It is well-known in Islamic History that Prophet Muhammad(saw) was the most awaited Prophet in Arabia. Jews and Arabs in Yathrib are waiting for his advent during the 7th century CE because that was the time he will appear as per their...
moreIt is well-known in Islamic History that Prophet Muhammad(saw) was the most awaited Prophet in Arabia. Jews and Arabs in Yathrib are waiting for his advent during the 7th century CE because that was the time he will appear as per their study and computation of the correct timing of the appearance of the Last Prophet. This book will try to show what specific prophecies in the previous scriptures (both in the Torah and Injel) being used by Nasara Jews and Arabs (i.e. followers of Jesus residing in Arabia) for them to know the time what year Prophet Muhammad(saw) will appear in Arabia as a Prophet sent by Allah swt. The best example of those Nasara Jews who knew the description and correct timing of the appearance of Prophet Muhammad(saw) was Abdullah ibn Salam. Take note in what he said “I know the time at which he appeared”:
“When I heard about the Apostle of Allah I knew by his description, name, and the time at which he appeared, that he was the one we were waiting for, and I rejoiced greatly thereafter, though I kept silent about it until the Apostle of Allah came to Madinah. (Taken from Ibn Ishaq, “Sirat Rasulullah”, Translated by A. Guillaume, Oxford University Press (1967), pp.240-241).
Muslim classical writers and historians did not comprehensively mention all episodes of this kind of anticipating the appearance of the Last Prophet in a time destined to come but just mentioned some examples of them and then summarized them in a generalized report:
“Jewish rabbis, Christian monks (i.e. Nasara), and Arab soothsayers had spoken about the apostle of God before his mission when his time drew near. As to the rabbis and monks, it was about his description and the description of his time which they found in their scriptures and what their prophets had enjoined upon them.” (Taken from: Ibn Ishaq, “Sirat Rasulullah”, translated by A. Guillaume, Oxford University Press (1967), p.90; Ibn Kathir, al-Sira al Nabawiyyah, Vol. 1, translated by T. L. Gassick, Garnet Publishing(1998), p. 207)
