Prophecies of Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم in the Gospels

 

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

والصلاة والسلام على من لا نبي بعدى

In the Name of Allah, the Rahman, the Merciful

Prayers of blessings and peace upon the one after whom there is no prophet

Allah سبحانه وتعالى Holy and Exalted is He says:

وَاِذۡ قَالَ عِیۡسَی ابۡنُ مَرۡیَمَ یٰبَنِیۡۤ اِسۡرَآءِیۡلَ اِنِّیۡ رَسُوۡلُ اللّٰہِ اِلَیۡکُمۡ مُّصَدِّقًا لِّمَا بَیۡنَ یَدَیَّ مِنَ التَّوۡرٰٮۃِ وَمُبَشِّرًۢا بِرَسُوۡلٍ یَّاۡتِیۡ مِنۡۢ بَعۡدِی اسۡمُہٗۤ اَحۡمَدُ

And when Jesus son of Mary said: “O Children of Israel! Verily, I am the Messenger of Allah to you, confirming that which is between your hands of the Torah and giving glad tidings of a Messenger to come after me. His name is Ahmad”

(Surah 61, Ayah 6)

We Muslims believe that the Messiah Jesus عليه السلام prophesied the coming the Seal of Prophets, our Master Muhammad صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم whose other name is Ahmad. Here I will present evidence of that from the Gospels of the Christians which contain some statements of Jesus Christ to that effect. While it is true that the New Testament of the Christians is not a completely accurate account of the Gospel of Jesus, and that there is significant inconsistencies in the text, the undeniable prophecies concerning the coming of the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم are intact.

The famous prophecy in the Gospel of John about the coming of the Paraclete has traditionally been understood by us Muslims as a prophecy about the Holy Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم

Although Christians argue that the Paraclete refers to the Holy Spirit, it should be borne in mind that a human Prophet may also be referred to as a “holy spirit”. The linguistic meaning of Paraclete as intercessor, especially one that advocates in a court, more appropriately matches the role of the Holy Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم who is the preeminent Intercessor at the Resurrection:

فَيَأْتُونِي فَأَسْتَأْذِنُ عَلَى رَبِّي فِي دَارِهِ فَيُؤْذَنُ لِي عَلَيْهِ، فَإِذَا رَأَيْتُهُ وَقَعْتُ سَاجِدًا فَيَدَعُنِي مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ أَنْ يَدَعَنِي فَيَقُولُ ارْفَعْ مُحَمَّدُ، وَقُلْ يُسْمَعْ، وَاشْفَعْ تُشَفَّعْ، وَسَلْ تُعْطَ فَأَرْفَعُ رَأْسِي فَأُثْنِي عَلَى رَبِّي بِثَنَاءٍ وَتَحْمِيدٍ يُعَلِّمُنِيهِ، فَيَحُدُّ لِي حَدًّا فَأَخْرُجُ فَأُدْخِلُهُمُ الْجَنَّةَ

They will come to me and I will ask permission of my Lord to enter His House and I will be permitted. When I see Him I will fall down prostrate, and He will leave me (in that condition) as long as He wishes. Then He will say, “Rise, Muhammad! Speak and you will be listened to, intercede and it will be accepted, ask and it will be granted.” So I will raise my head and glorify my Lord with glorification and praise that I have been taught. A limit will be set for me that I will take out (from Hell) and enter them into Paradise (Sahih al-Bukhari)

Concerning the description of a true Prophet, Jesus Christ عليه السلام said: “A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house” (Matthew 13:57), “A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house” (Mark 6:4), “A prophet hath no honour in his own country” (John 4:44). And when the Holy Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم announced his Prophethood in Mecca he was immediately rejected in his own homeland, but his own kin and even by his own uncle, Abu Lahab. They persecuted him and drove him out of Mecca that he had to seek asylum in Medina where he was given honor and believed in.

Jesus said: “And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd” (John 10:16). Other sheep that are not of this fold is a reference to the Muslims, the Ummah of Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم

Jesus says it will be his mission to bring them, and that is a reference to his Second Coming in the End Times. They will hear his voice and all the Believers in Jesus at that time will be as one community of sheep with him as shepherd or leader.

According to the Gospel of John:

And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou? And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ. And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No (John 1:19-21). This passage concerning John the Baptist عليه السلام makes it known that the Jews were expecting the appearance of a special Prophet, one who will be neither the Christ nor Elias, and asked if John the Baptist was that expected Prophet to which he replied in the negative. The only major Prophetic figure to have risen after John the Baptist and Jesus Christ عليهما السلام was the Holy Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم