to a ḍammah; he said, “None of their scholars doubts that it means Muḥammad—though we choose not to reproduce their statements here.” (1)

But even if we pass over all of this, who besides him—and his community—fits these descriptions so perfectly? Who else bore on his shoulders the mark of sovereignty, the Seal of Prophethood, which people actually saw, protruding like the knob of a partridge’s egg? After truth there is only error, and after clear sight nothing but blindness: “And whoever has not been granted light by Allah shall have no light at all.” (Q 24:40)

The traits of this Prophet—his lineage, the place and time of his mission, his distinguishing signs, and the characteristics of his nation—are all written in their scriptures. They read them aloud in their synagogues and study them in their gatherings; no scholar among them denies it, nor does any layman reject it. Yet they say, “He has not appeared yet; when he does, we shall follow him.”

Ibn Isḥāq said: Muḥammad ibn Abī Muḥammad related to me, from ʿIkrimah and from (2) Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, from Ibn ʿAbbās, that the Jews used to seek victory over the Aws and the Khazraj by invoking the authority of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ before he was sent. When Allah sent him from among the Arabs, however, they disbelieved in him and denied what they had previously said about him. Muʿādh ibn Jabal, Bishr ibn al-Barāʾ ibn Maʿrūr, and (3) Dāwūd ibn Salamah said to them, “People of the Jews, fear Allah and embrace Islam! You used to seek victory over us through Muḥammad ﷺ while we were idolaters; you told us he would be a Prophet, and you described him to us in detail.” Salām ibn Mishkam, a leading man of (4) Banū al-Naḍīr, replied, “Nothing has come to us that we recognize; he is not the one we used to mention to you.” Thereupon Allah revealed: “They used to pray for victory over the disbelievers, but when there came to them that which …”