Is Muhammad Prophesied in the Bible?

Good evening and welcome to tonight's debate, Is Muhammad Prophesied in the Bible? Organized by members of the Muslim Debate Initiative. Thank you all for coming and participating in today's discussion.

Today's debate will feature a discussion on whether Muhammad ﷺ is prophesied in the Bible. Is there no evidence for this? Or is there an argument to be made that in the Torah and in the Christian New Testament there may exist a mention of him or allusion to him that something a Jew and Christian would recognize?

We invite you today to listen to both speakers with an open mind and decide this for yourself. The event is hosted by the Muslim Debate Initiative, a platform for open debate, dialogue and discussion between Muslims and other communities for the promotion of the Islamic values of free and open discussion and criticism for the pursuit of truth.

Today's event is being held at an East London mosque. This is our third event in this mosque and the fifth debate we have hosted in this mosque. Contrary to scaremongering and propaganda by various Islamophobes and far-rights, Muslims actually welcome debate and engaging in a sincere and intellectual fashion.

In fact, the first public debate between Muslims and Christians was held in the mosque by the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ himself with Christian Arab tribe from Najran. The Christians and Muslims held a civilized debate over three days and at the end of it the Christians still rejected the Prophet's invitation to Islam making clear that they do not believe he was a Prophet.

So what did the Prophet do? Islamophobes would have us believe that the Muslim response would be to torture or abuse those Christians until they relent. But of course it's not what the Prophet did. Instead he set an example for all Muslims to follow until the Day of Judgment which is he treated them kindly and according to reports even offered them the use of the mosque for Christian prayers if they needed to use it before leaving.

Sadly this is not the Islam you hear in the media. So in this vein, today's discussion will follow the example of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. It will be open, it will be frank, it will be critical and it may even be controversial.

But it will be marked by respect. My name is Abdullah Al-Andalusi and I shall be your host for tonight's event. So let me introduce our speakers. On my left I have Brother Zakir Hussain who's an upcoming speaker and debater within the Muslim community in the UK having only recently just joined the public debate platform the Muslim Debate Initiative.

He's previously held one debate with a Messianic Jew and he has campaigned and worked to organise many other debates in Birmingham, UK where he is based. He currently specialises in engaging with Christianity and is continuing to build his repertoire of knowledge and experience in this field.

To my right and your left is James White. James White is a director of Alpha and Omega Ministries a Christian apologetics organisation based in Phoenix, Arizona. He is a professor having taught Greek, systematic theology and various topics in the field of apologetics.

He has offered or contributed to more than 20 books including The King James Only Controversy The Forgotten Trinity The Potter's Freedom and The God Who Justifies. He is an accomplished debater having engaged in more than 100 moderated public debates with leading proponents of Roman Catholicism Islam, Jehovah's Witness and Mormonism.

All you need is Rastafarianism and you've got the whole set. As well as critics as Bart Ehrman John Domecq-Crossan Marcus Borg and John Shelby Spong. He is an elder of the Phoenix Reformed Baptist Church and has been married to Kelly for more than 28 years and has two children Joshua and Summer.

Tonight's event will proceed as follows 30 minute presentations each speaker 20 minute rebuttals by each speaker then 10 minute second rebuttals followed by a crossfire and then 3 minute conclusions. Briefly just running through code of conduct which we do in every debate.

In order to maintain a respectful environment we ask that there's no shouting, jeering or disrupting our esteemed speakers during their presentations please turn off all your mobile phones or set them to silent and we also ask you to limit your applause to the end of each speaker's presentation.

We would also like to remind everyone that all views are welcome and ask all participants to maintain the quorum and adhere to the required etiquette of such discussions. Now, without much further ado kicking off with the case that the Prophet Muhammad is prophesied in the Bible I'd like to welcome our first speaker Brother Zakir Hussain.

You have the podium.

Muhammad in the Qur'an, Hadith, and Early Muslim Testimony

I'd like to greet everybody here with a greeting of all the Prophets the same greeting that Jesus Christ himself in Luke chapter 24 when he went to the upper room said to his disciples Assalamu alaikum, peace be with you since we follow the last and final messenger.

Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him we say the same thing.

In the Arabic dialect. Assalamu alaikum may peace be with everybody.

Now.

