Description of prophet (PBUH) in the previous books (Taurat and Injeel (Bible))

“Those who follow the Messenger, the ummi (unlettered) prophet whom they find written with them in the Torah and the Injeel (The gospels), and who bids them the Fair and forbids the Unfair, and makes pure things permissible for them and makes inpure things prohibited to them, and relieves them of their burden, and of the shackles that were upon them. So, those who believe in him and strengthen him, and help him and follow the light sent down with him, those are the ones who are successful”. [Al-Quran 7:157]

Sayyidna ‘Ali (RA) has reported that the Holy Prophet sowed some money to a Jew. He demanded the Prophet to pay him the money back and said to him in a harsh tone that he will not let him go until he gets his money back. The Holy Prophet (PBUH) said to him that the Jew had a right on him, and sat down by him saying that he will not go until he lets him go willingly. The Holy Prophet remained there for the whole day and night. He offered the Zuhr, ‘Asr, Maghrib and ‘Isha’, and Fajr of the next day (from mid day to the next morning). The Companions were greatly annoyed at this behavior from the Jew. They were secretly admonishing the Jew so that he may let the Prophet go. The Holy Prophet (PBUH) having some idea asked them of what they were doing. They said that it was unbearable for them to see the Prophet in the custody of a Jew. The Holy Prophet (PBUH) said to them, “My Lord has prohibited me from doing wrong to anyone under the covenant.

Next morning, the Jew who was highly impressed by this remarkable experience, came to the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and declared:  “I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that you are the Messenger of Allah.” Subsequent to this declaration of his faith in Allah he said that by detaining the Prophet (PBUH) he meant nothing but to test the truth of his attributes mentioned in the Torah. He said that he had read the following description concerning him in the Torah. The description given by him is this: “Muhammad, the son of ‘Abdullah. He shall be born in Makkah. The place of his migration shall be Madinah. His country will be Syria. He shall neither be a man of harsh temperament, nor shall he speak roughly. He shall not make noise in markets. He shall be away from the acts of immodesty.” He said that he found out the truth of this description in him. . He also declared to give away half of his wealth in the way of Allah. He was a wealthy person, and half of his wealth was a considerable amount for the Muslims. (The above incident has been reported by tafseer mazhari, with reference to Dala’il al-Nubuwwah by Baihaqi) Imam al-Baghawi has reported on the authority of Ka’ab (RA) that the Torah contained the following description with regard to the Holy Prophet (PBUH).

“Muhammad is the Messenger and chosen servant of Allah. He is neither a man of harsh temperament nor is he a man of disagreeable speech. He does not cry in markets, nor does he return ill when ill is done to him. He forgives or ignores the wrong-doers.” “His birth place is Makkah and his migration shall be to Taybah (Madinah). That is his people shall praise Allah when in comfort and when in trouble. They shall say Takbir when ascending in their travel. They shall watch the shadows in order to ascertain proper time of their prayers.” “He shall wear a sheet of cloth round his waist and keep his hands and feet clean with ablution (Wudu). His man calling for prayer shall raise his voice in the air. In battle fields they shall line up as closely as in prayers. At nights their recitations shall be heard like humming of the bees.” Ibn ‘Asakir and Ibn Sa’d have cited full chain of narrators saying that Sahl Maula Khuthaimah has informed that he had read the following description concerning the Holy Prophet & in the Injil (Evangel): “He shall neither be short nor shall he be tall, Colour shall be fair, hair, in two locks. He shall bear a seal of prophethood on his body between shoulders. He shall not accept alms, shall ride on camel and by himself shall he milk the goat, and wear the patched clothes.” “He shall be in the line of Isma’il. His name shall be Mohammad: Ibn Sa’d in his book ‘Tabaqat’, Darimi in his Musnad and Baihaqi in his book Dala’il al-Nubuwwah have reported on the authority of SayyidnG ‘Abdullah ibn Salim, who was a great scholar of the Jews. He said that Torah had contained the following description with regard to the Holy Prophet (PBUH). “O Prophet, We have sent you as a witness over all the nations of the world, as the bearer of good tidings to the righteous, as a Warner to the wrong doers and as Protector of the ummiyyinl the unlettered Arabs. You are My Messenger and servant. I have named you, ‘Mutawakkil’ (One who trusts Allah). You are neither a man of harsh temperament, nor quarreling, nor crying in the markets. You do not return evil in response to evil, rather forgive or ignore the wrong-doers. Allah shall not let him die until he sets the crooked right and make them believe in Allah exclusively, until he makes the blind eyes see, dumb ears hear and sealed hearts open.”

“And [recall, O People of the Scripture], when Allah took the covenant of the prophets, [saying], “Whatever I give you of the Scripture and wisdom and then there comes to you a messenger confirming what is with you, you [must] believe in him and support him.” [ Allah ] said, “Have you acknowledged and taken upon that My commitment?” They said, “We have acknowledged it.” He said, “Then bear witness, and I am with you among the witnesses.” [Al-Quran 3: 81]

And when Allah made the prophets take pledge: (saying) “If I give you a book and wisdom, then comes to you a messenger verifying what is with you, you shall have to believe in him and you shall have to support him.” He said, “Do you affirm and accept my covenant in this respect?” They said, ‘We affirm.” He said, ‘Then, bear witness, and I am with you among the witnesses.” Then those who turn back after this they are the sinful.

It has been clearly stated that Allah Almighty took a firm pledge from all prophets, which was: “When, during your lifetime there comes another prophet – who will certainly reaffirm the message of past prophets and their books – then, it is necessary for the prophet who is present at that time that he not only believes personally in the veracity and prophet hood of the new prophet but also instructs others to do so.”

This tells us that his status is not restricted to his being simply the prophet of his community; he is the prophet of prophets as well. So, he himself says in a hadith: ‘If Mussa (Moses) was living today, he too would have had no option but to follow me.’ At yet another occasion, he said: ‘When Isa (AS) (Jesus) will come, he too will act in accordance with the noble Qur’an and the rules set forth by your prophet’. (Tafsir ibn Kathir) Thus, from here we learn that his prophethood is universal  and that all previous religious codes stand absorbed in his Shari’ah.

“Truly, the religion in the sight of Allah is Islam. And those who have been given the Book did not differ (among themselves) except after the knowledge had come to them, (and all this) due to envy against each other. And whoever denies the verses of Allah, then, Allah is swift at reckoning.” [Al-Quran 3: 19]

Now the real meaning of the word, Islam is to submit oneself to Allah and be obedient to His commands. Given this meaning, those who believed in the prophets and messengers of their time and were obedient to the commands of Allah they brought to them, were all entitled to be called Muslims, and their religion was Islam.