just as they say concerning His words:

“I will raise up for the Children of Israel, from among their own brethren, one like you, O Moses; I shall reveal to him a scripture comparable to the Torah of Moses, and I will place My words upon his lips.”

Some of them claim that this is not an informative statement but a rhetorical question expressing denial, so they presume an interrogative alif—though nothing of the sort is found in the text.

Thus the Jews distort the passages that give glad tidings of the Messiah, yet for both Muslims and Christians such tampering does not invalidate the annunciation of the Messiah; rather, the import of those texts concerning him has become clear and the futility of the Jewish distortion has been exposed.

Likewise, the predictions of Muhammad—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—in the earlier scriptures are not undermined by the alterations of the People of the Book, whether Jews or Christians. On the contrary, those passages plainly attest to the prophethood of Muhammad—peace and blessings be upon him—and the emptiness of their distortions.

Fifth approach: It may be said that it is well known that the emergence of the religion of Muhammad—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—