Muhammad in the words of Jesus

By Mohammad A Rahman

Muhammad, the holy prophet of Islam is the perfect man (Insan al-kamil) to the Muslims. In other words, all the human attributes were perfected in the person of Prophet Muhammad. Each previous prophet excelled in a specific area of human qualities, however, as prophet Muhammad was sent to all people, he possessed all qualities of perfection. So, therefore, we can say that he was the best father, best grandfather, best husband, best general, most spiritual person, etc. No man can ever attain his rank in any areas. All the sayings and deeds of him are to be followed by Muslims as he had the divine protection from committing any sins and errors. In fact the holy Qur’an explicitly says that everything he said was nothing but was revealed by God:

Your companion does not err, nor does he go astray; nor does he speak out of desire. It is naught but revelation that is revealed (Qur’an 53:2-4)

It is known that any time a prophet’s mission was to come to an end, he would let his followers know of the coming prophet so they could recognize him. In the case of Prophet Muhammad he was not only foretold by Jesus, but also by Moses. The holy Qur’an has mentioned that Muhammad, the last messenger of God was mentioned in the earlier revealed books. This is precise why we see that many Christians and Jews became Muslims by verifying what they knew about Prophet Muhammad as we will see in the coming sections.

And when Jesus son of Mary said: O children of Israel! surely I am the apostle of Allah to you, verifying that which is before me of the Taurat and giving the good news of an Apostle who will come after me, his name being Ahmad (Ahmad is another name of Muhammad) (Qur’an 61:6)

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 (Qur’an 7:157)

Many Jews and Christians recognized Prophet Muhammad fully:

Those unto whom We gave the Scripture recognize him as they recognize their sons (Qur’an 2:146).

It will not be out of place to mention two stories to show how the scholars of previous scriptures had detailed information of Prophet Muhammad:

The story of Bahira, the Monk

Once while the  most noble Messenger, Muhammad (peace and blessings upon him and his family) had not yet grown up and was still living with his uncle Abu Talib, Abu Talib made a commercial trip to Syria, taking the most noble Messenger (peace and blessings upon him and his family) with him.

It was a large, heavily-laden caravan. As they entered Syria, they reached a town called Busra and dismounted near a monastery. They pitched tents and rested. A monk named Bahira came out from the monastery and invited the caravan party to dine. All accepted the monk’s invitation and entered the monastery, except that Abu Talib left his nephew to look after their supplies.

Bahira asked, ‘Have all come?’ Abu Talib replied that all had except for a youth, the youngest of the party. Bahira said, ‘Bring him as well’. Abu Talib had left the most noble Messenger (peace and blessings upon him and his family) standing under an olive tree. He called for him to come in. Bahira looked closely at the most noble Messenger (peace and blessings upon him and his family) and told him, ‘Come closer, I must speak with you’. He drew the most noble Messenger (peace and blessings upon him and his family) aside. Abu Talib joined them. Bahira told the most noble Messenger (peace and blessings upon him and his family), ‘I will ask you something, and I will swear you to Lat and ‘Uzza to answer me’. (Lat and ‘Uzza were the names of two idols worshipped by the people of Mecca).

The most noble Messenger (peace and blessings upon him and his family) replied, ‘Nothing is more loathsome to me than these two idols’.

