Islam and Christianity are very similar religions, and this is very present in their leaders; Mohammed and Jesus respectively. They introduced radical new ideas to their regions and the religions they founded spread across the world and remained the world's two largest religions for centuries. Both Muhammad and Jesus had rather humble beginnings, but became two of the most important visionaries, monotheists, and moralists of all time. Both Jesus and Muhammad were, as their respective religions believe, “touched by God.” They both wanted their truth to spread everywhere, in the hope of turning humans toward God and allowing them to enter Heaven. The difference between them is how they received and implemented their vision of heaven. Jesus was born a carpenter, but from an early age he demonstrated deep spiritual intelligence and debated religion with the rabbis of the Great Temple. In Christianity, this can be explained by the fact that Jesus was the direct incarnation of God, being both fully divine and human. Since Jesus is God, it is easy to assume that He has completely understood God's plan for humanity, and His "plan" for humanity is simply what He knows will and will happen. This would mean that every action he took was aimed at carrying out the “plan,” including his miracles, betrayal, death, and resurrection. Mohammed was a merchant by trade, but he also spent a lot of time thinking about spiritual matters. At the age of 40, he was visited by the angel Gabriel and asked to preach the word of God. Muhammad and his group of followers were persecuted for about a decade, before becoming a terrifying military force and conquering much of the Middle East. This led to a sharp increase in the Muslim population, and Mohamme...... middle of paper ...... the physical assault finals were injured in the same way they injured the victims, and Sharia law also includes the use of capital and corporal punishment, but these are reserved for extreme cases and are intended to deter people from committing crimes. However, Muhammad's lessons bear a huge similarity to those of Jesus: forgiveness as the ultimate tool. Muhammad, like Jesus, taught that no matter the situation, it was best before God to forgive those who wronged you. The importance of Muhammad and Jesus to their religion and to the world at large cannot be ignored. Both brought visions of Heaven, news of a loving God, and teachings of forgiveness and equality for humanity. Their origins, methods, and teachings sometimes differ quite significantly, but their similarities illustrate how most of the world's religions teach the same message of kindness and its rewards...