> Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) Prophecised in other Scriptures.

[Qatada]

Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) in the Bible.

by Dr. Zakir Naik

http://www.islamicboard.com/comparat...criptures.html



Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) in the Old Testament:

The Qur?an mentions in Surah Al-Araf chapter 7 verse 157:

"Those who follow the Messenger, the unlettered Prophet, whom they find mentioned in their own (scriptures) in the law and the Gospel".


1. Muhammad (Peace and blessings be upon him) Prophesised in the book of Deuteronomy:

Almighty God speaks to Moses in Book of Deuteronomy chapter 18 verse 18:

"I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and I will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him."

The Christians say that this prophecy refers to Jesus (peace be upon him) because Jesus (peace be upon him) was like Moses (peace be upon him). Moses (peace be upon him) was a Jew, as well as Jesus (peace be upon him) was a Jew. Moses (peace be upon him) was a Prophet and Jesus (peace be upon him) was also a Prophet.

If these two are the only criteria for this prophecy to be fulfilled, then all the Prophets of the Bible who came after
Moses (peace be upon him) such as Solomon, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Malachi, John the Baptist, etc. (peace be upon them all) will
fulfill this prophecy since all were Jews as well as prophets.


However, it is Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) who is like Moses (peace be upon him):


i) Both had a father and a mother, while Jesus (pbuh) was born miraculously without any male intervention.

[Mathew 1:18 and Luke 1:35 and also Al-Qur'an 3:42-47]


ii) Both were married and had children. Jesus (pbuh) according to the Bible did not marry nor had children.

iii) Both died natural deaths. Jesus (pbuh) has been raised up alive.
(4:157-158)


Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) is from among the brethren of Moses (peace be upon him). Arabs are brethren of Jews. Abraham (peace be upon him) had two sons: Ishmail and Isac (pbut). The Arabs are the descendants of Ishmail (peace be upon him) and the Jews are the descendants of Isac (peace be upon him).


Words in the mouth:

Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was unlettered and whatever revelations he received from Almighty God he repeated them verbatim.

"I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him."

[Deuteronomy 18:18]


iv) Both besides being Prophets were also kings i.e. they could inflict capital punishment. Jesus (pbuh) said, "My kingdom is not of this world." (John 18:36).

v) Both were accepted as Prophets by their people in their lifetime but Jesus (pbuh) was rejected by his
people. John chapter 1 verse 11 states, "He came unto his own, but his own received him not."

iv) Both brought new laws and new regulations for their people. Jesus (pbuh) according to the Bible did not bring any new laws. (Mathew 5:17-18).


2. It is Mentioned in the book of Deuteronomy chapter 18:19

"And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not harken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him."


3. Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) is prophesised in the book of Isaiah:

It is mentioned in the book of Isaiah chapter 29 verse 12:

"And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned."

When Archangel Gabrail commanded Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) by saying Iqra - "Read", he replied, "I am not learned".


4. Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned by name in the old testament:

Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) is mentioned by name in the Song of Solomon chapter 5 verse 16:

"Hikko Mamittakim we kullo Muhammadim Zehdoodeh wa Zehraee Bayna Jerusalem."

"His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem."


In the Hebrew language im is added for respect. Similarely im is added after the name of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) to make it Muhammadim. In English translation they have even translated the name of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) as "altogether lovely", but in the Old Testament in Hebrew, the name of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) is yet present.



To Be continued...

[Qatada]

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in the New Testament:

Al-Qur'an Chapter 61 Verse 6:

"And remember, Jesus, the son of Mary, said, 'O Children of Israel! I am the messenger of Allah (sent) to you, confirming the Law (which came) before me and giving glad tidings of a messenger to come after me, whose name shall be Ahmed.' But when he came to them with clear signs, they said, 'This is evident sorcery!' "
All the prophecies mentioned in the Old Testament regarding Muhammad (pbuh) besides applying to the Jews also hold good for the Christians.


1. John chapter 14 verse 16:

"And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever."

2. Gospel of John chapter 15 verse 26:

"But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which

proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me."

3. Gospel of John chapter 16 verse 7:

"Nevertheless I tell you the truth; it is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not

come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you".

"Ahmed" or "Muhammad" meaning "the one who praises" or "the praised one" is almost the translation of the Greek word Periclytos. In the Gospel of John 14:16, 15:26, and 16:7. The word 'Comforter' is used in the English translation for the Greek word Paracletos which means advocate or a kind friend rather than a comforter.