Bahira then said, ‘Let me swear you to the One God that you will answer truly’. The most noble Messenger (peace and blessings upon him and his family) responded, ‘I always speak truly, I never lie. Ask your question’. Bahira asked, ‘What thing do you most love?’ He answered, ‘Solitude’. Bahira asked, ‘What do you most watch and love to watch?’ He answered, ‘The sky and the stars within it’. Bahira asked, ‘What do you think?’ The most noble Messenger (peace and blessings upon him and his family) remained silent, but Bahira closely studied his forehead, finally asking, ‘When and what thought in mind do you sleep?’ He answered, ‘When, as I watch the sky, I see the stars and find them in my lap, and myself above them’. Bahira asked, ‘Do you also dream?’ he answered , ‘Yes, and whatever I see in dreams, I also see when I am awake’. Bahira continued, ‘What, for instance, do you dream of?’ The most noble Messenger (peace and blessings upon him and his family) was silent. Bahira also fell silent. After a short while, Bahira asked, ‘May I see between your shoulders?’ Without moving, the most noble Messenger (peace and blessings upon him and his family) replied, ‘Yes. Come and see’. Bahira stood, came close, and removed the most noble Messenger’s (peace and blessings upon him and his family) robe from his shoulders. He saw a black mole and murmured, ‘It is the same’. Abu Talib asked, ‘The same as what? What are you saying?’ Bahira said, ‘Tell me. What is your relationship to this boy?’ Abu Talib, who loved the most noble Messenger (peace and blessings upon him and his family) like a son, replied, ‘He is my son’. Bahira retorted, ‘No, This boy’s father is dead’. Abu Talib asked, ‘How did you know? Yes, this is my brother’s son’. Bahira said to Abu Talib, ‘Listen. This young man has a resplendent and marvelous life ahead of him. If others see what I have seen and they recognize him, they will kill him. Conceal and protect him from enemies’. Abu Talib asked, ‘Tell me, who is he?’ Bahira answered, ‘In his eyes are the marks of a great prophet, and likewise on his back’.

The story of Nesturius, The Monk

Several years later, the most noble Messenger (peace and blessings upon him and his family) was once again on the road to Damascus, on business for Khadija, taking her goods. Khajida had sent her servant Maysara along with him and instructed her to obey him completely. On this journey too, when they reached  Syria, they stopped near the town of Busra, belonging to a monk named Nesturius, who was acquainted with Maysara. He asked her, ‘Who is that resting under that tree? Maysara replied, ‘One of the Quraysh’. The monk said, ‘No one has or ever will rest under the tree except one of God’s prophets’. Then he asked, ‘Do his eyes have a reddish tinge?’ She answered, ‘Yes. His eyes have always had the quality’. The monk said, ‘That is right. He is the last of God’s prophets. I wish I might live to see the day he is charged with summoning people to God’.

It appears that Prophet Muhammad had been prophesized in the old testament in several places:

Moses said: The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brethren -- him you shall heed (Deuteronomy 18:15)

Again God tells Moses: I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brethren; and I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him (Deuteronomy 18:18)

The description of the one prophesized in Deut. 18:15 and 18:18 as ‘like me (Moses)’ or ‘like you (Moses)’ perfectly fits to the prophet of Islam, Muhammad as he was like Moses – born of a natural father and a mother. It is also known that Moses brought new laws for his people as Muhammad did. However, Jesus only followed what Moses brought. Furthermore, ‘he shall speak to them all that I command him’ is in total description in verse 53:2-4 of holy Qur’an as we have seen above.

The reference to Prophet Muhammad can also be found in the new testament only if one wants to find the truth.

When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come (John 16:13)

Obviously, Jesus is talking about Prophet Muhammad when he is saying ‘whatever he hears he will speak’ as described in verse 53:2-4 of holy Qur’an.

And I will pray the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, to be with you for ever (John 14:16)

Now, we will see what Jesus had said about Prophet Muhammad as explicitly as he could from various angles so as not to leave any doubt in the minds of his followers that he was just another messenger of God and Prophet Muhammad, who was to come, would be the greatest of all messengers.

Prophet Muhammad is the Messenger of God:

Then said John: "Well have you spoken, O master, but we lack to know how man sinned through pride." Jesus answered: "When God has expelled Satan, and the angel Gabriel had purified that mass of earth whereon Satan spat, God created everything that lives, both of the animals that fly and of them that walk and swim, and he adorned the world with all that it has. One day Satan approached to the gates of paradise, and, seeing the horses eating grass, he announced to them that if that mass of earth should receive a soul there would be for them grievous labour; and that therefore it would be to their advantage to trample that piece of earth in such wise that it should be no more good for anything.

