Many great men have left their marks on history, many of them kings and princes, or warriors and philosophers. But while kingdoms fall and new empires rise throughout the centuries, only religious faith has overcome the test of time. The sheer historical importance and influence of three particular men, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, Muhammad, and Siddhartha, the first Buddha, is undeniable. In our modern world, Christianity and Islam boast around 2 billion followers each, while the followers of Buddhism number around one half billion. The influence of Jesus, Muhammad, and Buddha on history is undeniable, but where exactly do these men come from? The dogmatic differences presented by each man’s message are great, but what all three men have given people is faith.

A man named Siddhartha Gautama, who became the first Buddha, long before Jesus of Nazareth of Mohammed walked the earth, founded Buddhism. Siddhartha has been associated with a number of legends, and an amazing amount of philosophical texts and sayings, but historians cannot be sure what exactly can be credited to him. There is, however, enough historical evidence to indicate that he was born in the foothills of the Himalayas in India around 566 B.C. as the son of a tribal chieftain. When Siddhartha was born, a seer prophesied that he would become either a great king, or he would save humanity. With this prophecy in mind, Siddhartha’s father secluded him in the family’s palace in order to keep Siddhartha from knowing the pain and suffering associated with the human life. This plan backfired however when Siddhartha wandered from the palace only to see a sick man, a poor man, a beggar, and a corpse. Upon witnessing this, Siddhartha devoted himself to discovering a way to end human suffering and he dedicated himself to Asceticism, or a life lived in plainness and simplicity.  During a period of prolonged meditation, Siddhartha became “enlightened” with a way to end sorrow. It was at this point that Siddhartha became the first “Buddha.” After this enlightenment, Siddhartha would go on to describe the “Four Noble Truths” and the “Eightfold Noble Path” which outline the Buddhist worldview. Siddhartha did not claim to be divine, did not claim divine influence, and was not the only Buddha. Siddhartha was the first Buddha, but since his death there have been thousands of other “Buddha’s” and the Buddha now stands as more of an archetype for those who have been enlightened across history.

The origin of Jesus Christ of Nazareth is certainly the most famous of the three great religious men; after all, Christmas is the most celebrated American holiday. Jesus’ mother, the Virgin Mary, was “found with child through the Holy Spirit” and this virgin birth was prophesied in the Old Testament texts of the prophet Isaiah, used by Jews and Christians alike. Through this miraculous birth, the Christian faith believes that God was made man. Once Jesus had grown up and was ready to begin his ministry on earth, he went to be baptized by John the Baptist. At this baptism, the Bible states that the “Spirit of God descended like a dove” onto Jesus and a voice from heaven called out “this is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” The Christian idea of the Trinity, that is the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, all of which are separate, but equally one being, comes from the virgin birth and baptism of Jesus Christ. The Virgin Mary was “found with child through the Holy Spirit,” this son was Jesus Christ the Son of God, who was baptized by the Father to save humanity from its sin. While Buddha and Mohammed both founded their respected religions, neither of them claimed deity like Jesus Christ did.

The great prophet Muhammad was born in A.D. 570 in the city of Mecca. He enjoyed the life of a trader as he traveled all over the Middle East and was exposed to both Christianity and Judaism. The essential beginning of the Islamic faith took place in the year 610, when Muhammad encountered the angel Gabriel, who commissioned Muhammad as the prophet of God and made known to Muhammad the first revelations that would make up the Koran. Through the rest of his life, Muhammad would encounter Gabriel on several occasions. In the year 621, Gabriel took Muhammad to Jerusalem where the Dome of the Rock now stands. It was on this journey that Muhammad also met Abraham, Moses, and Jesus, patriarchs of the Jewish and Christian faiths. The official beginning of the Islamic religion came in the year 622, when Muhammad and his followers fled from Mecca to Medina in what is known as the “hajj,” or migration. The prophet Muhammad died only eight years after this journey, but the Islamic faith had begun to grow incredibly fast and today rivals Christianity as the world’s largest religion.

Of the three great men who founded three of the greatest faiths in our world today, one claimed to have achieved spiritual enlightenment, one claimed to be the Son of God, and one claimed to a prophet of God. Siddhartha Buddha did not claim to know any God, but he sought to explain human suffering and to achieve spiritual nirvana. Jesus Christ claimed to be the Son of God sent for the salvation of all men. Muhammad claimed to be the prophet of God, commissioned to lead the world toward true faith. The differences are great when looked at in a religious light, but what is true is that Siddhartha, Jesus Christ, and Muhammad all left incredible impacts on the spirituality of our world.

Jesus depiction interpretation

Muhammad depiction interpretation

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