Understanding the Qur’an: A Fundamental Premise (Part 3/3)
Qur’an
9. The Superiority of Muslim Blood
The following Hadith is presented as evidence to support the view that a Muslim will not be killed if he is guilty of killing a non-Muslim whereas the reverse will be carried out:
No Muslim will be killed in Qisas of an Idolater. (Darmi: Kitabu’l-Diyat )
Here again it is to be noted that after Muhammad’s migration to Madinah, the Idolaters had lost their right to live after having knowingly denied him. Consequently, this H~adithand other A^h~adithof similar meaning are solely related to the Idolaters of the Prophet’s times.20This directive has no bearing on the non-Muslims of today.
Consequently, today if a Muslim is guilty of murdering a non-Muslim, he shall certainly be sent to the gallows if he is not forgiven by the family of the slain.
10. Prohibition of Non-Muslims from Entering the Baytullah
On the basis of the following verse, some people opine that non-Muslims cannot enter Muslim places of worship, in particular the Baytullah:
Believers, verily these Idolaters are unclean [of faith]. So let them not after this year of theirs approach the Sacred Mosque. (9:28)
It is evident from this verse that the real reason of this prohibition is polytheism which has been called impure and unclean. Consequently, in the opinion of this writer, this prohibition stands analogously extended to people who have adopted polytheism as their religion, for example some sects of Hinduism. It cannot be extended to the adherents of such monotheistic religions as Judaism and Christianity. Though the followers of Christianity are involved in idolatrous practices yet they never condone to idolatry as the real religion. Obviously, there is a world of difference between getting involved in idolatrous practices while considering them to be non-idolatrous and becoming followers of idolatry itself.
Moreover, as is evident from the verse quoted above, this prohibition for polytheists is just for the HolyKa‘bah which is the ultimate centre of monotheism. They can visit other mosques if they like.
11. Assassination of Non-Muslims
One of the arguments on the basis of which it is held that blasphemy is punishable by death is the assassination of certain non-Muslims of the Prophet’s times who had allegedly blasphemed against Allah and the Prophet (sws). If all these cases are analysed, it comes to light that this conclusion is incorrect.
Once again we are faced with a situation in which the people assassinated are those who had already become worthy of punishment after the Prophet’s migration to Madinah. While most of them were given more time and respite to contemplate on the consequences of their denial, those among them who were spreading disorder and anarchy in the society were punished by death after they were repeatedly warned on their highly antagonising behaviour. In this regard, some scandal mongers and hypocrites from among the People of Madinah were also put to death. While addressing the Prophet (sws), the Qur’an says:
If the hypocrites and those in whose hearts is a disease and the scandal-mongers of Madinah do not desist, We shall certainly stir you up against them and their days in living in the city with you will be numbered. They shall have a curse on them and wherever found they shall be seized and slain mercilessly. (33:60-61)
This law, as mentioned before, is specifically meant for the Rusul of Allah only and cannot be extended for general application.
12. The Political Supremacy of Islam
It is held by some Muslim scholars of contemporary times that it is the religious obligation of every Muslim to strive for the supremacy of Islam in his country by all the means he can. They term it as an ‘Islamic Revolution’ and present the following verse in support of this view:
It is He Who has sent his Rasul with Guidance and the Religion of Truth that he may proclaim it over all religions, even though the Idolaters may detest [this]. (61:9)
On the basis of the phrase ‘all religions’, it is understood that the followers of Islam must struggle for its dominance in their respective countries and territories.
An analysis of the context of this verse shows that it also belongs to the class of directives that relate to the established practice of the Almighty regarding His Rusul. It is to be noted that al-Mushrikin (the Idolaters) is used in this verse. The Qur’an uses this word specifically for the Idolaters of Arabia of the Prophet’s times. As a result, ‘all the religions’ in the conjugate clause can only mean all the religions of Arabia at that time. Therefore, the verse has no bearing on Muslims after the times of the Prophet (sws).
We have already quoted the following verse in the previous section and shown that Muslims were promised the sovereignty in the land of Arabia after the Idolaters of Arabia had knowingly denied the basic truth revealed to them by the Prophet Muhammad (sws).
God has promised, to those among you who professed belief and did righteous deeds that He will, of a surety grant them political authority in this land as He granted it to those before them; that he will establish their religion – the one which He has chosen for them. (24:55)
This was part of the divine law according to which a Rasul always triumphs over his nation.