The horses aroused themselves and impetuously set themselves to run over that piece of earth which lay among lilies and roses;. Whereupon God gave spirit to that unclean portion of earth upon which lay the spittle of Satan, which Gabriel had taken up from the mass; and raised up the dog, who, barking, filled the horses with fear, and they fled. Then God gave his soul to man, while all the holy angels sang: "Blessed be your holy name, O God our Lord." "Adam, having sprung upon his feet, saw in the air a writing that shone like the sun;, which said: "There is only one God, and Muhammad is the Messenger of God." (Gospel of Barnabas, Chapter 39)

Prophet Muhammad was created before everything:

Whereupon Adam opened his mouth and said: "I thank you, O Lord my God, that you have deigned to create me; but tell me. I pray you, what means the message of these words: "Muhammad is Messenger of God. Have there been other men before me?" 'Then said God: "Be you welcome, O my servant Adam. . I tell you that you are the first man whom I have created. And he whom you have seen [mentioned] is your son, who shall come into the world many years hence, and shall be my Messenger, for whom I have created all things; who shall give light to the world when he shall come; whose soul was set in a celestial splendour; sixty thousand years before I made any thing."

Adam besought God, saying: "Lord, grant me this writing upon the nails of the fingers of my hands." Then God gave to the first man upon his thumbs that writing; upon the thumb-nail of the right hand it said: "There is only one God," and upon the thumb-nail of the left it said: "Muhammad is Messenger of God." Then with fatherly affection the first man kissed those words, and rubbed his eyes, and said: "Blessed be that day when you shall come to the world." (Gospel of Barnabas, Chapter 39)

Satan then gave a horrible roar, and said: 'Since you will to make me [continually] worse, I will make me that which I shall be able!' Then said God: 'Depart, cursed one, from my presence!' Then Satan departed, and God said to Adam [and] Eve, who were both weeping: 'Go forth from paradise, and do penance, and do not let your hope fail, for I will send your son so that your seed shall lift the dominion of Satan from off the human race: for I will give all things to he who shall come, my Messenger.'

God hid himself [from Adam and Eve], and the angel Michael drove them forth from paradise. Then, Adam, turning around, saw written above the gate, There is only one God, and Muhammad is Messenger of God. (Gospel of Barnabas, Chapter 41)

Jesus answered: "God having created a mass of earth, and having left it for twenty-five thousand years without doing aught else; Satan, who was as it were priest and head of the angels, by the great understanding that he possessed, knew that God of that mass of earth was to take one hundred and forty and four thousand signed with the mark of prophecy, and the Messenger of God, the soul of which Messenger he had created sixty thousand years before aught else (Gospel of Barnabas, Chapter 35)

Accordingly Jesus said: "Everyone that works for an end in which he finds satisfaction. Wherefore I say to you that God, truly because he is perfect, has not need of satisfaction, seeing that he has satisfaction himself. And so, willing to work, he created before all things the soul of his Messenger, for whom he determined to create the whole, in order that the creatures should find joy and blessedness in God, whence his Messenger should take delight in all his creatures, which he has appointed to be his slaves. And wherefore is this, so save because thus he has willed? (Gospel of Barnabas, Chapter 43)

When the prayer was done, his disciples again drew near to Jesus, and he opened his mouth and said: Draw near, John, for today will I speak to you of all that you have asked. Faith is a seal whereby God seals his elect: which seal he gave to his Messenger, at whose hands every one that is elect has received the faith. For even as God is one, so is the faith one. Wherefore God, having created before all things his Messenger, gave to him before aught else the faith which is as it were a likeness of God and of all that God has done and said (Gospel of Barnabas, Chapter 90)

Prophet Muhammad will be from Ishmael:

Truly I say to you, that every prophet when he is come has borne to one nation only the mark of the mercy of God. And so their words were not extended save to that people to which they were sent. But the Messenger of God, when he shall come, God shall give to him as it were the seal of his hand, insomuch that he shall carry salvation and mercy to all the nations of the world that shall receive his doctrine. He shall come with power upon the ungodly, and shall destroy idolatry, insomuch that he shall make Satan confounded; for so promised God to Abraham, saying: "Behold, in your seed I will bless all the tribes of the earth; and as you have broken in pieces the idols, O Abraham; even so shall your seed do.""

