cannot be known except through the report of a prophet. Now, when Muhammad was given knowledge identical to what Moses and the other prophets had been given, and was also granted information that they themselves possessed—facts that no one could know unless he had learned directly from them—while it is equally certain that Muhammad never learned any of this from a human being, the matter becomes a manifest sign and a conclusive proof of his prophethood.

The awareness that Muhammad did not acquire this knowledge from people was already attainable during his own lifetime. His compatriots who dealt with him directly and knew his circumstances were well aware that he had not learned this from any human being; the proof therefore stood established against them. Those, however, who only learned of his condition by hearsay can reach the same certainty by several means:

Among them:

1. The uninterrupted, mass-transmitted record of his life: from the moment he was born until the day he died, accounts of him have been widespread, celebrated, and multiply attested. Anyone versed in such matters knows these reports exceed—in both number and clarity—what is known of Moses or Jesus. Muhammad’s mission became manifest, his news spread far and wide, and the details of his life were conveyed in a manner unrivaled among all human beings. If the lesser particulars of his life have not remained hidden from people, how could something of this magnitude have escaped notice?

2. That the Quran relates matters not to be found with the People of the Scripture, such as