Parallel Prophets? Comparing the Lives and Influences of Jesus and Muhammad

Although they lived centuries apart, Jesus and Muhammad seemed to live significant portions of their lives in parallel. Both Jesus and Muhammad were called to share the word of God; both traveled the same paths as wandering prophets; both drew large followings to their teachings; and both are still revered today by their respective followings as history's utmost models for human behavior and spirituality. Each prophet faced persecution as a result of his teachings and ways of life. Each was, ultimately, responsible for the foundations and teachings of world religions that still remain today as major influences around the globe. However, despite the similarities in their patterns of life on Earth, Jesus and Muhammad underwent many important differences in the trials and tribulations they experienced as they traveled the paths God set out for them.

Little scriptural focus is placed on the early lives of either Jesus or Muhammad, and little historical evidence exists to fill in the gaps leading up to each prophet's young manhood. Prior to the beginning of the Common Era, either in Bethlehem or near Nazareth, Jesus was born to the virgin Mary as a child believed to have been created as the Son of God through immaculate conception (Fisher, 2005). Unlike Muhammad, a non-supernatural human being who lived decades before realizing his calling as a prophet, Jesus seemed to have been born with an innate understanding of his holy purpose on Earth, according to indications found in Christian scriptures. Mary and her husband, a carpenter named Joseph, raised Jesus as a child; Muhammad was orphaned at a young age and raised by his uncle, who was a shepherd. During his twenties, Muhammad began to experience "spiritual propensities" (p. 365), and he married Khadijah, a woman almost twice his age who supported his need for spiritual retreat and contemplation, when he was twenty-five. On a retreat during the month of Ramadan, Muhammad began to experience revelations of the word of God-later to form parts of the Qur'an-when he was forty years old. Jesus began his ministry earlier in life, around the age of thirty, after his baptism by John and a lengthy retreat in the desert.

Following these initial events, Jesus began gathering disciples to follow him in his ministry, while Muhammad shared his revelations only with those who were close to him until three years after his revelations began (Fisher, 2005). When Muhammad began to preach publicly, he was stoned for his teachings, his followers were persecuted, and they were all banished to a "desolate place" (p. 366) for three years. Jesus, on the other hand, traveled far and wide with his disciples, performing miracles and attracting the devotion of thousands while demonstrating his power as the Son of God. Muhammad and his followers were allowed to return to Mecca, but their persecution continued unabated; Muhammad remained dedicated to his purpose even through his sorrow over the death of his wife when he was fifty years old. At the worst of his despair, Muhammad experienced the "Night of Ascensions" (p. 366), during which he was uplifted through the heavens and the universe to meet with many prior prophets (including Jesus), to receive visions of heaven and hell, and to be blessed by God. At this point, Muhammad and his followers moved on to spread their teachings, fueling a war during which Muhammad directed a victorious battle with the assistance of God's angels. In contrast, Jesus did not participate in warfare and, in fact, preached unfailing love, forgiveness, and charity among humankind, demonstrating the traits desired by God through a lifestyle of "radical ethics" (p. 293).

While Muhammad proceeded to gain followers in such large numbers that opposing populations could not withstand the spread of Islam, according to Fisher (2005), Jesus spread his teachings by personal example and through stories known as parables (p. 293), which served as metaphorical lessons in human spiritual behavior. Muhammad directed campaigns designed to spread the uniting faith of Islam across racial and cultural boundaries, seeking to convert all peoples of all lands to a central belief system. Jesus focused his ministry on encouraging repentance among the sinful in preparation for the fulfillment of prophecy that foretold the coming of a Messiah. Both prophets and their respective followers faced constant suspicion and hostility from politicians and other established leaders throughout their travels, and Jesus was eventually crucified while still in his thirties by the powers that opposed him. Muhammad, in contrast, lived a much longer life and died of illness, without designating a clear successor.

In the wakes of the deaths of both prophets, a series of much different events unfolded, but the lives of each continued to influence believers. Muhammad, who staunchly stressed his humanity and was accepted as a simple man by his followers, left behind a legacy of compassion for people and a willingness to live quietly through difficulty, poverty, and persecution to serve his God (Fisher, 2005). In contrast, Jesus spent his ministry telling the world that he had come as the Son of God. Following his death, Jesus reportedly appeared to many of his disciples to speak of his resurrection. The affirmation of Jesus' rising from the dead inspired a sense of glory among his followers that led them to persevere through their own persecution to spread Christianity far and wide. While Muhammad did not come back to life to hearten his followers, his dedication to his purpose and his way of living served as an example that inspired thousands. Believers still strive to emulate Muhammad's behavior and adhere to the teachings of his revelations, the foundation of the Qur'an-the last reminder of what was to be the one true religion to be accepted as the center of all peoples.

Throughout the long journeys undertaken by both Jesus and Muhammad, despite the never-ending opposition and persecution both faced everywhere they turned, the two prophets were revered by devoted followers. Many of Muhammad's followers committed each word of his revelations to memory and dedicated themselves to protecting the Qur'an from changes (Fisher, 2005). During Jesus' travels, he was often met by supporters who fed him and his followers, honoring Jesus through symbolic gestures of reverence such as washing his feet. Many people did intentionally praise and worship Jesus as a god figure because, unlike Muhammad, Jesus was believed to actually be God in the flesh, whereas Muhammad was regarded as a human messenger of God. Today, ongoing worship of Jesus as an extension of God is a major differentiating factor of Christianity; many Christian believers pray to Jesus in addition to God and also ask for forgiveness from both figures. Muhammad, in contrast, does not receive worship from Muslims, but he stands as an enduring human example for Muslims to emulate.

Today, thousands of years after the lives of the prophets, both Christianity and Islam have seen their shares of division within each religion. According to Fisher (2005), a split between the Sunni and Shi'a factions of Islam resulted from Muhammad's ambiguity in naming a successor and can still be seen today. The Sunni believe Muhammad intended for the Muslim community to choose his successor, while the Shi'a believe Muhammad's cousin, 'Ali, was supposed to take his place. Like the split of different beliefs seen between the Sunni and the Shi'a, a fragmentation of varying beliefs has also occurred within Christianity. Over time, multiple interpretations (and even mis-translations) of Christian scriptures, geographical divides caused by political movements, and influences of new religious evangelists have shaped various schools of belief that form different denominations of Christianity as a religion (Fisher, 2005). While all Christian denominations share the same central beliefs, such as that Jesus was and is the Son of God, each denomination maintains its own variations in scriptural interpretations, customs, and rituals.

Despite the many similarities in their messages and in their actions on Earth, Jesus and Muhammad led different lives in very different periods. While Jesus tried to convince non-believers of the power of God by offering himself, the Son of God, as evidence of the existence of the supernatural, Muhammad tried to unite humanity by leading as a human example and speaking of commonality across all boundaries. Jesus drew people to himself by taking on the burdens of their sins, while Muhammad drew his followers by deepening their senses of pre-existing union. Jesus was crucified for his teachings at a young age, without seeing widespread adoption of Christianity during his time on Earth; Muhammad lived a longer life and died with the satisfaction of having seen the acceptance of Islam spread throughout many lands. Although their purposes and their teachings sought the same coming together of all peoples in peace and harmony, humankind has yet to achieve the ultimate goal of either prophet.

References

Fisher, M.P. (2005). Living Religions (6th ed.). Prentice-Hall.