Prophecies About Prophet Muhammad ﷺ By Prophet Jacob

(Cite: Khan, Dr. (Mufti) Imran & Hamdani, Mufti Shah Rafi Uddin. (2018), Prophecies About Prophet Muhammad By Prophet Jacob , Encyclopedia of Muhammad , Seerat Research Center, Karachi, Pakistan, Vol. 1, Pg. 153-158. )

At the time of death, Jacob called his sons, prayed for them and gave each one of them his words of advice. The speech of Jacob had a message about the arrival of Prophet Muhammad . His words which are scattered in different chapters in the Bible are as follows:

First Prophecy

لَا يَزُولُ قَضِيبٌ مِنْ يَهُوذَا وَمُشْتَرِعٌ مِنْ بَيْنِ رِجْلَيْهِ حَتَّى يَأْتِيَ شِيلُونُ وَلَهُ يَكُونُ خُضُوعُ شُعُوبٍ.¹²³⁴

Judah will hold the royal scepter, And his descendants will always rule. Nations will bring him tribute and bow in obedience before him.

Second Prophecy

يُوسُفَ، ⁵ غُصْنُ شَجَرَةٍ مُثْمِرَةٍ، غُصْنُ شَجَرَةٍ مُثْمِرَةٍ عَلَى عَيْنٍ. أَغْصَانٌ قَدِ ٱرْتَفَعَتْ فَوْقَ حَائِطٍ. ⁶⁷

Joseph is like a wild donkey by a spring, A wild colt on a hillside. (God Forbid)

An approiate translation of this verse is given in the King James Version as:

''Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall.''

Third Prophecy

وَبَارَكَ يُوسُفَ وَقَالَ: ٱللّٰهُ ٱلَّذِي سَارَ أَمَامَهُ أَبَوَايَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ وَإِسْحَاقُ، ٱللّٰهُ ٱلَّذِي رَعَانِي مُنْذُ وُجُودِي إِلَى هَذَا ٱلْيَوْمِ. ⁸

Then he blessed Joseph: “May God, whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac served, bless these boys! May God, who has led me to this very day, bless them!

Fourth Prophecy

The Bible holds a chapter “1- Chronicles” and is attributable to Aziz . It states:

وَبَنُو رَأُوبَيْنَ بِكْرِ إِسْرَائِيلَ. لِأَنَّهُ هُوَ ٱلْبِكْرُ، وَلِأَجْلِ تَدْنِيسِهِ فِرَاشَ أَبِيهِ، أُعْطِيَتْ بَكُورِيَّتُهُ لِبَنِي يُوسُفَ بْنِ إِسْرَائِيلَ، فَلَمْ يُنْسَبْ بِكْرًا. لِأَنَّ يَهُوذَا ٱعْتَزَّ عَلَى إِخْوَتِهِ وَمِنْهُ ٱلرَّئِيسُ، وَأَمَّا ٱلْبَكُورِيَّةُ فَلِيُوسُف. ⁹¹⁰

These are the descendants of Reuben, the oldest of Jacob's sons. (Because he had sex with one of his father's concubines, he lost the rights belonging to the first-born son, and those rights were given to Joseph. It was the tribe of Judah. However, that became the strongest and provided a ruler for all the tribes.)

While viewing these prophecies, one should keep in mind that these prophecies were translated from the Hebrew bible in the form of Arabic and English texts. While translating the text in to English, the Good News Translators have made fatal mistakes either due to their ignorance or biasness because these type of errors cannot be classified as human errors. The King James Version however seems to provide a better translation of these verses (as mentioned above). These verses substantiate the fact that Judah (even though he was strong and dominant) was deprived of Abraham's as blessings since he disobeyed God. Thus Shalom or Shiloh or Shalon is the individual who would be the savior of Israel and he will be from the sons of Joseph .

