thee, and I will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto
them all that I shall command him. Deut. 18:18.
"WE MUSLIMS BELIEVE, THAT JESUS (Peace be upon him) WAS ONE OF THE MIGHTIEST MESSENGERS OF GOD, THAT HE WAS THE CHRIST, THAT HE WAS BORN MIRACULOUSLY - WITHOUT ANY MALE INTERVENTION (which many modern-day Christians do not believe today), THAT HE GAVE LIFE TO THE DEAD BY GOD'S PERMISSION, AND THAT HE HEALED THOSE BORN BLIND AND THE LEPERS BY GOD'S PERMISSION. IN FACT NO MUSLIM IS A MUSLIM IF HE DOES NOT BELIEVE IN JESUS!"
What I am saying is that The Passage of Deut 18:18 is not speaking about Jesus Peace be upon him,
I have talked on Deut 18:18 before to many christian's Brother and Sister's what they say to me is without hesitation that it refer's to Jesus (Peace be upon him) I asked them why Jesus (Peace be upon him) some Said, they both were Prophets(I agree on it), they both were Jews I agree with this also), they both did some miracles (I agree with this too!), What I ask as the verse is referring Like Moses (Peace be upon him) what u see in Jesus (Peace be upon him) like Moses (Peace be upon him)?
"If these are the only criteria that they were both Prophets (Peace be upon them Both), or they both were Jews, (Peace be upon them both) for discovering a candidate for this prophecy of Deuteronomy 18:18, then in that case the criteria could fit any one of the following Biblical personages after Moses: - Solomon, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Malachi, John the Baptist (Peace be upon them all) etc., because they were also ALL Jews as well as Prophets. Why should we not apply this prophecy to any one of these prophets, and why only to Jesus(Peace be upon him) only? Why should we make fish of one and fowl of another?"
My conclusions are that Jesus (Peace be upon him) is most unlike Moses (Peace be upon him), and if I am wrong I would like any of you to correct me." I will extract some work of Shaikh Ahmed deedat here!!!
Three Unlikes
1. In the FIRST place Jesus (Peace be upon him) is not like Moses (Peace be upon him), because, according to many Christians - 'JESUS IS A GOD',(Nauzubillah) (Astagfirullah) but Moses (Peace be upon him) is not God, is this true or not? "Therefore Jesus (Peace be upon him) is not like Moses (Peace be upon him)!
"SECONDLY, according to you - 'JESUS (Peace be upon him) had to DIE FOR THE SINS OF THE WORLD', but Moses (Peace be upon him) did not have to die for the sins of the world. Is this true or not? "Therefore Jesus (Peace be upon him) is not like Moses (Peace be upon him)!"
"THIRDLY, according to you - 'JESUS (Peace be upon him) WENT TO HELL FOR THREE DAYS' (Nauzubillah) Astagfirullah), but Moses (Peace be upon him) did not have to go there. Is this true or not? "Therefore Jesus (Peace be upon him) is not like Moses (Peace be upon him)!"
"These are not hard facts, solid facts, tangible facts; they are mere matters of belief over which the little ones can stumble and fall. Let us discuss something very simple, very easy that if your little ones are called in to hear the discussion, would have no difficulty in following it, shall we?
Father and Mother
(1) "Moses (Peace be upon him) had a father and a mother. Muhammad (Peace, Mercy and Blessing of ALLAH be upon him) also had a father and a mother. But Jesus (Peace be upon him) had only a mother, and no human father. Is this true or not? "Therefore Jesus (Peace be upon him) is not like Moses (Peace be upon him), but Muhammad (Peace, Mercy and Blessing of ALLAH be upon him) is like Moses! (Peace be upon him)"
Miraculous Birth
(2) "Moses (Peace be upon him) and Muhammad (Sallallahu Alahe Wasalam) were born in the normal, natural course, i.e. the physical association of man and woman; but Jesus (Peace be upon him) was created by a special miracle. You will recall that we are told in the Gospel of St. Matthew 1:18." '.
. . . . . BEFORE THEY CAME TOGETHER, (Joseph the Carpenter and Mary) SHE WAS FOUND WITH CHILD BY THE HOLY GHOST.' And St. Luke tells us that when the good news of the birth of a holy son was announced to her, Mary (Peace be upon her) reasoned: '. . . . . HOW SHALL THIS BE, SEEING I KNOW NOT A MAN? AND THE ANGEL ANSWERED AND SAID UNTO HER, THE HOLY GHOST SHALL COME UPON THEE, AND THE POWER OF THE HIGHEST SHALL OVERSHADOW THEE: . . . . .' (Luke 1:35).
The Holy Qur'an confirms the miraculous birth of Jesus (Peace be upon him), in nobler and sublimer terms. In answer to her logical question: "O my Lord! How shall I have a son when no man hath touched me? The angel says in reply: "Even so: Allah createth what He willeth: when He hath decreed a plan, He but saith to it "Be," and it is!' (Holy Qur'an, 3:47). It is not necessary for God to plant a seed in man or animal. He merely wills it and it comes into being. This is the Muslim conception of the birth of Jesus (Peace be upon him)". (When I compared the Qur'anic and the Biblical versions of the birth of Jesus to the head of the Bible Society.. when I enquired: "Which version would you prefer to give your daughter, the QUR'ANIC version or the BIBLICAL version?"
"Is it true or not that Jesus (Peace be upon him) was born miraculously as against the natural birth of Moses (Peace be upon him) and Muhammad (Sallallahu Alahe Wasalam) ?"Therefore Jesus (Peace be upon him) is not like Moses (Peace be upon him), but Muhammad (Sallallahu Alahe Wasalam) is like Moses (Peace be upon him). And God says to Moses (Peace be upon him) in the Book of Deuteronomy 18:18 "LIKE UNTO THEE" (Like You, Like Moses) and Muhammad (Sallallahu Alahe Wasalam) is like Moses Peace be upon him)."
Marriage Ties
(3) "Moses (Peace be upon him) and Muhammad (Sallallahu Alahe Wasalam) married and begat children, but Jesus (Peace be upon him) remained a bachelor all his life. Is it true or not?" "Therefore Jesus is not like Moses (Peace be upon him), but Muhammad (Sallallahu Alahe Wasalam) is like Moses (Peace be upon him)."
Jesus Rejected by his People
(4) "Moses (Peace be upon him) and Muhammad (Sallallahu Alahe Wasalam) were accepted as prophets by their people in their very lifetime. No doubt the Jews gave endless trouble to Moses (Peace be upon him) and they murmured in the wilderness, but as a nation, they acknowledged that Moses (Peace be upon him) was a Messenger of God sent to them. The Arabs too made Muhammad's (Sallallahu Alahe Wasalam) life impossible. He suffered very badly at their hands. After 13 years of preaching in Makkah, he had to emigrate from the city of his birth. But before his demise, the Arab nation as a whole accepted him as the Messenger of Allah. But according to the Bible - 'He (Jesus) (Peace be upon him) CAME UNTO HIS OWN, BUT HIS OWN RECEIVED HIM NOT.' (John 1:11). And even today, after two thousand years, his people - the Jews, as a whole, have rejected him. Is this true or not? "THEREFORE JESUS (Peace be upon him) IS NOT LIKE MOSES (Peace be upon him), BUT MUHAMMAD (Sallallahu Alahe Wasalam) IS LIKE MOSES (Peace be upon him)."
"Other-Worldy" Kingdom
(5) "Moses (Peace be upon him) and Muhammad (Sallallahu Alahe Wasalam) were prophets as well as kings. By prophet I mean a man who receives Divine Revelation for the Guidance of Man and this Guidance he conveys to God's creatures as received without any addition or deletion. A king is a person who has the power of life and death over his people. It is immaterial whether the person wears a crown or not, or whether he was ever addressed as king or monarch: if the man has the prerogative of inflicting capital punishment - HE IS A KING.
Moses (Peace be upon him) possessed such a power. Do you remember the Israelite who was found picking up firewood on Sabbath Day, and Moses (Peace be upon him) had him stoned to death? (Numbers 15:36). There are other crimes also mentioned in the Bible for which capital punishment was inflicted on the Jews at the behest of Moses (Peace be upon him). Muhammad (Sallallahu Alahe Wasalam) too, had the power of life and death over his people. There are instances in the Bible of persons who were given the gift of prophecy only, but they were not in a position to implement their directives. Some of these holy men of God who were helpless in the face of stubborn rejection of their message were the prophets Lot, Jonah, Daniel, Ezra, and John the Baptist. They could only deliver the message, but could not enforce the Law. The Holy Prophet Jesus (Peace be upon him) unfortunately also belonged to this category.
The Christian Gospel clearly confirms this: when Jesus (Peace be upon him) was dragged before the Roman Governor, Pontius Pilate, charged for sedition, Jesus (Peace be upon him) made a convincing point in his defence to refute the false charges: 'JESUS (Peace be upon him) ANSWERED, 'MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD': IF MY KINGDOM WERE OF THIS WORLD, THEN WOULD MY SERVANTS FIGHT, THAT I SHOULD NOT BE DELIVERED TO THE JEWS; BUT NOW IS MY KINGDOM NOT FROM HENCE' (John 18:36).
This convinced Pilate (a Pagan) that though Jesus (Peace be upon him) might not be in full possession of his mental faculty, he did not strike him as being a danger to his rule. Jesus (Peace be upon him) claimed a spiritual kingdom only; in other words he only claimed to be a prophet. Is it true or not?" Therefore Jesus (Peace be upon him) is not like Moses (Peace be upon him) but Muhammad (Sallallahu Alahe Wasalam) is like Moses (Peace be upon him)."
No New Laws
(6) "Moses (Peace be upon him) and Muhammad (Sallallahu Alahe Wasalam) brought new laws and new regulations for their people.
Moses (Peace be upon him) not only gave the Ten Commandments to the Israelites, but a very comprehensive ceremonial law for the guidance of his people.
Muhammad (Sallallahu Alahe Wasalam) comes to a people steeped in barbarism and ignorance. They married their stepmothers; they buried their daughters alive; drunkeness, adultery, idolatry, and gambling where the order of the day. Gibbon describes the Arabs before Islam in his "Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire", 'THE HUMAN BRUTE, ALMOST WITHOUT SENSE, IS POORLY DISTINGUISHED FROM THE REST OF THE ANIMAL CREATION.' There was hardly anything to distinguish between the "man" and the "animal" of the time; they were animals in human form. From this abject barbarism, Muhammad (Sallallahu Alahe Wasalam) elevated them, in the words of Thomas Carlysle, 'into torch-bearers of light and learning.'
