The prophecies about the Prophet ﷺ were mentioned in previous revealed scriptures, and the prophets foretold his coming. As the time of his mission approached, these prophecies increased and were spoken of by Jewish rabbis, Christian monks, and Arab soothsayers.
Quranic Verses Referencing Prophecies of the Prophet ﷺ:
• Allah the Almighty says:
“˹They are˺ the ones who follow the Messenger, the unlettered Prophet, whose description they find in their Torah and the Gospel. He commands them to do good and forbids them from evil, permits for them what is lawful and forbids to them what is impure, and relieves them from their burdens and the shackles that bound them. ˹Only˺ those who believe in him, honour and support him, and follow the light sent down to him will be successful.” (Surah Al-A'raf: 157)
• Allah the Almighty also says:
“And ˹remember˺ when Jesus, son of Mary, said, “O children of Israel! I am truly Allah’s messenger to you, confirming the Torah which came before me, and giving good news of a messenger after me whose name will be Aḥmad.” Yet when the Prophet came to them with clear proofs, they said, “This is pure magic.” (Surah As-Saff: 6)
• Additionally, Allah says:
Muḥammad is the Messenger of Allah. And those with him are firm with the disbelievers and compassionate with one another. You see them bowing and prostrating ˹in prayer˺, seeking Allah’s bounty and pleasure. The sign ˹of brightness can be seen˺ on their faces from the trace of prostrating ˹in prayer˺. This is their description in the Torah. And their parable in the Gospel is that of a seed that sprouts its ˹tiny˺ branches, making it strong. Then it becomes thick, standing firmly on its stem, to the delight of the planters—in this way Allah makes the believers a source of dismay for the disbelievers. To those of them who believe and do good, Allah has promised forgiveness and a great reward. (Surah Al-Fath: 29)
• Allah further says:
“˹Remember˺ when Allah made a covenant with the prophets, ˹saying,˺ “Now that I have given you the Book and wisdom, if there comes to you a messenger confirming what you have, you must believe in him and support him.” He added, “Do you affirm this covenant and accept this commitment?” They said, “Yes, we do.” Allah said, “Then bear witness, and I too am a Witness.” (Surah Aal-e-Imran: 81)
• Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham), peace be upon him, prayed:
“Our Lord! Raise from among them a messenger who will recite to them Your revelations, teach them the Book and wisdom, and purify them. Indeed, You ˹alone˺ are the Almighty, All-Wise.” (Surah Al-Baqarah: 129)
Hadiths Referencing Prophecies of the Prophet ﷺ:
• Ahmad (22261) narrated from Abu Umamah:
“I asked, ‘O Prophet of Allah, what was the beginning of your matter?’ He replied, ‘The dua (supplication) of my father Ibrahim, the glad tidings of Jesus, and the vision my mother saw: a light came out of her that illuminated the palaces of the Levant.’”
This shows that the Prophet ﷺ was foretold by Ibrahim, whose lineage includes the Arabs, and by Jesus, who was the last prophet of the Children of Israel, this also indicates that that prophets which were between them also foretold his tidings.
• Ahmad (17163) also narrated from Al-Irbad bin Sariyah:
The Prophet ﷺ said, “I am in al-Lawh al-Mahfuz (the preserved tablet) as the Seal of the Prophets while Adam is still in his clay. I will inform you of this: I am the supplication of my father Ibrahim, the glad tidings of Jesus to his people, and the vision my mother saw.”
• Ahmad and Al-Hakim narrated from Maysarah Al-Fajr:
The Prophet ﷺ said, “I was written as a Prophet when Adam was between the spirit and the body.”
Predictions by Jewish Rabbis, Christian Monks, and Arab Soothsayers:
Jewish rabbis, Christian monks, and Arab soothsayers spoke of the coming of the Prophet ﷺ as the time of his mission neared. The rabbis and monks based their statements on descriptions found in their scriptures and the covenants made by their prophets regarding him. The Arab soothsayers, on the other hand, received this knowledge from jinn who overheard fragments of divine knowledge before being barred by meteors. Their references to the Prophet ﷺ were sporadic and not heeded by the Arabs until his actual advent, when these foretold events were recognized.
