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    To start off, I would like to share with the Christians that we Muslims believe that Jesus(PBUH) was one of the mightiest messengers of God, that he was the Christ, that he was born miraculously- without any male intervention(which many modern-day Christians do not believe today), that he gave life to the dead by God's permission, and that he healed those born blind and the lepers by God's permission. In fact, no Muslim is a believer UNLESS he believes in Jesus. Belief in Jesus is a necessity contained in the six articles of faith (not to be confused with the five pillars) that a Muslim needs to possess in order to be a believer. We believe that he(PBUH), as well as Mohammed(PBUH), were sent with a mission to their people to take them out of the darkness and into the light. Muslims are exhorted to be gracious with Christians.The Prophet(PBUH) himself said:" He who harms a Jew or Christian wrongfully, shall be my enemy on the Day of Resurrection". The Prophet advised the Muslims to be good to Christians, and he himself married Mariam the Copt, a Coptic Christian. In the Quran, Allah the Most High says of the Christians: "...And nearest among them in love to the believers (Muslims) wilt thou find those who say, 'We are Christians": because among these are men devoted to learning and men who have renounced the world. And they are not arrogant (Al-Ma'ida:58).

    Jesus is so highly respected in Islam to the degree that every time a Muslim mentions the name Jesus (PBUH [Peace be upon him]) without these words of respect, he would be considered disrespectful, uncouth, or barbaric. The Christian does not know that in the Quran, Jesus (pbuh) is mentioned by name five times (5x) more than the number of times the prophet of Islam is mentioned in the Book of God. To be exact - twenty five times against five. Imagine that! Let us now take a look at what the Quran says about the miraculous birth of Jesus and of the story of Mary, and the esteemed position which she occupies in the house of Islam before the actual annunciation of the birth of Jesus is given:

"BEHOLD! THE ANGELS SAID: 'O MARY! GOD HATH CHOSEN THEE AND PURIFIED THEE-CHOSEN THEE ABOVE THE WOMEN OF ALL NATIONS'." QURAN 3:42
(Chosen thee above the women of all nations! Such an honor is not be be found given to Mary even in the Christian Bible!) The verses continue:
"O MARY! WORSHIP THY LORD DEVOUTLY: PROSTRATE THYSELF, AND BOW DOWN (IN PRAYER)
WITH THOSE WHO BOW DOWN." QURAN 3:43
(What is the source of this beautiful and sublime recitation which, in its original Arabic, moves men to ecstasy and tears?) Verse 44 below explains:
"THIS IS PART OF THE TIDINGS OF THE THINGS UNSEEN, WHICH WE REVEAL UNTO THEE
(O APOSTLE!) BY INSPIRATION: THOU WAST NOT WITH THEM WHEN THEY CAST LOTS WITH ARROWS, AS TO WHICH OF THEM SHOULD BE CHARGED WITH THE CARE OF MARY: NOR WAST THOU WITH THEM WHEN THEY DISPUTED (THE POINT)."QURAN 3:44
"BEHOLD! THE ANGELS SAID: "O MARY! GOD GIVETH THEE GLAD TIDINGS OF A WORD FROM HIM:
HIS NAME WILL BE CHRIST JESUS THE SON OF MARY HELD IN HONOR IN THIS WORLD AND IN THE HEREAFTER AND (OF THE COMPANY OF) THOSE NEAREST TO GOD. "QURAN 3:45

    In another chapter, it goes into more detail concerning what went on after birth of Jesus:
"AT LENGTH SHE BROUGHT HIM (THE BABE) TO HER PEOPLE, CARRYING HIM (IN HER ARMS). THEY SAID: "O MARY! TRULY AN AMAZING THING HAST THOU BROUGHT! O SISTER OF AARON THY FATHER
WAS NOT A MAN OF EVIL NOR THY MOTHER A WOMAN UNCHASTE!" QURAN 19:27-28
(After the birth of the child she returns. The amazement of the people knew no bounds. In any case they were prepared to think the worst of her, as she had disappeared from her kin for some time. But now she comes, shamelessly parading a babe in her arms! How she had disgraced the house of Aaron, the fountain of priesthood! "SISTER OF AARON": Mary is reminded of her high lineage and the unexceptionable morals of her father and mother. How, they said, she had fallen and disgraced the name of her progenitors!)
"BUT SHE POINTED TO THE BABE. THEY SAID: "HOW CAN WE TALK TO ONE WHO IS A CHILD IN THE CRADLE? "QURAN 19:23
(And by a miracle he spoke):
"HE SAID: "I AM INDEED A SERVANT OF GOD: HE HATH GIVEN ME REVELATION AND MADE ME A PROPHET; "AND HE HATH MADE ME BLESSED WHERESOEVER I BE, AND HE HATH ENJOINED ON ME PRAYER AND CHARITY AS LONG AS I LIVE "(HE) HATH MADE ME KIND TO MY MOTHER, AND NOT OVERBEARING OR MISERABLE; "SO PEACE IS ON ME THE DAY I WAS BORN, THE DAY THAT I DIE,
AND THE DAY  THAT I SHALL BE RAISED UP TO LIFE (AGAIN)!" QURAN 19:24-33

    In Islam, this is recognized as Jesus' first miracle. However, in the Bible, Jesus' first miracle was that of changing water into wine (John 2) when he was over thirty years of age! Not only is the age difference large, but the changing of water into wine does not hold up a candle to a baby speaking when still in the cradle. Would you not agree?

