The Difference Between Muhammad and Jesus Christ

Over the past several days the Middle East and North Africa has erupted in violence. The perpetrators are Muslims supposedly angry over an insult to Muhammad. When followers of Muhammad protest the reviling of their prophet with outrage, destruction and mindless violence, they provide us with clear difference between Muhammad and Christ.

 Islam was born in a storm of violence. At the Battle of Banu Quraiza (627AD), Muhammad had all the Jewish men assembled and beheaded. The young Jewish boys were beheaded after being sexually humiliated. The Jewish women were separated out to be raped or sold into slavery. At the Massacre of Kaibyr,

Muhammad ordered a fire set on the Jewish chieftain's chest torturing him to reveal the whereabouts of the city’s treasure. When he refused after great unimaginable suffering, the chieftain was taken and beheaded. Muhammad raped his 17 year old wife that night.

On orders from Muhammad, his soldiers would assassinate his opponents. On orders from Muhammad, Muslim women were buried to their chests and stoned to death. On orders from Muhammad, Muslims who were judged to be deficient in their faith were burnt alive in their homes. Muhammad through his politico-religious system created an immoral framework of depravity whereby murder, rape, and torture were committed on kefirs (infidels). And all of this evil was supposedly sanctioned by Allah. When Muslims today resort to violence they are only following in the footsteps of their prophet.

During his life Jesus Christ was called a bastard (John 8:41), a drunkard, (Matthew11:19), a blasphemer (Matthew 26:65), and a devil (Matthew 10:25). But if Christ had not been insulted we could not have been saved from the evil of sin. His work of salvation was to be mocked and insulted and despised so that we could be saved from the wrath of God because of our own immorality.

The pain of Christ’s sufferings and mockery were promised in the Old Testament—“But I am a worm, and no man; A reproach of men, and despised by the people. All those who see Me ridicule Me (Psalm 22:6, 7),” and “He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him (Isaiah 53:3).”

When Jesus Christ was actually crucified, “they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him.  When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand. And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!”  Then they spat on Him, and took the reed and struck Him on the head (Matthew 27:28-30).” All of this was done because “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all (Isaiah 53:5, 6).”

That is the difference between Christ and Muhammad. For Christ, mockery and suffering was the essence of his mission and by it we are saved. Muhammad mocked, tortured and killed others to defend his own honor. And that is the difference between a follower of Christ and a follower of Muhammad.  Many followers of Muhammad follow in the prophet’s footsteps. We too are to follow in our Master’s footsteps. It is written “If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you (1 Peter 4:14).”

One day Jesus Christ will be revealed “coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory (Matthew 24:30)” to be mocked no more. And “When Christ who is our life appears, then you [the believer in Christ] also will appear with Him in glory (Colossians 3:4).” Muhammad, who honored himself will be “punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power (2 Thessalonians 1:9).”