Prophet Muhammad in Isaiah’s Prophecies

Prophet Muhammad ( (SAAW) 1 ) in Isaiah’s Prophecies 

The book of Isaiah 2 , except for some minor narrations of events, is a collection of prophecies that are interpreted by Jews and christians as being related to the advent of Isa (AS)3 (Jesus), especially with the following prophecy: “therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good.” (Isaiah 7:14-15) 4 

Those Jews who believed in Isa (AS) based their belief on the fact that Isaiah prophesied his coming in his book while those who rejected him based their rejection on the fact that Elijah, a sign for such an advent, had not appeared. the latter group did not believe Isa ((AS)) when he told them that Elijah was Yahya ((AS)) (John the baptist). In the gospel of Luke it is written: “the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins; as it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the Prophet, saying, the voice of one crying in the wilderness, prepare ye the way of the lord, make his paths straight.” (3: 2-4)

Apart from the above-unsettled dispute so far, in the following paragraphs we deal with other prophecies in the book of Isaiah, those being, the prophecies related to Prophet Muhammad ((SAAW))

First Prophecy 

“For thus hath the Lord said unto me, go, set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth. And he saw a chariot with a couple of horsemen, a chariot of asses, and a chariot of camels; and he hearkened diligently with much heed: and he cried, a lion: my Lord, I stand continually upon the watchtower in the daytime, and i am set in my ward whole nights: and, behold, here cometh a chariot of men, with a couple of horsemen. And he answered and said, Babylon is fallen, is fallen; and all the graven images of her Gods he hath broken unto the ground.” (Isaiah 21:6-9 ) 

The above text includes two prophecies of the coming of two prophets , one of whom enters his city riding an ass and the other entering his city riding a camel. Isa (AS) entered Jerusalem on an ass: “and when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to bethphage, unto the mount of olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, saying unto them, go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me. and if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, the Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them. All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet, saying, tell ye the daughter of Sion, behold, thy king cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.” (Matthew 21:1-5) 

The prophet is Muhammad  (SAAW) who entered Makkah on his she-camel called Al-Qaswaa. according to his call , idols worshiped with Allah 5 (SWT) 6 were destroyed .  

Second Prophecy 

“The burden upon Arabia. In the forest in Arabia shall ye lodge, o ye traveling companies of dedanim. the inhabitants of the land of Tema brought water to him that was thirsty, they prevented with their bread him that fled. For they fled from the swords, from the drawn sword, and from the bent bow, and from the grievousness of war. For thus hath the Lord said unto me, within a year, according to the years of an hireling, and all the glory of Kedar shall and the residue of the number of archers, the mighty men of the children of Kedar, shall be diminished: for the Lord God of Israel hath spoken it.” (Isaiah 21:13-17) 

The above text is a prophecy of Prophet Muhammad's ((SAAW)) hijrah 7 to Al-Madinah. Those dedanims mentioned in the above text are the descendants of dadan who was a great grandfather of Quraysh 8 . the forest in Arabia is the road between Makkah and Al-Madinah. The order given to the people of Al-Madinah in the prophecy is to meet the immigrants from Makkah with water and food and to treat them well, which was really accomplished between Al-Muhajireen 9 and Al-Ansar 10 .   

In his prophecy, Isaiah described Al-Muhajireen as people who fled their homeland to protect their religion and souls against the injustice of their enemies. It also promised that they would prevail at the end and that their enemies shall perish. The sons of Kedar are not other than Quraysh who descended from Kedar Bin 11 Banayut bin Isma’il (AS) (Ishmael). The above prophecy indicates the reduction in the number of the unbelievers’ cavalry after one or more years from hijrah represented by the years of an hireling who feels the length of time because of the hardships he encounters. This reduction was really materialized when many of the unbelievers of Makkah embraced Islam and joined the Prophet  (SAAW)  in Al-Madinah. As to the expression the Lord God of Israel it can be explained based on the fact that at the time of this prophesy , the religion of Musa (AS) (Moses) was the only religion , while the unbelievers used to worship beelzebub and idols .

