Muslim-Christian Dialogue Part 8

Introduction

In today's blog, we will delve into the prophecies of Isaiah and David and examine biblical evidence that points to Jesus (PBUH) and John the Baptist hinting at the arrival of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

My Servant, Messenger, and Elect

A clear fulfillment of the prophecy of Muhammad (PBUH) is found in Isaiah 42:

1. "Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles." Also called 'my messenger' in verse 19. No doubt, all prophets were indeed servants, messengers, and electors of Allah. Yet no Prophet is universally called by these specific titles as Muhammad (PBUH) in Arabic 'Abduhu wa Rasuluhul Mustafa,i.e, His slave servant and His elected messenger. The testimony of a person accepting Islam is: "I bear witness that there is no deity but Allah, who has no partner and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and messenger." This same formula is repeated five times a day in Tashahhud during the minimum obligatory prayers, and several more times if a Muslim performs additional recommended prayers. The most common title of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is Rasulullah, i.e., the Messenger of Allah.

2. "He shall not cry, nor lift, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street." This describes the decency of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

3. ".....he shall bring forth judgment unto truth."

4. "He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he has set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law." This is to compare with Jesus (PBUH), who did not prevail over his enemies and was disappointed because of the rejection by the Israelites.

5. ......

6. "If the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles." and will keep thee," i.e., no other Prophet will come after him. In a short time, many Gentiles were guided into Islam.

7. "To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house." "Blind eyes, the life of darkness" denotes here the pagan life. "Bring out the prisoners from the prison" denotes the abolishment of slavery for the first time in the history of mankind.

8. "I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images." Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is unique among all Prophets as he is the 'Seal of All Prophets' and his teachings remain undistorted until today, compared with Christianity and Judaism.

9. ....

10. "Sing unto the Lord a new song and his praise from the end of the Earth,..." A new song as it is not in Hebrew or Aramaic, but in Arabic. The praise of God and his messenger Muhammad is chanted 5 times daily from the minarets of millions of mosques all over the world.

11. "Let the wilderness and the cities thereof lift their voice, the villages that Kedar doth inhabit: let the inhabitants of the rock sing, let them shout from the top of the mountains. " From Mount Arafat near Mecca, the Pilgrims chant every year the following: "Here I come (for your service) O, Allah. Here I come. Here I come. There is no partner with you. Here I come. Verily yours is the praise, the blessing, and the sovereignty. There is no partner besides You." Isaiah 42 can never be applied to an Israelite Prophet as Kedar is the second son of Ishmael (PBUH). See Genesis 25:13 (The Bible).

12. "Let them give glory unto the Lord, and declare his praise in the islands." Islam spread to the small islands as far as Indonesia and the Caribbean Sea.

13. "......he shall prevail against his enemies." In a short period, the Kingdom of God on earth was established with the advent of Muhammad (PBUH). This 42nd chapter of Isaiah fits exactly the character of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

King David Called Him "My Lord"

"The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand until I make thine enemies thy footstool." (Psalm 110:1; The Bible)

Two Lords have been mentioned here. If the first Lord (the speaker) is God Almighty, the second Lord (the one spoken to) could not be God also, as David knew only one God. So it should read: "God said unto my Lord,..." Who was that whom David called 'my Lord'? The Church would say, David. How could David call him 'my Lord ' if he was his son, he argued. Jesus (PBUH) said (Luke 20:42-44; The Bible): "How say they that Christ is David's son? And David himself saith in the book of Psalms, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Till make thine enemies thy footstool. David therefore calleth him Lord, how is he then his son?"

Jesus (PBUH) must have given an answer that was not recorded in the four canonical Gospels but mentioned explicitly in the Gospel of Barnabas that the promise was made to Ishmael (PBUH), not Isaac (PBUH). David's lord was thus Muhammad (PBUH) whom he saw in spirit. No prophet ever accomplished more than Muhammad (PBUH). Even the work of all other Prophets together is still small compared with what Muhammad (PBUH) did within a short period of 23 years, which remains unchanged until now.

Art Thou That Prophet?

The Jews sent priests and Levites to John the Baptist to inquire who he was: "And he (John the Baptist) confessed and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ. And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he said I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No." (John 1:20-21; The Bible)

The crucial question here is: Art thou that prophet? Who was then the long-waited Prophet after the advent of Jesus and John the Baptist? Was he not the one like unto Moses (Deuteronomy 18:18) who is Muhammad (PBUH)?

Baptizing with the Holy Ghost and with Fire

"I (John the Baptist) indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire." (Matthew 3:11; The Bible)

If Jesus (PBUH) was alluded to here, John the Baptist would not go back to live in the jungle again but would cling to him and be one of his disciples, which he did not do. So another powerful Prophet was alluded to here, and not Jesus (PBUH). The one coming after John the Baptist could not be Jesus (PBUH) as both were contemporaries. Here again, was it not Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) alluded to by John the Baptist?

The Least in the Kingdom of Heaven

Jesus (PBUH) was quoted as saying: "Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he." (Matthew 11:11; The Bible)

Can you believe that John the Baptist is greater than Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, and many other Prophets? How many pagans had John the Baptist converted and how many followers did he have? But this is not the main point here. The question is: who was the least in the kingdom of heaven, greater than John the Baptist? For sure not Jesus (PBUH), as at that time, the kingdom of Heaven was not yet formed, and he never claimed to be the least, i.e., the youngest one. The kingdom of heaven consists of God Almighty as the Supreme Being and all the Prophets. The least or youngest one is Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

Conclusion

That is all for now. Please stay tuned for the next blog. May God Almighty bless you always. Assalamalaikum!