Ilarion Christian

Ilarion Christian

According to the Quran, Allah states that Muhammad can be found written in the Torah and the Gospel:

Those who follow the messenger, the Prophet who can neither read nor write, whom they will find described in the Torah and the Gospel which are with them. He will enjoin on them that which is right and forbid them that which is wrong. He will make lawful for them all good things and prohibit for them only the foul; and he will relieve them of their burden and the fetters that they used to wear. Then those who believe in him, and honour him, and help him, and follow the light which is sent down with him: they are the successful. (Quran 7:157)

Furthermore, Allah also states that Jesus spoke of a Prophet who was to come after him, namely Muhammad:

And when Jesus son of Mary said: O Children of Israel! Lo! I am the messenger of Allah unto you, confirming that which was revealed before me in the Torah, and bringing good tidings of a messenger who cometh after me, whose name is the Praised One. Yet when he hath come unto them with clear proofs, they say: This is mere magic. (Quran 61:6)

On the basis of these two statements written in the Quran, Muslim scholars are adamant that Muhammad can be found mentioned in the Holy Scriptures. Although failing to provide the evidence, Muslim scholars continue to make various, absurd attempts of Muhammads apparent description found in the Holy Writings.

In this writing I will refute the attempts made by Muslim apologists, and disprove Muhammads description found in the Holy Scriptures, thereby demonstrating the Qurans inconsistency and unreliability.

Deuteronomy 18

Muslims appeal to Deuteronomy 18:15-22 as evidence of Muhammad being spoken of by The Prophet Moses. There are multiple issues with this attempt. Let us read the text which the Muslims use in order to prove Muhammads description, and I will then follow by refuting this absurd attempt:

“The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear,according to all you desired of the Lord your God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God, nor let me see this great fire anymore, lest I die.’ “And the Lord said to me: ‘What they have spoken is good.I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him. And it shall be that whoever will not hear My words, which He speaks in My name, I will require it of him. But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in My name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.’ And if you say in your heart, ‘How shall we know the word which the Lord has not spoken?’— when a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him. (Deuteronomy 18:15-22)

Muslim scholars state that the Prophet like Moses who is spoken of in Deuteronomy 18 is Muhammad, due to the fact that Muhammad performed miracles, Muhammad was a warlord like Moses, and Muhammad introduced a new law as Moses did. However, this is not the criterion given in Scripture to determine whether one is “like Moses” or not. The criterion given in Scripture is found in Deuteronomy 34:10-12:

But since then there has not arisen in Israel a prophet like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face,in all the signs and wonders which the Lord sent him to do in the land of Egypt, before Pharaoh, before all his servants, and in all his land, and by all that mighty power and all the great terror which Moses performed in the sight of all Israel. (Deuteronomy 18:15-22)

To be a Prophet like Moses, is to know God intimately/face to face, and to perform signs and wonders such as Moses did. According to the Quran and the Hadiths, Muhammad failed to meet this criteria, disqualifying himself from being “a Prophet like Moses”.

Moses, according to the Scriptures, performed signs and wonders in the presence of others:

And Moses and Aaron did so, just as the Lord commanded. So he lifted up the rod and struck the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants. And all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood. (Exodus 7:20)

And Moses stretched out his rod toward heaven; and the Lord sent thunder and hail, and fire darted to the ground. And the Lord rained hail on the land of Egypt. (Exodus 9:23)

So Moses stretched out his rod over the land of Egypt, and the Lord brought an east wind on the land all that day and all that night. When it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts. (Exodus 10:13)

So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days. (Exodus 10:22)

Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided. So the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on the dry ground, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. (Exodus 14:21-22)

In addition to this, Moses also spoke to God face to face:

So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. And he would return to the camp, but his servant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, did not depart from the tabernacle. (Exodus 33:11)

Then the Lord came down in the pillar of cloud and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam. And they both went forward. Then He said, “Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, make Myself known to him in a vision; I speak to him in a dream. Not so with My servant Moses; He is faithful in all My house. I speak with him face to face, Even plainly, and not in dark sayings; And he sees the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid To speak against My servant Moses?” (Numbers 12:5-8)

Astoundingly, the Quran also makes mention of Moses’ encounter with God face to face:

Lo! We inspire thee as We inspired Noah and the prophets after him, as We inspired Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the tribes, and Jesus and Job and Jonah and Aaron and Solomon, and as We imparted unto David the Psalms; And messengers We have mentioned unto thee before and messengers We have not mentioned unto thee; and Allah spake directly unto Moses. (Quran 4:163-164)

Contrarily, the Quran explicitly states that Muhammad did not perform any miracles:

And if you brought to those who were given the Scripture every sign, they would not follow your qiblah (direction). Nor will you be a follower of their qiblah (direction). Nor would they be followers of one another’s qiblah (direction). So if you were to follow their desires after what has come to you of knowledge, indeed, you would then be among the wrongdoers. (Quran 2:145)