Third Prophecy 

The Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will ”keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the gentiles; to open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.  I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will i not give to another, neither my praise to graven images. Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do i declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them. Sing unto the Lord a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth, ye that go down to the sea, and all that is therein; the isles, and the inhabitants thereof. Let the wilderness and the cities thereof lift up their voice, the villages that kedar doth inhabit: let the inhabitants of the rock sing, let them shout from the top of the mountains. Let them give glory unto the Lord, and declare his praise in the islands. The Lord shall 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 . . . they shall be turned back, they shall be greatly ashamed, that trust in graven images, that say to the molten images, ye are our Gods.” (Isaiah 42:6-17) 

This is a double prophecy. One was to be achieved earlier (6-8), that is, the prophecy of Isa (AS) whom Allah (SWT) calls the righteous and gives him the covenant for his people. his call would be the light for the blind nations, which may be interpreted as sending the disciples before he was lifted 12   to heaven to preach: “and he said unto them, go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” (Mark 16:15) 

After that Isaiah clearly indicates that this would come to happen earlier “behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do i declare:” this new prophecy is “a new song” from the land of Kedar. Kedar is the son of Banayut Bin Isma’il (AS). His land is Makkah and the new song is the sound of azan . 13 

In light of all this, it is clear that this second prophecy is related to Prophet Muhammad ( (SAAW) ). this is further asserted with the sentences “let the inhabitants of the rock sing, let them shout from the top of the mountains. let them give glory unto the lord , ” which refer clearly to the sound of talbiyah 14 from the top of mount Arafat . isn’t it clear that these are the Muslims and their Prophet ((SAAW)) who would prevail over their enemies : “he shall prevail against his enemies”?  

Fourth Prophecy 

“Sing, o barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the lord. Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes; for thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited. Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more. for thy maker is thine husband; the lord of hosts is his name; and thy redeemer the holy one of Israel ; the God of the whole earth shall he be called . . . O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colours, and lay thy foundations with sapphires. And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones. and all thy children shall be taught of the lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children. In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee. Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy. No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.” (Isaiah 54:1-17 ( 

It is well known that prophets use symbols and parables in their prophecies. In light of this , in addition to the knowledge of history, we can say the following:

The barren mentioned in the prophecy that did not give birth before is Makkah. It is thus described because it did not have a prophet from the time of Isma’il (AS) who came to it with his mother Hajar (RA) 15 after her husband Prophet Ibrahim (AS) (Abraham) left them alone in the desert upon the order of Allah (SWT). The offspring of Isma’il (AS) are the Adnans, the sons of the desolate woman who would be, according to the prophecy, more than those of the married woman, that is, Sarah (RA) with whom Ibrahim (AS) remained and who is the grandmother of the Israelites. The description of Makkah as being ‘barren’ should be understood in the context of comparing its scarcity of prophets with the plethora of prophets who came from Jerusalem. The prophecy said that Makkah would reach right and left, that is, the new religion would prevail East and West .     

“Thy maker is thine husband; the Lord of hosts is his name” means that the creator of Makkah is Allah (SWT) whom the Jews used to call “Lord of hosts” in order to distinguish him from the other people's Gods. “the God of the whole earth shall he be called” means that the new call shall not be limited to one nation; rather, it would be for all people. Islam, unlike Judaism, is really for the entire world.

The prophecy refers to Ka'ba, its rebuilding, and the coming of the believers to it in crowds. Believers are described as the sons of Allah (SWT). This is really the case of Hajjis 16 . The prophecy also indicates that no enemy shall conquer Makkah. Remember Abraha the Abyssinian who tried to destroy Ka'ba but Allah (swt) destroyed him and his army . 

Fifth Prophecy  

“Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the lord is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and darkness engross the people: but the lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side. Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the gentiles shall come unto thee. The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all they from Sheba shall come: they shall bring gold and incense; and they shall shew forth the praises of the Lord. All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee: they shall come up with acceptance on mine altar, and i will glorify the house of my glory. Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows? surely the isles shall wait for me, and the ships of tarshish first, to bring thy sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, unto the name of the lord thy God, and to the holy one of Israel, because he hath glorified thee.” (Isaiah 60:1-9)

A description of Makkah and Ka’ba at the time of hajj 17 cannot be more exact than the above description mentioned by Isaiah in 701 b.c. it is a description that fits Makkah since creation and until the Day of Judgment. It is the site that emanates light through the surrounding darkness and all people there are equal in praising Allah (swt ). 