James answered: "O master, tell us in whom this promise was made; for the Jews say "in Isaac," and the Ishmaelites say "in Ishmael." Jesus answered: David, whose son was he, and of what lineage?" James answered: "Of Isaac; for Isaac was father of Jacob, and Jacob was father of Judah, of whose lineage is David."

Then Jesus said: "And the Messenger of God when he shall come, of what lineage will he be?" The disciples answered: "Of David." Whereupon Jesus said: "You deceive yourselves; for David in spirit calls him lord, saying thus: God said to my lord, sit you on my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool. God shall send forth your rod which shall have lordship in the midst of your enemies. If the Messenger of God whom you call Messiah were son of David, how should David call him lord? Believe me, for truly I say to you, that the promise was made in Ishmael, not in Isaac." (Gospel of Barnabas, Chapter 43)

Prophet Muhammad will be the head of all prophets on the Judgement Day:

God shall open the book in the hand of his Messenger, and his Messenger reading therein shall call all the angels and prophets and all the elect, and on the forehead of each one shall be written the mark of the Messenger of God. And in the book shall be written the glory of paradise. (Gospel of Barnabas, Chapter 56)

When these signs be passed, there shall be darkness over the world forty years, God alone being alive, to whom be honour and glory forever. When the forty years have passed, God shall give life to his Messenger, who shall rise again like the sun, but resplendent as a thousand suns. He shall sit, and shall not speak, for he shall be as it were beside himself. God shall raise again the four angels favoured of God, who shall seek the Messenger of God, and, having found him, shall station themselves on the four sides of the place to keep watch upon him. Next shall God give life to all the angels, who shall come like bees circling round the Messenger of God. Next shall God give life to all his prophets, who, following Adam, shall go every one to kiss the hand of the Messenger of God, committing themselves to his protection. Next shall God give life to all the elect, who shall cry out: "O Muhammad be mindful of us!" At whose cries pity shall awake in the Messenger of God, and he shall consider what he ought to do, fearing for their salvation.

Next shall God give life to every created thing and they shall return to their former existence, but every one shall besides possess the power of speech. Next shall God give life to all the reprobates, at whose resurrection, by reason of their hideousness, all the creatures of God shall be afraid, and shall cry: "Let not your mercy forsake us, O Lord our God." After this shall God cause Satan ;to be raised up, at whose aspect every creature shall be as dead, for fear of the horrid form of his appearance. May it please God," said Jesus, "that I behold not that monster on that day. The Messenger of God alone shall not be affrighted by such shapes, because he shall fear God only. (Gospel of Barnabas, Chapter 54)

Prophet Muhammad to come after Jesus:

The disciples stood in great amazement at the rebellion of the angels. Then Jesus said: "Truly I say to you, that he who makes not prayer is more wicked than Satan, and shall suffer greater torments. Because Satan had, before his fall, no example of fearing, nor did God so much as send him any prophet to invite him to repentance: but man now that all the prophets are come except the Messenger of God who shall come after me, because so God wills, and that I may prepare his way and man, I say, albeit he have infinite examples of the justice of God, lives carelessly without any fear, as though there were no God (Gospel of Barnabas, Chapter 36)

Then the disciples wept after this discourse, and Jesus was weeping, when they saw many who came to find him, for the chiefs of the priests took counsel among themselves to catch him in his talk. Wherefore they sent the Levites and some of the scribes to question him, saying: "Who are you?"

Jesus confessed, and said the truth: "I am not the Messiah." They said: "Are you Elijah or Jeremiah, or any of the ancient prophets?" Jesus answered: "No." Then said they: "Who are you? Say, in order that we may give testimony to those who sent us." Then Jesus said: "I am a voice that cries through all Judea, and cries: "Prepare you the way for the messenger of the Lord," even as it is written in Esaias."