And they say, “Why has a sign not been sent down to him from his Lord?” Say, “Indeed, Allah is Able to send down a sign, but most of them do not know.” (Quran 6:37)

And they swear by Allah their strongest oaths that if a sign came to them, they would surely believe in it. Say, “The signs are only with Allah .” And what will make you perceive that even if a sign came, they would not believe. (Quran 6:109)

Not only does the Quran state that Muhammad was given no miracles to perform by Allah, but the Quran also states that the unbelievers themselves testify that Muhammad was not given the miracles that were given to Moses:

But when the truth came to them from Us, they said, “Why was he not given like that which was given to Moses?” Did they not disbelieve in that which was given to Moses before? They said, “[They are but] two works of magic supporting each other, and indeed we are, in both, disbelievers.” (Quran 24:48)

According to the Hadiths, Aisha, the wife of Muhammad, stated that whoever says Muhammad had seen his Lord (i.e Allah) is a liar:

Narrated By Masruq : I said to ‘Aisha, “O Mother! Did Prophet Muhammad see his Lord?” ‘Aisha said, “What you have said makes my hair stand on end ! Know that if somebody tells you one of the following three things, he is a liar: Whoever tells you that Muhammad saw his Lord, is a liar.” Then ‘Aisha recited the Verse: ‘No vision can grasp Him, but His grasp is over all vision. He is the Most Courteous Well-Acquainted with all things.’ (6.103) ‘It is not fitting for a human being that Allah should speak to him except by inspiration or from behind a veil.’ (42.51) ‘Aisha further said, “And whoever tells you that the Prophet knows what is going to happen tomorrow, is a liar.” She then recited: ‘No soul can know what it will earn tomorrow.’ (31.34) She added: “And whoever tell you that he concealed (some of Allah’s orders), is a liar.” Then she recited: ‘O Apostle! Proclaim (the Message) which has been sent down to you from your Lord…’ (5.67) ‘Aisha added. “But the Prophet saw Gabriel in his true form twice.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 6, Book 60, Number 378)

Narrated By Masruq : ‘Aisha said, “If anyone tells you that Muhammad has seen his Lord, he is a liar, for Allah says: ‘No vision can grasp Him.’ (6.103) And if anyone tells you that Muhammad has seen the Unseen, he is a liar, for Allah says: “None has the knowledge of the Unseen but Allah.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 9, Book 93, Number 477)

On the contrary, Muhammad perfectly fulfils the criterion of a false prophet on the basis of the text in Deuteronomy 18 which Muslims appeal to in order to demonstrate Muhammads prediction by Moses.

The LORD states that whoever speaks a word that He has not spoken, or whoever speaks in the name of another god, will be put to death:

But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in My name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.’ (Deuteronomy 18:20)

The LORD also states elsewhere in the Book of Deuteronomy that whoever leads the people to the worship of false gods, is not a true Prophet of God, and is also to be put to death:

“If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, ‘Let us go after other gods’—which you have not known—‘and let us serve them,’ you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for the Lord your God is testing you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear Him, and keep His commandments and obey His voice; you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him. But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has spoken in order to turn you away from the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of bondage, to entice you from the way in which the Lord your God commanded you to walk. So you shall put away the evil from your midst. (Deuteronomy 13:1-5)

Muhammad fulfils this criterion according to the following sources.

The History of al-Tabari, a tenth century Islamic source widely accepted by the majority of scholars, records an occasion of Muhammad permitting the worship of 3 false goddesses, and speaking words attributed to his god, which his god did not reveal to him:

In Humayd-Salamah-Muhammad b. Ishaq-Yazid b. Ziyad
al-Madani-Muhammad b. Kalb al-Qurazi: When the Messenger
of God saw how his tribe turned their backs on him and was
grieved to see them shunning the message he had brought to them
from God, he longed in his soul that something would come to
him from God which would reconcile him with his tribe. With
his love for his tribe and his eagerness for their welfare it would
have delighted him if some of the difficulties which they made for
him could have been smoothed out, and he debated with himself
and fervently desired such an outcome. Then God revealed:`
By the Star when it sets, your comrade does not err, nor is he deceived; nor does he speak out of (his own) desire … and when he came to the words: Have you thought upon al-Lat and al-‘Uzza and Manat, the third, the other? Satan cast on his tongue, because of his inner debates and what he desired to bring to his people, the words: These are the high-flying cranes; verily their intercession is accepted with approval. When Quraysh heard this, they rejoiced and were happy and delighted at the way in which he spoke of their gods, and they listened to him, while the Muslims, having complete trust in their Prophet in respect of the messages which he brought from God, did not suspect him of error, illusion, or mistake. When he came to the prostration, having completed the surah, he prostrated himself and the Muslims did likewise, following their Prophet, trusting in the message which he had brought and following his example. (The History of al-Tabari, Volume 6, Page 108)