Those who show hostility to Allah and His Rasul are bound to be humiliated. The Almighty has ordained: ‘I and my Rusul will always prevail’. (58:20)
Muhammad (sws) was also informed that he would triumph over his nation. He and his companions were told that they would have to fight the Idolaters of Arabia until the supremacy of Islam was achieved there and that these Idolaters should be informed that if they do not desist from their evil ways they too would meet a fate no different from those of the other nations of Rusul:
Say to the disbelievers that if now they desist [from unbelief], their past would be forgiven them; but if they persist, the punishment of those before them is already [a matter of warning for them]. And fight them on until there is no more persecution and there prevails the religion of God everywhere; but if they cease, verily God is seeing all that do. If they refuse, be sure that God is your Protector – the best to protect and the best to help. (8:38-40)
Consequently, striving to achieve the political supremacy of Islam is no religious obligation of a Muslim. The verses from which this obligation has been construed specifically relate to the Rusul of the Almighty.21
13. Status of Muslims as the Best Community
It is generally held that Muslims are superior to the people of other religions. The following verse is contended to be the basis of this ‘self-righteousness’:
You are the best of peoples, evolved for mankind, enjoining what is right, forbidding what is wrong, and truly believe in God. (3:110)
It is to be appreciated that this verse specifically pertains to the Companions of Muhammad (sws) who bore witness to the religion of truth before the non-Muslim nations of their times. It has already been explained before that the Almighty had chosen them for this task:
He has chosen you, and has imposed no difficulties on you in religion; it is the religion of your father Abraham. It is He Who has named you Muslims, both before and in this [Qur’an]: [He chose you so that] the Rasul may be a witness [to this religion] before you, and you be witnesses to this religion before non-Muslims. (22:78)
The following verse also mentions their obligation:
Thus have We made you an intermediate group so that you be witnesses [to this religion] before the nations, and the Rasul be such a witness before you. (2:143)
The context of 3:110 must be understood in the light of 2:143 and 22:78. The reason why the companions have been called the Best Community in 3:110 is that after Muhammad (sws) himself had borne witness to the religion of truth before them, the truth had manifested itself in their collectivity. Since this testimony by Muhammad (sws) was confined to them and not later Muslims, the title ‘Best Community’ is specifically meant for the Companions of Muhammad (sws) and does not relate to other Muslims.
D. Concluding Remarks
In this section, the fundamental premise shall first be summarized and then the correct attitude which Muslims and non-Muslims should adopt in the light of this premise shall be discussed
i. Summarizing the Fundamental Premise
In order to make the reward and punishment that is going to take place in the Hereafter an observable reality in this world, the Almighty selects certain personalities called Rusul to elucidate and explain the basic truths to their respective peoples. With the special help and assistance of the Almighty, they remove misconceptions that surround these concepts and vehemently say that if people do not accept these truths they shall be doomed in this world and in the Hereafter too. They give glad tidings of success both in this world and in the next to those who profess faith in them. People who knowingly deny these truths are punished in various degrees so that this whole episode can become an argument for the reward and punishment that is to take place on similar grounds in the Hereafter.
As a consequence of this fundamental premise what needs to be understood is that some directives of Islam are specific to the age of the Prophet Muhammad (sws) and his companions and cannot be extended to later periods. The reason for this is that a Muslim preacher cannot know whether a non-Muslim is knowingly denying the truth or not. Only the Almighty knows this. In the age of Rusul (the first period of history), He chose to reveal this judgement through His appointees, while in the second period of history He has not chosen to do so. Consequently, it is imperative that Muslims study the Qur’an and the life of the Prophet (sws), which are replete with the details of this divine scheme in the proper perspective. They are not authorized to follow certain directives which are specific to their Prophet (sws).
ii. Attitude required from Muslims
Today, Muslims, in particular their religious orthodoxy, exhibit a very hostile and aggressive behaviour towards non-Muslims. This behaviour is very pronounced in countries where Muslims live as a minority. Jeffrey Lang, professor of Mathematics at the Kansas University who converted to Islam in the early eighties, vividly records this typical Muslim behavior of hostility and aggression in the following words:
‘I’m sure you know that it’s incumbent on Muslims living in the United states to work and struggle and, if necessary, to fight to establish an Islamic state here,’ said the dean of the Middle Eastern University, aware that tradition and scholarship were on his side.
