Some Texts Of The Bible About The Prophet’s Coming
The tidings of the Prophet’s coming in the Bible, the Samaritan Bible and the Gospel of Barnabas, are clear. In these two sacred books, there are explicit texts announcing the coming of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
In the Gospel of Barnabas, there is clear mention of the Mission of Muhammad. For example, in chapter 41, speaking of the fall of Adam and Eve from paradise, there’s the following text:
God hid Himself, and the angel Michael drove them forth from paradise. Then, Adam, turning around, saw written above the gate: There is only one God, and Muhammad is Messenger of God.
This is in the Gospel of Barnabas. And the recently discovered Dead Sea scrolls confirm these texts.
When Jesus (peace be upon him) spoke to his disciples about Prophet Muhammad and announced his coming to the world, they asked him:
“O master who might this man be coming to this world?”
He answered with joyful countenance: “It is Mohammad, the Prophet of Allah.”
The Gospel of Barnabas is full of tidings like these. In the second chapter of the Gospel of Luke we find:
“Glory to God the highest and peace on earth, and to man Ahmad”
(Translator’s note: from the root ‘Hamada’, to praise, root common to Semitic languages, which is also one of the Prophet’s names; here in Syriac, the language of the shepherds mentioned in the verse)’.
In the sixteenth chapter of the Gospel of Luke, Jesus says:
‘…for if I do not go away”
The Al-far Qleet will come to you. Al-far is a Syriac word derived from Paran, meaning Mecca, mount Paran being Mount Hira’, and Qleet means the devout, the adorer, and it can mean the praiser or the much praised (Ahmad). As for the Holy Quran Allah said:
And remember, Jesus, the son of Mary, said: “O Children of Israel! I am the messenger of Allah (sent) to you, confirming the Law (which came) before me, and giving good news of a Messenger to come after me, whose name shall be Ahmad.” But when he came to them with Clear Signs, they said, “this is evident sorcery” . (61: 6)
Before going on, I will stop at this verse:
Those whom We have given the Book recognize him as they recognize their sons, and a party of them most surely conceal the truth while they know (it). (2: 146)
I ask you, is there knowledge deeper, stronger, more genuine and natural than a father’s knowledge of his son? Is there a father on the face of the earth who asks his son who he is?
As for the distinctive qualities of the Prophet they are clearly mentioned in both the Bible and the Gospels, as Allah tells us in the Quran:
Those who follow the messenger, the Prophet who can neither read nor write, whom they will find described in the Torah and the Gospel (which are) with them. He will commands them that which is right… (7: 157)
Meaning the Prophet:
He will commands them that which is right and prohibit for them only the foul; and he will relieve them of their burden and the fetters that they used to wear. Then those who believe in him, and honor him, and help him, and follow the light which is sent down with him: they are the successful. (7:157)
The texts in the Bible and the Gospels, and the two explicit verse of the Holy Quran confirm the attributes of the Prophet, peace be upon him, and that this knowledge was available to the people of the scriptures, as Allah says:
And when there come to them a scripture from Allah, confirming what in their possession – though before that they were asking for a signal triumph over those who disbelieved – and when there came to them that which they know (to be the truth) they disbelieve therein. The curse of Allah is on disbelievers. (2:89)
There is a subtle meaning in the words of this Ansari man, reported by Ibn Ishaq:
“What drew us to Islam, after Allah’s mercy and guidance, is something we used to hear from the Jews. We were pagans and they had the Scriptures, they had knowledge that we did not have, and there was animosity between us. When we would have the upper hand, they would say: ‘The time is near where a Prophet will be sent, and with him we shall slay you like A’ad and Iram were slain.”
There is no doubt that the Jews of Madinah knew that the appearance of the Prophet, peace be upon him, drew near, but they imagined that he would be one of their own people, and they so maintained, menacing the Arabs. Allah Exalted and Almighty has shown that they knew him by his attributes, only to deny his Prophethood and refuse it when it was clear that he was from the Arabs.
When he received the message of the Prophet, Heracles the Roman king said:
‘I knew he would appear, but I did not think he would be one of you’, meaning I knew of his coming but I did know he will be one of you Arabs.
Allah in His Glory guarded the Prophet
Some prophetic scholars said:
“Allah in His Glory guarded the Prophet, peace be upon him and protected him from the ignorance of pre-Islam. And every one of us is the subject of this Divine Providence; I can even say that man is the object of the intensive care of the bountiful Lord who looks after him in His perfect way.
The tough part is that you be satisfied with Him in bad times as you are in good times. The true nature of a man shows through his actions; studying, working, trading, traveling and when he marries. He studies for exams or he cheats, he is an honest merchant or a dishonest liar.
A man is tried in everything he does.
We are ever putting (mankind) to the test. (23: 30)
But the Prophet (peace be upon him) says:
For each is eased towards the purpose of his creation. (Muslim and Bukhari)
This means that everyone without exception is so created as to accomplish the purpose of his creation. And why was man created, or for what purpose? He was created to dwell in a paradise as wide as the heavens and the earth, the proof is:
…except those on whom your Lord has granted His Mercy: And for this did He created them. (11: 119)
The Prophet (peace be upon him) was once a trader, and it was said that his partner before the advent of Islam was Al Saib ibn Abi Al Saib. On the Day of Victory, when Mecca was captured, Al Saib came to him and said:
“Welcome my brother and partner who never privileged or wrangled.” (Ahmad)
Meaning that he never argued or took positions, describing his partner the Prophet.
So before the Mission, and before the Revelation, the Prophet (peace be upon him) was the pinnacle of decency, bashfulness and piety.
Abridged from http://www.muhammad-pbuh.com