Al-Qasim b. al-Hasan-al-Husayn b. Daud-Hajja-Abu Ma-
`shar-Muhammad b. Kab al-Qurazi and Muhammad b. Qays:
The Messenger of God was sitting in a large gathering of Quraysh,
wishing that day that no revelation would come to him from God
which would cause them to turn away from him. Then God revealed: By the Star when it sets, your comrade does not err, nor is he deceived … and the Messenger of God recited it until he came to: Have you thought upon al-Lat and al-‘Uzza and Manat, the
third, the other? when Satan cast on his tongue two phrases:
These are the high flying cranes; verily their intercession
is to be desired. He uttered them and went on to complete the surah. When he prostrated himself at the end of the surah, the whole company prostrated themselves with him. Al-Walid b. al-Mughirah raised some dust to his forehead and bowed over that, since he was a very old man and could not prostrate himself. They were satisfied with what Muhammad had uttered and said, “We recognise that it is God who gives life and death, who creates and who provides sustenance, but if these gods of ours intercede for us with him, and if you give them a share, we are with you.” That evening Gabriel came to him and reviewed the surah with him, and when he reached the two phrases which Satan had cast upon his tongue he said, “I did not bring you these two.” Then the Messenger of God said, “I have fabricated things against God and have imputed to Him words which He has not spoken.” Then God revealed to him: And they indeed strove hard to beguile you away from what we have revealed to you, that you should invent other than it against us. (The History of al-Tabari, Volume 6, Page 111)

According to these texts, Muhammad was deceived into thinking he was receiving divine revelation from his god through the angel Gabriel, whilst in reality, was being inspired by Satan to utter these words. Muhammad permitted the people of his tribe of Quraysh to worship the three goddesses al-Lat, al-‘Uzza and Manat, and taught that these goddesses were valid intercessions between the people and his god. Muhammad further confessed that he attributed words to his god which his god did not speak to him.

Sahih (authentic) collection of Hadiths support this very reality, demonstrating that Muhammad had truly been deceived, even to the extent of being affected by black magic:

Narrated Aisha: Once the Prophet was bewitched so that he began to imagine that he had done a thing which in fact he had not done. (Sahih al-Bukhari 3175)

Magic was worked on Allah’s Messenger so that he used to think that he had sexual relations with his wives while he actually had not (Sufyan said: That is the hardest kind of magic as it has such an effect). (Sahih al-Bukhari 5765)

Thus Muhammad fulfils the criterion of a false prophet according to the standards of the Holy Scriptures.

In addition to this, the theology of Muhammad is completely contradictory to the theology of the Prophet Moses.

Moses taught that God is a Father to His people:

Do you thus deal with the Lord, O foolish and unwise people? Is He not your Father, who bought you? Has He not made you and established you? (Deuteronomy 32:6)

Whilst Muhammad taught that Allah is a father to no one:

The Jews and Christians say: We are sons of Allah and His loved ones. Say: Why then doth He chastise you for your sins? Nay, ye are but mortals of His creating. He forgiveth whom He will, and chastiseth whom He will. Allah’s is the Sovereignty of the heavens and the earth and all that is between them, and unto Him is the journeying. (Quran 5:18)

The New Testament, however, is explicitly clear that Jesus Christ is the fulfilment of Deuteronomy 18:

But those things which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began. For Moses truly said to the fathers, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things, whatever He says to you. And it shall be that every soul who will not hear that Prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.’ Yes, and all the prophets, from Samuel and those who follow, as many as have spoken, have also foretold these days. You are sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’ To you first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities.” (Acts 3:18-26)

Christ Himself also testifies that He was the Prophet Moses spoke of:

For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. (John 5:46)

Ibn Ishaq, an 8th century Islamic scholar in his biography of Muhammad also testifies to Moses’ prophecy concerning Jesus:

Each one reads in his book the confirmation of what he denies, so that the Jews deny Jesus, though they have the Torah in which God required them by the word of Moses to hold Jesus true. (Ibn Ishaq, Sirat Rasul’ Allah, Page 258)

Ar-Razi, a 10th century Islamic Scholar, also affirms Jesus’ prediction by Moses in the Torah, according to his comment found in the following source:

Razi then raises the following question: ‘It may be argued that latter statement contradicts the one before it. This is because it clearly indicates that he came to make lawful some of the things which were unlawful in the Torah. This would mean that his legislation was contrary to that of the Torah, which would contradict his saying, “I shall confirm the Torah which was before me.”’ Razi, however, holds that ‘there is actually no contradiction between the two statements because confirming the Torah can only signify the belief that all that is in it is true and right. If, moreover, the second purpose [of Jesus’ apostleship] is not mentioned in the Torah, his making lawful some of the things which are unlawful in it would not contradict his having confirmed the Torah. Furthermore, since the Torah contains prophecies concerning the coming of Jesus, then neither his coming nor his law would be contrary to the Torah.’ (Mahmoud M Ayoub, The Quran and its Interpreters, Volume II, The House of Imran, State University of New York Press, Albany 1992, Page 150)

Additionally, Ibn Kathir, a 14th century Islamic Scholar, also writes concerning Jesus, that there was no one amongst the people of Israel who was like Moses, except for Jesus:

