To the point of ponders:  Many people like to ask or wondering, "Is God watching us from a distance?  Or is He intimately involved in every detail of His creation...including your life?

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CURSING ENEMIES

Muhammad:  Muhammad sometimes cursed people during his prayers.  One of the Muslims reported the following story:  ' The he heard the Prophet, after raising his head from the bowing in morning prayer, saying, '"O Allah, our Lord!  All the praises are for you.'" And in the last (Rak'a) he said,  "O Allah!  Curse so-and-so and so-and-so."'

JESUS:  Compare Muhammad's attitude to Jesus' prayer as he was dying on the cross:

"They crucified two robbers with him, one on the right and one on the left.  Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, "So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, come down from the cross and save yourself!"  In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves.  "He saved others," they said, "but he cannot save himself!  Let this Christ, this King of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe."  Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him.  --Mark 15:27-32

Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."

--Luke 23:34

Be discern in your heart, God bless.

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Muhammad:  Islamic law is based on al-Ka'saas, which means "eye for an eye and toot for tooth."  So let's look how the Quran defines the relationship between al-Ka'saas and forgiveness.  -Surah 42:40 says,  "The recompense for an injury is an injury equal thereto (in degree):  But if a person forgives and makes conciliation, his reward is due from God:  For God loves not those who do wrong.

However, the verse preceeding it (v. 39) instructs the Muslim to practice Al-Ka'saas, "When an oppressive wrong is done to them, take revenge."  And the verse following says, "And indeed whosoever takes revenge after he has suffered wrong, for such there is no way (of blame) against them" (v. 41).

In other words, the Quran says, forgiveness is best, but eye-for-eye (taking revenge) is still good enough.

JESUS:  "You have heard that it was said, "Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth."  But I tell you, do not resist an evil person.  If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.  And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.  If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.  Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.  -Math 5:38-42

Be discern with your heart; God bless.

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Now that you have a thorough background I laid out for understanding Jesus and Muhammad, simple verse-by-verse comparisons will have clarity for you.  I am going to put a sample of eight practical teachings between Quran vs. our Holy Bible.

FORBIDDEN FOOD & DRINK

Muhammad:  Both alcohol and eating pork were forbidden to Muslims (among other things).  "O you who believe!  Intoxicants and gambling, (dedication of) stones, and (divination by) arrows, are an abomination-of Satan's handwork. -Surah 5:90, Ali Translation

Say, "I do not find in the Message received by me by inspiration any (meat) forbidden to be eaten by one who wishes to eat it, unless it be dead meat, or blood poured, or the flesh of swine. -Surah 6:145, Ali Translation

Muhammad personally punished some of those who drank wine.  Anas reported that Allah's Apostle used to strike forty times with shoes, palm and branches (in case of drinking of) wine.

Jesus:  Jesus did not define righteousness by what a person ate or drank. 

He said:  "Don't you see that nothing that enters a man from the outside can make him 'unclean'?  For it doesn't go into his heart but into his stomach, and then out of his body."  (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods "clean.")  He went on:  "What comes out of a man is what makes him 'unclean.'  For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly.  All these evils come from inside and make a man 'unclean.'"  -Mark 7:18-23, Emphasis added

Be discern, God bless.

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Continue from Followers Run Away in Time of Trouble

"Hungry In The Desert"

Muhammad:  The people of Mecca signed an agreement to boycott Muhammad, his clan, and the Muslims, refusing to sell them food.  This lasted for two to three days.  Eventually, Muhammad and the Muslims left the city to go live in the desert valley next to Mecca.  They were becoming desperate.  Islamic history says Muhammad's people became so hungry they had to eat animals' dung and the leaves from trees.  This became known as the Year of Hunger.

They survived on supplies brought to them secretly by sympathizers and friends.  After a while, the leaders of Mecca decided voluntarily to lift the boycott and asked them back to live in the city.  Muhammad could not supernaturally suplly food for his people during harsh time.

Jesus:  Jesus also encountered a time when his followers were hungry.  About 5,000 people men had followed Jesus into the countryside.  Historian recorded that it was more than 5,000 people including women and children.  But the Bible only recorded with just men.  All those people were listening to Jesus' teaching.  They stayed so long tghat they ate all their food and became hungry.  A boy came and gave Jesus two fish and five loaves of bread.  Jesus prayed over the food and asked his disciples to pass it out to thousands.  Miraculously, it was more than enough to feed all people.  (See John 6:1-14)

My conclusion:  These parallel incidents provide another way of seeing the differences between Jesus and Muhammad.  In the next research I will present some parellel teachings.  In other words, you can compare the words of Jesus and Muhammad directly on topics such as judging others, revenge, forgiveness, and more.

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Continue from Blind Man Asked for Help...