Paracletos is the warped reading for Periclytos. Jesus (pbuh) actually prophesised Ahmed by name. Even the Greek word Paraclete refers to the Prophet (pbuh) who is a mercy for all creatures.

Some Christians say that the Comforter mentioned in these prophecies refers to the Holy Sprit. They fail to realise that the prophecy clearly says that only if Jesus (pbuh) departs will the Comforter come. The Bible states that the
Holy Spirit was already present on earth before and during the time of Jesus (pbuh), in the womb of Elizabeth, and again when Jesus (pbuh) was being baptised, etc. Hence this prophecy refers to none other than Prophet
Muhammad (pbuh).


4. Gospel of John chapter 16 verse 12-14:

"I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth is

come, he will guide you unto all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me".

The Sprit of Truth, spoken about in this prophecy referes to none other than Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)


NOTE: All quotations of the Bible are taken from the King James Version.

[Qatada]

Asalamu alaikum wr wb.


continued here (part 2):

http://www.idawah.com/forum/showthread.php?t=67

[SilverLJ]

Can I take it from these very extensive posts that Muslim accept the Bible without Question as authoritative?

[salman]

^and how did you reach that conclusion? And let's not forget that we never say that all of the Bible is corrupted.

[SilverLJ]

Dear Quatada

"Ahmed" or "Muhammad" meaning "the one who praises" or "the praised one" is almost the translation of the Greek word Periclytos. In the Gospel of John 14:16, 15:26, and 16:7. The word 'Comforter' is used in the English translation for the Greek word Paracletos which means advocate or a kind friend rather than a comforter.

Paracletos is the warped reading for Periclytos. Jesus (pbuh) actually prophesised Ahmed by name. Even the Greek word Paraclete refers to the Prophet (pbuh) who is a mercy for all creatures.

Comment - I have some difficulty with the arguments presented here and as is usual when quoting Biblical passage you omit the context or fail to explain what is was and if one does that it is impossible to gain an understanding of what is being said.

In the case of John 14 and 15 Jesus is offering comfort to His disciples and He says many things about that but in v16 a comforter is mentioned. According to Vine’s Expository dictionary the primary use of this Greek word was in a court of justice to denote a legal assistant or advocate or more generally one who pleads another’s cause but in its widest sense in Greek usage it means someone who offers comfort and support. Comforter or consoler corresponds to the name “Menahem” or the Hebrew word for Messiah.

Using Vine’s spelling ’parakletos’ I can find no hint that its meaning is warped as you suggest and it seem obvious you are muddled over the Hebrew word “menahem” as some kind of Ahmed.

If I now quote John 14:17-17 we read

16. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counsellor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby), that He may remain with you forever.

17. The Spirit of Truth, Whom the world cannot receive (welcome, take to its heart), because it does not see Him or know and recognize Him. But you know and recognize Him, for He lives with you [constantly] and will be in you.

There is no way this can refer to Prophet Mohammed: he cannot be said to be the ‘Spirit of truth’ and given that these words were spoken many 100’s of years before his birth it is impossible to see in what sense he could be within the disciples. The Bible also records a large number of incidents in which the Comforter, the Spirit of truth came upon believers and again I am unable to see how that could be seen as Prophet Mohammed.

It is true that the Holy Spirit is mentioned in the Old Testament and one striking example of this is where in the book of Acts 1:16 Peter reminds the crown he is speaking to by saying:

16. Brethren, he said, it was necessary that the Scripture be fulfilled which the Holy Spirit foretold by the lips of David, about Judas who acted as guide to those who arrested Jesus.

Again it is impossible as far as I can see that the Holy Spirit mentioned here can be Prophet Mohammed and if you read on in Acts you will see a graphic demonstrating of the Holy Spirit ‘falling’ on the people.

Some Christians say that the Comforter mentioned in these prophecies refers to the Holy Sprit. They fail to realise that the prophecy clearly says that only if Jesus (pbuh) departs will the Comforter come. The Bible states that the Holy Spirit was already present on earth before and during the time of Jesus (pbuh), in the womb of Elizabeth, and again when Jesus (pbuh) was being baptised, etc. Hence this prophecy refers to none other than Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).

Comment - It is true that in John 16:7 Jesus says the comforter will be sent to them but the import of His words are that He is leaving (over which they are very sad and despondent) but he is not leaving them comfortless. I have already shown that the Holy Spirit is mentioned in the Old Testament and in the places you mentioned but I fail to see your logic.