    The chapter that I just referred to above (Chapter 19) is named Sura Maryam "Chapter Mary" named in honor of Mary the mother of Jesus Christ (pbuh); again,such an honor is not to be found given to Mary in the Christian Bible.Out of the 66 books of the Protestants and 73 of the Roman Catholics,not one is named after Mary or her son. You will find books named after Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Peter, Paul and two score more obscure names, but not a single one is that of Jesus or Mary! Isn't that odd seeing how for centuries Muslims have been blamed for not giving Jesus and Mary their due respect?

    To the Christians I deliver the question: "Have you any qualms in agreeing that Muhammed (pbuh) was an
Arab?" Only an opinionated fool will hesitate to agree to this one. With the man of reason, we proceed. "Then, do you agree that this Arab, in the first instance, was addressing other Arabs?" He was not talking to Indian Muslims, Chinese Muslims, or Nigerian Muslims. He was addressing his own people -the Arabs. Whether they agreed with him or not, he told them in the most sublime form - words that were seared into the hearts and minds of his listeners that Mary the mother of Jesus - A JEWESS - was chosen above the women of all nations. Not his own mother, nor his wife nor his daughter, nor any other Arab woman, but a Jewess! Can one explain this? Because to everyone his own mother, or wife, or daughter would come before any other women.
Why would the Prophet of Islam honor a woman from his opposition! And a Jewess at that! Belonging to a race which had been looking down upon his people for three thousand years? Just as they still look down upon their Arab brethren today. If Muhammed (pbuh) was the author of the Quran, then he would not have failed to include in it with MARYAM, the mother of Jesus, his own mother - AMINA, his dear wife - KHADIJA, OR HIS BELOVED daughter-FATIMA. But No!No! this can never be. The Quran is not his handiwork! What can be said about this? Only this: 'He does not speak (aught) of (his own) desire: It is no less than inspiration sent down to him. He was taught by One Mighty in Power' (Quran 53:3-5).

    After seeing this, we are now faced with a difficult question.This is the hard part where I may offend some Christians. If you feel you will be offended, skip this section and go on to more friendly ground.
    Did Jesus(PBUH) himself know who he was and what his purpose was on earth? If he was God he should have made it crystal clear but Christians admit that he himself never openly said,"I am God." But before we answer that let us see who the people thought he was:

    Because Jesus never said that he was God, but called himself "Son of man" and "prophet", we can come out with one conclusion: He was a prophet and no more. If anyone were God and wanted people to know that he was God they would have made it pretty clear.Not only that, but he would have lived much longer than three years in order to make sure everyone around got the message just right. He would not have trusted some men to do the job for him especially when he saw that they were not even capable of staying awake at night to watch with him the night he was betrayed. In fact, much of the work were not even done by those who followed him. Over 70% of the New Testament was written by someone (Paul) who never even met Jesus. It is only natural that because Paul wrote so much, he should have been predicted by Jesus, right? Much of what is considered deviant Christianity by Islam is based on Paul's teachings so something must exist to support that Paul was a genuine teacher from Christ in order for us to see that the Christians are ,in fact, in the right. But we shall see now what is the actual case. Of all the things that Jesus predicted, let us see how many were concerning Paul:

"But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom." Matthew 26:29  (At the Table Jesus says he will be with his disciples, Not Paul.Why then return to Paul if Jesus himself predicted he will Not drink again until he is with his Original disciples in Heaven?)

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am." John 14:1-3
(Jesus says he will Re-Appear to escort some back to Heaven, but did not do that when he appeared to 'Paul'. Jesus often predicted coming back but Only on Judgment Day.)

    It is very clear that Jesus predicted and told his disciples that he was going to Heaven and on Judgment day will return from Heaven, but never anything in-between about returning to Paul. Everything Jesus was going to do was foretold (going to Heaven and back) but not Jesus returning from Heaven to exclusively speak to
'Paul'.

    Did Jesus ever say 'these are my twelve disciples and one to come.'  No, as far as Israel is concerned, Jesus foretold of Only 12 for Israel, even after Judgment day there are only 12 for Israel:

"And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, that ye who have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit on the throne of his glory, YE also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." Matthew 19:28

    Please do not think that my attacking Paul is meant as indirectly cursing Christianity. No, I am merely trying to remove one of the few things that make Islam and Christianity differ.
    What about when Jesus called himself "Son of man"? What does that mean? According to Christians, this shows that he had divine authority but at the same time he was human. In other words, this means that he was fully human yet fully divine. I guess then that this would make Ezekial of the same level because he was referred to by God as the "Son of man" over 80 times! No, this was to show that he was a man like everybody else. He had to say that in order to prevent the people from blaspheming as is shown from some quotations from the Gospel of Barnabas(below):
In reply to a question by Philip, Prophet Jesus said: "God alone hath no equal. He hath had no beginning, nor will He ever have a end, ... He hath no sons, nor brethren, nor companions." (Gospel of Barnabas:17).
"... Verily ye have erred greatly, O Israelites, in calling me, a man, your God. ... I confess before heaven, ... that I am a stranger to all that ye have said; seeing that I am man, born of a mortal woman, subject to the judgment of God, suffering the miseries of eating and sleeping, of cold and heat, like other men,. Whereupon when God shall come to judge, my words like a sword shall pierce each one (of them) that believe me to be more than man," (Gospel of Barnabas: 93).
     Regarding the Apostle Barnabas, the Bible commands: "If he comes to you, receive him." (The Bible, Colossians 4:10). Will you follow that verse as it is written or will you take it the other way the same way how everyone makes out "Son of man" to mean that Jesus was divine? How? To be fully human is to be less than divine. Allah the One God is the Lord to be worshipped.
"Say(O Mohammed): 'O People of the Book! Come to common terms as between us and you: that we worship none but Allah (God); that we associate no partners with him; that we erect not, from among ourselves, lords and patrons other than Allah (God)'. If then they turn back, say: 'Bear witness that we (at least) are Muslims (Bowing to God's Will).' " (Quran 3:64)  ("O People of the Book:" is a very respectful title with which the Jews and the Christians are addressed in Quran.)
    You may assume that this Gospel of Barnabas is some weird and fake gospel. However, you may not know that there are three other gospels (Basilideans, Docetae, and Marcionite) which say pretty much the same thing. Let us compare now: We have four gospels, which are present now in the New Testament, that say the same thing. They are Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John who the Christians use to prove that Jesus was exactly how he was depicted in these gospels and that he died for our sins. They maintain that because these four have the same general idea that they must be taken as the true ones. However, there are also four gospels which say almost exactly what the Quran is saying.But how many gospels were they? You may not believe it but there were over 300 gospels at the Council of Nicea and of all these, only the four gospels we have present in the New Testament today fit with church belief at that time. That is not a satisfactory percentage.
    Not only that, but what did confirm with church belief at the time was later adulterated to make it more pleasing to those who did not believe in those four gospels. When we look at the oldest known Biblical manuscript known to mankind, the "Codex Sinaiticus," from Saint Catherine's Monastery in Mount Sinai we see some rather strange stuff. In fact, one of the most devastating discoveries made from the study of this fourth century manuscript was that the gospel of Mark originally ended at verses 16:8 and not at verse 16:20 as it does today.In other words, the last 12 verses (Mark 16:9 through Mark 16:20) were "injected" by the church into the Bible sometime after the 4th century. Clement of Alexandria and Origen never quoted these verses.  Later on, it was also discovered that the said 12 verses, wherein lies the account of "the resurrection of Jesus," do not appear in codices Syriacus, Vaticanus, and Bobiensis. Originally, the "Gospel of Mark" contained no mention of the "resurrection of Jesus" (Mark 16:9-20). At least four hundred years (if not more) after the departure of Jesus, the Church received divine "inspiration" to add the story of the resurrection to the end of this Gospel. The author of "Codex Sinaiticus" had no doubt that the Gospel of Mark came to an end at Mark 16:8, to emphasize this point we find that immediately following this verse he brings the text to a close with a fine artistic squiggle and the words "The Gospel according to Mark." So what does this tell us? The answer is simple: One can never know what was added to the gospels later on and this makes the gospels' credibility very weak.
    But what do we know about the man Barnabas who wrote the gospel which almost totally accords with the Quran? St.Barnabas was martyred at Salamis in Cyprus in 61 A D and his corpse was placed in a cave near Salamis. It was discovered safe and sound after about 400 years in the reign of Emperor Zeno (474-491). Ahern, in his article on St. Barnabas in the New Catholic Encyclopedia, says ‘According to legend he met a martyr's death there [Cyprus]; his body was later found with his own hand-written copy of Matthew's Gospel over his heart.’It may be noted that Barnabas died in 61 A D and ‘There is wide agreement that it [the Gospel of Matthew] is later than 70 A D, although the evidence for this is not great; a date after the fall of Jerusalem is favored by Mt 22:7.' How can a man, who dies in 61 A D, copy the book in his own handwriting, which did not exist before 70 A D? It is therefore certain that the gospel which was found ‘over his heart’ and was ‘his own hand written’, could only be the ‘Gospel of Barnabas’. It might have been taken to the capital of the Empire (Constantinople), where it passed into the possession of the Ottoman Empire, the successor of the Byzantines, and was discovered from a cave in Oloderay, a village of Turkey in 1984.Before the year 325 C.E. It is known that the Gospel of Barnabas was accepted as canonical in the churches of Alexandria. It is known to have been circulated in the first two centuries after Christ (pbuh) from the writings of Irenaeus(130-200AD), who criticized Paul strongly for injecting pagan beliefs into true Christianity. After the council of Nicea, four Gospels were selected out of a minimum of three hundred available and the rest were ordered utterly destroyed. All Gospels written in Hebrew were also ordered destroyed. But before we close the door on Barnabas in order to introduce a new topic, let us see what else his Gospel tells us: Prophecies in this Gospel exist regarding the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) by name. So if Mohammed(PBUH) was born in the 600's and the Gospel of Barnabas was known before 325 CE and the Gospel of Barnabas contains Muhammed's name, it is only rational that we assume that Mohammed (PBUH) was a real prophet.
        Now it is time you see that the Bible, though you have seen that it has been changed somewhat, that we have in our hands today did predict the Prophet Muhammed(PBUH). First off, we will tackle the prophecy in the Old Testament. In Deuteronomy 18:18 we read: "I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and I will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him." This is God talking to Moses. He tells Moses that He will raise up a prophet from among their brethren. From among whose brethren? The Jews. Who are the Jews' brethren? To answer this, let us go way back to Abraham (PBUH). He had two sons:Ishmael, the father of the Arabs, and Isaac, the father of the Jews. So Ishmael was the brother of Isaac. In other words, they were brethren. Therefore the Arabs are the brethren of the Jews. If God meant to say that He was going to raise up a prophet from among the Israelites, He may have said something to the effect of, "I will raise them up a Prophet from among your people.." But he did not.
