In Deuteronomy 18:18 (NIV) God told Moses:

“I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers; I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him.”

 

The brothers of the Jews are the Arabs, as the Jews are descended from Isaac, while the Arabs are descended from his brother Ishmael. The only prophet in world history who had a life, and mission comparable to Moses was Muhammad.

The depiction of the Beloved in the Song of Solomon 5:10-16 (NIV) is a beautiful portrayal of Muhammad, who is known as the Beloved of God by Muslims;

 

“My lover is radiant and ruddy, outstanding among ten thousand.

His head is purest gold; his hair is wavy and black as a raven.

His eyes are like doves by the water streams, washed in milk, mounted like jewels.

His cheeks are like beds of spice yielding perfume.

His lips are like lilies dripping with myrrh.

His arms are rods of gold set with chrysolite.

His body is like polished ivory decorated with sapphires.

His legs are pillars of marble set on bases of pure gold.

His appearance is like Lebanon, choice as its cedars.

His mouth is sweetness itself; he is altogether lovely.

This is my lover, this my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.”

 

Radiant is a reference to the spiritual light that people saw in Muhammad’s face. He is quoted here as “outstanding among ten thousand”. When Muhammad returned to Mecca, he rode into the city with an army of 10,000 saints. They took the city peacefully and not a single drop of blood was shed. This is a well known event in the early history of Islam.

 

The words altogether lovely, are a translation of the Hebrew Mahamadim. In fact Muslims often add -in after Muhammad and say Muhammadin, as this is a more respectful way of referring to him in Arabic, a similar principle applies in Hebrew but -im is added instead. So verse 16 should really read “His mouth is sweetness itself; he is Mahamad. This is my lover, this my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem”. But the translators ignored this, as they were not looking for Muhammad in the Bible. But even altogether lovely refers to The Prophet, as his name Muhammad when translated into English means Praiseworthy, which has nearly the same meaning. These verses are reminiscent of the beautiful description of Muhammad given by Anas:

 

“The Prophet of God was neither tall nor was he short (he was of medium stature). In complexion, he was neither very white like lime, nor very dark, nor brown which results in darkness (he was illuminant, more luminous than even the full moon on the 14th night). The hair of The Prophet of God was neither very straight nor very curly (but slightly wavy). When he attained the age of forty, God Most High granted him prophethood. He lived for ten years in Mecca and in Medina for ten years. He passed away at the age of sixty years. At that time there were not more than twenty white hairs on his blessed head and beard”

Muhammad was also predicted by Jesus as recorded in the Gospel of John, 16:7-14 (NIV)

 

“But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counsellor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgement: in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and in regard to judgement, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.

I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you.”

(emphasis added)

 

The Counsellor predicted by Jesus is none other than Prophet Muhammad. Counsellor is a translation of the Greek paraklytos which also means intercessor. Christians believe this refers to the Holy Spirit, however the Counsellor described is no spirit, he is addressed as he and him 9 times in these few verses alone, also he will hear and speak what he hears. These are not the qualities usually attributed to a spirit, but a man. Muhammad received the Qur’an by listening to Angel Gabriel recite it to him. He then recited and explained it to his companions. He spoke only of what God taught him.

Muhammad was always known for his honesty (this was even acknowledged by his enemies) he was always truthful, and emphasised the importance of Truth. He inspired his followers to start learning language, science and medicine, the scientific work of many Muslim scholars forms the basis of the modern natural and applied sciences.

Muhammad taught people, “seek knowledge even unto China”. It was therefore Muhammad who lead the world into all truth, both spiritual, and scientific. Here it is abundantly clear Jesus was describing Muhammad and his mission, peace and blessings be upon them!

 

The Parable of the Tenants

 

“Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and went away on a journey. When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit.

“The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way. Last of all, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said.

“But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and take his inheritance.’ So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.

“Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?”

“He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,” they replied, “and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.”

Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:

‘The stone the builders rejected

has become the capstone;

the Lord has done this,

and it is marvellous in our eyes’?”

“Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed.”

When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus’ parables, they knew he was talking about them. They looked for a way to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd because the people held that he was a prophet.

 

Gospel of Matthew, 21:33-45 (NIV)

 

The vineyard refers to the house of Israel, and the land of Canaan (Israel and Palestine today). The tenant farmers portray the people of Israel. The people of Israel had a covenant (like a contract) with Almighty God to follow his religion and be an example to all peoples. The servants represent the prophets of God who were sent by Him to guide Israel throughout the ages. Many prophets were rejected and treated very badly by the Israelites, and some of them were even killed. But God, Most Merciful continued to send prophets to Israel including Jesus.

Jesus asked the people gathered what the landowner would do to such wicked tenants? Unanimously they replied “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end”. Jesus quoted Psalm 118:22,23. The stone the builders rejected refers to Ishmael. Most of the prophets were descended from Isaac, so the Jews and later the Christians thought Ishmael was rejected.

However this is far from true! As Jesus predicted, one of Ishmael’s descendants would be the Seal of the Prophets the capstone. When Muhammad was asked what his place is in comparison to the previous prophets, he said,

 

“My similitude in comparison with the other prophets before me, is that of a man who has built a house nicely and beautifully, except for a place of one brick in a corner. The people go about it and wonder at its beauty, but say: ‘Would that this brick be put in its place!’ So I am that brick, and I am the last of the Prophets.”

 

Narrated by Abu Huraira, Sahih Bukhari 4:735

 

Jesus was warning the people that God’s favour will be taken away from them and given to another people who would respect His prophets, follow their teachings and produce good works. Anyone who tries to stop this people will be thwarted, while anyone who this people challenge will fall. The people referred to are the Muslims. Islam has continued to advance from the time of Muhammad, even today, it is the fastest growing religion.

Whether the climate is friendly or hostile, no one has ever been able to halt its expansion. On another occasion Jesus chastised the Pharisees and Sadducees, he said:

 

…“You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The axe is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”

Gospel of Matthew, 3:7-10 (NIV)

 

Almighty God states in the Holy Qur’an;

 

“Behold, [O believers,] it is you who are called upon to spend freely in God’s cause: but [even] among you are such as turn out to be niggardly! And yet, he who acts niggardly [in God's cause] is but niggardly towards his own self: for God is indeed self-sufficient, whereas you stand in need [of Him]; and if you turn away [from Him], He will cause other people to take your place, and they will not be the likes of you!”

 

Holy Qur’an, 47:38 (Muhammad Asad)

 

 

Paul Salahuddin Armstrong. 16/10/2007.