MOHAMMED, A PROPHECY FULFILLED
H. Abdul Al-Dahir
INTRODUCTION
The format of this essay is presented in such a way that non Muslims, especially Christians and Jews, will readily understand the meanings of Biblical prophecies as they relate to Mohammed (may the blessings of Allah be upon him). The Muslim who has read these verses immediately understands their reference to the Prophet of Islam and is left wondering aloud: Why don’t the Christians and Jews believe in Islam. The Muslim fails to see that his religious schooling has left him familiar enough with the Prophet’s life and the revelation sent to him, the Quran, that he can readily identify the Biblical verses which foretell of the Prophet of Islam. The non Muslim is almost totally ignorant of the life of the Prophet so such verses are either a mystery to him or, as in the case of the Christian, he tries to apply them to Jesus (peace be upon him). Such attempts have failed as the prophecies concerning Mohammed and the Quran are so specific that no other human being in all of history can qualify as their fulfilment.
For the purpose of making these prophecies absolutely clear, the author has presented the life, culture, and revelation of Mohammed to the reader before entering into a discussion of the prophetic meaning of these verses. This format should allow the non Muslim reader to acquire the necessary information to understand for himself the meaning of these prophetic verses.
The author has chosen to use Allah’s own Name throughout this essay for the reason that had Allah wanted mankind to address Him by another name, He would have revealed it. Allah is known throughout the world by such names as God, Dieu, Dios. YHWH etc., but He has revealed His name as Allah to the ancient Hebrew prophets. (The word ‘Allah’ is used throughout the Biblical books of Ezra and Daniel). In Arabic, the sister language of Hebrew, His Name is pronounced Allah. Jesus addressed Allah in his Aramaic dialect by His own Name in Matthew 27:46 saying: “Eli, Eli, lama sabacthani.” “Elahi, Elahi, lima teractani” is the Arabic equivalent. The similarity in pronunciation is obvious and the author sees no reason to substitute a foreign word that is denotatively and connotatively different and inferior to the original.
PART I
THE COVENANT
For the Muslim who undertakes Biblical study, it is a constant source of wonder that upon the advent of the Prophet, the People of the Book, Christians and Jews, did not immediately embrace Mohammed and his teaching. Although much of the scripture had been grossly distorted through interpolation, “judicious” editing, and mistranscription, the texts foretelling of the advent of Mohammed were sufficiently lucid and numerous that the literate Jews of Mohammed’s time recognized him as the promised prophet. The Christians of earlier times had their scriptures withheld from them by the Church. Christians of today, of course, have a multitude of translations to cope with. Though the distortions are many, there are plenty of passages which clearly point to the prophet of Islam.
As for the Hebrew speaking Jews, they had the advantage of language and their scriptures at hand. That the passages referring to the Prophet of Islam were recognizable to the Jews in Arabia is borne out by the Quran 46: 10; “And a witness from among the Children of Israel testifies to its similarity (to earlier scriptures} and has believed…”
The author has read three different versions of the Bible: the Authorized King James Version, the New World Translation, and the Catholic Douay version. The verses referring to the prophet of Islam are numerous in all versions, but there is a prerequisite for recognizing them; that being that the reader is familiar with the life of Mohammed. This prerequisite is not an extraordinary requirement for none of the Biblical prophecies surrounding other New Testament prophets as John the Baptist and Jesus (peace be upon them) would be recognizable to a Hindu or a Buddhist who searched the Bible, for none of these prophecies mention these prophets by name. As a matter of record, one of the most often quoted biblical passages which is thought to foretell of the birth of Jesus (Isaiah 7:14) actually calls him Immanuel and not Jesus.
Once the reader familiarizes himself with the life and sayings of Mohammed and Allah’s revelation to him, the Quran, the biblical passages telling of these events virtually leap from the pages of the Bible. The prophecies concerning the prophet of Islam are scattered throughout the Bible. Some of these prophecies are exclusive of the surrounding texts. They are not an inclusion in the passages concerning the Hebrews and Israel. Psalm 91 is a good example. Others are included with the texts concerning the condition and fate of the Jews. The context of these prophecies are purposeful for the fate of the Jews was and is inextricably tied up with the fate of the Ishmaelites (Arabs) through their common father, Abraham (peace be upon him) and Allah’s covenant with him. According to Genesis 17:1-10:
“And when Abram was ninety years old and nine the Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God: walk before me and be thou perfect, And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying, “As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee. And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings, shall come out of thee. And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan for an everlasting possession: and I will be their God. And God said unto Abraham, thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou and thy seed after thee in their generations. This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and thee and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised.”
As a sign of this covenant Allah commanded that all men born in Abraham’s house or bought with his money had to be circumcised. All men not submitting to circumcision were to be cut off from Abraham’s tribe. Thus, according to Genesis 17:26,”,..in the selfsame day was Abraham circumcised and Ishmael his son.”
Ishmael, Abraham’s first born son by Hagar (who was his second wife according to Genesis 16:3), became the father of twelve sons:
“And these are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to their generations: the firstborn of Ishmael, Nebajoth, and Kedar and Adbeel, and Mibsam, And Mishma, and Dumah, and Massa, Hadar and Tema,]etur, Naphish, and Kedemah: These are the sons of Ishmael and these are their names, by their towns, and by their castles; twelve princes according to their nations.” (Genesis 25:13-16)
There is not a Jew or Christian reader who will not raise the point that Ishmael was not included in Allah’s covenant. According to Genesis 17:19,21 the covenant was strictly made through Isaac who, according to Genesis 17:21, would not be born for another year! In addition to the fact that Isaac was unborn and therefore unable to participate in the covenant at the time it was initiated between Abraham and Allah, the author asks those who would exclude Ishmael, who was circumcised into the covenant at the time it was made, to reread the covenant terms. They are in order:
I. Abraham would be the father of many nations.
2. Kings would be among his descendants.
3. Allah would be the God of Abraham and all of his seed
4. Allah would give to Abraham’s seed the land of Canaan forever.
5. The sign of this covenant would be that all male participants would be circumcised.
The first item mentioned in Allah’s promise to Abraham is that he would become the father of many nations; not just tribes but nations. Isaac fathered two nations; the Edomites (descendants of Esau, his first-born) and the Israelites (descendants of his second son, Jacob). It was from Jacob that the twelve tribes derived their origins. He had twelve sons from two wives, Leah and Rachel, who mothered six sons and two sons respectively, and two concubines, Zilpah and Bilhah, who had two sons each according to Genesis 30. As for Ishmael, he was the sire of twelve sons, which, according to Genesis 25: 16, became “twelve princes according to their nations.” Thus, if we eliminated Ishmael from the first part of Allah’s covenant, the covenant would not be fulfilled for only two nations came out of Isaac and one of these, the Edomites, was not recognized by the Israelites as a legitimate nation under Allah’s covenant. So, Abraham is left as the father of but one nation and that nation was virtually destroyed by the Assyrians, Babylonians and Romans. The reader is thus forced to include Ishmael within this covenant for two reasons: first, so that the total number of nations from Abraham’s sons would be brought to fourteen (two from Isaac and twelve from Ishmael) and second, so that the promise that Canaan would be given to those included under this covenant as an everlasting possession would be fulfilled.
