The Prophet and People of The Book

It has been narrated that the Prophet had met with certain individuals from the People of the Book. What is the significance of this?

God’s Messenger met with a priest named Bahira in the Busra market near Damascus when he was a child. He also met Waraqa ibn Nawfal in Mecca just after the first Revelation. In later years he met some Jewish and Christian scholars. However, all such meetings were not covert gatherings, but rather short and public. It has never been suggested that anything was taught or instructed either to the Prophet or to the other parties in these meetings.

The priest in Damascus saw Prophet Muhammad when he was young and, relying on the attributes described in the Bible, noticed in him the signs of the final Prophet. The priest turned to Prophet Muhammad’s uncle Abu Talib and said: “This child is destined for greatness!”

A similar reaction was given by Waraqa ibn Nawfal. The Prophet could not, at first, fully comprehend the significance of the first Revelation that had occurred during one of his visits to the Hira Cave on Mount Nur, where he retreated for meditation and contemplation. He told Waraqa ibn Nawfal about the first visitation by the Angel of Revelation. After having listened to the Prophet, Waraqa said that this was the same angel of Revelation which had been sent to Moses, and he accepted Muhammad’s Prophethood, adding that, should he live enough, Waraqa would support and help him.

Not only does the above show that it is highly unlikely that Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, was learning from others, we can also see that these learned religious scholars quickly recognized the Prophet and accepted that he was a Prophet because of the very attributes that they had seen.

 

Akgul, Muhittin (2009). The Quran in 99 Questions (Abdullah Erdemli Trans.). New Jersey: Tughra Books. (Originally published in Turkish as Kur’an İklimine Seyahat)