    It is crystal clear that he was talking about a prophet from the Arabs, who are the brethren of the Jews.Now we look at the words "like unto thee", referring to "like unto Moses". In what way was Jesus like unto Moses? True, they were both Jews and both were prophets. However, the similarity ends here.If we were to base our entire bet for this prophecy on being a Jew and a prophet then this could have been referring to any of the other prophets. In the first place Jesus is not like Moses, because, according to Christians, Jesus is God, but Moses is not God.Therefore Jesus is not like Moses!.Secondly, according to Christians, Jesus died for the sins of the world, but Moses did not have to die for the sins of the world.Therefore Jesus is not like Moses!.Thirdly, Jesus went to Hell for three days, but Moses did not have to go there. Therefore Jesus is not like Moses!
    How is Mohammed(PBUH) like Moses? Moses had a father and a mother. Muhammed also had a father and a mother. But Jesus had only a mother, and no human father.Therefore Jesus is not like Moses, but Muhammed is like Moses! Moses and Muhammed were born in the normal, natural course, i.e. the physical association of man and woman; but Jesus was created by a special miracle. You will recall that we are told in the Gospel of St. Matthew 1:18 "..before they came together, (Joseph the Carpenter and Mary) she was found with child by the Holy Ghost." And St. Luke tells us that when the good news of the birth of a holy son was announced to her, Mary reasoned: "How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, the Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the highest shall overshadow thee"(Luke 1:35). In short,Jesus was born miraculously as against the natural birth of Moses and Muhammed.Therefore Jesus is not like Moses, but Muhammed is like Moses. Moses and Muhammed married and had children, but Jesus remained a bachelor all his life. Therefore Jesus is not like Moses, but Muhammed is like Moses. Moses and Mohammed both began their ministry at age 40. Jesus began his at age 30.Therefore Jesus is not like Moses, but Muhammed is like Moses. Moses and Muhammed were accepted as prophets by their people in their very lifetime. No doubt the Jews gave endless trouble to Moses and they murmured in the wilderness, but as a nation, they acknowledged that Moses was a Messenger of God sent to them. The Arabs too made Muhammed's life impossible. He suffered very badly at their hands. After 13 years of preaching in Mecca, he had to emigrate from the city of his birth. But before his demise, the Arab nation as a whole accepted him as the Messenger of Allah. But according to the Bible, "He (Jesus) Came unto his own, but his own received him not"(John 1:11). And even today, after two thousand years, his people, the Jews, as a  whole, have rejected him. Therefore Jesus is not like Moses, but Muhammed is like Moses. Moses and Muhammed were prophets as well as kings. A prophet means a man who receives Divine Revelation for the Guidance of man and this Guidance he conveys to God's creatures as received without any addition or deletion. A king is a person who has the power of life and death over his people. It is immaterial whether the person wears a crown or not, or whether he was ever addressed as king or monarch: if the man has the prerogative of inflicting capital punishment, he is a king. Moses possessed such a power. Do you remember the Israelite who was found picking up firewood on Sabbath Day, and Moses had him stoned to death? (Numbers 15:13). There are other crimes also mentioned in the Bible for which capital punishment was inflicted on the Jews at the behest of Moses. Muhammed too, had the power of life and death over his people. Jesus could only deliver the message, but could not enforce the Law. Therefore, Jesus is not like Moses, but Mohammed is like Moses. Moses and Muhammed brought new laws and new regulations for their people. Moses not only gave the Ten    Commandments to the Israelites, but a very comprehensive ceremonial law for the guidance of his people. Muhammed came to a people steeped in ignorance. They married their step-mothers and buried their daughters alive; drunkenness,idolatry, and gambling were the order of the day. There was hardly anything to distinguish between the 'man' and the 'animal' of the time. From this abject ignorance, Muhammed elevated the Arabs, in the words of Thomas Carlyle, 'Into torch-bearers of light and learning. To the Arab nation it was as a birth from darkness into light. Arabia first became alive by means of it. A poor shepherd people, roaming unnoticed in its deserts since the creation of the world. See, the unnoticed becomes world notable, the small has grown world-great. Within one century afterwards Arabia was at Granada on one hand and at Delhi on the other. Glancing in valor and splendor, and the light of Genius, Arabia shines over section of the world..'.
The fact is that Muhammed gave his people a Law and Order they never had before. As regards Jesus, when the Jews felt suspicious of him that he might be an impostor with designs to pervert their teachings; Jesus took pains to assure them that he had not come with a new religion - no new laws and no new regulations. I quote his own words: "Think not that I am come to destroy the law of the Prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot of one title shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.'(Mathew 5:17-18).Therefore, Jesus is not like Moses but Muhammed is like Moses.Both Moses and Muhammed died natural deaths, but according to Christianity, Jesus was killed on the cross. Therefore Jesus is not like Moses but Muhammed is like Moses. Moses and Muhammed both lie buried in earth but Jesus is in heaven.Therefore Jesus is not like Moses but Muhammed is like Moses.
    You have now seen that the prophet was going to be Arab and that Mohammed is most like Moses and the prophecy seems to most fit Mohammed-so far. How about "and I will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him." How did God put His words in Mohammed's mouth? Allow me to finish the rest of this with Ahmed Deedat's words when he was having a discussion with a Dominee("Dominee" is the Afrikaans equivalent of "priest"):The prophecy proceeds further: '..And I will put my words into his mouth..' What does it mean when it is said 'I will put my words in your mouth'? You see, when I asked you (the Dominee) to open Deuteronomy chapter 18, verse 18, at the beginning, and if I had asked you to read, and if you had read, would I be putting my words into your mouth? The Dominee answered: "No." But, I continued: "If I were to teach you a language like Arabic, about which you have no knowledge, and if I asked you to read or repeat after me what I utter i.e. "Say: 'He is Allah the One and Only; Allah, the eternal absolute; He begetteth not, nor is He begotten; and there is none like unto Him.' (the Quran 112:1-4) (I read them in Arabic). Would I not be putting these unheard words of a foreign tongue which you utter, into your mouth?" The Dominee agreed that it was indeed so. "In an identical manner", I said: "The words of the Quran, the Revelation vouchsafed by the Almighty God to Muhammed, were revealed.
    History tells us that when Muhammed was forty years of age he was in a cave some three miles north of the City of Mecca. In the cave the Archangel Gabriel commands him in his mother tongue: 'Eqra!', which means 'Read!', or 'Recite!' Muhammed was terrified, and in his bewilderment replied that he was not learned!. The angel commands him a second time with the same result. For the third time the angel continues. Now Muhammed, grasps that what was required of him was to repeat! to rehearse! And he repeats the words as they were put into his mouth: 'Read! In the Name of the Lord and Charisher, Who Created. Created man from a (mere) clot of congealed blood: Read! and thy Lord is the Most Bountiful, He Who taught (the use of) the pen, taught man that which he new not". (the Quran 96:1-5).