Judah acquired the government, but the sceptre of his government was given to Joseph in the forthcoming period. As the Bible states:

وَأَنْتَ يَا ٱبْنَ آدَمَ، خُذْ لِنَفْسِكَ عَصًا وَاحِدَةً وَٱكْتُبْ عَلَيْهَا: لِيَهُوذَا وَلِبَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ رُفَقَائِهِ. وَخُذْ عَصًا أُخْرَى وَٱكْتُبْ عَلَيْهَا: لِيُوسُفَ، عَصَا أَفْرَايِمَ وَكُلِّ بَيْتِ إِسْرَائِيلَ رُفَقَائِهِ. وَٱقْرِنْهُمَا ٱلْوَاحِدَةَ بِٱلْأُخْرَى كَعَصًا وَاحِدَةٍ، فَتَصِيرَا وَاحِدَةً فِي يَدِكَ. فَإِذَا كَلَّمَكَ أَبْنَاءُ شَعْبِكَ قَائِلِينَ: أَمَا تُخْبِرُنَا مَا لَكَ وَهَذَا؟ فَقُلْ لَهُمْ: هَكَذَا قَالَ ٱلسَّيِّدُ ٱلرَّبُّ: هَأَنَذَا آخُذُ عَصَا يُوسُفَ ٱلَّتِي فِي يَدِ أَفْرَايِمَ وَأَسْبَاطَ إِسْرَائِيلَ رُفَقَاءَهُ، وَأَضُمُّ إِلَيْهَا عَصَا يَهُوذَا، وَأَجْعَلُهُمْ عَصًا وَاحِدَةً فَيَصِيرُونَ وَاحِدَةً فِي يَدِي. ¹¹

“Mortal man,” he said, “take a wooden stick and write on it the words, ‘The kingdom of Judah.’ Then take another stick and write on it the words, ‘The kingdom of Israel.’ Then hold the two sticks end to end in your hand so that they look like one stick. When your people ask you to tell them what this means, tell them that I, the Sovereign Lord, am going to take the stick representing Israel and put it with the one that represents Judah. Out of the two, I will make one stick and hold it in my hand.

Thus, the history of the prophets and the history of the world proved that Joseph was ahead with his brothers due to his righteousness. Therefore, the complete power over the masses of Israel was in the hands of Joseph and was handed down his descendents.

What Is Meant By Shalon?

The prophecy of Jacob mentioned above, states that Shiloh will join the rule of the people of Israel soon. The words of interest are Shalom or Shiloh. The meaning of the term must be clear to move on with further explanation. The Bible has used the names Shiloh instead of Shalon, and some places hold the words Shalom, Shilo, and Sheoh. The difference in spellings creates confusion in its pronunciation that is why there is also a difference in the opinion of different scholars about its meaning. Usually, the meanings which are discussed for this word are peacemakers, prince of peace, etc. ¹²

The translated verses ¹³¹⁴¹⁵ show that the Jews were desperately waiting for the arrival of Shiloh. They exclusively believed that Shiloh would be among the sons of Joseph until his sons Ephraim and Manasseh joined hands with the non-believers, so they became disappointed. Jacob did not only direct in his prophecy towards Joseph but also towards his progeny and their tribes. Some scholars of the Jews relate this prediction to Prophet Solomon , but he was not from the offspring of Joseph but was from the Jewish descendants who had the sceptre of the Jews. ¹⁶

Critical Point Of The Prophecy

The significant theme of the prophecy is like the verse in the Holy Quran:

ذَلِكَ مِنْ أَنْبَاءِ الْغَيْبِ نُوحِيهِ إِلَيْكَ وَمَا كُنْتَ لَدَيْهِمْ إِذْ أَجْمَعُوا أَمْرَهُمْ وَهُمْ يَمْكُرُونَ 102¹⁷

These are some tidings of the Hidden which We divinely reveal to you (O dear Prophet Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him); and you were not with them when they set their task and when they were scheming.