"TO THE ARAB NATION IT WAS AS A BIRTH FROM DARKNESS INTO LIGHT. ARABIA FIRST BECAME ALIVE BY MEANS OF IT. A POOR SHEPHERD PEOPLE, ROAMING UNNOTICED IN ITS DESERTS SINCE THE CREATION OF THE WORLD. SEE, THE UNNOTICED BECOMES WORLD NOTABLE, THE SMALL HAS GROWN WORLD-GREAT. WITHIN ONE CENTURY AFTERWARDS ARABIA WAS AT GRANADA ON ONE HAND AND AT DELHI ON THE OTHER. GLANCING IN VALOUR AND SPLENDOUR, AND THE LIGHT OF GENIUS, ARABIA SHINES OVER A GREAT SECTION OF THE WORLD . . . . . ."
The fact is that Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu Alahe Wasalam) gave his people a Law and Order they never had before. As regards Jesus (Peace be upon him), when the Jews felt suspicious of him that he might be an imposter with designs to pervert their teachings, Jesus (Peace be upon him) took pains to assure them that he had not come with a new religion - no new laws and no new regulations. I quote his own words: '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 TITTLE SHALL IN NO WISE PASS FROM THE LAW, TILL ALL BE FULFILLED.' (Matthew 5:17-18). In other words he had not come with any new laws or regulations; he came only to fulfil the old law.
This is what he gave the Jews to understand - unless he was speaking with the tongue in his cheek trying to bluff the Jews into accepting him as a man of God and by subterfuge trying to ram a new religion down their throats. No! This Messenger of God would never resort to such foul means to subvert the Religion of God. He himself fulfilled the laws. He observed the commandments of Moses, and he respected the Sabbath. At no time did a single Jew point a finger at him to say, 'why don't you fast' or 'why don't you wash your hands before you break bread', which charges they always levied against his disciples, but never against Jesus. This is because as a good Jew he honoured the laws of the prophets who preceded him. In short, he had created no new religion and had brought no new law like Moses (Peace be upon him) and Muhammad (Sallallahu Alahe Wasalam). Is it true or not?" Therefore, Jesus (Peace be 0upon him is not like Moses (Peace be upon him) but Muhammad (Sallallahu Alahe Wasalam) is like Moses (Peace be upon him)."
How they Departed(7) "Both Moses (Peace be upon him) and Muhammad (Sallallahu Alahe Wasalam) died natural deaths, but according to Christianity, Jesus (Peace be upon him) was violently killed on the cross. (Nauzubillah) (Astagfirullah) Is it true or not?" Therefore Jesus (Peace be upon him) is not like Moses (Peace be upon him) but Muhammad (Sallallahu Alahe Wasalam) is like Moses (Peace be upon him)."
Ishmael The First BornSo far what I have done is to prove only one point out of the whole prophecy - that is proving the phrase 'LIKE UNTO THEE' - 'like you' - 'like Moses (Peace be upon him)'. The prophecy is much more than this single phrase which reads as follows: "I WILL RAISE THEM UP A PROPHET FROM AMONG THEIR BRETHREN LIKE UNTO THEE . . . . . ." The emphasis is on the words - 'From among their brethren.' Moses (Peace be upon him) and his people, the Jews, are here addressed as a racial entity, and as such their 'brethren' would undoubtedly be the Arabs. You see, the Holy Bible speaks of Abraham (Peace be upon him) as the "Friend of God". Abraham (Peace be upon him) had two wives - Sarah and Hagar (Peace be upon on both of them). Hagar bore Abraham (Peace be upon him) a son - HIS FIRST-BORN - ' . . . . . . And Abraham (Peace be upon him) called HIS SON'S name, which Hagar (Peace be upon her) bore, Ishmael (Peace be upon him).' (Genesis16:15). 'And Abraham (Peace be upon him) took Ishmael (Peace be upon him) HIS SON . . . . . ." (Genesis 17:23). 'And Ishmael (Peace be upon him) HIS SON was thirteen years old, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.' (Genesis 17:25). Up to the age of THIRTEEN Ishmael (Peace be upon him) was the ONLY son and seed of Abraham (Peace be upon him), when the covenant was ratified between God and Abraham (Peace be upon him). God grants Abraham (Peace be upon him) another son through Sarah (Peace be upon her), named Isaac (Peace be upon him), who was very much the junior to his brother Ishmael (Peace be upon him).
Words in the MouthThe prophecy proceeds further: '. . . . . . AND I WILL PUT MY WORDS INTO HIS MOUTH . . . . . .' What does it mean when it is said 'I will put my words in your mouth'?
You see, when I asked you to open Deuteronomy, chapter 18, verse 18, and if I had asked you to read, and if you had read: would I be putting my words into your mouth?
"If I were to teach you a language like Arabic about which you have no knowledge, and if I asked you to read or repeat after me what I utter i.e.
بِسْمِ اللہِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیۡمِ
قُلْ ہُوَ اللہُ اَحَدٌ
اَللہُ الصَّمَدُ
لَمْ یَلِدْ ۬ۙ وَ لَمْ یُوۡلَدْ
وَ لَمْ یَکُنۡ لَّہٗ کُفُوًا اَحَدٌ
1. SAY: HE IS ALLAH THE ONE AND ONLY;
2. ALLAH, THE ETERNAL ABSOLUTE;
3. HE BEGETTETH NOT, NOR IS HE BEGOTTEN:
4. AND THERE IS NONE LIKE UNTO HIM
(Holy Qur'an 112:1-4)
Would I not be putting these unheard words of a foreign tongue which you utter, into your mouth?" In an identical manner, I said, the words of the Holy Qur'an, the Revelation vouchsafed by the Almighty God to Muhammad (Sallallahu Alahe Wasalam) , were revealed.
History tells us that Muhummed was forty years of age. He was in a cave some three miles north of the City of Makkah. It was the 27th night of the Muslim month of Ramadaan. In the cave the Archangel Gabriel commands him in his mother tongue: "IQRA" which means READ! or PROCLAIM! Or RECITE! Muhammad (Sallallahu Alahe Wasalam) is terrified and in his bewilderment replies:
I AM NOT LEARNED! The angel commands him a second time with the same result. For the third time the angel continues:
Now, Muhammad (Sallallahu Alahe Wasalam) , grasps, that what was required of him was to repeat! To rehearse! And he repeats the words as they were put into his mouth!
اِقْرَاۡ بِاسْمِ رَبِّکَ الَّذِیۡ خَلَقَ
خَلَقَ الْاِنۡسَانَ مِنْ عَلَقٍ
اِقْرَاۡ وَ رَبُّکَ الْاَکْرَمُ ۙ
الَّذِیۡ عَلَّمَ بِالْقَلَمِ
عَلَّمَ الْاِنۡسَانَ مَا لَمْ یَعْلَمْ ؕ
1. "READ! IN THE NAME OF THY LORD AND CHERISHER, WHO, CREATED
-
2. CREATED MAN, FROM A (MERE) CLOT OF CONGEALED BLOOD:
3. READ! AND THY LORD IS MOST BOUNTIFUL, -
4. HE WHO TAUGHT (THE USE OF) THE PEN -
5. TAUGHT MAN THAT WHICH HE KNEW NOT."
(Holy Qur'an 96:1-5)
These are the first five verses which were revealed to Muhammad (Sallallahu Alahe Wasalam) which now occupy the beginning of the 96th chapter of the Holy Qur'an.
You see, when I asked you to open Deuteronomy, chapter 18, verse 18, and if I had asked you to read, and if you had read: would I be putting my words into your mouth?
"If I were to teach you a language like Arabic about which you have no knowledge, and if I asked you to read or repeat after me what I utter i.e.
بِسْمِ اللہِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیۡمِ
قُلْ ہُوَ اللہُ اَحَدٌ
اَللہُ الصَّمَدُ
لَمْ یَلِدْ ۬ۙ وَ لَمْ یُوۡلَدْ
وَ لَمْ یَکُنۡ لَّہٗ کُفُوًا اَحَدٌ
1. SAY: HE IS ALLAH THE ONE AND ONLY;
2. ALLAH, THE ETERNAL ABSOLUTE;
3. HE BEGETTETH NOT, NOR IS HE BEGOTTEN:
4. AND THERE IS NONE LIKE UNTO HIM
(Holy Qur'an 112:1-4)
Would I not be putting these unheard words of a foreign tongue which you utter, into your mouth?" In an identical manner, I said, the words of the Holy Qur'an, the Revelation vouchsafed by the Almighty God to Muhammad (Sallallahu Alahe Wasalam) , were revealed.
History tells us that Muhummed was forty years of age. He was in a cave some three miles north of the City of Makkah. It was the 27th night of the Muslim month of Ramadaan. In the cave the Archangel Gabriel commands him in his mother tongue: "IQRA" which means READ! or PROCLAIM! Or RECITE! Muhammad (Sallallahu Alahe Wasalam) is terrified and in his bewilderment replies:
I AM NOT LEARNED! The angel commands him a second time with the same result. For the third time the angel continues:
Now, Muhammad (Sallallahu Alahe Wasalam) , grasps, that what was required of him was to repeat! To rehearse! And he repeats the words as they were put into his mouth!
اِقْرَاۡ بِاسْمِ رَبِّکَ الَّذِیۡ خَلَقَ
خَلَقَ الْاِنۡسَانَ مِنْ عَلَقٍ
اِقْرَاۡ وَ رَبُّکَ الْاَکْرَمُ ۙ
الَّذِیۡ عَلَّمَ بِالْقَلَمِ
عَلَّمَ الْاِنۡسَانَ مَا لَمْ یَعْلَمْ ؕ
1. "READ! IN THE NAME OF THY LORD AND CHERISHER, WHO, CREATED
-
2. CREATED MAN, FROM A (MERE) CLOT OF CONGEALED BLOOD:
3. READ! AND THY LORD IS MOST BOUNTIFUL, -
4. HE WHO TAUGHT (THE USE OF) THE PEN -
5. TAUGHT MAN THAT WHICH HE KNEW NOT."
(Holy Qur'an 96:1-5)
These are the first five verses which were revealed to Muhammad (Sallallahu Alahe Wasalam) which now occupy the beginning of the 96th chapter of the Holy Qur'an.
The Faithful Witness
Immediately the angel had departed, Muhammad (Sallallahu Alahe Wasalam) rushed to his home. Terrified and sweating all over he asked his beloved wife Khadija (Peace be upon her) to 'cover him up'. He lay down, and she watched by him. When he had regained his composure, he explained to her what he had seen and heard. She assured him of her faith in him and that Allah would not allow such a terrible thing to
happen to him. Are these the confessions of an imposter? Would imposters confess that when an angel of the Lord confronts them with a Message from on High, they get fear-stricken, terrified, and sweating all over, run home to their wives? Any critic can see that his reactions and confessions are that of an honest, sincere man, the man of Truth - 'AL-AMIN' - the Honest, the Upright, the Truthful.