In fact, there was no prophet from the Children of Isra’el similar to Musa except Issa (Jesus), but the Jews do not accept his prophethood, and he is not the offspring of their brothers; instead, he is related to them through his mother. (The Seerah of Prophet Muhammad, abridged by Muhammad Ali Al-Halabi Al-Athari [Al-Firdous Ltd, London, 2001: First Edition], Part II, Page 24)

In Ibn Kathirs commentary, he affirms Jesus’ words of being spoken of in the Torah:

Isa said, “The Tawrah conveyed the glad tidings of my coming, and my coming confirms the truth of the Tawrah.” (Tafsir Ibn Kathir 61:6 (Abridged), Volume 9, Surat Al-Jathiyah to the end of Surat Al-Munafiqun)

Christ however, unlike Muhammad, performed miraculous signs in the presence of many witnesses, just as Moses did:

When Jesus heard it, He departed from there by boat to a deserted place by Himself. But when the multitudes heard it, they followed Him on foot from the cities. And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick. When it was evening, His disciples came to Him, saying, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is already late. Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food.” But Jesus said to them, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” And they said to Him, “We have here only five loaves and two fish.” He said, “Bring them here to Me.” Then He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass. And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes. So they all ate and were filled, and they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments that remained. Now those who had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and children. (Matthew 14:13-21)

In those days, the multitude being very great and having nothing to eat, Jesus called His disciples to Him and said to them,“I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat. And if I send them away hungry to their own houses, they will faint on the way; for some of them have come from afar.” Then His disciples answered Him, “How can one satisfy these people with bread here in the wilderness?” He asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” And they said, “Seven.” So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. And He took the seven loaves and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and they set them before the multitude. They also had a few small fish; and having blessed them, He said to set them also before them. So they ate and were filled, and they took up seven large baskets of leftover fragments. Now those who had eaten were about four thousand. And He sent them away, immediately got into the boat with His disciples, and came to the region of Dalmanutha. (Mark 8:1-10)

When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!” Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?” Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish. When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten. (John 6:5-12)

In addition, The Church Fathers also testify to the fulfilment of Deuteronomy 18 in Christ:

In Deuteronomy God said to Moses: “And the Lord said to me, A Prophet will I raise up to them from among their brethren, such as thee, and I will give my word in His mouth; and He shall speak unto them that which I shall command Him. And whosoever shall not hear whatsoever things that Prophet shall speak in my name, I will avenge it.” Concerning whom also Christ says in the Gospel according to John: “Search the Scriptures, in which ye think ye have eternal life. These are they which set forth testimony concerning me; and ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. Do not think that I accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, on whom ye hope. For if ye had believed Moses, ye would also believe me: for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?” (Cyprian of Carthage, Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews, Treatise 12, Book I, Chapter 18)

But even Moses himself, by whom the law was given which they so tenaciously maintain, though they have fallen away from God, and have not acknowledged God, had foretold that it would come to pass that a very great prophet would be sent by God, who should be above the law, and be a bearer of the will of God to men. In Deuteronomy he thus left it written: “And the Lord said unto me, I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee; and I will put my word in His mouth, and He shall speak unto them all that I shall command Him. And whosoever will not hearken to those things which that Prophet shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.” The Lord evidently announced by the law-giver himself that He was about to send His own Son—that is, a law alive, and present in person, and destroy that old law given by a mortal, that by Him who was eternal He might ratify afresh a law which was eternal. (Lactantius, On Divine Institutes, Book IV)

“The woman saith unto Him, Sir, I see that thou art a prophet.” The husband begins to come, he is not yet fully come. She accounted the Lord a prophet, and a prophet indeed He was; for it was of Himself He said, that “a prophet is not without honor, save in his own country.” Again, of Him it was said to Moses, “A Prophet will I raise up to them of their brethren, like unto thee.” Like, namely, as to the form of the flesh, but not in the eminence of His majesty. Accordingly we find the Lord Jesus called a Prophet. Hence this woman is now not far wrong. “I see,” she saith, “that thou art a prophet.” (Augustine, Tractates on the Gospel According to John)

Seest thou, that he shows them to be acting in opposition both to Moses and to all others, and not keeping the Law? And yet Moses had said, “A Prophet shall the Lord raise up unto you”: and the rest also told of this (Christ) that He would come: and the prophet again said, “What house will ye build Me?” and again, “Did ye offer to Me slain beasts and sacrifices” those “forty years?” (John Chrysostom, Homily 17 on Acts 7)

For, indeed, Moses first said to the people: “A Prophet will the Lord our God raise up unto you, like unto me.” And Jesus afterwards said: “For Moses spake of me.” You see how these twain give the right hand to each other, although the one was the prophet and the other was the beloved Son, and although in the one we are to recognise the faithful servant, but in the other the Lord Himself. Now, on the other hand, I might refer to the fact, that one who of old was minded to make his way to the schools without the pedagogue was not taken in by the master. (Archelaus, The Acts of the Disputation with the Heresiarch Manes)

The information provided will suffice the refutation on Muhammads apparent description in Deuteronomy 18, proving that it is preposterous to even attempt to prove that Muhammad was spoken of by Moses therein.