Israel and Judea’s historically brief independent rule of this land lasted sixty six years total (forty years for Israel under the Omrides and twenty six years for Judea under the Hasmoneans ) which can hardly be considered an “everlasting” rulership.
The second part of Allah’s covenant, that kings or rulers of nations would be among Abraham’s posterity was fulfilled by both Ishmael and Isaac and need not be discussed here. For the curious reader, a rapid perusal of Hebraic and Islamic history will show that rulers of nations were ample among the progeny of both prophets.
The third point of the covenant was that Allah would be the God of Abraham and all of his seed. It would be contradictory to the tenants of two of the three great monotheistic religions that Allah would exclude Himself from being worshipped by any nation. Indeed the primary purpose of His sending prophets and revelations was so “ … that all people of the earth may know (His) name; to fear Him.. ” (I K. 8:43) To fear Allah is to obey Him and worship Him. This tenet of faith is an indisputable fact and the primary reason for the missionary efforts of Christians and Muslims. (Orthodox Judaism excludes all those not born as Jews as outside the “congregation of God.” All non-Jews are referred to as Gentiles, which the Babylonian Talmud equates with soulless creatures whom the Jew was to shun.) It is unthinkable that Allah would exclude Ishmael, Abraham’s first-born, from ever knowing Him or worshipping Him. That Ishmael was definitely included under this portion of the covenant is made emphatic in Genesis 17:26 when, according to the fifth precept of the covenant, both Abraham and Ishmael were circumcised as a sign that the agreement with Allah was entered into by both father and son.
As for the fourth part of Allah’s promise, i.e., that He would give Abraham’s seed the land of Canaan, one only need to scan the history books to see that despite the numerous conquests by foreign powers, the descendants of both Ishmael and Isaac have been the continuous inhabitants of Canaan or Palestine. That the descendants of Ishmael were the rulers of this land for thirteen hundred years while the Jews ruled independently for only sixty six years is sure testimony that Allah’s covenant was with both sons, Ishmael and Isaac.
Were one to accept the Biblical interpolation that the covenant was exclusive to Isaac, then Allah would have prevaricated, which is an impossible assumption. The author must conclude that verses 19 and 21 of the seventeenth chapter of Genesis are interpolations by an Israelite who was manufacturing evidence to “prove” the racial and tribal superiority of the descendants of Jacob. However, all right thinking people must admit that Allah favors the salvation of all the children of Adam who, according to Christians and Muslims, are all members of the human race. (The Talmud proclaims that only Jews are the sons of Adam). The special charge of salvation was historically placed in the hands of Abraham and all of his descendants.
As for those who would exclude Ishmael from Allah’s favor on grounds that he was not really a “legitimate” son, may the author remind these protesters that according to Genesis 16:3, Hagar was Abraham’s wife. Furthermore, being a child of a second wife or even a concubine was not a reason for exclusion from Allah’s covenant. This was made very clear in that six of the tribes of Israel trace their parentage to the second wife of Jacob, Rachel, and two of his concubines, Bilhah and Zilpah. Nowhere in the Bible is it mentioned that any of these six tribes were disqualified from membership in Allah’s covenant because of their maternal ancestry.
Now that it has been firmly established that Ishmael was included in Allah’s covenant, the author is in a position to explore and examine those scriptural texts held sacred by both Jews and Christians which foretell of Mohammed, his mission to all nations of the earth, and Allah’s revelation to him, the Quran. To make these texts readily identifiable to non Muslims, a brief discussion of the Prophet, his ancestry, and the culture from which he sprang is in order.
PART II
THE ISHMAELITES
Mecca, where the Prophet was born, is located on the west coast of Arabia about half way up the Arabian Peninsula. The terrain of Mecca can be described as an arid valley watered by a number of springs and surrounded on all sides by the bare crags and peaks of a mountain chain that runs along the Red Sea. It was to this barren valley that Abraham took a part of his offspring to dwell according to the Quran 14:37. Here Abraham and his son Ishmael, built the Kaba (Quran 2:125-127) and dedicated it to the worship of the One God, Allah. Ishmael settled permanently in the valley where he sired twelve sons who eventually became the founders of nations and tribes.
The original inhabitants of Mecca were the progeny of Ishmael and are mentioned throughout the Bible as Ishmaelites presently called Arabs. One of the most prominent tribes to settle in Mecca was the Quraysh who traced their ancestry through Kedar, Ishmael’s second son, to Abraham. It was from this tribe that Mohammed came forth to bring the message of Islam to all the worlds (Quran 34:28).
Despite the propitious beginnings of Abraham’s and Ishmael’s establishment of monotheism in Arabia, the Ishmaelites (Arabs) soon fell into the same pagan ways that plagued the Israelites and distressed their prophets. However, Allah did not disdain His covenant with Abraham and forsake the pagan Arabs. He sent prophets into Arabia and Sham (the Levant) to re-establish His worship so that according to the third term of the covenant, He would be their God. Accordingly, Allah sent the Prophet Hud to the tribe of Ad, the prophet Saleh to the tribe of Thamud; and the Prophet Shuayb to the people of Maydan who lived in the Hijaz. Unfortunately, like the Jews who fell to worshipping Baal, Chemosh, and “the Queen of heaven, Ishtar, so the Arabs set up their idols. Despite their idol worshipping ways, the Arabs never forgot their origins from Abraham and they continued to respect His mosque, the Kaba, even though they filled it with their stone, wood and clay statues.
A word must be said about the language of the Arabs for it would become a vital factor in their role in history. Undoubtedly, Abraham, Isaac and Ishmael all spoke the same Semitic language. The earliest Semitic inscriptions are written in an Egyptian based script which contains a crude form of hieroglyphs. The writing evolved into cuneiform, which became the standard method of writing for the area. The Sumerians had one of the earliest systems of writing and this system was adopted by the Semites who conquered Sumer and eventually settled all of Mesopotamia and the Levant. The Sumerians invented the writing system known as cuneiform (from the Latin cuneus which means wedge because of the wedge-shaped stylus with which they wrote on clay tablets). These wedge shaped characters became the basis for the Semitic alphabet. It is this alphabet which influenced the Arabic alphabet. On the other hand, there is evidence that the most ancient Hebrew alphabet, which pre-dates classical Hebrew, was at least partially derived from Egyptian hieroglyphics, which means sacred writing. It would he correct to conclude that Hebrew was much influenced by pagan peoples as Egyptians, Canaanites, Babylonians, Greeks etc., while the Arabs of the Arabian Peninsula, because of their relative isolation, managed to maintain, to a greater extent, the Semitic character of their language.
