Saturday, October 9, 2010

Comparing Jesus and Muhammad

- Jesus was a religious leader
- Muhammad was religious leader and a military leader

- Jesus never killed anyone
- Muhammad killed an estimated 3,000 people, including beheading 700 Jews of the Banu Qurayza tribe in Medina, A.D. 627

- Jesus never owned slaves
- Muhammad received a fifth of the prisoners taken in battle, including women (Sura 8:41)

- Jesus never married
- Muhammad had many wives

- Jesus never forced followers to continue believing. After Jesus made a difficult saying, "many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him. Then Jesus said to the twelve, 'Will ye also go away?' Then Simon Peter answered him, 'Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life.'" (John 6:31-69)
- Muhammad forced followers to continue believing, "Whoever changed his Islamic religion, then kill him." (Hadith al-Bukhari, Vol. 9, Bk. 84, No. 57)

- Jesus taught God was our Father (Matthew 6:10)
- Muhammad taught it was blasphemy to call Allah your father (Sura 5:18)

- Jesus taught man was made in God's image. (Matthew 22:20, ref. Gen. 1:26-27, 9:6)
- Muhammad taught Allah has no image. (Sura 42:11, Sura 112:4)

- Jesus taught "forgive those who trespass against you." (Matthew 6:10-15)
- Muhammad taught to avenge trespasses against your honor, family or religion

- Jesus did not retaliate when violence was committed against him, saying "Father, forgive them." (Luke 23:34)
- Muhammad retaliated when violence was committed against him, ordering the death of his enemies

- A martyr in Christian and Jewish thought is one who dies for his faith.
- A martyr in Islamic thought is one who dies for his faith while killing infidels

- Christianity teaches God wants a personal relationship with each individual.
- Islam teaches individuals cannot have a personal relationship with Allah, as he is transcendent and unknowable.

- Jesus' religion is known for forgiveness and love
- Muhammad's religion is known for obedience and fear

- None of Jesus' Apostles led armies. A village did not receive Jesus "and when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, 'Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, even as Elias did?' But he turned and rebuked them, and said, 'Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them.'" (Luke 9:52-56)
- All of the caliphs who followed Muhammad led armies. (Caliphs Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, Ali, Muawiyya, the Umayyads, the Abbasids, etc.)

- In the first 300 years of Christianity, there were 10 major Roman persecutions, and Christians were fed to lions in the Colosseum. Never did Christians lead an armed resistance against those who attacked them.
- In the first 300 years of Islam, Muslim armies conquered Arabia, Persia, the Holy Land, North Africa, Spain, Southern France, Central Africa, and invaded vast areas of Asia and Asia Minor.

Fighting is inconsistent with Jesus' example, but not Muhammad's, as the Sirat Rasul Allah records Muhammad personally led 27 raids.

Jesus' teaching on how to treat enemies:

- Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, pray for them which despitefully use you (Matthew 5:44).
- Resist not evil (Matthew 5:39).
- If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to them the other (Matthew 5:39).
- If someone takes your coat, give them your shirt (Matthew 5:40).
- If someone make you carry something one mile, carry it two (Matthew 5:41).
- Forgive and you shall be forgiven (Matthew 6:14).
- Judge not, that ye be not judged (Matthew 7:1).
- Blessed are the peacemakers (Matthew 5:9).
- Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy (Matthew 5:7).
- Ye have heard that it was said, Thou shalt not kill, but I say who ever is angry with his brother is in danger of the judgment (Matthew 5:21-22).
- Treat others the same way you want them to treat you (Luke 6:27-36).
- Feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the sick, whatever you do to the very least you have done unto me (Matthew 25:40).

Muhammad's teaching on how to treat enemies:

- Infidels are your sworn enemies (Sura 4:101).
- Be ruthless to the infidels (Sura 48:29).
- Make war on the infidels who dwell around you (Sura 9:123, 66:9).
- Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day (Sura 9:29).
- Strike off the heads of infidels in battle (Sura 47:4).
- If someone stops believing in Allah, kill him (al-Bukhari 9:84:57).
- Take neither the Jews nor the Christians for your friends (Sura 5:51, 60:13).
- Never be a helper to the disbelievers (Sura 28:86).
- Kill the disbelievers wherever we find them (Sura 2:191).
- No Muslim should be killed for killing an infidel (al-Bukhari 1:3:111).
- The only reward of those who make war upon Allah and His messenger will be that they will be killed or crucified, or have their hands and feet on alternate sides cut off, or will be expelled out of the land (Sura 5:33).