Oh where did Muhammad ever do any miracles? In fact he was asked three times by the Jews to perform a miracle. He could not. Nowhere could he perform a miracle.
So how was he able to authenticate himself as a true prophet?
Well obviously the question needs to be thrown to Muslims. Prove to me he’s a prophet because every prophet must do four things according to the Bible. The Bible is very clear that every prophet must fulfill four criteria to have the office of prophet.
The first criteria is very clear that the Prophet must be in the prophetic race. Every prophet comes through one line that God has chosen and he chose that right at the time of Abraham. You can see that in Genesis chapter 17. In Genesis 17 Abraham comes to God. It says “What about my son Ishmael?” Remember that?
Yes.
What did God reply? He says “I will bless Ishmael. He will have 12 sons and from his sons they will multiply the earth.” That’s the only thing he ever says about Ishmael. Nowhere do we hear about Ishmael anywhere after that. He disappears off the scene. B what’s the next verse say? But my covenant is with Isaac. I will bless Ishmael, he will have 12 sons but my covenant is with Isaac. You can’t get clearer than that. So it’s obvious that as far as God was concerned, Isaac was different than Ishmael.
If we have any doubt look at chapter 22. In Genesis 22 God comes to Abraham not once, not twice, but three times he comes to Abraham and he says “give me your one and unique son Isaac.” Hold on a minute. Did Abraham have two sons at this time?
Yes he did.
Did God forget it no?
No.
Was God confused?
Nah.
Maybe God just made a mistake? My God doesn’t make a mistake. We know God doesn’t make a mistake. God was purposely saying that. What was God saying as far as God was concerned, Ishmael was not Abraham’s son because Ishmael had nothing to do with God. Remember God had already promised Sarah she was gonna have a son and then Sarah got impatient. She says well listen I’m too barren, I’m much too old I’m gonna give you my my slave girl Hagar. That’s exactly what she did so basically Ishmael is the result of man’s impatience. That’s why God would say “I want your one and unique son.” God was making a huge statement at this time as far as you can see, Abraham only had one son.
Now we know that all the prophets come through that line – Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Even the Quran agrees with that. In Surah 29 ayat 27 it mentions that the prophetic line is Abraham Isaac and Jacob. It says it right there and from them the book shall come. So it even mentions that. Now it also says it, also believes that Ishmael is part of that line. The difficulty is, here’s the problem. Go to Galatians 4. Paul very clearly says “for there are two covenants which are represented by two women – the Covenant of Hagar, who is a slave woman, and the Covenant of Sarah, who is the free woman” and then what did he say? Hagar has the son who persecuted the free woman’s son. This is the woman from Arabia. Isn’t that interesting? It mentions Arabia, Hagar.
That’s right.
So it places it in the right place. And then what did Paul say? You are to be of the free woman son, you are to have nothing to do with the slave woman son. We’re to have nothing to do with Ishmael, we’re to have nothing to do with that line. If Muslims believe that Muhammad is from that line, then were to have nothing to do with Muhammad. So he does not fulfill that.
Secondly, every prophet must do something to prove he’s a prophet.
That’s right.
What did Muhammad do to prove he’s a prophet? You’re either to do a miracle, or to do a prophecy. What miracle did Muhammad do? We’re still waiting. Show me a miracle he did in the Quran. Show me one, not one. All the miracles come in the traditions were written 200 years later because they had to come up with miracles. They started writing them fast and furious and they’re ridiculous. Miracles that actually are not supported by the historical facts – splitting the moon and bringing them down to two sides of the earth. Now stop and ask yourself. If Muhammad – I don’t I have a problem believing that God could do that – but don’t you think someone would have observed it in the seventh century?
Of course.
That’s a pretty big object. Don’t you think it had an impact on the Earth’s rotation? That’s not to say nothing of what it’d done to earthquakes and destroyed much of the earth and it would have blotted out the sun for days and days. No one observed it? So obviously these are superfluous.
Thirdly, every prophet must give a revelation that corresponds with that which has come before. God does not contradict himself. He doesn’t say one thing to one prophet and then completely eradicated by coming and contradicting that in another prophecy. Now you look at these two books. There are just all kinds of contradictions between these two books over almost everything we see about God and Jesus and what God is going to do through Jesus is contradicted in this book. You can’t tell me that they’re the same prophecy. absolutely not.
And then fourthly the last one, the last cutting. We’ll end with this one. God has a personal name. He gave it to Moses there in Exodus chapter 3. And what was that name? Jehovah. Yahweh. Depending on where you put vowelization. That’s God’s personal name. That he said will be my name forever. Did Muhammad ever know that name?
No.
Is that name anywhere in the Quran?
No mention.
Is that name anywhere in any of the traditions? Is that name on the lips of any Muslim? They don’t even know God’s personal name. If he was a great prophet, if he was the greatest prophet, why did he not know the personal name for God? There you go, strike four, you’re out. So how can you claim to be a prophet? That’s why you look at Jesus, Jesus is in the prophetic line. Jesus did miracles all through his ministry. The Quran agrees with that, the Bible agrees that. I don’t think anybody disputes the fact that he could do miracles. He did prophecies. He fulfilled prophecy that are still being fulfilled today. Everything he said is fulfilled and corresponds with everything all the other prophecies. He said look and see. In fact he fulfill over three hundred the Old Testament prophecies. Jesus himself fulfilled in his own life and did Jesus know that name?
Of course he did.
Yes did he not pronounce that name?
Yes.
Did he not claim it for himself?
Yes. “I am” that’s right.
John 8:58: before Abraham was “I am”. Look at the reaction of the Jews. They had to
take up stones. As daunting as he was claiming to be God himself, he took on that name for himself. Thank God for Jesus. He fulfills every criteria that a prophet does. Muhammad is a basically a wipeout on all four. Come back to Jesus.