Foretelling of the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in
the Bible
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Question:
Some folowers of Islam tell me that Muhammad and Jesus
were two of the great prophets . They tell me that the
reason Muhammad wasn't mentioned in the Bible was
because he was born after the Bible was already written.
Well, Jesus was born after the Old Testiment was written,
yet there were over 600 prophesy's in the Old Testiment
about Jesus that all came true, yet there are NO prophesy's
about Muhammad in the entire Bible. How can Muhammad
be like Jesus if that is true?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
This is one of two cases: either this man is ignorant and
what he says is of no significance, or what he says is a
fabrication and a lie. We Muslims know well the aayah
(Qur'aanic verse) in which Allaah says (interpretation
of the meaning):
"Those who follow the Messenger, the Prophet who can
neither read nor write (i.e. Muhammad) whom they find
written with them in the Tawraat (Torah) (Deut, xviii 15)
and the Injeel (Gospel) (John, xiv 16), - he commands
them for Al-Ma`roof (i.e. Islāmic Monotheism and all
that Islam has ordained); and forbids them from
Al-Munkar (i.e. disbelief, polytheism of all kinds, and
all that Islam has forbidden); he allows them as lawful
AtTayyibaat (i.e. all good and lawful as regards things,
deeds, beliefs, persons and foods), and prohibits them
as unlawful AlKhabaa'ith (i.e. all evil and unlawful as
regards things, deeds, beliefs, persons and foods), he
releases them from their heavy burdens (of Allaah's
Covenant with the children of Israel), and from the fetters
(bindings) that were upon them. So those who believe
in him (Muhammad), honour him, help him, and follow
the light (the Qur'aan) which has been sent down with
him, it is they who will be successful
[al-A'raaf 7:157]
Ibn Katheer (may Allaah have mercy on him) said
in his commentary (tafseer) on this verse:
" `Those who follow the Messenger, the Prophet who
can neither read nor write whom they find written with
them in the Tawraat (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel)'
_ this is a description of Muhammad (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) in the books of the
Prophets who gave their nations the glad tidings of
his coming and commanded them to follow him. This
description is still there in their books and their
scholars and rabbis know it. Imaam Ahmad narrated:
Ismaa'eel told us from al-Jareeri from Abu Sakhr
al-`Aqeeli, a man from among the Bedouin told me,
I brought a milch-camel to Madeenah during the
lifetime of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him). When I had sold
her, I said, "Let me meet this man [the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)] and
listen to him." I met him walking between Abu Bakr
and `Umar, and I followed them until they came to
a Jewish man who was reading from a scroll of the
Torah, consoling himself for the plight of his son
who lay dying, a boy who was very handsome and
good looking. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, `I ask you
by the One Who revealed this Torah, do you find
any mention in this book of yours of my attributes
and my coming?' The man gestured with his head
to indicate `No'. But his son said, `Yes indeed,
by the One who revealed the Torah, we do find
mention of your attributes and your coming in our
book, and I bear witness that there is no god except
Allaah and that you are the Messenger of Allaah.'
[The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him)] said, `Keep this Jew away from your
brother.' Then he took care of shrouding him
and praying [the funeral prayer] over him." This
is a qawiy jayyid hadeeth.
It was narrated that `Ataa' ibn Yassaar said: "I
met `Abd-Allaah ibn `Amr and said, `Tell me
about the attributes of the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
described in the Torah.' He said, `Yes, by Allaah
he is described in the Torah as he is described
in the Qur'aan (interpretation of the meaning):
"Verily, We have sent you (O Muhammad)
as a witness, as a bearer of glad tidings, and
as a warner" [al-Fath 48:8] _ and as a saviour
to the unlettered; you are My slave and My
messenger; your name is al-Mutawakkil; you
are not harsh and aggressive; Allaah will not
take him (in death) until He has straightened
a crooked nation through him so that they will
say that there is no god except Allaah, and
has opened hard hearts, deaf ears and blind
eyes.'" `Ataa' said: "Then I met Ka'b (who
was one of the People of the Book who had
become Muslim) and I asked him about that,
and he told me exactly the same, not even
one letter was different."
Al-Bukhaari narrated in his Saheeh that `Ataa'
ibn Yassaar said: " I met `Abd-Allaah ibn `Amr
ibn al-`Aas (may Allaah be pleased with him)
and said, `Tell me about the description of the
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) in the Torah. He said,
"Yes, by Allaah, he is described in the Torah
in some of the same terms as he is described
in the Qur'aan (interpretation of the meaning):
"Verily, We have sent you (O Muhammad) as
a witness, as a bearer of glad tidings, and as
a warner" [al-Fath 48:8] _ and as a saviour
to the unlettered; you are My slave and My
messenger; your name is al-Mutawakkil; he
is not harsh and aggressive, and he does not
make a noise in the market-place; he does
not repay evil with evil, rather he overlooks
and forgives; Allaah will not take him (in
death) until He has straightened a crooked
nation through him so that they will say that
there is no god except Allaah, and has
opened hard hearts, deaf ears and blind
eyes.'"
(al-Bukhaari, al-Fath, no. 2125)
Allaah did not send any Prophet without taking
from him the covenant and promise that if the
Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) were to appear during his
lifetime, he would follow Muhammad (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him).
Allaah says in Soorat Aal `Imraan (which no
Christian reads with an open mind but he will
become Muslim)
(interpretation of the meaning):
"And (remember) when Allaah took the Covenant
of the Prophets, saying: `Take whatever I gave
you from the Book and Hikmah (understanding of
the Laws of Allaah), and afterwards there will come
to you a Messenger (Muhammad) confirming what
is with you; you must, then, believe in him and help
him.' Allaah said: `Do you agree (to it) and will you
take up My Covenant (which I conclude with you)?'
They said: `We agree.' He said: `Then bear
witness; and I am with you among the witnesses
(for this).'"
[Aal `Imraan 3:81]
Al-Qurtubi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in
his commentary (tafseer) on this verse:
It is said that Allaah took the covenant from the
Prophets that they would confirm one another, and
He commanded them to believe in one another.
This is the meaning of believing and helping (`you
must, then, believe in him and help him'). Taawoos
said: Allaah took the covenant from the first Prophets
that they would believe in the Message of the later
Prophets.
The Messenger here is Muhammad (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him), according to
the view of `Ali and Ibn `Abbaas (may Allaah
be pleased with them).
Allaah took the covenant from all the Prophets
that they would believe in Muhammad (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) if they
met him, and He commanded them to take the
same covenant from their nations.
If you want to know more about the references
to the coming of the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in
the Bible (even after it has been altered!) we
refer you to the books "Muhammad (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) in the Bible"
and "What the Bible says about Muhammad
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)"
by Ahmad Deedat.
We ask Allaah to guide you.
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Taken from: Islam Questions and Answers: Volume 1,
- Basic Tenets of Faith: Belief (Part 1).
Go to Amazon http://www.msapubli.com/search_1.html
to Search inside this book or browse sample pages:
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(*) Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com)