أَعُوذُ بِاللّٰهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

In the name of ALLAH, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

"Muhammad ﷺ in the Bible" By Abdul-Ahad Dawud (David Benjamin Keldani)

"Muhammad in the Bible" is a seminal comparative religion book written in English by Abdul-Ahad Dawud (originally David Benjamin Keldani); who is also a former Roman Catholic priest of the Chaldean Uniate Church, Keldani converted to Islam in 1904. The book argues that Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) advent is foretold throughout both the Old and New Testaments.

The book was translated into Turkish Language as "İncil ve Salib" meaning "The Gospel and the Cross", and is a famous polemical text and critique of Christianity written by the Assyrian convert to Islam, Abdu'l-Ahad Dawud (born Benjamin David). Keldani systematically analyzes various biblical prophecies, making several key assertions as “The Glad Tidings of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in the Gospel and the Torah.” This refers to the prophecies and descriptions of his arrival found in the Torah and the Gospel. These scriptures foretold his name, qualities, and the universality of his message to guide humanity. Islamic and comparative studies highlight several specific verses:-

1. The Gospel (Injeel)

The "Comforter" (Paraclete): In the Gospel of John, Jesus promises to send the "Comforter" or "Counselor" or "Spirit of Truth" who will guide mankind into all truth, glorify Jesus, and speak what he hears from God (e.g., John 14:16, 16:7-13).

Ahmad: The Holy Quran explicitly states that Jesus prophesied the coming of a messenger after him named Ahmad (Surah As-Saff 61:6). Keldani argues that the original Aramaic or Greek term was Periqlytos, which translates etymologically to "the most illustrious, renowned, and praiseworthy"—the exact literal meaning of the name Ahmad (another name for Muhammad) in Arabic.

Ishmael's Descendants: He points to prophecies surrounding Hagar and Ishmael (Genesis 21), arguing that the "great nation" promised to Ishmael manifests in the lineage of the Prophet Muhammad and the subsequent spread of Islam.

Prophet of Paran: Keldani interprets the blessing in Deuteronomy 33:2—where God comes from Sinai, rises from Seir, and shines forth from Mount Paran—as a chronological sequence of divine revelations, linking Sinai to Moses, Seir to Jesus, and Paran to Muhammad. (Book of Deuteronomy, chapter xxxiii. verse 2, run as follows: “The Lord came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them; he shined forth from mount Paran, and he came with ten thousands of saints; from his right hand went a fiery law for them.”)

The "Sovereign" of the Covenant: He posits that various Old Testament references to the ultimate kingdom, messenger, and prophet point explicitly to Muhammad rather than later Jewish or Christian interpretations.

2. The Torah

A Prophet Like Moses: In the Book of Deuteronomy, God tells Moses, "I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites..." (Deuteronomy 18:18).

The Unlettered Prophet: Passages in Isaiah foretell of a messenger who will be unlettered or "unable to read," described as a man who will not raise his voice in the streets and will be a mercy to the nations (Isaiah 29:12, Isaiah 42:1-4).

The author of this book –Mohammad in the Bible Prof .Abdul-Ahad Dawud. former Rev.David Benjamin Keldani B.D. a Roman Catholic , (BISHOP OF URAMIAH ) was a great scholar. He was specialist in Christianity and judism. He mastered many languages(Aramic,Hebrow,Seryani, English and Arabic, ) which helped him in his Search.

He was born in 1867 at Urmia in Persia; educated from his early infancy in that town. From 1886-89 (three years) he was on the teaching staff of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Mission to the Assyrian (Nestorian) Christians at Urmia. In 1892 he was sent by

Cardinal Vaughan to Rome, where he underwent a course of philosophical and theological studies at the Propaganda Fide College,

and in 1895 was ordained Priest.

David Benjamin Keldani, a former Chaldean Catholic priest, converted to Islam in 1904. Following discussions with Muslim scholars in Constantinople (Istanbul) on his way back to Persia, he officially embraced the faith and adopted the Muslim name 'Abdul-Ahad Dawud.

“My conversion to Islam cannot be attributed to any cause other than the gracious direction of the Almighty Allah. Without this Divine guidance all learning, search and other efforts to find the Truth may even lead one astray. The moment I believed in the Absolute Unity of God His Holy Apostle Muhammad(pbuh) became the pattern of my conduct and behaviour.”

