CONTENTS

Foreword vii

Preface ix

Quenching a Parched World ix

The Proof Within Us xi

The Multiple Forms of Proof xiv

1 Humanity’s Need for Prophethood 1

1. The Spiritual Necessity of Prophethood 1

2. The Moral Necessity of Prophethood 4

3. The Historical Necessity of Prophethood 6

4. The Biblical Necessity of Prophethood 8

i. A Gentile Prophet Like Moses 8

ii. John the Baptist and the Awaited Prophet 10

iii. God’s Servant Where Kedar Lives 10

iv. Jesus and the Comforter 12

v. Zamzam and the Flourishing City 13

2 The Prophet’s Character 17

1. His Honesty and Integrity 20

2. His Simplicity and Humility 24

3. His Mercy and Compassion 28

4. His Clemency and Forgiveness 31

5. His Bravery and Valour 35

6. His Generosity 37

7. His Perseverance and Trust in God 39

iv The Final Prophet

3 The Prophet’s Accomplishments 47

1. A Love Larger than Life 51

2. History’s Greatest Success Story 56

3. Restoring the Unity of God 60

4. Revolutionizing Human Rights 62

5. Molding a Model Generation 67

4 The Prophet’s Message 75

1. Pure Monotheism 77

2. Faith in Destiny 80

3. The Ritual Prayer (Ṣalāh) 83

4. Devotional Fasting (Ṣiyām) 87

5. Prohibiting Extramarital Relations 89

6. Prohibiting Interest-Based Lending 91

7. Prohibiting Alcohol Consumption 93

8. Healthy Eating and Personal Hygiene 97

9. Science and Medicine 102

5 The Prophet’s Prophecies 107

1. The Byzantines will Rebound 108

2. The Abode of Abū Lahab 109

3. The Globalization of Islam 109

4. Undeterred by Time or Distance 111

5. Six in Sequence 112

6. Counting the Conquests 113

7. Security will Prevail 115

8. The Last Emperors 116

9. A Whisper in His Daughter’s Ear 116

10. The Longest Arm 117

11. The Martyrdom of ʿUmar and ʿUthmān 118

12. Inevitable Infighting 119

13. Tensions Among the Prophet’s Household 120

14. The Fate of ʿAmmār 121

15. ʿAlī Suppressing the Khārijites 122

16. Repairing the Rift 123

17. Cycling Back to Virtue is Promised 124

Contents v

18. Asmā’ Sends a Tyrant Home 124

19. Umm Ḥarām’s Date with Destiny 125

20. Preempting the Questioner 126

21. An Unforgettable Sermon 127

22. The Emergence of Selective Textualism 127

23. A Horrific Wildfire 127

24. Prosperity and Hedonism Before the End Times 128

25. Competing in Materialism 129

26. The Unavoidability of Interest (Ribā) 130

27. An Increase in Brutality and Killing 130

28. The Plunge into Immorality 132

29. Muslims Becoming Easy Prey 133

30. The Immortality of His Nation 135

31. Never Thought You Would Speak 136

6 The Prophet’s Physical Miracles 139

1. The Possibility of Miracles 141

2. The Demonstrability of Miracles 145

3. Specific Miracles Performed by the Prophet 148

i. Splitting the Moon 149

ii. The Night Journey 152

iii. The Weeping Tree 155

iv. The Talking Stones 156

v. Increasing the Water Supply 158

vi. Increasing the Food Supply 159

vii. Answered Prayers 163

7 The Inimitable Qur’an 169

1. A Literary Masterpiece 170

i. Muhammad or Shakespeare? 173

2. Knowledge of the Inaccessible Past 178

i. Pharaoh’s Body Will Survive 179

ii. The Heavens Did Not Grieve for Pharaoh 180

iii. Joseph’s King Wasn’t a Pharaoh 180

iv. Was Muhammad Spoon-Fed Biblical History? 183

3. Preserved as Promised 184

vi The Final Prophet

4. An Extraordinary Potency 187

5. Echoes of a Prophet 192

A Parting Word on the Journey of Faith 199

Bibliography 203

English Sources 203

Arabic Sources 209

Index 215