Deuteronomy 18: 15-19
15. The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the
midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;
16. According to all that thou desiredst of the LORD thy
God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the
voice of the LORD my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I
die not.
17. And the LORD said unto me, They have well spoken that which
they have spoken.
18. 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.
19. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken
unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him. (King
James Old Testament)
Deuteronomy 33: 2
2: And he said, The LORD came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir
unto them; he shined forth from mount Paran, and he came with ten thousands of
saints: from his right hand went a fiery law for them. (King James Bible, Old
Testament)
Explanation by Hand of the Cause George Townshend:
Moses…Prophesied (Dent. xviii 15) to the Israelites that
"the Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of
thee, of thy brethren, like unto me." This refers not only to the coming
of Jesus Christ, as is usually thought, but more especially to Muhammad. Moses
would have used the word "seed" if He had meant to refer to an
Israelite, whereas the word "brethren" indicates that He alludes to
Isaac's brother Ishmael. He connects Mount Paran explicitly with the Prophetic
line when, in His final blessing before His death, He describes the Prophets
who will follow Him: "The Lord came from Sinai" (meaning Himself, and
rose up from Seir . . . (meaning Jesus Christ); he shined forth from mount
Paran (meaning Muhammad), and he came with ten thousands of saints (meaning
Bahá'u'lláh)." Deut. xxxiii 2.
On the other hand, Muhammad mentions in the Qur'án the
prophecies of His coming made in the Bible (Sura 26 verses 192-199) and states
that Abraham prayed for His coming (Sura 2 verses 118-144) and that He was
foretold by Moses and described in the Law and the Evangel.
192. Verily from the Lord of the Worlds hath this Book come down;
193.The faithful spirit hath come down with it
194. Upon thy heart, that thou mightest become a warner -
195. In the clear Arabic tongue:
196. And truly it is foretold in the Scriptures of them of yore.
197. Was it not a sign to them that the learned among the
children of Israel
recognised it?
198. If we had sent it down unto any foreigner,
199. And he had recited it to them, they had not believed.
Qur’an: Surih 2- verses 118--144 - - Yusuf Ali's translation:
118. Say those without knowledge: "Why speaketh not
Allah unto Us? Or why cometh not unto us a sign?" So said the people
before them, words of similar import. Their hearts are alike. We have indeed
made clear the signs unto any people who hold firmly to faith (in their
hearts).
119. Verily, We have sent thee in truth as a bearer of glad
tidings and a warner. But of thee no question shall be asked of Companions of
the blazing fire.
120. Never will the Jews or the Christians be satisfied with
thee unless thou follow their form of religion. Say: "The guidance of
Allah, that is the (only) guidance." Wert thou to follow their desires after
the knowledge which hath reached thee, then wouldst thou find neither protector
nor helper against Allah.
121. Those to whom We have sent the book study it as it
should be studied; they are the ones that believe therein; those who reject
faith therein, the loss is their own.
122. O Children of Israel! call to mind the special favor
which I bestowed upon you, and that I preferred you to all others (for my
message).
123. Then guard yourselves against a day when one soul shall
not avail another, nor shall compensation be accepted from her, nor shall
intercession profit her, nor shall anyone be helped (from outside).
124. And remember that Abraham was tried by his Lord, with
certain commands, which he fulfilled; He said: "I will make thee an Imam
to the nations." He pleaded: "And also (Imams) from my
offspring!" He answered: "But my promise is not within the reach of
evildoers."
125. Remember We made the house a place of assembly for men
and a place of safety; and take ye the station of Abraham as a place of prayer;
and We covenanted with Abraham and Isma'il, that they should sanctify My House
for those who compass it round, or use it as a retreat, or bow, or prostrate
themselves (therein in prayer).
126. And remember Abraham said: "My Lord, make this a
City of Peace, and feed its people with fruits, such of them as believe in
Allah and the Last Day." He said: "(Yea), and such as reject faith,
for a while will I grant them their pleasure, but will soon drive them to the
torment of fire, an evil destination (indeed)!"
