Forced Interpretations: The Imposition of Muhammad in the Scriptures
Biblical texts that form the foundation of the Judeo-Christian tradition do not contain any direct mention of Muhammad as a prophet. This fact becomes particularly significant in light of the claims made by some Islamic followers who attempt to correlate certain passages from the Holy Scriptures with his image. Addressing this topic requires a careful consideration of both the historical context and the method of interpreting sacred texts, which allows us to understand that these interpretations are far from natural.The main issue is that various parts of the Bible—whether they are fragments from Deuteronomy, Psalms, or the Gospels—do not directly reference any figure identifiable as Muhammad. Attempts to link these texts with the Islamic prophet prove to be the result of an imposed interpretation, aimed at “spicing up” the dogmas of other religious traditions. This approach essentially distorts the original meaning of the text, leading us away from the true message of the sacred writings.In conclusion, attempts to attribute references to Muhammad in biblical texts represent an effort to reinterpret ancient truths in contemporary religious discussions. An appeal to facts and a careful study of the context show that the original content of the Holy Scripture remains unaltered, while external attempts to restructure it only introduce further discord into an already complex dialogue among religious traditions.
What is Muhammad’s place in biblical texts and interpretations?In the biblical texts, Muhammad as a person and prophet is not mentioned directly. From the perspective of traditional Judeo-Christian doctrine, the sacred books do not contain any information about Islam, and therefore, about Muhammad. However, it is noted that some Muslims attempt to correlate individual passages of the Holy Scripture—for example, Deuteronomy 18:15–18, Psalm 44:4–6, Habakkuk 3:3, Isaiah 21:7, Matthew 3:11, John 14:16, and others—with the figure of Muhammad. A detailed analysis of these passages shows that such an interpretation is forced and imposed, not a natural understanding derived from the text.Supporting citation(s):"Nothing is mentioned about Islam in the sacred biblical texts. However, followers of Islam claim that some passages refer to Muhammad: Deuteronomy 18:15–18; 33:2; 34:10; Psalm 44:4–6; Habakkuk 3:3; Isaiah 21:7; Matthew 3:11; John 14:16. A careful reading of these passages indicates that, in this case, we are dealing with a forced interpretation of the Holy Scripture." (source: link txt, page: 4282)