Trnaslation
Those who follow the unlettered [Ummi] Messenger whom they find written about in the Torah and the Bible;381 who invites them to what is right and good and dissuades them from what is evil; who legislates for them what is pure and good and prohibits what is impure and bad; who removes from them undue burdens and constraints that have been imposed on them—and those who accept him, honor him, help him, and adhere to the light (the source of knowledge and guidance) that has been sent down to him, these are the successful ones.
Say (O Prophet): “O Mankind! I am a Messenger to all of you from God Who has the dominion over the Universe and the Earth; there is no god but He, giving life and dispensing death (to all).” Therefore, have faith in God and in His unlettered Messenger-Prophet who believes in God and in God’s words—follow him so that you can be guided. 382
Interpretation
381 The Qur’an clearly states that both the Torah and the Bible speak of the Prophet Mohammad, and some traces for such confirmation still exist in the Bible and the Torah, though many Jewish and Christian scholars and clerics have interpreted them differently in the literature authorized by established Jewish and Christian officials, who heavily edited such mentions to conform their interpretations to their theology and historical biases. One could also make the claim that Muslim scholars and historians have attempted to extract meaning and references that perhaps were not there, but the Qur’an certainly makes such claims, which is clearly evident in this verse as well as in another verse, 61:6, where Jesus is mentioned as speaking about the Prophet Mohammad. Below are some examples of what perhaps still remains in the Torah and the Bible about references to the last Prophet.
Torah: Deuteronomy 18:15: “The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me (i.e., Moses), unto him ye shall harken.” Deuteronomy 18:18 reconfirms with direct word from God: “I (God) will raise them up a prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.” Deuteronomy 33:1–2: “And this is the blessing, wherewith Moses the man of God blessed the Children of Israel before his death. And he said, The Lord came from Sinai (i.e., thru Moses), and rose from Sei’r unto them (i.e., thru Jesus); he shined from Mount Paran (i.e., thru Mohammad)”
Gospel: John 14:16: “And I (Jesus) will pray the Father (God), and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you forever.” And then follows in John 14:26: “But when the Comforter is come, whom I shall send unto you from the Father (God), even the spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father (God), he shall testify of me.” (See also John 16:7–8). John 16:12–14 add further clarity and details: “I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot hear them now. Howbeit, when he, the Spirit of Truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth; for he shall not speak of himself, but whatsoever he shall hear, that he shall speak; and he will show you all things to come. He shall glorify me.”
The English translation of “Comforter” comes from the Greek word parakletos, used in the Greek Bible. Perhaps its more accurate rendition in Greek is periklytos (the much praised), which is much closer to the Aramaic term mawhamana, Aramaic being the language that Jesus most likely spoke. Periklytos and mawhamana have similar implications as the dual name of the last Prophet—Mohammad and Ahmad, both derived from root words hamd (praise) and hamida (he praised). It is mentioned that in the newly discovered Gospel of St. Barnabas (translated from the Italian manuscript that exists in the imperial library at Vienna), it mentions the name of the Prophet Mohammad by its Arabic form. Such Gospel books were more in use and were read in the churches until 496 CE, when they were banned as “heretical” by a decree of Pope Gelasius.
The Prophet Mohammad has been declared as the Seal (Last) Prophet (33:40) as well as a prophet of mercy to all nations (21:107), whereas Jesus was sent as a prophet to the Children of Israel, as was the Prophet Moses. Matthew 25:24: “I (Jesus) am sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But Jesus and his mother were declared a sign (of God) to the world (21:91).
382 The Prophet Mohammad came in the wake of Jesus and had the same continued messages brought forth by Abraham, Isaac, Ishmael, Moses, David, Solomon, and Jesus, among many other prophets, and he declared himself a Prophet to all people and the last Prophet (33:40) and a mercy to mankind (21:107). Following in the footsteps of the Prophet Mohammad is the same as following in the footsteps of Moses and Jesus. The guidance of Islam is summarized succinctly as follows:
· to encourage and establish what is good and pure and to discourage what is evil and impure,
· to legislate—that is, to put into law to practice what is good and forbid what is evil, and
· to remove unnecessary constraints and complexities that previous generations and faith groups put on themselves.
Mankind is encouraged to accept the Prophet and his teachings, to honor him, to help him, and to commit to the guidance (light) that comes from God. These commitments are essential for proper guidance and success.
REFLECTION
Time and again the Qur’an brings forth the commonality of faith and its attempt to simplify and codify the teachings of the prophets who came before the Prophet Mohammad. We need to be able to find the commonalities, which are many, and also identify the differences, which are few. Our objective understanding of these differences is essential to fully appreciate the beauty of Islamic teaching and the need for continued evolution of our thinking based on our ever-increasing knowledge of ourselves and our universe.
ACTION
Such understanding has to be translated into consensus building. We need to use democratic means to codify such affirmation into the fabric of societal norms and regulations to build a civil society and the rule of law in all matters—social, political, and financial. In the spiritual realm, we should leave it to each religious group how it wishes to pursue its spiritual development and agree to live with the theological differences that exist as a matter of human spiritual development and God-given freedom to exercise in such matters.