Prophecies About Prophet Muhammad ﷺ By Prophet Habakkuk

(Cite: Khan, Dr. (Mufti) Imran & Hamdani, Mufti Shah Rafi Uddin. (2018), Prophecies About Prophet Muhammad By Prophet Habakkuk , Encyclopedia of Muhammad , Seerat Research Center, Karachi, Pakistan, Vol. 1, Pg. 307-314.)

Habakkuk was the contemporary prophet of Daniel . His prophecies concerning Muhammad are mentioned in the following manner:

First Prophecy

Habakkuk unburdened himself before the Lord and prayed to God for help against all those evils. He was aware that a calamity is imminent. The Lord answers him that people are more wicked than the Jews, are about to com and destroy Judah. The Holy Quran states this as:

فَإِذَا جَاءَ وَعْدُ أُولَاهُمَا بَعَثْنَا عَلَيْكُمْ عِبَادًا لَنَا أُولِي بَأْسٍ شَدِيدٍ فَجَاسُوا خِلَالَ الدِّيَارِ وَكَانَ وَعْدًا مَفْعُولًا 5¹

And We decreed for the Descendants of Israel in the Book that, “You will indeed create great turmoil in the earth twice, and you will surely become very proud.” So when the first of those promises came, We sent upon you Our extremely militant bondsmen – they, therefore, entered the cities pursuing you; and this was a promise that had to be fulfilled.

In the chapter of Habakkuk, we have a significant prophecy. That is, the Lord both informs Habakkuk of new developments to take place in a distant future and consoles him, and emphasises a fundamental, vital truth concerning humanity and human history. It is as follows:

ففَأَجَابَنِي ٱلرَّبُّ وَقَالَ: ٱكْتُبِ ٱلرُّؤْيَا وَٱنْقُشْهَا عَلَى ٱلْأَلْوَاحِ لِكَيْ يَرْكُضَ قَارِئُهَا، لِأَنَّ ٱلرُّؤْيَا بَعْدُ إِلَى ٱلْمِيعَادِ، وَفِي ٱلنِّهَايَةِ تَتَكَلَّمُ وَلَا تَكْذِبُ. إِنْ تَوَانَتْ فَٱنْتَظِرْهَا لِأَنَّهَا سَتَأْتِي إِتْيَانًا وَلَا تَتَأَخَّرُ. هُوَذَا مُنْتَفِخَةٌ غَيْرُ مُسْتَقِيمَةٍ نَفْسُهُ فِيهِ. وَٱلْبَارُّ بِإِيمَانِهِ يَحْيَا. ²

The Lord gave me this answer: “Write down clearly on tablets what I reveal to you, so that it can be read at a glance. Put it in writing, because it is not yet time for it to come true. But the time is coming quickly, and what I show you will come true. It may seem slow in coming, but wait for it; it will certainly take place, and it will not be delayed. And this is the message: ‘Those who are evil will not survive, but those who are righteous will live because they are faithful to God.’”

The Righteous Will Live Because They Are Faithful To God

The fundamental truth concerning humanity and human history in these words, namely, "Those who are evil will not survive, but those who are righteous will live because they are faithful to God" is the same meaning as the following verses of the Holy Quran:

سَيَذَّكَّرُ مَنْ يَخْشَى 10 وَيَتَجَنَّبُهَا الْأَشْقَى 11 الَّذِي يَصْلَى النَّارَ الْكُبْرَى 12³

Soon whoever fears will heed the advice. And the most wicked will stay away from it. The one who will enter the biggest fire.

عَلَّمَ الْإِنْسَانَ مَا لَمْ يَعْلَمْ 5 كَلَّا إِنَّ الْإِنْسَانَ لَيَطْغَى 6⁴

The One Who taught man all what he did not know. Yes indeed, man is surely rebellious.

قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَنْ زَكَّاهَا 9 وَقَدْ خَابَ مَنْ دَسَّاهَا 10⁵

Indeed successful is the one who made it pure. And indeed failed is the one who covered it in sin.

The unbelievers of Arabia were extremely proud of themselves. They divided the world or humanity into two, one was the Arabs, and the other was the non-Arabs (`ajam). The Holy Prophet , stood before them alone. While his fiercest, incredibly haughty opponents saw themselves unbeatable but were, in fact, devoid of truth and the real source of power, the Holy Prophet , the single one who challenged not only the Arabs but the entire world.

