JESUS OR MOHAMMED?

A COMPARISON OF THE FOUNDERS OF THE WORLD'S TWO LARGEST RELIGIONS

** All quotes will be taken out of the Bible, NIV version, the Quran, Dawood's English translation, or out of Bukhari's Hadith - Khan's English translation.

ABSTRACT
The founders of the world's two largest religions laid down many principles to live by. This paper compares and contrasts many of their teachings and actions.

INTRODUCTION
Jesus founded Christianity, Mohammed founded Islam. These are the two largest religions in the world with about 1.8 billion and 1.1 billion members respectively. Certainly these men have affected humanity in a powerful way.

    Both religions have much in common, and both differ strongly in other ways. How do they compare with each other. What were their characters like? What did their teachings induce their followers to do?
** A comparison / contrast is in order.

JESUS MOHAMMED

Some of their
LAST WORDS:    "Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." Luke 23:34. (said while on the cross dying).

"May Allah curse the Jews and Christians for they built the places of worship at the graves of the prophets."   Bukhari, Vol. 1, 427.
(said while dying in the arms of his wife Aisha).

** Christ, asks God to forgive, while Mohammed, utters a bitter curse. Wouldn't it have been more appropriate for Mohammed to have asked God to guide the Christians and Jews to Islam?

SLAVERY:    Had no slaves. Jesus taught to do to others as you would have them do to you. No one wants to be enslaved against their will.
   Was a slaver. He owned and sold many slaves, both male and female. He even claimed that Allah allowed him to have sex with his female slaves when he wanted to. Ref Sura 33:50, 52, 23:5, and 70:30. Slaves are considered "booty" for Muslims when taken in battle.
   Mohammed made slaves out of the people he raided and fought against. Most notable were the women and children survivors of Mohammed's massacre of the 800 males of the Jewish Banu Quraydhah, sura 33:26. The Sirat Rasulallah - the earliest biography of Mohammed, gives much more detail.
   Bukhari also documents Mohammed owning many slaves - vol.1, 530 & 807. Mohammed didn't discriminate when it came to slavery, he had negro, male, female, jewish, and Arab (non Muslim) slaves.

SIN:    Was sinless. 2 Cor. 5:21, 1 John 3:5, Heb. 4:15    Was declared to be a sinner in the Quran. sura 40:55, 48:2. Mohammed also prayed for forgiveness of his sins, Bukhari vol. 1, 795, 796.

WAR:
Treatment of Adversaries    In Luke 9:54, 55 Jesus rebuked His disciples when they wanted to destroy a town that rejected Him. Also, in Luke 22:52, Jesus' disciples started to fight against those that came to arrest Jesus, He stopped them, and healed a man injured in the fight.    Told his followers to aggressively make war on non muslims: 9:5, 29. Sura 9 was one of the last Suras given by Mohammed. Initially, when Mohammed's group was weak, he ordered his followers to try to get along with other people. After the muslims became powerful, he ordered them to spread Islam by force. Abu Bakr, Umar, and Uthman continued his wars of aggression.
   Mohammed also massacred approx. 800 jewish male captives: noted in sura 33:26. Another incident detailed in the Sirat is Mohammed breaking of a treaty with a different jewish tribe, the Banu Nadhir. Mohammed got a "revelation" saying that they wanted to kill him. So he attacked them, besieged them, and after they surrendered, he expelled them with only what they could carry. He and his people took everything else as plunder!
   Mohammed also ordered the execution of 10 people when he took Mecca. Two of these people were slave girls who had previously made fun of Mohammed.

   Mohammed attacked the Jewish city of Khaibar. He took one of the Jewish leaders and tortured him to force him to tell where some buried money was. After the man refused to talk, and was near death, Mohammed ordered that his head be cut off.