127. And remember Abraham and Isma'il raised the foundations
of the House (with this prayer): "Our Lord! accept (this service) from us,
for thou art the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.
128. "Our Lord! make of us Muslims, bowing to Thy
(Will), and of our progeny a people Muslim, bowing to Thy (Will), and show us
our places for the celebration of (due) rites; and turn unto us (in mercy); for
Thou art the Oft-Returning, Most-Merciful.
129. "Our Lord! send amongst them a Messenger of their
own, who shall rehearse Thy Signs to them and instruct them in Scripture and
Wisdom, and sanctify them; for Thou art the Exalted in Might, the Wise."
130. And who turns away from the religion of Abraham but
such as debase their souls with folly? Him We chose and rendered pure in this
world: and he will be in the Hereafter in the ranks of the righteous.
131. Behold! his Lord said to him: "Bow (thy will to
me)" He said: "I bow (my will) to the Lord and Cherisher of the
universe."
132. And this was the legacy that Abraham left to his sons,
and so did Jacob; "O my sons! Allah hath chosen the faith for you; then
die not except in the faith of Islam."
133. Were ye witnesses when death appeared before Jacob?
Behold, he said to his sons: "What will ye worship after me?" They
said: "We shall worship thy God and the God of thy fathers, of Abraham,
Isma'il, and Isaac, the one (true) God, to Him we bow (in Islam)."
134. That was a People that hath passed away. They shall
reap the fruit of what they did, and ye of what ye do! of their merits there is
no question in your case!
135. They say: "Become Jews or Christians if ye would
be guided (to salvation)." Say thou: "Nay! (I would rather) the
religion of Abraham the true, and he joined not gods with Allah."
136. Say ye: "We believe in Allah, and the revelation
given to us, and to Abraham, Isma'il, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and that
given to Moses and Jesus and that given to (all) Prophets from their Lord, we
make no difference between one and another of them, and we bow to Allah (in
Islam)."
137. So if they believe as ye believe, they are indeed on
the right path; but if they turn back, it is they who are in schism; but Allah
will suffice thee as against them, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.
138. (Our religion is) the baptism of Allah; and who can
baptize better than Allah? and it is He whom we worship.
139. Say: Will ye dispute with us about Allah, seeing that
He is our Lord and your Lord; that we are responsible for our doings and ye for
yours; and that we are sincere (in our faith) in Him?
140. Or do ye say that Abraham, Isma'il, Isaac, Jacob and
the Tribes were Jews or Christians? Say: Do ye know better than Allah? Ah! who
is more unjust than those who conceal the testimony they have from Allah? But
Allah is not unmindful of what ye do!
141. That was a people that hath passed away. They shall
reap the fruit of what they did, and ye of what ye do! Of their merits there is
no question in your case.
142. The fools among the people will say: "What hath
turned them from the Qiblah to which they were used?" Say: to Allah belong
both East and West; He guideth whom He will to a Way that is straight.
143. Thus have We made of you an Ummah justly balanced, that
ye might be witnesses over the nations, and the Messenger a witness over
yourselves; and We appointed the Qiblah to which thou wast used, only to test
those who followed the Messenger from those who would turn on their heels (from
the faith). Indeed it was (a change) momentous, except to those guided by
Allah. And never would Allah make your faith of no effect. For Allah is to all
people most surely full of kindness, Most Merciful.
144. We see the turning of thy face (for guidance) to the
heavens; now shall We turn thee to a Qiblah that shall please thee. Turn then
thy face in the direction of the Sacred Mosque; wherever ye are, turn your
faces in that direction. The people of the book know well that that is the
truth from their Lord, nor is Allah unmindful of what they do.
(The Qur'an, translated by Yusuf Ali)
(The Qur'an, translated by Yusuf Ali)