‘My Idea of what makes a state Islamic might be very different from yours,’ I answered, ‘Do you, for example, feel that your country is an Islamic state?’
‘Of course it’s not perfect,’ he offered. ‘But we’re free to practice our faith and most of the Shari‘ah is enforced.’
‘But what if we’re already free to practice our rituals here and to influence and laws and government through democracy?’
‘But democracy recognises the will of the majority, while an Islamic state gives final authority to God as revealed in the Qur’an and teachings of the Prophet!’
‘Might not the two converge in a society where the majority are committed to the viewpoint that God is the supreme authority and Muhammad is His Prophet? If the majority is not so committed, then what purpose is served by declaring an Islamic state or a state religion?’
‘What you’re advocating is secularism!’22
Similarly, while portraying the general Muslim reaction to apostates, Professor Lang records:
‘Do you or do you not agree that Salman Rushdie deserves the Qur’anic punishment for apostasy?’
There was no way to side-step her question, for this was already her second attack. Almost half of the audience was non-Muslim, and the BBC cameras were catching every word. Didn’t she consider the impact of her words? How do you answer such a challenge without confirming others’ worst suspicions about Islam?
‘I already stated that he’s a Murtad (apostate).’
Please go away! What are you trying to accomplish? Didn’t you see the media’s reaction to Yusuf Islam? It was news in every Western country! ‘ride on the death train,’ ‘song of the killer man,’ ‘from flower child to terrorist,’ ran the headlines. They talked to old girlfriends, who said that he had always had it in him.
‘Does he or does he not deserve the Qur’anic punishment of execution?’ she demanded.
The scarf forced him to concentrate on the wrath in her eyes, eyes that were sure to exact revenge for two centuries of anguish and humiliation at the hands of disbelieving imperialists. There was no stopping them. With a heavy heart, he sighed, ‘Yes. He deserves the Qur’anic punishment for apostasy.’
‘Assalamu alaikum,’ she said. Then she turned from the microphone and headed down the aisle towards her seat.
‘Allahu akbar!’they shouted. ‘Allahu akbar!’23
The foremost consequence of the premise delineated in this discourse is that the above mentioned attitude of Muslims towards non-Muslims should drastically change. Instead of showing an antagonistic behaviour towards them by threatening to subdue them, they should try to present the teachings of Islam in a lucid and articulate manner. They should think of ways and means to communicate the true message of Islam and refrain from policing and threatening non-Muslims. Like true preachers they should invest their time in thinking of ways and means to earnestly call people to the truth. Their preaching should have a humble tone in it and they should deal very affectionately and amicably with non-Muslims. Muslims should consider them as their potential addressees to whom they must present the teachings of Islam through character and good deeds. Being antagonistic and hostile to them is totally an uncalled for attitude. They should be clear it was only their Prophet (sws) and his noble companions who had the authority of forcibly subduing people who had denied the truth.
iii. Attitude required from non-Muslims
Today the non-Muslim world has severe apprehensions from the Muslim bloc. To them Muslims pose a great threat to their freedom and liberty. John L. Esposito, Loyola Professor of Middle East Studies at the College of the Holy Cross, writes:
According to many Western commentators, Islam and the West are on a collision course. Islam is a triple threat: political, demographic, and socio-religious. For some, the nature of the Islamic threat is intensified by the linkage of the political and the demographic. Thus Patrick Buchanan could write that while the west finds itself ‘negotiating for hostages with Shiite radicals who hate and detest us,’24 their Muslim brothers are populating Western countries. The Muslim threat is as global in nature as Muslims in Europe. The Soviet Union, and America proliferate and prosper. Other observers such as Charles Krauthammer, in the midst of the unraveling of the Soviet Union, spoke of a global Islamic unprising, a vision of Muslims in the heartland and on the periphery of the Muslim world rising up in revolt: a “new ‘arc of crisis’ … another great movement is going on as well, unnoticed but just as portentous: a global intifada”25.26
If the premise discussed in this article is found convincing, then the real threat to non-Muslims lies elsewhere: They must calmly contemplate on the fate of knowingly denying the truth.27
They must keep in mind the fate of their ancestors in the Prophetic times – a fate which they met by knowingly denying the truth. However, the sword of Democles does not hang over them in this world at least. Whether are they deliberately denying or not may not be known in this world, but surely in the Hereafter this reality shall be unveiled. Such an attitude would lead them to the gravest of penalties.
