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In examining an early book of the Old Testament, Deuteronomy,
we read that Moses was given the glad tiding of a coming prophet:
18. 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.
19. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not
hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.
20. But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in
my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the
name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.
21. And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the
word which the LORD hath not spoken?
22. When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if
the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath
not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be
afraid of him.
(Deuteronomy 18:18-22)
Who are the brethren of the Children of Israel? It is well
known that the Jews are the descendants of Jacob, son of Isaac, son of Abraham.
It is also well known that Isaac's older brother was Ishmael, the father of the
Arabs. This makes the Arab nation the brethren of the Jewish nation.
The verse therefore foretells of a prophet to be raised by
Allah from among the Arab tribes, not from among the Jews themselves. Indeed,
Muhammad  , the Final Messenger of Allah was a direct descendant of Ishmael, son
of Abraham.
A prophet like unto Moses - let us preface what will follow
with this: Muslims firmly believe that Moses, Jesus and Muhammad
were among the
true Messengers of Allah. That being said, there were hardly any two prophets so
alike as Moses and Muhammad . In comparing their lives and missions we find that:
1)
Both were sent with a new, codified Law.
2)
Both were accepted as prophets and as political
leaders.
3)
Both migrated to avoid conspiracies to assassinate
them.
4)
Both had natural births and deaths.
5)
Both were married and had children.
For those who hold that the above verse refers to Jesus, a
similar comparison between Moses and Jesus reveals dissimilarity:
1)
Jesus was sent as he is quoted to have said in Matthew 5:17, "Think not
that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy,
but to fulfill." (the Law of the Torah;
not with a new codified Law).
2)
He was not accepted as a political leader.
3)
He did not migrate to avoid the conspiracy against him. (Rather, he was miraculously saved by
Allah from being crucified, for more information see Jesus
And Mary in The Quran.)
4)
Jesus was born miraculously without a father.
5)
He never married.
A similar verse is mentioned in the Quran describing Muhammad
:
3. He (Muhammad ) does not speak of his own desire.
4. It (The Quran) is only an inspiration inspired to him.
(53:3-4)
Muhammad
prophesied many events that happened just as he foretold, for example he
promised his companions that they would conquer the
Persians and the Romans (and history bears witness that they did).
He also said that one of the signs of the Day of Resurrection
is to see barefoot, naked, destitute herdsmen (the poor people of Arabia)
competing in constructing lofty buildings (becoming very rich) and this is what
happened in the Gulf countries after the discovery of oil.
He also mentioned the Jewish immigration from all parts of
the world to Palestine. He foretold that the Jews, west of the Jordan River,
would fight with and be defeated by the Muslims which has yet to come to pass.
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.
8. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin,
and of righteousness, and of judgment:
9. Of sin, because they believe not in me.
10. Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see
me no more;
11. Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.
12. I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot
bear them now.
13. How be it when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he
will guide you into 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.
14. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine,
and shall shew it unto you.
(John 16:7-14)
From the previous text we find that this 'spirit of truth'
is going to:
Prophet Muhammad
had indeed reproved the world of sin and
righteousness by saving his people from worshipping idols and changing them to
true believers who worshipped Allah alone. He also changed all their false
beliefs and practices to a new way of life full of righteousness and piety.
This reinforces the second point drawn from the Old Testament
statement, see previous section, "Muhammad
in the Old Testament".
This reinforces the third point drawn from the Old Testament
statement, see previous section, "Muhammad
in the Old Testament".
Indicates that Moses and Jesus were giving the glad tidings
of the same prophet to come (Prophet Muhammad ).
The Quran is full of verses in praise of Jesus. For further
information see "Jesus
and Mary in the Quran".
In Deuteronomy 33:2, it says that God revelations "shined
forth..." from a place called Mount Paran:
2. And he said, The LORD came from Sinai, and rose up from
Seir unto them; he shined forth from mount Paran, and he came with ten
thousands of saints: from his right hand went a fiery law for them.
3. Yea, he loved the people; all his saints are in thy hand:
and they sat down at thy feet; every one shall receive of thy words.
(Deuteronomy 33:1-2)
These verses speak of God (i.e. God's revelation) coming from
Sinai, rising from Seir (probably the village of Sa'ir near Jerusalem) and
shining forth from Paran (Mecca) combining references to Moses, Jesus and
Muhammad .
It is interesting to note that the verse "He came
with ten thousands of saints..." refers to the same number of men
who accompanied Muhammad
in his victorious, bloodless return to Paran.
21. And he (Ishmael) dwelt in the wilderness of Paran: and
his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt.
(Genesis 21:21)
Paran (Mecca)* was the place where Ishmael, the father of the
Arabs, settled.