While my brother Abdullah was giving the opening for both speakers and he mentioned that is Muhammad prophesied in the Bible.

I already viewed a Christian.

In the crowd who nodded his head like this.

This is not what we need.

This is.

Not the spirit of dialogue. What everybody here should do.

Is sit here with a blank slate.

Nobody is trying to enforce their view on nobody. If you reject it, reject it that's between you and God.

We accept it, that's between us and God.

No need to nod our heads let's have a blank slate and be fair.

That's the only thing you lot would want from Jews.

When you try to prove that Jesus is in the Bible. So let's be fair and frank I think that's the best we could be.

Ok now.

Why do Muslims insist that Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him.

Was foretold in the previous scriptures. What Dr. White has said in himself.

The Quran itself claims this.

So we can't deny it. We accept the Quran as the unaltered speech of Allah. So we accept that Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him.

Was foretold in the Bible.

To us is clear. All I expect from Dr. White is.

If I present passages to be consistent please do not use arguments against my case.

That can also be applied to the Christian methodology of Jesus in the Old Testament. That's all I ask, fair. Dr. White always speaks of consistency.

So maybe he can teach us tonight.

How to be consistent since he hasn't found a consistent Muslim yet according to him.

Ok.

Is my voice clear to everybody?

Ok.

Now in surah 7, verse 157.

This is what it says those who follow the apostle the unlettered prophet whom they find described in their own scriptures in the Torah and the Injil the law and the gospel.

In surah 61, verse 6.

It says the following.

I remember Jesus.

The son of Mary said.

All children of Israel.

I am the apostle of Allah sent to you.

Confirming the law which came before me and giving glad tidings of another messenger to come after me whose name shall be Ahmed.

But when he came to them with clear signs he said this is evident sorcery.

Now when you come to our sources.

I haven't got the next part on my slides, but I'll just read it out to you. Was there an expectation of a prophet in Arabia in the 7th century.

According to our sources.

Like I'll quote Zad al-Mar or in Al-Seer al-Nectar, page 314.

When prophet Muhammad peace be upon him.

Sent a letter to the king of Egypt. Moccaucas invited him to Islam. This is what Moccaucas wrote in his letter.

Peace be upon you.

I have read your letter and understood its contents and what you are calling for. I already know that the coming of a prophet is still true.

But I used to believe that he would be born in Syria also the king of the Byzantines.

In the 7th century who we refer to as Heraclius.

He said the following.

In a reply to a letter.

I have already known.

That a prophet must arise.

But it never occurred to me that he will be an Arab from among you.

And last but not least though there are many sources I have to keep it brief. Abdullah bin Salam.

A Jewish rabbi in Medina.

Who upon seeing prophet Muhammad peace be upon him.

He said I recognized him from his description. Now most of the Christians here will probably be thinking ah these Muslims fabricated these sources.

But I still believe that I can prove from the Bible that there was an expectation of a prophet and you can still find his description today.

So if I can prove these points.

Our sources are true.

Simple, so now I want to get into the meat of the topic.

Abraham, Ishmael, and the Promise of a Great Nation

The first prophecy of prophet Muhammad peace be upon him is a promise of a great nation promised to Abraham and Ishmael in Genesis chapter 12 verse number 2.

God says to Abraham I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you.

In Genesis chapter 17 verse number 20.

God repeats it to Ishmael as for Ishmael I have heard you I will bless him and make him fruitful.

And exceedingly numerous.

He shall be the father of 12 princes and I will make him into a great nation. The same promises.

Said to Ishmael's mother.

Now many Christians will be thinking hold up wasn't Ishmael a wild donkey of a man who Sarah said to cast out and he was thrown out the covenant. You Muslims are misquoting.

Well if Dr. White wants to take that position I've got plenty of rebuttals for that Inshallah. Now how was the great promise fulfilled.

Do you really believe.

That according to God a great nation.

Is a powerful nation who's numerous but the idol worshippers. Anybody who reads the 10 commandments.

Knows that God is a jealous God.

Who does not like ideology.

And he would never call an Arab idolatrous.

Nation a great nation.

According to the Christian apologist Dr. Anish Arash.

In his book Islam Revealed.

Page 208 he writes the following.

I will make him a great nation was fulfilled when the Muslim empire was a reality from the.