In recent times, many non-Muslim scholars have tried to pave the way for a meaningful dialogue between Muslims and non-Muslims. They have attempted to pinpoint the areas of mutual agreement. William Montgomery Watt, professor emeritus of Arabic and Islamic Studies at the Edinburgh university, writes:
The most important requirement is to admit that religious and moral systems other than Islam, even if they are far from perfect in Muslim eyes, may contain a large measure of truth. Muslims would, of course, continue to hold that Islam is religiously and morally superior, but they would also have to recognise that the adherent of any moral and religious system normally thinks that his system is superior to others. Since there is no generally accepted criterion to distinguish between the truth and falsehood of such systems, co-operation between the adherents of different systems requires that all should admit that the others are true at least up to a point, and it is usually unnecessary to specify in what respects each is true. In other words, Muslims are required to accept a pluralism of religions and moralities, and to see themselves as one community within a pluralistic world. A corollary would be that they might possibly have something to learn from some of the other systems.
It is in the application of moral values to social and political life that co-operation would appear to present fewest problems, at least intellectually. The relation of morality to religion is a difficult question because, though we may speak of Christian ethics and Buddhist ethics, morality is to a great extent independent of religion, and is based rather on the nature of human beings. At the same time, however, religion helps individuals to live more in accordance with their moral beliefs. The life of all human communities is based, among other values, on those implicit in the fifth to the ninth of the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20, which may be stated positively as respect for parents, for life, for marriage and for property, and truthfulness in public statements. Recognition of these values is also assumed as part of the basis of the United Nations and other global institutions, though there is still much to do before all international political activity is based on moral principles. Since these values are all upheld by the Shari’ah, Muslims should have no difficulty in co-operating with others who are working for a fuller incorporation of moral values into the life of human beings at all levels.28
Professor Watt has rightly pointed out that ‘…morality is to a great extent independent of religion, and is based rather on the nature of human beings’. So if morality and moral values are the most common factor among various religions, then one great moral value is acknowledging the truth. Non-Muslims must continue to assess for themselves whether they are deliberately rejecting the truth by rejecting the Prophethood of Muhammad (sws) or whether they are sincerely convinced against belief in his Prophethood on the basis of arguments which seem sound to them.
Appendices
Appendix 1: The Preaching Mission of Noah (sws)
The various stages of theRasul Noah’s preaching mission are very compactly set forth in a brief surah of the Qur’an: Surah Nuh. A short analysis of this preaching mission follows.
Noah (sws) began his preaching by warning his nation about the basic truths. The underlined words in clear simple terms state the three-point agenda that formed the crux of Noah’s message. These three points, in fact, are the basis of propagation and preaching of all the Prophets of Allah. Noah (sws) explicitly told his nation that they would be given a certain amount of time to mend their ways. If they did not do so, they would be destroyed.
[O Prophet! just as We have sent forth you], We had sent forth Noah as a Rasul to his people [with the directive]: ‘Warn your people before there comes to them a grievous penalty’. He said: ‘O my People! I am to you a warner, clear and open. [I call upon you] to serve Allah and remain within the limits set by him and obey me. [I inform you that as a result of this] the Almighty shall forgive your [previous] sins, and shall give you respite till an appointed time. Verily, the time appointed by Allah, when it comes, cannot be put off. Would that you understood this!’ (71:1-4)
The Prophets of Allah invest all their time and effort in trying to warn their people of the punishment they would encounter if they do not mend their ways. In this regard, the Prophet Noah (sws) had the distinction of warning his people for an extremely long period: almost a millennium. His earnest calls should have melted their hearts and stirred their souls, had they responded properly. However, the more he called them, the more they ran away from him. The following verses portray the reaction of the leaders of Noah’s people and spells out the basic reason for their denial: pride and arrogance:
[He kept on calling them to this message but they did not pay any heed until at last] he said: ‘O Lord! day and night I have called my people but my calls have only added to their aversion. And whenever I called upon them [to show repentance] so that You [O Lord!] may forgive them, they thrust their fingers in their ears and drew their cloaks over them and persisted in their denial and bore themselves with insolent pride.’ (71:5-7)
Thesurah goes on to show that after sometime Noah (sws), seeing the denial of his people, augmented his crusade and launched an extensive effort to beseech his nation: for a true preacher does not get frustrated at the obstinacy of his people; in fact, the more they evade his calls, the more he increases his pitch; and the more hostility they show to him, the more gracious he becomes.
