Muhammad the Paraclete?

”Some counter evidence to Muslim Apologists”

It is a common belief for the Muslim masses that the Bible (the Jewish and Christian holy books) contain many prophecies about prophet Muhammad. This is not just a belief of public relations by any means. Many intellectuals and Muslim apologetics have such a belief. This belief, as the reader will see shortly, is baseless. It is no more than a day-dreaming incident for the Muslim apologetic, and a bad one indeed.

In this article I present to the reader the Islamic claims in regard to this matter as presented by one of the Muslim apologetics living in the west; Dr. Jamal Badawi.

The Qur’an states:

Those who follow the Apostle, the unlettered Prophet, Whom they find mentioned in their own Scriptures, in the Torah and the Gospel… (Holy Qu’ran: VII - 157; Translation: Yusif Ali)

So, it seems, all Muslims have to believe such a claim- that Muhammad was mentioned in the Bible. Since the word “Muhammad” is not mentioned in the Bible, it is imperative that Muslim apologetics look for some “word” in the Bible, and claim that that word signifies the prophet of Islam-Muhammad. Dr. Jamal Badawi is no genius by any means. He is not an honest researcher either, and this matter will become apparently clear by the end of this very article.

Muhammad, Badawi claims, is the Paraclete in the Bible. This claim is not new to me. I grew up in the Middle East. Muslims who have no academic training or education whatsoever used to announce this fact to me with utmost confidence. This mass ignorance does not come from a vacuum. The so-called scholars of Islam encourage this sharade of idiocy through their writings. Jamal Badawi asserts this about Muhammad being the Paraclete

(http://www.islamicity.com/Mosque/Muhammad_Bible.HTM ):

THAT PROPHET- PARACLETE- MUHAMMAD

•1. Up to the time of Jesus (pbuh), the Israelites were still awaiting for that prophet like unto Moses prophecied in Deuteronomy 18:18. When John the Baptist came, they asked him if he was Christ and he said “no”. They asked him if he was Elias and he said “no”. Then, in apparent reference to Deuteronomy 18:18, they asked him “Art thou that Prophet” and he answered, “no”. (John 1: 1 9-2 1).

•2. In the Gospel according to John (Chapters 14, 15, 16) Jesus spoke of the “Paraclete” or comforter who will come after him, who will be sent by Father as another Paraclete, who will teach new things which the contemporaries of Jesus could not bear. While the Paraclete is described as the spirit of truth, (whose meaning resemble Muhammad’s famous title Al-Amin, the trustworthy), he is identified in one verse as the Holy Ghost (John 14:26). Such a designation is however inconsistent with the profile of that Paraclete. In the words of the Dictionary of the Bible, (Ed. J. Mackenzie) “These items, it must be admitted do not give an entirely coherent picture.”

•3. Indeed history tells us that many early Christians understood the Paraclete to be a man and not a spirit. This might explain the followings who responded to some who claimed, without meeting the criteria stipulated by Jesus, to be the awaited “Paraclete”.

•4. It was Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) who was the Paraclete, Comforter, helper, admonisher sent by God after Jesus. He testified of Jesus, taught new things which could not be borne at Jesus’ time, he spoke what he heard (revelation), he dwells with the believers (through his well-preserved teachings). Such teachings will remain forever because he was the last messenger of God, the only Universal Messenger to unite the whole of humanity under God and on the path of PRESERVED truth. He told of many things to come which “came to pass” in the minutest detail meeting, the criterion given by Moses to distinguish between the true prophet and the false prophets (Deuteronomy 18:22). He did reprove the world of sin, of righteousness and of judgement (John 16:8-11)

Let us analyze what Dr. Badawi is saying

Paragraph number 1 uses a verse from the old testament (Deuternomy 18:18) to establish an indirect claim about Muhammad. Well, let us see what that verse says:

King James Version - 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.       

One does not need to be a theologian to see that there is nothing in that verse telling about Muhammad. In fact, if one reads FFI challenge, it will become apparent that if anything, the above verse will never apply to Muhammad. How can such a verse apply to a leader of a gang of robbers who massacred about seven hundred adult men of Bani Qurayze in one day? How can such a verse apply to a looter and an assassin? How can such a verse apply to a man who prayed his Fajr prayer then attacked the peaceful farmers of Khayber?

The second verse that Dr. Badawi mentions is (John 1: 19-21). Here are the verses:

King James Version: 19. And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou? 20. And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ. 21. And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No.

