| Was he Solomon, Jesus or Muhammad ? Muhammad's name appeared in Haggai 2:7 under the hebrew word mahmad ( ) which means praised one (Muhammad is Arabic for praised one). It almost undoubtedly is referring to the Arabic Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him). The 5th chapter of Songs of Solomon is discussing someone. Jews will say it is discussing Solomon, while Christians will say it is discussing Jesus. Considering this is the Songs of Solomon, it would seem logical that it is discussing Solomon. The verses describing this mystery man have the narators speech conjuagted in the feminine (meaning it is a woman who is describing this man) so it is possible that it is one of Solomon's wives discussing her Husband (Solomon). However, if a Christian tries to assert that Jesus is being discussed, then they are insinuating that this is discussing a future prophet (a man who was not yet alive at that point), a prophesy.... If the 5th chapter of Songs of Solomon is looking into the future, then there is no doubt it is discussing Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him). Throughout the chapter, someone is being discussed. Whomever it is, verse 15 says his "countenance (face) is as Lebanon", so this is an Arabic gentleman (or Arab looking), a Semitic man none the less. Verse 11 says "his head is as the most fine gold, his locks are wavy, and black as a raven". Verse 10 describes this man as being "radiant and ruddy" which means he was slightly light-skinned with a rosy color. This can be confirmed in the Sahih Bukhari Hadiths, Volume 4, Book 56, Number 747, which says Muhammad was slightly light skinned, with a rosy color (and also has the same hair as is mentioned in verse 11). Also verse 14 describes this man as having a stomach like ivory. I take it this means the parts of his body that were usually covered by his garment from the sun, were very white (like ivory). This also can be atributed to Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) who although having a rosy, golden color, had white armpitts (Sahih Bukhari, Volume 2, Book 17, Number 141 says you could see the whites of his armpit when he raised his hand). WHAT'S THE POINT?!?! Discussing skin color, and hair color is fruitless, and if I was basing it solely on that, it could be describing ANY Semitic man. However, this person's name is given. In reading the English translation of Songs 5:16 it finishes the description by saying "He is altogether lovely". The words "altogether lovely" was translated from mahmad ( ). We'll take a closer look at this four character word, and prove this is talking about Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) . . . . . First of all, the way this word is written is Hebrew is . That happens to be the EXACT same was Muhammad's name is written in Hebrew. Let's look at the spelling of this word... It has four characters. Going from right to left they are... Now, when writing in Hebrew, there is no difference between the word mahmad ( ) and Muhammad ( ). The only difference is in the vowels used when pronouncing this word ( ). Hebrew is an ancient language, and there are no vowels. It is made up of 22 consonants. In ancient times, the reader decided on his own which vowels to add in. It was not until the 8th century that vowels were introduced, in the form of dots and lines. However, this has nothing to do with real Hebrew. The word mahmad ( ) in ancient times would most likely have been pronounced "mahamad". According to Ben Yehuda's Hebrew-English Dictionary, is correctly pronounced "mahamad" (not mahmad) which is very close to Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him). Ben Yehuda's Hebrew-English Dictionary defines "" as "lovely, coveted one, precious one, praised one". The correct way to say "praised one" in Arabic is Muhammad, so this is the same word! As was stated before, the name Muhammad ( ) and the word mahmad ( ) are spelled exactly the same way in Hebrew, and both have the same meaning. The only reason they are pronounced different is because of vowels (dots and lines) introduced in the eigth century. The Hebrew word for praised one is The Hebrew word for Muhammad (the Arabic Prophet) is In conclusion, if Songs of Solomon chapter 5 is discussing a man to come after that time, it is without a doubt Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him), as it even mentions his name. Any Christian who believes Jesus is the Messiah, and believes that books were sent down by God after the TaNaKh (Jewish Bible), then surely they should take into account what they just read here, and consider the Qur'an before making a decision. SONG OF SONGS 5:16 This is the most controversial part of the text. When discussing the "Machamad" in verse 16 of Chapter 5 in Shir Hashirim (Song of Songs), most of the emphasis is placed on the first half of the verse. However, this has caused a major disregard for the rest of the verse in Hebrew which has extremely seriously connotations when properly translated. They may be even more serious then the usage of the name "Muhammad" in itself. May the Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon the Prophet Muhammad. Allow me to repost the verse in English as well as Hebrew: "His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem." "Chikko mamtakeem, v'chulo MUCHAMADIM, ze DODEE v'ze RA'EE, bano Yarushalaym" [Hebrew transliteration of Shir Hashirim (Song of Songs) 5:16] Now let us break up this verse into parts and deal with each aspect separately. 