Muhammad as the Awaited Messiah: Quranic Interpretation in Jewish Prophecy Context
Does the Quran mention Muhammad as the Messiah whom the Jews await?
The Hebrew word Messiah means “Anointed One“.
In the Old Testament, the word is often associated with the anointing of a prophet, a priest, king, or other ruler.
One particularly surprising use of the word messiah is when God refers to Cyrus, the king of Persia, as his “anointed” (Isaiah chapter 45 verse 1). Though Cyrus was a Gentile, God used him to defeat Babylon and allow the Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem.
Allah says in the Quran, Surah 2 verse 89:
And when there came to them (Jews) a Book from Allah, confirming that which is with them—and earlier they would pray for victory over the pagans (through the medium of His messenger)—so when there came to them what they recognized (that is, Muhammad), they denied it. So may the curse of Allah be on the faithless!
Some believe this verse indirectly points to Muhammad as a promised Messiah. How is this interpretation explained?
This verse refers to the Jews who were awaiting the coming of their Messiah, as they had read about him in the scripture. They used to invoke Allah for his arrival, hoping that he would help them defeat their enemies. However, when Allah sent Muhammad to the Arabs, and he brought the Quran that confirmed the previous scriptures, the Jews rejected him and denied his prophethood. They did this out of envy and pride, because they wanted the Prophet to be from among them. Therefore, Allah cursed them for their disbelief and ingratitude.
The verse implies that the Jews had some knowledge of the characteristics and attributes of the Prophet Muhammad, and they recognized him when he came. This is also supported by other verses in the Quran, such as Surah 2, verse 146, which says:
Those to whom We gave the Scripture know him as they know their own sons. But indeed, a party of them conceal the truth while they know [it].
Therefore, some Muslims believe that this verse indirectly points to Muhammad as a promised Messiah, who was foretold by the previous prophets and scriptures.
Certain individuals posit that Daniel 7, verse 25, can be interpreted as an allusion to Constantine the Great, the prominent figurehead of the Council of Nicaea, while they also propose that Daniel 7, verse 13, may be a reference to Muhammad's celebrated Night Journey. How is this argument articulated?
This argument is highly controversial and not accepted by Christians. According to mainstream interpretation, Daniel 7, verse 25, refers to the Antichrist, while Daniel 7, verse 13, refers to the Messiah.
However, some proponents of this argument offer the following explanation:
They argue that Constantine the Great, the Roman emperor who converted to Christianity and convened the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD, is seen as the little horn mentioned in Daniel 7, verse 25.
They claim that Constantine, through his actions, spoke against the Most High and attempted to change religious practices, such as introducing the doctrine of the Trinity, celebrating Easter instead of Passover, and observing Sunday rather than Saturday as the Sabbath.
They also accuse Constantine of persecuting those who did not conform to his version of Christianity, particularly the Arians who denied the divinity of Jesus.
Regarding Muhammad, the founder of Islam, they argue that his Night Journey from Mecca to Jerusalem and subsequent ascension to heaven aligns with the Son of Man mentioned in Daniel 7, verse 13.
They believe this refers to Muhammad being granted dominion, glory, and an everlasting kingdom by God. They assert that Muhammad restored monotheism and argue that his kingdom will never be destroyed, with all nations and peoples serving him or submitting to his law.
📰 Isaiah 29, the Unlettered Prophet, and the Mummy of Pharaoh: A Sign for the End Times
📖 Isaiah 29 contains one of the most remarkable prophetic echoes in the Bible. It speaks of a book being given to an unlearned man, and it speaks of a “marvelous work and a wonder” that God would bring forth among the people. From an Islamic perspective, these words point directly to two great signs: the revelation of the Qur’an to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and the preservation of Pharaoh’s body as a warning for later generations.
📜 Isaiah 29:12 says: “And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned.”
For Muslims, this is not a vague statement. It strongly mirrors the first revelation of the Qur’an in the Cave of Ḥirā’, when the angel Jibrīl commanded Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to read, and he replied that he could not read.