During the next twenty-three years of his prophetic life, words were 'put into his mouth', and he uttered them. They made an indeliable impression on his heart and mind: and as the volume of the Sacred Scripture (Holy Qur'an) grew, they were recorded on palm-leaf fibre, on skins and on the shoulder-blades of animals, and in the hearts of his devoted disciples. Before his demise these words were arranged in the order in which we find them today in the Holy Qur'an.
The words (revelation) were actually put into his mouth, exactly as foretold in the prophecy under discussion: 'AND I WILL PUT MY WORDS IN HIS MOUTH.' (Deut. 18:18)
Grave Warning
"See!" I told the you, "how the prophecies fit Muhammad (Sallallahu Alahe Wasalam) like a glove. We do not have to stretch prophecies to justify their fulfilment in Muhammad (Sallallahu Alahe Wasalam)."
God have His warnings recorded. God knew that there would be people
who will flippantly, light-heartedly discount his words, so he followed
up Deuteronomy 18:18 with a dire warning: "AND IT SHALL COME TO
PASS," (it is going to happen) "THAT WHOSOEVER WILL NOT HEARKEN
UNTO MY WORDS WHICH HE SHALL SPEAK IN MY NAME, I WILL REQUIRE IT OF HIM." (in the Catholic Bible the ending words are - "I will be the revenger", - I will take vengeance from him - I will take revenge!)
"Does not this terrify you? God Almighty is threatening revenge! We shake in our pants if some hoodlum threatens us, yet you have no fear of God's warning?"
"Miracle of miracles! in the verse 19 of Deuteronomy chapter 18, we have a further fulfilment of the prophecy in Muhammad (Sallallahu Alahe Wasalam)! Note the words - '. . . . .
MY WORDS WHICH HE SHALL SPEAK IN MY NAME." In whose name is Muhammad (Sallallahu Alahe Wasalam) speaking?" If you open the Holy Qur'an - translation, at chapter 114 - 'Sura Nas', or Mankind - the last chapter, and showed him the formula at the head of the chapter: and the meaning: "IN THE NAME OF GOD, MOST GRACIOUS, MOST MERCIFUL."
And the heading of chapter 113: and the meaning: "IN THE NAME OF GOD, MOST GRACIOUS, MOST MERCIFUL". And every chapter downards 112,111, 110 . . . . . . is the same formula and the the same meaning on every page, because the end SURAS (chapters) are short and take about a page each.
"And what did the prophecy demand? '. . . . . . WHICH HE SHALL SPEAK IN MY NAME,' and in whose name does Muhammad (Sallallahu Alahe Wasalam) speak? "IN THE NAME OF GOD, MOST GRACIOUS, MOST MERCIFUL."
The Prophecy is being fulfilled in Muhammad to the letter!
"Every chapter of the Holy Qur'an except the 9th begin with the formula:
'
IN THE NAME OF GOD, MOST GRACIOUS, MOST MERCIFUL.' The Muslim begins his every lawful act with the Holy formula.
But the Christian begins: "In the name of the Father, son and the holy ghost."
Concerning Deuteronomy chapter eighteen, I have given you more than 15 reasons as to how this prophecy refers to Muhammad (Sallallahu Alahe Wasalam) and NOT to Jesus (Peace be upon him)
Baptist Contradicts Jesus
In New Testament times, we find that the Jews were still expecting the
fulfilment of the prophecy of 'ONE LIKE MOSES'; refer John 1:19-25. When Jesus (Peace be upon him) claimed to be the Messiah of the Jews, the Jews began to enquire as to where was Elias? The Jews had a parallel prophecy that before the coming of the Messiah, Elias must come first in his second coming. Jesus confirms this Jewish belief:
". . . . . . ELIAS TRULY SHALL FIRST COME, AND RESTORE ALL THINGS. BUT I SAY UNTO YOU, THAT ELIAS IS COME ALREADY, AND THEY KNEW HIM NOT, . . . . . . THEN THE DISCIPLES UNDERSTOOD THAT HE SPAKE UNTO THEM OF JOHN THE BAPTIST." (Matthew 17:11-13).
According to the New Testament the Jews were not the ones to swallow the words of any would-be Messiah. In their investigations they underwent intense difficulties in order to find their true Messiah. And this the Gospel of John confirms: "AND THIS IS THE RECORD OF JOHN," (the Baptist) "WHEN THE JEWS SENT PRIESTS AND LEVITES FROM JERUSALEM TO ASK HIM, WHO ART THOU? AND HE CONFESSED AND DENIED NOT; BUT CONFESSED, I AM NOT THE CHRIST." (This was only natural because there can't be two
Messiahs at the same time. If Jesus was the Christ then John couldn't be the Christ!) "AND THEY ASKED HIM, WHAT THEN? ART THOU ELIAS? AND HE SAITH, I AM NOT." (Here John the Baptist contradicts Jesus! Jesus says that John is "Elias" and John denies that he is what Jesus ascribes him to be). One of the TWO (Jesus or John), God forbid! is definitely not speaking the TRUTH! On the testimony of Jesus himself, John the Baptist was the greatest of the Israelite prophets:
"VERILY I SAY UNTO YOU, AMONG THEM THAT ARE BORN OF WOMEN THERE HAS NOT RISEN A GREATER THAN JOHN THE BAPTIST: . . . . . ." (Matthew 11:11).
We Muslims know John the Baptist as Hazrut YAHYAA Alai-his-salaam
(peace be upon him). We revere him as a true prophet of Allah. The Holy Prophet Jesus known to us as Hazrut ISAA Alai-his-salaam (peace be upon him), is also esteemed as one of the mightiest messenger of the Almighty. How can we Muslims impute lies to either of them? We leave this problem between Jesus and John for the Christians to solve, for their "sacred scriptures" abound in discrepancies which they have been glossing over as the "dark sayings of Jesus". We Muslims are really interested in the last question posed to John the Baptist by the Jewish elite - "ART THOU THAT PROPHET? AND HE ANSWERED, NO." (John 1:21).
Three Questions!
Please note that three different and distinct questions were posed to John the Baptist and to which he gave three emphatic "NO's" as answers. To recapitulate:-
(1) Art thou the Christ?
(2) Art thou Elias?
(3) Art thou that prophet?
But the learned men of Christendom somehow only see two questions implied here. To make doubly clear that the Jews definitely had T-H-R-E-E separate prophecies in their minds when they were interrogating John the Baptist, let us read the remonstrance of the Jews in the verses following -
"AND THEY ASKED HIM, AND SAID UNTO HIM, WHY BAPTIZEST THOU THEN, IF THOU BE
(a) NOT THE CHRIST,
(b) NOR ELIAS,
(c) NEITHER THAT PROPHET?"
(John 1:25)
The Jews were waiting for the fulfilment of THREE distinct prophecies: One, the coming of CHRIST. Two, the coming of ELIAS, and Three, the coming of THAT PROPHET.
The Acid Test
To the lambs of Christ I say, why not apply that acid test which the Master himself wanted you to apply to any would be claimant to prophethood?
He had said: "BY THEIR FRUITS YE SHALL KNOW THEM. DO MEN GATHER GRAPES FROM THE THORNS, OR FIGS FROM THE THISTLES? EVERY GOOD TREE WILL BEAR GOOD FRUIT AND EVERY EVIL TREE WILL BEAR EVIL FRUIT BY THEIR FRUITS YE SHALL KNOW THEM. (Matthew 7:16-20).
Why are you afraid to apply this test to the teachings of Muhammad (Sallallahu Alahe Wasalam)? You will find in the Last Testament of God - the Holy Qur'an - the true fulfilment of the teachings of Moses (Peace be upon him) and Jesus (Peace be upon him) which will bring to the world the much-needed peace and happiness.
"IF A MAN LIKE MUHAMMAD WERE TO ASSUME THE DICTATORSHIP OF THE MODERN WORLD, HE WOULD SUCCEED IN SOLVING ITS PROBLEMS THAT WOULD BRING IT THE MUCH NEEDED PEACE AND HAPPINESS."
(George Bernard Shaw)
To the lambs of Christ I say, why not apply that acid test which the Master himself wanted you to apply to any would be claimant to prophethood?
He had said: "BY THEIR FRUITS YE SHALL KNOW THEM. DO MEN GATHER GRAPES FROM THE THORNS, OR FIGS FROM THE THISTLES? EVERY GOOD TREE WILL BEAR GOOD FRUIT AND EVERY EVIL TREE WILL BEAR EVIL FRUIT BY THEIR FRUITS YE SHALL KNOW THEM. (Matthew 7:16-20).
Why are you afraid to apply this test to the teachings of Muhammad (Sallallahu Alahe Wasalam)? You will find in the Last Testament of God - the Holy Qur'an - the true fulfilment of the teachings of Moses (Peace be upon him) and Jesus (Peace be upon him) which will bring to the world the much-needed peace and happiness.
"IF A MAN LIKE MUHAMMAD WERE TO ASSUME THE DICTATORSHIP OF THE MODERN WORLD, HE WOULD SUCCEED IN SOLVING ITS PROBLEMS THAT WOULD BRING IT THE MUCH NEEDED PEACE AND HAPPINESS."
(George Bernard Shaw)
The Greatest!
The Weekly News Magazine "TIME" dated July 15, 1974, carried a selection of opinions by various historians, writers, military men, businessmen and others on the subject: "Who Were History's Great Leaders?" Some said that it was Hitler; others said - Gandhi, Buddha, Lincoln and the like. But Jules Masserman, a United States psychoanalyst put the standards straight by giving the correct criteria wherewith to judge. He said: "LEADERS MUST FULFIL THREE FUNCTIONS:-
(1) Provide for the well-being of the led,
(2) Provide a social organization in which people feel relatively
secure, and
(3) Provide them with one set of beliefs."
With the above three criteria he searches history and analyses - Hitler,
Pasteur, Caesar, Moses, Confucius and the lot, and ultimately concludes:-
"PEOPLE LIKE PASTEUR AND SALK ARE LEADERS IN THE FIRST SENSE.
PEOPLE LIKE GANDHI AND CONFUCIUS, ON ONE HAND, AND ALEXANDER, CAESAR AND HITLER ON THE OTHER, ARE LEADERS IN THE SECOND AND PERHAPS THE THIRD SENSE. JESUS AND BUDDHA BELONG IN THE THIRD CATEGORY ALONE. PERHAPS THE GREATEST LEADER OF ALL TIMES WAS MOHAMMED, WHO COMBINED ALL THREE FUNCTIONS. To a lesser degree, MOSES DID THE SAME."
According to the objective standards set by the Professor of the Chicago University, whom I believe to be Jewish, - JESUS and BUDDHA are nowhere in the picture of the "Great Leaders of Mankind", but by a queer coincidence groups Moses and Muhammad together thus adding further weight to the argument that JESUS is not like MOSES, but MUHAMMAD is like MOSES. Deut. 18:18 "LIKE UNTO THEE" - like MOSES!