1. MACHAMMADIM - From "MACHAMAD" which in this particular verse, the words "altogether lovely" was translated from mahmad (). is translated into "lovely". "Altogether" is added as a contextual reference to "v'chulo" which means "in entirety" or "absolutely". "MACHAMAD" means "desirable, praiseworthy, beautiful, etc". Though it is archaic, it is found elsewhere in the Bible to describe precious and coveted items. The fact that this "MACHAMAD" evidently may well be the Prophet Muhammad (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) has already been thoroughly outlined and established. To add further weight to these argument, let us take a closer look at this four character word. The way this word is written is Hebrew is . That happens to be the EXACT same way Muhammad's name is written in Hebrew. Now, when writing in Hebrew, there is no difference between the word mahmad ( ) and Muhammad ( ). The only difference is in the vowels used when pronouncing this word. Hebrew is an ancient language, and there are no vowels. It is made up of 22 consonants. In ancient times, the reader decided on his own which vowels to add in. It was not until the 8th century that vowels were introduced, in the form of dots and lines. However, this has nothing to do with real Hebrew. The word mahmad ( ) in ancient times would most likely have been pronounced "mahamad". According to Ben Yehuda's Hebrew-English Dictionary, is correctly pronounced "mahamad" (not mahmad) which is very close to Muhammad. Ben Yehuda's Hebrew-English Dictionary defines "" as "lovely, coveted one, precious one, praised one". The correct way to say "praised one" in Arabic is Muhammad, so this is the same word! As was stated before, the name Muhammad ( ) and the word mahmad ( ) are spelled exactly the same way in Hebrew, and both have the same meaning. The only reason they are pronounced different is because of vowels (dots and lines) introduced in the eighth century. 2. DODEE - From "DOWD" (pronounced d - long "o" - d). In this particular verse it is translated into "beloved". However, "DOWD" also means "paternal uncle", that is to mean the father's brother, in Hebrew. This complicates the verse and makes it all the more interesting. In the book of Leviticus the word "dowd" is found 5 times [10:4, 20:20 (twice in this verse), 25:49 (twice in this verse)] and used as "paternal uncle" only and not used any other way. The verse Numbers 36:11, where it is said "..were married unto their FATHER'S BROTHERS' sons", the word used is "DOWD". There are many other examples where "DOWD" is used as "paternal uncle" (father's brother) and not "beloved". 3. RA'EE - From "RAY'AA" which is translated in this particular verse into "friend". However, "RA'YAA" in Hebrew means "co-worker in same area, field or margin". It is translated as "neighbor" 102 times in the Old Testament. Actually, it is translated as "neighbor" more than any other definition in the Old Testament. It is used to mean one member of the same organization or group. In chapter 11 of Genesis it is used in reference to the group of builders raising the Tower of Babel. Co-workers, comrades, etc. would all be considered "RAY'AA". Thus, if the "MACHAMAD" in this verse 5:16 of Shir Hashirim (Song of Songs) is a mere reference to some love sick girl's object of desire why is this "MACHAMAD" called the girl's "PATERNAL UNCLE" as well as "COMRADE" or "CO-WORKER"? If a girl was merely describing her obsession why would she use such utterly unromantic terms such as these which allude to a male co-worker who is possibly a paternal uncle? The Prophet Muhammad (may Allah's Peace and Blessings be upon him) was a direct descendant from Ishmael (peace be upon him) who is the paternal uncle of the Nation of Israel who are descended from Ishmael's younger brother, Isaac (peace be upon him). Thus, calling an Arab a paternal uncle would not be an erroneous idiom at all. The Prophet Muhammad (May Allah's Peace and Blessings be upon him) came with the same message as the Israelite prophets such as Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, David and Solomon (among others). Thus, he would have been a "RA'YAA" of the Prophets. Not using the shallow definition of "friend" but the true and proper definition as it is found 102 times in the Bible as "neighbor". So the correct translation would be: "His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is MUHAMMAD. This is my (paternal) UNCLE, and this is my COMRADE, O daughters of Jerusalem." [Correct translation of Shir Hashirim (Song of Songs) 5:16] This is definitely not erroneous if weighed against any work of scholarship regarding the Hebrew language. There are many, many, serious implications when these outlined words are taken in context as they were understood based upon the Bible's own usage in its other books. "Abu Musa al Ash`ari reported that Allah's Messenger (May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) mentioned many names of his and said, 'I AM MUHAMMAD, AHMAD. Muqaffi, Hashir, the Prophet of Repentance, and the Prophet of Mercy." [Saheeh Muslim, 30:5813] Note: Haggai 2:7 states "And I will shake all nations, AND THE DESIRE OF ALL NATIONS SHALL COME: and I will fill this house with glory saith the Lord of hosts." In the Hebrew text it says "CHMD" pronounceable as "ACHMAD" (which is "AHMAD" in Arabic) in the place of "desire of all nations". Thus, the translation would be, "And I will shake all nations, AND AHMAD SHALL COME: and I will fill this house with glory saith the Lord of hosts." Immediately after that, Haggai 2:9 says "The glory of this latter house shall be greater than the former: and in this place will I give PEACE, saith the Lord of hosts." So which latter house? Since the last temple was destroyed by the Romans there has been no Jewish temple rebuilt there. There only stands the Dome of the Rock and Masjid al-Aqsa which is certainly a place of "Peace" or Islam. "...and never have I seen anyone more handsome than Allah's Apostle (May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)." [Saheeh Muslim, 30:5770] IN CONCLUSION: "Describing the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), who passed by her tent on his journey of migration, Umm Ma'bad Al-Khuza'iyah said to her husband, 'He was innocently bright and had broad countenance. His manners were fine. Neither was his belly bulging out nor was his head deprived of hair. He had black attractive eyes finely arched by continuous eyebrows. His hair glossy and black, inclined to curl, he wore long. His voice was extremely commanding. His head was large, well formed and set on a slender neck. His expression was pensive and contemplative, serene and sublime. The stranger was fascinated from the distance, but no sooner he became intimate with him than this fascination was changed into attachment and respect. His expression was very sweet and distinct. His speech was well set and free from the use of superfluous words, as if it were a rosary of beads. His stature was neither too high nor too small to look repulsive. He was a twig amongst the two, singularly bright and fresh. He was always surrounded by his Companions. Whenever he uttered something, the listeners would hear him with rapt attention and whenever he issued any command, they vied with each other in carrying it out. He was a master and a commander. His utterances were marked by truth and sincerity, free from all kinds of falsehoods and lies." [Zad al Ma`ad 2:45] If Songs 5:10-16 is discussing a man to come after that time, it is without a doubt Song of Muhammad (peace be upon him), as it not only describes him but also mentions his name. As I have shown, it is obviously not "reading into the text what they wish was there" that Muhammad is in the Bible. It is quite evidently there. Even if one chooses not to accept it, one must maintain that this is definitely not an absurd issue from any perspective. To say that all these people who described the Prophet (the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) read Song of Songs in the Old Testament and may plotted to make the Prophet (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) sound like this "Machamad" in Song of Songs is outright ridiculous. Then one would also have to say that the plot predated even the Prophet's (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) birth as the name "Muhammad" was given to him by his parents whom I seriously doubt were in on the conspiracy while these companions were babies at the time, as one can see such vain skepticism delves into the area of folly and imbecility. These verses may or may not refer to the Prophet Muhammad (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) of Mecca and Medina who preached Islam in the 7th century AD and led to a quarter of humanity calling themselves "Muslims". We may never know for sure. However, this evidence is far from dismissed or even dismissable. It can't be ignored. If the objective reader weighs the evidence, I know, and you all know as well, there is some serious consternation at hand for the skeptic. Any Christian surely should take into account what they had just read here, and consider the Qur'an before making a decision. Song of Songs 5:16 - Analyzing the Context Against Recorded Historical Records by Shibli Zaman [Above] SONG OF SONGS 5:16 - Scanned from the Tanakh (Jewish Publication Society). "The whole word is not worth the day on which the Song of Songs was given to Israel; for all the writings are holy, but the Song of Songs is the holiest of the holy." [Rabbi Akiva (died AD 135), Tractate of Yaddayim (3:5), Mishna] "...and the book itself as an allegory depicting in great detail the experiences of the nation in its relations with its God from the Exodus down to *THE COMING OF THE MESSIAH AND THE BUILDING OF THE THIRD TEMPLE.