    These are the first five verses which were revealed to Muhammed, which now occupy the beginning of the 96th chapter of the Quran.
    When the angel departed, Muhammed rushed to his home. Terrified and sweating all over he asked his wife Khadija to 'cover him up!' He lay down, and she watched by him. When he had regained his composure, he explained to her what he had seen and heard. She assured him of her faith in him and that Allah would not allow any terrible thing to happen to him. Are these the confessions of an impostor? Would impostors confess that when an angel of the Lord confronts them with a Message from on High, they get fear stricken, terrified, and sweating all over, run home to their wives? Any critic can see that his reactions and confessions are that of an honest, sincere man. During the next twenty three years of his life, words were 'put into his mouth', and he uttered them. They made an indelible impression on his heart and mind; and as the volume of the Sacred Scripture, the Quran, grew, they were recorded on palm leaf libre, on skins; and in the hearts of his devoted disciples. Before his demise these words were arranged according to his instructions in the order in which we find them today in the Quran.The words (revelation) were actually put into his mouth, exactly as foretold in the prophecy under discussion: "And I will put my words in his mouth." (Deut 18:18).
    Muhammed's experience in the Cave of Hira, and his response to that first Revelation is the exact fulfillment of another Biblical Prophecy. In the Book of Isaiah, chapter 29, verse 12, we read: 'And the Book is delivered to him that is not learned' (Isaiah 29:12). Mohammed(PBUH) is mentioned in the Quran as 'The Unlettered prophet' (the Quran 7:158). And the Biblical verse continues: 'Saying, read this, I pray thee:' 'And he saith, I am not learned.'. 'I am not learned.' is the exact translation of the Arabic words which Muhammed uttered twice to the Holy Spirit, the Archangel Gabriel, when he was commanded: 'Read!').
    Let me quote the verse in full without a break as found in the King James Version, or the Authorized Version as it is more popularly know: 'And the Book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying: 'Read this I pray thee'. And he saith: 'I am not learned.' ' (Isaiah 29:12).
    Important note : It may be noted that there were no Arabic Bibles in existence in the 6th century of the Christian Era when Muhammed lived and preached. Besides, he was absolutely unlettered and unlearned. He never knew how to read and write Arabic, his own language, let alone knowing a completely different one.
'He does not speak (aught) of (his own) desire: It is no less than inspiration sent down to him. He was taught by One Mighty in Power' (the Quran 53:3-5). Without any human learning, 'he put to shame the wisdom of the learned'.
    "See!" I told the Dominee, "how the prophecies fit Muhammed like a glove. We do not have to stretch prophecies to justify their fulfillment in Muhammed." The Dominee replied, "All your expositions sound very well, but they are of no real consequence, because we Christians have Jesus Christ the incarnate God, who has redeemed us from the Bondage of Sin!" I asked: "Not important? God didn't think so! He had His warnings recorded in the scriptures. God knew that there would be people like you who will light-heartedly discount His words, so He followed up Deuteronomy 18:18 with a dare warning:'And it shall come to pass (it is going to happen), that whosoever will not hearken unto My words which he shall speak in My Name, I will require if of him.'(In the Catholic Bible the ending words are 'I will be the revenger', 'I will take revenge!'). "Does not this terrify you? God Almighty is threatening revenge! We shake in our pants if some hoodlum threatens us, yet you have no fear of God's warning?"
    Miracle of Miracles! in the verse 19 of Deuteronomy chapter 18, we have a further fulfillment of the prophecy in Muhammed! Note the words '..My words which he shall speak in My Name'. In whose name is Muhammed speaking?" I opened Yusuf Ali's translation of the Quran, at chapter 114, Surat An-Nas, or The Chapter of Mankind, the last chapter of the Quran, and showed him the formula at the head of the chapter, and the meaning: 'In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful'.
    And the heading of chapter 113, and the meaning: 'In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful'. And every chapter downwards 112, 111, 110,..was the same formula and the same meaning on every page, because the end surahs (chapters) are short and take about a page each. And what did the prophecy demand? '..Which he shall speak in My Name'; and in whose name does Muhammed speak? In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. The Prophecy is being fulfilled in Muhammed to the letter; every chapter of the Quran except the 9th begin with the formula: 'In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful'. The Muslim begins his every lawful act with the Holy formula. But the Christian begins: 'In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost.'
    Now that I have shown you that let me move on to another prophecy. This will also be in the words of Ahmed Deedat: In New Testament times, we find that the Jews were still expecting the fulfillment of the prophecy of One like Moses, (refer John 1:19-25.)
    When Jesus claimed to be the Messiah of the Jews, the Jews began to inquire as to where was Elias? The Jews had a parallel prophecy that before the coming of the Messiah, Elias must come first in his second coming. Jesus confirms this Jewish belief: "Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things. But I say unto you, that Elias is come already, and they knew him not,.. then the Disciples understood that he spoke unto them of John the Baptist." (Matthew 17:11-13).
    According to the New Testament the Jews were not the ones to swallow the words of any would-be Messiah. In their investigations they underwent intense difficulties in order to find their true Messiah. And this the Gospel of John confirms: "And this is the record of John (the Baptist), when the Jews sent priests and levites from Jerusalem to ask him, 'Who art THOU', and he confessed and denied not; but confessed, 'I am not the Christ' " (This was only natural because there can't be two Messiahs at the same time. If Jesus was the Christ then John couldn't be the Christ!) "And they asked him: 'What then? Art thou Elias' And he saith: 'I am not' " Here John the Baptist contradicts Jesus! Jesus says that John is Elias and John denies that he is what Jesus ascribes him to be. One of the two (Jesus or John), God forbid!, is definitely not speaking the truth!
    On the testimony of Jesus himself, John the Baptist was the greatest of the Israelite prophets: "Verily I say unto you, among them that are born of women, there has not risen a greater than John the Baptist" (Matthew 11:11).
    We Muslims know John the Baptist as Yahya. We revere him as a true messenger of Allah. The Prophet Jesus known to us as Eesa, is also esteemed as one of the mightiest messenger of the Almighty. How can we Muslims impute lies to either of them? We leave this problem between Jesus and John for the Christians to solve, for their "Sacred Scriptures abound in discrepancies which they have been glossing over as the 'dark sayings of Jesus' " (See the Times Magazine December 30th, 1974, article How true is the Bible?).
    We Muslims are really interested in the last questions posed to John the Baptist by the Jewish elite - Art thou that prophet? And he answered, "No."(John 1:21).
    Please note that three different and distinct questions were posed to John the Baptist, and to which he gave three emphatic No's as answers. To recapitulate:

