IS PROPHET MUHAMMAD MENTIONED IN THE TORAH?

IS PROPHET MUHAMMAD MENTIONED IN THE TORAH?

 

QUESTION

As-Salamu Alaykum,

In the Torah, Allah Almighty mentioned that there would be another prophet. He said: “I will put my words in his mouth from among your brethren”. This was addressed to the Jews at that time. So, could the brethren be the descendants of Jacob? As Ibrahim (peace be upon him) had two sons, one Ishmael (peace be upon him) and one Israel (peace be upon him), but the community of Israel at the time of Moses (peace be upon him) was full of descendants from Israel and Jacob. Could you please explain? Then the next prophet foretold by Allah Most High could have been the descendant of Jacob. Also, was Isa (peace be upon him) a descendant of Jacob? If so, this could mean that he was from among their brethren and not from the children of Israel. Please could you explain?

Jazaka Allahu khayran.

ANSWER

SHORT ANSWER:

The brethren of the Children of Israel are the Children of Ishmael. As the prophet to come was from among the brethren of the Children of Israel, it is clear that he is from the Children of Ishmael. Prophecies make it clear that the Prophet-like-Moses foretold in Deuteronomy and the “my servant whom I uphold” of Isaiah 42, was Muhammad, the Last Prophet of God, who is a descendant of Prophet Ishmael.

 

THE BOOK OF TORAH

The Torah is the Book revealed by God to Moses (peace be upon him).

Traditionally, it is said to consist only of the first five books of the Old Testament: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.

The prophecy you have mentioned is taken from the Book of Deuteronomy chapter 18.

Here is what Jehovah told Moses about the prophet to come:

[I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.] (Deuteronomy 18:18)

Jacob & The Children of Israel

Now, your question is the result of a few misunderstandings.

First that Israel and Jacob were two different persons. In fact, they were the same, Israel being a new name given to Jacob by God.

And second that Israel was not the son of Abraham. He was the son of Isaac, who was Abraham’s second son.

To dispel your confusion, here are the facts, again: Prophet Abraham (Ibrahim, peace be upon him) had two sons: Ishmael and Isaac, (Isma`eel and Ishaq, peace be upon them both).

The second son of Abraham, Isaac, had two sons, Esau and Jacob. It was Jacob who was later called Israel. The Children of Israel are now called Jews.

THE BRETHREN OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL

The brethren of the Children of Israel are the Children of Ishmael.

As the prophet to come was from among the brethren of the Children of Israel, it is clear that he is from the Children of Ishmael.

Ishmael, the firstborn of Abraham, had twelve children. And of these Kedar is especially notable, because he is mentioned with significance in a prophecy we find in Isaiah 42.

It supports the earlier prophecy given in Deuteronomy 18.

Isaiah 42:

[Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him, he will bring forth justice to the nations.] (1)

[He will not fail or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law.] (4)

[I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness, I have taken you by the hand and kept you; I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations (…)] (6)

[Let the desert and its cities lift up their voice, the villages that Kedar inhabits; let the inhabitants of Sela sing for joy, let them shout from the top of the mountains.] (11)

[The Lord goes forth like a mighty man, like a man of war he stirs up his fury; he cries out, he shouts aloud, he shows himself mighty against his foes.] (13)

Prophet Muhammad(peace and blessings be upon him)

From the above verses, we may understand the following:

– The prophet to come will not fail or be discouraged till he has established justice on earth; and it is emphasized that the coastlands wait for his law.

– We can see that this prophecy as well as the previous one, refers to Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, rather than to Jesus. This is because Jesus could not establish justice on earth; God took him up when the Romans tried to crucify him; whereas Muhammad founded an Islamic state, the hallmark of which was law, order and justice.

– The mentioning of Kedar and the villages where the Children of Kedar inhabit, indicates that the prophet was one of the Children of Kedar.

– The reference to fighting and victory over the enemies in verse 13 also points to Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, rather than to Jesus.

– Jesus was one of the Children of Israel; he was not one of their brethren.

Thus, both prophecies make it clear that the Prophet-like-Moses foretold in Deuteronomy and the “my servant whom I uphold” of Isaiah 42, was Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), the Last Prophet of God.

And Allah knows best.

Consultant Professor Shahul Hameed