Historically Jesus & Mohammed are very important religious figures, and still remain important religious figures today. Jesus Christ (also known as Jesus of Nazareth) is the central figure of Christianity. Mohammed is considered to be the
founder of Islam. Muslims regard Mohammed as the last and most important profit.
Christian views of Jesus are both diverse and complex. Most Christians believe that Jesus is simultaneously the Son of God and God made incarnate, sent to provide salvation and reconciliation with God by atoning for the sins of humanity. Nontrinitarian Christians adopt various other interpretations regarding the divinity of Jesus. Most Christians believe that Jesus was born from the virgin Mary, than later crucified and buried in a tomb. They also believe that he was resurrected on the third day of death, also know as Easter and ascended into Heaven where he resides with God the Father until the Second Coming. Most Christians also believe that Jesus performed miracles and fulfilled biblical prophecy. In Islam, Jesus is considered one of God’s most beloved and important prophets, a bringer of divine scripture, and also the Messiah. Furthermore, the Virgin Birth of Jesus is an article of faith. Muslims, however, do not share the Christian belief in the crucifixion or divinity of Jesus. Islam teaches that Jesus was raised to heaven. Most Muslims believe that Jesus will return to the earth as Messiah in the company of the Mahdi once the earth has become full of sin and injustice.
This information shows just how important Jesus was and still is today. Many people still view Jesus in these same ways.
Mohammed was historically very important to his followers as well, According to Islam Pakistanway (2007)[The main sources of information on Muhammad’s life are the tafseer of the Qur’an, and the traditional Muslim biographies of Muhammad and quotes attributed to him (the sira and hadith literature). The suriving sources are part of the oral traditions, the compilation of the Qur’an was completed early after the death of Muhammad and while the earliest surviving written sira dates to 150 years after Muhammad, and the compilation and analysis of the hadith literature took place even later. Thus, historians as well as Islamic scholars (Ulema) have attached varying degrees of skepticism to these accounts. Most historians agree that Muhammad lived during the 7th century and adopted various monotheistic traditions in an effort to replace the common polytheistic religions of the Arabian Peninsula, eventually gaining wide acceptance as a prophet.]
Modern historians do not really accept the medieval western conception of Muhammad they feel that he is an imposter. Academic scholars such as Montgomery Watt, Sprenger, Noldeke, Weil, Muir, Koelle, Grimme and Margoliouth agree that Muhammad was sincere and had a profound belief in himself and his mission as nothing else could explain “Muhammad’s readiness to endure hardship and persecution during the Meccan period when from the secular point of view there was no prospect of success.” There are differing views as to whether he remained sincere later in the Medinian period. Several scholars hold that Muhammad’s ideas developed gradually: Some traditions were taken from the Bible and included in the Qur’an in order to have followers from Christianity and Judaism convert to Islam. Welch states that it is difficult to determine that to what extent Muhammad was influenced by various monotheistic ideas and movements existed in Arabia at that time and presents views of different scholars, however he asserts that one thing is certain: “that something happened that transformed his whole consciousness and filled him with a spiritual strength that decided the whole course of his life. He felt himself compelled to proclaim the revelations that were communicated to him in a mysterious way.”
The death of both Jesus and Mohammed had significant impact of their followers. The death and resurrection of Jesus are still the most important events in Christian history. This it’s self is what formed the entire Christian religion. This showed that God himself has the power over life and death, also showing that he has the ability to give people eternal life. Most Christians accept the New Testament story as an historical account of the physical resurrection of Jesus Christ, which is center of their faith. Some liberal Christians do not accept a literal bodily resurrection, seeing the story as richly symbolic and spiritually nourishing myth. Almost all non-Christians do not accept the bodily resurrection of Jesus. They therefore either deny the resurrection as a form of myth, or agree with liberal Christians that the resurrection was a devoutly held, powerful myth. People can, however, still find a meaning in the text, for instance Carl Jung suggests that the crucifixion-resurrection was just a story of myth.
As we can see the death of Jesus split his followers. Some people believed the story of his death and resurrection; other passed it off as a myth or never believed he was human at all. According to Arikah Encyclopedia (2007)
[One day, upon returning from a visit to a cemetery, Muhammad became very ill. He suffered for several days with head pain and weakness. Muhammad finally succumbed to his malady around noon on Monday, June 8, 632, in the city of Madina, at the age of sixty-three. He is buried in the Mosque of the Prophet in Medina. According to Shi’a Islam, Muhammad had appointed his son-in-law Ali as his successor in a public sermon at Ghadir Khumm. Shi’a believes that Muhammad’s companions Abu Bakr and Umar conspired to oust Ali and make Abu Bakr the leader or caliph. Sunni Muslims dispute this, and say that the leaders of the community conferred and freely chose Abu Bakr, who was among the followers of Muhammad. The matter is further discussed in the article Succession to Muhammad. After Muhammad, a rapid creation of an Empire under the Umayyads established a new polity from the Atlantic to the Indus River. Within a few decades after his death, his successors had united all of Arabia under an Islamic empire, which essentially became the successor to the Sassanid, Byzantine, and ultimately Roman empires. With a historically unprecedented swiftness, they conquered present-day Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Palestine, Syria, Armenia, and most of North Africa. By 750, Islam was as fully established as the two great earlier monotheistic belief systems, Judaism and Christianity, and had become the world’s greatest military power. The rest of North Africa came under Muslim rule, as well as most of the Iberian Peninsula, much of Central Asia, and Sindh). Islam today is the faith of 1.3-1.7 billion people all over the globe, and is now the second largest religion after Christianity by the number of adherents.]
Since Mohammed had named his son Ali as his successor, his son then took over where Mohammed left off. Mohammed’s followers would now follow Ali, still worshiping Mohammed as well. People in that part of the world still visit Mohammed grave and place flowers any other things on and around it.
The teachings of both Jesus and Mohammed are still carried out today in much the same ways they were before they died. The story of both Jesus and Mohammed is being taught by people all over the world to kids of the next generation. Jesus and Mohammed are both still being worshipped around the world. People still gather together to warship, pray, and listen to the teachings of both Jesus and Mohammed. Special days are set aside for the worship of both Jesus and Mohammed. Called Holidays, Christmas and Easter are days sent a side for Celebration of Jesus birthday and the day of his resurrection. Mohammed’s followers have days sent aside as well.
In conclusion Jesus and Mohammed were very important people in religion and still remain very important today.
References
Arikah Encyclopedia (2007) Retrieved October 14, 2007 From
http://www.arikah.net/encyclopedia/Jesus
Islam Pakistanway (2007) Retrieved October 14, 2007 From
http://islam.pakistanway.com/ShowTopic.aspx?topicid=230&typeid=24
Life of Christ (2007) Retrieved October 14, 2007 From
http://www.lifeofchrist.com/life/lifescan/death.asp