   1."Art thou the Christ?"
   2."Art thou Elias ?"
   3."Art thou that Prophet?"

    But the learned men of Christendom somehow only see two questions implied here. To make doubly clear that the Jews definitely had three separate prophecies in their minds when they were interrogating John the Baptist. Let us read the remonstrance of the Jews in the verses following:
    "And they asked him, and said unto him: 'Why Baptizest thou then, if
  THOU be not that Christ..
  2.nor Elias..
  3.neither that Prophet ?' " (John 1:25).
    The Jews were waiting for the fulfillment of three distinct prophecies: a. the coming of Christ. b. the coming of Elias, and c. the coming of that Prophet.
    If we look up any Bible which has a concordance or cross-references, then we will find in the marginal note where the words the Prophet, or that Prophet occur in John 1:25, that these words refer to the prophecy of Deuteronomy 18:15 and 18. And that that Prophet - the Prophet like Moses - "Like unto thee", we have proved through overwhelming evidence that he was Muhammed and not Jesus!
    Muslims are not denying that Jesus was the Messiah, which word is translated as Christ. We are not contesting the Thousand and One Prophecies which the Christians claim abound in the Old Testament foretelling the coming of the Messiah. What we say is that Deuteronomy 18:18 does not refer to Jesus Christ but it is an explicit prophecy about the prophet Muhammed!."
   This final prophecy will also be in the words of Ahmed Deedat talking about when he was on a trip to Egypt:
Notwithstanding many assurances, I got stranded in Cairo for lack of an entry visa. A kind gentleman from
the AI-Azhar, who was trying to help us obtain the relevant documents, got frustrated with the delay and in
order to attend to his Friday prayers, handed me and my son Yousef to a young Egyptian lady, well-groomed in Western attire.
    After much effort and time she returned to us with the good news. "Forty dollars," she said. I asked, "For
what?" "The visas," she answered. Twenty dollars for me and twenty for my son. "But I am a guest of the
Government," I insisted. She said that she knew nothing about it, so I smiled and paid.
    From the lady's speech and deportment, I had sensed that she was well-educated and a lady of culture, so
undauntedly I asked her again what her name was in my broken Arabic. However, her name was too novel
for me to remember. I asked her further: "Are you a Muslim?" She said, "No, I am an Egyptian Christian."
This was the opening I was waiting for. I began, "Do you know that before Jesus Christ departed from this
world, he told his disciples," and I started to quote, now in meticulous Arabic, a verse from the Arabic
Bible, which I had memorized for opportunities just like this particular one.
    I had no need to translate the Arabic to her, because as an Arab she understood the verse perfectly.
But for the benefit of those who do not know Arabic I give you its exact equivalent from the English Bible,
which I had also taken the trouble to memorize in my spare time.
    "Nevertheless, I tell you the truth; it is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the
Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you." (BIBLE) John 16:7
   The word "Comforter" above is "al-Moouzzi" in Arabic. I asked the lady, "Who is the "al-Moouzzi" of this
prophecy?" She said, " do not know," She was honest. She did not beat around the bush. So I said that we
are told in the Qur'an that Jesus Christ (pbuh) had told his disciples —
And remember, Jesus, son of Mary, said," O Children of Israel! I am the Messenger of Allah (sent) to you, confirming the Torah (which came) before me, and giving glad tidings of a messenger to come after me, whose name shall be Ahmed." But when he came to them with clear signs, they said," This is evident sorcery." (Quran 61: 6)
    I continued that, "This Ahmed is another name for Muhammed, and Muhammed is Moouzzi!" "Very
funny," she exclaimed, "These Egyptians" (meaning the Muslim Egyptians) "Take us to the cinema, they take us" (meaning Christian women) "to the dance, but no one ever tells us anything about this Moouzzi!"
Through her Allah armed me with a fourteen-pound SledgeHammer before leaving Cairo Airport. And, did I use that SledgeHammer!!
    Remember, that in the sixth century of the Christian Era, when Muhammed (pbuh) was chanting God's
words which was systematically "put into his mouth," ' the Arabic Bible had not yet been translated. He
could never have known that he was fulfilling and confirming the utterances of his predecessor Jesus
(pbuh) to the letter.
    The English word for Moouzzi is Comforter. The Greek word for Comforter is Paracletos. What is my purpose in finding the Greek word for Comforter? Well, you will see now. Out of over six thousand profound explanatory notes in Yusuf Ali's translation of the Quran, the following is just one of three explaining the prophecy in the words of Jesus (pbuh) regarding the advent of Muhammed (pbuh) the Messenger of God.
Note No: 5438:
 