Song of Solomon 5

Islamic Apologists further appeal to the Book of Song of Solomon to prove Mohammed’s description, which again is proven to be an inane attempt, further raising problematic issues for the Islamic position when using this text.

The text quoted by the Muslims is the following:

His mouth is most sweet, Yes, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, And this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem! (Song of Solomon 5:16)

One would be bewildered as to try and understand where the mention or description of Mohammed is in the text. Out of desperation by the Muslims, they claim that the word used for “lovely” or “desirable” in the text, is Mohammed’s name in the Hebrew. The word used in the Hebrew reads “Mahamaddim” (pronounced Ma-ha-mad-dim). The Muslims dishonestly mispronounce the term in order to make it seem as if it is indistinguishable from the name “Mohammed”, resulting in pronouncing the term as “Mu-ha-ma-dim” or “Mu-ha-mad”.

I will begin my refutation on this attempt by challenging the consitency of the Muslims. To claim that this word refers to Mohammed, they must be willing, by their own standards, to accept any other text found in the Holy Scriptures which uses the same Hebrew term ‘Mahamaddim’ and apply it to Mohammed.

Let us examine the Scriptures and see where else the term ‘Mahamaddim’ is applied:

Now Ben-Hadad the king of Syria gathered all his forces together; thirty-two kings were with him, with horses and chariots. And he went up and besieged Samaria, and made war against it.Then he sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel, and said to him, “Thus says Ben-Hadad: ‘Your silver and your gold are mine; your loveliest wives and children are mine.’ ” And the king of Israel answered and said, “My lord, O king, just as you say, I and all that I have are yours.” Then the messengers came back and said, “Thus speaks Ben-Hadad, saying, ‘Indeed I have sent to you, saying, “You shall deliver to me your silver and your gold, your wives and your children”; but I will send my servants to you tomorrow about this time, and they shall search your house and the houses of your servants. And it shall be, that whatever is pleasant (mah-mad) in your eyes, they will put it in their hands and take it.’ ” (I Kings 20:1-6)

I refuse to accept that the Muslims would consider this text to be referring to Mohammed. According to the context, the King of Syria will send his servants to raid the houses of the people of Israel, and the servants will take possession of whatever is pleasing/precious (mah-mad) in their eyes. I strongly doubt that any radical Muslim would sincerely apply this text to Mohammed.

The following text containing the use of the word “mahmad” is an immense stumbling block for the Muslims:

Speak to the house of Israel, “Thus says the Lord God: ‘Behold, I will profane My sanctuary, your arrogant boast, the desire (mah-mad) of your eyes, the delight of your soul; and your sons and daughters whom you left behind shall fall by the sword”. (Ezekiel 24:21)

Unless the Muslims believe that God struck Mohammed down by the sword as a punishment, they would by no means apply this text to Mohammed.

Furthermore, earlier in the same chapter, God takes the soul of Prophet Ezekiels wife according to the full context. The word “mahmad” is used here also:

“Son of man, behold, I take away from you the desire (mah-mad) of your eyes with one stroke; yet you shall neither mourn nor weep, nor shall your tears run down. Sigh in silence, make no mourning for the dead; bind your turban on your head, and put your sandals on your feet; do not cover your lips, and do not eat man’s bread of sorrow.” So I spoke to the people in the morning, and at evening my wife died; and the next morning I did as I was commanded. (Ezekiel 24:16-18)

Again, unless the Muslims believe that Mohammed was the wife of Prophet Ezekiel, God forbid, they would not assert Mohammed to be the “Mahamaddim” or “mahmad” used in the Holy Scriptures. This in itself is problematic, as Mohammed was not a contemporary of Prophet Ezekiel, but was born 1100+ years after the time of Prophet!

Moreover, according to the context of Song of Solomon chapter 5, Solomon permits the usage of wine, an alcoholic beverage which is forbidden within the religion of Islam:

I have come to my garden, my sister, my spouse; I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk. (Song of Solomon 5:1)

They question thee about strong drink and games of chance. Say: In both is great sin, and (some) utility for men; but the sin of them is greater than their usefulness. And they ask thee what they ought to spend. Say: that which is superfluous. Thus Allah maketh plain to you (His) revelations, that haply ye may reflect. (Quran 2:219)

O ye who believe! Strong drink and games of chance and idols and divining arrows are only an infamy of Satan’s handiwork. Leave it aside in order that ye may succeed. (Quran 5:90)

Therefore, the Prophet Solomon would not predict a Prophet to come who would contradict his moral ethics, especially when inspired by the Spirit of God.

To conclude my refutation on Mohammed described in Song of Solomon 5, it is important to note that the Hebrew word “Mahamaddim” used in Song of Solomon 5:16 is a plural form of the word “Mahmad” which is singular. Thus, I Kings 20:6, Ezekiel 24:16-18 and Ezekiel 24:21, in this case, would be more likely to speaking of an individual, due to the fact that the word is used in singular form in these texts.