The Weekly News Magazine "TIME" dated July 15, 1974, carried a selection of opinions by various historians, writers, military men, businessmen and others on the subject: "Who Were History's Great Leaders?" Some said that it was Hitler; others said - Gandhi, Buddha, Lincoln and the like. But Jules Masserman, a United States psychoanalyst put the standards straight by giving the correct criteria wherewith to judge. He said: "LEADERS MUST FULFIL THREE FUNCTIONS:-
(1) Provide for the well-being of the led,
(2) Provide a social organization in which people feel relatively
secure, and
(3) Provide them with one set of beliefs."
With the above three criteria he searches history and analyses - Hitler,
Pasteur, Caesar, Moses, Confucius and the lot, and ultimately concludes:-
"PEOPLE LIKE PASTEUR AND SALK ARE LEADERS IN THE FIRST SENSE.
PEOPLE LIKE GANDHI AND CONFUCIUS, ON ONE HAND, AND ALEXANDER, CAESAR AND HITLER ON THE OTHER, ARE LEADERS IN THE SECOND AND PERHAPS THE THIRD SENSE. JESUS AND BUDDHA BELONG IN THE THIRD CATEGORY ALONE. PERHAPS THE GREATEST LEADER OF ALL TIMES WAS MOHAMMED, WHO COMBINED ALL THREE FUNCTIONS. To a lesser degree, MOSES DID THE SAME."
According to the objective standards set by the Professor of the Chicago University, whom I believe to be Jewish, - JESUS and BUDDHA are nowhere in the picture of the "Great Leaders of Mankind", but by a queer coincidence groups Moses and Muhammad together thus adding further weight to the argument that JESUS is not like MOSES, but MUHAMMAD is like MOSES. Deut. 18:18 "LIKE UNTO THEE" - like MOSES!
According to the Hebrew Dictionary of the Bible, the definition of the word “Brethren” is the: “Personification of a group of tribes who were regarded as near kinsmen of the Israelites.” Indeed the proof that the Bible refers to the Ishmaelites as the brethren of the Israelites is found in Genesis 16:12 and Genesis 25:18 where it says that the Ishmaelites where in opposition to their brothers or brethren.
Among Prophet Abraham’s (Peace be upon him) descendants there are two famous genealogical branches, the Ishmaelites and the Israelites.
The Arabs are Ishmaelites, they descend from Ishmael (Peace be upon him), Abraham’s (Peace be upon him) first born son. The Jews and Israelites in general descend from Isaac (Peace be upon him), Abraham’s (Peace be upon him) second born son.
God blessed Abraham’s (Peace be upon him) sons Ishmael (Peace be upon him) and Isaac (Peace be upon him) with individual special blessings in Genesis 17 and He promised that Abraham’s (Peace be upon him) descendants would occupy all the territories extending from the Euphrates River in modern day Iraq all the way to the Nile River in modern day Egypt in Genesis 15:18.
In fulfillment of this prophecy these lands are today occupied by the
descendants of Abraham (Peace be upon him), the Ishmaelites, the Arabs.
It is not true that the faith of Abraham (Peace be upon him) was preserved by the people of Israel alone. Abraham (Peace be upon him) himself offered tithes to the Canaanite priest Melchizedek and was blessed by him (Genesis 14:18). Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses (Peace be upon him) was also a prophet of God, as well as Job, Balaam, Ad, Hud, Loqman and many other prophets, none of them were Jews.
When the words of Deuteronomy 18 were spoken, they were addressed to the Israelites. The most notable “brethren” of the Israelites (descendants of Abraham (Peace be upon him) through his second son Isaac (Peace be upon him)) are the Ishmaelites (descendants of Abraham (Peace be upon him) through his first son Ishmael). According to the Hebrew Dictionary of the Bible, the definition of the word “Brethren” is the: “Personification of a group of tribes who were regarded as near kinsmen of the Israelites.” Indeed the proof that the Bible refers to the Ishmaelites as the brethren of the Israelites is found in Genesis 16:12 and Genesis 25:18 where it says that the Ishmaelites where in opposition to their brothers or brethren.
Generally speaking tribal systems, especially in those days had to work together in unity for their success and survival, so it would make no sense for the Bible to say that the Ishmaelites where in opposition
to the Ishmaelites. The word “brethren” in these verses must be in reference the Israelites, a different tribe in opposition to the Ishmaelites.
Another example of the Biblical use of the word “brethren” is found in Deuteronomy 2:4, 8 which calls the Edomites the brethren of the Israelites.
The Edomites were not Israelites as is proven in Numbers 20:14-21, despite this fact they are called the brethren of the Israelites. So the Biblical term “brethren” is not always used in a literal sense to refer to people of the same tribe.
Therefore the term brethren in Deuteronomy 18:18 can and does refer to the Ishmaelites as the brethren of their near relatives, the Israelites.
Also, notice that the prophecy states that the coming prophet will be like Moses (Peace be upon him). Many contend that this prophecy is fulfilled in the person of Prophet Jesus (Peace be upon him) but this is an incorrect contention. Jesus (Peace be upon him) was not an Ishmaelite; therefore he was not from the “brethren” of the Israelites, him being an Israelite himself.
This fact alone proves the prophecy is not about Jesus (Peace be upon him) but about another prophet. That prophet could be none other than Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) as have seen.
The Arabs are Ishmaelites, they descend from Ishmael (Peace be upon him), Abraham’s (Peace be upon him) first born son. The Jews and Israelites in general descend from Isaac (Peace be upon him), Abraham’s (Peace be upon him) second born son.
God blessed Abraham’s (Peace be upon him) sons Ishmael (Peace be upon him) and Isaac (Peace be upon him) with individual special blessings in Genesis 17 and He promised that Abraham’s (Peace be upon him) descendants would occupy all the territories extending from the Euphrates River in modern day Iraq all the way to the Nile River in modern day Egypt in Genesis 15:18.
In fulfillment of this prophecy these lands are today occupied by the
descendants of Abraham (Peace be upon him), the Ishmaelites, the Arabs.
It is not true that the faith of Abraham (Peace be upon him) was preserved by the people of Israel alone. Abraham (Peace be upon him) himself offered tithes to the Canaanite priest Melchizedek and was blessed by him (Genesis 14:18). Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses (Peace be upon him) was also a prophet of God, as well as Job, Balaam, Ad, Hud, Loqman and many other prophets, none of them were Jews.
When the words of Deuteronomy 18 were spoken, they were addressed to the Israelites. The most notable “brethren” of the Israelites (descendants of Abraham (Peace be upon him) through his second son Isaac (Peace be upon him)) are the Ishmaelites (descendants of Abraham (Peace be upon him) through his first son Ishmael). According to the Hebrew Dictionary of the Bible, the definition of the word “Brethren” is the: “Personification of a group of tribes who were regarded as near kinsmen of the Israelites.” Indeed the proof that the Bible refers to the Ishmaelites as the brethren of the Israelites is found in Genesis 16:12 and Genesis 25:18 where it says that the Ishmaelites where in opposition to their brothers or brethren.
Generally speaking tribal systems, especially in those days had to work together in unity for their success and survival, so it would make no sense for the Bible to say that the Ishmaelites where in opposition
to the Ishmaelites. The word “brethren” in these verses must be in reference the Israelites, a different tribe in opposition to the Ishmaelites.
Another example of the Biblical use of the word “brethren” is found in Deuteronomy 2:4, 8 which calls the Edomites the brethren of the Israelites.
The Edomites were not Israelites as is proven in Numbers 20:14-21, despite this fact they are called the brethren of the Israelites. So the Biblical term “brethren” is not always used in a literal sense to refer to people of the same tribe.
Therefore the term brethren in Deuteronomy 18:18 can and does refer to the Ishmaelites as the brethren of their near relatives, the Israelites.
Also, notice that the prophecy states that the coming prophet will be like Moses (Peace be upon him). Many contend that this prophecy is fulfilled in the person of Prophet Jesus (Peace be upon him) but this is an incorrect contention. Jesus (Peace be upon him) was not an Ishmaelite; therefore he was not from the “brethren” of the Israelites, him being an Israelite himself.
This fact alone proves the prophecy is not about Jesus (Peace be upon him) but about another prophet. That prophet could be none other than Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) as have seen.
Deuteronomy 34:10 says: “Since then no prophet has arisen in Israel like Moses (Peace be upon him), whom the Lord knew face to face”. When you read this verse what do you notice straight away? Well Deuteronomy 34:10 is telling us that the prophet who is like Moses (Peace be upon him) will not arise from Israel.
Indeed this is what happened; within the Israelite Nation there has never been a Prophet like Moses (Peace be upon him) who fits the descriptions of the prophecy.
This is a fact, since the prophecy was made; no Prophet has arisen in Israel like Moses (Peace be upon him) whom God knew face to face.
Therefore this prophet cannot be an Israelite or Jewish! He can not be Jesus (Peace be upon him) because he arose in Israel. That prophet can only be Muhammad (Peace be upon him) because not only was he an Ishmaelite (or from the brethren of the Israelites) he arose in Arabia not in Israel.
So all the evidence we have points to Muhammad (Peace be upon him) as the fulfillment of the Prophecy given to Moses (Peace be upon him) in Deuteronomy 18:18. Also, in agreement with the description of that prophet, Muhammad (Peace be upon him) did in fact know or speak with God “face to face” as the Bible puts it when he ascended to heaven in the miraculous Night Journey called “Al Isra wal Miraj”, when God spoke directly to Muhammad (Peace be upon him) without any angels or intermediaries, it was here in heaven that Muhammad (Peace be upon him) heard the voice of God and God gave him the 5 daily prayers before returning him back to Makkah after visiting Jerusalem.
Please be aware that even though the Biblical evidence for Muhammad (Peace be upon him) seems very strong there are still many people who will deny it. Those who deny it say that Deuteronomy 34 was not written by Moses (Peace be upon him) but by someone else, it is
assumed Joshua or perhaps some other follower of his and that at the time when the unknown author wrote chapter 34 no prophet had yet arisen in Israel like Moses.
Therefore they will say that the prophecy could be fulfilled after that point, by someone else other than Muhammad (Peace be upon him). Christians for example will say Jesus (Peace be upon him) is the fulfillment of the prophecy.
