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Torah and Muhammad

Respected Sir, by birth I am a Muslim and I respect Judaism more than Islam. Right from childhood I have heard from the Muslim monks to hate the Jew. They tell that Torah has prophesized about Muhammad. I want to know that is there any hint in the Torah about Muhammad? If not then describe the attributes of the last prophet so that I can clear their doubts about Judaism.

Answer:

The Torah makes no mention of Muhammad, who lived many centuries after the last verse of the Bible was written.

Although the greatest of all prophets was Moses, who recorded the Torah (the Pentateuch), many prophets arose to prophesy within the people of Israel. The last prophets were Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi, with whom prophecy departed from the world.

In the Jewish tradition, following these prophets no human has arisen with the power to convey the word of God to humanity. Muhammad is not seen as a prophet, but as a leader who founded a new religion. Although Judaism does not accept the Quran as  prophecy, and does not see Shariah law as being Divinely inspired, it respects Islam as a monotheistic religion that has brought many to believe in the One God (as Maimonides writes in a letter, the worldwide belief in One God, of which Islam has a part, brings the world closer to its destiny).

It is a unfortunate (to say the least) that Muslims are brought up to hate Jews. I hope that you, and others like you, will be able to do your best to offset the effect of such teachings.

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6 Comments

  1. Hi there

    I would like to share my honest opinions. And I was looking on the topic, Torah and Muhammad. I would like to share my opinion. And I want to make one thing clear, I am not trying to offend anyone or Islam.

    First of, there are Muslims do like Jews and also get a long with Jews and respect them.

    But unfortunately, there are many Muslims and sorry I have to say this, do have hatred towards Jews, but also hatred towards both Jews and Christians as well.

    Like Qur’an 5:51 talks about not been friends with Jews and Christians because they are friends of each other. Different translation will say, “helpers” or “protectors”. Depends what version you read.

    But also in 98:6 does talks about people who refused to believe in Islam including Jews and Christians in Mushin Khan understanding. Others might not necessary used the word, Jews and Christians, but rather “people of the book”.

    9:29 Talks about fighting the people of the book.

    9:30 accuses both Jews and Christians, for Jews it’s Uzra the son of god, Christians Jesus the son of god. Instead it wishes curses to be on them.

    But of cause, the quran is all in Muhammad time, not talking about now.

    But my message is not to be offensive to anyone or Islam. I do have respect for Islam. You don’t need to agree with me, just my opinion I would like to share.

    It is ok for some Muslims to criticize the Torah, or talking the stories of the prophets how insulting is to them.

    I am saying this because I seen Muslim apologist have.

    But if a person regardless what religion, criticize the Qur’an some Muslims would label you hater etc etc or taking out of context.

    I did want to ask these questions.

    1) Do the 5:16 song of song talks about Muhammad in Hebrew?

    2) What is the Hebrew word for Muhammad?

    Try to reply if you can. If not that is okay.

    1. 1. No, there is no mention of Muhammad in the Son of Songs. Muhammad lived many, many years after it was written.
      2. מוחמד — Muhammad (the same word).
      The matter you raise is important, but it is a matter of interpretation and a matter of whether you are peace-loving or war-mongering.
      Best wishes.

  2. To Rabbi Yehoshua Preffer

    I am emailing you and sorry if it is late one, thanks for answering my questions.

    You are right, that it is matter interpretation, but I think god that not everyone interpretation in a horrible way, if that was the case, this world would be very dangerous.

    Anyways, so Muhammad is not in the Torah after all, the reason I asked was because, when Muslims especially, see the Hebrew word

    5:16 song of song in Hebrew. I don’t speak Hebrew just a web that I copy and paste from.

    Hikko Mamittakim we kullo Muhammadim Zehdoodeh WA Zehraee Bayna Jerusalem.”

    I see why Muslims think that, because Muhammadim sounds like Muhammad.

    Anyways thank you for taking the time to answer me.

    Take care and wish you peace.

    Costas

    1. The word is mahmadim (not muhamadim), and it means “precious” (or similar translation).
      It is possible that the root for the name Muhammad is related to this word; to say that the verse “refers” to the future individual Muhammad, given both the context, is absurd.

  3. To Rabbi Yehoshua Preffer

    Thanks for correcting me on what the name Muhammad in Hebrew is.

    I do believe and of course Muhammad is not mention at all in the Torah or in the whole Torah at all.

    It’s typically Muslims do this in order, to prove that
    that is the future guy name Muhammad.

    I think in my opinion, no one should take out of context or try to twist it because that is changing the history.

    They can have a opinion and believe that is Muhammad but, to say it’s a fact,that is lying.

    The same goes with Christians when it comes to Jesus or other religious texts.

    Anyways, again thank you for giving me a honest answer, whenever Muhammad is mention in the Torah or not. That’s all I wanted to know.

    I want to ask one question and please be honest with me.

    1)If the Torah did actually mention Jesus as the messiah, and Muhammad as a prophet in the Torah by name, Would Jews believe in them?

    I mean would Jews believe Jesus the messiah or Muhammad as a prophet, if the Torah did refer to the future Jesus and Muhammad, I hope my question makes sense.

    Take care

    1. If there would be an explicit mention of Jesus as messiah, the Jews would certainly believe in him.
      However, this is a very theoretical and hypothetical question; according to Jewish tradition there is no such mention, and this of course allowed the rejection of Jesus as messiah by the Jews.
      Best wishes again.

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