No one can explain the greatness of Allah Who Himself disclosed the secrets from the remaining of Babylon and Palestine. This news does not uproot the basis of Jews and the Christians, rather, it makes the Holy Prophet more prominent. Jacob used the word Shiloh in his prophecy. Hebrew holds no apparent meaning or explanation for this term.

The word “Shiloh” might be translated to the name of Joseph . However, in reality, its actual translation is “Muhammad” which means “The Most Praised One.”. It is derived from the Arabic tri-consonantal root of Ḥ-M-D (Praise); hence Praised, or praiseworthy.

The book of Genesis (Al-Takween in Arabic) holds the Arabic pronunciation of the word Shiloh i.e. Shilon:

لَا يَزُولُ قَضِيبٌ مِنْ يَهُوذَا وَمُشْتَرِعٌ مِنْ بَيْنِ رِجْلَيْهِ حَتَّى يَأْتِيَ شِيلُونُ وَلَهُ يَكُونُ خُضُوعُ شُعُوبٍ. ¹⁸

Judah will hold the royal scepter, And his descendants will always rule. Nations will bring him tribute and bow in obedience before him.

It should be noted that Jacob did not use the Hebrew name of Joseph for the prophecy, but he used the Arabic name Shalon and said he would arrive. Joseph is a Hebrew prophet. Thus, he cannot be Shilon because Shilon is an Arabic name which means ‘belonging to the Peninsula of Arab’ which might be an example of Joseph .

The Above Prophecy Is For Muhammad

The prophecy of Jacob was directed towards “Joseph” of Arabs that is Prophet Muhammad who came later. He anticipated, rose and remained away from grief and guilt by the blessings of Allah. ¹⁹ Here are a few more evidence listed to provide further explanation:

1. The book of Genesis states that the sceptre will be snatched from the Jews and will be given to Shilon. Therefore, the history proved that after Solomon , the sceptre (power) was withdrawn from the Israelites and it was given in the hands of the believers of the Prophet Muhammad and they still have it.
2. After Solomon , the Israelites were divided and couldn't unite again. Jesus tried to unify them, but he could not achieve it. However, the religion of the Holy Prophet united everybody and groups of people accepted the message of Allah. History holds several events in this regard. As the Holy Quran states:

إِذَا جَاءَ نَصْرُ اللَّهِ وَالْفَتْحُ 1 وَرَأَيْتَ النَّاسَ يَدْخُلُونَ فِي دِينِ اللَّهِ أَفْوَاجًا 2 فَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ وَاسْتَغْفِرْهُ إِنَّهُ كَانَ تَوَّابًا 3²⁰

When the help and victory of Allah come, And you see people entering the religion of Allah in multitudes, Then proclaim the Purity of your Lord while praising Him, and seek forgiveness from Him; indeed He is the Most Acceptor of Repentance.

Thus, the second part of the prophecy, “Nations will bring him tribute and bow in obedience before him” is completed.

3. This prophecy states that Joseph is a fruitful tree beside the river banks. The Hebrew Prophet, “Joseph’s” plant had already wilted when the family of Joseph joined hands with the non-believers. On the contrary, the works of the Arabian Prophet “Joseph” ²¹ as mentioned in the previous discussion.] has been flourishing and benefiting the world. It resulted in the form of the Muslim nation. ²² It will continue to benefit all till the Day of Judgment. The enemies will cause distortion, as they did in the past, but they should remember that Muslims hold the bow, which is attached to the bow of Prophet Jacob .

4. Jacob prayed for the blessings of Joseph’s descendants. But the children of the Hebrew Prophet Joseph had joined the non-believers. Thus, this fidelity was lost. According to the prophecy, Muhammad had the real blessings of Abraham , Isaac and Jacob . He propagated the oneness of Allah. He named his children and the kids of his followers on the names of mentioned prophets and promoted them in his community.

