6 Things Jesus and Muhammad Have in Common

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In 1095, Pope Urban II gave a sermon at the Council of Clermont. In this sermon, he called not for spiritual atonement, but for military action against Muslim peoples who were expanding into new areas and blocking access to Christian Eastern Mediterranean holy sites.

Thus began the First Crusade, and a cycle of Christian imperialism and Muslim expansion that resulted in countless deaths, and an ideological conflict that is still carried on to this day by extremists on both sides.

Today, these old rivalries have serious consequences for minority groups in both Christian and Muslim lands, and with the weapons of war being more powerful than ever, there has never been a greater need for interfaith engagement—for the ability to see what we have in common rather than what divides us.

To find these commonalities, we only have to look to these two religions’ founders—Jesus Christ and Muhammad. The similarities between these two legendary figures—and the things they taught—are striking. Daniel Hummel, in his book, "Jesus and Muhammad: Commonalities of Two Great Religions," explores these similarities, showing readers the intersections between these two religious founding fathers.

If the founders of Christianity and Islam would have gladly walked beside one another, can their adherents not do this as well? Let’s find out by going to Hummel's text and exploring 6 important things that Jesus and Muhammad have in common.

They Taught the Importance of Kindness and Charity

Both Jesus and Muhammad were marked by otherworldly kindness and charity.

The famous parable of the Good Samaritan is one of the most well-known examples of Christ’s teachings on kindness. This parable shows how every man and woman is to act toward one another—He taught that we are to help one another when we see a need, and to be respectful and kind as we do so.

Christ also emphasized forgiveness. The story of Christ saving a woman from an execution at the hands of the legalistic Pharisees is testament to this. Instead of condemning her, as the religious leaders did, He made a point of not condemning her, and simply said “Go your way, and from now on do not sin again.”

There are many stories of Muhammad’s kindness, but one, called “The Rubbish Thrower,” stands out. An old woman, maddened by Muhammad’s peaceful demeanor, regularly collected and threw garbage at him, hoping to get the prophet angry.

Unfortunately for her, Muhammad never became upset with her, and said nothing when she showered him with garbage.

But the old woman eventually became sick. When Muhammad heard of this, he immediately rushed to her home to inquire about her health and offered her aid in an act of sincere kindness. Seeing how he treated her, she accepted Islam at once.

Both Jesus and Muhammad taught and lived by kindness. If you’re a follower of either, this should be close to your heart, as well.

They Emphasized the Temporary Nature of Worldly Possessions

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Both Muhammad and Jesus contrasted the everlasting value of the spiritual against the temporary nature of material goods.

Hummel writes that chapter 17, verses 16 and 17 of the Qur’an state the paradox of humankind’s disposition: we prefer the material world over the spiritual, despite the spiritual being both better and permanent. Muhammad taught that people should work toward spiritual pursuits, such as the love of God and being good to one another, rather than working toward riches and individual success.

Jesus felt the same, teaching that people should not “lay up for yourselves treasure on earth, where moth and rust destroy…” Christ continually encouraged His followers to build up treasures in heaven rather than focusing on gaining material wealth on earth.

For both of these founders, the material world was temporary, and they both encouraged their adherents to be content with simple belongings. Wealth was fleeting, but the world beyond our own? Forever.

They Affirmed the Reality of Heaven and Hell

Jesus and Muhammad both taught the reality of a spiritual afterlife, and that our actions and beliefs here on Earth will affect what happens in the hereafter.

Islam teaches that there will be a day of judgment, when all people will be sent to either Paradise or Hell. Muhammad taught that, on the Last Day, the world will be destroyed and God will raise all people up from the dead to be judged by their deeds. Those who served God will head to Paradise. The enemies of Islam are sent to Hell.

The teachings of Jesus are similar. Christ taught that the wicked will “go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” Jesus affirms the existence of both Heaven and Hell many times over, and teaches that only those who love God and love one another will inherit eternal life rather than eternal damnation.

Both Jesus and Muhammad agree—there is an afterlife, and how hard we work to live out our faith will affect what we experience there.

They Valued Peace

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Although many believe Islam to be less focused on peace, this is far from the case—both Jesus and Muhammad were adamant about keeping the peace whenever possible.

The most famous example of Christ’s teachings on peace is His simple admonition to “love your enemy” found in Luke 6:35. Jesus taught that Christians are to not only love their enemies, but to pray for them and treat them well. Christ lived out this idea when He healed the very man who came to arrest Him before His death.

Muhammad taught the same, teaching Muslims to “repel evil with good. And he who is your enemy will become your dearest friend.” Although the prophet did lead attacks on his enemies, these were defensive in nature. He taught that if one’s enemies “leave you alone, refrain from fighting you, and offer you peace, then God gives you no way to go against them.”

Both Islam and Christianity were founded on peace. We would do well to remember that today.

They Embodied Their Faiths

Not a trace of hypocrisy was to be found in either Muhammad or Jesus—if they taught something, they lived it out.

Jesus did this daily. Where He taught mercy, He showed it to others. Where He taught righteousness, He displayed it, Himself. And in the end, after teaching the value of peace, He surrendered His very life rather than rousing those around him to battle. Christ was sinless, blameless, and the very embodiment of all He taught.

Muhammad is much the same. Although the prophet did occasionally sin and ask forgiveness, he did a remarkable job of living out everything he taught by honoring God. Muhammad prayed as he taught others to pray, believed as he taught others to believe, and lived as he taught others to live. He was a man who lived simply and acted in a humble manner, despite his status as a major religious and national leader.

Whatever other differences they may have had, both Jesus and Mohammad were remarkably consistent in the way they chose to live their lives, embodying their faiths to the fullest extent.

They Loved the One and Only God

Above all, the founders of the two largest religions in the world agreed on one important idea: there is only one God. And more than that, they taught that this God is to be loved.

Hummel writes that, in Mark 12:29, Jesus was asked which commandment is the most vital. Christ replied, saying “'The most important one,' answered Jesus, 'is this: Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.'” Later, in Luke 10:25-28, Jesus is asked what it takes to inherit eternal life, and affirms that this comes through loving God “with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind.”

Christ affirms these ideas several times over, reinforcing the fact that there is but one God, and that He deserves our love and devotion.

Muhammad would agree. Hummel, in his book, explains that Chapter 112 of the Qur’an affirms that “God was not born nor does He give birth and nothing is like Him.” This is a fundamental element of the Islamic faith.

And this is no wonder—Christianity and Islam share a common root in the practices of the ancient Israelites who worshipped the God of Abraham. Christianity split away with the teachings of Jesus, and Islam came into its own with the teachings of Muhammad.

Both, however, kept their original concept of a monotheistic God.

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