Prophet Muhamad S.A.W.W In Bible ( Part-1 )
Prophet Muhamad S.A.W.W In Bible ( Part-1 )
The Arabic word Islam means "the submission or surrender of one’s will to the Only True God, Allah." One who submits to the Will of God is termed, in Arabic, a Muslim. Unlike Christianity, Buddhism, Confucianism, Hinduism, and Judaism, Islam was not named after a person, a people, or a geographic location. Christianity is named after Jesus Christ, Buddhism after Gotama Buddha, Confucianism after Confucious, Hinduism after the Hindus, and Judaism after the land of Judea. The name Islam was chosen by Allah and is clearly mentioned in the Qur’an.
This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion. (5:3)
If anyone desires a religion other than Islam (submission to God), never will it be accepted of him. (3:85)
Though the Qur’an was revealed over fourteen hundred years ago, Islam is not a new religion. Rather, it is a re-expression of the true religion of God in its final form, as it was originally revealed to Adam and all subsequent Prophets (peace be upon all of them). It follows that if all of the true Prophets of God from Adam to Muhammad preached the "true religion of God", then there should be some sort of unity in their teachings. Thus we find the first commandment revealed to Prophet Moses (peace be upon him), as stated in Deuteronomy 5:7 of the Old Testament: "You shall have no other gods beside Me (Allah)." Then in the Qur’an, the Last Testament:
For We assuredly sent amongst every people a prophet, with the command: Worship Me (Allah) and avoid false gods. (16:36)
There are countless examples in the Qur’an and the Bible that instruct the readers to worship Allah alone. However, according to Islam and even a large number of Christian scholars, the true text of the Bible, and thus the revelations given to the prophets in it, have been corrupted through the years. Only the text of the Qur’an remains in its original, unadulterated form. This is not to say that these other texts are not valuable. It is believed that there is some truth still remaining in their historical and prophetic accounts. To rely on them alone, however, is dangerous.
If the Qur’an is the final revelation to mankind, and other religious texts contain prophecies, then it is likely that these other texts contain prophecies of this final revelation to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Just as the Old Testament foretells the coming of a Messiah, Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him), both the Old and New Testaments foretell the coming of the last Prophet of God, Muhammad, as do texts from Parsi and Hindu scriptures. For examples from these other scriptures see Muhammad in other Scriptures
In any discussion of prophethood in the Bible, it is of extreme importance to begin with lineage. Most prophets of the Bible are descendants of Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him). The prophets of Jewish and Christian tradition are descendants of Abraham through his second son, Isaac. Muhammad is also a descendant of Abraham, however, through Ishmael, Abraham’s first son (peace be upon all of them). The Biblical account of the covenant established with the descendants of Abraham describes both Isaac and Ishmael as being "made into great nations," a reference to the prophets to be raised up from among their descendants. In Jewish and Christian traditions, however, the role of Ishmael and his line of descent is often minimized or disregarded.
And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation. (Genesis 17:20)
Many Jews and Christians believe that this “great nation” was made up of the twelve tribes of Arabia. Yet, concerning Isaac, these same Jews and Christians say that "nation" refers to prophethood. "He will be the father of twelve rulers, AND I will make him into a great nation." It is clear that Ishmael’s line of descent will give rise to a great prophet......but how great? Previously, the birth order of Ishmael and Isaac (peace be upon both of them) was emphasized to answer this very question. Deuteronomy 21:15-17 tells us the Divinely inspired Jewish laws of inheritance:
If a man has two wives, and he loves one but not the other, and both bear him sons but the firstborn is the son of the wife he does not love, when he wills his property to his sons, he must not give the rights of the firstborn to the son of the wife he loves in preference to his actual firstborn, the son of the wife he does not love. He must acknowledge the son of the unloved wife as the firstborn by giving him a double share of all he has. That son is the first sign of his father’s strength. The right of the firstborn belongs to him.
