"A PROPHET LIKE MOSES" (Series - II)

Prophecy

 

One of those prominent prophecies for the advent of prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) can be found in the book of Deuteronomy (18:18-19):

"I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brethren; and I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. And whoever will not give heed to my words which he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him."

Such of those who attend the Sunday Bible School will tell you at the impulse of the moment that the prophet referred to here was Jesus (peace be upon him). Similarly, Christian theologians including those with credentials of the highest eminence teach the same dogma because they are programmed to believe in. The Bible writers who were openly prejudiced, because of chauvinism, jingoism, jealousy, and their apparent patriotism and nationalism were include to favor Prophet Isaac (pbuh), the second son of Prophet Abraham (pbuh) bore to him by his first wife Sarah. They tried to conceal and deprive Prophet Ismael (pbuh) the right of the firstborn. However, they failed to change the context of (Deut. 21:15-17) which revealed the right of the firstborn child and the promise of God to Hagar, the mother of Ismael in Genesis (17:20) and in Genesis (21:15).

Prophet Ismael (pbuh), the first son of Prophet Abraham (pbuh) by his second wife Hagar (Genesis 16:3 and Genesis 16:11) was given a very limited historical account in the Bible. Described as the son of a maid, who together with his mother was banished and settled in the wilderness of Paran (present name is Makkah). He was later given an Egyptian wife by his mother (Genesis 21:21), and, out of this union, he got twelve sons who later became rulers of their respective tribes (Genesis 25:13-16). Most prominent among them (Ismaelites) was the Kedar tribe of which the Quraish tribe of Makkah traced its origin, and of which, was the ancestor of the parents of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).

About the Truth

Anyone who undertakes a judicious study about the Bible and approach the subject matter with an open mind, will certainly discover the truth of the roles played by both Prophets Ismael and Isaac (peace be upon them). Since both were sons of Prophet Abraham (pbuh), therefore, their descendants were brethren to each other; Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was through Prophet Ismael (pbuh) and similarly, Prophet Jesus (pbuh) was through Prophet Isaac (pbuh).

The prophecies in the Bible, e.g., that of Deuteronomy, obviously, unveil the truth and that those beliefs which were considered absolute truths were, in fact, false. For, indeed, no other prophets who followed Prophet Moses (pbuh) were worthy of honor in any respect, except Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), the direct

descendant of Prophet Ismael (pbuh) and the progeny of Prophet Abraham (pbuh).

Explanations

1. "I will raise up a prophet for them like you from among their brethren." It is explicit that the prophet who would come must neither come from the children of Israel nor from among themselves, but rather, would come from their brethren (from the descendants of Ismael, pbuh).

2. " ...and I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him." Obviously, the prophet who would come could not speak by himself other than what he would be told to say. This process of putting the words in his mouth is for the listener to repeat or parrot the words exactly as he hears them from the speaker. In other words, someone echoes another's words (voices). This clearly indicates Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), God's words being revealed to him (through the agency of angel Gabriel), had a unique and striking resemblance with another prophecy in the Bible (Isaiah 29:12): "Or if you give the scroll to someone who cannot read, and say read this please, he will answer, I do not know how to read."

Besides, this prophecy couldn't be attributed to Prophet Jesus (pbuh) because the Bible says that "Jesus grew in wisdom." whereupon, we read in the Bible that as a young man, he used to argue among the Pharisees and the Teachers of the law.

3. "Whoever will not give heed to my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him." This does not only point to a particular prophet, but also, describes specifically the kind of book (revelation) received by the prophet. That the words (commands) which the prophet would speak were conditioned as being "in the name of God". For one thing, no other book of revelation in the history of religion was written like that of the Qur'an which is unique in itself because all the 114 chapters, except for one, are preceded by "In the Name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful."

Further Analysis (Comparison)

Further analysis regarding the circumstances surrounding the lives of Moses, Jesus and Muhammad (peace be upon them) in relation with (Deut. 18:18): "I will raise up a prophet for them like you (Moses)..."

1. Birth - Both Moses and Muhammad (pbuh) were born normally, while Jesus (pbuh) was an extraordinary. (see Matt. 1:18). 
2. Civil Status - Both married and raised children, while Jesus (pbuh) remained a bachelor. 
3. Revelation - Both received revelations (Torah or Law to Moses and Qur'an to Muhammad (pbuh), while Jesus (pbuh) according to the book of Matthew (5:17), came only to confirm the law and the prophets but did not bring a new law (revelation). 
4. Status as Prophets - Both were accepted as prophets by their own people, while Jesus (pbuh), was rejected. (see Luke 3:23, Matt. 10:5-6 and John 18:36). 
5. Status as Citizens - Both were kings, established governments and brought laws for their subjects to follow. Both were acknowledged as religious, spiritual, political and military leaders. On the other hand, the fact that Jesus (pbuh) came to uphold the law and the prophets yet his disciples were not prepared to practice his teachings for he had to submit to the laws of Caesar according to Luke (20:25). 
6. Death - Both died a natural death and were buried, while Jesus (pbuh) according to Luke (24:50) and Mark (15:37) met a violent death. However, in another source, we read a different view which is totally in contradiction with the established Christian doctrine. The prayers of Jesus (pbuh) in Gethsemane asking for his safety according to Matthew (26:39) and Luke (22:42-43) were in fact answered. He was saved by God, as being confirmed in Hebrew (5:7) which made his story different from that of the well-established doctrine. In fact, Jesus (pbuh) was neither crucified nor killed by the Jews,rather, he was saved by God, which incidentally, confirmed by the Qur'an in Surah "An-Nisaa," (4:157-158). 
7. Finally - Most Christians today believe Jesus (pbuh) to be God or Son of God. Therefore, how could anyone compare a mere prophet (e.g., Moses (pbuh) to a Son of God or to a God?

Conclusion

The Biblical and logical evidences are incontrovertible proofs that the prophecy found in Deuteronomy (18:18-19) exclusively and conclusively points to the coming of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). The same is the case with the other evidences found in the Bible hold so much weight that it becomes more potent and incontestable that the scale of prophecies clearly points in favor of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in a glowing tribute.