Summary
Highlights
Zakir Naik claims Isaiah 29:12 prophesies the advent of Prophet Muhammad, citing the verse: 'The book will be given to thee, and it will be said to him, pray read this, but I will say I am not learned.' He connects this to Muhammad's response to Archangel Gabriel's command to 'read' as an illiterate man.
The speaker argues that reading Isaiah 29:12 in its full context reveals it's a judgment against the nation of Israel. God is said to be taking away their ability to discern His message due to their persistent rebellion and disbelief. Verses 9-11 describe Israel as blind and in a 'deep sleep' due to God's judgment, likening them to someone who cannot read a sealed book or an illiterate person with a book.
If Isaiah 29:12 were applied to Muhammad, it would imply he is a stubborn rebel against God, under divine judgment for his illiteracy. The speaker also points out that verse 11, which discusses a sealed book given to someone who *can* read, would also need to be a prophecy about another prophet after Muhammad, thus contradicting the idea of Muhammad being the seal of prophets.
The subsequent verse, Isaiah 29:13, further condemns a people who honor God with lip service but whose hearts are far from Him. Jesus quotes this very verse in Matthew 15:1-9 to condemn the Jews for nullifying God's word with their traditions. Therefore, applying this passage to Muhammad would imply that the Quran nullifies God’s word, making it not a divine revelation.
The speaker concludes that Zakir Naik's attempt to use Isaiah 29:12 as a prophecy for Muhammad is a decontextualized interpretation. When understood in its proper context, the passage describes divine judgment on those who reject God's message. If this verse were indeed about Muhammad, it would characterize him as rebellious against God and under His judgment, a position supported by Jesus himself applying the same passage to those in rebellion against God.