But I find this response problematic for 2 reasons: #1. Joshua never said he wrote it and it forces you to admit that Deuteronomy 34 has an anonymous author; nobody even knows who wrote this chapter. I believe that no intelligent Jew or Christian will claim that a text which was written by an unknown individual thousands of years ago is the Unchanged, Unadulterated, Perfectly Preserved and Complete Word of God, the scripture that one should base their faith on, a faith that one will take to their grave (I don’t know about you but I would not gamble my soul away by putting my faith in such an anonymous
scripture), and #2. It forces you to admit there is corruption in the text, the whole book of Deuteronomy has been traditionally attributed to Moses (Peace be upon him) yet now it is being claimed that the last chapter of Deuteronomy was not written by Moses (Peace be upon him) at all. It makes me wonder what other parts of the Bible they will
discover as inauthentic, unreliable and interpolated by someone other than the original author. So this response and any similar ones, force you to attack the credibility and dignity of the Bible. It seems that those who deny Muhammad (Peace be upon him) his place in this Biblical prophecy would rather be forced to admit to textual corruption than to admit that God sent Muhammad (Peace be upon him) and foretold his coming in the book of Deuteronomy. For some 3500 years, the Hebrews and later the Christians have attributed the book of Deuteronomy to Moses (Peace be upon him).
That is because Deuteronomy 1:1 and 31:24–26 say that these are
the words God spoke to Moses (Peace be upon him) but that doesn’t stop Bible scholars claiming that the last chapter of Deuteronomy was not written by Moses (Peace be upon him).
I say that those Jews and Christians who wish to remain faithful to the traditional 5 books of Moses (Peace be upon him) and who believe them to be the Eternal inspired Word of God will have no choice but to accept the evidence for Muhammad (Peace be upon him) which I have presented here. Denying Muhammad (Peace be upon him) this prophecy can only be done by bringing shame to the text of the Bible by admitting that you have a corrupted, inauthentic, unreliable, interpolated and anonymous text instead of the actual words of Moses (Peace be upon him) and I know that Jews and Christians would not
want to admit that about their holy books.
But even if we disregard the whole debate about the authorship of Deuteronomy 34, Jews and Christians should at least believe that God is giving the author a unique futuristic view, a prophecy viewed from the future perspective looking back through human history to the time of Moses (Peace be upon him). In other words, the text is not viewing the past from present but viewing the past from the future, a future prophecy which stretches from the time of Moses (Peace be upon him) (or the author of Deuteronomy 34) until the end of the line of Israelite Prophets and the advent of Muhammad (Peace be upon him).
Indeed this is what happened; within the Israelite Nation there has never been a Prophet like Moses (Peace be upon him) who fits the descriptions of the prophecy.
This is a fact, since the prophecy was made; no Prophet has arisen in Israel like Moses (Peace be upon him) whom God knew face to face.
Therefore this prophet cannot be an Israelite or Jewish! He can not be Jesus (Peace be upon him) because he arose in Israel. That prophet can only be Muhammad (Peace be upon him) because not only was he an Ishmaelite (or from the brethren of the Israelites) he arose in Arabia not in Israel.
So all the evidence we have points to Muhammad (Peace be upon him) as the fulfillment of the Prophecy given to Moses (Peace be upon him) in Deuteronomy 18:18. Also, in agreement with the description of that prophet, Muhammad (Peace be upon him) did in fact know or speak with God “face to face” as the Bible puts it when he ascended to heaven in the miraculous Night Journey called “Al Isra wal Miraj”, when God spoke directly to Muhammad (Peace be upon him) without any angels or intermediaries, it was here in heaven that Muhammad (Peace be upon him) heard the voice of God and God gave him the 5 daily prayers before returning him back to Makkah after visiting Jerusalem.
Please be aware that even though the Biblical evidence for Muhammad (Peace be upon him) seems very strong there are still many people who will deny it. Those who deny it say that Deuteronomy 34 was not written by Moses (Peace be upon him) but by someone else, it is
assumed Joshua or perhaps some other follower of his and that at the time when the unknown author wrote chapter 34 no prophet had yet arisen in Israel like Moses.
Therefore they will say that the prophecy could be fulfilled after that point, by someone else other than Muhammad (Peace be upon him). Christians for example will say Jesus (Peace be upon him) is the fulfillment of the prophecy.
But I find this response problematic for 2 reasons: #1. Joshua never said he wrote it and it forces you to admit that Deuteronomy 34 has an anonymous author; nobody even knows who wrote this chapter. I believe that no intelligent Jew or Christian will claim that a text which was written by an unknown individual thousands of years ago is the Unchanged, Unadulterated, Perfectly Preserved and Complete Word of God, the scripture that one should base their faith on, a faith that one will take to their grave (I don’t know about you but I would not gamble my soul away by putting my faith in such an anonymous
scripture), and #2. It forces you to admit there is corruption in the text, the whole book of Deuteronomy has been traditionally attributed to Moses (Peace be upon him) yet now it is being claimed that the last chapter of Deuteronomy was not written by Moses (Peace be upon him) at all. It makes me wonder what other parts of the Bible they will
discover as inauthentic, unreliable and interpolated by someone other than the original author. So this response and any similar ones, force you to attack the credibility and dignity of the Bible. It seems that those who deny Muhammad (Peace be upon him) his place in this Biblical prophecy would rather be forced to admit to textual corruption than to admit that God sent Muhammad (Peace be upon him) and foretold his coming in the book of Deuteronomy. For some 3500 years, the Hebrews and later the Christians have attributed the book of Deuteronomy to Moses (Peace be upon him).
That is because Deuteronomy 1:1 and 31:24–26 say that these are
the words God spoke to Moses (Peace be upon him) but that doesn’t stop Bible scholars claiming that the last chapter of Deuteronomy was not written by Moses (Peace be upon him).
I say that those Jews and Christians who wish to remain faithful to the traditional 5 books of Moses (Peace be upon him) and who believe them to be the Eternal inspired Word of God will have no choice but to accept the evidence for Muhammad (Peace be upon him) which I have presented here. Denying Muhammad (Peace be upon him) this prophecy can only be done by bringing shame to the text of the Bible by admitting that you have a corrupted, inauthentic, unreliable, interpolated and anonymous text instead of the actual words of Moses (Peace be upon him) and I know that Jews and Christians would not
want to admit that about their holy books.
But even if we disregard the whole debate about the authorship of Deuteronomy 34, Jews and Christians should at least believe that God is giving the author a unique futuristic view, a prophecy viewed from the future perspective looking back through human history to the time of Moses (Peace be upon him). In other words, the text is not viewing the past from present but viewing the past from the future, a future prophecy which stretches from the time of Moses (Peace be upon him) (or the author of Deuteronomy 34) until the end of the line of Israelite Prophets and the advent of Muhammad (Peace be upon him).
Despite the evidence I am presenting there are also many people who claim that the prophet like Moses (Peace be upon him) mentioned in Deuteronomy 18:18 is not Muhammad (Peace be upon him) but Jesus (Peace be upon him).
Let’s examine this further to see if it could in fact be Jesus (Peace be upon him). The Jews at Jesus’ (Peace be upon him) time were waiting for God to send them 3 individual men. According to John 1:25 they are the return of Elijah, 2#) the Promised Awaited Messiah and 3#) The Prophet like Moses (Peace be upon him). Now we must find out who these 3 men are.
According to Matthew 11:14 and 17:12-13 John the Baptist is the return of Elijah. As for the second individual, the Awaited Messiah, it is Jesus (Peace be upon him) according to John 4:25-26. As for the third individual, the Prophet like Moses (Peace be upon him), this has to be Prophet Muhammad for the following reasons.
1) We have already seen the great similarities between Moses (Peace be upon him) and Muhammad (Peace be upon him),
2) Muhammad was an Ishmaelite-Arab, from the brethren of the Israelites,
3) The Prophet will speak in God’s name, which is what Muhammad (Peace be upon him) did (Qur’an 53:3-4),
4) Deuteronomy 18:21-22 says that what the prophet prophesies must come true if he is a true prophet, and Muhammad’s (Peace be upon him) prophecies did come true.
Just to give you one example: he prophesied that the Muslims would defeat the two superpowers of his time, the Byzantine and Persian empires.
This was fulfilled just after his death. Can you imagine that, the 7th century desert Arabs who were still too few and too weak at the time could defeat not just one superpower but two? To prophesy their mere survival would have sounded too hopeful! Well it did happen and these are historical facts.
5) We saw in Deuteronomy 34:10 that the prophet could not come from Israel (or the Israelite nation) but he must come from outside it. Muhammad (Peace be upon him) came from the Ishmaelites, from Arabia, which is outside Israel.
6) We saw that the prophet like Moses (Peace be upon him) could not be Jesus (Peace be upon him) or John the Baptist (Peace be upon him), John the Baptist was the return of Elijah, and Jesus (Peace be upon him) was the Awaited Messiah.
This leaves us only with Muhammad (Peace be upon him) as the fulfillment of Deuteronomy 18:18. 7) Jesus (Peace be upon him) prophesied the coming of Muhammad (Peace be upon him) as we will see later when I give evidence from the New Testament InshALLAH in new thread soon.
Let’s examine this further to see if it could in fact be Jesus (Peace be upon him). The Jews at Jesus’ (Peace be upon him) time were waiting for God to send them 3 individual men. According to John 1:25 they are the return of Elijah, 2#) the Promised Awaited Messiah and 3#) The Prophet like Moses (Peace be upon him). Now we must find out who these 3 men are.
According to Matthew 11:14 and 17:12-13 John the Baptist is the return of Elijah. As for the second individual, the Awaited Messiah, it is Jesus (Peace be upon him) according to John 4:25-26. As for the third individual, the Prophet like Moses (Peace be upon him), this has to be Prophet Muhammad for the following reasons.
1) We have already seen the great similarities between Moses (Peace be upon him) and Muhammad (Peace be upon him),
2) Muhammad was an Ishmaelite-Arab, from the brethren of the Israelites,
3) The Prophet will speak in God’s name, which is what Muhammad (Peace be upon him) did (Qur’an 53:3-4),
4) Deuteronomy 18:21-22 says that what the prophet prophesies must come true if he is a true prophet, and Muhammad’s (Peace be upon him) prophecies did come true.
Just to give you one example: he prophesied that the Muslims would defeat the two superpowers of his time, the Byzantine and Persian empires.
This was fulfilled just after his death. Can you imagine that, the 7th century desert Arabs who were still too few and too weak at the time could defeat not just one superpower but two? To prophesy their mere survival would have sounded too hopeful! Well it did happen and these are historical facts.
5) We saw in Deuteronomy 34:10 that the prophet could not come from Israel (or the Israelite nation) but he must come from outside it. Muhammad (Peace be upon him) came from the Ishmaelites, from Arabia, which is outside Israel.
6) We saw that the prophet like Moses (Peace be upon him) could not be Jesus (Peace be upon him) or John the Baptist (Peace be upon him), John the Baptist was the return of Elijah, and Jesus (Peace be upon him) was the Awaited Messiah.
This leaves us only with Muhammad (Peace be upon him) as the fulfillment of Deuteronomy 18:18. 7) Jesus (Peace be upon him) prophesied the coming of Muhammad (Peace be upon him) as we will see later when I give evidence from the New Testament InshALLAH in new thread soon.
