al-A‘raf, numerous texts on this point, demonstrating that Muhammad, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, is mentioned in the Torah and the Gospel. These are useful and binding proofs against those Christians and Jews who deny that Muhammad’s prophethood was for all people and claim that Muhammad was sent only to the Arabs. They are lying in what they say, for he was sent to all created beings. We say to them: If you acknowledge that he is a messenger, then the proof has been established against you, and you have acknowledged the universality of his message. For when you say that he is a messenger to the Arabs, you have thereby acknowledged that his message is universal for all created beings. This is because, if you say that he is a messenger, it necessarily follows that he is truthful; otherwise, he would not be a messenger. And if he is truthful, then he himself said:

“O mankind, indeed I am the Messenger of Allah to you all.” [al-A‘raf: 158]

The Prophet, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, also said: “I have been sent to all people.” (1)

His statement, “or repudiates some of His Books,” applies whether it is a portion of one Book or some of the Books. For example, if someone denies the Torah and rejects that Allah revealed it to Moses, peace be upon him, he is a disbeliever, because he has denied Allah and His Messenger, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him. Likewise, if he denies that Allah revealed the Gospel to Jesus, peace be upon him, we say that he too is a disbeliever. Or if he denies that Allah revealed the Quran to Muhammad, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, we say that he is a disbeliever. Or if he denies that any part of the Quran was revealed to Muhammad, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, then he is likewise a disbeliever. If he denies something from the earlier Scriptures on the grounds that it has been altered—for example, if he finds in the books in their possession that Muhammad was sent only to the Arabs, and says: