— Mudrik, on the authority of Abū Zurʿah, from Abū Hurayrah:

God says, “You were not at the side of the Mount when We called” (al-Qaṣaṣ 28:46). Abū Hurayrah explained: “They were called: ‘O community of Muḥammad, I answered you before you called upon Me, and I granted you before you asked of Me.’”

Wahb ibn Munabbih also related that God—mighty and exalted—revealed to David in the Psalms:

“O David, after you there shall come a Prophet whose name is Aḥmad, Muḥammad—truthful and noble. I shall never be angry with him, nor will he ever disobey Me. I have forgiven him, before he ever disobeyed, whatever sins came before and whatever may come after. His community is a community shown mercy: I have granted them in voluntary acts of devotion what I granted the Prophets, and I have imposed upon them the obligatory duties I imposed upon the Prophets and Messengers, so that they will come to Me on the Day of Resurrection and their light will be like the light of the Prophets.”

The revelation continued: “O David, I have preferred Muḥammad and his community over all other communities.”

That his description is found in the scriptures of the People of the Book is something necessarily known in religion. Many verses of the Noble Qur’an attest to this; we have discussed them in their proper places—praise be to God. Among them are His words:

“Those to whom We gave the Scripture before it truly believe in it; and when it is recited to them they say, ‘We believe in it; indeed, it is the truth from our Lord. We had already been Muslims before it came.’” (al-Qaṣaṣ 28:52–53)

And His words:

“Those to whom We have given the Book recognize him as they recognize their own sons, yet a group of them knowingly conceal the truth.” (al-Baqarah 2:146)

And His words:

“Those who were given knowledge before it, when it is recited to them, fall down upon their faces in prostration and say, ‘Glory be to our Lord! The promise of our Lord has indeed been fulfilled.’” (al-Isrāʾ 17:107–108)

That is, if our Lord promised us the advent and commissioning of Muḥammad, it is sure to occur; exalted is the All-Powerful—nothing can thwart Him.

He likewise said, describing the priests and monks:

“When they hear what has been sent down to the Messenger, you see their eyes overflow with tears because of the truth they recognize. They say, ‘Our Lord, we believe; so write us down among the witnesses.’” (al-Māʾidah 5:83)

In the stories of the Negus, Salmān, ʿAbd Allāh ibn Salām, and others—details of which will follow—there are many corroborating proofs of this; to God belong all praise and favor.

Within the accounts of the Prophets we have already cited their descriptions of the sending of God’s Messenger ﷺ—his characteristics, the city of his birth, the place of his migration, and the traits of his community—in the stories of Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, and others. God the Exalted also tells us of the last and seal of the prophets of the Children of Israel, Jesus son of Mary, that he stood among them and said:

“I am indeed God’s Messenger to you, confirming what lies before me of the Torah and bringing glad tidings of a Messenger who will come after me, whose name is Aḥmad.” (al-Ṣaff 61:6)

Likewise, the Gospel contains the glad tidings of the Paraclete, and that refers to Muḥammad ﷺ.