* This in general is also the interpretation of the Midrash Rabbah and such famous scholars as Saadia ben Joseph, Rashi, and Ibn Ezra, although they differ considerably among themselves in details." [The Interpreter's Bible Encyclopedia] Allow me to elucidate this by bringing in its context. The area in question is chapter 5 of Shir Hashirim which is titled "Song of Songs" or "Song of Solomon" in English translations. It is a poem which uses heavy allegory and poetic license. It is a description of a woman's yearning for her "beloved" whom she is telling "the daughters of Jerusalem" about. The Christian world interprets this as a metaphor that one should love God with the same passion as one loves their lover. I will type each verse with an shockingly corresponding Hadeeth. I will also include some of Umm Ma`bad al-Khuza`iyah's description of the Prophet (s) which she told her husband as recorded in Zad al Ma`ad, 2:45 and found in the earliest books of "Seeratun-Nabi" or "History of the Prophet". Remember these are hundreds of years, a different language and an entire nation apart. SHIR HASHIRIM (also called "Song of Songs" or "Song of Solomon") 5:10-16 SONG OF SONGS 5:10 "My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand." HADEETH ON WHITE AND RUDDY (reddish) SKIN: Rosy color [Saheeh Bukhari 4:747]; "White man reclining on his arm" [Saheeh Bukhari, 1:63]; Whiteness of his armpits [Saheeh Muslim, 4:1000]; Whiteness of his legs [Saheeh Muslim, 4:1014, 19:4437]; Whiteness of his cheek [Saheeh Muslim 4:1208]; Whiteness of his belly [Saheeh Muslim 19:4442]. In all these narrations his whiteness is pointed out as something exceptional for an Arab. HADEETH ON "THE CHIEFEST AMONG TEN THOUSAND": "The Prophet left Medina (for Mecca) IN THE COMPANY OF TEN THOUSAND (Muslim warriors) in Ramadan" [Saheeh Bukhari 5:574] Also see Saheeh Bukhari 5:622; 626 BIBLE CONCORDANCE: "...and he came with TEN THOUSANDS OF SAINTS: from his right hand went a fiery law for them." [Deuteronomy 33:2] Hopefully, inshaa' Allah, if time permits, I will write a lengthy exegesis substantiating this verse's connection with the Prophet Muhammad (May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). I will have to save that for another article. SONG OF SONGS 5:11 "His head is as the most fine gold, his locks are bushy, and black as a raven." "His hair GLOSSY AND BLACK, INCLINED TO CURL, he wore long." [Zad al Ma`d 2:45] "His head was large, well formed and set on a slender neck." [Zad al Ma`ad 2:45] "When he (The Prophet, May Allah peace and blessings be upon him) died, HE HAD SCARCELY TWENTY WHITE HAIRS IN HIS HEAD AND BEARD." [Saheeh Bukhari 4:747,748] "Anas was asked about the old age of Allah's Apostle (May Allah peace and blessings be upon him). He said, 'ALLAH DID NOT BLEMISH HIM WITH WHITE HAIR." [Saheeh Muslim 30:5784] "I said to him: O son of my brother, the hair of the Messenger of Allah (May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was THICKER THAN YOUR HAIR AND THEY WERE FINER (than yours)." [Saheeh Muslim, 3:642] SONG OF SONGS 5:12 "His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of waters, washed with milk, and fitly set." "He had black attractive eyes finely arched by continuous eyebrows." [Zad al Ma`d 2:45] "Allah's Messenger (May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had a broad face with REDDISH (wide) EYES.." [Saheeh Muslim 30:5776] (Note: Doves have reddish eyes. To see the eyes of a Whitewing dove of Palestine click here) SONG OF SONGS 5:13 "His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers: his lips like lilies, dropping sweet smelling myrrh." "He (The Prophet, May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also patted my cheek and I experienced a coolness or a fragrance of his hand as if it had been brought out from the scent bag of a perfumer." [Saheeh Muslim, 30:5758] "I never smelt ambergris or musk as fragrant as the fragrance of the body of Allah's Messenger (May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)." [Saheeh Muslim, 30:5759] "I never smelt musk or ambergris and found its fragrance as sweet as the fragrance of Allah's Messenger (May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)." [Saheeh Muslim 30:5760] "Allah's Messenger (May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had the most handsome face amongst men." [Saheeh Muslim 30:5772] SONG OF SONGS 5:14 "His hands are as gold