and that one resembles bronze. After it will come a powerful kingdom, like iron, whereas the two legs you saw of clay represent a weak kingdom (1). As for the great stone that struck the idol and pulverized it, that stone is a prophet whom the Lord of earth and heaven will raise up with a strong law. He will crush all the kings and nations of the earth until the earth is filled with him and with his community, and the authority of that prophet will endure until the end of this world. Such, O King, is the meaning of your vision (2).

It is obvious that this description fits Muhammad son of ʿAbd Allāh exactly, and not the Messiah or any other prophet. He is the one who was sent with a mighty law, who smashed all the kings and nations of the earth until the earth was filled with his followers. His dominion will last until the end of time; no one can uproot it. He swept away the rule of the Jews from the land, removed the Christians’ rule from the choicest and central regions—leaving it only in some outlying parts—and abolished the authority of the Magians, the idol-worshippers, and the Sabians (3).

(Twenty-Eighth Proof): Daniel also said: “I asked God and earnestly pleaded with Him to show me what would become of the Children of Israel—whether He would accept their repentance, restore to them their kingdom, and send prophets among them, or whether He would grant that to others. Then an angel appeared to me in the form of a handsome young man and said, ‘Peace be upon you, Daniel. God says: The Children of Israel have angered Me and rebelled against Me. They worshipped other gods besides Me, moving from knowledge to ignorance and from truth to…’