topic. This summary will provide an in-depth report...
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...the founding of Islam, Christians and Muslims have almost never been able to see eye to eye. After decades of colonialism and orientalism, the Muslim East and the Christian West were left at a great divide. Whereas most Muslims view Christian Westerners as fellow practitioners, or “people of the book,” many Europeans (and Americans) view Muslims as inferior to the Christian man. From the earliest days of Muslim practice, to the period of Muslim rule in Spain, to present-day society, Christians and Muslims have struggled to coexist in a frenzied world. Through arguments seen in Muslim Spain, as well as arguments seen by Fundamentalist Christians such as Franklin Graham today, it is clear that the modern-day Fundamentalist...
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...Heavyweights Dar Al-Islam and The Byzantine Empire. The Muslim World and The Byzantine Empire were two of the most powerful and most-linked-together civilizations during the Middle Ages due mostly to their cultural achievements, religious values, and economic activities. The Byzantine Empire and Muslim World had very similar and different cultural achievements due to their very unique styles but also sharing each other’s ideas as well. The Muslim world’s cultural achievements focused more on the development and interaction of cultures while the Byzantine Empire’s cultural achievements revolved more around the ideology of state building and the arts, but although there are some obvious differences between the two civilizations, their cultural achievements were very similar in many ways. Although the two civilizations practiced religions that shared some similarities, they did have religious oppositions as well and differed in many of their beliefs. Contrary to their very different religious values, they had very similar economic structures by trading on the silk roads and having very strong banking systems. The Muslim World and Byzantine Empire do share some similarities when it comes to economic activities and cultural achievements, they vary and contrast greatly when it comes to each of the civilization’s religious values. The Dar Al-Islam and the Byzantine Empire had quite different religious values, although some similarities are prevalent. Both Islam and Christianity...
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...XXXXXXXX REL/134 March 23, 2015 Professor XXXXXXXXXXXX Modern Challenges Out of the many religions of the world and that were focused on during this class, I chose to focus on Christianity, specifically Catholicism. As the oldest Christian religion and notably the most unique and specific, Catholicism is revered throughout the world. It is the most talked about, both in society and religiously and the most controversial among the different Christian religions. As a world religion, there are some similarities that are shared with the other religions. The first similarity is the deity God that is worships. Among the Christian, Jewish and Islam world, God is the only deity that is worshipped. How he is viewed and worshipped is the only difference. The second similarity is between the Jewish, Islam and Catholic religions. This similarity is the traditions and rituals. Even though these traditions and rituals are performed in different ways and for different reasons, they are the foundation that holds our religions together. Finally the last similarity between the Christian, Jewish, Islam and Catholic faiths is that they originated from the same genealogy. In the Bible the reader gets to the story of Abraham. It is during this story that two faiths emerge, Jewish (Hebrew) and the Islam religion. The rest of the Bible focuses on the Jewish history and leaves behind Islam. However, it is during the time after Jesus’ death that the reader is introduced to the Christians that formed...
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...THE EARLY ISLAMIC ERA Name Institution Introduction The start and spread of Islam is a broad body of knowledge that has been explained extensively by religious scholars and philosophers alike. Despite the presence of Christianity from the ancient times, Islam has had a tremendous growth particularly in the Middle East where up to now it is still the leading religion in the region. The early Islamic era is a fascinating study for historians who seek to understand the dynamics that gave birth to one of the biggest religion in the world; and with such a strong faith base. Islam is characterized by a unifying component that places all the Muslims across the nations in one category of identity. According to Khan (2011), it is very easy to recognize that an environment belongs to Islam than it is to identify the other religions. The early Islamic era, if it is anything to believe, was stronger than the crystallized Islam we have today. There is a concept that Islam spread rapidly because of the use of the sword in one hand and the Quran on the other hand. This is believed to have been done by the Jihadist among other substantial members of the Muslim faith. This notion forms the controversy that further catapults this study and makes it more interesting. This paper thus, focuses and explores the reasons that underpinned the rapid spread of Islam beyond Arabia. It also seeks to establish the understanding of the motive behind the early Islamic conquests. More importantly it sought...
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...From 476 B.C.E., Islamics had been brewing up a culture that would greatly impact the modern world today. How they were able to do so relied greatly on their curiosity of subjects like math, science and literature, as well as their dying love for knowledge. These curiosities led to some of the greatest and wide spread inventions still being used today, like the math we are taught, our medical practices, literature and architecture. Islam's achievements are nothing shy of brilliant, as in today's modern world we would never imagine a country in the days of B.C.E. ever having things such as paved streets, which consequently led to trading networks. Islam was a very developed country, as well as intelligent. With the teachings of their own invented...
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...Investigate a Social Issue Jacquelyn Wintersteen Don Anderson Introduction to Sociology December 9, 2012 Religion plays a large role in society across the globe, whether it’s being recognized by believers or non-believers. The main religions that have been viewed around the world for most of our developments are Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, and Hinduism. There have been new religions forming, such as Mormonism, which have been aiding in the reshaping of our societies and tolerance. For a good part of human existence, religion has been a factor of life, shaping the mind of the Homo sapiens. Hinduism is viewed as the world’s oldest religion, dating back to 2nd century BCE. Hinduism had gone through great change over the centuries, beginning with the change of the Aryan Gods, originally including Indra, Soma, and Agni, with Vishnu and Shiva as minor deities that become the main deities by 300BCE. Mahatma Gandhi has become the ‘face’ of Hinduism since the 1950’s, when he attempted to abolish the caste system within the religion. Hinduism has segregated its followers into ‘castes’, which include the Brahmins, the ritual priests, Kshatriyas, the warriors, Vaishyas, the merchants, and lastly the Shudras, the manual laborers (Kinnard, 2012). The caste system is separated much like the class system of earlier eras where Church was at the top, followed by Nobles, merchants, and the lower class of laborers. Buddhism was created out of dissatisfaction for Hinduism in 5th...
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...individual God or divine beings. It ought to be recalled that there is no connection in the middle of religion and viciousness, neither in Islam, nor in any religion besides. Brutality is a social and political wonder. Without a doubt there is notice of war in sacred texts such as Ramayana, Mahabharata and the Qur'an. However, this notice is not to set up any basic connection in the middle of religion and roughness yet to depict certain social and political circumstance that won around then. It can be called basic just if these sacred writings command brutality as an alluring arrangement. It is imperative to recognize what is experimental and ideological. The Twain don't generally meet. While viciousness is experimental, peace is ideological. All sacred writings, especially the Qur'an while allowing savagery in some inescapable circumstances, appoint peace as a standard. The considerable religions of the world came to build up equity and peace, not to execute vengeance and viciousness. Requital and brutality can never turn out to be a piece of any religion, considerably less that of Islam. Allah has made both in individuals - inclination for hostility and savagery and magnified feeling for tranquility of peace. Allah, as indicated by the Qur'an, made human individual in the best of mold and after that rendered him refuse of the world. Indeed it is this motion of human identity i.e. being made in the best of the mold and after that being decreased to the dregs of society...
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