WOMEN & MARRIAGE:    Was not married. He healed women, forgave women, and encouraged women. The New Testament teaches that husbands should love their wives and not be harsh with them: Col 3:19, Eph. 5:25, that men and women are equal in Christ - Gal 3:28, that they should be treated with respect - 1 Pet 3:7.    Told his male followers to beat their disobedient wives. He gave men the right to beat their wives who disobeyed them.
   Sura 4:34 "As those you fear may be rebellious admonish, banish them to their couches, and beat them."
   The above verse was revealed in connection with a women who complained to Mohammed that her husband slapped her on the face, which was still marked by the slap. At first Mohammed said to her "Get even with him", but then added 'Wait until I think about it". Later on the above verse was revealed, and Mohammed added, 'We (He and the woman) wanted one thing, Allah wanted another. In other words, Allah blessed a man slapping around his wife.
   Some muslims say that only a light beating is meant by 4:34, but bruising a face is not light. Also, the beating action is to be used after the husband sexually deserts his wife, and she still refuses to obey him. So, the beating must be stronger than sexual desertion to have any effect. However, the husband is not allowed to whip her like a slave or cause long term injury to his rebellious wife. Some consolation.

   Recently (1987) an Egyptian court ruled that a husband had the right to beat his wife, since it was his duty to educate her.
   Mohammed in the Hadith also had plenty to say about women:
(all quotes below are from Bukhari, vol. 1)
* Women are the majority of people in hell -
   #28 (Sahih Muslim says they are the
   minority in Paradise - #6600.)
* Women are ungrateful to their husbands - #28
* Women are less intelligent than men - #301
* Women are less spiritual than men - #301
* Women's legal testimony is worth half of a
   man's - #301
* Women are an affliction to men - 503.

CHRIST'S IDENTITY:    Said He was the Son of God: John 5:18-27, 10:36, Matt 26:63, 64    Said Jesus was not the Son of God: SURA 4:171, 5:75

PRAYER:    Taught His disciples to pray simply, and from the heart. God listens to the heart, not the outward form: Matt: 6:5-13    Taught formalized prayer ritual: (all quotes are from Bukhari, vol. 1)
#:
488 - passing in front of a praying person
         annuls his prayer
489 - it's a sin to pass in front of someone
         while they're praying
660 - If you raise from prayer before the
         Imam finishes, God will turn your face
         into a donkey's face
685 - if the prayer rows (of men) aren't
         straight, God will alter your faces
690 - if the prayer rows aren't straight, the
         prayer is not good
717 - if you look up during prayer, you'll lose
         your eyesight
759 - if you don't perform the bowing
         perfectly, your prayers are not accepted