So I conclude this point by reminding myself and you all that God tells us that we must accept and follow this prophet like Moses (Peace be upon him)
Moving on now to my next point from the Torah. We will look at
Deuteronomy 33:2, it says: “And he said: ‘The Lord came from
Sinai, and downed on them from Seir; He shone forth from Mount Paran, and He came with ten thousands of saints; from His right hand came a fiery law for them.”
At first glance this verse appears to be in the past tense, not a future prophecy however when we understand the philosophical concept that God is outside of time, as time is a created concept but God is the creator who is outside His creation.
We can then understand the fact that God is not constrained by the laws of this world, and from His perfect perspective everything can be considered in the past.
Also, this verse mentions the word “Lord”, in the Hebrew text it’s written as 4 letters without vowels, transliterated into English as “Y H W H”. The proper pronunciation for this Tetragrammaton is “Ya Huwa” which means “O He” or “O He is” the implied meaning being “O, He is God” and as I said, God is not bound by time. So even though this verse appears to be referring to something in the past it is actually a future prophecy.
In any case this verse would have been understood by the Israelites as being a future prophecy as will be made clear to you when I show you which future prophets are prophesied in Deuteronomy 33:2. So let’s dissect this verse to make it easier to understand.
Firstly, when this verse says: “The Lord came from Sinai” who do you think this is referring to? What great Prophet of God is most famous for
being in the Sinai desert? I think we can all answer this one, it is obviously a reference to Moses (Peace be upon him) because he received his revelation on Mount Sinai in Exodus 19:20.
In other words God came to us through the inspired teachings of Prophet Moses (Peace be upon him) and it was God who led the believers through Moses (Peace be upon him) in the Sinai.
So this part of the verse is an explicit reference to Prophet Moses (Peace be upon him) and how God came (or guided people) through him. Secondly, the verse says:
“and downed on them from Seir”, where is Seir and which prophet of God is this alluding to? Seir is usually associated with the chain of mountains West and South of the Dead Sea extending through Jerusalem and Bethlehem, the birth place of Jesus (Peace be upon him).
It was later extended to include the mountains on the East side as well, according to the “Dictionary of the Bible, by John L.McKenzie, p. 783”. This could not be a reference to Moses (Peace be upon him) because he never entered Palestine.
So we should conclude that Seir refers to Jesus (Peace be upon him). Now, to the rest of the verse which says: “He shone forth from Mount Paran, and He came with ten thousands of saints; from His right hand came a fiery law for them.” What prophet was passionate about using his right hand, who was also given a Law from God and who shone forth from Paran or Mount Paran? First we need to find out where Mount Paran is.
According to Genesis 21:21 Paran is a desert wilderness; the place where Abraham’s (Peace be upon him) wife Hagar and his oldest son Ishmael (Peace be upon him), the father of the Arabs settled.
It is common knowledge that Ishmael (Peace be upon him) is the father of the Arabs, just like Isaac (Peace be upon him) and Jacob are the fathers of the Jews.
These facts are generally not disputed by anyone so I don’t need to prove that, but where is Paran the place where Ishmael (Peace be upon him), the father of the Arabs settled? The answer is; Arabia, the land of the Arabs. History tells us that Abraham took Hagar and Ishmael (Peace be upon him) to Arabia, in particular to a mountainous area known as “Baca” as it‘s called in Psalms 84:7, and in the Qur’an 3:96, today we call it Makkah.
So Paran must be in Arabia, and in particular Mount Paran is the chain of mountains in that same region which the Arabs now call the “Sarawat Mountains”.
It is interesting to note that Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) received his first revelation in the Cave of Hirah located in these mountains.
Deuteronomy 33:2, it says: “And he said: ‘The Lord came from
Sinai, and downed on them from Seir; He shone forth from Mount Paran, and He came with ten thousands of saints; from His right hand came a fiery law for them.”
At first glance this verse appears to be in the past tense, not a future prophecy however when we understand the philosophical concept that God is outside of time, as time is a created concept but God is the creator who is outside His creation.
We can then understand the fact that God is not constrained by the laws of this world, and from His perfect perspective everything can be considered in the past.
Also, this verse mentions the word “Lord”, in the Hebrew text it’s written as 4 letters without vowels, transliterated into English as “Y H W H”. The proper pronunciation for this Tetragrammaton is “Ya Huwa” which means “O He” or “O He is” the implied meaning being “O, He is God” and as I said, God is not bound by time. So even though this verse appears to be referring to something in the past it is actually a future prophecy.
In any case this verse would have been understood by the Israelites as being a future prophecy as will be made clear to you when I show you which future prophets are prophesied in Deuteronomy 33:2. So let’s dissect this verse to make it easier to understand.
Firstly, when this verse says: “The Lord came from Sinai” who do you think this is referring to? What great Prophet of God is most famous for
being in the Sinai desert? I think we can all answer this one, it is obviously a reference to Moses (Peace be upon him) because he received his revelation on Mount Sinai in Exodus 19:20.
In other words God came to us through the inspired teachings of Prophet Moses (Peace be upon him) and it was God who led the believers through Moses (Peace be upon him) in the Sinai.
So this part of the verse is an explicit reference to Prophet Moses (Peace be upon him) and how God came (or guided people) through him. Secondly, the verse says:
“and downed on them from Seir”, where is Seir and which prophet of God is this alluding to? Seir is usually associated with the chain of mountains West and South of the Dead Sea extending through Jerusalem and Bethlehem, the birth place of Jesus (Peace be upon him).
It was later extended to include the mountains on the East side as well, according to the “Dictionary of the Bible, by John L.McKenzie, p. 783”. This could not be a reference to Moses (Peace be upon him) because he never entered Palestine.
So we should conclude that Seir refers to Jesus (Peace be upon him). Now, to the rest of the verse which says: “He shone forth from Mount Paran, and He came with ten thousands of saints; from His right hand came a fiery law for them.” What prophet was passionate about using his right hand, who was also given a Law from God and who shone forth from Paran or Mount Paran? First we need to find out where Mount Paran is.
According to Genesis 21:21 Paran is a desert wilderness; the place where Abraham’s (Peace be upon him) wife Hagar and his oldest son Ishmael (Peace be upon him), the father of the Arabs settled.
It is common knowledge that Ishmael (Peace be upon him) is the father of the Arabs, just like Isaac (Peace be upon him) and Jacob are the fathers of the Jews.
These facts are generally not disputed by anyone so I don’t need to prove that, but where is Paran the place where Ishmael (Peace be upon him), the father of the Arabs settled? The answer is; Arabia, the land of the Arabs. History tells us that Abraham took Hagar and Ishmael (Peace be upon him) to Arabia, in particular to a mountainous area known as “Baca” as it‘s called in Psalms 84:7, and in the Qur’an 3:96, today we call it Makkah.
So Paran must be in Arabia, and in particular Mount Paran is the chain of mountains in that same region which the Arabs now call the “Sarawat Mountains”.
It is interesting to note that Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) received his first revelation in the Cave of Hirah located in these mountains.
Is there any other Biblical evidence which will help us locate Paran?
Yes, if we turn to Habakkuk, one of the last books of the Old Testament we read in chapter 3 verse 3: “God came from Teman, The Holy One from Mount Paran. His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of His praise”.
So again we find Mount Paran which is where Hagar (Peace be upon her) and Ishmael (Peace be upon him) settled (Genesis 21:21) that is Arabia, but here it is linked with a place called Teman.
Just to give you the context of this verse, it is a prayer of Habakkuk, as he is praying God inspires him to make this prophecy in verse 3. Again, this verse appears to be in the past tense but for the same reason that Deuteronomy 33:2 is a future prophecy so is Habakkuk 3:3.
It appears that God is giving Habakkuk a glance at a future event and Habakkuk is telling it as he sees it in the past tense. In fact in verse 2 Habakkuk is asking God for present and future blessings and this leads to his inspired prophecy in verse 3. And one more quick note about this, according to my Bible, The New American version, verse 3 says:
“God comes from Teman..” so it’s not in the past tense here. In other words God is coming from this place in the sense that He is sending us His guidance through His prophets (Peace be upon him).
Now, in order to better understand where Mount Paran is we have to find out where Teman is. According to “J. Hasting’s Dictionary of the Bible”, Teman is an Oasis just north of Madinah. For those of you who don’t know, Madinah is in Arabia, the city of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him), the place where Islam started to develop into a mighty empire of faith. With this information we are now sure that Paran must be Arabia and in particular Makkah.
Read Habakkuk 3:3 again, it all makes perfect sense. Muhammad (Peace be upon him) did indeed come from Paran, in 622 CE he and his followers were forced to migrate from Makkah (Paran) to Madinah (Teman) where he (Peace be upon him) spent the rest of his prophetic life teaching its people the guidance from God (The Qur’an). These two cities, Mecca and Madinah or Paran and Teman are very important to Muslims, in fact every chapter of the Qur’an is classified as revealed either in the Meccan period or the Madinan period.
Yes, if we turn to Habakkuk, one of the last books of the Old Testament we read in chapter 3 verse 3: “God came from Teman, The Holy One from Mount Paran. His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of His praise”.
So again we find Mount Paran which is where Hagar (Peace be upon her) and Ishmael (Peace be upon him) settled (Genesis 21:21) that is Arabia, but here it is linked with a place called Teman.
Just to give you the context of this verse, it is a prayer of Habakkuk, as he is praying God inspires him to make this prophecy in verse 3. Again, this verse appears to be in the past tense but for the same reason that Deuteronomy 33:2 is a future prophecy so is Habakkuk 3:3.
It appears that God is giving Habakkuk a glance at a future event and Habakkuk is telling it as he sees it in the past tense. In fact in verse 2 Habakkuk is asking God for present and future blessings and this leads to his inspired prophecy in verse 3. And one more quick note about this, according to my Bible, The New American version, verse 3 says:
“God comes from Teman..” so it’s not in the past tense here. In other words God is coming from this place in the sense that He is sending us His guidance through His prophets (Peace be upon him).
Now, in order to better understand where Mount Paran is we have to find out where Teman is. According to “J. Hasting’s Dictionary of the Bible”, Teman is an Oasis just north of Madinah. For those of you who don’t know, Madinah is in Arabia, the city of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him), the place where Islam started to develop into a mighty empire of faith. With this information we are now sure that Paran must be Arabia and in particular Makkah.
Read Habakkuk 3:3 again, it all makes perfect sense. Muhammad (Peace be upon him) did indeed come from Paran, in 622 CE he and his followers were forced to migrate from Makkah (Paran) to Madinah (Teman) where he (Peace be upon him) spent the rest of his prophetic life teaching its people the guidance from God (The Qur’an). These two cities, Mecca and Madinah or Paran and Teman are very important to Muslims, in fact every chapter of the Qur’an is classified as revealed either in the Meccan period or the Madinan period.
