Part 1: The Prophet Like Moses and the Servant from Kedar

Guest Columnist: Masrur Akhter

For centuries, scholars have debated whether the Hebrew Bible and Christian scriptures contain prophecies about the Prophet Muhammad. This two-part series examines key passages Muslims believe point to the final prophet of Islam, drawing on careful linguistic analysis and historical context. In this first installment, we explore two major prophecies: Deuteronomy 18 and Isaiah 42.

1. The Prophet Like Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15-22)

One of the most significant prophetic passages in the Hebrew Bible appears in Deuteronomy 18, where Moses speaks of a future prophet. The text reads:

“The Lord your God will raise for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him. 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 this great fire anymore, or we will die.’ The Lord said to me: ‘What they say is good. 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.'” (Deuteronomy 18:15-18)

This prophecy raises a crucial question: Who is this prophet “like Moses”? Christians traditionally interpret this as referring to Jesus, while Muslims argue it points to Muhammad. To answer this question fairly, we must examine what “like Moses” actually means.

A Prophet Like Moses: Who Fits the Description?

The phrase “like you” (like Moses) implies similarity in key characteristics. Let’s compare Moses with both Jesus and Muhammad across several important criteria:

Criterion	Moses	Jesus	Muhammad
Born naturally to mother and father	✔	✘ (virgin birth)	✔
Married, had children	✔	✘	✔
Became a national leader, statesman	✔	✘	✔
Brought a complete law (Shari’ah/Torah)	✔	✘ (“I did not come to abolish the law”)	✔ (Shari’ah)
Led battles, established a state	✔	✘	✔
Accepted as a prophet during their lifetime	✔	✘ (rejected by most Israelites)	✔

This comparison reveals that the prophet closest to Moses in life mission, law, leadership, and impact is Muhammad, not Jesus.

“From Among Their Brothers” – A Critical Mistranslation?

The next crucial phrase in Deuteronomy 18:18 is often translated in modern Bibles as “from among your fellow Israelites” (NIV) or similar wording. However, this represents a translation choice that may obscure the original meaning.

The Hebrew text actually says: מֵאַחֵיהֶם (me’achêhem) = “from their brothers”

This is the same phrase used elsewhere in the Torah for non-Israelite relatives:

Edomites are called “brothers” of Israel (Deuteronomy 23:7)
Moabites and Ammonites are called “brothers” (Deuteronomy 2:8-9)
Ishmaelites are biologically brothers of the Israelites (Genesis 16-25)

When the Torah specifically means “from among yourselves” (Israelites), it uses different Hebrew phrases:

Hebrew Phrase	Meaning
מִקִּרְבְּךָ (miqirbekha)	from among you (Israelites)
מִבֶּן יִשְׂרָאֵל (mi-ben Yisrael)	from the children of Israel
מֵאַחֵיהֶם (me’achêhem)	from their brothers (related nations)

Deuteronomy 18 deliberately uses “from their brothers” rather than “from among you,” suggesting a prophet from a non-Israelite nation closely related to Israel, namely, the Ishmaelites, the Arabs. This geographical and ethnic specification fits Muhammad exactly.

“I Will Put My Words in His Mouth”

God’s promise in Deuteronomy 18:18 is particularly striking: “I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him.”

This description perfectly matches the Islamic understanding of how the Qur’an was revealed to Muhammad. He was known for receiving revelation verbally and reciting it exactly as it came to him. The Qur’an itself states:

“Nor does he speak from his own desire. It is not but a revelation revealed.” (Qur’an 53:3-4)

Muhammad literally recited the words placed into his mouth and he did not compose them himself. Every chapter of the Qur’an begins with بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ “In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate,” and the entire text is presented in God’s voice, not Muhammad’s. The command “Say…” (قُل) appears over 300 times in the Qur’an, instructing Muhammad what to recite.

The Warning About False Prophets

Deuteronomy 18:19-20 continues with a warning:

“I myself will call to account anyone who does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name. But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, is to be put to death.”

