Abraham
is widely regarded as the Patriarch of monotheism and the common father
of the Jews, Christians and Muslims. Through his second son, Isaac,
came all Israelite Prophets including such towering figures as Jacob,
Joseph, Moses, David, Solomon and Jesus (may peace and blessing be upon
them all). The advent of these great Prophets was in partial fulfillment
of God’s promises to bless the nations of earth through the descendants
of Abraham (Genesis 12:2-3). Such fulfillments are wholeheartedly
accepted by Muslims whose faith considers the belief in and respect of
all Prophets an article of faith.
The Blessing of Ishmael and Isaac
Were the first born son of Abraham (Ishmael) and his descendants
included in God’s covenant and promise? A few verses from the Bible may
help shed some light on this question:
Genesis 12:2-3 speaks of God’s promise to Abraham and his descendants before any child was born to him.
Genesis 17:4 reiterates God’s promise after the birth of Ishmael and before the birth of Isaac.
In Genesis, ch.21. Isaac is specifically blessed but Ishmael was
also specifically blessed and promised by God to become “a great nation”
especially in Genesis 21:13, 18.
According to Deuteronomy 21:15-17 the traditional rights and
privileges of the first born son are not to be affected by the social
status of his mother (being a ‘free’ woman such as Sarah, Isaac’s
mother, or a “Bondwoman” such as Hajar, Ishmael’s mother). This is only
consistent with the moral and humanitarian principles of all revealed
faiths.
The full legitimacy of Ishmael as Abraham’s son and “seed” and the
full legitimacy of his mother, Hajar, as Abraham’s wife are clearly
stated in Genesis 21:13 and 16:3.
After Jesus,
the last Israelite Messenger and Prophet, it was time that God’s
promise to bless Ishmael and his descendants be fulfilled. Less than 600
years after Jesus, came the last messenger of God, Muhammad (peace be
upon him), from the progeny of Abraham through Ishmael. God’s blessing
of both of the main branches of Abraham’s family tree was now fulfilled.
But are there additional corroborating evidence that the Bible did in
fact foretell the advent of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)?
Long time after Abraham, God’s promise to send the long-awaited Messenger was repeated this time in Prophet Moses’ word.
In Deuteronomy 18:18, Prophet Moses spoke of the Prophet to be sent by God who is:
From among the Israelite’s “brethren” a reference to their
Ishmaelite cousins as Ishmael was the other son of Abraham who was
explicitly promised to become a “great nation”.
A Prophet like unto Moses. There were hardly any two Prophets who
were so much alike as Moses and Muhammad. Both were given comprehensive
law code of life, both encountered their enemies and were victors in
miraculous ways, both were accepted as Prophets/statesmen and both
migrated following conspiracies to assassinate them. Analogies between
Moses and Jesus overlook not only the above similarities but other
crucial ones as well (e.g. the natural birth, family life and death of
Moses and Muhammad but not of Jesus, who was regarded by His followers
as the Son of God and not exclusively a messenger of God, as Moses and
Muhammad were and as Muslim belief Jesus was).
The Awaited Prophet Was to Come from Arabia
Deuteronomy 33:1-2 combines references to Prophets Moses, Jesus and
Muhammad (peace be upon them). It speaks of God (i.e. God’s revelation)
coming from Sinai, rising from Seir (probably the village of Sa’ir near
Jerusalem) and shining forth from Paran.
According to Genesis 21:21, the wilderness of Paran was the place where Ishmael settled (i.e. Arabia, specifically Mecca).
Indeed, the King James Version of the Bible mentions the pilgrims
passing through the valley of Ba’ca (another name of Mecca) in Psalms
84:4-6.
Isaiah 42:1-13 speaks of the beloved of God. His elect and Messenger
who will bring down a law to be awaited in the isles and who “shall not
fail nor be discouraged till he have set judgment on earth.” Verse 11,
connects that awaited one with the descendants of Ke’dar. Who is Ke’dar?
According to Genesis 25:13, Ke’dar was the second son of Ishmael, the
ancestor of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
Muhammad’s Migration from Mecca to Medina: Prophesied in the Bible?
Habakkuk 3:3 speaks of God (God’s help) coming from Te’man, (an Oasis
North of Medina according to J. Hasting’s Dictionary of the Bible), and
the holy one (coming) from Paran. That holy one who under persecution
migrated from Paran (Mecca) to be received enthusiastically in
Medina was none but Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
Indeed, the incident of the migration of the Prophet and his
persecuted followers is vividly described in Isaiah 21:13-17. That
section foretold as well about the battle of Badr in which the few
ill-armed faithful miraculously defeated the “mighty” men of Ke’dar, who
sought to destroy Islam and intimidate their own folks who turned to
Islam.
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