Is Muhammad the prophet who is mentioned in Deuteronomy chapter 18:18?

 

                 Muhammad claimed that the Bible foretold his prophethood. Today many Muslim apologists claim that he is mentioned in Deuteronomy 18:18,Which says,

 

          " I will raise up for them  a prophet like you from among their brothers; I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him." 

 

There are several reason by which we can refute this claim.Let us look at each of the reason.

Reason  #1=The reason why God would sent the prophet or why was the promise made: The verse in chapter 18 that is verse 18 does not began from there (verse 18) but the context began from verse 15 and end in verse 20. The context of the verse is this-

 

             15 The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him. 16 For this is what you asked of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said, “Let us not hear the voice of the Lord our God nor see thisgreat fire anymore, or we will die.”17 The Lord said to me: “What they say is good. 18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites, and I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him. 19 I myself will call to account anyone who does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name. 20 But a prophet who presumes to speak in

my name anything I have not commanded, or a prophet who speaks in the name ofother gods, is to be put to death.”                                      

 

          So we can see from the context that the children of Israel were afraid to listen to God and hence God promise to provide them prophets. Thus the prophet mentioned in verse 18 must be sent to the children of Israel . Since this promise was made to Children of Israel and not to Arabs.The promise was made because the children of Israel were afraid to directly have conversation with God.Morever verse 15 says 'from among you' that is Israelites.

 

Reason #2=The book of Deuteronomy mention how Prophet Moses was like and is found to be different from how Muhammad was like: 

   

         The book of Deuteronomy clearly mention who is the prophet like Moses. Chapter 34 verse 10 to 12 mention it.

 

            10 Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face,11 who did all those signs and wonders the Lord sent him to do in Egypt—to Pharaoh and to all his officials and to his whole land. 12 For no one has ever shown the mighty power or performed the awesome deeds that Moses did in the sight of all Israel.

 

            First criteria is that he should knew Lord face to face. What we know about Muhammad is that he did not knew Allah face to face. Let see what Quran and hadiths has to say regarding this. "And to Moses Allah spoke directly" (Surah 4:164).

 

            The Hadith makes clear that Muhammad never saw his Lord. Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 54, No. 457: Narrated Aisha: “Whoever claimed that (the Prophet) Muhammad saw his Lord, is committing a great fault, for he only saw Gabriel in his genuine shape in which he was created covering the whole horizon.”

 

             Also in Bukhari Vol. 6, Book 60, No. 378: “Narrated Masruq: I said to 'Aisha, "O Mother! Did Prophet Muhammad see his Lord?" Aisha said,"What you have said makes my hair stand on end! Know that if somebody tells you one of the following three things, he is a liar: Whoever tells you that Muhammad saw his Lord, is a liar." Then Aisha recited the Verse: 'No vision can grasp Him, but His grasp is over all vision. He is the Most Courteous Well-Acquainted with all things.' (6.103) 'It is not fitting for a human being that Allah should speak to him except by inspiration or from behind a veil.' (42.51) 'Aisha further said, "And whoever tells you that the Prophet knows what is going to happen tomorrow, is a liar." She then recited: 'No soul can know what it will earn tomorrow.' (31.34) She added: "And whoever tell you that he concealed (some of Allah's orders), is a liar." Then she recited: 'O Apostle! Proclaim (the Message) which has been sent down to you from your Lord...' (5.67) 'Aisha added. "But the Prophet saw Gabriel in his true form twice."” Unlike Muhammad, both Jesus and Moses regularly heard God directly rather than through visions or angel intermediaries (Numbers 12:6-8, Ex 33:11). The Qur'ān agrees with this: In Sura Al-Nisa 4:163-164 the Qur'ān says that Muhammad and all the other prophets were simply inspired, but "…to Moses God spoke directly (تَكلِيمَا)". Moses is listed separately because God spoke to him directly.Muhammad used to receive revelation through the angel Gabriel (Baqarah 2:97). Jesus is also described of speaking with God directly, even face-to-face. In his transfiguration on the mountaintop (Matthew 17, Mark 9, Luke 9), God addressed Jesus directly on amountain-top, just as he did to Moses. It is clear throughout the Gospels that Jesus heard directly from God without an angel intermediary. 

 

              Second criteria is that he should perform miracles.Let see what Quran has to say regarding this. (Sura 6:37,Sura 28:48)-this verses make it clear that Muhammad did not perform miracles like Moses. what Surat-ul Qasas (28:48) says: But (now) when the Truth has come to them from Ourselves, they say, "Why are not (Signs) sent to him (Muhammad), like those which were sent to Moses."It is evident from this verse that even according to Al-Qur'an, Muhammad was not looked upon as one like Moses! According to the Qur'ān ,Jesus performed many supernatural miracles (3:49, 2:253), but according to the Qur'ān , Muhammad's only miraculous sign was the Qur'ān (29:48-51). Both Jesus and Moses performed numerous mighty miracles which are well-documented in their scriptures.Thus prophet Moses was more like Jesus, not Muhammad.

 

Reason #3=Muhammad said he was different from all other prophets, that would include Moses:·        

 

                     Bukhari Volume 1, Book 7, Number 331: Narrated Jabir bin 'Abdullah: The Prophet said, "I have been given five things which were not given to any one else before me.

 

1. Allah made me victorious by awe, (by His frightening my enemies) for a distance of one month's journey.

2. The earth has been made for me (and for my followers) a place for praying and a thing to perform Tayammum, therefore anyone of my followers can pray wherever the time of a prayer is due.

3. The booty has been made Halal (lawful) for me yet it was not lawful for anyone else before me.

4. I have been given the right of intercession (on the Day of Resurrection).

5. Every Prophet used to be sent to his nation only but I have been sent to all mankind."

 

Reason #4=Most of those points Muslims bring to show that Muhammad prophet like Moses fails because they can make people like David,Mani, Musailamah,etc to be prophet like Moses:

                               

                For example,these are the points that Muslims brings:

 

                 1.Moses was regarded as a Prophet and Muhammad was also regarded as a Prophet,similarly David was regarded as a prophet. 2. Moses had a normal mother and father , so did Muhammad and so did David.

3.Moses married and had children, so did Muhammad and so did David.

4. Moses and Muhammad both had natural deaths from natural cause      ( But Muhammad was poisoned) so was David.