The Hebrew phrase “in my name” is בְּשֵׁמִי (b’shemi), meaning with God’s direct authority, delivering words from God, speaking revelation word-for-word. This test for true prophecy excludes:

Pagan priests
Self-appointed prophets
Anyone speaking in names other than the One God

Muhammad spoke only in the name of the one God of Abraham. He explicitly rejected idols, the Trinity, and any partners with God. His message was identical to Moses’ core theology:

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is One.” (Deuteronomy 6:4)

“Say: He is Allah, [who is] One.” (Qur’an 112:1)

What Did the Jews Themselves Expect?

Interestingly, Jewish scholars themselves do not interpret this prophecy as referring to Jesus. Traditional Jewish interpretation states that:

This prophet must be non-Israelite (from “their brothers”)
He must bring a law like Moses
He must establish judgment and leadership

These criteria align perfectly with Muhammad, not Jesus.

Did Jesus Claim to Be “The Prophet Like Moses”?

Perhaps most tellingly, Jesus himself never claimed to be “the Prophet like Moses.” While he made many claims about his identity (Son of Man, Son of God, Messiah), he never said:

“I am the Prophet like Moses”
“I am the Prophet of Deuteronomy 18”
“I fulfill Moses’ prophecy for a future prophet.”

Instead, Jesus pointed to someone who would come after him:

“I have many things to tell you, but you cannot bear them now. But when the Spirit of Truth comes, he will guide you into all truth… He will speak what he hears.” (John 16:12-13)

The phrase “he will speak what he hears” directly parallels Deuteronomy 18:18: “I will put my words into his mouth.” Jesus appears to be pointing to a future prophet, not identifying himself as that prophet.

The Early Christian Evidence

Even in the New Testament, there’s evidence that “The Prophet” was understood as a distinct figure from the Messiah. In John 1:19-21, when the Jews questioned John the Baptist, they asked three separate questions:

“Are you the Messiah?”
“Are you Elijah?”
“Are you the Prophet?”

John answered “No” to all three. The crucial point here is that “The Prophet” and “The Messiah” are treated as two different expected figures. If they were the same person, the questions would not have been asked separately.

Similarly, in Acts 3:22, the apostle Peter quotes Moses’ prophecy about the future prophet, but he keeps this figure conceptually separate from Jesus as the Messiah. If Jesus were already “the Prophet like Moses,” Peter would have explicitly said so. Instead, he appears to be reminding his audience to be ready for future prophets whom God will send.

2. Isaiah 42: The Prophet from Kedar (Arabia)

The second major prophecy Muslims identify with Muhammad appears in Isaiah 42, which describes a coming servant-prophet with very specific characteristics. This chapter speaks of someone who:

Brings a new law
Brings judgment to all nations
Emerges from the land of Kedar (Ishmael’s descendants)
Destroys idol worship
Engages in battle
Establishes justice on earth
Whose followers sing a new song

These descriptions, Muslims argue, fit only one person in history: the Prophet Muhammad.

A Universal Prophet with a New Law

Isaiah 42:1 introduces the figure:

“Behold My servant, whom I uphold; my chosen one in whom my soul delights; I will put My Spirit upon him, and he will bring justice to the nations.”

This is clearly a universal prophet not limited to Israel, but bringing justice to all nations. Jesus explicitly limited his earthly mission, stating: “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel” (Matthew 15:24). Muhammad, by contrast, described his mission as “a mercy to all the worlds” (Qur’an 21:107).

Isaiah 42:4 continues:

“The coastlands will wait for his law.”

Jesus did not bring a new law. He stated clearly: “Do not think I came to abolish the law” (Matthew 5:17). He followed the Mosaic Law throughout his life. Muhammad, however, brought a completely new revealed law code – the Qur’an and Shari’ah. He is the only prophet after Moses to bring a comprehensive legal system governing personal, social, economic, and political life.

The Geographic Key: Kedar

The most striking geographic specification appears in Isaiah 42:11:

“Let the wilderness and its towns raise their voices; let the villages that Kedar inhabits rejoice.”