Isaiah 29

Islamic sources portray Mohammed as an illiterate and unlearned man:

Those who follow the messenger, the Prophet who can neither read nor write, whom they will find described in the Torah and the Gospel (which are) with them. He will enjoin on them that which is right and forbid them that which is wrong. He will make lawful for them all good things and prohibit for them only the foul; and he will relieve them of their burden and the fetters that they used to wear. Then those who believe in him, and honour him, and help him, and follow the light which is sent down with him: they are the successful. (Quran 7:157)

Narrated Aisha: (the wife of the Prophet) The commencement (of the Divine Inspiration) to Allah’s Messenger was in the form of true dreams in his sleep, for he never had a dream but it turned out to be true and clear as the bright daylight. Then he began to like seclusions, so he used to go in seclusion in the cave of Hira where he used to worship Allah continuously for many nights before going back to his family to take the necessary provision (of food) for the stay. He come back to (his wife) Khadija again to take his provision (of food) likewise, till one day he received the Guidance while he was in the cave of Hira. An Angel came to him and asked him to read. Allah’s Messenger replied, “I do not know how to read.” The Prophet added, “Then the Angel held me (forcibly) and pressed me so hard that I felt distressed. Then he released me and again asked me to read, and I replied, ‘I do not know how to read.’ Thereupon he held me again and pressed me for the second time till I felt distressed. He then released me and asked me to read, but again I replied. ‘I do not know how to read.’ (Sahih al-Bukhari 4953)

On the basis of these texts, the Muslims appeal to the Book of Isaiah to prove Mohammed mentioned:

Then the book is delivered to one who is illiterate, saying, “Read this, please.” And he says, “I am not literate.” (Isaiah 29:12)

The Muslims instantly assume the text is in reference to Muhammad, without having read the immediate context to understand the proper meaning.

The context of the verse is as follows:

“Woe to Ariel, to Ariel, the city where David dwelt! Add year to year; Let feasts come around. Yet I will distress Ariel; There shall be heaviness and sorrow, And it shall be to Me as Ariel. I will encamp against you all around, I will lay siege against you with a mound, And I will raise siege works against you. You shall be brought down, You shall speak out of the ground; Your speech shall be low, out of the dust; Your voice shall be like a medium’s, out of the ground; And your speech shall whisper out of the dust. “Moreover the multitude of your foes Shall be like fine dust, And the multitude of the terrible ones Like chaff that passes away; Yes, it shall be in an instant, suddenly. You will be punished by the Lord of hosts With thunder and earthquake and great noise, With storm and tempest And the flame of devouring fire. The multitude of all the nations who fight against Ariel, Even all who fight against her and her fortress, And distress her, Shall be as a dream of a night vision.It shall even be as when a hungry man dreams, And look—he eats; But he awakes, and his soul is still empty; Or as when a thirsty man dreams, And look—he drinks; But he awakes, and indeed he is faint, And his soul still craves: So the multitude of all the nations shall be, Who fight against Mount Zion.” Pause and wonder! Blind yourselves and be blind! They are drunk, but not with wine; They stagger, but not with intoxicating drink. For the Lord has poured out on you The spirit of deep sleep, And has closed your eyes, namely, the prophets; And He has covered your heads, namely, the seers. The whole vision has become to you like the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one who is literate, saying, “Read this, please.” And he says, “I cannot, for it is sealed.” Then the book is delivered to one who is illiterate, saying, “Read this, please.” And he says, “I am not literate.” Therefore the Lord said: “Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths And honor Me with their lips, But have removed their hearts far from Me, And their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men, Therefore, behold, I will again do a marvellous work Among this people, A marvellous work and a wonder; For the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, And the understanding of their prudent men shall be hidden.” (Isaiah 29:1-14)

The context explicitly appears to be speaking in regards to Gods judgement upon the people of Israel.

Verses 9-11 demonstrate as to why the people in which the book is delivered to, are unable to read nor understand what is written therein:

Pause and wonder! Blind yourselves and be blind! They are drunk, but not with wine; They stagger, but not with intoxicating drink. For the Lord has poured out on you The spirit of deep sleep, And has closed your eyes, namely, the prophets; And He has covered your heads, namely, the seers. The whole vision has become to you like the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one who is literate, saying, “Read this, please.” And he says, “I cannot, for it is sealed.” (Isaiah 29:9-11)

The cause of the people being unable to open the book nor read it, is due to the fact that God has poured out on the people the spirit of deep sleep and has closed their eyes, meaning that as a result of their disobedience to God, God has justly repaid them with judgement.