THE CHARACTERISTICS OF ISLAM; which won innumerous converts to the faith in the past and

which it so appealing to the modern age. Some of the major

characteristics of Islam are given in the following lines .

1-Simplicity , rationalism and practical.

2-Unity of matter and spirit.

3-A complete way of life.

4-Balance between individualism and collectivism.

5-Universalism and Humanism.

6-Permanence and change.

7-Cmoplete record of teachings preserved.

There are two fundamental points between Islam and Christianity which, for the sake of the truth and the peace of the world, deserved a very serious and deep investigation. As these two religions claim their origin from one and the same source, it would follow that no important point of controversy between them should be allowed to exist. Both these great religions believe in the existence of the Deity and in the covenant made between God and the Prophet Abraham(pbuh). On these two principal points a thoroughly conscientious and final agreement must be arrived at between the intelligent adherents of the two faiths. Are we poor and ignorant mortals to believe in and worship one God, or are we to believe in and fear a plurality of Gods? Which of the two, Christ or Muhammad(pbuh), is the object of the Divine Covenant? These two questions must be answered once for all.

If the Christian priests and theologians knew their Scriptures in the original Hebrew instead of in translations as the Muslims read

their Qur-án in its Arabic text, they would clearly see that Allah is the same ancient Semitic name of the Supreme Being who

revealed and spoke to Adam(pbuh) and all the prophets.

Allah is the only self-existing, knowing, powerful Being. He encompasses, fills every space, being and thing; and is the source of all

life, knowledge and force. Allah is the unique Creator, Regulator and. Allah does not indwell in anything nor anything indwell in him.

Ruler of the universe. He is absolutely One. The essence, the person and nature of Allah are absolutely beyond human comprehension, and therefore any attempt to define His essence is not only futile but even dangerous to our spiritual welfare and

faith; for it will certainly lead us into error.

Muhammad al-Mustapha(pbuh) is the mystery of the Mispha, and the treasure of the Sophia.

Book of Deuteronomy, chapter xviii. verse 18: “I will raise them up a prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee; and I will put my words in his mouth.

Book of Genesis (chaps. xxv. - 1.). The famous prophecy, which may be considered as the nucleus of this testament, is contained in the tenth verse of the forthy-ninth chapter of Genesis “The Sceptre shall not depart from Judah, And the Lawgiver from between his feet, Until the coming of Shiloh, And to him belongeth the obedience of peoples.”

“The royal and prophetic character shall not pass away from Judah until he to whom it belongs come, for his is the homage of people.”

The person indicated in the prophecy has three qualifications, namely, the Messenger of Religion, the Lord Commander, and the Messenger of the Convent. He is also described and distinguished by three conditions, namely “he is suddenly coming to his Mosque or Temple, he is looked for and sought by men, and is greatly desired and coveted.”

Who can, then, be this glorious man, this Great Benefactor of humanity, and this valiant Commander who rendered noble services in the cause of Allah and His religion other than Muhammad? - upon whom may rest God’s peace and blessing. He brought to the world an unrivalled Sacred Book, Al- Qur- án, a most reasonable, simple, and beneficial religion of Islam, and has been the means of guidance and conversion of millions and millions of the heathen nations in all parts of the globe, and has transformed them all into one universal and united Brotherhood, which constitutes the true and formal “Kingdom of Allah” upon the earth.

How to distinguish a genuine prophet from a false prophet. Jeremiah has supplied us with a fairly satisfactory answer, namely:-

“THE PROPHET WHO PREACHES ISLAM”

In the Book of Deuteronomy (xiii. 1-5, xviii. 20-22) God the Almightly gives some instructions concerning the false prophets who may

prophesy in the name of the Lord and in such an insidious way that they could mislead His people.

Please read the whole chapter xxviii. of Jeremiah, and then ponder and reflect on the ninth verse:-

“The prophet which foretells the Islam (Shālōm), at the coming of the word of the Prophet, that prophet will be recognized to have been sent by God in truth” (Jer. xxviii. 9). (“The prophet that prophesies concerning Islam as soon as the word of the prophet comes, that prophet is known to have been sent by the Lord in truth.”)