*See The Bible Came from Arabia, K. Salibi p. 215
3. God came from Teman, and the Holy One from mount Paran.
Selah. His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise.
(Habakkuk 3:3)
This verse speaks of God (God's Help) coming from Teman, an
Oasis North of Medina (J. Hasting's Dictionary of the Bible), and the holy one
(coming) from Paran (Mecca). That holy one who under persecution migrated from
Paran to be received enthusiastically in Medina was none but Prophet Muhammad .
What other event but his famous migration coincides with this reference?
4. Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will be
still praising thee. Selah.
5. Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose
heart are the ways of them.
6. Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a
well; the rain also filleth the pools.
(Psalms 84:4-6)
It is worth noting that the name Baca is still the name of
the mosque at Mecca in which Muslims continue to gather from all over the world
to perform their pilgrimage (Hajj).
Yet another prophecy about the advent of Muhammad
is found in
the Songs of Solomon. This time, however, the text mentions Muhammad
by name.
The Hebrew words in the Roman script are as follows:
"HIKKOMAMITTAQIM VIKULLO MAHAMADDIM
ZEHDUDIVEZEH RAAI BENUTS YARUSHALAM." "His mouth is most sweet:
yea he is Muhammad the great. This is my beloved and this is my
friend, O' daughter of Jerusalem."
(Songs of Solomon 5:16)
The word 'MAHAMADDIM' occurs only once in the Bible and the
translator has rendered it as "He is all together lovely."
In the Hebrew language, the suffix "IM", as in.
Mahammad-im, can indicate one of two things: 1) plurality or 2) esteem or
grandeur. In the above verse, the word 'Mahammadim' is preceded by the Hebrew
equivalent of "He is...", therefore forcing the word 'Mahammad' to be
singular, so the 'im' must be a term of grandeur.
This word 'Mahammad', is a proper name and therefore should
not have been translated. Translating it makes as much sense as translating the
name of Benjamin Franklin, and thereby obscuring a reference to him. This verse
had prophesied the coming of Allah's beloved Messenger Muhammad .
Muhammad , the last prophet of Allah, was born in Mecca in 570
CE. His father died before his birth, and his mother died shortly after his
birth. Muhammad
was raised by his uncle. He was well known for his honesty and
sincerity, and was a calm and serene person.
When Muhammad
was forty years old, while he was meditating in
the Cave of Hira, he received his first revelation from Allah through the Angel
Gabriel. This revelation, which continued over a twenty-three year period, is
collectively known as the Quran.
Once Muhammad
started to preach the word of Allah, both
himself and his followers were badly persecuted. They migrated from Mecca in 622
CE to Medina due to this persecution. This migration, known as the Hijra, marks
the beginning of the Islamic calendar. After several years, the Prophet and his
followers returned to Mecca where they established Islam.
By the time of his death, at the age of was sixty-three, the
Prophet Muhammad
had spread Islam throughout most of Arabia, uniting the myriad
of staunchly divided Arabian tribes - a humanly unachievable task.
Prophet Muhammad
was a perfect example of piety, modesty and
justice. Not only did he teach good morals and honest living to the people but
he practiced them himself. The following are few excerpts from his life:
Aa'isha, Muhammad's
wife, said, "The bed mattress of the Prophet was made of a leather case
stuffed with palm fibres."
(Saheeh Al-Bukhari, Book 76, Number 463)
Aa'isha, Muhammad's
wife, said, "O my nephew, we would sight three new moons in two months
without burning fire (to cook a meal) in the Prophet's houses." Her
nephew asked, "O Aunt, what sustained you?" She said, "Dates
and water, but the Prophet had some neighbors who had milk giving she-camels
and they used to send to the Prophet some of its milk."
(Saheeh Al-Bukhari, Number 2567)
Sahl Ibn Sa'ad, one of Muhammad's
companions, said, "The Prophet of Allah did not see the bread of fine
flour since he was commissioned as a Prophet till he died"
(Saheeh Al-Bukhari, Number 5413)
Amr Ibn Al-Hareth, one of Muhammad's companions,
said that when the Prophet died he did not leave money or anything except
his white riding mule, his arms, and a piece of land which he had given as
charity.
(Saheeh Al-Bukhari, Number 2739)
Allah's Messenger Muhammad
said, "Don't exaggerate in
praising me as the Christians praised the son of Mary, for I am only a servant.
So, say a servant and
messenger of Allah."
(Saheeh Al-Bukhari, Book 55, Number 654)
Allah has said in the Quran:
50. Say (O Muhammad): "I don't tell you that with me are
the Treasures of Allah, nor (that) I know the unseen; nor do I tell you that I
am an angel. I but follow what is revealed to me by inspiration." Say:
"Are the blind and the one who sees equal? Will you not then take
thought?"