Hebrew history mentions the centuries long sojourn of the Hebrews in Egypt and their seventy years of exile in Babylon. In addition to these exiles, the Bible mentions the conquest of Israel by Egypt and Assyria as well as the colonization of Judea by Babylonia, Persia, Greece and Rome. The Hebrews were also greatly influenced by the surrounding pagan Semitic nations as Canaanites, Phoenicians, Arameans, as well as Semitic tribes from Paran or the ancient Arabian Peninsula. These influences caused the Hebrews to adopt many words from their conqueror’s and their compatriot’s idioms into Hebrew so their language diverged from its Semitic roots. These foreign conquerors were idolatrous nations, which were able to introduce, through their cultural influence on the Hebrews, the pagan beliefs that adulterated the original revelation Allah sent to the Hebrews. This adulteration of Allah’s word is reflected in the diversity of foreign words and their accompanying beliefs in Biblical texts. In direct violation of Allah’s order in Exodus 20:3 not to set other gods before Him, the Israelites, according to Exodus 4:22, Deuteronomy 14:1 and Psalm 82 set up themselves as gods and sons of God. Job 2:1 shows that the Hebrews also regarded the angels as sons of God. Thus, the Hebrew culture reflected the corrupt ideas they adopted from their conquerors. Conversely, because of the relative isolation of the Arabs and the absence of foreign conquest in the Arabian Peninsula except for its bordering countries, Arabic had retained more of the Semitic character of its language than the Hebrews.
In comparing these sister languages, one must also consider the differences in pronunciation even though much of these languages’ vocabulary remains of common origin. To the uninitiated, Arabic is harsh and guttural when spoken. Many of the consonants are formed deep within the throat. Other letters are formed by the tongue hitting the palette in a particularly emphatic manner. Hebrew, however, does not give the sharp emphasis to consonants as does Arabic. Even though both languages have a common ancestry, the speaker of Arabic is unintelligible to the speaker of Hebrew. It can almost be said that a Hebrew hearing the emphatic pronunciation of the Arabic speaker for the first time would swear that Arabic speaker was stuttering.
In order to understand the society to which the Prophet brought the revelation of Allah, the reader must be informed about the ancient Arab culture of Mecca. Architecturally and culturally, the city and society of Mecca were primitive in comparison to urban Israel and Judea as described by the Biblical authors, who were prone to excessive hyperbole. The most notable structure was a square mosque built many centuries before by Abraham and it would have been insignificant in structure and size had it been compared to the magnificent architecture of Jerusalem’s temple-palace complex as described in the Bible. The political organization of Mecca was based upon tribal ascendancy and custom. The city was governed by hereditary chiefs who undertook the responsibilities of overseeing and executing religious, civil and military affairs. The city officials were not much interested in keeping written records so that historians interested in reconstructing ancient Arab political administration have little with which to work. The ancient Arabs, however, were keenly interested in poetry and oratory so a considerable body of this kind of literature has been handed down. When one compares the ancient political and cultural levels of Mecca and Jerusalem, the culture of Mecca was less sophisticated. It was into this rocky, arid place among a pagan people that Mohammed was born circa 570 AD.
PART III
THE PROPHET
It is an impossible task to encapsulate the life of the Prophet into a few short pages. Therefore, the author will only expose those highlights which are pertinent to Biblical prophecy. Mohammed was born in Mecca into the tribe of the Quraysh. His father died before he was born and his mother died when he was but five years of age at which time he was entrusted to the care of his grandfather and then to his uncle. Mohammed spent his formative years as a shepherd. He had little need or use for a formal education so, like the majority of people of his society, he was illiterate. As a youth, he was known for his honesty and purity of character, which earned him the nickname El Amin or the Trustworthy. Unlike his contemporaries, Mohammed shunned the worship of idols. As a young man of twenty-five, one would have beheld a man of medium height with black eyes, black hair and beard, which contrasted handsomely with his light complexion and ruddy cheeks. It was at this age that he married his employer; a rich widow named Khadijah. He settled into this marriage which brought him four daughters and twenty five years of monogamous wedded bliss with a wonderful woman who was years his senior.
During his marriage, Mohammed developed the habit of retiring to a cave in the mountain called Jabal-an-Noor during the month of Ramadan. Within this cave, Mohammed meditated long and earnestly upon the abhorrent paganism of his people. It was in this cave near the end of Ramadan when Mohammed, then forty years of age, first heard the call to prophethood from the angel Gabriel. Gabriel commanded the Prophet: “Read!” three times to which Mohammed answered: “I am illiterate.” Upon the third command, the new prophet felt a smothering embrace during which these words were indelibly inscribed upon his heart: “Read: in the name of thy Lord who created. Created man from a leech-like clot. Read: and thy Lord is the Most Bounteous, Who taught by the pen, Taught man what he knew not.” (Quran 96:1-5)
Several observations must be made upon this first revelation of the Quran before continuing the narrative of Mohammed’s life. First, does it not strike the reader as strangely wonderful that Allah would mention to an illiterate prophet that it was He Who taught man knowledge through the mode of writing. It is through the medium of the written word that man is able collect and transmit information, build upon past discoveries and inventions, and make progress. Yet, the prophet of Islam had to be unlettered for there would be many who would accuse him of secretly plagiarizing this pool of knowledge and using it for personal gain. To those accusers, past and present, Mohammed’s inability to read and write is an impregnable defence for the validity of Allah’s revelation to him, the Quran.
Second, it must be pointed out that the Quran was pure revelation into which the hand of man did not enter. The Prophet had no control over the content of the revelation, neither its subject nor its mode of composition. To show that the Quran is the word of Allah put into the mouth of Mohammed, every chapter but one begins with: “In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful”
The Quran was revealed in stages over a period of twenty-three years. The method of composition was often the measured line whose cadence made the Quran easy to memorize. Allah’s laws were preserved in the minds of the men, who were ordered to commit the revelation to memory as well as to paper. One of the many miracles of the Quran is the mode of its composition which made it easy to preserve from the interpolations which plagued earlier scriptures.