Furthermore, according to the language used in verses 9-10, God is speaking to a collective group of people, as plural terms, rather than singular terms, are being applied:

Pause and wonder! Blind yourselves and be blind! They are drunk, but not with wine; They stagger, but not with intoxicating drink. For the Lord has poured out on you The spirit of deep sleep, And has closed your eyes, namely, the prophets; And He has covered your heads, namely, the seers. (Isaiah 29:9-10)

Verse 13 again states that it is the “people” collectively who are being rebuked:

Therefore the Lord said: “Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths And honor Me with their lips, But have removed their hearts far from Me, And their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men.” (Isaiah 29:13)

According to verse 11, the book is given to one who can read, however the reason for him being unable to read is due to the book being sealed:

The whole vision has become to you like the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one who is literate, saying, “Read this, please.” And he says, “I cannot, for it is sealed.” (Isaiah 29:11)

If the Muslims ought to be consistent with their argument, they are then forced to apply verse 11 to a seperate individual who has the ability to read.

To summarise my refutation on Muhammad in Isaiah 29, the context explicitly speaks of Gods judgement upon the people of Israel. The fact that those who are given a book are unable to read it, is a punishment rather than a virtue. Additionally, the context as well as the chapter itself, have no implications of predicting a future prophet who is to come.

John 1

According to John 1:19-21, John the Baptist was approached by the Pharisees, and was questioned as to whether he was one of three individuals the Jews were/are awaiting, one of whom being “the Prophet”:

Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” (John 1:19-21)

This verse is often quoted by the Muslims as proof of Muhammads expected arrival. The Pharisees are partially at fault here, by assuming that the Prophet who was to come is a distinct individual from the Messiah. However, the fact that the Jews specifically questioned John the Baptist as to whether or not he was the Prophet to come, indicates that they were, at the least, expecting the Prophet to be an Israelite, not an Ishmaelite. If one wants to argue against this case, they must remain consistent, then, and also admit that if the Jews could have potentially been mistaken as to the Prophets ethnicity, the same Jews could have also been mistaken in regards to distinguishing the Prophet from the Messiah.

Moreover, according to the Scriptures, a multitude of the Jews themselves confessed Christ as the Prophet who was to come:

Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.” (John 6:14)

Therefore many from the crowd, when they heard this saying, said, “Truly this is the Prophet.” (John 7:40)

Philip, the Apostle of Christ, also testifies to Christ being the Prophet in the same chapter quoted by the Muslims:

Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” (John 1:45)

In addition to these texts, Christ by His own words affirms His fulfilment of the Prophet who was to come in the same Book of John:

You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life. (John 5:39-40)

Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; there is one who accuses you—Moses, in whom you trust. For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?” (John 5:45-47)

The Prophet being spoken of in these texts is the same Prophet spoken of by Moses in Deuteronomy 18 (due to the fact that both Christ and Philip stated that it was Moses who spoke of Christ). Therefore, since Christ Himself testifies that He is the Prophet of whom Moses wrote about, this removes Muhammad from being a possible contender concerning the Prophet who was to come.

John 14-16

John chapters 14-16 are one of the two texts Muslims appeal to from the New Testament cannon when trying to prove Muhammads description. According to John chapters 14-16, Christ Himself speaks of One who is to come after Him, namely referred to as the Helper, Comforter and Spirit of Truth. The Muslims immediately assume that Christ was speaking of Muhammad, which cannot be further from the truth. I will contextually exegete these texts in order to refute this claim presented by the Muslims of Muhammad supposedly being the One in whom Christ spoke of.

The texts quoted by the Muslims, which are the same texts referencing the Helper/Comforter to come, are the following:

And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. (John 14:16-17)

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. (John 14:26)

“But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.” (John 15:26)

Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you. (John 16:7)

“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.” (John 16:12-14)

There are a number of problems when attempting to force Muhammads description into these texts.

The first of these issues is the fact that Christ is speaking directly to His Apostles (as well as all believers, present and in future) in John 14:16-17, when He states that He (the Spirit of Truth) dwells amongst you and will be in you:

And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. (John 14:16-17)

Unless Muslims want to argue that Muhammad pre-existed prior to his birth, and dwelt amongst 1st century Jews, this can by no means refer to Muhammad, a man born 6 centuries after Christ spoke these Words. Moreover, since Muhammad was born in the form of a physical human being, there is no logical, rational way that Muhammad could be “in” 12 of the Apostles individually and simultaneously. This is a clear paradox.

In John 14:26, Christ explicitly reveals who the “Helper” is by name, the Holy Spirit:

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. (John 14:26)

Islamic sources themselves never refer to Muhammad as being “the Holy Spirit”, which is problematic in itself. How can the Muslims have the audacity to apply a name to Muhammad, that their own religious sources do not attribute to him?

In addition to John 14:26, the Holy Spirit will remind the Apostles of everything Christ taught:

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. (John 14:26)

This is unfortunate for the Muslim position, as Christ states that the Holy Spirit will remind the Apostles of everything Christ spoke. Muhammad contradicts the teachings and theology of Christ, which automatically disqualifies Muhammad as being a possible candidate of “the Helper” sent by Christ. Due to the fact that Muhammads teachings are contrary to that of Christs, how then could Christ send one after Him who contradicts and distorts His message? God forbid!