One might argue as you do if I were talking to my Wife. “when I go to Abu Dhabi I will make sure Hector comes to look after you but he will not come unless I go. You can feel sure of this because Hector spoke to Jane ages ago and was present when Bill got married. Therefore Hector is really Arthur.” It does not work as logic does it?

[SilverLJ]

by Dr. Zakir Naik - Prophet Muhammad in the Old Testament:
The Qur’an mentions in Surah Al-Araf chapter 7 verse 157:

"Those who follow the Messenger, the unlettered Prophet, whom they find mentioned in their own (scriptures) in the law and the Gospel".

Muhammad is Prophesised in the book of Deuteronomy: Almighty God speaks to Moses in the Book of Deuteronomy chapter 18 verse 18:

"I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and I will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him."

The Christians say that this prophecy refers to Jesus because Jesus was like Moses. Moses was a Jew, as well as Jesus was a Jew. Moses was a Prophet and Jesus was also a Prophet. If these two are the only criteria for this prophecy to be fulfilled, then all the Prophets of the Bible who came after Moses such as Solomon, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Malachi, John the Baptist, ... will fulfil this prophecy since all were Jews as well as prophets. However, it is Prophet Muhammad who is like Moses.

It is valid to ask who was Moses talking about in this passage and of course one cannot know for certain as it was prophesy about some future time and neither can we know what criteria, if any, can be used so inventing them as you do needs much care, thought and qualification. However, the argument that Moses was referring to Prophet Mohammed hinges on Dr Naik’s understanding of the word ‘like’ although he never considers differences so this line of reasoning is extremely shallow not to say fanciful. In any case, a prophet stands or falls by his ministry and the validity of Mohammed's prophet hood does not depend on him being 'like' Moses.

If we dwell on the word ‘like’ then rationally Moses was referring to an unbroken line of prophets (not just one) that God would use to instruct and guide His people but pre-eminently it points to Jesus for He alone resembled Moses in his mediatorial character, in the excellence of his ministry, in the number, variety and magnitude of his miracles, his close, direct and familiar communion with God, and he being the author of a new dispensation of religion.

Indeed, this prediction was fulfilled fifteen hundred years afterwards and was expressly applied to Jesus Christ by Peter (Acts 3:22,23), and by Stephen (Acts 7:37). There the Bible effectively excludes Prophet Mohammed because he cannot be said to be ‘like’ Moses in all these respects.

Two other indicators will suffice. Firstly, we find in John 14 where the context is about the disciples wondering who Jesus was and He said to them:

John 14:10. Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.

Matthew 5:17 - Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

This is a clear indicator that Jesus is the prophet mentioned by Moses is and we know He was like Moses because we are told He came to establish the law not add to it.

One cannot rationally think that ‘like’ means finding a simplistic list of similarities as you have done and using your reasoning if I can find one difference then your arguments fails. If I go through your list we shall see the shallowness of your conjectures.

1. Your conjectures about parents, marriage and death apply to almost everyone so cannot be regarded as in any way a distinguishing factor. Similarly, Mohammed might be regarded as brethren but so do huge numbers of people so again it cannot be significant.

2. Your conjecture “Prophet Muhammad was unlettered and whatever revelations he received from Almighty God he repeated them verbatim.” Does in fact show a difference, Moses was not unlettered and was highly educated in the Egyptian Royal Household.

3. With regard to being Kings that cannot apply to Moses and an Israelite King did not emerge for many 100s of years after Moses and indeed it was only in rebellion to God that a King was allowed to stand.

4. It is true that both brought new laws and new regulations for their people but Jesus said that he came to establish the law of Moses not add to it as Mohammed did.

5. I was not able to understand your point about Deuteronomy chapter 18:19

6. You misunderstand entirely what Isaiah chapter 29 verses 12 says and this may be because you for whatever reason omitted verse 11 - here is a modern translation

11-12 What you've been shown here is somewhat like a letter in a sealed envelope. If you give it to someone who can read and tell her, "Read this," she'll say, "I can't. The envelope is sealed." And if you give it to someone who can't read and tell him, "Read this," he'll say, "I can't read."

It is nothing to do with Prophet Mohammed it’s just a way of saying that we can all be blind to God’s revelation – that is what the whole chapter is about

To show how shallow the arguments of Dr Naik are consider trying to decide if two cars are like each other so with a careful choice we can easily show that a Rolls Royce is like a Mini because both have 4 wheels, both have an engine etc. But any rational person would not take such a simplistic nonsensical approach.