To continue with the life of the Prophet, the conferring of prophethood brought an enormous responsibility upon the shoulders of Mohammed. He first declared Allah’s revelation to his own people, the Quraysh of Mecca. For thirteen years his followers remained few and his enemies grew in number and power. The persecutions became so severe that some of Mohammed’s followers were forced to immigrate to Abyssinia. It was during this time that Mohammed was granted the Isra (miraculous journey in one night from the Kaba in Mecca to the site of the temple in Jerusalem) and the Miraj (ascent into heaven where he was brought near to Allah). It is also worthwhile to mention that at this time Mohammed’s followers were commanded to pray facing the temple site in Jerusalem. The direction of prayer was later changed so that prostration was directed toward the Kaba, the Mosque of Abraham.
After the miracles of the Isra and Miraj were circulated in Mecca, the persecutions of the nascent Muslim community intensified. A plot to kill the Prophet in his bed was foiled and Mohammed and his companions fled to Yathrib, a town northwest of Mecca. Mohammed had earlier been invited to rule Yathrib by the leaders of that city who had accepted Islam. This party of Arabs, who became known as the Ansar, had been advised by the Jewish tribes living in and near Yathrib of the advent of a final prophet. Seeing an opportunity to solve the turmoil of their city and at the same time to gain a spiritual leader, the leaders from Yathrib had pledged an oath of loyalty to the Prophet known as the Treaty of Aqaba. After the oath, Mohammed’s followers immigrated (they became known as the Muhajirun) and Islam spread rapidly among the citizens. The Prophet arrived after his companions had successfully immigrated. At that time Islam had spread rapidly among the citizens, so that when the Prophet arrived, a large community of Muslims was on hand to celebrate his entry. To further honor his coming, the citizens of Yathrib renamed their city Medinat-ul-Nabi, or City of the Prophet. Today, the city is called Medina.
The Prophet assumed the mantle of leadership and began to knead Medina into a thriving, cooperative community. He quelled the hostility between the tribes of Aws and Khazraj which had previously caused havoc in the community. One of his first acts was to enter into treaties with the Muhajirun and the Ansar as well as with the Jewish and pagan tribes which surrounded Medina. Islam spread rapidly; a situation not looked upon favorably by the Jewish tribes, who sensed that the new found Islamic brotherhood would threaten their political and economic ascendancy in Medina. Consequently, the Jews betrayed their treaties, and, in an effort to subvert the Muslim unity, they attempted to embarrass the Prophet by asking him esoteric questions from their religious texts and traditions. They also aligned themselves with the Quraysh of Mecca against Mohammed. Warnings of the outcome of this behavior came in numerous revelations, which only increased Jewish obstinacy and treachery.
Having achieved political organization in Medina, the Prophet faced a new crises when the Meccans refused to compensate the Muslims for the property, which they had confiscated from them before the Muslims immigrated to Medina. The Muslims, in an effort to substitute for the property stolen from them by the Quraysh and to harass the Meccans, who remained dangerously hostile, began scouting expeditions to ascertain the strength and whereabouts of their enemy. A member of the Quraysh was killed on one of these expeditions and the Quraysh responded by sending a powerful army against the Prophet who met them at Badr. A Muslim victory was declared over an enemy fighting force which was three times larger and many times better armed than the Muslims. It was the first of many battles in which Mohammed and his followers were forced to strap on their armor, unsheathe their swords and raise their shields against enemy spears and arrows. The Muslims were so vastly outnumbered in the battle of Badr that Allah sent angels (Quran 8:9-12) to help combat the pagan tribes.
After eight years of war, the Muslim armies prevailed so that their victorious efforts were crowned with the triumphant re-entry of the Prophet into Mecca. In this moment of triumph when Mohammed saw his enemies utterly vanquished before him, instead of revelling in their defeat, he accepted their surrender and graciously pardoned his former persecutors. The conversion of the entire Arabian Peninsula followed quickly and the Prophet, who began life as an orphan, lived to see himself as the ruler, prophet and lawgiver of a vast domain. Even as he lay on his death bed, having lived sixty-three years, Islam was spreading into an empire which would stretch from Spain to China.
In order for the reader to fully appreciate the accuracy of the Biblical prophecies concerning the Prophet of Islam, it will be necessary to describe his character. Since the personality of Mohammed is so completely described by Muhammed Haykal in his book, The Life of Mohammed, the author has chosen to quote the text verbatim: “The brotherhood which Muhammad made the cornerstone of Islamic civilization did not rest on his preaching alone. It was embodied in its highest perfection in his deeds and concrete example. True, he was the Prophet of God, but he consistently refused to adopt any of the appearances of power, authority, kingship or temporal sovereignty. He emphatically repeated to his companions, ‘Do not praise me as the Christians have praised the son of Mary, for I am but the servant of God and His Prophet.’ Once, he arrived at a gathering of his companions leaning on a stick and they all rose in respect for him. He said, ‘Do not stand up for me as the Persians do in aggrandizement of one another.’ Whenever he joined his companions, he always sat at the edge of the space they occupied. He used to joke and mix with them, to talk to them about their own affairs, to pamper and coddle their children, and to answer the call of freeman, slave, maid servant and destitute alike. He used to visit the sick in the farthest district of Madinah, to take the initiative in greeting whomever he met and to stretch his hand in welcome to his visitors. No man came to visit Muhammad and found him in prayer but he shortened his prayer, attended to his visitor and returned to his prayer after the visitor had left. He was the most charitable of people, always smiling in the face of everyone except when revelation came to him or when he delivered a speech or a sermon. In his home he felt no superiority over the members of his family. He washed his own robe and mended it by his own hand. He milked his own goat, repaired his own sandals, attended to himself and to his camel, ate with his servant and fulfilled the request of the weak, the oppressed and the destitute. Whenever he found somebody in need, however lowly or plebeian, he preferred to attend to him first rather than to himself or to his family…He was exceedingly modest and extremely loyal. When a deputation from the Negus of Abyssinia arrived to see him, he rose to serve them. His companions sought to stop him. But he said to them: “The Abyssinians were kind to our companions when they went to their country. I would like to treat them likewise and reward them.’ He was so loyal to Khadijah that whenever she was mentioned he gave her the best of praises. Once when a woman came to him, he rose to greet her, spoke to her gently, and attended to her pleas; people asked him who she was. He answered, ‘She used to befriend us in the days of Khadijah; loyalty to one’s friends is of the faith.’ Indeed he was so compassionate and gentle that he did not mind his grandsons playing with him during his prayer. Once, he even prayed while Umamah, his granddaughter through Zaynab, sat on his shoulder and had to be put down when he prostrated himself.”
