The Life of Jesus and Muhammad

Jesus and Muhammad are both known as religious leaders who founded the largest religions in the world. Both men have affected humanity and laid down many principles to live by. Although they had the same "call of duty", they were definitely two different types of people. Jesus is said to be the Son of God, while Muhammad is a Messenger of God. Both Jesus and Muhammad are known for their methods in establishing and strengthening each respective religion. This paper will compare and contrast the lives and history of Jesus and Muhammad, describe how both men had deaths that had an impact on their respective religions, how each of the men are worshipped, and how their messages are being carried out today. Jesus was born around 2,000 years ago to a devout Jewess named Mary and her husband Joseph, a carpenter (Fisher, 2005, p.288). According to Gospels of Matthew and Luke, Jesus was conceived by a miracle of the Holy Spirit while Mary was still a virgin. They also reported that Jesus was born in Bethlehem because the Roman emperor had decreed that all families register for a census in their ancestral hometowns. After making the journey to Bethlehem, Mary and Joseph had to stay in a stable, because the inn was full. Jesus was born there in the stable among the animals. According to Luke, poor shepherds, who had been visited by angels carrying the news of the savior’s birth, paid their respects to the new baby by bringing gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh, which confirmed his divine kingship. Not much is known about Jesus’ life up until he was 30, except that he had always shown a close connection with God, and referred to Him as Abba, which translates to “Father” (Fisher, 2005, p.289). At the age of 30, Jesus went to John the Baptist and asked to be baptized. John did not want to perform the baptism because Jesus was believed to be sinless, but he performed it anyway. Afterward, Jesus took a 40-day retreat in the desert where he was tempted by Satan, but he

References: Fisher, M.P. (2005). Living religions (6th ed.). New Jersey: Prentice-Hall Inc. Anonymous, (2007). The Life of Jesus. Retrieved August 1, 2008 from ReligionFacts: http://www.religionfacts.com/christianity/history/jesus.htm Anonymous (2006). Muhammad: Legacy of A Prophet. Retrieved July 31, 2008 from PBS: http://www.pbs.org/muhammad/timeline_html.shtml