They said: "If you be not the Messiah nor Elijah, or any prophet, wherefore do you preach new doctrine, and make yourself of more account than the Messiah?" Jesus answered: "The miracles which God works by my hands show that I speak that which God wills; nor indeed do I make myself to be accounted as him of whom you speak. For I am not worthy to unloose the ties of the hosen or the ratchets of the shoes of the Messenger of God whom you call "Messiah," who was made before me, and shall come after me, and shall bring the words of truth, so that his faith shall have no end." (Gospel of Barnabas, Chapter 42)

Jesus answered: "As God lives, in whose presence my soul stands, I am not the Messiah whom all the tribes of the earth expect, even as God promised to our father Abraham, saying: "In your seed will I bless all the tribes of the earth." But when God shall take me away from the world, Satan will raise again this accursed sedition, by making the impious believe that I am God and son of God, whence my words and my doctrine shall be contaminated, insomuch that scarcely shall there remain thirty faithful ones: whereupon God will have mercy upon the world, and will send his Messenger for whom he has made all things who shall come from the south with power, and shall destroy the idols with the idolaters who shall take away the dominion from Satan which he has over men. He shall bring with him the mercy of God for salvation of them that shall believe in him, and blessed is he who shall believe his words (Gospel of Barnabas, Chapter 97)

Prophet Muhammad will remove all blemishes from Jesus:

With tears drew near to Jesus he who writes this saying: "O master, tell me, who is he that should betray you?" Jesus answered, saying: "O Barnabas, this is not the hour for you to know him, but soon will be wicked one reveal himself, because I shall depart from the world." Then wept the apostles, saying: "O master, wherefore will you forsake us? It is much better that we should die than be forsaken of you!"

Jesus answered: "Let not your heart be troubled, neither be you fearful: for I have not created you, but God our creator who has created you will protect you. As for me, I am now come to the world to prepare the way for the Messenger of God, who shall bring salvation to the world. But beware that you be not deceived, for many false prophets shall come, who shall take my words and contaminate my gospel."

Then said Andrew: "Master tell us some sign, that we may know him." Jesus answered: "He will not come in your time, but will come some years after you, when my gospel shall be annulled, insomuch that there shall be scarcely thirty faithful. At that time God will have mercy on the world, and so he will send his Messenger, over whose head will rest a white cloud, whereby he shall be known of one elect of God, and shall be by him manifested to the world. He shall come with great power against the ungodly, and shall destroy idolatry upon the earth. And it rejoices me because that through him our God shall be known and glorified, and I shall be known to be true; and he will execute vengeance against those who shall say that I am more than man (Gospel of Barnabas, Chapter 72)

Then Jesus said: "With your words I am not consoled, because where you hope for light darkness shall come; but my consolation is in the coming of the Messenger, who shall destroy every false opinion of me, and his faith shall spread and shall take hold of the whole world, for so has God promised to Abraham our father. And that which gives me consolation is that his faith shall have no end, but shall be kept inviolate by God." (Gospel of Barnabas, Chapter 97)

Jesus answered: "Believe me, Barnabas that I cannot weep as much as I ought. For if men had not called me God, I should have seen God here as he will be seen in paradise, and should have been safe not to fear the day of judgment. But God knows that I am innocent, because never have I harboured thought to be held more than a poor slave. No, I tell you that if I had not been called God I should have been carried into paradise when I shall depart from the world, whereas now I shall not go thither until the judgment. Now you see if I have cause to weep.