PART IV
THE PROPHECY
The reader should now be familiar with Mohammed’s life, character, the culture in which he was raised and the covenant which made him a candidate for prophethood. It only remains for the author to present those Old Testament texts which foretell of Mohammed’s advent and highlight the important events of his life. (The author has excluded New Testament texts referring to the Prophet as they are much disputed due to possible mistranscription of those passages specifically referring to Mohammed and they are not nearly as explicit as the Old Testament prophecies). Where necessary, a brief explanation of the text will be offered with certain parallel texts from the Quran. The majority of the following texts are extracted from the Authorized King James Version of the Bible. However, where the portent of the prophecy is obscured by this translation, the New World Translation will be offered for purposes of clarification. Double parentheses will elucidate the author’s interpretation of certain passages in light of Mohammed’s life. The author has also chosen to present the following biblical texts in an order which best presents the life and personality of the Prophet of Islam.
Deuteronomy (18:18)
The Prophecy of Moses: “I will raise them (the Hebrews) up a prophet from among their brethren (the Arabs) [a] like unto thee (Moses) [b] and I will put my words in his mouth; [c] and he shall speak unto them (the Arabs and Hebrews) all that I command him.”
(Authorized King James)
a) Jews and Arabs are brothers because Ishmael and Isaac were both sons of Abraham.
b) Like Moses, Mohammed was a prophet, leader and lawgiver.
c) The indication that words were put into the mouth of Mohammed by Allah and that the Quran is not the handiwork of any man is that the opening sentence of every Quranic chapter but one begins: “In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Isaiah 29:12
“And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, (a) saying, Read this.” and he saith, I am not learned.” (b)
(Authorized King James)
a) The Prophet was illiterate as is mentioned in the Quran 7:15 and 62:2.
b) The verse accurately describes the events surrounding the first revelation. See part III of this essay.
c) Isa 29 refers to the city Ariel (meaning lion of Allah) which was an alternate name for Jerusalem, the city of the tribe of Judah whose symbol was the lion (Gen 49:9). The chapter talks about the wrath that Allah will pour out on Jerusalem because the people are ignoring Him. According to Isaiah 29, Allah will destroy Jerusalem and give his revelation to an illiterate prophet (Isa 29:12). Verses 17-24 foretell that after Jerusalem is destroyed, Allah again will send the word to Jacob’s people who then will obey and be blessed. This entire prophecy was fulfilled when Omar bin Al Khattab brought Islam to Jerusalem which was destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE. The descendants of Jacob (ancient Hebrews now known as Palestinians) had at that time converted to Christianity but were suffering under the alternate cruelty of the Persians and Byzantines. The descendants of Jacob then converted to Islam and prospered under the Islamic Empire. However, these very same descendants of Jacob (Palestinians) are currently the target of the genocidal illegal European immigrants who overthrew the British Mandate and re-established the same infractions of the Torah mentioned in Isaiah 29.
Isaiah 33:15-19
There is one who is walking in continual righteousness and speaking what is upright, who is rejecting the unjust gain from frauds, who is shaking his hands clear from taking hold on a bribe, who is stopping up his ears from listening to bloodshed, and who is closing his eyes so as not to see what is bad. (a)
He is the one that will reside on the heights themselves; his secure height will be craggy places difficult to approach. (b) His own bread will certainly be given (him); his water supply will be unfailing. (c)
A king in his handsomness is what your eyes will behold; (d) they will see a land far away. (e)
Your own heart will comment in low tones on a frightful thing: “Where is the secretary? Where is the one that does the paying out? Where is the one counting the towers.” No insolent people will you see, (g) a people to deep in language to listen to, of a stammering tongue without your understanding. (h)
(New World Translation)
a) The verse accurately describes the character of the Prophet.
b) This sentence describes the bare peaks surrounding Mecca. Mohammed scaled one of these mountains yearly to dwell for extended periods in an almost inaccessible cave on Jabal-anNoor.
c) Although he was born into poverty, Mohammed never wanted for food and drink.
d) Physically, the Prophet was a very handsome man.
e) Mecca is more than one thousand miles distant from Jerusalem where this prophecy was revealed.
f) The cultural level of Mecca at the time of the Prophet was not nearly as sophisticated as the Biblical description of Jerusalem. Political organization was rudimentary and a citizen of a more advanced society would wonder at the lack of officials needed to run a sophisticated urban centre.
g) The followers of Mohammed were an humble group which forsook the trappings of wealth and power.
h) Arabic is a guttural language and the spoken word sounds like stammering to the Hebrew who cannot comprehend its spoken or its written vocabulary.
Isaiah 42
Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgement to the Gentiles. (a)
He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.
A bruised reed he shall not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgement unto truth. (b)
He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgement in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law. (c)
I, the Lord, have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people for a light of the Gentiles.(d) To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison and them that sit in the darkness out of the prison. (e)…
Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them. (f)
Let the wilderness and the cities thereof lift up their voice, the villages that Kedar doth inhabit: let the inhabitants of the rock sing, let them shout from the top of the mountains. (g)…
Like a mighty man Jehovah himself will go forth. Like a warrior he will awaken zeal. He will shout, yes, he will let out a war cry; over his enemies will he show himself mightier. (h)
(This verse is from the New World Translation)
And I will bring the blind by a way they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them,and not forsake them. (i) They shall be turned back. They shall be greatly ashamed, that trust in graven images, that say to the molten images, Ye are our gods. (j)
(Authorized King James)
a) Islam spread to all peoples and continents. One billion Muslims look to Islam for Judgement or justice in their daily lives.
b) The Quran corrected many errors held as tenets of faith by the Christians and Jews. For instance, it established the righteousness of such prophets as Abraham, David and Solomon who the Bible accuses of such heinous deeds as prostituting a wife, murder, adultery, and idolatry. The Quran emphasizes the truth that all prophets were men of God, who were endowed with exemplary characters which deserve our respect, admiration and imitation.
c) Mohammed’s persistence in the face of overwhelming adversity caused Islam to be firmly established. Also, Islam reinstated the laws the Jews and Christians corrupted and ignored.
d) Mohammed was the fulfilment of Allah’s promise to send a prophet who would be a light and a guide to all peoples of the earth.
e) The Prophet’s mission was to open the eyes and ears of the spiritually blind and deaf who were prisoners of their own ignorance, base desires, and wickedness.
f) Mohammed fulfilled the biblical prophecies of the past and brought a revelation that confirmed what was revealed to earlier prophets. Allah revealed to the Prophet future events as the defeat of the Persian Empire by the Roman Heraclius in 628 AD. This prediction was much scoffed at by the pagan Meccans for it came shortly after a Persian victory over the Romans at Palestine in 615 AD. The prophecy is made in the Quran 30:2-5.
g) Kedar, the second son of Ishmael and the ancestor of Mohammed founded a tribe which later became known as the Quraysh. It is this people who inhabited Mecca and who found cause for rejoicing in the triumph of their prophet and the religion he brought. The inhabitants of the rock are the Muslims who make the Haj or pilgrimage. One pilgrimage ritual is that the pilgrims climb the rock, Jabal arRahrna, located on the Arafat plain. They stand in prayer and chant praises to Allah from dawn until sunset.
h) Allah triumphed militarily over His enemies through His prophet’s victory over the idolaters.
i) Islam shows its adherents the straight path of Allah.
j) The idol worshipping Arab tribes were turned back in defeat and became ashamed of their pagan practices when they accepted Islam.