While preaching and calling his people to the truth, Muhammad displayed such steadfastness, firmness, and courage that he never faltered or hesitated. And this was despite the hostility of the surrounding powers and religions, as well as that of his people, tribe, and even his uncle. He successfully challenged the world, thereby making Islam superior to all other religions and systems. His belief was so extraordinarily vigorous and precise, so miraculously developed, expanded, and ingrained in his heart, and so elevated and world enlightening that no prevailing ideas and beliefs, philosophies or spiritual teachings engendered any doubt within him. Despite their opposition and hostility, they could not make him hesitate or become anxious about his cause. Thia prove that his belief was so staunch in Allah that no problem in this world hindered his progress and within a short span of 23 years,he achieved his target. The religion, which the pagans of Makkah tried their best to destroy won and the pagans lost. their sheer numbers, wealth, connection and their fake gods could not help them and all the disbelievers either fled to other places, were killed in battle or accepted islam.

The protection of God's Messenger , was an apparent miracle, as expressed in the following verse of the holy Quran:

يَاأَيُّهَا الرَّسُولُ بَلِّغْ مَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِنْ رَبِّكَ وَإِنْ لَمْ تَفْعَلْ فَمَا بَلَّغْتَ رِسَالَتَهُ وَاللَّهُ يَعْصِمُكَ مِنَ النَّاسِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الْكَافِرِينَ 67⁶

O Noble Messenger (Prophet Mohammed – peace and blessings be upon him)! Convey all what has been sent down upon you from your Lord; and if you do not, then you have not conveyed any of His messages; and Allah will protect you from the people; indeed Allah does not guide the disbelievers.

Many incidents illustrate that when God's Messenger proclaimed the divine message, he did not challenge just one tribe or race, a few politicians, or a particular religion, but all rulers and all faiths. Despite his uncle's and tribe's status as among his greatest enemies, as well as the numerous conspiracies directed against him, he drew his last breath in his bed in perfect contentment and reached the highest incorporeal realm after 23 years without a guard or any form of human protection. This shows the truth of the above-quoted verse and provides a firm point of support for his prophethood. God Almighty had ordered Habakkuk to commit the glad tidings concerning this universal miracle to writing so that those who might read it might believe in and follow him who would work this miracle.

Second Prophecy

Habakkuk continues, according to Bible commentators, with the great work of God on earth, which includes all His works and is the end of all, namely, the salvation of humanity:

يَارَبُّ، قَدْ سَمِعْتُ خَبَرَكَ فَجَزِعْتُ. يَارَبُّ، عَمَلَكَ فِي وَسَطِ ٱلسِّنِينَ أَحْيِهِ. فِي وَسَطِ ٱلسِّنِينَ عَرِّفْ. فِي ٱلْغَضَبِ ٱذْكُرِ ٱلرَّحْمَةَ. ⁷

O Lord, I have heard of what you have done, and I am filled with awe. Now do again in our times the great deeds you used to do. Be merciful, even when you are angry.

God declares in the Holy Quran that He has created mankind to know Him and worship Him exclusively:

وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْإِنْسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ 56⁸

And I created the jinns and men, only for them to worship Me.

Worshipping God requires, first of all, believing in His existence and His absolute Oneness. The Oneness of God is the bedrock of religion, which He has sent for the salvation of mankind. All the prophets conveyed and proclaimed this foundational truth; we read in the Holy Quran that the prophets Abraham and Jacob bequeathed it to their sons (Al-Baqarah 2: 132-133). When the Holy Prophet began his mission, the Holy Ka`ba, the House of God, had already been filled with 360 idols. Therefore, it was the work of God that He would re-establish His Oneness, and make it known to all humanity. He was never pleased with idolatry and any kind of polytheism. This is why He sent the Holy Prophet to convey and proclaim Divine Unity for the last time. This was His mercy for all the worlds. Thus, the Holy Prophet is declared as a mercy for all the worlds. ⁹

Third Prophecy

It is declared in the Book of Habakkuk:

ٱللّٰهُ جَاءَ مِنْ تِيمَانَ، وَٱلْقُدُّوسُ مِنْ جَبَلِ فَارَانَ. سِلَاهْ. جَلَالُهُ غَطَّى ٱلسَّمَاوَاتِ، وَٱلْأَرْضُ ٱمْتَلَأَتْ مِنْ تَسْبِيحِهِ. ¹⁰

God is coming again from Edom; the holy God is coming from the hills of Paran. His splendour covers the heavens, and the earth is full of his praise.

