A Prophet Like Moses: Biblical Prophecies of Muhammad

A Promise in Deuteronomy

In the Book of Deuteronomy, Moses (as) delivers a prophecy that has intrigued believers for centuries. He declares, “I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him” (Deuteronomy 18:18). The question is: who is this prophet “like Moses” who would come after him? Christians often apply this to Jesus. But a careful examination reveals a different answer.

From Among Their Brothers

The phrase “from among their brothers” is crucial. The Israelites are descendants of Isaac (as). Their “brothers” are the descendants of Ishmael (as), the other son of Abraham (as). This points not to a prophet from within Israel, but from outside, from Arabia. The Qur’an confirms this, stating that the unlettered prophet is “whom they find written in what they have of the Torah and the Gospel” (Q 7:157). The location clue in Isaiah 42:11 reinforces this: “Let the villages of Kedar rejoice.” Kedar was a son of Ishmael, and his descendants lived in Arabia.

Like Moses, Not Like Jesus

How is Muhammad (saw) like Moses? The parallels are striking. Both had a natural birth, not a miraculous one like Jesus. Both were lawgivers: Moses brought the Torah, and Muhammad brought the Qur’an. Both were political and military leaders who established a nation based on divine law. Both led their people in migration and in battle. Jesus, by contrast, said, “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36). He did not bring a new law but confirmed the Torah, as the Qur’an states: “I will confirm the Torah revealed before me” (Q 3:50).

The Unlettered Prophet

Isaiah 29:12 provides another clue: “And when they give the book to one who cannot read, saying, ‘Read this,’ he says, ‘I cannot read.'” This describes a prophet who is unlettered, unable to read or write. The Qur’an describes Muhammad exactly this way: “Those who follow the Messenger, the unlettered prophet” (Q 7:157). When the angel Gabriel first came to him in the cave of Hira and commanded him to read, he replied, “I cannot read.” This event is preserved in Islamic tradition and matches the biblical prophecy precisely.

A Light for All Nations

Previous prophets were sent primarily to the Children of Israel. Jesus himself said, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel” (Matthew 15:24). But the prophet promised in Deuteronomy would be different. He would be a light for all nations. The Qur’an declares, “We have not sent you except as a mercy to the worlds” (Q 21:107). The prophecies of Moses and Isaiah point to one figure: Muhammad, the seal of the prophets, the unlettered messenger from Arabia, the one like Moses who brought a final law for all humanity.

Haj Firas Naji