Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah.
The Qur’an establishes that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was mentioned in the previous Scriptures and that Jesus عليه السلام gave glad tidings of his coming. Allah also informs us that the People of the Book found his description mentioned in the Torah and the Gospel. Although the previous Scriptures underwent changes, scholars have identified passages that they consider to contain glad tidings of the Prophet ﷺ, some through descriptions of him and others through interpretations related to his name or characteristics.
Allah says:
﴿وَإِذْ قَالَ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ يَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ إِنِّي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ إِلَيْكُمْ مُصَدِّقًا لِمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيَّ مِنَ التَّوْرَاةِ وَمُبَشِّرًا بِرَسُولٍ يَأْتِي مِنْ بَعْدِي اسْمُهُ أَحْمَدُ فَلَمَّا جَاءَهُمْ بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ قَالُوا هَذَا سِحْرٌ مُبِينٌ﴾ [Al-Ṣaff: 6].
This verse explicitly states that Jesus عليه السلام gave glad tidings of a messenger who would come after him and whose name would be Ahmad, referring to our Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
Allah also says:
﴿الَّذِينَ يَتَّبِعُونَ الرَّسُولَ النَّبِيَّ الْأُمِّيَّ الَّذِي يَجِدُونَهُ مَكْتُوبًا عِنْدَهُمْ فِي التَّوْرَاةِ وَالْإِنْجِيلِ يَأْمُرُهُمْ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَاهُمْ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَيُحِلُّ لَهُمُ الطَّيِّبَاتِ وَيُحَرِّمُ عَلَيْهِمُ الْخَبَائِثَ وَيَضَعُ عَنْهُمْ إِصْرَهُمْ وَالْأَغْلَالَ الَّتِي كَانَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ فَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا بِهِ وَعَزَّرُوهُ وَنَصَرُوهُ وَاتَّبَعُوا النُّورَ الَّذِي أُنْزِلَ مَعَهُ أُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ﴾ [Al-Aʿrāf: 157].
Thus, the Qur’an informs us that the Prophet ﷺ and his description were known among the People of the Book.
Scholars have cited a number of passages from the previous Scriptures in support of this, including:
In Deuteronomy, chapter 18, there is a passage stating that Allah would raise up for the Children of Israel a prophet from among their “brothers,” put His words in his mouth, and command them to follow what he would speak.
Some scholars have understood the expression “from among their brothers” to refer not to a prophet from the Children of Israel themselves, but to a descendant of Ishmael عليه السلام, since the descendants of Ishmael and the Children of Israel are related as brothers through Abraham عليه السلام.
Scholars have also cited passages in the Gospel of John in which Jesus عليه السلام speaks of the coming of the “Paraclete” or “Spirit of Truth,” who would come after Jesus, guide people to the truth, speak what he hears, and announce what is to come.
Some Muslim scholars cited by the source have understood these descriptions as corresponding to the mission of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, who came with revelation, called people to the truth, and conveyed from Allah.
Ibn al-Qayyim رحمه الله, in his book Hidāyat al-Ḥayārā, mentioned a passage in Deuteronomy referring to Sinai, Seir, and Paran, which he interpreted as an indication of the prophethood of Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad عليهم السلام.
According to this interpretation, “Sinai” is associated with Moses عليه السلام, “Seir” with Jesus عليه السلام, and “Paran” with Makkah, where Allah sent the final Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
Ibn al-Qayyim stated that this glad tiding points to the succession of the lights of prophethood until they were completed with the mission of Muhammad ﷺ.
There are also passages attributed to some writings of the People of the Book that have been reported as containing the name Muhammad or Ahmad. Shaykh ʿAbd al-Majīd al-Zindānī, in his book Glad Tidings of Muhammad ﷺ in the Previous Divine Scriptures, cited some such passages, including material attributed to the Gospel of Barnabas and the Book of Isaiah.
However, when using such passages as evidence, it is important to distinguish between texts that scholars rely upon as part of the general argument for the glad tidings and texts whose authenticity, attribution, or translation requires further investigation.
Scholars have explained that the glad tidings concerning the Prophet ﷺ are not all presented in the same way. Some are understood through his characteristics, qualities, message, and coming after the earlier prophets, while other reports contain his name explicitly.
The fundamental point is established by the Qur’an, for Allah tells us that Jesus عليه السلام said to the Children of Israel:
﴿وَمُبَشِّرًا بِرَسُولٍ يَأْتِي مِنْ بَعْدِي اسْمُهُ أَحْمَدُ﴾ [Al-Ṣaff: 6].
According to the position presented in the source, changes occurred in the previous Scriptures. Therefore, it is not correct to assume that the texts available today have been preserved in exactly the same form in which they were originally revealed to Moses and Jesus عليهما السلام.
Nevertheless, the occurrence of alteration does not necessarily mean that every element of truth disappeared from them. Rather, scholars have maintained that passages remained that contain indications and glad tidings concerning the coming of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
For this reason, Shaykh Raḥmatullāh al-Hindī stated that some passages cited by earlier scholars are no longer found in the versions currently circulated. This has been cited as an indication of textual change, while other passages remain that can be discussed in relation to the glad tidings of the Prophet ﷺ.
Among the books mentioned by the source for studying this subject are:
Hidāyat al-Ḥayārā by Imam Ibn al-Qayyim رحمه الله.
Al-Jawāb al-Ṣaḥīḥ li-man Baddala Dīn al-Masīḥ by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله.
Iẓhār al-Ḥaqq by Shaykh Raḥmatullāh al-Hindī.
Glad Tidings of Muhammad ﷺ in the Previous Divine Scriptures by Shaykh ʿAbd al-Majīd al-Zindānī.
Anyone wishing to discuss this subject with the People of the Book should approach it with knowledge, distinguish between established texts and reports requiring verification, and avoid relying merely on an isolated quotation or an unreliable translation.
The Qur’an informs us that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was mentioned in the Torah and the Gospel, and that Jesus عليه السلام gave glad tidings of a messenger who would come after him, whose name would be Ahmad. Allah also informs us that the People of the Book found his description written in their Scriptures.
Muslim scholars have cited a number of passages from the Scriptures of the People of the Book in support of these glad tidings, including passages concerning a prophet from the “brothers” of the Children of Israel, the Paraclete, and the references interpreted as Sinai, Seir, and Paran. Reports containing his name explicitly have also been transmitted, although the degree to which such texts can be relied upon varies according to their authenticity, attribution, and translations.
As for the Scriptures of the People of the Book available today, the Islamic position presented here is that they underwent changes. Therefore, the existence of a prophecy or glad tiding in the original revelation does not require it to remain in the current versions with exactly the same wording and formulation.
And Allah knows best.