Now that we know where Paran is, let’s get back to our verse in discussion, Deuteronomy 33:2. It says: “He shone forth from Mount Paran, and He came with ten thousands of saints; from His right hand came a fiery law for them.” This prophecycan be none else but the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him).
Anyone who studies his biography knows that he conquered Makkah with Ten Thousand men and that God revealed to him the Islamic Law called The Shariah.
Deuteronomy 33:2 does not provide us with the exact number of men that accompany this prophet (Peace be upon him) but it was a large number, and such was the case with Prophet Muhammad’s (Peace be upon him) men.
The historical reports say they numbered 10,000 and it is interesting to note that the actual Hebrew word used in Deuteronomy 33:2 is “Rebabah” which is translated in some Bibles as “Ten Thousands”.
However, according to Strong’s Hebrew Dictionary the word is defined as: “multitude, myriad, ten thousand” which is the exact number of men that marched to Makkah with Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him).
Not only that but the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) was passionate about using his right hand for any wholesome righteous act and he would use his left hand for other things. In this way he was reminding us all to be righteous, keeping in mind that the righteous people on the Day of Judgment will be those on the right side of the Throne of God.
Anyone who studies his biography knows that he conquered Makkah with Ten Thousand men and that God revealed to him the Islamic Law called The Shariah.
Deuteronomy 33:2 does not provide us with the exact number of men that accompany this prophet (Peace be upon him) but it was a large number, and such was the case with Prophet Muhammad’s (Peace be upon him) men.
The historical reports say they numbered 10,000 and it is interesting to note that the actual Hebrew word used in Deuteronomy 33:2 is “Rebabah” which is translated in some Bibles as “Ten Thousands”.
However, according to Strong’s Hebrew Dictionary the word is defined as: “multitude, myriad, ten thousand” which is the exact number of men that marched to Makkah with Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him).
Not only that but the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) was passionate about using his right hand for any wholesome righteous act and he would use his left hand for other things. In this way he was reminding us all to be righteous, keeping in mind that the righteous people on the Day of Judgment will be those on the right side of the Throne of God.
Isaiah 21:13-17 says:
“Oracle on Arabia: In the thicket in the nomad country spend the night, O caravans of Dedanites. Meet the thirsty, bring them water; you who dwell in the land of Tema, greet the fugitives with bread. They flee from the sword, from the whetted sword; From the taut bow, from the fury of battle. For thus says the Lord to me: In another year, like those of a hireling, all the glory of Kedar shall come to an end.
Few of Kedar’s stalwart archers shall remain, for the Lord, the God of Israel, has spoken”.
The first question we should ask about this verse is: What is an Oracle?
According to the “Scofield Study Bible New King James Version”, note 1, on p. 792, says: “…an oracle is a word sometimes used in the prophetical writings to indicate a divine message of judgment”. So in other words the people of Arabia would be assigned the burden of God’s message.
The next verse talks about those who dwell in the land of Tema and greet the fugitives, so we need to know where Tema is (this should not be confused with Teman which we previously spoke about). According to Genesis 25:13-15 Tema is one of the sons of Ishmael (Peace be upon him) (the father of the Arabs). Strong’s concordance of the Bible tells us that this name was applied to the land settled by Tema. It also states that this word is “probably of foreign derivation”. Indeed, the word “Tema” is an Arabic word which means “Barren desert”.
According to “John McKenzie’s Dictionary of the Bible” Tema is “a place name and tribal name of Arabia, a son of Ishmael (Peace be upon him)…” So it should be clear to us now that Tema refers to Arabia. Also, I would caution you to not confuse the modern town of Tema in Saudi Arabia with the Tema that we are speaking of. The Bible is using Tema as a reference to Arabia in general.
Continuing on, verse 15 talks about the fugitives fleeing from persecutions or “from the sword” and then in verses 16 and 17 it prophesies that in another year the glory of Kedar will come to and end.
Once again we are forced to ask another question: Who is this Kedar? The answer is; Kedar is the second son of Ishmael (Peace be upon him) (the father of the Arabs) according to Genesis 25:13. According to the Bible, Kedar is also synonymous with all of Arabia in general as we see in Ezekiel 27:21 which says: “The trade of Arabia and all the sheikhs (or princes) of Kedar…”
“Oracle on Arabia: In the thicket in the nomad country spend the night, O caravans of Dedanites. Meet the thirsty, bring them water; you who dwell in the land of Tema, greet the fugitives with bread. They flee from the sword, from the whetted sword; From the taut bow, from the fury of battle. For thus says the Lord to me: In another year, like those of a hireling, all the glory of Kedar shall come to an end.
Few of Kedar’s stalwart archers shall remain, for the Lord, the God of Israel, has spoken”.
The first question we should ask about this verse is: What is an Oracle?
According to the “Scofield Study Bible New King James Version”, note 1, on p. 792, says: “…an oracle is a word sometimes used in the prophetical writings to indicate a divine message of judgment”. So in other words the people of Arabia would be assigned the burden of God’s message.
The next verse talks about those who dwell in the land of Tema and greet the fugitives, so we need to know where Tema is (this should not be confused with Teman which we previously spoke about). According to Genesis 25:13-15 Tema is one of the sons of Ishmael (Peace be upon him) (the father of the Arabs). Strong’s concordance of the Bible tells us that this name was applied to the land settled by Tema. It also states that this word is “probably of foreign derivation”. Indeed, the word “Tema” is an Arabic word which means “Barren desert”.
According to “John McKenzie’s Dictionary of the Bible” Tema is “a place name and tribal name of Arabia, a son of Ishmael (Peace be upon him)…” So it should be clear to us now that Tema refers to Arabia. Also, I would caution you to not confuse the modern town of Tema in Saudi Arabia with the Tema that we are speaking of. The Bible is using Tema as a reference to Arabia in general.
Continuing on, verse 15 talks about the fugitives fleeing from persecutions or “from the sword” and then in verses 16 and 17 it prophesies that in another year the glory of Kedar will come to and end.
Once again we are forced to ask another question: Who is this Kedar? The answer is; Kedar is the second son of Ishmael (Peace be upon him) (the father of the Arabs) according to Genesis 25:13. According to the Bible, Kedar is also synonymous with all of Arabia in general as we see in Ezekiel 27:21 which says: “The trade of Arabia and all the sheikhs (or princes) of Kedar…”
Now what do we make of this prophecy?
This Bible verse vividly describes a vitally important turning point in
Islamic history. Although no individual is singled out for mentioning it’s
still a clear reference to the fleeing of persecuted Muslims from Makkah who came to Madinah for safety.
The pagan Arabs of Mecca had been fighting, killing and torturing the minority Muslim population. The citizens of Madinah who had already accepted Islam helped the Muslim immigrants by providing them with water, food and shelter. From this city the Muslims developed into the first Islamic state which became a world super power.
About a year after the immigration the Muslims found themselves in a
situation where they had to fight for their survival and in this battle called “the Battle of Badr” they defeated the pagan Arab tribe of Quraish and put an end to the glory of Kedar. The Quraish were the tribe who ruled Makkah at that time. So it happened just like Isaiah 21 said, “in another year all the glory of Kedar will come to an end”. This battle described in Isaiah 21, the battle of Badr marked a huge turning point, Arabia saw a power shift. This Muslim victory was the beginning of the end for the reign of idolatry and paganism in Arabia.
The Muslim Nation would then go on to expand to many other nations until it spread from Spain to China, fulfilling more prophecies in the Bible including Daniel 2:44, and Genesis 15:18-21. These are documented historical facts that appear in books written by Western, non-Muslim and Muslim writers.
For those of you who might be asking yourself why didn’t God just mention Madinah in this prophecy, the city of Muhammad (Peace be upon him), why mention Tema instead? I think the answer is for the same reason why God prophesied the coming of Jesus (Peace be upon him) in the Old Testament yet didn’t specifically mention him by name.
Jesus (Peace be upon him) is not mentioned by name in the Old Testament yet countless millions of people believe he is mentioned therein.
I think there is a similar reason why Tema is mentioned instead of Madinah, if every article of faith can be proven, in “back and white” as they say, than what would be the purpose or function of faith? If everything could be proven than we would no longer need faith.
I also think that sometimes God gives us enough evidence to believe in something yet the evidence does not amount to absolute proof, this is done in order to test us in our faith. To me faith and evidence go together, better than faith and proof do. Also, the city was not
called Madinah at the time of Isaiah so it would have been meaningless to mention its name at that time.
However, I think the evidence is sufficient; Tema is in North West Arabia, the same general region as Madinah, the city of Muhammad (Peace be upon him). The events described in Isaiah 21:13-17 which occurred in Arabia or Tema where fulfilled by none other than Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) and the Muslims.
This Bible verse vividly describes a vitally important turning point in
Islamic history. Although no individual is singled out for mentioning it’s
still a clear reference to the fleeing of persecuted Muslims from Makkah who came to Madinah for safety.
The pagan Arabs of Mecca had been fighting, killing and torturing the minority Muslim population. The citizens of Madinah who had already accepted Islam helped the Muslim immigrants by providing them with water, food and shelter. From this city the Muslims developed into the first Islamic state which became a world super power.
About a year after the immigration the Muslims found themselves in a
situation where they had to fight for their survival and in this battle called “the Battle of Badr” they defeated the pagan Arab tribe of Quraish and put an end to the glory of Kedar. The Quraish were the tribe who ruled Makkah at that time. So it happened just like Isaiah 21 said, “in another year all the glory of Kedar will come to an end”. This battle described in Isaiah 21, the battle of Badr marked a huge turning point, Arabia saw a power shift. This Muslim victory was the beginning of the end for the reign of idolatry and paganism in Arabia.
The Muslim Nation would then go on to expand to many other nations until it spread from Spain to China, fulfilling more prophecies in the Bible including Daniel 2:44, and Genesis 15:18-21. These are documented historical facts that appear in books written by Western, non-Muslim and Muslim writers.
For those of you who might be asking yourself why didn’t God just mention Madinah in this prophecy, the city of Muhammad (Peace be upon him), why mention Tema instead? I think the answer is for the same reason why God prophesied the coming of Jesus (Peace be upon him) in the Old Testament yet didn’t specifically mention him by name.
Jesus (Peace be upon him) is not mentioned by name in the Old Testament yet countless millions of people believe he is mentioned therein.
I think there is a similar reason why Tema is mentioned instead of Madinah, if every article of faith can be proven, in “back and white” as they say, than what would be the purpose or function of faith? If everything could be proven than we would no longer need faith.
I also think that sometimes God gives us enough evidence to believe in something yet the evidence does not amount to absolute proof, this is done in order to test us in our faith. To me faith and evidence go together, better than faith and proof do. Also, the city was not
called Madinah at the time of Isaiah so it would have been meaningless to mention its name at that time.
However, I think the evidence is sufficient; Tema is in North West Arabia, the same general region as Madinah, the city of Muhammad (Peace be upon him). The events described in Isaiah 21:13-17 which occurred in Arabia or Tema where fulfilled by none other than Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) and the Muslims.