"Ahmed", or "Muhammed", the Praised one, is almost a translation of the Greek word Periclytos. In the present Gospel of John 14:16,  15:26, and 16:7, the word "Comforter" in the  English version for the Greek word  "Paracletos", which means "Advocate", "one called to the help of another, a kind friend",  rather than "Comforter". Our doctors contend  that Paracletos is a corrupt reading for Periclytos and that in the original saying of Jesus  there was a prophecy of our Prophet Ahmed by name. Even if we read Paraclete, it  would imply to the Prophet, who is "a Mercy for all creatures" (H.Q. 21:107) and "most kind and merciful to the Believers" (H.Q. 9:128) See also note 416 to H.Q. 3:81.

    Now you have seen that our Prophet Mohammed(PBUH) was mentioned about and prophesied about in the Bible and you have probably already seen that we also believe in many of the prophets and messengers that Christianity believes in. We believe in Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Ishmael, Jacob, Joseph and his brothers, Moses, David, Solomon, Zakariah, John, Jesus, etc. What does this show? There is only two conclusions that one can derive from this:
1) Mohammed heard about them(the prophets) and added their names in the Quran to make it more believable.
2) Mohammed actually did get a revelation from Allah and is telling the truth.
    You are free to form your own opinion. However, I will give you some reasons why conclusion #2 is the correct one. Since supporters of conclusion #1 say that Mohammed was writing down the stories of the prophets as he heard them, it is only rational to believe that he would have also "copied" down into the Quran things that have now been proven erroneous in the Bible. But this is not the case:

1)   The Qur’an mentions about the ark of Noah: “The Ark came to rest upon Mount Judi” (11:44). Recent archeological research has discovered a boat shaped object with exactly the same dimensions as those of the Ark on Mount Judi. The Bible claims that the Ark came to rest twenty miles away on the Mountains of Ararat. This is not possible, since these mountains are a recent geological formation, and did not exist at the time of Noah. The Qur’an also refers to the flood as a localized event, destroying only Noah’s people. The dates and time offered by the Bible for the flood, and its claim that it was a world wide cataclysm, has been proven false by all archeological evidence.

2)  The Qur’an describes the ruler of Egypt being addressed as “King” in the time of Joseph, whilst Moses addresses the ruler as “Pharaoh”. This is a small but telling accuracy, for in the time of Joseph the rulers were from the Hykos Dynasty, and were Semites. They did not refer to themselves as “Pharaohs”. The term was used by the native Egyptian dynasties that supplanted the Hykos, in the time of Moses. The Bible again proves inaccurate on this point referring to both as “Pharaoh”. The Qur’an also correctly describes aspects of the ancient Egyptian religion, in particular the worship of Pharaoh as a god.