According to John 15:26 it is Christ Himself who sends the Helper:

“But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.” (John 15:26)

The Quran however, states that it is Allah who sent Muhammad to the world:

And We have not sent you, [O Muhammad], except as a mercy to the worlds. (Quran 21:107)

For Muslims to believe that Jesus ordained and sent Muhammad to the world as a prophet, it would be considered blasphemous, since only Allah has the power to perform such acts. If Muhammad was truly sent as a prophet by Allah, the Helper can by no means be referring to Muhammad, as it is Christ who sends the Helper.

The Writings of the Church Fathers also bear witness to the Holy Spirit as the Comforter/Helper spoken of by Christ, centuries before the coming of Muhammad:

But the Holy Spirit does not speak His own things, but those of Christ, and that not from himself, but from the Lord; even as the Lord also announced to us the things that He received from the Father. For, says He, “the word which ye hear is not Mine, but the Father’s, who sent Me.” And says He of the Holy Spirit, “He shall not speak of Himself, but whatsoever things He shall hear from Me.” And He says of Himself to the Father, “I have,” says He, “glorified Thee upon the earth; I have finished the work which, Thou gavest Me; I have manifested Thy name to men.” And of the Holy Ghost, “He shall glorify Me, for He receives of Mine.” (Ignatius, Epistle to the Ephesians, Chapter 9)

Then there is the Paraclete or Comforter, also, which He promises to pray for to the Father, and to send from heaven after He had ascended to the Father. He is called “another Comforter,” indeed; but in what way He is another we have already shown, “He shall receive of mine,” says Christ, just as Christ Himself received of the Father’s. Thus the connection of the Father in the Son, and of the Son in the Paraclete, produces three coherent Persons, who are yet distinct One from Another. (Tertullian, Against Praxeas, Chapter 25)

But this Holy Spirit the Lord Christ calls at one time “the Paraclete,“ at another pronounces to be the Spirit of truth. And He is not new in the Gospel, nor yet even newly given; for it was He Himself who accused the people in the prophets, and in the apostles gave them the appeal to the Gentiles. For the former deserved to be accused, because they had contemned the law; and they of the Gentiles who believe deserve to be aided by the defence of the Spirit, because they earnestly desire to attain to the Gospel law. (Novation, On the Trinity, Chapter 29)

For, said He, “I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Advocate, that He may be with you for ever, even the Spirit of truth.“ And, “When He, the Advocate, shall come, whom I shall send unto you from my Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from my Father.“ And, “If I go not away, that Advocate shall not come to you; but if I go away, I will send Him to you.“ And, “When the Spirit of truth shall come, He will direct you into all the truth.“ And because the Lord was about to depart to the heavens, He gave the Paraclete out of necessity to the disciples; so as not to leave them in any degree orphans, which was little desirable, and forsake them without an advocate and some kind of protector. (Novation, On the Trinity, Chapter 29)

And then He added, as if by way of consequence, the words whereon we have undertaken at present to discourse: “But when the Comforter has come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, He shall bear witness of me: and you also shall bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.“ But what connection has this with what He had just said, “But now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father: but that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause?” Was it that the Comforter, when He came, even the Spirit of truth, convicted those, who thus saw and hated, by a still clearer testimony? Yea, verily, some even of those who saw, and still hated, He did convert, by this manifestation of Himself, to the faith that works by love. To make this view of the passage intelligible, we recall to your mind that so it actually befell. For when on the day of Pentecost the Holy Spirit fell upon an assembly of one hundred and twenty men, among whom were all the apostles; and when they, filled therewith were speaking in the language of every nation; a goodly number of those who had hated, amazed at the magnitude of the miracle (especially when they perceived in Peter’s address so great and divine a testimony borne in behalf of Christ, as that He, who was slain by them and accounted among the dead, was proved to have risen again, and to be now alive), were pricked in their hearts and converted; and so became aware of the beneficent character of that precious blood which had been so impiously and cruelly shed, because themselves redeemed by the very blood which they had shed. (Augustine, Tractate on the Gospel of John, Tractate 92)

All this did that Holy Spirit when sent, who had previously only been promised. And it was these great and marvellous gifts of His own that the Lord foresaw, when He said, “They have both seen and hated both me and my Father: that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause. But when the Comforter has come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, He shall testify of me: and you also shall bear witness.“ For He, in bearing witness Himself, and inspiring such witnesses with invincible courage, divested Christ’s friends of their fear, and transformed into love the hatred of His enemies. (Augustine, Tractate on the Gospel of John, Tractate 92)

The evidence compiled in this work will suffice the Refutation of Muhammad in the Holy Scriptures. All attempts presented by the Muslims have been addressed and refuted on the basis of Holy Scripture, as well as sacred writings of the Holy Church Fathers, written centuries before the birth of Muhammad. These facts have proven the Quran to contain false statements regarding the prophethood of Muhammad, eliminating the Quran from being a “divine revelation” from the True God without error or contradiction, as claimed by the Muslims.

May the Peace of Christ be with you all. Amen. Come Lord Jesus