1712 centuries. Why don't we ask the Arabs themselves how they seen their nation before the coming of Prophet Muhammad. Peace be upon him. This was probably one of the first.

Dialogues between Christian and Muslims it wasn't actually a debate. It was when Muslims were persecuted they went to.

A Christian country called.

Abyssinia Ethiopia.

Jafar.

A relative of Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him when he.

Was speaking to the king of Abyssinia he said.

The following.

We were a people in a state of.

Ignorance and immorality.

Worshipping idols and eating the flesh of dead animals committing all sorts of abomination and shameful deeds breaking the ties of kinship treating guests badly and the strong among us exploited the weak.

We remained in this state until Allah sent us a prophet one of our own people whose lineage truthfulness, trustworthiness and integrity.

Were well known to us.

He called us to worship Allah alone and to renounce the stones and idols which we and our ancestors were used to worshipping. This is what the Jewish rabbis behind the stone edition commentary admit on page 76.

We see from the prophecy in this verse that 2337 years elapsed before the Arabs, Ishmael's descendants.

Became a great nation with the rise of Islam in the.

7th century, throughout this period.

Ishmael waited anxiously.

Until finally the promise was.

Fulfilled and they dominated the world.

Let's ask ourselves what.

A great nation is to Moses.

Deuteronomy chapter 4 Moses says the following.

For what other great nation.

Has a God so near it as the Lord our God is whenever we call to him.

And what other great nation.

Has laws and commandments that I am setting before you today.

Let's ask ourselves in history.

When did those Arabs.

Become close to the one true God of Abraham.

And follow his commandments.

That was with the coming of prophet Muhammad.

Peace be upon him, historically speaking.

Another indication.

That Muhammad peace be upon him's mission is a true mission is the fact that he fulfilled a promise God made to Abraham in Genesis chapter 15. On the day the Lord made a covenant with Abraham and said to your descendants I give this land from the river Nile in Egypt to the river Euphrates.

Ask yourself who's had this land for over a thousand years now and who took the land of Palestine that God promised to Abraham just like Moses Moses' successors did in his time. Prophet Muhammad peace be upon his followers the Muslim nation.

The next prophecy I'd like to speak about is Deuteronomy chapter 18 verse number 15 to 18.

Where God says to the.

Israelites I will raise them up a prophet like you from among their.

Kinsmen I will put my words.

Into his mouth he shall tell them.

All I command him.

Now.

What was it that made Moses so.

Unique compared to other prophets. Well the thing is Moses was the originator of his nation. He brought them a law brought them from the bonds of slavery and hammered them into a nation. Just like Reverend James O'Dowd says in the Colin Gems Dictionary of the Bible on page 402 this is what he says as a statesman and lawgiver.

Moses is the creator of the Jewish people. He found a loose conglomeration of Semitic people none of whom had ever been anything but a slave and whose ideas of a religion.

Were a complete confusion.

He led them out and he hammered them into a nation where the law and national pride and a compelling sense.

Of being chosen by a particular God who was supreme.

The only man in history who can be.

Compared to him is Muhammad also the weekly news magazine Time dated.

July 15 1974 they were looking for history's greatest leaders.

And they gave certain criteria.

But towards the end of it this is what they had to say. Perhaps the greatest leader of all times was Muhammad who combined all three functions to a lesser degree. Moses did the same. Now we can all find theological similarities.

One was born at the age of.

One was born naturally age of 40 etc but historically speaking what we know of what Moses.

Achieved. Muhammad.

Peace upon him achieved and nobody.

Did it like them two.

Also the encyclopedia of religion under Moses writes there is much in the life of Muhammad that is implicitly reminiscent of the Moses tradition. And finally the Quran says in surah 73 ayah number 10 verbally we have sent you a messenger even as we sent a messenger to Pharaoh and we know who was sent to.

Pharaoh.

Now.

What do terms like kinsmen and brethren mean. Well the Hebrew word is Ah and as you can see it means brother.

Brother the same parents.

Half brother relative kinship. According to Genesis chapter 17 verse number 5 God promised Abraham that he will be a father of many nations Ishmaelites.

Israelites.

Edomites. If these are all the descendants of Abraham these nations are brethren of one another. In fact in Genesis chapter 16 it says that.

Ishmael shall dwell among.