5. Jacob named Joseph as Sholom, Sholem, Sholoim, Shulem, Shalom, Shilon or Shiloh. According to Hebrew dictionary, they stand for “peace, harmony, integrity, completeness, prosperity, welfare and tranquillity”. Every historian, scholar, and a knowledgeable person know that these qualities, on their uttermost, are possessed by only Muhammad only in the history of the world . The Holy Quran has called Prophet Muhammad as “The first Muslim”, which contains all the meaning of Shalom/ Shilon. As the Holy Quran states:

وَأُمِرْتُ لِأَنْ أَكُونَ أَوَّلَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ 12²³

“And I am commanded that I be the first to submit.”

Thus, this has proved that Jacob’s Shalom, Shilon or Shiloh is Muhammad .

• ¹  The Bible, Genesis 49: 10
• ²  In King James Version, its translation is: “The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.”
• ³  In American Standard Version, it is translated as: “The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, Until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the obedience of the peoples be.”
• ⁴  In the Living Bible, it is translated as: “The scepter shall not depart from Judah until Shiloh comes, whom all people shall obey.”
• ⁵  The meaning of the name, “Yusuf” in Hebrew is to anticipate, to rise and to be away from grief and guilt.
• ⁶  The Bible, Genesis: 49: 22
• ⁷  In King James Version, its translation is: “Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall.”
• ⁸  The Bible, Genesis: 48: 15.
• ⁹  King James Version says in its translation: Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel, (for he was the firstborn; but forasmuch as he defiled his father's bed, his birthright was given unto the sons of Joseph the son of Israel: and the genealogy is not to be reckoned after the birthright. For Judah prevailed above his brethren, and of him came the chief ruler; but the birthright was Joseph's).
• ¹⁰  The Bible, 1-Chronicles 5: 1-2
• ¹¹  The Bible, Ezekiel 37: 16-19
• ¹²  Rana Muhammad Sarwar Khan (2007), Seerat-e-Sarwar-e-Kaunaen, Rana Muhammad Sarwar Khan Publications, Lahore, Pakistan, Pg. 31.
• ¹³  The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be. (King James Version (KJV))
• ¹⁴  The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until the one (a: Shiloh) comes, who owns them both, (comes to whom it belongs; i.e. the authority represented by the scepter and ruler’s staff) and to him will belong the allegiance(c) of nations. (Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE))
• ¹⁵  The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until the one (a: until Shiloh) comes, who owns them both, and to him will belong the allegiance of nations. (International Standard Version (ISV))
• ¹⁶  A question arises here when both the sons of Joseph had denied from the religion, was the prophecy of Jacob wrong? It can never be incorrect because a prophet speaks according to the revelation of God. Joseph was definitely “the fruitful plant beside the banks of the river”. Shalom would come and the nations of the worlds would be underneath his rule. The scepter of Jews would collide with the scepter of Shalom and they’d rule the religion and would be ruler of the nation. This prophecy holds the word Shalom which has different meanings in Hebrew and in the Bible and its meaning are not finalized till date.
• ¹⁷  Holy Quran, Yusuf (Prophet Joseph) 12: 102.
• ¹⁸  Kitab-ul-Muqaddas, Al-Takween 49: 10 translated by Butrus Al-Bustani and Van Dyck.
• ¹⁹  Whatever grievances he had they were while preaching Islam and he would be rewarded against them in hereafter. Additionally, all those were temporarily as Joseph had because of their brothers and finally he came over all the Empires of his time.
• ²⁰  Holy Quran, Al-Nasr (The Help) 110: 1-3
• ²¹  Joseph is called Yusuf in Arabic and here it is used for Prophet Muhammad [symbol, en, 9
• ²²  According to the Christians, Jesus was sent to unite the nation but as the religion of the Prophet gathered people, Jesus had failed in achieving that as it is clear for the students of World History.
• ²³  Holy Quran, Az-Zumar (The Group) 39: 12