are preserved in the possession of the People of the Book—as we shall soon cite—and this is evidenced by several considerations:

First consideration: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was more eager than anyone else that people affirm his truthfulness, follow him, and that the proof be established against those who opposed and denied his prophethood, especially the scholars among the People of the Book. For (1) no rational person would ever adduce, before such people, a proof they know with absolute certainty to be false. It would be like someone saying to a man (2), “The sign that I am telling the truth is that you are So-and-so, son of So-and-so, your profession (3) is such-and-such, and you are known by this and that,” when the facts are entirely otherwise, indeed the very opposite.

Such behavior could never come from anyone with the least shred of sense; no one would believe him on that basis or choose to follow him. On the contrary, every intelligent person would recoil from accepting or following him, and normal custom makes it unthinkable that they would stay silent instead of attacking, refuting, and ridiculing his claim.

It is also a matter of plain necessity that Muhammad ibn ʿAbd Allah—may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him—openly declared, to these two communities who were the most learned peoples on earth before his mission, that his mention, description, and very likeness were recorded in their scriptures. He recited those passages to them day and night, privately and publicly, in every assembly and gathering, calling them thereby to acknowledge his truthfulness and to believe in him. Some of them did indeed believe (4) and testify to what their books contained of his description and mention, as will come to you, God willing.

The most that a stubborn denier could say was: “Yes, the description is true, but it is not about you; it concerns another prophet!”