(Quran 6:50)
Lamartine, Histoire De La Turquie, Paris, 1854, Vol. II, p.
276-277
"If greatness of purpose, smallness of means, and
astounding results are the three criteria of human genius, who could dare to
compare any great man in modern history with Muhammad? The most famous men
created arms, laws and empires only. They founded, if anything at all, no more
than material powers which often crumbled away before their eyes. This man moved
not only armies, legislation, empires, peoples and dynasties, but millions of
men in one-third of the then-inhabited world; and more than that he moved the
altars, the gods, the religions, the ideas, the beliefs and souls... His
forbearance in victory, his ambition which was entirely devoted to one idea and
in no manner striving for an empire, his endless prayers, his mystic
conversations with God, his death and his triumph after death - all these attest
not to an imposture but to a firm conviction which gave him the power to restore
a dogma. This dogma was twofold: the unity of God and the immateriality of God;
the former telling what God is, the latter telling what God is not; the one
overthrowing false gods with the sword, the other starting an idea with words.
Philosopher, orator, apostle, legislator, warrior, conqueror of ideas, restorer
of rational dogmas, of a cult without images, the founder of twenty terrestrial
empires and of one spiritual empire, that is Muhammad. As regards all the
standards by which Human Greatness may be measured, we may well
ask, IS THERE ANY MAN GREATER THAN HE?"
Bosworth Smith, MOHAMMAD AND MOHAMMADANISM, London, 1874, p. 92.
"He was Caesar and Pope in one; but he was Pope without Pope's
pretensions, Caesar without the legions of Caesar: without a standing army,
without a bodyguard, without a palace, without a fixed revenue; if ever any man
had the right to say that he ruled by the right divine, it was Mohammed, for he
had all the power without its instruments and without its supports."
Annie Besant, The Life and Teachings of Muhammad, Madras
1932, p. 4
"It is impossible for anyone who studies the life and
character of the great Prophet of Arabia, who knows how he taught and how he
lived, to feel any thing but reverence for that mighty Prophet, one of the great
messengers of the Supreme. And although in what I put to you I shall say many
things which may be familiar to many, yet I myself feel whenever I re-read them,
a new way of admiration, a new sense of reverence for that mighty Arabian
teacher."
W. Montgomery, Mohammad at Mecca,Oxford, 1953, p. 52
"His readiness to undergo persecutions for his beliefs,
the high moral character of the men who believed in him and looked up to him as
leader, and the greatness of his ultimate achievement - all argue his
fundamental integrity. To suppose Muhammad an impostor raises more problems than
it solves. Moreover, none of the great figures of history is so poorly
appreciated in the West as Muhammad."
James A. Michener, Islam: The
Misunderstood Religion, in Reader's Digest (American edition), May 1955, pp.
68-70.
"Muhammad, the inspired
man who founded Islam, was born about A.D. 570 into an Arabian tribe that
worshipped idols. Orphaned at birth, he was always particularly solicitous of
the poor and needy, the widow and the orphan, the slave and the downtrodden. At
twenty, he was already a successful businessman, and soon became director of
camel caravans for a wealthy widow. When he reached twenty-five, his employer,
recognizing his merit, proposed marriage. Even though she was fifteen years
older, he married her, and as long as she lived, remained a devoted husband.
Like almost every major
prophet before him, Muhammad fought shy of serving as the transmitter of God's
word, sensing his own inadequacy. But the angel commanded "Read." So
far as we know, Muhammad was unable to read or write, but he began to dictate
those inspired words which would soon revolutionize a large segment of the
earth: "There is one God."
In all things Muhammad was
profoundly practical. When his beloved son Ibrahim died, an eclipse occurred,
and rumours of God's personal condolence quickly arose. Whereupon Muhammad is
said to have announced, "An eclipse is a phenomenon of nature. It is
foolish to attribute such things to the death or birth of a human being."
"At Muhammad's own death an attempt was made to deify him, but the man who
was to become his administrative successor killed the hysteria with one of the
noblest speeches in religious history: "If there are any among you who
worshipped Muhammad, he is dead. But if it is God you worshipped, He lives
forever."
Michael H. Hart, THE 100: A
RANKING OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL PERSONS IN HISTORY, New York: Hart Publishing
Company, Inc., 1978, p. 33.
"My choice of Muhammad to
lead the list of the world's most influential persons may surprise some readers
and may be questioned by others, but he was the only man in history who was
supremely successful on both the religious and secular level."
110. Say (O Muhammad): I am only a man like you. It
has been inspired to me that your God is One God (i.e. Allah). So whoever hopes
for the meeting with his Lord, let him work righteousness and associate none as
a partner in the worship of his Lord.
(Quran 18:110)
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