Compare and Contrast Essay: Quran and the Gospel of Mark

In both the Qur’an and the Gospel of Mark, the unknown authors address 

individuals who doubt or disbelieve.Their unique treatments and attitudes towards these individuals, force them to face consequences and internal ultimatums. In order to highlight the need of these individuals to join their respective faiths, both texts juxtapose the faith and benefits of being a believer in the respective faith with the life of a doubter or disbeliever. This stark difference between the texts is found in their unique presentation of how they treat and present consequences for the individuals that doubt or disbelieve the texts. Both texts juxtapose the lives of believers and disbelievers, in order to convey a message to persuade individuals to become a believer in the respective faith.

Firstly, in The Gospel of Mark the benefits of being a believer in the power of Jesus Christ and his words is highlighted throughout the text. In Mark 5, an unnamed woman who has been hemorrhaging for twelve years creeps up behind Jesus, touches his cloak, and is rid of her hemorrhaging. By merely touching Jesus the unnamed woman is healed. Upon realizing that some of his power had left him, Jesus demands to know who touched him, and the woman confesses. However, although this may appear to result in a negative response from Jesus he responds to the woman by saying “...your faith has made you well, go in peace…”(NRSV Mark 1:25-24). Here, a benefit of being a believer or having pistis (faith) in Jesus, results in him healing one from their ailments. Here, the text blatantly demonstrates that by being a believer one is privy to this gift from Jesus. Jesus emphasizes that it was the woman’s faith that allowed her to be healed, thus emphasizing the positive nature of following Jesus. One can infer that if the woman had apistis (lack of faith) or was a nonbeliever, Jesus would not have reacted as so. As a result, the text highlights a benefit of becoming a believer, as being able to be a receiver of the gifts and powers of Jesus in the midst of tough times.

In Mark 8, Jesus discusses the fate of nonbelievers, referencing them as  “Those who are ashamed of me and of my words...:” and going on to say “... the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels''  (Mark 8:38). Here, Jesus is saying that when he is with his Father and among divine things, he will be ashamed of these individuals and these divine things will be aware of this. Possibly, it could be referencing the fact that on the Day of judgement, the lack of faith of these individuals will be known, and will impact whether or not they are saved. While saying these, Jesus also highlights how “... those who lose their life for my [Jesus’s] sake, and for the sake of the gospel will save it” (Mark 8:35). Here, Jesus emphasizes how individuals who do follow him will be saved. This is juxtaposed bluntly with the fact that disbelievers will not be saved, as they are not followers and believers. In Mark 9, Jesus goes on to heal the son of a man who holds doubt for his actions and practices, and convinces the man that “All things can be done for the one who believes”, when cures his son from his illness  (Mark 9:23). By touching on this event, the text is highlighting how a doubter can come to believe, and the benefits of being a believer. Here, the father of the son initially doubted the workings of Jesus, but when he eventually came to believe and hold faith, his son was healed. In this way, the Gospel of Mark juxtaposes the consequences of living as a doubter or disbeliever with the life of a believer. The Gospel of Mark, presents the juxtaposition subtly and literally in the text, in efforts to persuade one to follow and hold faith. 

Secondly, in The Qur’an the pitfalls and the grim outcomes of being a nonbeliever are emphasized, in order to convey a message of persuasion of one to be a believer. In Surah 103. The Fading Day, disbelievers are juxtaposed with the believers. The surah addresses disbelievers when it states, “By the fading day, man is [deep] in loss…”, here the “man” referenced refers to disbelievers (Qur’an 103:1-2). The term “fading day”, refers to the end of one’s life, or rather when one’s time on earth is running out. This quote alludes to the fact that a disbeliever will be in loss, because they have gone through life without following this faith, and as a result they find themselves with regret. This passage is immediately followed up with the fact that believers will not be subject to this fate as  believers are people who “...do good deeds, urge one another to the truth, and urge one another to steadfastness”(Qur’an 103:3). Thus, the text is emphasizing how these qualities of the life of a true believer allow them to live out their days without anguish or regret as they are already on the path to salvation. As a result, the text emphasizes a positive quality of being a believer. In Surah 106. Quraysh various privileges of being a believer are demonstrated. This surah references God’s defeat over a threat in Mecca, in order to grant safe passage for the Quraysh tribe to continue their trading journey. This is apparent when the text states “...worship the Lord of this House: who provides them with food to ward off hunger, safety to ward off fear”(Qur’an 106:3-4). Here, the text is highlighting how when one holds belief, God can interfere with their lives and bring his followers relief from their struggles. This piece of text also implies that if one is a disbeliever, this God will not positively interfere with their lives. A stark difference to the Gospel of Mark is found in the directed treatment of disbelievers by the believers in the Qur’an. In Surah 2. The Cow, qualities and treatment disbelievers  are touched on. Individuals who are disbelievers, are described to be “... deaf, dumb, and blind…” (Qur’an 2:18), highlighting negative attributes of a disbeliever. Thus, by highlighting these inferior aspects of the life of a disbeliever, the text presents the life of a believer to be more appealing. In regards to the treatment of disbelievers, the text directs believers to treat disbelievers in specific ways. Most notably, an instance  is found in the text when it states, “If they [Disbelievers] do fight you, kill them — this is what such disbelievers deserve — but if they stop God is most forgiving and merciful” (Qur’an 2:191). The text juxtaposes believers and disbelievers, making the believers the authoritarian in this instance, and the disbelievers the inferior party. By doing this, the text highlights one’s necessity to be a believer, in order to avoid this event of death.Throughout the text, the author touches on how following this faith and being a believer allows individuals to lead a prosperous and good life enabling the individuals to be on the path to salvation. 

Summarily, both the Gospel of Mark and The Qur’an juxtapose the lives of believers and disbelievers, in order to convey a message to persuade individuals to become a believer in the respective faith. In doing this, The Qur’an focuses more so on emphasizing negative aspects of being a disbeliever in order to persuade its audience to join its faith, whereas the Gospel of Mark focuses more heavily on the benefits of being a believer of the text and a follower of Jesus.