Muhammad:  After Muhammad conquered Mecca, some of the remaining free people of Arabia joined together in an attempt to defeat him.  Leading on his white mule, Muhammad marched out against them with a huge army of 12,000 men.  However, the enemy made a suprise ambush against them in the morning twilight, and Muhammad's soldiers broke rank and fled in terror.  Muhammad withdrew to the right and shouted, "Where you going, men?  come to me.  I am God's apostle.  I am Muhammad the son of Abdullah."  A few stayed with him, but most kept running.  Muhammad asked a man with a "powerful voice" who was standing by to call out for the people.  One hundred fighters eventually came back to stand with him.  Ultimately the huge Muslim army defeated their enemy that day.  This is known as the Battle of Hunayn.

The point is that Muhammad demanded that his followers protected him.

Jesus:  While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, arrived.  With him was a large crowd with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests and the elders of the people...Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him.  With that, one of Jesus' companions reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest,"  Jesus said to him, "for all who draw the sword will die by the sword.  Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?  But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?"...Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.  -Mathew 26:47, 50-54, 56

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Continue from Woman Guilty of Adultery & Judged...

Blind Man Asks for Help

Muhammad:  Some of the most important chiefs from Mecca had come to oneof Muhammad's assemblies, and he was earnestly engaged in persuading them to accept Islam.  At this moment a blind man approached him wanting an explanation of some point concerning Islam.  Muhammad did not like the interruption and ignored him.

(The Prophet) frowned and turned away.  B/C there came to him the blind man...And how can you know that he might become pure (from sins)?  Or he might receive admonition and the admonition might profit him?  -Surah 80:1-4

The point to see here is that Muhammad ignored the blind man instead of helping him as he requested.

JESUS:  As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging.  Whe he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening.  They told him, "Jesus of Nazareth is passing by."  He called out, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"  Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"  When Jesus heard the cry he stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him.  When he came near, Jesus asked him, "What do you want me to do for you?"  "Lord, I want to see," he replied.  Jesus said to him, "Receive your sight; your faith has healed you."  Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God for what had happened.  When all the people saw what Jesus did, they also followed and praised God. -Luke 18:35-43

This blind man saw that Jesus had been healing people, and he asked for help.  Jesus gave him what he asked for.

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After much reading and research I have devoted my time to the understanding between the two lives of these men (Jesus and Muhammad) have profound differences and surprisisng similarities.

And this is what I know...the interesting coincidences:  As I studied the life of Jesus, one of the most interesting experiences for me was discovering unique incidents in his life that were echoed in the life of Muhammad.  In this view of mine is revealing how Jesus and Muhammad respond to:

A.  A woman caught in adultery  B.  A blind man asking for help  C.  Followers abandoning them in a time of trouble  D.  Hungry people in the wilderness

A.  Woman Guilty of Adultery is Judged - Muhammad has done:  A woman came to Muhammad and said, "I have committed adultery, so purify me."  [She wanted Muhammad to punish her so that Allah would forgive her sin and let her into Paradise.]  Muhammad told her, Go away until you give birth to the child."  After she gave birth, she returned with the child and said, "Here is the child I have given birth to."  Muahammad answered, "Go away and nurse him until you wean him."

When she had weaned him, she came to Muhammad with the child, who was holding a piece of bread in his hand.  The child was probably about two years old b/c that was the lenght of time the Quran prescribed for nursing.  The woman said, "Allah's Apostle, here is he as I have weaned him and he eats food."  Muhammad gave the child to one of the Muslims and then pronounced punishment.  The woman was buried in the ditch up to her chest, and the people stoned her.

Note:  This story is used popularly in Islamic preaching as an example of the mercy of Muhammad.

As for Jesus:  The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught adultery the same way as described earlier above.  They made her stand up before the crowd and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught adultery.  In the law of Moses he commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?"  They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.  But what Jesus did when they kept on questioning him.  He bent down and started writing on the ground with his finger.  Finally, Jesus said, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to cast the stone at her."  Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.  At this point, those who heard this message began to go away one by one, until only Jesus remained with the woman.  Jesus then asked her, "Woman, where are they?  Has no one condemned you?"  "No one, sir,"  she said.  "Then neither do I condemn you,"  Jesus declared.  "Go now and sin no more."

I leave all of you at this for now.  I'll be back with more accounts, i.e.(the blind man asks for help with Muhammad & Jesus, followers run away in time of trouble, hungry in the desert).

Last thing:  "A COMPARISON OF PRACTICAL TEACHINGS BETWEEN THE TWO MEN"

BE DISCERNMENT TO ALL

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I just want to hear what's your take on the live of these two men. 

1.  In what way are they the same, and

2. in what way are they different?

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