Section: Their claim that a prophet’s mission is only valid if earlier prophets foretold him—and the refutation of that claim
Section
The Christians advance a well-known objection. Some of them say: “Muhammad—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—was not foretold by the earlier revelations, whereas the Messiah was. Hence, they allege, anyone who was not so foretold cannot be a prophet.”
This objection is presented in two forms:
- That no one can be a prophet unless earlier prophets have announced him.
- That the one who is foretold is thereby superior or more complete than one who is not, or that this constitutes a special proof reserved for the Messiah through which his prophethood is recognized.
Yet you yourselves have said: “There is no path by which the prophethood of any prophet is established except that Muhammad’s prophethood is established by that same path—and in an even stronger fashion.”
With regard to this second contention, it deserves a response, and we shall also reply to the first. Still, is one actually obliged to answer it? On that point there are two opinions, resting on a prior principle: Is advance notification a necessary condition when instituting a ruling that one intends later to abrogate (naskh), so that the addressees do not assume it to be permanent and thus be left in ignorance? Among the Muslim dialecticians there are two positions on this matter.