Finally, the weakest of ideas that Prophet Muhammad is mentioned by name in the Song of Solomon chapter 5:16

"His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem."

This is wishful thinking, not to say forcing a meaning as the term is מחמדים (with vowels: מַחֲמַדִּים, pronounced: machmadim) and it is a plural form of the word מחמד (machmad) means something like precious, or beloved, in Hebrew. The word machmad in Hebrew comes from the root CH.M.D, the root of words such as "coveted", "delightful", "delightful", "desirable"...

In Arabic, the root CH.M.D is the root of words such as "praised", "decent", "praiseworthy" etc, (so there is only the slightest similarity here) and this is also the root of the name Muhammad.

[Assad]

I am utterly amazed at the long passage full of non-sense which you have written, It is clear for readers to figure out that you are making no point at all and having a difficult time and hence you resort to writting long passages of irrelevant and foolish stuff, just for the sake of posting a response.

I would only point to your following passage:

Originally Posted by SilverLJ

2. Your conjecture “Prophet Muhammad was unlettered and whatever revelations he received from Almighty God he repeated them verbatim.” Does in fact show a difference, Moses was not unlettered and was highly educated in the Egyptian Royal Household.

This exposes your ignorance towards the religious understanding. First Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was born in a Noble Family of Makkah , in a tribe which was highly respected in Makkah. Secondly, Muhammad (pbuh) was unlettered that means he did not speak anything of his own but what God revealed to Him. It cant be Jesus (pbuh) as Jesus himself was God according to Christianity and hence Its ridiculous to say that God received revelations from God!

[SilverLJ]

Originally Posted by Acid

I am utterly amazed at the long passage full of non-sense which you have written, It is clear for readers to figure out that you are making no point at all and having a difficult time and hence you resort to writing long passages of irrelevant and foolish stuff, just for the sake of posting a response. I would only point to your following passage:

This exposes your ignorance towards the religious understanding. First Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was born in a Noble Family of Makkah , in a tribe which was highly respected in Makkah. Secondly, Muhammad (pbuh) was unlettered that means he did not speak anything of his own but what God revealed to Him. It cant be Jesus (pbuh) as Jesus himself was God according to Christianity and hence Its ridiculous to say that God received revelations from God!

Dear Acid,
Is this your response to my posting, that you are amazed, it’s is full of nonsense. I was trying to show that Dr Naik is shallow in his reasoning and you have not response to that I assume because you have no answer. If I take the one point you did cite and it will show how you are not interested in the argument because you have a closed mind.

My point here was to say that Dr Naik based his whole argument on looking for similarities of Mohammed to Moses (typically very trivial ones) but differences for Jesus but did not even consider any differences for Mohamed - does that strike you as honest?

Secondly, you must know that “unlettered Prophet" reads as an-nabiyyal-ummi in the original Arabic, there is no confusion about the word nabi as meaning prophet but it is the qualifying adjective ummi that has led to such varied interpretations. I don’t think there is any doubt that the most Muslim writers’ interpretation of this description of the prophet is that he was illiterate. The word comes from the same root letters as ummah, meaning a people or community but the word ummah never simply means an illiterate community but it can well mean an uneducated community. At this stage, however, it seems that the interpretation of the word "unlettered" to mean "illiterate" stretches its meaning too far and that without reference to its context. I assume this is what you are referring to that it means Mohammed spoke prophetic words to the community. One might argue here this is another difference; when Moses spoke to the community it was fully formed, in the case of Mohammed it was not.

But the fact remains the verse is open to many interpretations as you will find in the many translations and commentaries of the Qu'ran.

Even so you must address my point that Dr Naik does not consider difference and only superficial similarities. It is also odd that Biblical prophets do not attempt to justify themselves by saying they are like Moses so why Muslims make such a claim that stretched credulity is beyond me.

With regard to the passage in John 14:10 “Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.”

Here you can see that they are not revelations of the type that Prophet Mohammed heard through Gabriel they are the words of Jesus and not just him but Gods as well that is the import of “I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me”.

You may not want to accept this but if one is going to find meaning in the Bible you must do it in that context and not exclude what you do not like.

[salamfromrom]

Edited because I was not 100% factual. brother salman has clarified things in the next post Inshallah.


Salam