It is He Who has sent amongst the Unlettered a messenger from among themselves, to rehearse to them His Signs, to sanctify them, and to instruct them in Scripture and Wisdom, - although they had been, before, in manifest error;-
Holy Qur'an 62:2
Holy Qur'an 62:2
In conclusion, I end with a quotation of a Christian Reverend, the
commentator of the Bible, followed by that of his Master:
"THE ULTIMATE CRITERION OF A TRUE PROPHET IS THE MORAL CHARACTER OF HIS TEACHINGS."
(Prof. Dummelow)
"BY THEIR FRUITS YE SHALL KNOW THEM."
(Jesus Christ)
commentator of the Bible, followed by that of his Master:
"THE ULTIMATE CRITERION OF A TRUE PROPHET IS THE MORAL CHARACTER OF HIS TEACHINGS."
(Prof. Dummelow)
"BY THEIR FRUITS YE SHALL KNOW THEM."
(Jesus Christ)
COME LET US
REASON TOGETHER!
SAY: "O PEOPLE OF THE BOOK!
COME TO COMMON TERMS AS
BETWEEN US AND YOU:
THAT WE WORSHIP NONE BUT GOD;
THAT WE ASSOCIATE NO PARTNERS WITH HIM;
THAT WE ERECT NOT, FROM AMONG
OURSELVES,
LORDS AND PATRONS OTHER THAN GOD."
IF THEN THEY TURN BACK,
SAY: "BEAR WITNESS THAT WE (AT LEAST)
ARE MUSLIMS (BOWING TO GOD'S WILL)."
(Holy Qur'an 3:64)
"PEOPLE OF THE BOOK" is the respectful title given to the Jews and the Christians in the Holy Qur'an. The Muslim is here commanded to invite - "O People of the Book!" - O Learned People! O People who claim to be the recipients of Divine Revelation, of a Holy Scripture; let us gather together onto a common platform - "that we worship none but God", because none but God is worthy of worship, not because "THE LORD THY GOD IS A JEALOUS GOD VISITING THE INIQUITY OF THE FATHERS UPON THE CHILDREN UNTO THE THIRD AND FOURTH GENERATION OF THEM THAT HATE ME." (Exodus 20:5). But because He is our Lord and Cherisher, our Sustainer and Evolver, worthy of all praise, prayer and devotion.
In the abstract the Jews and the Christians would agree to all the three propositions contained in this Qur'anic verse. In practice they fail. Apart from doctrinal lapses from the unity of the One True God, (ALLAH subhanahu wa ta-ala) there is the question of a consecrated Priesthood (among the Jews it was hereditary also), as if a mere human being - Cohen, or Pope, or Priest, or Brahman, - could claim superiority apart from his learning and the purity of his life, or could stand between man and God in some special sense. ISLAM DOES NOT RECOGNISE PRIESTHOOD!
The Creed of Islam is given to us here in a nutshell:
Say ye: "We believe in Allah,
And the revelation given to us,
And to Abraham, Ismail, Isaac,
Jacob, and the Tribes,
And that given to Moses and Jesus
And that given to (all)
Prophets from their Lord:
We make no difference
Between one and another of them:
And we bow to Allah (in Islam)."
(Holy Qur'an 2:136)
The Muslim position is clear. The Muslim does not claim to have a religion peculiar to himself. Islam is not a sect or an ethnic religion. In its view all Religion is one, for the Truth is one. IT WAS THE SAME RELIGION PREACHED BY ALL THE EARLIER PROPHETS. (Holy Qur'an 42:13). It was the truth taught by all the inspired Books. In essence it amounts to a consciousness of the Will and Plan of God and a joyful submission to that Will and Plan. IF ANYONE WANTS A RELIGION OTHER THAN THAT, HE IS FALSE TO HIS OWN NATURE, AS HE IS FALSE TO GOD'S WILL AND PLAN. Such a one cannot expect guidance, for he has deliberately renounced guidance.
REASON TOGETHER!
SAY: "O PEOPLE OF THE BOOK!
COME TO COMMON TERMS AS
BETWEEN US AND YOU:
THAT WE WORSHIP NONE BUT GOD;
THAT WE ASSOCIATE NO PARTNERS WITH HIM;
THAT WE ERECT NOT, FROM AMONG
OURSELVES,
LORDS AND PATRONS OTHER THAN GOD."
IF THEN THEY TURN BACK,
SAY: "BEAR WITNESS THAT WE (AT LEAST)
ARE MUSLIMS (BOWING TO GOD'S WILL)."
(Holy Qur'an 3:64)
"PEOPLE OF THE BOOK" is the respectful title given to the Jews and the Christians in the Holy Qur'an. The Muslim is here commanded to invite - "O People of the Book!" - O Learned People! O People who claim to be the recipients of Divine Revelation, of a Holy Scripture; let us gather together onto a common platform - "that we worship none but God", because none but God is worthy of worship, not because "THE LORD THY GOD IS A JEALOUS GOD VISITING THE INIQUITY OF THE FATHERS UPON THE CHILDREN UNTO THE THIRD AND FOURTH GENERATION OF THEM THAT HATE ME." (Exodus 20:5). But because He is our Lord and Cherisher, our Sustainer and Evolver, worthy of all praise, prayer and devotion.
In the abstract the Jews and the Christians would agree to all the three propositions contained in this Qur'anic verse. In practice they fail. Apart from doctrinal lapses from the unity of the One True God, (ALLAH subhanahu wa ta-ala) there is the question of a consecrated Priesthood (among the Jews it was hereditary also), as if a mere human being - Cohen, or Pope, or Priest, or Brahman, - could claim superiority apart from his learning and the purity of his life, or could stand between man and God in some special sense. ISLAM DOES NOT RECOGNISE PRIESTHOOD!
The Creed of Islam is given to us here in a nutshell:
Say ye: "We believe in Allah,
And the revelation given to us,
And to Abraham, Ismail, Isaac,
Jacob, and the Tribes,
And that given to Moses and Jesus
And that given to (all)
Prophets from their Lord:
We make no difference
Between one and another of them:
And we bow to Allah (in Islam)."
(Holy Qur'an 2:136)
The Muslim position is clear. The Muslim does not claim to have a religion peculiar to himself. Islam is not a sect or an ethnic religion. In its view all Religion is one, for the Truth is one. IT WAS THE SAME RELIGION PREACHED BY ALL THE EARLIER PROPHETS. (Holy Qur'an 42:13). It was the truth taught by all the inspired Books. In essence it amounts to a consciousness of the Will and Plan of God and a joyful submission to that Will and Plan. IF ANYONE WANTS A RELIGION OTHER THAN THAT, HE IS FALSE TO HIS OWN NATURE, AS HE IS FALSE TO GOD'S WILL AND PLAN. Such a one cannot expect guidance, for he has deliberately renounced guidance.
In the Bible, in Deuteronomy chapter eighteen, we have the words of Moses (Peace be upon him) who reports that God told him that HE would raise up a prophet, from among the brothers of the Israelites, like Moses (Peace be upon him).
Christians wish to apply this to Jesus (Peace be upon him), to say he was the prophet like Moses (Peace be upon him). It is uncomfortable for them to recognize, however that Jesus (Peace be upon him) was not very much like Moses (Peace be upon him) and Jesus (Peace be upon him) had no father, no wife, no children; he did not die of old age, and he did not lead a nation; all these things Moses (Peace be upon him) had or did. But they say, well, Jesus (Peace be upon him) will return; he will return as a victorious person, and so he will be more like Moses (Peace be upon him). Do they really expect he will return to also acquire a father and a wife and children and then die of old age? Not usually. Moreover, Jesus (Peace be upon him) was an Israelite. The passage of scripture says that this prophet that was foretold would be raised up among the brothers of the Israelites, not from the Israelites.
In the third chapter of Acts, the disciple Peter speaks to a crowd of people and explains that Jesus (Peace be upon him) has been take up and he is in heaven. He will remain in Heaven and he cannot return until all the things that were promised but God come to pass. So what are we still waiting for, does he tell the crowd? He quotes this very saying of Moses saying:
"For God will raise up a prophet from among the brothers of the Israelites like Moses..."
The point is very clear. Christians like to see this prophet as being Jesus (Peace be upon him). But read carefully Acts chapter three, what it says is that Jesus awaits a return. He cannot return until the fulfillment of this prophecy, that another prophet has to come. Jesus spoke of it himself and the words survived, just barely, but they survived in the bible. Jesus (Peace be upon him) spoke of God sending another 'Paraclete'.
Christians wish to apply this to Jesus (Peace be upon him), to say he was the prophet like Moses (Peace be upon him). It is uncomfortable for them to recognize, however that Jesus (Peace be upon him) was not very much like Moses (Peace be upon him) and Jesus (Peace be upon him) had no father, no wife, no children; he did not die of old age, and he did not lead a nation; all these things Moses (Peace be upon him) had or did. But they say, well, Jesus (Peace be upon him) will return; he will return as a victorious person, and so he will be more like Moses (Peace be upon him). Do they really expect he will return to also acquire a father and a wife and children and then die of old age? Not usually. Moreover, Jesus (Peace be upon him) was an Israelite. The passage of scripture says that this prophet that was foretold would be raised up among the brothers of the Israelites, not from the Israelites.
In the third chapter of Acts, the disciple Peter speaks to a crowd of people and explains that Jesus (Peace be upon him) has been take up and he is in heaven. He will remain in Heaven and he cannot return until all the things that were promised but God come to pass. So what are we still waiting for, does he tell the crowd? He quotes this very saying of Moses saying:
"For God will raise up a prophet from among the brothers of the Israelites like Moses..."
The point is very clear. Christians like to see this prophet as being Jesus (Peace be upon him). But read carefully Acts chapter three, what it says is that Jesus awaits a return. He cannot return until the fulfillment of this prophecy, that another prophet has to come. Jesus spoke of it himself and the words survived, just barely, but they survived in the bible. Jesus (Peace be upon him) spoke of God sending another 'Paraclete'.
THE LAST WARNING
The foregoing is the exact fulfilment of Jesus Christ's (pbuh), (the last of the great Jewish prophets) own prediction of the displacement of the Jewish race in the spiritual guidance of man. In the words of the Master himself -
Therefore say I unto you (Jews), The kingdom of God
shall be taken from you (Jews), and given to a nation
bringing forth the fruits thereof.
Matthew 21:43
The foregoing is the exact fulfilment of Jesus Christ's (pbuh), (the last of the great Jewish prophets) own prediction of the displacement of the Jewish race in the spiritual guidance of man. In the words of the Master himself -
Therefore say I unto you (Jews), The kingdom of God
shall be taken from you (Jews), and given to a nation
bringing forth the fruits thereof.
Matthew 21:43
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