rings set with the beryl: his belly is as bright ivory overlaid with sapphires." "The Prophet had big hands, and I have never seen anybody like him after him" [Saheeh Muslim 7:792] "I never touched brocade and silk (and found it) as soft as the softness of the palm of Allah's Messenger (May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)" [Saheeh Muslim, 30:5760] "WHITENESS OF HIS BELLY" [Saheeh Muslim 19:4442] SONG OF SONGS 5:15 "His legs are as pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold: his countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars." "He (The Prophet, May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was innocently bright and had BROAD COUNTENANCE." [Zad al Ma`ad 2:45] "..my knee touched the thigh of the Prophet of Allah (May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). The wrapper got aside from his thigh, and I could see its whiteness." [Saheeh Muslim 19:4437] SONG OF SONGS 5:16 "His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem." "Chikko mamtaqeem, v'chulo MACHAMADIM, zedowdee v'zere'ee Benot Yarushalaim." [Hebrew transliteration of Shir Hashirim (Song of Songs) 5:16] "His mouth is most sweet, yea he is MUHAMMAD, this is my beloved and this is my friend, oh daughters of Jerusalem." [Correct translation of Shir Hashirim (Song of Songs) 5:16] "Abu Musa al Ash`ari reported that Allah's Messenger (May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) mentioned many names of his and said, 'I AM MUHAMMAD, AHMAD. Muqaffi, Hashir, the Prophet of Repentance, and the Prophet of Mercy." [Saheeh Muslim, 30:5813] Note: Haggai 2:7 states "And I will shake all nations, AND THE DESIRE OF ALL NATIONS SHALL COME: and I will fill this house with glory saith the Lord of hosts." In place of "desire of all nations", the Hebrew text uses one single word: "CHMD" which is pronouncable as "ACHMAD" (which is "AHMAD" in Arabic). Thus, the translation would be, "And I will shake all nations, AND AHMAD SHALL COME: and I will fill this house with glory saith the Lord of hosts." Immediately after that, Haggai 2:9 says "The glory of this latter house shall be greatesr than the former: and in this place will I give PEACE, saith the Lord of hosts." So which latter house? Since the last temple was destroyed by the Romans there has been no Jewish temple rebuilt there. There only stands the Dome of the Rock and Masjid al Aqsa which is certainly a place of "Peace" or Islam. "and never have I seen anyone more handsome than Allah's Apostle (May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)." [Saheeh Muslim, 30:5770] IN CONCLUSION: "Describing the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings be upon him), who passed by her tent on his journey of migration, Umm Ma'bad Al-Khuza'iyah said to her husband, 'He was innocently bright and had broad countenance. His manners were fine. Neither was his belly bulging out nor was his head deprived of hair. He had black attractive eyes finely arched by continuous eyebrows. His hair glossy and black, inclined to curl, he wore long. His voice was extremely commanding. His head was large, well formed and set on a slender neck. His expression was pensive and contemplative, serene and sublime. The stranger was fascinated from the distance, but no sooner he became intimate with him than this fascination was changed into attachment and respect. His expression was very sweet and distinct. His speech was well set and free from the use of superfluous words, as if it were a rosary of beads. His stature was neither too high nor too small to look repulsive. He was a twig amongst the two, singularly bright and fresh. He was always surrounded by his Companions. Whenever he uttered something, the listeners would hear him with rapt attention and whenever he issued any command, they vied with each other in carrying it out. He was a master and a commander. His utterances were marked by truth and sincerity, free from all kinds of falsehoods and lies." [Zad al Ma`ad 2:45] To say that all these people who described the Prophet (May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) read Song of Songs in the Old Testament and plotted to make the Prophet (May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) sound like this "Machamad" in Song of Songs is outright ridiculous. Then one would also have to say that the plot predated even the Prophet's (May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) birth as the name "Muhammad" was given to him by his parents who I seriously doubt were in on the conspiracy while these companions were babies at the time. As one can see such vain skepticism delves into the area of folly. Unless strong refutation against each and every one of these insurmountable facts can be presented we are left with no other conclusion other than: "His words are most sweet, yea he is definitely Muhammad, this is my beloved and this is my friend, O daughters of Jersusalem." |