Psalm 91
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. (a)
He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. (b)
Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; (c) nor for the arrow that flieth by day; (d)
A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. (e)
Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. (f)
Because thou (the Prophet to come) hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; (g)
There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. (h)
They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone (stumble).
Thou shalt tread upon the lion (Persia) and adder (Egypt); the young lion (Byzantium) and the dragon (the Orient) shalt thou trample under feet. (i)
Because he (the Prophet) has set his love upon me (Allah), therefore, will I deliver him. I will set him on high, because he has known my name. (j)
He shall call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. (k)
With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation. (l)
(Authorized King James)
a) Mohammed meditated yearly in a secret cave on Jabal-anNoor.
b) As a warrior, the Prophet carried a shield in to battle.
c) The terror by night occurred when the pagan tribes hatched a plot to kill Mohammed while he slept. d) Arrows were used in the battles into which the Prophet entered against the pagan tribes.
e) Thousands of pagans were defeated by Mohammed and his followers. The right hand of the Prophet was his companions who defeated mighty nations in lands “not nigh” but far off.
f) The Prophet lived to see the fate of the many wicked hypocrites and pagans who taunted and persecuted him.
g) In this verse two different prophets are distinguished: David who wrote this psalm and the prophet about whom he foretold. For this reason, the Evangelists quoted it in reference to Jesus (see Matthew 4:6 and Luke 4: 10). Jesus did not fulfil any of the prophecies of this psalm.
h) Angles sent to help Mohammed and his followers aided in the Muslim victory at Badr.
i)The Bible often portrays nations under their national symbols. The lion was the symbol of both the Persians and the Byzantines. The adder or cobra symbolized Egypt and the dragon represents the Orient. The Persian empire was conquered by the Muslims who also conquered Byzantium which was the eastern part of the Roman Empire. Persia and parts of China also fell under Muslim rule.
j) Allah reiterated this promise to his prophet in the Quran 94:4.
k) This refers to the numerous times Mohammed called upon Allah for answers to the esoteric questions with which the Jews tested his prophethood. Allah always replied and the answers amazed and astounded the questioners.
l) Mohammed lived sixty-three years and enjoys an exalted position in paradise.
I KINGS 8:41-43
The Prophecy of Solomon
Moreover concerning a stranger that is not of thy people Israel, but cometh out of a far country for thy name’s sake; (a)(For they shall hear of thy great name, and of thy strong hand, and of thy stretched out arm;) (b) when he shall come (c) and pray toward this house. (d)
Hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for: that all people of the earth may know thy name to fear thee, (e) as do thy people Israel; and that they may know that this house, which I have builded is called by thy name.(f)
(Authorized King James)
a) A person coming in the name of God is a prophet. That this prophet had to be a descendant of Ishmael is made clear in that Allah’s covenant was with Abraham and his progeny. Since this prophet was not of Israel, he had to be a descendant of the other branch of Abraham’s family, i.e., the Ishmaelites or Arabs. Mohammed came out of the far country of Arabia in a miraculous journey that brought him to the site of the temple in Jerusalem. See Quran 17:1. (The temple structure was destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE).
b) Because of Mohammed’s preaching, the tribes knew Allah.
c) The phrase “when he shall come” has two equally valid meanings. This phrase refers to the Prophet’s advent in history as well as his miraculous journey in one night from Mecca to the site of the Jerusalem temple.
d) At the outset of his mission, Mohammed ordered the Muslims to pray toward the site of the Jerusalem temple. He also, during the Isra (miraculous journey) led the prophets in prayer within the temple precincts.
e) Solomon prayed for the success of the Prophet’s mission so that Allah would be known throughout the earth. See Quran 34:28 where Mohammed is proclaimed to be the universal messenger to all mankind.
f) The Bible portrays Solomon as a grandiose person who caused unnecessary hardship to his people through his building projects (see I K. 12:4). Allah makes it clear in the Quran that Solomon was a righteous prophet who never misused his wealth. The Prophet’s journey to and prayer within the precincts of the Jerusalem temple honors this prophet’s name and vindicates his pure intentions in the construction of the temple.
DANIEL 7:13,14
I saw in the night visions, and behold, one like the son of man (a) came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days (Allah), and they brought him (the Prophet) near before him (Allah). (b)
And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom (c) that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him; (d) his (e)dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away and his (f) kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.
(Authorized King James)
a)The phrase “son of man” means prophet and is used commonly by the prophets to refer to themselves as Ezekiel 2:1.
b) After his journey to the Jerusalem temple site, Mohammed ascended into heaven where he came as close to Allah as living human is allowed. This event is called the Miraj or ascension (see Quran 53:7-18).
c) Mohammed was one of the few prophets to rule a nation. The others were Moses, David and Solomon. However, although Moses was a leader, lawgiver, and prophet; he cannot be said to have exercised rulership over a domain as his people were wandering among the nations, i.e., they had not settled permanently in any land before he died.
d) None of the Hebrew prophets, including Jesus, were able to preach to other nations. Only Mohammed invited other nations to the religion of Allah as Persia, Abyssinia, Yemen and the Byzantines. The languages spoken by these nations were diverse so Daniel’s vision was truly fulfilled in Mohammed who was the only true universal Messenger to al1 mankind.
e,f} The pronouns him and his refer to Allah as a further explanation of this vision shows in Daniel 7:27; “And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom and all dominions shall serve and obey Him.
