| Answer:
There are several places where the advent of the Prophet Muhammad (sws)
is thought to have been mentioned in the Bible. In the New Testament’s Gospel
according to John, Jesus (sws) prays to God that people are given another
‘Comforter’. There is also mention of the ‘Spirit of Truth’ who ‘will guide you
into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself, but whatsoever he shall hear,
that shall he speak and he will show you things to come’, (John 16:13). As the
scholar Abdus Sattar Ghauri has pointed out, it is clear from the Biblical text
that Jesus (sws) stands as a separate entity to the ‘Comforter’ or ‘Spirit of
Truth’. Furthermore, it is evident that the prophecy given to Moses (sws) spoke
of the advent of a Prophet (sws). This figure was thought to be distinct from
Christ (sws). Evidence of this can be found when John the Baptist is asked if he
is Christ, Elias or the Prophet and he answers ‘no’ to all three (John 1:
19-21). Some connect this ‘Comforter’ with the ‘Holy Ghost’ mentioned in John
14:26. However, as Jamal Badawi has pointed out, this designation is
‘inconsistent’ with the profile given of the ‘Comforter’, as even the Dictionary
of the Bible (J Mackenzie) seems to imply. As Badawi goes on to point out, the
Prophet Muhammad (sws) fulfilled all the criteria of the ‘Comforter’ or ‘Paraclete’,
such as: ‘He testified of Jesus (sws), taught new things which could not be
borne at Jesus’ time, he spoke what he heard (revelation), he dwells with the
believers (through his well-preserved teachings)’ and ‘such teachings will
remain forever because he was the last messenger of God’. Furthermore, the
requirement of ‘teachings remaining forever’ is not only clearly evidenced by
the preservation of the Qur’ān over the course of the last 1400 years, but also
in the incredible volume of Āhadīth literature which, through proper
examination, provides further details on Prophetic teachings.
Evidence for Prophet Muhammad (sws) in the Old Testament is bountiful.
Deuteronomy 18:18 shows Moses (sws) speaking of the prophet to be sent by God
who must fulfill several criteria, the most compelling of which is to be from
among the ‘brethren’ of the Isrealites. As Abdus Sattar Ghauri points out, this
is clearly a reference to the Ishmaelites, their cousins, as evidenced by
Genesis XVI: 10-12, and although modern translators have attempted to change
this word to ‘people’, the Hebrew is best translated as brethren. Furthermore,
Mathew 21:43 has Jesus (sws) admonishing the Israelites by stating ‘the kingdom
of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation’. The language of the text
indicates this nation will be different from the Israelites.
In addition, Badawi shows that Deuteronomy 33:1-2 combines ‘references to Moses,
Jesus and Muhammad’ by speaking of God’s revelation coming from the Sinai, Seir
(likely a the village Sa’ir near Jerusalem) and Paran (Genesis 21:21 indicates
this is where Ishmael settled, which we now know as Makkah).
Finally, one of the clearest evidences of Prophet Muhammad’s (sws) advent comes
from King Solomon where he uses the words ‘Muhammadim’ to describe the coming
Prophet (sws). As Ghauri points out the actual Hebrew words are mydmhm vlkv,
pluralized to show respect and majesty. Many Biblical translations have changed
this proper noun to ‘lovely’, but the Hebrew Bible remains in tact with these
words.
I hope that some of these references are helpful. For more detailed arguments
and evidence please examine the works of scholars like Abdus Sattar Ghauri,
Jamal Badawi, Zakir Nayak, etc.
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