Who is Kedar? According to Genesis 25:13, Kedar was the second son of Ishmael:

“These are the names of the sons of Ishmael… the firstborn of Ishmael, Nebaioth; and Kedar…”

Jewish historians and Biblical scholars agree that Kedar refers to the Arabian Peninsula, specifically the region of Mecca and the northern Hijaz. No Israelite prophet, including Jesus, came from Kedar. Prophet Muhammad was born precisely in this region, in Mecca, at the heart of the land of the descendants of Kedar.

This is perhaps the strongest geographical prophecy of Muhammad in the entire Bible. Isaiah explicitly states that this coming prophet will be associated with the lands of Kedar, specifically Arabia.

A Warrior Prophet

Isaiah 42:13 presents a description that doesn’t fit the conventional image of Jesus:

“The Lord will march out like a mighty man; like a warrior, He will stir up his zeal. With a shout, He will raise the battle cry and will triumph over his enemies.”

This prophet:

Fights battles
Achieves military victory
Defeats idol-worshipping nations

Jesus did not engage in military campaigns. He said, “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36). Muhammad, by contrast, led numerous battles, including:

The Battle of Badr
The Battle of Uhud
The Battle of the Trench (Khandaq)
The Battle of Hunayn
The Conquest of Makkah (Fath Makkah)

These military campaigns resulted in the unification of Arabia and the end of idol worship across the Arabian Peninsula exactly as Isaiah 42 describes.

The Destruction of Idols

Isaiah 42:17 states:

“Those who trust in idols… will be turned back in utter shame.”

Jesus never physically removed idols or destroyed centers of idol worship. Muhammad, however, personally destroyed 360 idols housed in the Ka’bah in Mecca when he conquered the city in 630 CE. This act fulfilled the prophecy with remarkable precision the prophet from Kedar destroys the idols in Kedar’s territory.

A New Song

Isaiah 42:10 speaks of a distinctive form of worship:

“Sing to the Lord a new song, His praise from the ends of the earth.”

In the Hebrew Bible, “a new song” typically signifies a new revelation or a new way of worship. The Qur’an is recited melodically by Muslims worldwide in a distinctive manner unlike any other scripture. The practice of Qur’anic recitation (tajweed) has become the most widespread form of scriptural recitation on earth, with over 1.8 billion Muslims reciting portions of the Qur’an in their five daily prayers.

No other religious text in human history is recited with such frequency, by so many people, in so many lands. This “new song” is heard from the ends of the earth, exactly as Isaiah prophesied.

A Light to the Gentiles

Isaiah 42:6 states:

“I will make you a light for the Gentiles, to open the eyes of the blind and free captives from darkness.”

While Christians often apply this to Jesus, his ministry was primarily directed toward the Jewish people. Jesus instructed his disciples: “Do not go among the Gentiles” (Matthew 10:5-6). Muhammad’s message, by contrast, transformed gentile nations across the world, Arabs, Persians, Africans, Turks, Indians, Indonesians, and many others who were previously outside the Abrahamic tradition.

Establishing Justice on Earth

Isaiah 42:4 concludes:

“He will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth.”

According to Christian belief, Jesus was rejected and crucified without establishing any government, legal system, or political structure. Muhammad, however, established:

The Constitution of Medina is one of the first written constitutions in history
A comprehensive legal code (Shari’ah)
A functioning state with courts, governance, and administration
A community based on justice and equality
Eventually, an empire that would span three continents

He literally established justice on earth through practical institutions, laws, and governance, fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy in concrete, historical terms.

Conclusion of Part 1

The first two prophecies we’ve examined, Deuteronomy 18 and Isaiah 42, present compelling evidence that the Hebrew Bible contains references to a prophet who would come after Jesus, from the line of Ishmael, from the land of Arabia, who would bring a new law, fight battles, destroy idolatry, and establish justice on earth. The historical figure who matches all these specifications is the Prophet Muhammad.

In Part 2 of this series, we will examine two additional prophecies: the mysterious word “Muhammadim” in Song of Solomon 5:16, and Jesus’ promise of the coming “Paraclete” in the Gospel of John passages that Muslims believe provide even more explicit references to the final prophet of Islam.

To be continued in Part 2…