Chris,
It is all a matter of how you look at it. To ask, why don’t Muslims follow the teachings of Jesus at least appears first to assume that many or all Muslims don’t and second to assume that one’s personal interpretations of the teachings of Jesus ARE what must be followed.
As a for instance, there are a number of threads in this forum asking whether or not Protestants are Christians (i.e. do they follow the teachings of Jesus?). I believe that they (Protestants) would say that they do indeed follow the teachings of Jesus.
The question then becomes, what are the teachings of Jesus? If one looks at Jesus to summarize them one could offer:
“And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
"And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
“And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he: And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.
“And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God.”
(Mark 12:28-34)
Here are similar quotes from Islam:
“Your God is one God; there is no God but He, the merciful, the compassionate. . .”
(The Qur’an (E.H. Palmer tr), Sura 2 - The Heifer)
“Say, ‘If ye would love God then follow me, and God will love you and forgive you your sins, for God is forgiving and merciful.’”
(The Qur’an (E.H. Palmer tr), Sura 3 - Imran’s Family)
“Not one of you is a believer unless he desires for his brother that which he desires for himself.”
(Forty Hadith of an-Nawawi)
“Do you love your Creator? Then love your fellow beings first. Allah loves kindness and rewards it in such a way that He does not reward for harshness or for anything else.”
(Hadith Reported by Muslim, Kitaab al-Birr wa’l-Sillah wa’l-Aadaab, no.2592 )
So, if Muslims follow these two commandments, do they follow the teachings of Jesus? Also, Jesus got those two commandments from the Torah. If a Jew follows the teachings of the Torah, does he/she follow the teachings of Jesus?
There is no question that there are some who claim to be Muslims who do not follow these teachings, there are some who claim to be Muslims who reject Jesus’ crucifixion, that believe that the Gospel is corrupt, etc. But there are many who don’t and many, many more who have never bothered to investigate the claims of their leaders who have told them these things. Just as there are, I would suggest, many Christians who believe they have all the right answers without investigating other possibilities. Did not Jesus Himself warn against such an approach:
“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
“Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”
(Matthew 7:21-23)
And Paul:
“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
(1 Philippians 4:8)
“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
“Do not put out the Spirit’s fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt.
“Test everything. Hold on to the good.”
(1 Thessalonians 5:16-21)
Islam and Judaism and Hinduism and Buddhism and Zoroastrianism and the Bahá’í Faith (of which I am one) all teach loving kindness, all teach to love your neighbor as yourself, all teach forgiveness and repentance and the glorification of God . . . are these not the teachings of Christ? That some may not follow them is no different in any of these faiths than it is in Christianity.
kernk