The meaning of this prophecy is that, or as stated in Barnes' notes in the Bible, "The centre of the whole picture is that it was to be a new revelation. And so the Lord directs us to another Law-giver, whom God should raise up like Moses, yet with a law of life." The Prophet like Moses who came with a law of life is absolutely the Holy Prophet . Besides, Tema was the name of the son of Ismail , whose progeny had settled in the environs of Madina in Northern Hejaz. Ptolemy mentions a town called Themma in the Arabian Desert. ¹¹ The literal meaning of Teman is the land on the right-hand side in the south. According to J. Hastings Dictionary of the Bible, Teman is an Oasis just north of Madina in the Arabian Peninsula. During biblical times, this oasis used to be called Teman after the ninth son of Ishmael whose children settled there. Easton Bible's Dictionary gives clearer information about Teman. It is that Teman was divided from the hills of Paran by the small plain of Arabah (i.e., Arabis).

As pointed out in Genesis (21: 21), Paran is where Abraham’s wife Hagar and his eldest son Ishmael , the father of the Arabs, settled in the Arabian desert. Mount Paran is the chain of mountains in that same region, which the Arabs call the "Sarawat Mountains". The Holy Prophet received the first revelation in the cave of Hira located in the highest part of these mountains, which is Mount Light. Jesus never in his life travelled to neither Paran nor Teman and no man from Paran has ever had his glorification, and praise sung in so many nations throughout creation as Muhammad got it. The name ‘Muhammad’ itself means in Arabic ‘the Oft-praised One’. Through the teachings of Muhammad , God is now being praised and glorified by hundreds and millions of Muslims around the world. They perform five prayers every day, in which they praise and worship God intensely. The statement, "All-Glorified is God, All praise is for God", and "God is the All-Great" are among the recitations that Muslims utter either during or outside the prescribed prayers (Salat) numerous times a day. There are, nor have been, no nations belonging to any religion that fills the heavens and earth with praise of God as the Muslims do.

Mehmood Ahmad Ghazi says:

“Allah made the earth rounded, and sunrises from all its sides, days and night changes, and the earth also revolves. Sun also revolves; this continuous rotation is named as a System of Universe. You know that Muslims are present in every corner of the globe. At the east of the globe, there is an area which is called Fiji. Here Muslims are around 100,000. This is a sector where International Dateline passed by. This is the region where the date initiates like if today here is 8th April 2003, so in the World, this time came first in Fiji and not anywhere before. There are institutes and Dar-ul-Uloom where thousands of Muslims recite Quran in Fajr prayer and thousands of them after it.

When Fajr ends in Fiji, it starts in Australia. Five hundred thousand Muslims are settled there. They recite the Quran like the Muslims of Fiji before Fajr prayer, during and after it. When the time of Fajr ends in Australia, then it starts in Indonesia. Millions of Muslims do the recitation just like the Muslims of Fiji and Australia were doing. When the time of Fajr ends in Indonesia, then it starts in Malaysia. When completed in Malaysia then starts in Bangladesh. After Bangladesh in India around twenty crores Muslims perform Fajr prayer.

When we perform Fajr prayer in Pakistan, Muslims of Fiji perform Zuhr prayer at the same time. Whosoever wants at the time of Fajr; he might call Fiji and hear the recitation of the Quran and prayers, especially after Fajr and Zuhr prayer, children and adults, they all are busy in the recitation. When Muslims in Egypt perform Fajr prayer, then the Muslims of Fiji perform Asar prayer. When the Muslims of Libya and Algeria perform Fajr prayer, then the Muslims of Fiji perform Maghrib prayer. When the Muslims of Morocco perform Fajr prayer, then the Muslims of Fiji perform Isha prayer. And the time of all the remaining four prayers come step by step.

