Islam Response Paper (Opt. 3)

Between Muhammad and Jesus, as founders of two major world religions, there are many similarities. Both were prophets, said to have brought the word of God to their people. Their preaching was a response to existing religion and society, and the problems they saw within each. In promoting societal change, both figures had their primary support from the lower class, although the message each brought was appealing to all or Christianity and Islam would not be world religions today. Part of what made each of their messages so appealing was that both men came from the lower, working class themselves. There is enough historical evidence to say that both men did indeed exist, and they even came from the same part of the world, separated by several hundred years.
At the time of their deaths, each one left behind some problems for their followers. As a new religion, Muhammad left his followers without clear leadership and Jesus left his followers struggling to make sense of his death and how to live in the spirit of his preaching.
The biggest discrepancy between these two figures in how their followers viewed them, as one was believed to be divine while the other insisted upon his humanity. Jesus is thought to be the son of God, both fully divine and fully human. He rejected his Earthly family and did not have one of his own. Muhammad, however, claimed his role was merely to be the mouthpiece for God and nothing more. He had a family of his own, marrying multiple times and having several children. Muhammad lived a much longer life than Jesus, and this may have contributed much to this discrepancy as he actually had time after he began preaching to enjoy the earthly realm.