Transcription
The 42nd chapter of the book of Isaiah in the Bible clearly foretells the coming of an Arabian Prophet, specifically Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon Him. Isaiah describes itself as a prophecy about the future. God states that the former things have taken place, and new things I declare. God starts the chapter by drawing our attention to a very special person that He will send. He describes this person as my servant whom I uphold, My Chosen One in whom I delight. At least three of the names of the Prophet Muhammad are mentioned: servant, chosen one, and in whom I Delight.
Isaiah is originally written in Hebrew. Arabic and Hebrew share a lot of common words because they are both Semitic languages. Isaiah uses the Hebrew word Eed for servant; the Arabic word for Servant is ABD. Prophet Muhammad is known as God's servant in Arabic, `abdah`. Chosen one is Mustafa in Arabic; this is another of the names of the Prophet Muhammad. The one in whom God Delights shows that this person is beloved to God. `Habibah` in Arabic, which means beloved of God, also happens to be one of the Prophet Muhammad's names.
In Isaiah, God also reveals the location of this special person. He states, "Let the Wilderness and its towns raise their voices; let the settlements where Kadar lives rejoice." Out of all the nations on Earth that God inspired Isaiah to mention, He chose to highlight Kadar's location, so we should pay special attention. Throughout the Bible, Kadar and his sons are linked to Arabia. For example, the book of Ezekiel tells us that Arabia and all the princes of Kadar were your favorite dealers in lambs, rams, and goats; in these they did business with you.
In Isaiah, God goes on to narrow the location down further to a specific city within Arabia. He states that the people of Salah should sing for joy; let them shout from the mountaintops. The place Salah pinpoints the exact location in Arabia, the place being spoken of is the city of Medina in Saudi Arabia, because Salah is the name of a famous mountain in Medina. Medina was the city of the Prophet Muhammad. An important point worth mentioning is that historically we know there was a presence of various Jewish tribes in Medina before the advent of the Prophet Muhammad. Both Jewish historians and Islamic history records this fact.
The question then arises: why were there numerous Jewish tribes within Medina? The answer is that the learned Jews were aware of this prophecy in Isaiah and were anxiously awaiting the coming of a new Prophet. Islamic history records the fact that whenever a dispute arose between the Jews and the Arabs in Medina, the Jews used to taunt their Pagan Arab neighbors by saying, "When our Prophet arrives, we shall obliterate you." The Quran also affirms this: God says, "Is it not a sign to them that the learned men of the children of Israel knew it as true?"
In Isaiah, God informs us that the special person will bring something new to mankind. We are told that we will sing to the Lord a new song, His praise from the ends of the Earth. The statement "a new song" means a new law, a new way of worship; this is exactly what Islam represents. The emphasis on the new song here is singing the praise of God all over the Earth. The Quran opens with the statement, "Praise be to God, Lord of the worlds," and is recited by Muslims all over the world during prayers every day.
The new song cannot refer to Jesus because He did not bring about anything new; rather, He confirmed the law of Moses that was already there. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus said, "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill." Jesus obeyed and followed the law of Moses throughout His life. Jesus didn't sing a new song; He sang the same song of Moses, the Torah. Moreover, the Disciples of Jesus also followed the law of Moses even after Jesus departed. In the book of Acts, we are told that the disciples looked to the Torah for guidance, for the law of Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times.
In Isaiah, God emphasizes the universal mission of the coming person by mentioning that He will be made a covenant to all the people and a light for the Gentiles. Gentiles means non-Jews. The Quran confirms the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, was sent to the whole of mankind, Jews and Gentiles alike. In the Quran, God tells us, "We have sent you, O Prophet, as a bearer of glad tidings and a Warner for the whole of mankind, but most people have no knowledge." The verse in Isaiah cannot apply to Jesus because in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus said, "I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel."
In Isaiah, God further states that He will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them. The Pagan Arabs at the time of the Prophet Muhammad fit this description perfectly because they had not been sent a messenger prior to Muhammad. The Quran bears witness to this: God states that Muhammad was sent to warn people to whom no Warner has come before. The verse in Isaiah cannot apply to Jesus because His people, the Israelites, had already received a multitude of prophets from God.
In Isaiah, God emphasizes that this special person will be sent to those who trust in idols, who say to images, "You are our Gods." The whole of Arabia at the start of Muhammad's prophethood consisted of idol worshippers. Again, this cannot be a reference to Jesus because His people, the Israelites, were monotheists and not idol worshippers. Moreover, Jesus explicitly told His disciples to stay away from the idol-worshipping Gentiles—the exact opposite of what God prophesies in Isaiah. The Gospel of Matthew tells us that these twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: "Go not into the way of the Gentiles."
In Isaiah, God states that this special person will be a warrior and will go forth as a mighty man. He shall stir up jealousy like a man of war; he shall cry, yea, roar; he shall prevail against his enemies. Throughout history, God has dealt sternly with those who are sent guidance and persist in disbelief. Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, had to engage in many battles with the idol-worshipping enemies of God and ultimately prevailed against them. By comparison, Jesus did not triumph over his enemies; according to Christians, He was crucified by them. Moreover, Jesus wasn't interested in fighting; He was not a man of war; He was a pacifist. According to the Bible, He said such things as, "For all that take the sword shall perish with the sword," and "My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight."
In Isaiah, God gives us a list of momentous achievements for this special person. Chief of these is that the idol worshippers will be turned back in utter shame. Not only did the Prophet Muhammad conquer Mecca, the Pagan capital of Arabia, but by the end of his life, in just 23 short years of prophethood, Arabia had shunned idol worship and now worshipped the one true God of Abraham. This cannot apply to Jesus, as it was Christians themselves who were humiliated and greatly ashamed for hundreds of years after Jesus; they were persecuted at the hands of the Roman Empire, who were idol worshippers. They executed some of the Apostles of Jesus, such as Peter and Paul. Christians were tortured and even fed to the lions.
Finally, in Isaiah, God closes with an admonishment from God: "Hear, ye deaf; and look, ye blind, that ye may see. Many things have ye seen, but ye have not observed; and your ears are open, but ye have not heard. For the Lord hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned." It seems clear that the deaf and blind God is talking about in this verse are those who reject Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. Who among you will heed God by acknowledging Him? Who will listen and pay close attention in time to come?