Signs of the Prophet ﷺ in the Book of Isaiah
Assalamu alaikum, I came across this beautiful connection that I wanted to share with fellow believers. In Isaiah 42:1, Allah speaks of a servant He upholds, His chosen one in whom He delights, who will bring justice to the gentiles. The word for 'uphold' in the original language is tāmakh, which shares roots with the Arabic عَمَدَ (ʿamada), meaning to support. This reminds me of the name Muḥammad, specifically the form مُعَمَّد (muʿammad) which means 'baptized' or 'immersed'-but interestingly, the servant is one who is upheld and supported by Allah, not the one doing the baptizing. Then in verse 4, it says the islands will put their hope in his teaching. The word for hope there is from a root meaning to wait or expect. And in Haggai 2:7, the 'desire of all nations' is ḥemdâ, from the same root as 'maḥmād'-a desirable thing or precious object. Now, in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus (peace be upon him) clarifies he was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel, but this servant is sent to the gentiles. That fits perfectly with the mission of our beloved Prophet ﷺ, as Allah says in the Quran, 'It is He who has sent among the gentiles a Messenger from themselves...' (62:2). There's even a prophecy in Isaiah 28:11 about speaking with stammering speech and another tongue-perhaps a reference to the Quran being revealed in Arabic? And in Deuteronomy 18, Allah promises a prophet like Moses from among their brothers, which many scholars see as pointing to the Prophet ﷺ. It's all truly a sign for those who reflect. May Allah guide us all to the truth and keep us firm on the straight path. Ameen.