Both historical figures where worshiped for their devotion and spiritual connection to God, Mohammad for his writing and teaching of the Quran and Jesus through his teachings and the miracles he performed. The messages of Jesus Christ and the Profit Mohammed are still being manifested in the hearts of religious followers today just as they were thousands of years ago. Jesus Christ was born on December 25 around 6 BC according to some historians. This day in December is now known as Christmas and is celebrated by many followers of the Christian faith each year. Jesus’ birthplace was Bethlehem, Israel.
In the Judaism religion it is not believe that the “messiah has come” where as Christians have viewed Jesus as the Messiah who was here once and whom will return again for its followers. Islam like Christianity believes in the works of a prophet Muhammad. Unlike Christianity and Judaism they Islam has two books one is the Quran which they belief is the word of God himself, and the Sunna which is the works and traditions of the prophet. The covenant is the Jewish view that by acknowledging God and his word, God has chosen them as his people. Good deeds are part of every one of them; faith and action play a major role in Christianity and Islam, where as in Judaism is a way of living and also believing and literally sticking to the Old Testament with little or no flexibility.
In this paper I will be discussing Islam and Christianity as well as the roles both Jesus and Muhammad played in the matter. While Muhammad pronounced the he was Allah, Jesus laid his life to die for all sinners. September 11th was the ultimate clash between the beliefs of Jesus and Muhammad. In all honesty there can never be an overall definition of religion, for there are multiple religions within our world today. Emile Durkheim explains that, “religion is a unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things that is to say things set part and forbidden beliefs and practices which unite into one single moral community called a church, all those who adhere to them.” (1) Religion can vary so widely that there is also room for error.
Eventually the Islamic empire was weakened from civil war and political issues. Their growth was eventually stopped by the Christians in 1492. During the conquest of Syria and Palestine, the Muslims captured the rich Syrian trade center Damascus in 635, which became their capitol and the location of the caliphs. One year later Islam had took control of the Mediterranean coast reaching from Palestine to the Taurus Mountains. Islamic leaders decided not to advance any farther north, because they were opposed to climbing over the Taurus Mountains, and were intimidated by the military strength of the Byzantine that would be in the middle of the empire.
The antebellum period was marked by an outbreak of religious revivalism that spread throughout the United States. The Second Great Awakening gave a renewal of interest towards religion. One of the most popular revivalists was Charles G. Finney, he was one of the many reverends who would preach about gospels on circuit routes and set up revivalist camps in rural areas that attracted new converts. Finney spread his “Good Word” for about fifty years to a plethora of people. The people who he converted were often so over come with religion that they would often shake, roll, and yell, these people later were known as the shakers (Hankins.
This indicated the separation between Muslims in to two sections. The Sunnis believed that anyone taking the position of the Caliph shoulCOBE elected by the religious leaders of the community and not reliant on the direct lineage of Mohammed. The Shiites, on the other hand believed that those who were direct descendants of Mohammed were the only legitament caliphs know as the imams. The Imam succession ended with the disappearance of the twelfth Imam, but the Shiites believe that he would soon reemerge. Saddam Hussein and his Baathist Party in Iraq controlled the people of Iraq; it was constituted of Sunnis, who controlled the government.
As well as Nabihah explained while she visited. They believe in and practice for their religion on a daily basis; not because they are Muslim and are told to, but they truly believe in living their way of life through God. Unexpectedly, Sunday morning, I ended up heading off to Columbia to visit the Islam mosque. I had been e-mailing Nabihah back and forth all weekend trying to figure
Salat tells when a Muslim should pray no matter where they are. It ties into the central belief of praying. Muslims are required to pray five times a day regardless of where they are or what they are doing. Zakat means to give alms to the poor, which basically means to give money to the poor to get rid of poverty. It ties to caring for the poor by giving money, time, and services to people less fortunate.
The Second Pillar details the five daily prayer sessions and the water rituals associated with these prayers. This pillar discusses how the rituals and prayers are a way to become closer to God and learn about him. The Third Pillar mandates that all Muslims tithe a minimum of 2 ½% of their earnings for the benefit of needy Muslims. The Fourth Pillar concerns mandated fasts and details how these fasts purify the mind and make man learn to be more like their God. In the Fifth Pillar, Muslims are instructed to make a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once.
Christianity and Islam are the two largest religions in the world. Both share with Judaism a belief in one God who created the world and cares about the behavior and beliefs of human beings. In recent centuries, mutual distrust between Christians and Muslims has continued to grow. On the other hand, some have pointed out that the conflict has more to do with political tensions and divergent cultural worldviews than with religion, and efforts have been made by both Christians and Muslims to find common ground and engage in respectful dialogue. (http://www.religionfacts.com/christianity/charts/christianity_islam.htm) Christianity broadly consists of individuals who believe in the deity Jesus Christ.