Therefore, the time of these five prayers rotates around every corner of the Earth. Have you seen the light around the signboards? It feels like this light is rotating around it, so it rotates or not, maybe it's our eye deception, but the time of all the five prayers revolves around every corner of the Earth. This chain of the recitation of Quran is bounded around the World. There are no segmentation and interruption in this. There will be segmentation and interruption in this when the system of the world will stop its rotation around its own axis, or Sun will stop its rotation, or all believers will die together (God Forbid). Except these, nothing can stop this continuous recitation of the Quran.” ¹²¹³

This fact is not encrypted from anyone that whenever there is a time for some prayer so for the announcement of prayer Azaan (Muslim call for prayer) is called. In which the name of Prophet Muhammad and the renewal of faith is included at his prophethood. Likewise, before starting the Salat, praising in Iqamat is also included, these are the fixed actions in which the mentioning of Muhammad continues. Apart from his mention in the prayers, there are other practices in which Prophet Muhammad is praised and salutations are sent upon him like before the Azaan, salutations are sent upon him, and after the Azaan, prayers and greetings are presented to him. Other Gatherings like Gatherings for the teaching of the Holy Quran and Ahadith are filled with the praise of Muhammad as well. It is a fact that at any time, and any place, millions of muslims send their salutations towards Prophet Muhammad . If anyone wants to see it with his own eyes, he should visit the Shrine of Muhammad where millions of Muslims gather for presenting the gift of salutations.

A New Law Of Life To The World From Madina

Therefore, "God came from Teman" means, as Barnes points out in his notes on the Bible, God sent a new law of life to the world; He sent this law from Madina. It is highly interesting and informative that in the Makkan period of Islam, God did not send any laws. It was only after the Holy Prophet emigrated to Madina and founded a state that the legislation of Islam began to be sent and established. Since Habakkuk complained of evils, the lack of justice and the law being ignored, he first mentions Madina, where the Islamic Law began to be revealed and established, although Islam first appeared in Makkah. And then he refers to the Holy Prophet himself, his birth-place, where he began his mission and the mountain where he received the first revelation, by saying, "The Holy One came (from) Paran." The Holy Prophet began his mission in Makkah, and thirteen years later, he and his Makkan followers emigrated to Madina. It should be pointed out here that King James Version of Bible did the translation of Habakkuk 3: 3 as, “God came from Teman and the Holy One from mount Paran. Selah. His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise.” So by "the Holy One" Habakkuk refers to Muhammad , not God Himself. That is because the original Hebrew word translated here as "Holy One" is "qadowsh" (kaw-doshe`) which has the multiple meanings of "Sacred, Holy, Holy One, Saint, Set Apart." Therefore, no one can claim that it is God Himself exclusively who is meant by the Holy One. Besides, in certain other places in the Bible, as discussed before, the companions of Muhammad are also mentioned as the "Holy ones" (see, i.e., The Bible, Deuteronomy 33: 2).

Fourth Prophecy

Habakkuk continues to give more information about the Holy Prophet and the spread of Islam and the decisive effects it will make in the places where it has spread:

وَكَانَ لَمَعَانٌ كَٱلنُّورِ. لَهُ مِنْ يَدِهِ شُعَاعٌ، وَهُنَاكَ ٱسْتِتَارُ قُدْرَتِهِ. قُدَّامَهُ ذَهَبَ ٱلْوَبَأُ، وَعِنْدَ رِجْلَيْهِ خَرَجَتِ ٱلْحُمَّى. وَقَفَ وَقَاسَ ٱلْأَرْضَ. نَظَرَ فَرَجَفَ ٱلْأُمَمُ وَدُكَّتِ ٱلْجِبَالُ ٱلدَّهْرِيَّةُ وَخَسَفَتْ آكَامُ ٱلْقِدَمِ. مَسَالِكُ ٱلْأَزَلِ لَهُ. رَأَيْتُ خِيَامَ كُوشَانَ تَحْتَ بَلِيَّةٍ. رَجَفَتْ شُقَقُ أَرْضِ مِدْيَانَ. ¹⁴

He comes with the brightness of lightning; the light flashes from his hand, there where his power is hidden. He sends disease before him and commands death to follow him. When he stops, the earth shakes; at his glance, the nations tremble. The eternal mountains are shattered; the everlasting hills sink down, the hills where he walked in ancient times. I saw the people of Cushan afraid, and the people of Midian tremble.

