to people that a human being can never be God. Thus the one about whom it was claimed that he is Allah, though innocent of what was attributed to him, will kill the one who claims that he himself is Allah—a lying impostor. In the same way the glad tidings about Muhammad—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—appear in the earlier scriptures, although some People of the Book may force those passages into meanings they do not bear, as has been set out elsewhere. A full discussion of the references to Muhammad—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—in the books now possessed by the People of the Book belongs in another place.

Second Reply:
One may say that it is not a condition of prophethood that one be heralded by those who came before him. Moses, for instance, was sent as a messenger to Pharaoh, yet no prior prophet had announced him to Pharaoh. Likewise the Close Friend—Abraham, peace be upon him—was sent to Nimrod without any prophetic glad tidings preceding him; and the same holds for Noah, Hūd, Ṣāliḥ, Shuʿayb, and Lot—no glad tidings reached their peoples about them, even though they were genuine prophets. The evidences of prophethood are not restricted to reports from earlier prophets; proofs include miracles and non-miraculous indicators, as has been explained elsewhere. As for these Christians, the only foundation of their creed concerning the trinity, incarnation, and similar matters is transmitted text—their claim that the divine scriptures taught such doctrines. Reason is not their point of departure. Thus, when it becomes clear that, even while they deny Muhammad—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—it is impossible that