Fath al-Rabbani

Benefits: … Before the advent of the Noble Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, there are clear mentions of him in previous religious literature. In this regard, there is a very beautiful mention of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam in the narration of Sayyiduna Salman al-Farsi radi Allahu anhu; see hadith number (۱۱۷۴۳). Also, study the following article attentively:

Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam in Previous Scriptures:

Sayyiduna Abu Umamah radi Allahu anhu says: O Messenger of Allah! How many prophets were there? He sallallahu alayhi wa sallam replied: There were one hundred and twenty-four thousand prophets, among whom the number of messengers was (315), a great multitude. (Musnad Ahmad: 5/265)

Among these (315) messengers, the following five were the possessors of great resolve (ulu’l-azm):

Nuh, Ibrahim, Musa, Isa, and Muhammad sallallahu alayhim.

Then Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was declared the chief of the first and the last; he sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is the first and last messenger from the descendants of Isma’il alayhis salam, the son of Ibrahim alayhis salam.

The chain of messengers and envoys that Allah Ta’ala began with Adam alayhis salam to convey His message to mankind ended with the Prophet of the Last Age, Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.

Prophecies regarding Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, are found in the Torah of the Jews, the Gospel of the Christians, and the Vedas of the Hindus; these prophecies are clear, categorical, and more evident than the sun. Nevertheless, the world has not discovered any cure for stubbornness and obstinacy.

Testimony of the Noble Qur’an:

In this regard, it should be kept in mind that in religious matters, all our reliance is upon the Qur’an and Hadith. In our Shari’ah, we have been prohibited from affirming or denying those Isra’ili narrations whose truth or falsehood cannot be ascertained.

Since Allah Ta’ala and the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam have stated that prophecies of the coming of the Noble Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and descriptions of him and his companions are present in the Torah and the Gospel, it is therefore necessary to accept that such mentions were present in these two books. However, by looking at any copy of the Torah or Gospel, we cannot say that these are the exact sentences or words that were revealed to Musa alayhis salam or Isa alayhis salam. We have two objectives in this discussion:

۱۔ To make the truth clear to the People of the Book through their own revealed scriptures.

۲۔ Although for the Muslims, the Qur’an and Hadith are sufficient, it is naturally pleasing that the religious literature of others also acknowledges our Prophet and religion as true.

The statement of Allah Ta’ala is: { اَلَّذِیْنَیَتَّبِعُوْنَ الرَّسُوْلَ النَّبِیَّ الْأُمِّیَّ الَّذِیْیَجِدُوْنَہٗ مَکْتُوْبًا عِنْدَھُمْ فِیْ التَّوْرٰۃِ وَالأنْجِیْلِ } (Surah al-A’raf: 156) Meaning: Those who follow the Messenger, the unlettered Prophet, whom they find written with them in the Torah and the Gospel.

From this testimony of the Noble Qur’an, it is known that the mention of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was present in the Torah and the Gospel.

The statement of Allah Ta’ala is:

{ وَاِذْ قَالَ عِیْسَی ابْنُ مَرْیَمَیٰبَنِیْ اِسْرَآئِ یْلَ اِنِّیْ رَسُوْلُ اللّٰہِ اِلَیْکُمْ مُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا بَیْنَیَدَیَّ مِنَ التَّوْرٰۃِ وَمُبَشِّرًا بِرَسُوْلٍ یَّأْتِیْ مِنْ بَعْدِیْ اسْمُہٗاَحْمَدُفَلَمَّاجَآئَھُمْبِالْبَیِّنٰتِ قَالُوْا ھٰذَا سِحْرٌ مُّبِیْنٌ .} (Surah as-Saff: 5)

Meaning: And when Isa, son of Maryam, said: O Children of Israel! I am the Messenger of Allah to you, confirming the Torah that came before me, and giving glad tidings of a Messenger to come after me, whose name is Ahmad. But when he came to them with clear proofs, they said: This is clear magic.