	JESUS	MOHAMMED
Some of their LAST WORDS:	"Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." Luke 23:34. (said while on the cross dying).	"May Allah curse the Jews and Christians for they built the places of worship at the graves of the prophets." Bukhari, Vol. 1, 427. (said while dying in the arms of his wife Aisha).
** Christ, asks God to forgive, while Mohammed, utters a bitter curse. Wouldn't it have been more appropriate for Mohammed to have asked God to guide the Christians and Jews to Islam?
SLAVERY:	Had no slaves. Jesus taught to do to others as you would have them do to you. No one wants to be enslaved against their will.	Was a slaver. He owned and sold many slaves, both male and female. He even claimed that Allah allowed him to have sex with his female slaves when he wanted to. Ref Sura 33:50, 52, 23:5, and 70:30. Slaves are considered "booty" for Muslims when taken in battle. Mohammed made slaves out of the people he raided and fought against. Most notable were the women and children survivors of Mohammed's massacre of the 800 males of the Jewish Banu Quraydhah, sura 33:26. The Sirat Rasulallah - the earliest biography of Mohammed, gives much more detail. Bukhari also documents Mohammed owning many slaves - vol.1, 530 & 807. Mohammed didn't discriminate when it came to slavery, he had negro, male, female, jewish, and Arab (non Muslim) slaves.
SIN:	Was sinless. 2 Cor. 5:21, 1 John 3:5, Heb. 4:15	Was declared to be a sinner in the Quran. sura 40:55, 48:2. Mohammed also prayed for forgiveness of his sins, Bukhari vol. 1, 795, 796.
WAR: Treatment of Adversaries	In Luke 9:54, 55 Jesus rebuked His disciples when they wanted to destroy a town that rejected Him. Also, in Luke 22:52, Jesus' disciples started to fight against those that came to arrest Jesus, He stopped them, and healed a man injured in the fight.	Told his followers to aggressively make war on non muslims: 9:5, 29. Sura 9 was one of the last Suras given by Mohammed. Initially, when Mohammed's group was weak, he ordered his followers to try to get along with other people. After the muslims became powerful, he ordered them to spread Islam by force. Abu Bakr, Umar, and Uthman continued his wars of aggression. Mohammed also massacred approx. 800 jewish male captives: noted in sura 33:26. Another incident detailed in the Sirat is Mohammed breaking of a treaty with a different jewish tribe, the Banu Nadhir. Mohammed got a "revelation" saying that they wanted to kill him. So he attacked them, besieged them, and after they surrendered, he expelled them with only what they could carry. He and his people took everything else as plunder! Mohammed also ordered the execution of 10 people when he took Mecca. Two of these people were slave girls who had previously made fun of Mohammed. Mohammed attacked the Jewish city of Khaibar. He took one of the Jewish leaders and tortured him to force him to tell where some buried money was. After the man refused to talk, and was near death, Mohammed ordered that his head be cut off.
WOMEN & MARRIAGE:	Was not married. He healed women, forgave women, and encouraged women. The New Testament teaches that husbands should love their wives and not be harsh with them: Col 3:19, Eph. 5:25, that men and women are equal in Christ - Gal 3:28, that they should be treated with respect - 1 Pet 3:7.	Told his male followers to beat their disobedient wives. He gave men the right to beat their wives who disobeyed them. Sura 4:34 "As those you fear may be rebellious admonish, banish them to their couches, and beat them." The above verse was revealed in connection with a women who complained to Mohammed that her husband slapped her on the face, which was still marked by the slap. At first Mohammed said to her "Get even with him", but then added 'Wait until I think about it". Later on the above verse was revealed, and Mohammed added, 'We (He and the woman) wanted one thing, Allah wanted another. In other words, Allah blessed a man slapping around his wife. Some muslims say that only a light beating is meant by 4:34, but bruising a face is not light. Also, the beating action is to be used after the husband sexually deserts his wife, and she still refuses to obey him. So, the beating must be stronger than sexual desertion to have any effect. However, the husband is not allowed to whip her like a slave or cause long term injury to his rebellious wife. Some consolation. Recently (1987) an Egyptian court ruled that a husband had the right to beat his wife, since it was his duty to educate her. Mohammed in the Hadith also had plenty to say about women: (all quotes below are from Bukhari, vol. 1) * Women are the majority of people in hell - #28 (Sahih Muslim says they are the minority in Paradise - #6600.) * Women are ungrateful to their husbands - #28 * Women are less intelligent than men - #301 * Women are less spiritual than men - #301 * Women's legal testimony is worth half of a man's - #301 * Women are an affliction to men - 503.
CHRIST'S IDENTITY:	Said He was the Son of God: John 5:18-27, 10:36, Matt 26:63, 64	Said Jesus was not the Son of God: SURA 4:171, 5:75
PRAYER:	Taught His disciples to pray simply, and from the heart. God listens to the heart, not the outward form: Matt: 6:5-13	Taught formalized prayer ritual: (all quotes are from Bukhari, vol. 1) #: 488 - passing in front of a praying person annuls his prayer 489 - it's a sin to pass in front of someone while they're praying 660 - If you raise from prayer before the Imam finishes, God will turn your face into a donkey's face 685 - if the prayer rows (of men) aren't straight, God will alter your faces 690 - if the prayer rows aren't straight, the prayer is not good 717 - if you look up during prayer, you'll lose your eyesight 759 - if you don't perform the bowing perfectly, your prayers are not accepted

These men were quite different. Only one could have truly been from God.

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