ISAIAH 28: 9-13
Whom will one instruct in knowledge, and whom will one make understand what has been heard…
For it is “command upon command, command upon command, measuring line upon measuring line, (a) here a little, there a little.”(b)
For by those stammering with their lips and by a different tongue will he speak to this people. (c) Those to whom he has said: “This is the resting place. Give rest to the weary one. And this is the place of ease,” but who were not willing to hear. (d)
And to them (e) the word of (Allah) will certainly become “command upon command, command upon command, measuring line upon measuring line, here a little, there a little,” in order that they (e) may go and certainly stumble backwards and actually be broken and ensnared and caught. (f)
(The New World Translation)
a) This is an accurate description of the manner in which the Quran was revealed. The revelation which includes commands, came in the form of a measured or cadenced line so that memorization would be facilitated.
b) The Interpreters Bible offers the possibility that “here a little, there a little” could be translated as “a little at a time” The Quran was revealed a little at a time over a twenty-three year period. (See Quran 16:101
c) This verse confirms Isaiah 33:19 and Zephaniah 3:9 that the revelation would come in a tongue different from Hebrew. Stammering describes the emphatic manner in which consonants are pronounced in Arabic.
d )Mecca was an oasis for travellers journeying on an ancient trade route. The Quraysh were in charge of providing weary travellers with food, drink, shelter and protection. It was to this same people, the Quraysh, that Mohammed brought Allah”s message and they “were not willing to hear.”
e,f) In the context of this prophecy, the pronouns them and they can refer to the stubborn Quraysh whose authority was finally broken by the prophet and his followers. However, their victory came after they accepted Islam and Mecca became the centre of the Islamic world.
Zephaniah 3:9
For then I shall give to peoples the change to a pure language, (a) in order for them all to call upon the name of ((Allah)) (b) in order to serve him shoulder to shoulder. (c)
(The New World Translation)
a) Allah changed the language of revelation from Hebrew to Arabic. The Arabic of the Prophet’s time may be considered a pure language because the isolation of the Arabian peninsula helped preserve Arabic as a pure language.
b) The name of Allah is called upon in the adhan (call to prayer) five times daily from the minarets of mosques in almost every country on earth. The adhan begins: “Allah is Great, Allah is Great.”
c) The Muslims stand shoulder to shoulder in prayer to show their brotherhood and equality before Allah.
Song of Songs 5:10-16 (a)
My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand.
His head is as the most fine gold, his locks are bushy, and black as a raven.
His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of waters, washed with milk and fitly set.
His cheeks are as a bed of spices as sweet flowers: his lips like lilies dropping with sweet smelling myrrh.
His hands are as gold rings set with the beryl: his belly is as bright ivory overlaid with sapphire
His legs are as pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold; his countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars.
His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is (Mohammed). (b) This is my beloved, and this is my friend. O daughters of Jerusalem.
(Authorized King James)
a) The Song of Songs is a wedding allegory which symbolizes the union of the Arabs (Ishmaelites) with the Jews under the leadership of the Prophet Mohammed. The bride, the Shulamite, refers to her intended as her brother (8:1) and the groom likewise refers to his betrothed as his sister (5:1). The Arabs and the Jews were siblings through their common father, Abraham.
In Chapter I, the bride, the Shulamite, refers to her dark color as like the tents of Kedar. She asks her companions not to shun her because of her dark complexion even though her spouse is fair (5:10). She reminds her companions that her complexion is prized by the people with whom she is being united; I.e., the people of Kedar, who was the second son of Ishmael and the founder of Mohammed’s tribe, the Quraysh.
The entire poem is taken up with the bride’s expectation of happiness on the arrival of the spouse. The happy bride anticipates the joyful union in her dreams but she then awakens to the reality that he has not yet come. This dream concept explains the apparent achievement of that union in Chapter II and the search for the missing spouse in Chapters III and V. The poem alternates between happy anticipation at the arrival of the missing groom and lamentations at his continued absence. The bride must wait. Her anxiety to end the wait is expressed in the last verse of the poem.
b) The AKJ version of the 16th verse of this chapter reads” ..he is altogether lovely.” This phrase in Hebrew reads “… he is Mohammedim”, which is often translated as an adjective meaning lovely or desirable. In the context of the sentence, the word “mohammedim” appears to modify a singular subject, “he.” This incongruous grammatical construction arouses suspicion as there is no subject-adjective agreement. Therefore, the word “mohammedim” cannot be an adjective. Indeed, in Hebrew the word mohammedim is a masculine plural nourn. The suffix “im” denotes plurality, so the word is a double entendre or a word with a double meaning. The word mohammedim means Mohammed’s people or Ummah in Arabic. So, the word refers both to the Prophet as well as his people. According to the Song of Songs, the Jews were to anticipate a leader from among their brothers, the Arabs to whom they were to submit as a bride submits to the leadership of her husband. The Jews of Medina rejected the leadership of the Prophet and the union was never achieved.
PART V
SUMMARY
The Biblical verses quoted and commented upon in this essay give a very accurate picture of the Prophet that was to come. To make even more clear the Biblical picture of this prophet, the author will present the following categorical summation of these prophecies:
According to the prophecies of Solomon (I K. 8:41) and Isaiah 33:17 the Prophet would come from a land far distant from Jerusalem and would not be of the people of Israel. Mohammed came from Mecca in Arabia; a journey of several months by the caravans of the prophet’s days. He was not of the Jewish tribes but from the other branch of Abraham’s family, i.e., the Ishmaelites or present day Arabs which put him in the line of prophethood according to Allah’s covenant with Abraham in Genesis 17:1-10.
Deuteronomy 18:18 confirms that the Prophet would come from the brothers of the Jews who are the Arabs. Isaac, the father of the Jews and Ishmael, the father of the Arabs, were both sons of Abraham.
The prophecy of Isaiah 42:11 pinpoints the area and tribe, the tribe of Kedar, of the coming prophet. Kedar was the second son of Ishmael and his descendants settled in Mecca. Mohammed was descended from Kedar.
Isaiah 33:19 and 28:11 tell that the tongue of the prophet’s people would be unintelligible to the Hebrew because of its “stammering” speech. Arabic and Hebrew are sister languages but the manner of speech makes the Arab unintelligible to the Hebrew.
Isaiah 33:18 describes the Prophet’s city as not advanced, Le., lacking the urban amenities of Jerusalem as described in the Old Testament. In the time of the Prophet, Mecca was lacking in these amenities.
Isaiah 33:16 and 42:11 describe the terrain of the Prophet’s city of birth as mountainous and rocky. Craggy peaks surround Mecca.
Isaiah 33:17 describes the physical appearance of this prophet as “like a king in beauty.” Mohammed was a handsome man by anyone’s standards.
Isaiah 33:15 and 42:11 describe his integrity and the honest, gentle and humble aspects of Mohammed’s personality.
Mohammed’s inability to read or write is foretold in Isaiah 29:12.
Deut. 18:18 and Isaiah 29:12, foretell of a book this Prophet would bring. This book would be pure revelation, i.e., the hand of man would not interfere with its contents. That Allah did put His words into Mohammed’s mouth is made evident in the opening line to every chapter of the Quran but one. The chapters begin with: “In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.”
