- Both Mohammed and Jesus Christ are revered by billions of people around the world. However, there are significant differences between the two of them.
- Mohammed claimed to be a prophet of God. He performed no miracles, died a natural death, and his body remains in the grave.
- Jesus Christ claimed to be God incarnate. He verified that claim by fulfilling hundreds of Old Testament prophecies, performing countless miracles, and conquering death by rising bodily from the grave.
- Mohammed declared those outside of Islam to be infidels who must be forced to submit to the will of Allah. He told his followers, “I have been commanded to fight against people till they testify that there is no god but Allah, and that Mohammed is the messenger of Allah” (Muslim 1:33). Mohammed personally led dozens of battles against his enemies.
- Jesus Christ promoted an ethic of love, compassion, and forgiveness. He taught his followers to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Mk. 12:31); “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Mt. 5:44); and forgive the brother who sins against you up to “seventy-seven times” (Mt. 18:21-22).
- Mohammed taught a system of works and rituals whereby Muslims can attempt to earn Allah’s favor. However, there is no assurance of salvation in Islam because the Muslim can never be certain they’re doing enough good deeds to outweigh their bad. Furthermore, because Allah is capricious by nature, even the most devout Muslim cannot be sure that Allah will admit them into paradise.
- Jesus Christ offers everyone in the world the free gift of salvation through his shed blood on the cross. All who trust in Jesus will be forgiven of their sins and can be assured of their eternal security in him (John 3:16-18; Romans 6:23; 1 John 1:9).
For more on the important differences between Mohammed and Jesus Christ, please check out Dr. Carlson’s lecture, The Religion of Islam, available in CD or MP3 in our online store.