Did you see it in verse 20? The context of the talk with John the Baptist is him being questioned if he was Jesus Christ; the awaited savior. But what did Dr. Badawi do? He ignored that completely, and claims that such verses lead toward Muhammad. Now, I am not a theologian. But it is evident to me that John 1:19-21 is talking about Jesus Christ, and not about Muhammad. The reader can see that clearly in verse 20 above. It’s right there in black and white. I am an academic researcher myself, and Dr. Badawi’s research behavior raises many issues and questions in my mind. I find it highly improbable that Dr. Badawi did not see and read verse 20 above, when he himself is using verses 19-21 to show that Muhammad was foretold in the Bible. It is evident that Badawi is not a competent researcher. He is not an honest researcher either. An honest researcher takes the raw facts first, then moves on to analyze and/or synthesize his/her findings. In fact, I can claim with confidence here that Dr. Jamal Badawi is no more than a liar.

In any case, let us move on

The second paragraph above talks about chapters 14 through 16 of the gospel of John. Those three chapters talk about the “Holy Spirit”. However, Mr. Badawi twists the facts, and claims that we are talking about prophet Muhammad. The “spirit of truth”. according to Badawi, is Muhammad. Now, I do not know how a man like Muhammad can be called the spirit of truth. How can you call a person truthful if he lied and instructed his followers to lie? How can you call Muhammad truthful when he broke many treaties? In fact Muhammad’s Hudaibiya treaty was supposed to last ten years. Muhammad broke it in the second year and took over Mecca. Muhammad was anything but a spirit of truth. What Dr. Badawi needs to do is go to Christian sites to see how Christians understand their books. When I try to understand certain Qur’anic verses, I go to Islamic sites and Qur’anic Tafsirs. Don’t Biblical verses deserve a similar treatment? And, again, it is apparent that Dr. Badawi is an incompetent researcher.

Let us move on to the third paragraph

This paragraph contains a grand claim by Dr. Badawi that is not supported by any references, quotes, or any piece of evidence. As such, this claim is no more than mere nonsense in a supposedly “research” article.

Let us move to the fourth paragraph

This paragraph has grand claims also. Badawi just claims that Muhammad is the Paraclete. Muhammad is the only Universal Messenger to unite the whole of humanity under God and on the path of PRESERVED truth. I do not know how Dr. Badawi knows that. He did not supply much evidence to such grand claims. How is Muhammad “the only Universal Messenger”? How is Muhammad to unite all humanity? All Muhammad did is loot, kill rape, steal, and divide people into two camps the Muslims and the Kafirs. He also divided the world into two houses: the house of war (Dar Al-Harb) and the house of peace (Dar Al-Salam). So, pretty much what Muhammad brought is division of people and division of lands, and honoring evil actions. How is that to be the path of Preserved Truth, and how is Muhammad the Universal Messenger, are matters left to Mr. Badawi to enlighten us about.

I find Badawi’s fourth paragraph very disturbing indeed. He is supposed to be a researcher looking for the truth. Yet, his last paragraph reveals an incompetent researcher who pronounces statements unsupported by evidence, and makes grand claims that are contrary to the facts.

Finally, I find it very appropriate to quote the great human being Ali Sina in ending my article here. After all, Mr. Badawi is a Muslim apologetic who lives in the west. It is high time for Muslim apologetics living in the west to leave Islam, and embrace humanity. It is time for them to leave this giant lie of a cult behind. Their efforts do not serve any purpose but prolong the cult of death-Islam. Hence, My quote from Dr. Sina applies perfectly to Dr. Badawi and his elk (http://www.faithfreedom.org/2009/03/14/3727/):

If you are worried about the Muslim intellectuals finding the portrayal of their prophet in our site insulting, they better use some of their intellect, learn the truth about Islam and stop this stupidity. People are being killed every day for Muslim intellectuals to continue with their intellectual masturbation about how the Qur’an predicted scientific discoveries. It is these so called intellectuals that are prolonging the life of this cult of dead. It is time for them to face the truth that Islam is a giant lie and a dangerous cult. It is time for these Muslim intellectuals to pull their heads out of the sand of Arabian desert and end this stupidity and these bloodsheds.

Source: http://www.faithfreedom.org/2009/04/14/muhammad-the-paraclete/

Addendum: In John 14 we find: " and I'll pray my FATHER that will send..." Now, I beg the following question to all Muslims: if you take this verse to imply that the "Comforter" is referred as to Muhammad, than, how do you judge the fact that Jesus calls God "his Father"? If they believe that the Comforter is Muhammad, than this goes against the teaching of the Qur'an!!!

IHS