ABSTRACT
A number of key authors and representatives of Christianity are reconsidering Muhammad's prophethood, though popular Christian discourse is still generally unwelcoming of the possibility. 1 Tisdall pits the Islamic charge of taḥrīf against the claim of Muhammad's prophethood: if the Bible is not corrupt, and Jesus did not predict Muhammad, then it follows that Muhammad was not a prophet. 2 Similarly, one cannot use a corrupt Bible to prove that Muhammad was prophesied by it. 3 Thus the Biblical prophecies concerning Muhammad stand at odds with the charge of taḥrīf. Taḥrīf then aside, Tisdall addresses the proposed prophecies from Q3:81 and 61:6. In one example, Deuteronomy 18:18 prophecies one “like unto Moses”, which is thought to be Muhammad, 4
For (1) both of them were brought up in their enemies’ houses; (2) appeared among idolaters; (3) were at first rejected by their own people and afterwards accepted by them; (4) were married and had children; (5) each gave a Law (which Christ did not: John 1:17); (6) fled from their enemies, one to Midian and the other to Medina — which words are of similar meaning; (7) marched into battle against the unbelievers; (8) wrought similar miracles; and (9) enabled their followers after their own death to enter on the possession of Palestine. 5
