Western Civilization and Islam Essay

Muhammad and the Faith of Islam

Muhammad, a well-known figure, is credited with founding the faith of Islam in the seventh century. Muhammad, a well-known merchant from Mecca, asserted that an angel by the name of Gabriel came to him and gave him revelations from God. He continued by claiming that, like Moses and Jesus, he was a messenger sent by God. Muhammad increased his domain by conducting attacks against the caravans of pagans. He vowed those who fought for his cause would live forever. Muslims hold a monotheistic view of God, angels, and the divine writings, such as the Torah, the Quran, the Psalms, and even the scrolls entrusted to Abraham. Muslims believe in prophets including Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad among others. Lastly, they believe in the judgment day. The early Muslim culture was characterized by violence. Muhammad and his men executed several attacks on the pagan merchants, for example, the battle of Badr. One of the major accomplishments of the Muslims was the expansion of territory and increase in followers, which facilitated better trade opportunities. Later, advances in academic disciplines also put them at a significant advantage (McKay et al., 2014).

Question 2

Christianity began earlier in the 1st century by Jesus in Jerusalem and spread throughout the East through his disciples. Islam, however, commenced in the 7th century by Muhammad who claimed to be a prophet sent by God. Both Islam and Christianity teaches that God is the creator and most Supreme Being. Both religions believe in Jesus, Moses, and Abraham. Christians do not believe in Muhammad as God's prophet. Likewise, the Muslims claim that Jesus did not die on the cross. During the early middle ages, Christianity had control over the laws of the land, where top leaders had significant roles in government. On the other hand, Muslim territories were obtained through wars fought in the name of religion (Smith, 2015).

References

McKay, P.J., Hill, D.B., Buckler, J., Crowston, H.C. & Wiesner-Hanks, E.M. . (2014). A History of Western Society: From Antiquity to Enlightenment. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin's.

Smith, J. (2015). Muslim-Christian Relations: Historical and Contemporary Realities. Christianity, Islamic Studies, Religion and Politics.