In this blessed verse, Isa alayhis salam gave the glad tidings of the coming of the last Prophet, Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, after him. The statement of Allah Ta’ala is:

{رَبَّنَا وَابْعَثْ فِیْھِمْ رَسُوْلًا مِّنْھُمْ َیتْلُوْ عَلَیْھِمْ اٰیٰتِکَ وَیُعَلِّمُھُمُ الْکِتٰبَ وَالْحِکْمَۃَ وَیُزَکِّیْھِمْ اِنَّکَ اَنْتَ الْعَزِیْزُ الْحَکِیْمُ} (Surah al-Baqarah: 128)

Meaning: Our Lord! Send among them a Messenger from themselves who will recite to them Your verses, teach them the Book and wisdom, and purify them. Indeed, You are the Mighty, the Wise.

Ibrahim and Isma’il alayhim as-salam made this supplication while building the Ka’bah, which Allah Ta’ala fulfilled in the form of Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, twenty-six centuries later.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna ‘Irbad ibn Sariyah radi Allahu anhu that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: I am the servant of Allah, who was written as the Seal of the Prophets in the Mother of the Book when Adam alayhis salam was still in his clay, and soon I will inform you about its interpretation: I am the supplication of my father Ibrahim alayhis salam, the glad tidings of Isa alayhis salam. See hadith number (۱۰۴۵۷).

Mention of Muhammad in Previous Religious Scriptures

The Names of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and Their Meanings in Previous Scriptures:

Narashans: Muhammad
Mamha: Muhammad
Mitrpya: Merciful, Compassionate
Stot Aryata: Helper, One who unites all nations
Paraclete: Ahmad or Muhammad

It is astonishing that Christians, Jews, and Hindus are enemies of the Prophet of the Last Age, Islam, and the Muslims; they deliberately made alterations in their books, yet even so, there are such statements in their scriptures whose clear referent is Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. During the lifetime of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, great personalities like Waraqah ibn Nawfal, Najashi, and Heraclius acknowledged these facts.

In the Scriptures of Adam:

Adam alayhis salam was given scriptures. According to them, Allah Ta’ala addressed Adam alayhis salam: O Adam! Whoever is honored to visit My House (the Ka’bah), it will be as if he has visited Me… until the chain reaches your noble son, who will be the best among your progeny; his blessed name will be Muhammad, and in beauty and grace, he will be a full moon. (Naqoosh: Rasul Number, Muhammad Tufail, vol. 9, issue 130, p. 33, edition: 1984, Idara Farogh Urdu Lahore)

In the Torah

The Torah, in the first three historical periods of Judaism, suffered loss and burning… Nevertheless, it is a revealed book. We will quote a few relevant excerpts from our subject so that the honor of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam may be increased.

In the Torah, in the Book of Deuteronomy, it is stated that Allah Ta’ala said to Musa alayhis salam: Say to the Children of Israel that I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and I will put My words in his mouth.

Dr. Muhammad Luqman Salafi said: And it is known that after Musa alayhis salam, every prophet was from among the Children of Israel, and the last of them was Isa alayhis salam, and from among their brethren, Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was a prophet, because he was from the descendants of Isma’il, and Isma’il was the brother of Ishaq. If this prophecy were about any prophet from among the Children of Israel, then mentioning their brethren would be meaningless. (As-Sadiq al-Amin: p. 92)

In the Book of Deuteronomy it is stated: And the Lord came from Sinai, and shone forth from Seir unto them, and appeared in glory from Mount Paran, and with him came ten thousand holy ones, and from his right hand went a fiery law for them. (Deuteronomy: chapter 32, Arabic translation, published: 1844)

In Hindu Scriptures

Hinduism, which was founded in 1500 BCE, is the famous and ancient religion of our subcontinent—India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. In India, the majority follow this religion.

The most famous and earliest book of Hinduism is the Veda. There are four Vedas, which are, in order: Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda, Atharva Veda.

The mention of Narashans is found in all four Vedas, but the most detailed mention is in the Atharva Veda. Therefore, we first present an excerpt from it.

On this subject, there are a total of fourteen mantras in this book, which are in Atharva Veda, Kanda (20), Sukta (127), Mantra (1) to (14).

(We will mention some of the mantras)

Mantra (1): O people! Listen with respect, the praise of Narashans will be made. We will keep this emigrant or standard-bearer of peace safe among sixty thousand and ninety enemies.

Ibn Akbar Azmi said: Narashans is a word in the Sanskrit language, composed of two words: one is ‘nar’, meaning human, and the other is ‘ashans’, meaning one who is praised abundantly. Thus, the meaning of Narashans is exactly the same as the Arabic word Muhammad.

