Coming of the Prophet According to Bible


According to the Quran, Prophet Muhammad's coming was foreshadowed by earlier prophets and their scriptures.

Surah 7:157 states, "Those who follow the messenger, the unlettered prophet of whom they find written in their sources, in the Torah and the Gospel. He directs them to what is just and forbids them from evil. And he permits them wholesome things and forbids them filthy things. He removes their burden for them, and the yokes that were on them." This verse is explicitly clear that the earlier divine scriptures foretold the coming of the Prophet Muhammad. Let us highlight those passages in the Bible that refer to the coming of the prophet, Prophet Muhammad.

First, we read in John 1:19-21:

This is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent to him priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?" And he confessed and did not deny, but confessed, "I'm not the Christ." They asked him, "What then? Are you Elijah?" And he said "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" And he answered, "No".

From this conversation between John the Baptist and Jewish priests, we learn that the Jews are awaiting the coming of three distinct people: the Christ, Elijah, and the Prophet. We now know that Jesus was the Christ and Messiah whom the Jews denied but the Muslims later affirmed. This leaves Elijah and the Prophet. With respect to Elijah, it is believed by Jews and some Christians that he has not yet returned but will do so to announce the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

Thus, we need to account for The Prophet. Even today the Jews are still awaiting his arrival and the Christians believe Jesus Christ was the Prophet. This latter assertion of Christians is impossible because it is clear from John 1:21 as well as John 1:25 that "The Prophet" is a separate and distinct person from Elijah and the Christ. John 1:25 states "Why than are you, John the Baptist, baptizing, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?" The questioning priests were trying to identify whether John the Baptist was one of these three individuals. The knowledge of the coming of these three was known not only by Jewish priests but also ordinary Jews. This is supported by John 7:40-41 which clearly identifies the distinction that Jewish people are making with regard to Jesus of Nazareth. John 7:40-41 states, "Some of the people, therefore, when they heard these words were saying this certainly is the Prophet. Others were saying, 'This is the Christ.'" Hence, we can reasonably assert that the Prophet and the Christ are two separate and distinct men of God.

We know that Jesus Christ was a prophet, just as John the Baptist was. On the other hand, Muslims claim that Prophet Muhammad was the Prophet that Jews were asking about in the above passage. In fact, in the entire Quran, which is longer than both the Torah and the New Testament, the name "Muhammad" appears only four times. God addresses Prophet Muhammad as "the Prophet" or "the Messenger". However, the Jews came to deny his Prophet Hood when they learned that he was the descendant of Ishmael and a non-Jew. Obviously, this is not a valid reason to reject any prophet of God, let alone the Prophet. The fact is that the Jews believed then and even today that they alone are God's chosen people. If such a claim were true, what would have happened to all the Gentiles who had not received divine guidance, especially the descendants of Ishmael as they had a covenant with God? We as Muslims believe that it would be an act of injustice if God had exclusively sent guidance to Jews while neglecting other communities.

Moreover, it was prophesied that there would come a time when the prophet would be passed from Judah and the Children of Israel to another community.

In Isaiah 3:1-2, it states:

"For behold, the Lord God of hosts is going to remove from Jerusalem and Judah both supply and support, the whole supply of bread and the whole supply of water; the mighty man and the warrior, the judge and the prophet..." 

This passage clearly asserts that God will take away from Judah and Jerusalem the Judge and the Prophet. Hence, if he (the Prophet) is to come, he must be from outside Jerusalem and not from the tribe of Judah. We know that Prophet Muhammad is from descendants of Ishmael and he was born in Mecca.

Another explicit validation that foreshadows the coming of Prophet Muhammad is found in Genesis 49:10. It states, "The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the rulers staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes, and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples." Although the verse is very clear, let us provide some perspective. Before his death, Jacob gathered his twelve sons and told them what each one would face in the coming days. In this verse, Jacob addresses Judah who is the lawgiver which is confirmed in the statement "and Judah is my scepter or lawgiver" (Psalms 60:7). As such, in Genesis 49:10, Jacob informs Judah that in the future the scepter will pass from him to Shiloh. The question is: who is Shiloh?

Christians believe that Shiloh refers to Jesus Christ. However, this verse cannot be in reference to Christ because the scepter was to depart from Judah and go to Shiloh. Jesus is a direct descendant of Judah (Matthew 1), and therefore he cannot be Shiloh. In other words, Shiloh will possess the scepter and will be the lawgiver, and he will not be from Judah. Additionally, the notion that Jesus Christ was Shiloh and the lawgiver can be refuted when we consider that according to Christian doctrine Jesus did not produce any new law and nor did he claim to be the lawgiver. If we believe the testimony of both Apostles Peter and Paul, they were inspired to revoke the erstwhile Jewish law and taught that Christians no longer needed to abide by such doctrines. However, 49:10 makes complete sense when we consider Prophet Muhammad as Shiloh since he brought forth a new law in the Quran. This is consistent with Isaiah 3:1-2, whereby God will remove from Judah the judge and the prophet. Here, the judge and the prophet refer to the scepter or lawgiver.

These three passages - John 1:21, Genesis 49:10, and Isaiah 3:1 - validate the truthfulness of Prophet Muhammad as a prophet and messenger of God.

There is another passage that is quite comprehensive and it is found in Isaiah 46:10-11:

"Declaring the end from the beginning, from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying 'My purpose will be established and I will accomplish all My good pleasure'; Calling a bird of prey from the east, the man of My purpose from a far country. Truly I have spoken; truly I will bring it to pass. I have planned it, surely I will do it." (Isaiah 46:10-11).

Some Old Testament commentaries, such as Wesley's Notes and Geneva Study Bible, refer to "the man of my purpose" as being Cyrus the Great. But this is erroneous because Cyrus is nowhere identified as a prophet or a man of God. Instead, it is believed he was an idol worshipper and an unbeliever. If God since the beginning had chosen him for a purpose, he would have needed to demonstrate that he was a faithful and obedient servant. Yet his primary contribution was to give the Jews permission to rebuild the Temple. King Solomon built the Temple in 957 BC and King Nebuchadnezzar destroyed it in 587 BC. Again, it was rebuilt by revered prophets such as Zachariah and Ezra in 515 BC with Cyrus' permission and, later in 40 BC; Herod the Great expanded the Temple.

Excerpted from the book "Christ Jesus, The Son Of Mary: A Muslim Perspective" by Adil Nizamuddin Imran.

Throughout the ages, the personality of Christ (Peace Be Upon Him) has been the center of much controversy. Some have called him a false prophet while some others worship him as God or son of God who came to earth in human form. Similar controversies linger around his mother, the Virgin Mary. Islam considers Christ as a mighty prophet of God, from among His near ones and his mother as an embodiment of piety, chastity and righteousness. Unfortunately, this high reverence of Islam to Christ and the Virgin Mary is often ignored by the mainstream western intelligentsia and largely unknown to the common western populace. This well researched book describes the status of Jesus in divine Islamic texts and will enrich the knowledge of its readers and enlighten them about the Islamic position on Christ Jesus - The Son of Mary.


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Older Comments:
BABANDI A.GUMEL FROM U.K said:
It is narrated in Hadith the Prophet used to say "A disbeliever will
be asked: suppose you had as much gold as to fill the earth,would
you offer it to ransom yourself (from Hell-fire)? He will reply
*YES*.Then it will be said to him, ' You were asked for something
easier than that (to join none in worship with Allah say Laila ha
illallah Muhammadur Rasulullah i.e embrace Islam but you refused)
The message of Islam is the same message conveyed by other Prophets
following the footsteps of Abraham the Monotheist Religion revealed
to Prophet Muhammad more than 1400 years.Abraham was given proof
against his people and Allah raised whom He wills in degrees
because He is All-Wise All-Knowing.Allah continued in Surah An'am
"And We bestowed upon him (Abraham) Isaac and Jacob each of them We
guided and before him(Abraham)We guided Noah and among his progeny
David Solomon,Job Joseph,Moses and Aaron.Thus do We reward the good-
doers.And Zechariah and John and Jesus and Elias,each one of them
was of the righteous.And Ishmael and Elisha and Jonah and Lot each
one of them We preferred to the Alamin (mankind and Jinns) And also
some of their fathers and their progeny and their brethren,We chose
them and guided them to the Straight Path.This is the guidance of
Allah with which He guides whomsoever He wills of His Slaves.But if
they had joined others with Allah all that they used to do would
have been of no benefit to them.They are those whom We gave the Book
(religious laws) and Prophet-hood.But if they disbelieve therein
then indeed We have entrusted it to people who are not disbelievers
therein.They are those whom Allah guided.So follow their guidance
Say no reward I ask you for this (guidance Quran)It is only a
reminder for the whole Universe. Masha Allah this is the message of
Prophet Muhammad is up to us to accept or reject.May Allah give us
guidance Amen.
2014-02-18

SAMIR FROM ALGERIA said:
Why people turn their head from such clear cristal statements about the Prophet Mohamed (peace be upon Him and All other God's prophets)?
2010-03-02

RASHID SAYYED FROM UAE said:
In Deut.18: 18.Allah said,
"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."
"In the FIRST place Jesus is not like Moses, because, according to Cristians 'JESUS IS A GOD', but Moses is not God. "SECONDLY, 'JESUS DIED FOR THE SINS OF THE WORLD', but Moses did not have to die for the sins of the world.
"THIRDLY, 'JESUS WENT TO HELL FOR THREE DAYS', but Moses did not have to go there.
Mohammed is like Moses
Eight Irrefutable Arguments
Father and Mother
(1) "Moses had a father and a mother. Muhummed also had a father and a mother. But Jesus had only a mother, and no human father.
Miraculous Birth
(2) "Moses and Muhummed were born in the normal, natural course, i.e. the physical association of man and woman; but Jesus was created by a special miracle. Matthew 1:18(Luke 1:35).
Marriage Ties
(3) "Moses and Muhummed married and begat children, but Jesus remained a bachelor all his life.
Jesus Rejected by his People
(4) "Moses and Muhummed were accepted as prophets by their people in their very lifetime. But according to the Bible: 'He (Jesus) CAME UNTO HIS OWN, BUT HIS OWN RECEIVED HIM NOT.' (John 1:11).
"Other-Wordly" Kingdom
(5) "Moses and Muhummed were prophets as well as kings.JESUS ANSWERED, "MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD':
No New Laws
(6) "Moses and Muhummed brought new laws and new regulations for their people. Jesus said
'THINK NOT THAT I AM COME TO DESTROY THE LAW, OR THE PROPHETS: I AM NOT COME TO DESTROY, BUT TO FULFIL. FOR VERILY I SAY UNTO YOU, TILL HEAVEN AND EARTH PASS, ONE JOT OR ONE TITLE SHALL IN NO WISE PASS FROM THE LAW, TILL ALL BE FULFILLED.'(Mathew 5:17-18).
How they Departed
(7) "Both Moses and Muhummed died natural deaths, but according to Christianity, Jesus was violently killed on the cross.
Heavenly Abode
(8) "Moses and Muhummed both lie buried in earth, but according to chri
2010-03-01