🕋 This is why the verse is so powerful. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was known as al-nabiyy al-ummī, the unlettered Prophet. He did not study scripture under rabbis, priests, philosophers, or scribes. Yet through him came the Qur’an — a book that transformed Arabia, challenged empires, corrected theological corruption, and called humanity back to the pure worship of the One God.
⚡ This is the first miracle in the passage: a divine book delivered through an unlettered man. Human wisdom expected revelation to come through elite scholars or religious institutions. But God chose Muhammad ﷺ, an unlettered Prophet, so that no one could honestly claim that the Qur’an was copied, manufactured, or learned from human teachers.
📖 Then Isaiah 29:14 declares: “Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvelous work among this people, even a marvelous work and a wonder.”
This verse points to another divine act — not merely a message, but a visible sign. The phrase “I will proceed” suggests that God would again perform a mighty wonder, just as He had done in the past.
🌊 The language naturally recalls the miracle of Moses at the sea. Pharaoh pursued the Children of Israel with arrogance and military power. Moses appeared trapped. The sea stood before him, Pharaoh behind him, and destruction seemed certain. But God split the sea, saved the believers, and drowned the tyrant who had defied Him.
🏺 Yet the Qur’an brings to light a detail that is not clearly disclosed in the biblical account: Pharaoh’s body would be preserved. In Surah Yunus 10:92, Allah declares that Pharaoh’s body would be saved so that he would become a sign for those who came after him. This is not a symbolic statement only. It is a physical, historical, and visible sign.
📜 This detail also finds an important echo in Psalm 136:15, which states that God “overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea.” While the Book of Exodus clearly describes the drowning of Pharaoh’s army, chariots, and horsemen, it does not state as explicitly that Pharaoh himself drowned in the same event.
Psalm 136:15, however, makes the matter clearer by placing Pharaoh himself together with his forces in the sea. In this way, the Psalms strengthen the understanding that Pharaoh personally met his end in the waters after pursuing Moses and the Children of Israel.
👑 That Pharaoh was Ramesses II. In this Islamic-apologetic reading, the identity of the Pharaoh of Moses is none other than Ramesses II, the powerful Egyptian ruler remembered for his monuments, military campaigns, royal pride, and association with the age of Moses. The discovery and preservation of his mummy in the modern age stand as a stunning confirmation of the Qur’anic declaration.
🔍 This is the “marvelous work and wonder” of Isaiah 29:14: the body of the drowned tyrant, preserved across thousands of years, brought out in the modern age as a silent witness. The man who claimed power, majesty, and divine-like authority became a lifeless sign for the nations.
⚖️ The irony is profound. Pharaoh tried to erase the believers. Instead, his own body was preserved as evidence against him. He pursued Moses to destroy him, but today it is Pharaoh’s body that reminds the world of Moses’ truth. He stood against revelation, yet his preserved remains now serve the message of revelation.
🌍 This sign speaks powerfully to the modern world. In an age that often trusts only archaeology, science, museums, and material evidence, Allah has made Pharaoh’s body a sign that even the modern eye can see. The mummy of Ramesses II is not merely an ancient corpse. It is a theological witness.
🔥 Isaiah 29:12 and Isaiah 29:14 therefore form a connected pattern. First, the book is given to the unlettered Prophet — the Qur’an revealed to Muhammad ﷺ. Then, God brings forth a marvelous sign — the preserved body of Pharaoh, identified as Ramesses II, confirming the Qur’anic warning in Surah Yunus 10:92.
🕊️ The message is clear: God’s signs do not vanish. They may be hidden for centuries, buried beneath sand, locked inside tombs, or ignored by arrogant nations. But when Allah wills, He brings them back into view.
⏳ For the end times, this sign carries a warning. Pharaoh represents tyranny, arrogance, denial, and the persecution of God’s servants. His preserved body warns every ruler, empire, and civilization that power without submission to God ends in humiliation.
📢 The Qur’an did not merely tell a story about the past. It announced a sign for the future. The mummy of Ramesses II stands as that sign — a “marvelous work and a wonder” — reminding humanity that the God who saved Moses, revealed the Qur’an to the unlettered Prophet, and preserved Pharaoh’s body is the same God who will judge the world at the end of time.