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Characteristics of the Awaited Prophet - A Prophet Like Unto Moses
In the Book of Deuteronomy, Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) was quoted as saying:
“And the Lord said unto me, they have well spoken that which they have spoken, I 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 18:17-1
Three important elements are included in this prophecy: A prophet will come from among the “brethren” of the Israelites; this prophet will be “like unto Moses”; God will put his words in the mouth of this prophet.
Let us look closely at each of these elements:
A Prophet From Among the Brethren of the Israelites
When these words were spoken, they were addressed to the Israelites. The most notable “brethren” of Israelites (descendants of Abraham through his second son Isaac), are the Ishmaelites (descendants of Abraham through his first son Ishmael).
According to the Hebrew Dictionary of the Bible, “Brethren” is the:
“Personification of a group of tribes who were regarded as near kinsmen of the Israelites. “
The Bible refers to the Israelites as the brethren of the Ishmaelites (e.g. Gen. 16:12, and Gen. 25:1.
A Prophet Like Unto Moses
It is sometimes contended that the prophet like unto Moses was Jesus. After all both were Israelites and spiritual teachers. Was this prophecy really about Jesus?
To start off, Jesus himself was an Israelite, not of the “brethren” of the Israelites. This fact alone suffices to show that this particular prophecy is not about the coming of Jesus but about another prophet “like unto Moses”. That prophet could have been none but Prophet Muhammad.
Following is a comparison between a few crucial characteristics of Moses, Muhammad and Jesus which may clarify the identity of “that prophet” who was to come after Moses:
Area of Comparison Moses Muhammad Jesus
Birth Usual Usual Usual
Family Life Married, Children Married, Children No Marriage, or children
Death Usual Usual Unusual
Career Prophet/Statesman Prophet/Statesman Prophet
Forced Emigration (in adulthood) To Median To Medinah None
Encounter with enemies Hot pursuit Hot pursuit/Battles No Similar Encounter
Results of encounter Moral phys.victory Moral physical victory Moral victory
Writing dawn of Revelation In his life time In his lifetime After him
(Torah) (Al-Qur’an)
Nature of Teachings Spiritual/ Legal Spiritual/Legal Mainly Spiritual
Acceptance of leadership Rejected Rejected then accepted Rejected (by most Israelites)
(by his people)
This table is self-evident. It shows that not only were Moses and Muhammad very much alike in many respects, but it shows also that Prophet Jesus does not fit this particular prophecy. Following are the
The birth of Jesus was unusual. According to Christian and Muslim beliefs, he was miraculously born of the virgin Mary. Both Moses and Muhammad were born in the usual manner.
Both Moses and Muhammad were married and begot children. There is no similar record of marriage and offspring in the case of Jesus.
Both Moses and Muhammad died of natural causes and were buried. The end of the mission of Jesus on earth was unusual; crucifixion according to Christian beliefs and being raised up to heavens without crucifixion according to Muslim beliefs,
Both Moses and Muhammad were not only prophets and spiritual teachers in the usual sense, but they were also “heads of states” whose mission included the establishment of a “state” founded on the teachings of their faith No such opportunity presented itself to Prophet Jesus.
Moses left Egypt following knowledge of a plot to kill him and went to Median where he was welcomed and assured by Jethro. Muhammad left Makkah (Mecca) following knowledge of a plot to kill him and went to Yathrib which was later called Al-Madinah (Medina). No similar incident was reported about Jesus in his adulthood and after he began his mission as a prophet.
Moses encountered his enemies (the Pharaoh’s army) who sought to destroy him and his followers in “hot pursuit”. Muhammad encountered his enemies (the pagan Arabs) who sought to destroy him and his followers in several battles. No such encounter was reported in the case of Jesus. Indeed he was reported to have commanded Simon Peter to put his sword into the sheath when he attempted to defend Jesus at the time of his arrest.
Moses’ encounter with his enemies ended with a military and moral victory. His enemies drowned and Moses and his followers were saved. Muhammad’s encounters with his enemies ended with his final military and moral victory over them. He and his followers reentered Makkah (Mecca), the center of plotting against him. Impressed with his truthfulness and magnanimity, the great majority of his former enemies chose to become Muslims and were among his ardent supporters. Jesus’ victory against his enemies was only a moral victory which did not involve an immediate military victory over them at the same time.
The teachings revealed to Moses were available in a written form in his lifetime. The Qur’an revealed to Muhammad was fully written down in his lifetime and under his supervision. The teachings of Jesus were not committed to writing in his lifetime. Even the earliest Gospel was written down many years after him.
Unlike any other prophets from the lineage of Abraham, the revelation given to Moses and Muhammad contained comprehensive codes of law, in addition to the spiritual and moral elements of their teachings. The teachings of Jesus were almost entirely spiritual. Indeed Jesus never claimed to bring a new law, nor even to abrogate the existing Old Testament Law. He simply added a spiritual and human touch to the concept of law, which by his time had been reduced to the level of lifeless and at times hypocritical formalism. “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill”, Jesus was quoted as saying.
After initial resistance and skepticism by his people, Moses was accepted by his people as a prophet and a leader in his lifetime, notwithstanding certain lapses (such as the worship of the golden calf). After initial resistance, Muhammad was enthusiastically accepted as a prophet and a leader in his lifetime. Until the end, however, and with the exceptions of a few followers, Jesus was rejected by his people (the Israelites).
Who was then the “Prophet like unto Moses”?
God Will Put His Words in the Mouth of that Prophet
Generally speaking, this description may apply to any messenger of God who is communicating God’s message to mankind. While that message may come in “written tablets” as is believed to have been the case with Moses, the specific wording of the above verse is a vivid description of the type of revelation received by Muhammad. Angel Gabriel used to come and dictate to him specific portions of the Qur’an which were then repeated by Prophet Muhammad exactly as he had heard them. Muhammad’s own thinking or authorship were not involved in any way in what he uttered. The words of God (The Qur’an) were “put into his mouth”. As the Qur’an itself described:
“He (Muhammad) does not speak of his own desire, it is no less than a revelation sent down to him. “ (The Qur’an 53:3-4)
Numerous passages in the Qur’an command Muhammad in such terms as Qul (say), Thakkir (remind), Nabbi’ (inform). Other passages in the Qur’an start with such expressions as wa qala Rabbukum (and your Lord said ...). Still in other passages it reads wa yas’aloonaka ... qul (and they ask you (0 Muhammad) ... say ...).
The above analysis fits not only Deuteronomy 18:18, but is also consistent with the subsequent verses. For example Deuteronomy 18:19 reads:
“And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto My words which he shall speak in My name, I will require it of him. “
It is interesting to note that 113 out of the 114 Surahs (chapters) of the Qur’an starts with Bismillahir-rahmanir-raheem (In the name of Allah (God), Most Gracious, Most Merciful). The very first passage of the Qur’an revealed to Prophet Muhammad reads: |