That the literary mode of this revelation would be the measured or cadenced line and that it would be revealed a little at a time is discussed in Isaiah 28:10-12.
Psalm 91 and Isaiah 33:16 foretell of the secret place on the mountain (heights) where Mohammed had been meditating at the time of the first revelation.
Isaiah 29:12 accurately describes the circumstances surrounding Allah’s first revelation to the Prophet. Gabriel commanded the Prophet to read. This command is the opening word of Sura lqra or Read in the Quran. Mohammed replied that he was illiterate.
I Kings 8:41-43 foretells of the Prophet’s miraculous journey from the Kaba in Mecca to the site of the Jerusalem temple.
Daniel 7:13 foretells of the Prophet’s ascension into heaven.
Psalm 91 sings of the following events in the Prophet’s life:
a) Ps. 91:4 -He would carry the shield of a warrior.
b) Ps. 91:7 -He would conquer thousands of enemies.
c) Ps. 91:8 -He would live to see his enemies vanquished.
d) Ps. 91:11,12 ~ Allah would send angels to help him to conquer the enemy and to strengthen his resolve in the face of adversity so he would not stumble.
e) Ps. 91:13 -The Prophet and his followers would conquer other nations.
f) Ps. 91:15 -He would be held in an honored position.
g) Ps. 91:16 -He would live a respectably long life.
Zephaniah 3:9 foretells of the change of the language of revelation from Hebrew to a pure language. The Arabic of the Quran is a pure language resulting from Arabia’s isolation.
Zephaniah 3:9 describes the adhan (the Muslim call to prayer which praises Allah’s Name) and the method by which the Muslim prays, i.e., standing shoulder to shoulder.
Daniel 7:14 is a prophecy that Mohammed would be an established ruler in his own land. The purpose of this rule was to establish the worship of Allah so that all nations would know Him and serve Him. Mohammed ruled all of Arabia before he died and he established Islam as the religion of Allah on earth.
Daniel 7:14 and Isaiah 42:1,4 tell of the success of the Prophet’s mission for Islam spread to all nations, who today in their diverse tongues, celebrate Allah’s praise. It also makes clear the success of the prophet’s mission in establishing judgement or justice on earth. Before Mohammed’s death, the religion of Allah, Islam, was firmly established and spreading rapidly to all continents on earth.
The Song of Songs 5:10-16 describes the Prophet’s physical appearance and names him as Mohammed.
Allah,to whom is due the highest praises, through Mohammed fulfilled the promise of Genesis 3:15: “And I shall put enmity between you (Iblis who is Satan) and the woman (Eve) and between your seed and her seed (the final Prophet). He will bruise you in the head and you will bruise him in the heel.” (According to Genesis 3:15 and to the Quran, Satan, who was “one of the Jinns” (Quran Sura Kahf, Aya 50), reproduces himself. The II Corinthians 11:14 assertion that Satan is an angel contradicts Genesis 3:15 as well as Matthew 22:30 which affirms that angels cannot reproduce themselves. So Satan or Iblis is a jinn and not an angel.
Satan is addressed in the Quran as Iblis, which according to Professor Abdul Ahad Dawud in Muhammad in the Bible, is the Arabic derivative of the Aramaic word “blissa”, which is translated as “the Bruised One.” By naming Satan Iblis, the Quran affirms that it was the Arab prophet, the seed of Adam, the descendant of Abraham through his first born Ishmael, who dealt the bruising blow foretold in Genesis. Thus, Mohammed fulfilled the prophecy of Genesis 3:15 when he proclaimed in his farewell pilgrimage: “O Men, Satan has lost all hope of ever being worshipped in this land of yours.”
It is also worthy of note that recent DNA evidence has placed the Prophet Mohammed, in the line of descent from Abraham through Noah. This haplotype can be traced to a single male founder or patriarch, who passed the DNA to his male offspring, which included the Quraysh of Mecca and the Hebrews. The cohen or cohanim were Jewish priests descended from Aaron, the brother of Moses. That patriarch is the Prophet Abraham, who was the father of Isaac and Ismail. According to the Quran 2:127, Ismail and his father built the Kaba in Mecca, which is the location of the Prophet Muhammad’s tribe, the Quraysh. Ismail is the ancestor of the Prophet Muhammad (saws):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haplogroup_J1_(Y-DNA)
J1c3d* accounts for the majority of J1 in Yemen, Cohen Jews and Ethiopia as well as Quraysh including Seyyed (Sayyid). J1C3d has also been labeled as J-L147.1. However, the bearers of this genome remain the same.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quraysh_tribe
The Quraysh or Quraish were a powerful merchant tribe that controlled Mecca and its Kaaba upon the appearance of the religion of Islam. Muhammad was born into the Banu Hashim clan of the Quraysh tribe.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seyyed
Sayyid is an honorific title, it denotes males accepted as descendants of the Islamic prophet Muhammad through his grandsons, Hasan ibn Ali and Husain ibn Ali, sons of the prophet’s daughter Fatima Zahra and his son-in-law Ali ibn Abi Talib
According to genetic researchers Sergio Tofanelli and A. Nebel, this haplotype most likely arose at least 4500 years ago and may be as early as 8600 ago. For references on the age and origin of this haplotype, please refer to the following publications:
Nebel, A (2002). “Genetic Evidence for the Expansion of Arabian Tribes into the Southern Levant and North Africa”, The American Journal of Human Genetics 70(6): 1594-6. Doi:10.1086/340669.PMC379148.PMID11992266
Tofanelli, Sergio; Ferri, Gianmarco; Bulayeva, Kazima; Caciagli, Laura; Onofri, Valerio; Taglioli, Luca; Bulayev, Oleg; Boschi, Ilaria et al. (2009). “J1-M267 Y lineage marks climate-driven pre-historical human displacements”. European Journal of Human Genetics 17(11): 1520-4. Doi:10.1038/ejhg.2009.58.PMC 2986692. PMID 19367321.
From the above information, we can conclude that the Prophet Mohammed was in a direct line of prophets, who descended from Abraham (as). So, it is little wonder that the Quran mentions his fellow prophets and that so many prophecies about Mohammed are included in Jewish scripture. Indeed, all mankind should celebrate Allah’s praise for His mercy in sending the Biblically prophesied Prophet of Islam to the nations of the earth as was foretold by the ancient prophets. Only one man in all of history has fulfilled to the letter every line of these prophecies and this is Mohammed, the Prophet of Allah. May Allah continue to bless those who follow His Prophet and the religion revealed to him, Islam.