Then I openly called them and then appealed to them in public and beseeched them in private: ‘Seek forgiveness from your Lord’ I said. ‘Indeed, He is ever Forgiving. [As a consequence] He shall send down on you abundant rain from the heavens and shall strengthen you with wealth and sons and shall make for you gardens and shall bring forth for you springs of water.’ (71:8-12)
Once the truth had been unveiled to his addressees. They were scolded and reprimanded and were told that their fate was at hand. It can be seen from the following verses that the earnest pleadings of Noah (sws) have given way to stern words of rebuke. A nation is often misled by its wealth and riches in the time of respite allotted to it by the Almighty according to His laws. They consider this period of reprieve as eternal and often cite it as a testimony of their own rectitude. The people of Noah (sws) too had become deeply engrossed in their misdeeds. The surah prods them to stop misunderstanding the purpose of the freedom given to them by Allah’s majesty and grace; They must be mindful of the precious time they are loosing and if they continue to be indifferent, the Almighty shall decide their fate once and for all. The verses state the reason why these people, who consider the Day of Judgement as something unlikely, must remain mindful of His grace and majesty mentioned in the previous verse: if the Almighty has shown such a profound display of His power and grandeur in creating man, He can easily create him a second time.
What has come upon you that you do not fear the majesty of your Lord, for He has made you in gradual stages in various moulds. [We said] ‘See you not how God has made seven heavens one above the other? And made the moon a light therein and the sun a lamp? And Allah has grown you from the earth in such an elaborate way and to the earth He will return you and then He will suddenly bring you forth from it without any effort. And Allah has spread out the earth for you as a spreading that you may walk in its spacious passes [that lie between the mountains]. (71:13-20)
As soon as Noah’s propagation mission reached its culmination, he renounced his people and dissociated himself from them so that they could be punished:
Noah said: ‘O Lord! they have disobeyed me and followed those [leaders of theirs] whose wealth and children only added to their ruin and they contrived great schemes and said: “Abandon not these Gods of yours whatsoever and abandon not [this] Wadd nor Suwaa; and neither Yaguth nor Ya‘uq nor Nasr.” And [in this manner] they misled many. And [now, O Lord!] only increase these wrong-doers in further error.’(71:15 -24)
In the final phase, his nation’s fate was decided and they were wiped out as a nation:
And because of their misdeeds they were drowned and then were cast into a great Fire. Then they found none to help them against Allah. (25)
The verses also refer to the punishment of the Hereafter that will be encountered by them wherein they would be cast in Hell. The punishment of the next world has been stated in the past tense to show its certainty.
2. Appendix 2: The Fate of some Nations who denied their Rusul
Surah Qamardepicts this fate in the following words:
[Similarly,] before them the folks of Noah [rejected their prophet] by declaring Our servant to be a liar and said that he was a madman, and he was badly scolded [by them]. At last he cried unto his Lord saying: I am vanquished, take revenge from them. So We opened the gates of heaven with water pouring forth, and caused the earth to burst with gushing springs. The waters met at the point decreed and We carried him [-- Our servant Noah --] on a vessel made of planks and nails, which sailed under Our protection: a recompense for him who had been snubbed. And We made this tale a sign [for those who would learn a lesson from it]. So is there anyone who would take heed [from this]! [You heard this tale!]. Tell Me how [dreadful] was My punishment, how [stern] was My warning? [Will you also receive admonition like this?]. And, [indeed], We have made the Qur’an very appropriate for admonition. Is there anyone who shall take heed?!! (54:9:17)
[Similarly,] the people of Ad rejected the warnings, then observe how dreadful was My punishment and how My promised doom [got hold of them]! On a day of unremitting woe, We had let loose on them a howling wind which plucked out the people [of A^dfrom their places] as if they were uprooted trunks of palm-trees. So tell Me how [dreadful] was My punishment and how [stern] was My warning. [Will you also receive admonition like this?] And We have made the Qur’an very appropriate for admonition. Is there anyone who shall take heed?!! (54:18-22)
