Proving from the Quran that Jesus is the prophet of Deuteronomy 18
This is a follow up to a previous article on why Deuteronomy 18 is not about Muhammad, I highly recommend checking it out as a precursor to this for more context as I will not rehash the arguments in that article here.
After the “Prophet like Moses” prophecy, the book of Deuteronomy itself defines what “Prophet like Moses” means and gives us two additional criteria for anybody claiming to fulfil this prophecy.
“But since then there has not arisen in Israel a prophet like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, in all the signs and wonders which the Lord sent him to do in the land of Egypt, before Pharaoh, before all his servants, and in all his land, and by all that mighty power and all the great terror which Moses performed in the sight of all Israel.”
(Deuteronomy 34:10)
The first criteria is that this prophet like Moses ought to have a face to face kind of relationship with God. It is recorded in Exodus,
“So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend…”
(Exodus 33:11)
Muhammad never saw Allah. His (alleged) inspiration came from Jibril (allegedly). In fact Muhammad himself is told to say in the Quran,
“Say: I am no new thing among the messengers , nor know I what will be done with me or with you.”
(Surah 46:9)
Muhammad, according to his own words does not meet this criteria because he does not have any kind of unique relationship with Allah.
Jesus on the other hand is something unique both in the Bible and in the Quran. In the Bible, Jesus says,
“All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father. Nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.”
(Matthew 11:27)
And again,
“He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.”
(Matthew 16:15–17)
Jesus in the Quran is also unique. The Quran says,
“Of those messengers, some of whom We have caused to excel others, and of whom there are some unto whom Allah spake, while some of them He exalted (above others) in degree; and We gave Jesus, son of Mary, clear proofs (of Allah’s Sovereignty) and We supported him with the holy Spirit…”
(Surah 2:253)
Jesus is supported with the Holy Spirit according to the Quran. It also says,
“O People of the Scripture! Do not exaggerate in your religion nor utter aught concerning Allah save the truth. The Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, was only a messenger of Allah, and His word which He conveyed unto Mary, and a spirit from Him…”
(Surah 4:171)
Jesus is also the word and spirit of Allah, it does not get more unique than this! Jesus is also unique in that He, like Moses, speaks to Allah face to face in the Quran,
“And behold! Allah will say: “O Jesus the son of Mary! Didst thou say unto men, worship me and my mother as gods in derogation of Allah’?” He will say: “Glory to Thee! never could I say what I had no right (to say). Had I said such a thing, thou wouldst indeed have known it. Thou knowest what is in my heart, Thou I know not what is in Thine. For Thou knowest in full all that is hidden.”
(Surah 5:116)
So while Jesus meets the face to face criteria according to even the Quran, Muhammad does not. He never saw or spoke to Allah.
The second criteria in Deuteronomy 34 is that the prophet like Moses is supposed to perform signs and wonders in the sight of Israel, just like Moses. In the Quran, Muhammad performs no miracles despite being asked to do so again and again.
“And they say: Why is not a sign sent to him from his Lord? Say: The unseen is only for Allah; therefore wait — surely I too, with you am of those who wait.”
(Surah 10:20)
And again,
“And they say, “Why has a sign not been sent down to him from his Lord?…”
(Surah 6:37)
Jesus on the other hand performed public miracles both in the Bible and in the Quran.
In the Bible, it is recorded,
“And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He makes both the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.”
(Mark 7:37)
And again,
“Then fear came upon all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has risen up among us”; and, “God has visited His people.”
(Luke 7:16)
In the Quran, Jesus performs amazing miracles as well,
“And [make him] a messenger to the Children of Israel, [who will say], ‘Indeed I have come to you with a sign from your Lord in that I design for you from clay [that which is] like the form of a bird, then I breathe into it and it becomes a bird by permission of Allah. And I cure the blind and the leper, and I give life to the dead — by permission of Allah. And I inform you of what you eat and what you store in your houses. Indeed in that is a sign for you, if you are believers.”
(Surah 3:49)
And again,
“[The Day] when Allah will say, “O Jesus, Son of Mary, remember My favor upon you and upon your mother when I supported you with the Pure Spirit and you spoke to the people in the cradle and in maturity; and [remember] when I taught you writing and wisdom and the Torah and the Gospel; and when you designed from clay [what was] like the form of a bird with My permission, then you breathed into it, and it became a bird with My permission; and you healed the blind and the leper with My permission; and when you brought forth the dead with My permission; and when I restrained the Children of Israel from [killing] you when you came to them with clear proofs and those who disbelieved among them said, “This is not but obvious magic.”
(Surah 5:110)
So again, Jesus meets this criteria according to the Quran while Muhammad does not.
What have we learnt? Two criteria to be met for there to be a prophet like Moses. This prophet must have a unique face to face relationship with God and must be able to do signs and wonders in the presence of Israel (or at the very least publicly within their local contexts). Jesus is unique in Islam in that He speaks face to face with Allah, Jesus is unique in Christianity in that He is the son of God who came from the Father. In Islam, Muhammad himself admits he is nothing special among the messengers of God.
Jesus performs great public miracles, signs and wonders in the sight of Israel both in the Bible and the Quran, Muhammad on the other hand never healed a person of headache!
In conclusion, slice it, dice it however you want, Muhammad simply does not meet the criteria of Deuteronomy 18 either according to the Bible or the Quran.
Muslims, please stick a fork in this argument, it is done!
