📜 Constantine the Great and Prophet Muhammad in the Vision of Daniel 7: An Alternative Interpretation

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♦️ I. Introduction

The seventh chapter of the Book of Daniel has long captivated theologians, historians, and mystics alike. Within its apocalyptic imagery lies a vision of four beasts, a “little horn” that speaks arrogantly against God, and the appearance of the “Son of Man” coming with the clouds of heaven. Traditional Judeo-Christian interpretations identify the “little horn” with the Antichrist and the “Son of Man” with the Messiah—most often understood as Jesus Christ.

However, an alternative and highly controversial view, circulating among certain Islamic thinkers and independent researchers, proposes a radically different interpretation: that Daniel 7:25 alludes to Constantine the Great and the Council of Nicaea (325 CE), while Daniel 7:13 foreshadows Prophet Muhammad’s Night Journey (al-Isrāʾ wa al-Miʿrāj). Though not accepted by mainstream scholars, this perspective offers a striking counter-reading of history and prophecy.

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♦️ II. Constantine the Great as the “Little Horn” (Daniel 7:25)

The verse in question declares:

“He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, shall persecute the saints of the Most High, and shall intend to change times and law.”

(Daniel 7:25)

Those who associate this verse with Constantine argue that it corresponds to his religious and political reforms that reshaped Christianity and the Roman world. They maintain that Constantine, though hailed as the first Christian emperor, altered the faith’s original teachings and merged political expedience with theology, giving rise to an imperial form of Christianity.

Proponents claim that:

1. Changing “times and laws” refers to Constantine’s alteration of key religious observances.

• He replaced the Sabbath (Saturday) with Sunday worship, aligning Christian practice with the solar cult of Sol Invictus.

• He endorsed Easter in place of Passover, detaching Christianity from its Judaic roots.

2. Speaking “pompous words” symbolizes his role in defining divine doctrine.

• At the Council of Nicaea (325 CE), Constantine presided over theological debates that condemned Arianism—a movement denying the full divinity of Jesus—and established the Nicene Creed, proclaiming Christ as “of one substance with the Father.”

• Critics argue this moment marked the institutionalization of the Trinity, a concept absent from Jesus’ original message of pure monotheism.

3. Persecution of dissenters reflects Constantine’s suppression of alternative Christian sects.

• Those who refused to accept Nicene orthodoxy—particularly the Arians—were marginalized, exiled, or silenced, thereby consolidating a new orthodoxy under imperial control.

In this view, Constantine emerges as the “little horn” who rose from the fourth beast—the Roman Empire—changing divine law and redefining the spiritual calendar of the faithful.

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♦️ III. Prophet Muhammad as the “Son of Man” (Daniel 7:13)

Daniel 7:13–14 describes a majestic vision:

“I saw in the night visions, and behold, one like the Son of Man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of Days (God), and they brought him near before Him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages should serve him.”

(Daniel 7:13–14)

While Christians traditionally interpret this passage as a prophecy of Jesus Christ, some Muslim scholars draw intriguing parallels with Prophet Muhammad’s Night Journey (al-Isrāʾ wa al-Miʿrāj). They observe that Daniel’s vision occurs specifically “in the night”, which resonates with the Qur’anic account of the Prophet’s miraculous ascent to heaven from Jerusalem, guided by the angel Gabriel.

Key interpretive points include:

1. “Night visions” correspond to the nocturnal nature of Muhammad’s ascension, as mentioned in Surah al-Isrāʾ (17:1) and Surah al-Najm (53:13–18).

• This event, which took place around 621 CE, is said to have culminated in the Prophet’s encounter with God (“the Ancient of Days”) and the conferral of divine authority.

2. “Coming with the clouds of heaven” symbolizes the Prophet’s heavenly journey, not as a divine being but as a chosen servant elevated by God.

• His ascent was not an act of self-deification but a manifestation of divine favor and revelation.

3. “Given dominion, glory, and a kingdom” reflects the universal scope of Islam, which emerged soon after as a civilization uniting diverse nations, languages, and peoples under one creed of monotheism (tawḥīd).

• The phrase “an everlasting dominion that shall not pass away” aligns with the Islamic belief that the message of Muhammad is final and enduring, sealing all previous revelations.

In this framework, Muhammad is not identified as a deity but as the final prophet, fulfilling the vision of a divine kingdom based on submission to the One God—a restoration of Abrahamic monotheism after its corruption in earlier traditions.

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♦️ IV. Historical and Theological Implications

This interpretation views Daniel 7 as a prophetic drama depicting two pivotal moments in sacred history:

• The corruption of faith through Constantine’s imperial Christianity, symbolized by the little horn who changes divine law.

• The restoration of true monotheism through Muhammad’s mission, symbolized by the Son of Man who ascends to God in a night vision and is granted universal dominion.

Supporters argue that this reading reconciles the continuity of divine revelation across time, casting Islam not as a break from the biblical narrative but as its culmination.

It reframes Daniel’s prophecy as a chronicle of decline and renewal—from theological distortion to prophetic restoration.

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♦️ V. Conclusion

Though controversial and rejected by mainstream Christian exegesis, the alternative interpretation of Daniel 7 provides a provocative interfaith lens. It depicts Constantine the Great as the agent who altered the message of Jesus and Prophet Muhammad as the divinely chosen messenger who restored it.

Seen this way, Daniel’s vision transcends time, linking the fall of a corrupted empire with the rise of a new spiritual order in Islam, which restored the principle of pure monotheism after centuries of distortion. Whether one accepts this interpretation or not, it highlights a profound truth shared by both scriptures—that divine sovereignty continues beyond the rise and fall of empires, and that ultimate authority belongs only to the Eternal God, “the Ancient of Days.”

— Azahari Hassim

Founder, The World of Abrahamic Theology