Thus, if they refuse to follow Ahmad they are, in reality, rejecting the Messiah; for in their own corpus are prophecies—issued by the Messiah himself and by other prophets—foretelling Ahmad, the details of which are set out elsewhere and will be presented, God willing.

The sole purpose here is to prevent them from invoking any portion of what Muhammad ﷺ brought as evidence in their favour, and to demonstrate that it is evidence against them, not for them, since they imagine that parts of it support their claim.

Third:
Their assertion concerning the disciples—that they are the “messengers” venerated in this Book—is untenable. They have advanced a false interpretation of the Quran, akin to their rendering of the phrase “those upon whom You have bestowed favour” ⦗al-Fātiḥah: 7⦘ as referring to the Christians, and their explanation of “by My permission” (i.e., he breathes into it and it becomes a bird) as meaning “by the permission of the lahūt (divinity) which is the Word of God united with the nāsūt (humanity).”

They likewise interpret “Alif, Lām, Mīm. That is the Book” ⦗al-Baqarah: 1⦘ as the Gospel; and their interpretation of “those who believe in the unseen, establish prayer, and spend out of what We have provided for them” ⦗al-Baqarah: 3⦘ (3) together with “and who believe in what has been sent down to you and what was sent down before you, and are certain of the Hereafter” ⦗al-Baqarah: 4⦘ is that these verses speak of the Christians.

In the same vein they interpret His saying, “Do not dispute with the People of the Book except in the manner that is best” ⦗al-ʿAnkabūt: 46⦘ as referring exclusively to the Christians.