Know, O Barnabas, that for this I must have great persecution, and shall be sold by one of my disciples for thirty pieces of money. Whereupon I am sure that he who shall sell me shall be slain in my name, for that God shall take me up from the earth, and shall change the appearance of the traitor so that every one shall believe him to be me; nevertheless, when he dies an evil death, I shall abide in that dishonour for a long time in the world. But when Muhammad shall come, the sacred Messenger of God, that infamy shall be taken away. And this shall God do because I have confessed the truth of the Messiah who shall give me this reward, that I shall be known to be alive and to be a stranger to that death of infamy." (Gospel of Barnabas, Chapter 112)

Jesus answered: "Everything that conforms to the Book of Moses, that receive you for true; seeing that God is one, the truth is one; whence it follows that the doctrine is one and the meaning of the doctrine is one; and therefore the faith is one. Truly I say to you that if the truth had not been erased from the Book of Moses, God would not have given to David our father the second. And if the book of David had not been contaminated, God would not have committed the Gospel to me; seeing that the Lord our God is unchangeable, and has spoken but one message to all men. Wherefore, when the Messenger of God shall come, he shall come to cleanse away all wherewith the ungodly have contaminated my book." (Gospel of Barnabas, Chapter 124)

Status of Prophet Muhammad:

Jesus said of Prophet Muhammad:

"Unworthy though I am to untie his hosen, I have received grace and mercy from God to see him." (Gospel of Barnabas, Chapter 97)

Then shall the Messenger of God say: "O Lord, there are of the faithful who have been in hell seventy thousand years. Where, O Lord, is your mercy? I pray you, Lord, to free them from those bitter punishments."

Then shall God command the four favourite angels of God; that they go to hell and take out every one that has the faith of his Messenger, and lead him into paradise. And this they shall do.

And such shall be the advantage of the faith of God's Messenger, that those that shall have believed in him, even though they have not done any good works, seeing they died in this faith, shall go into paradise after the punishment of which I have spoken.' (Gospel of Barnabas, Chapter 137)

To what does it serve to say, "They shall feast?" said Jesus to his disciples. 'Surely God speaks plain. But to what purpose are the four rivers of precious liquor in paradise, with so many fruits? Assuredly, God eats not, the angels eat not, the soul eats not, the sense eats not, but rather the flesh, which is our body. Wherefore the glory of paradise is for the body the meats, and for the soul and the sense God and the conversation of angels and blessed spirits. That glory shall be better revealed by the Messenger; of God, who (seeing God has created all things for love of him) knows all things better than any other creature.' (Gospel of Barnabas, Chapter 176)

Then said he who writes: 'O master, has paradise light from the sun as this world has?' Jesus answered: 'Thus has God said to me, O Barnabas: 'The world wherein you men that are sinners dwell has the sun and the moon and the stars that adorn it, for your benefit and your gladness; for this have I created. " Think you, then, that the house where my faithful dwell shall not be better? Assuredly, you err, so thinking: for I, your God, am the sun of paradise, and my Messenger is the moon who from me receives all, and the stars are my prophets which have preached to you my will. Wherefore my faithful, even as they received my word from my prophets [here], shall in like manner obtain delight and gladness through them in the paradise of my delights." (Gospel of Barnabas, Chapter 177)

Having made the prayer, Jesus said: "Let us give thanks to God because he has given to us this night great mercy; for that he has made to come back the time that needs must pass in the night, in that we have made prayer in union with the Messenger of God. And I have heard his voice." (Gospel of Barnabas, Chapter 84)

Jesus prayed:

Lord God the Saviour, save them whom you have given me, in order that Satan may not be able to do aught against them, and save not only them, but every one that shall believe in them. Lord, bountiful and rich in mercy, grant to your servant to be in the congregation of your Messenger; on the Day of Judgment and not me only, but every one whom you have given me, with all them that shall believe on me through their preaching. (Gospel of Barnabas, Chapter 212)

The disciples answered, "O Master, who shall that man be of whom you speak, who shall come into the world?" Jesus answered with joy of heart: 'He is Muhammad, Messenger of God, and when he comes into the world, even as the rain makes the earth to bear fruit when for a long time it has not rained, even so shall he be occasion of good works among men, through the abundant mercy which he shall bring. For he is a white cloud full of the mercy of God, which mercy God shall sprinkle upon the faithful like rain.' (Gospel of Barnabas, Chapter 163)

And God says in the holy Qur’an:

And We have not sent you but as a mercy to the worlds (Qur’an 21:107)