Characteristics of the Prophet (s.a.w.) from the Torah

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ 

It is recorded, in Sunan ad-Darimi, that one day, Sayyidina ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas (r.a.) asked Shaykh Abu Ishaq Ka’b ibn Mati’ al-Himyari al-Ahbar (r.a.) to tell him of the characteristics of the Prophet (s.a.w.) mentioned in the Torah.  Shaykh Abu Ishaq Ka’b ibn Mati’ al-Himyari al-Ahbar, (r.a.) was a Yemeni Jew, from the tribe of Dzi Ra’iyn, who had converted to Islam.  His title, “Ahbar”, is the plural of “habr”, from the Hebrew “habir”, a scholarly rank immediately below rabbi, used by the Babylonian Jews, and their descendants. 

Shaykh Ka’b al-Ahbar, (r.a.) said, “Mentioned therein are the following characteristics: Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah will be born in Makkah and will migrate to Madina.  He will eventually seize Damascus.  Never will he speak foul words, nor will he raise his voice in public.  He will not retaliate against evil with evil and will forgive the culprits.  His people will offer their thanks to Allah (s.w.t.), and glorify Him in good times and bad.  They will wash their arms, and stand in lines in prayer like in battles.  Constantly heard from their places of worship will be a buzz.  Their call to prayer will fill the sky.”  The “buzz” refers to the recitation of the Qur’an in acts of ‘ibadah.