His kinsmen who are his kinsmen the other sons of Abraham. We also see a similar thing in Deuteronomy chapter 2.

And chapter 23.

Where the Edomites are called the brethren.

Of the Israelites.

Thus according to the rules of kinship Muhammad peace be upon him being a direct.

Descendant of Ishmael qualifies.

Him as a brethren of the Israelites.

I will put my.

Words in his mouth. Now every prophet speaks the words that God tells him but Muhammad peace be upon him.

Fulfills this the most literally.

Word for word his revelation is the words of God it's not in his own words verbatim that is something that is quite unique to prophet Muhammad. Peace be upon him and he shall speak all that I command.

Him Muhammad peace be upon him spoke.

Everything God commanded him and completed his mission successfully as surah 5 ayah number 3 mentions. This day have I perfected your religion for you completed my favour upon.

You and chosen for you Islam.

As your religion the next few verses give the acid test.

Of a true prophet Muhammad peace be upon.

Him made many prophecies and if we have time for Q &A maybe somebody can.

Ask me.

Now this prophet has to be like Moses but according to Deuteronomy.

Chapter 34.

Verse number 10 it reads like this in the Masoretic text. Never again has there arisen in Israel a prophet like Moses whom the Lord knew face to face. In the Septuagint it reads. And there arose no more.

In Israel a prophet like Moses.

And in the Samaritan text it reads.

And there shall never arise in Israel.

A prophet like Moses whom the Lord has spoken to due to Deuteronomy chapter 34 many people who do not believe in the supernatural believe that somebody else must have wrote this but if you read the context of it it looks like God's showing.

Moses a vision of the future the fact that he's going to die at the age of 120 and no one knows he was buried till this day.

And in this very prophecy.

God inspires him to.

Say these words and there has arisen in Israel no prophet like Moses.

Whom the Lord knew face to face.

The Qamash commentary.

Which I have underneath that.

Projector reads.

In the following way on page 187 the sages note the Torah.

Statement here that in Israel.

There would never be a prophet like Moses implies that among the non-Jewish nations there could be such a prophet and just in case people are thinking that Judaism has never recognized Gentile prophets classically they have many times but their only contention was no we had Moses for us and forget whoever else.

Comes.

So the question I'd like to ask Dr. White for now if he can write this down the prophet has to be like Moses but Deuteronomy chapter 34 10.

Shows that no prophet in Israel can ever be.

Like Moses so does this not rule out every prophet including Jesus who is an Israelite. Also this prophet shall speak all that God commands him. But Jesus said in John chapter 16 that I have many things to say to you but you cannot bear them now which means Jesus did not speak.

All that God commanded and left it for.

Somebody else according to the.

Book of 1st Maccabees chapter 4 and chapter 14. As Raymond Brown writes in his commentary on page 49 there was an expectation.

Of a prophet who would solve.

Legal issues like Moses and the Essenes are told to cling to the Torah.

Until such a prophet comes so.

Even at the time of Maccabees there was an expectation of this same prophet.

Now.

Moses he brought criminal law he brought a new law he enforced the law. Muhammad peace be upon him did the same thing civil and criminal.

Cases both dealt with.

But whereas Jesus on the other hand said my kingdom is not of this world why. Because he was not a prophet like Moses he is more spiritual prophet like John the Baptist etc he did not come to enforce the law.

He was not a temporal prophet. And in the story of the adulterous woman in fact he said that very thing he did not enforce the law. But he says he without sin should pass the first on. He did not.

Enforce the law like Moses did.

Also when it comes to legal issues Moses dealt with legal issues.

Muhammad peace be upon him. Dealt with legal issues.

But in Luke chapter 12.

It reads like this someone in the crowd.

Said to him to Jesus tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me. Jesus replied man who made me a judge or arbiter over you.

Now when it comes to the Dead Sea Scrolls we see they were waiting for 3 separate figures a priestly messiah a temporal messiah and a prophet like Moses establishing that these Jews thought of the prophet like Moses as a separate person from the messiah.

When you move on to the.

New Testament you find in John chapter 1 verse number 19 to 25.

That John the Baptist was asked.

3 questions. Is he Elijah. Is he the messiah.

Or is he the prophet Christians.

Claim John is the spirit of Elijah. We know Jesus is the Christ.

So who is the prophet.

Once again is showing that the Jews understood these 2 to be.