Sixty thousand and ninety enemies—this number has been determined with great precision; it is a very great and astonishing prophecy. The commentators are perplexed in finding its referent and applying it to Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam… These enemies refer to the men of war who came out with swords against the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam or who secretly tried to kill him. In detail: The total number of the Quraysh and their allies, Banu Ghatafan and their partners, was ten thousand, who gathered in the Battle of the Trench, and in other battles in smaller groups. The number of men of war from the various Jewish tribes was ten thousand, who fought almost collectively at Khaybar and in other battles in scattered groups. The Romans, who attacked Madinah intending to destroy it, and against whom the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam went to Tabuk, their total number was forty thousand. The hypocrites, who excused themselves from accompanying to Tabuk, were (80), and those who went to Tabuk (12) or (13), who, on the return, attempted to kill the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam but failed, and two or three among them were hesitant and repented. Thus, the total is sixty thousand and ninety enemies.

Mantra (2): His mount will be a camel, and he will have twelve wives. His rank will be so high and his mount so swift that it will touch the sky and then descend.

Mantra (4): Preach, O Ahmad, preach as birds chirp on a tree laden with ripe fruit. Your tongue and both your lips move like the two blades of scissors.

In this mantra, a person named Ribha is addressed; this is a Sanskrit word whose meaning is exactly the same as Ahmad in Arabic, i.e., one who praises Allah Ta’ala abundantly or the most.

Mantra (5): Those who praise (Allah) with their praises, or those who pray with their prayers, go into battle like a powerful bull, and their children remain safe in their homes as cows in their shelters.

Mantra (6): O Ahmad! Hold firmly to this word, for it is the foundation of cows and wealth, and convey it to the pious as a brave man shoots an arrow at the target. (See: Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam in Hindu Scriptures, compiled by Amir Hamza)

In the Gospel:

Sayyidah A’ishah radi Allahu anha says: It was written in the Gospel about the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam:

INNA RASULALLAHI MAKTUBUN FIL-INJIL: LA FAZZUN WA LA GHALIZUN WA LA SAKHABUN BIL-ASWAQ WA LA YAJZI BIS-SAYYI’ATI MITHLAHA, BAL YA’FU WA YASFAH.

Meaning: You were neither ill-tempered nor hard-hearted; you did not shout in the markets, nor did you repay evil with evil, rather you forgave and overlooked.

In the Gospel, there are clear indications regarding the coming of Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam at the following places:

Matthew: chapter 21, verses 33 to 46.
John: chapter 1, verses 19 to 21.
John: chapter 14, verses 15 to 17, and verses 25 to 30.
John: chapter 15, verses 25, 26.
John: chapter 16, verses 7 to 15.

Now, please see the details:

The following are the prophecies that are continuously narrated in John chapters 14 to 16:

And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever; even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it sees him not, neither knows him; but you know him, for he dwells with you and shall be in you. (14:16,17)

These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. (14:25,26)

Hereafter I will not talk much with you, for the prince of this world comes, and has nothing in me. (14:30)

But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceeds from the Father, he shall testify of me. (15:26)

Nevertheless I tell you the truth; it is expedient for you that I go away, for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. (16:7)

Abul A’la Maududi, after mentioning some reasons for the changes and alterations in the Gospel, says: In the above-mentioned passages of John, Isa alayhis salam is giving news of one who will come after him, about whom he says that he will be the prince of this world (the leader of the world), will remain forever, will show all the ways of truth, and will himself testify to Isa alayhis salam. In these passages of John, words like Holy Spirit and Spirit of Truth have been inserted to confuse the matter, but even so, if all these passages are read carefully, it becomes clear that the one whose coming is foretold is not a spirit, but a human and a specific person, whose teachings will be universal, all-encompassing, and will remain until the Day of Judgment. For this specific person, the word “Comforter” has been used in the Urdu translation.

(Tafhim al-Qur’an: 5/462 to 464)

Sayyidah Aminah, the mother of the Prophet, received the glad tidings of naming Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam as Ahmad through an angel, just as Hajar received the name Isma’il through the glad tidings of an angel (Genesis: 11/16), and Maryam received the name Jesus through the glad tidings of an angel (Luke: chapter 1, verse 30).