In interpreting these words, Bible commentators say, God is the Light. He not only is as the Light, He is the Light. (The Quran has a verse named Light, which begins with God is the Light of the heavens and the earth: Al-Nur, 24: 35) Light also streams from His hands. The Light of God is like a garment; God is clothed in to keep a mortal man from seeing Him. The power of God is hidden in that Light. King James Version translated Habakkuk 3: 5 as, "Before him went the pestilence, and fiery bolts (burning coal) went forth at his feet," means that "Exodus 23: 27: “I will make the people who oppose you afraid of me; I will bring confusion among the people against whom you fight, and I will make all your enemies turn and run from you.," and the lightings are a token that, Psalm 68: 1-2, " God rises and scatters his enemies. Those who hate him run away in defeat. As smoke is blown away, so he drives them off; as wax melts in front of the fire, so do the wicked perish in God's presence.” The Holy Prophet himself says: God helps me by implanting fear in the heart of my enemies at a distance of one month's walk." The "burning coals at His feet" are also compared to burnished brass. "Brass" symbolises judgment. Therefore, this statement also means that the Holy Prophet or Islam will judge nations.

"... The eternal mountains are shattered; the everlasting hills sink." That is, all power, great or small, will give way to the Holy Prophet or Islam. The mountains of opposition and resistance will break into pieces, or the opposition leaders of Arabia and other states or empires such as the Roman, Byzantine and Persian empires, who were unshakable like mountains, will suffer defeat and disgrace. All which lifts itself up in pride will be brought low. Territories such as Cushan and Midian, that is, the whole Arabia from north to south and even Ethiopia will come to power and sway of the Holy Prophet and his religion.

Wahab Bin Munabba explains: I studied in an ancient book that Allah states that “I take the oath of my Majesty honoured” and said “I sent a star of light at the mountains of Arab that filled the West and East with the brightness. I will send a prophet that will belong to the children of Ismail those who belong to them will have faith in him equal to the stars of the sky and like the particles on Earth. They will have faith in My Presence and his prophethood, and they will come out of the religion of their forefather and run away from them.”

Moses said:

“Purity belongs to You, O Allah, and all Your names are pure, no doubt You made him (Muhammad ) the great prophet and You grant him the nobility. Allah said: I will destroy his enemies and will take the vengeance in Hereafter. I will make his preaching dominant on the other religions and anyone who opposes his laws, I will destroy them. I taught him with justice, and I will send him for justice. I take the oath of My Majesty and Honor, I will save all the nations by him from the fire (hell), and I started the World with the Adam and will end with Muhammad . Whoever found his time and did not have faith in him and his laws, so Allah is disgusted with him.” ¹⁵

In conclusion, the prophecy of Habakkuk under discussion was entirely fulfilled in favour of Muhammad and Islam.

• ¹  Holy Quran, Bani Israel (The Descendants of Israel) 17: -5
• ²  The Bible, Habakkuk 2: 2-4
• ³  Holy Quran, Al-Aa’la (The Supreme) 87: 10-12
• ⁴  Holy Quran, Al-A`laq (The Clot) 96: 6-5
• ⁵  Holy Quran, Al-Shams (The Sun) 91: 9-10
• ⁶  Holy Quran, Maidah (The Table Spread with Food) 5: 67
• ⁷  The Bible, Habakkuk 3: 2
• ⁸  Holy Quran, Al-Zariyat (The Winds) 51: 56
• ⁹  Holy Quran, Al-Anbiya (The Prophets) 21: 107
• ¹⁰  The Bible, Habakkuk 3: 3
• ¹¹  James Hastings (1909), A Dictionary of the Bible, Charles Scribner's Sons, New York, USA, Vol. 4, Part: 2, Pg. 694.
• ¹²  Doctor Mehmood Ahmad Ghazi (2009), Muhadirat-e-Quran, Introduction of Quran, Al-Faisal Nashiran, Lahore, Pakistan, Pg. 70-71.
• ¹³  In the above statement Population of Muslims explained in different Countries, is according to the mentioned book of Dr. Ghazi, otherwise population is increasing day by day with time.
• ¹⁴  The Bible, Habakkuk 3: 4-7
• ¹⁵  Abdul Haq Mohaddis Dehalvi (2012), Madarij-un-Nabowat, Kitab-ul-Habakkuk, Zia-ul-Quran Publications, Lahore, Pakistan, Vol. 1, Pg. 174-175.