3)  Moses was born during the reign of Rameses II. The medical study of the mummy of Merneptah has yielded further useful information on the possible causes of this Pharaoh's death. The fact that we possess the mummy of this Pharaoh, which to be exact, was discovered in 1898, is one of paramount importance. The Bible records that it was engulfed in the sea, but does not give any details as to what subsequently became of the body. The Quran, in the surah(chapter) Yunus, notes that the body of the Pharaoh, who was to be damned, would be saved from the waters. "So this day We shall save your (dead) body that you may be a sign for those who come after you! And verily, many among mankind are heedless of Our signs."(Yunus:92)
A medical examination of this mummy has, moreover, shown that the body could not have stayed in the water for long, because it does not show the signs of deterioration due to prolonged submersion.

    Therefore,  Mohammed(PBUH) was a real prophet. The Bible predicted him and the Quran that he received is proof of this because it fixed the Bible's mistakes. What else can be said of the Quran? In an article under the subject of the Qur'an, the Catholic Church states, "Over the centuries, many theories have been offered as to the origin of the Qur'an... Today no sensible man accepts any of these theories."!! Now here is the age-old Catholic Church, which has been around for so many centuries, denying these futile attempts to explain away the Qur'an. Indeed, the Qur'an is a problem for the Catholic Church. It states that it is revelation, so they study it. Certainly, they would love to find proof that it is not, but they cannot. They cannot find a viable explanation. But at least they are honest in their research and do not accept the first unsubstantiated interpretation which comes along. The Church states that in fourteen centuries it has not yet been presented a sensible explanation. At least it admits that the Qur'an is not an easy subject to dismiss. Certainly, other people are much less honest. They quickly say, "Oh, the Qur'an came from here. The Qur'an came from there." And they do not even examine the credibility of what they are stating most of the time. Of course, such a statement by the Catholic Church leaves the everyday Christian in some difficulty. It just may be that he has his own ideas as to the origin of the Qur'an, but as a single member of the Church, he cannot really act upon his own theory. Such an action would be contrary to the obedience, allegiance and loyalty which the Church demands. By virtue of his membership, he must accept what the Catholic Church declares without question and establish its teachings as part of his everyday routine. So, in essence, if the Catholic Church as a whole is saying, "Do not listen to these unconfirmed reports about the Qur'an," then what can be said about the Islamic point of view? Even non-Muslims are admitting that there is something to the Qur'an - something that has to be acknowledged - then why are people so stubborn and defensive and hostile when Muslims advance the very same theory? This is certainly something for those with mind a to contemplate - something to ponder for those of understanding!
    Recently, the leading intellectual in the Catholic Church - a man by the name of Hans - studied the Qur'an and gave his opinion of what he had read. This man has been around for some time, and he is highly respected in the Catholic Church, and after careful scrutiny, he reported his findings, concluding, "God has spoken to man through the man, Muhammad." Again this is a conclusion arrived at by a non-Muslim source - the very leading intellectual of the Catholic Church himself! I do not think that the Pope agrees with him, but nonetheless, the opinion of such a noted, repute public figure must carry some weight in defense of the Muslim position. He must be applauded for facing the reality that the Qur'an is not something which can be easily pushed aside and that, in fact God is the source of these words. As is evident from the aforementioned information, all of the possibilities have been exhausted, so the chance of finding another possibility of dismissing the Qur'an is nonexistent.

    This web page may not change your mind but because it won't, Jesus (PBUH) will be questioned on the Day of Judgment regarding your beliefs. Reproduced below are verses 119 to 121 from Sura Maida (Ch.5) depicting the scene of Judgment Day, when Allah will question Jesus (pbuh) regarding the misdirected zeal of his supposed followers in worshipping him and his mother; and his response:

AND BEHOLD! GOD WILL SAY:"O JESUS THE SON OF MARY! DIDST THOU SAY UNTO MEN, WORSHIP ME AND MY MOTHER AS GODS IN DEROGATION OF GOD'?" HE WILL SAY: "GLORY TO THEE! NEVER COULD I SAY WHAT I HAD NO RIGHT (TO SAY). HAD I SAID SUCH A THING, THOU WOULDST INDEED HAVE KNOWN IT. THOU KNOWEST WHAT IS IN MY HEART, THOUGH I KNOW NOT WHAT IS IN THINE. FOR THOU KNOWEST IN FULL ALL THAT IS HIDDEN. "NEVER SAID I TO THEM AUGHT EXCEPT WHAT THOU DIDST COMMAND ME TO SAY, 'WORSHIP GOD, MY LORD AND YOUR LORD'; AND I WAS A WITNESS OVER THEM WHILST I DWELT AMONGST THEM; WHEN THOU DIDST TAKE ME UP THOU WAST THE WATCHER OVER THEM, AND THOU ART A WITNESS TO ALL THINGS. "IF THOU DOST PUNISH THEM, THEY ARE THY SERVANTS: IF THOU DOST FORGIVE THEM, THOU ART THE EXALTED IN POWER, THE WISE." Quran 5:119-121