“Muʾadh,” which follows the same morphological pattern as “ʿUmar,” has been variously explained by the scholars of the People of the Scripture.

One group says that it simply means “very, very much,” that is, “exceedingly abundant.” If that is the sense intended, then the phrase heralds a descendant of Ishmael who would be exalted to an extraordinary degree—and it is well known that none of his progeny was honored more highly than Muḥammad.

A second group maintains that it is the explicit name Muḥammad. They argue that Hebrew vocabulary is strikingly close to Arabic—the language most akin to it. Thus they pronounce “Ishmael” as shamaʿil, and “I heard you” as shamʿatini (1); “him” as ʾotho; “your holiness” as qodshakha; “you” as ʾatta (2); and “Israel” as yisraʾil. Reflect, therefore, on the wording in the Torah: “qaddesh li kol bekhor (3) kol reḥem, bene yisraʾel baʾadam u-va-behemah li” (4)—meaning: “Consecrate to Me every firstborn, every first issue of the womb among the Children of Israel, whether human or beast; they are Mine” (5).

Consider also His words: “nabi ʾaqim lahem mi-qereb aḥehem … elaw yishmaʿun” (6, 7), which mean: “I will raise up for them, from among their brethren, a prophet like you, and they will heed him.”

And likewise His statement: “You are to cross through the territory of your brothers, the sons of …”