The Thamud also rejected this warning by saying: Are we to follow a person who stands alone amongst us? If we do so, we shall, [in fact], be straying [from the right path] and [would eventually] find ourselves [in the raging fire of] Hell. Did he alone among us receive this Reminder? Nay, he is indeed a liar, a boaster. [We said:] ‘Tomorrow they shall know who is the liar and [who is] the boaster.’ We will be sending a she-camel as a test for them. So wait and see and have patience, and inform them that the water is to be shared between [her and] them. [Now] everyone shall come on his turn. At this, they cried out to their leader; so he came forward and hamstrung her. So observe how My punishment descended upon them and how My promised doom got hold of them. We sent upon them a single shout and they became [crushed powder] like the trampled hedge of a sheep-fold builder. [Will you now also receive admonition like this?]. And We have made the Qur’an very appropriate for admonition. Is there anyone who shall take heed?!! (54:23-32)
[Similarly,] the people of Lot rejected this warning. [As recompense for this crime], We unleashed on them a stone-charged whirlwind; only the followers of Lot survived, whom, as a special favour, We evacuated [from that place] before the advent of dawn. Thus do We reward every person who is thankful. And, indeed, Lot had warned them of Our punishment, but they only foolishly argued [with him about Our] warnings. And they tempted him to hand over his guests to them [for a wanton purpose]; so We blinded their eyes [and said]: ‘Taste My wrath and [the terrible consequences of] My warning’. And, indeed, at daybreak, an abiding punishment seized them. [So now] taste My wrath and [the terrible consequences of] My warning. [Will these people also receive admonition after tasting My punishment]! And We have made the Qur’an very appropriate for admonition. Is there anyone who shall take heed?!! (54:33-41)
And, indeed, to the Pharaoh’s people also came the warnings. But [in a similar manner], they also rejected all Our signs; so We grasped them with the grasp of One Mighty, Powerful. (54:42)
3. Appendix 3: The Prophecies of the Arrival of Muhammad (sws)
Moses (sws) one of the most distinguished Prophets of the Israelites declared the arrival of Muhammad (sws) among the Ismaelites in the following words:
The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers. You must listen to him... The Lord said to me: What they say is good. I will raise up from them a Prophet like you from among their brothers; I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell everything I will command him. If anyone does not listen to my words that the Prophet speaks in my name, I myself will call him to account. (Deuteronomy, 18:15-19)
The Prophet Jesus (sws) declared the arrival of Muhammad (sws) in the clearest of words. In fact, the word Injil, the Book revealed to him, means ‘glad tidings’ for it gives glad tidings of the establishment of the Kingdom of Allah. According to Muslim scholars, the following passages from the Bible predict in the words of Jesus (sws) the arrival of Muhammad (sws):
Jesus said to them: Have you never read in the scriptures that the stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the Lord has done this and it is marvellous in our eyes. Therefore, I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces but on whom it falls will be crushed. (Matthew, 21:42-44)
And I will ask the Father and He will give you another Counsellor to be with you forever -- the Spirit of Truth. (John, 14:16-17)
But the Counsellor, the Holy spirit the Father will send in my name will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. (John, 14:26)
I will not speak with you much longer, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold on me. (John, 14:30)
But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away the Counsellor will not come to you; but if I go away, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will convict the world with regard to sin and righteousness and judgement; in regard to sin because men do not believe in me; in regard to righteousness because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and in regard to judgement because the prince of this world now stands condemned. I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of Truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. (John, 14:7-13)
The Qur’an refers to the predictions of Muhammad’s arrival in the following words:
Those who will follow the Rasul the unlettered Nabi whom they find mentioned in the Torah and the Injil. (7:157)
The Prophet Jesus (sws), according to the Qur’an, proclaimed the advent of Muhammad by actually taking his name:
And [remember] when Jesus son of Mary said to the Israelites: ‘I am sent forth to you as the Rasul of Allah according to the predictions mentioned in the Torah before me and have come to you to give glad tidings of a Rasul to come after me. His name will be Ahmad’. (61:6)
In this atmosphere of divine pre-announcements, everyone was eagerly awaiting the arrival of the ‘prince of the world’ after the departure of Jesus (sws).