✨ Messianic Expectations and Prophethood: A Qur’anic Perspective on Muhammad and the Jews ✨

The reasoning behind the claim that the Quran indirectly refers to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ as the awaited Jewish Messiah—despite the fact that the Quran never explicitly calls him “the Messiah”—relies on a combination of historical context 🏺, Qur’anic exegesis (tafsir) 📖, and theological interpretation 🧠.

Let’s break this down carefully:

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1️⃣ Understanding the Term “Messiah” in Islam vs. Judaism

• ✡️ In Judaism, the “Messiah” (Mashiach) is traditionally understood as a future leader from the line of David, who will restore Israel, defeat its enemies ⚔️, and establish God’s kingdom on earth 👑.

• ☪️ In Islam, the title “al-Masih” (the Messiah) is explicitly used in the Quran only for Jesus (‘Isa) (e.g., Qur’an 3:45, 4:157, 5:75), not Muhammad ﷺ.

• 📌 So, by terminology alone, Muhammad ﷺ is not called “the Messiah” in the Quran.

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2️⃣ Surah 2:89 – Context and Interpretation

“And when there came to them a Book from Allah confirming what was with them—although before they used to pray for victory over the disbelievers—but when there came to them that which they recognized, they disbelieved in it…”

(Qur’an 2:89)

🕰️ Historical Background

• 🏘️ This verse refers to the Jewish tribes in Medina (e.g., Banu Qurayza, Banu Nadir).

• 📜 Prior to Muhammad’s arrival, these tribes were awaiting a redeemer figure—a prophet or messianic leader—foretold in their scriptures.

• 🙏 They used to pray for victory over the pagan Arabs, invoking the aid of this coming prophet.

• ❌ However, when Muhammad ﷺ arrived—not from among the Israelites, but as an Arab—they rejected him, even though, as the Quran says, “they recognized him.”

🧩 Interpretation

• 📖 Muslim scholars interpret this as meaning the Jews had knowledge from their scriptures (especially the Torah and oral traditions) of a coming prophet.

• 🌟 This expected figure—a prophet or redeemer who would fulfill a divine mission—bears some resemblance to the Jewish concept of the Messiah.

• 🔍 Therefore, while Muhammad ﷺ does not bear the title “Messiah”, some view him as functionally fulfilling aspects of that role, especially in light of certain messianic expectations.

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3️⃣ The Dead Sea Scrolls and Multiple Messianic Expectations

📜 Significantly, the Dead Sea Scrolls—a collection of Jewish texts from the Second Temple period discovered near Qumran—reveal that some Jewish sects expected not one, but multiple messianic figures:

• 👑 A royal Messiah (a kingly descendant of David),

• 🕯️ A priestly Messiah (often linked to the line of Aaron or the Zadokite priesthood),

• 📘 And a prophetic Messiah (or “Messianic Prophet”), sometimes connected with a figure like Moses or a new prophet sent by God.

This tripartite messianic expectation shows that not all Jews expected only a Davidic king. Some anticipated a prophet—possibly like Deuteronomy 18:18’s “Prophet like Moses.”

🧭 This prophetic figure matches more closely with Muhammad’s role in Islam: a law-bringer, warner, and guide, speaking God’s words as a final messenger. Thus, from the viewpoint of Muslim interpreters, Muhammad ﷺ may correspond to the “Messianic Prophet” foreseen in certain Jewish traditions, especially in the Dead Sea Scrolls.

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4️⃣ Why Muhammad Is Not Called “The Messiah” in the Quran

• 🕊️ The Quran exclusively applies the title “al-Masih” to Jesus (‘Isa).

• ⏳ From the Islamic perspective, Jesus is the Messiah sent to the Children of Israel and will return at the end of time.

• 🌍 Muhammad ﷺ, on the other hand, is referred to as the “Seal of the Prophets” (Qur’an 33:40)—the final messenger to all of humanity, not a Messiah figure in title.

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5️⃣ So Why the Indirect Connection?

Those who argue that Surah 2:89 suggests Muhammad ﷺ fulfilled messianic expectations draw on the following points:

• ⏰ The Jews were awaiting a promised figure—a prophet or redeemer described in their scriptures.

• 👁️ The verse claims they “recognized him”, suggesting that Muhammad ﷺ matched certain known characteristics.

• 🧬 Ethnic or tribal bias (he being Arab, not Israelite) led to his rejection.

• 🔄 Therefore, Muhammad ﷺ functionally fulfilled one type of Jewish messianic expectation, especially that of the prophetic Messiah as seen in some sectarian texts like the Dead Sea Scrolls.

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6️⃣ Classical and Modern Tafsir Views

• 📚 Ibn Kathir, Al-Tabari, and other classical commentators explain Surah 2:89 as referring to Jewish scriptural knowledge of a coming prophet.

• 📖 Some link this to Deuteronomy 18:18, where God promises to raise a prophet like Moses from among the “brethren” of the Israelites.

• 🧠 While these interpretations emphasize Muhammad ﷺ as a foretold prophet, they do not typically identify him as the Messiah.

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🏁 Conclusion

• ❌ The Quran does not call Muhammad ﷺ the Messiah.

• ☪️ In Islamic theology, the Messiah is Jesus (‘Isa).

• 📜 However, Surah 2:89 indicates that the Jews had prior knowledge of a coming prophet—and Muhammad ﷺ fulfilled that expectation.

• 🧩 The Dead Sea Scrolls’ vision of multiple messianic figures, including a prophetic Messiah, helps explain how Muhammad ﷺ could be seen as fulfilling part of Jewish messianic hope—though not in title.

• 🔎 Hence, the claim that the Quran “indirectly refers” to Muhammad ﷺ as a messianic figure is not a matter of explicit wording, but of historical and interpretive convergence.

— Azahari Hassim

Founder, The World of Abrahamic Theology