The complete difinition of the word “Prophet” must be: “one who receives oracles or messages from God, and delivers them faithfully to the person or people intended.”

It is only the religion of shālōm, of Islam, that can testify to the character and the office of a true prophet, Imam, or any minister of God on earth. God is one, and His religion is one. There is no other religion in the world like Islam, which professes and defends this absolute unity of the Deity. He who, therefore, sacrifices every other interest, honour and love for the cause of this Holy Religion, he is undoubtedly the genuine prophet and the minister of God.

The book of the person you see in the picture is today found in many libraries around the world. The name of his book: “The Glad Tidings of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in the Gospel and the Torah.” It was translated into Turkish as “The Gospel and the Cross.” In his book, he states the following:-

“I am ‘Benjamin Chaldean,’ who was previously the Chaldean Catholic Archbishop and Professor; today, however, I am Professor Abdul Ahad Dawud, a humble servant of Allah…

Today, I will recount to you the story of my entry into Islam. I will explain how my studies in theology and ancient manuscripts led me to abandon my positions and prestige in the church and follow in the light of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

The journey of transformation in my world of thought began with my in-depth study of a famous text in the Book of Isaiah that speaks of a revelation to come in the future.

The text stated verbatim:

‘The book is given to one who is illiterate, and it is said to him: Read this. And he replies: I cannot read.’

Upon reading this passage, I was astonished. For the text was not speaking in metaphor, but of a historical event that would occur in the future, involving an unlettered individual.

As a theologian, I asked myself:

Throughout history, which prophet or messenger fits this description exactly?

In the records of history, I could find no one who matched this description as perfectly as Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). When Gabriel came to him in the Cave of Hira:

‘Read!’

he had said, and he replied:

‘I cannot read.’

This striking similarity was the first blow to the foundations of my former beliefs. I became convinced that the event had been foretold centuries earlier.

The Valley of Bakkah and the Sacred Mosque in the Psalms.

My astonishment did not end there. I was even more amazed when I found references in the Book of Psalms pointing to Mecca and the Sacred Mosque.

The text stated:

‘Those who pass through the Valley of Bakkah make it a place of springs.’

As a theologian knowledgeable in Hebrew, the similarity between the ancient Hebrew phrase “Emek Ha-Baka” and Bakkah—the historical name for Mecca also mentioned in the Qur’an—struck me deeply.

Indeed, the Qur’an states:

‘Verily, the first House (of worship) appointed for mankind was that at Bakkah, full of blessing and a guidance for the worlds.’ (Aal-i-Imraan, 96).

The text seemed to describe the pilgrims coming to the House of Allah, passing through this barren valley and transforming it into a center of abundance and worship.

The Well of Zamzam and the Story of Hagar

As I continued to examine the ancient texts, I came across striking passages in Genesis regarding the story of Prophet Ishmael and his mother Hagar.

The text stated:

‘Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. She went and filled the skin with water and gave the lad a drink.’

In my view, the source mentioned here was the blessed Well of Zamzam that sprang forth beneath the feet of Prophet Ishmael. And from that day to this, it continues to flow as a miracle in that desolate region.

The Great Prophetic Map in Deuteronomy

My research in geography and history led me to another text in the Book of Deuteronomy:

‘The Lord came from Sinai, and rose from Seir unto them. He shined forth from Mount Paran…’

I set about deciphering this text.

Sinai represented Mount Sinai, where Prophet Moses received revelation, and the Jewish law.

Seir symbolized the region of Palestine and the message of Prophet Jesus.

Mount Paran, however, was mentioned in the strongest terms in the text; for the verb ‘shined forth’ was used here.

Mount Paran and Mecca

When I traced the location of Paran—mentioned in Genesis as the place where Prophet Ishmael lived—I encountered ancient geographical sources indicating that it was the Mecca region.

I asked myself once again:

Has a divine light of religion shone forth and spread across the mountains of Mecca, gathering around it tens of thousands of pure souls with the emergence of a prophet?

Was there any figure other than Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), who at the conquest of Mecca had ten thousand companions by his side?

The answer, to me, was plainly evident…

The Bold Decision and Entry into Islam

Faced with these truths and these prophetic signs that, in my view, could only be unlocked by a single key, I made my bold decision.

In the year 1904, in Istanbul, I left everything behind and entered Islam…”