Isaiah describes the condition of hajjis: people who come from far places. They are the sons and Makkah is the mother (remember they were described previously as the sons of Allah). Makkah would be happy with the coming of these crowds with their monies and goods; it is a consummation of worldly benefits as well as heavenly ones: “all they from sheba shall come: they shall bring gold and incense; and they shall shew forth the praises of the lord. ”In the noble Qur’an Allah (AWT) says what can be translated as , “and announce to mankind the pilgrimage; they shall come up (hurriedly) to you on foot and upon every slender (conveyance); they shall definitely come up from every deep ravine. That they may witness (things) profitable to them and mention the name of Allah on days well-known over such brute cattle as he has provided them. So eat thereof, and feed the miserable poor.” (tmq   18 ) 22: 27 -28 ( 

The description of Isaiah is further asserted by mentioning the bringing of the sheep of Kedar that are sacrifices at the altar of Allah (SWT). It is a clear description of the sacrifices submitted by the hajjis . 

The prophecy sets the scene as being the land of the sons of Kedar in Arabia. The description reaches the most exact point in describing how the hajjs would come to Makkah from around the world to perform hajj. It even mentions that some of them would come flying: “who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows?” Even before planes were invented while others would come by land or sea . 

Prophet Muhammad ((SAAW)) in Habakkuk’s Prophecies  

"God came from Teman, and the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah His splendor covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise.(Habakkuk 3:3)    

This prophecy indicates the descent of Tawrah on Musa (AS) in the Land of Teman , that is, Sinai. It refers to the descent of the Noble Qur’an in Land of Paran, that is, Makkah. At that time light would spread all over the world and glory and praise of Allah (swt) would prevail forever. 

Read about the problematic issues regarding the history of the Bible, the tampering with the so-called sacred texts, the dumping of many gospels just because they asserted that Isa (AS) was just a prophet and he was never the actual son of Allah (SWT), etc.. Then, try to think carefully and logically in order to choose the right path and to be sure that Muhammad, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, is the last Prophet and the true successor of Isa (AS).

References

 Islam in Ancient Scriptures and Prophet’s Books by Dr. Muhammad Mahmoud Said     

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1 -   Salla Allah alayhe wa salam [all prayers and peace of Allah be upon him ].

2 - The book of Isaiah is one of the most important books of the Old Testament.  While little is known of the personal life of the prophet, he is considered to be one of the greatest of them all. The book is a collection of oracles, prophecies, and reports; but the cmmon theme is the message of salvation .  

3 -   alayhe as-salam [all peace of Allah be upon him ] .

4 -   All the quotation are taken from King James Bible (2000 ) .

5 -   The word Allah is the Arabic term for God. Although the use of the word "Allah" is most often associated with islam, it is not used exclusively by Muslims; Arab Christians and Arabic-speaking Jews also use it to refer to the one God. The Arabic word expresses the unique characteristics of the one God more precisely than the english term. Whereas the word "Allah" has no plural form in Arabic, the English form does. Allah is the God worshipped by all prophets, from Adam to Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad .

6 -   Suhanahu wa ta'ala  [glorified and exalted be he ] .

7 -   Immigration from Makkah to Al-Madinah .

8 -   Prophet Muhammad’s ( (SAAW) ) tribe. Its pedigree leads to Prophet Isma’il (AS).

9 -   The immigrants from Makkah .

10 - The residents of Madienah .

11 - Arabic word for ‘ the son of ’ ; it is sometimes written as ‘ ibn ’ if it comes ate the beginning of the sentences .

12 -  As Muslims, we believe that Isa (AS) was lifted and not crucifies, a belief shared by many christians and many dropped Bibles . 

13 -   Call for prayer .

14 -   Praise of Allah (SWT) at time of hajj .

15- Radya Allah anhu/anha [may Allah be pleased with him/her].

16 -   Muslim pilgrims who go to Makkah to perform hajj .

17 -   Pilgrimage

18 -   Translation of the meaning of the Qur'an.  This translation is for the realized meaning, so far, of the stated (surah:ayah) of the Qur'an.  Reading the translated meaning of the Qur'an can never replace reading it in Arabic, the language in which it was revealed.