Islam - The Summit of Religious Evolution — Page 46
46 using the same criteria, the advent of Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him) and the Quran mark the fulfillment of the prophecy in Deuteronomy. The following facts bear this out: (i) The Holy Prophet Muhammad was a descendant of Ishmael. The descendants of Ishmael were the brethren of the descendants of Isaac, the Israelites. (ii) The Holy Prophet is the only one claiming to be a Prophet like Moses. The Holy Quran also verifies this claim as follows: 21 Verily We have sent to you a Messenger, who is a witness over you, even as We sent a Messenger to Pharaoh. There are many unique similarities between the Prophets Moses and Muhammad (peace be on him), which do not exist between Moses and any other prophet. The three main similarities are: a. Both had to migrate from their homeland to foreign lands along with their followers. b. Both were law-bearing prophets. c. Both had to fight defensive battles to protect God’s message. Apart from the main similarities listed above, a number of additional similarities exist between these two personalities and are listed in Appendix VI. (iii) According to the prophecy, the Promised one was to be a prophet. The Holy Prophet claimed to be a Prophet only. Jesus, according to Christian belief, did not claim to be a Prophet; rather, he claimed to be the Christ. The prophecy described the Promised One as a Prophet: 22 He asked his disciples, saying unto them, Whom do men say that I am? and they answered, John the Baptist: but some say, Elias, and others, One of the prophets. And he saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Peter answereth and saith unto him. Thou art the Christ. And he charged them that they should tell no man of him. That is to say, Jesus denies being either John the Baptist, or Elias, or one of the Prophets. But the prophecy in Deuteronomy speaks of the Promised One as a Prophet like Moses. The prophecy, therefore, applies to the Prophet of Islam and not to Jesus. (iv) The prophecy speaks of words I will put in his mouth. The Gospels do not contain any such words. To the contrary, the Quran that the Holy Prophet of Islam brought to the world is an entirely verbal revelation revealed to him by God Almighty. It is as though God put His words into his mouth in complete fulfillment of the Biblical prophecy. The Quran describes itself as the word of God. 23 (v) The prophecy said that the Promised One would speak all that was commanded to him by God. In contrast to this Old Testament prophecy, the Gospels affirm that Jesus did not pass on everything he received from God, and that there was to be another entity after him, who was to do so. 20 The Holy Prophet of Islam fully fits this description. Thus the Quran affirms: 24