2 separate figures.

That the Jews were expecting many things and some of it there is textual evidence for them being correct and some of it there is no basis for it.

But we will see whether they were correct.

Whether the messiah and the prophet like.

Moses are 2 separate figures.

In John chapter 7.

Verse number 40 to 52.

We hear people debating.

Over who Jesus is now. Were they debating whether he was God whether he was man whether he was the son of man the son of God the Trinity.

No they were debating whether he was the prophet like Moses.

Or the messiah.

In fact if you go up to verse 52 the Pharisees mentioned that look into the scripture and you will know that their prophet does not come from Galilee.

In many of the Bibles it says our prophet.

But it is actually their prophet. According to the oldest papyright our prophet would not make sense since Jonah came from Galilee.

So the messiah.

Is supposed to come from Bethlehem but the prophet like Moses is not supposed to be a Galilean.

And Jesus was a Galilean.

Point number 3. Jesus spoke about somebody to come after him the paraclete in first John Jesus.

Is called a comforter.

In John 14 verse number 16 Jesus says the following and I will.

Ask the father and he will give you another comforter to be with you forever.

The spirit of Jude.

Now Jesus.

Is a comforter and he is telling you.

Another comforter is going to come with the Greek word.

Anos which means like him.

Now many Christians will say oh Jesus was divine so this next comforter will be.

Divine like him but in my humble opinion.

All the articles I've read all the dialogues I've seen I haven't yet to see a Christian actually prove that Jesus is God. So until they can do that we should stick.

With the facts that Christians don't even deny Jesus was a man anyone deny that.

Jesus was a prophet.

Anyone deny that.

So until it can be proven.

Otherwise the comforter will be a man.

And a prophet like Jesus.

What does the word paraclete mean. Comforter, advocate, spokesperson mediator, helper, consoler, one who is called alongside. Are these not the attributes of a prophet.

Also.

Jesus says nevertheless I tell you the truth it is expedient.

For you that I go away for if.

I go not away that paraclete will not come to you.

But if I depart I will send him to you.

According to the New Testament like the book of Luke it shows the Holy Spirit was already there yet Jesus has to leave for the spirit to come.

For the comforter to come.

Also there's indications that this comforter is actually the prophet like Moses because in John chapter 16 it reads he will not speak on his own authority.

He will only speak what he hears.

And he will tell you what is yet to come. Does that not sound like Deuteronomy. I will put my words in his mouth and he shall speak all that I command him. In fact we know the prophet like Moses is supposed to foretell the future because that's why the test of prophecy was given straight after the verse is speaking about the prophet like.

Moses.

Now if this comforter is the Holy Spirit who is supposed to be 100 God can you imagine a God who doesn't speak on his own authority, a God who has to be told what to say, he has to speak what he.

Hears, I don't know about Jews.

But that does not make sense to me at all now I've already given you in my opening statement.

Some of the sources.

Of people in the 7th century who were expecting this prophet and I mentioned the Jewish rabbi who upon seeing prophet Muhammad peace be upon him recognized him, how did he do this. How did he know his physical description.

His name, I'll forget his genealogy because I'll probably.

Bring up that point in a rebuttal if I have to.

Lack of time, I believe.

You can still find his description right now. Sangha Solomon.

Chapter 5 verse number 10 up to.

16 and I know Dr. White loves Sangha Solomon.

So I brought this as a present for him.

Verse number 10 the daughters are asked about.

Their beloved, the daughters of.

Jerusalem who classical Jews interpreted to represent the believing Israelites at that time. They're asked about the description of this person and this is how they reply. My beloved is white and red, the chief amongst.

10 ,000, his head is.

As the most fine gold, his locks are wavy and black. As a raven in English, only thing is the same word for raven can be translated.

As Arab. What a big coincidence.

You get more and more descriptions and then you come to verse number 16 the most beautiful, his mouth is more sweet, yeah he is wholly desirable, of course we know this person is desirable, Moses foretold him, 1st Maccabees is still expecting him, Tedesco is still expecting this prophet like Moses New Testament is still waiting for him 7th century Arabic sources are still waiting for him.

Yes, he is wholly desirable.

In fact, the description matches Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him to a T. My beloved is white and red, it's narrated in the authentic traditions that Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him's title was Habibullah.