Sam Shamoun "The Incomplete Quran: Whom Did Muhammad See?" (3)

Sam Shamoun "The Incomplete Quran: Whom Did Muhammad See?" (3)

When Allah sends ALRUH for divine inspiration, it executes its purpose as commanded by Him 40:15,42:52. It is important to emphasize that whatever it does and the effect it has, it is by the will of Allah alone, not its own intrinsic will or power. This is particularly made clear with what the RUH, that manifested in human form to Mary, told her in regards her miraculous conception 3:47,19:21. 

The angels of revelation then descend with the RUH upon those whom God deems fit 

77:5,97:4,16:2"He sends down the angels with the RUH by His commandment on whom He pleases of His servants, saying: Give the warning that there is no god but Me, therefore be careful (of your duty) to Me". 

RUH stems from r-w-h meaning anything that blows as in a wind/breeze/breath. It also carries the meaning of life giving breath. The word is always associated with a kind of breeze that brings something good such as life, rest or inspiration. Upon the prophet Jesus, the RUH al qudus/breeze of holiness, besides its basic role of inspiration, gave him the strength and aptitude to perform the miracles that he did 2:87,253,5:110. Jesus' association to the RUH do not however make any of them divine. It was a tool sent upon Jesus as was sent on all prophets and regular believers, each time for the purpose for which Allah intends for it. Jesus' mention with the RUH is among the patterns of the Quran of taking up the most cherished christological themes, then strip them from their paganistic implications. 

The Quran leaves no room to the kind of conjecture trinitarians are known for when approaching their Bible, let alone the Quran. Christians feel comforted whenever they superficially approach the Quran and find these familiar Christological themes. They are sometimes bold enough to assume the Quran is confirming their doctrines. After all, none other than Jesus is referred to as God's word, His messiah or a RUH from Allah. But by doing so Christians are missing the consistent Quranic approach of taking up the major trinitarian themes and labels associated to Jesus, then recasts them in a monotheistic, unitarian perspective. It is the case with the kalima, just as with the RUH/spirit or the name "messiah". Jesus is not the literal nor metaphorical "son of God" but simply, the son of Mary as Christians themselves cannot deny. Similarly, Jesus is stripped from any intrinsic power as regards his ascension and ability to perform miracles. Being the muhaymin/guardian of the previous scriptures and traditions, the Quran could not leave those themes unaddressed. And it does so in an impactful way, using them just as is done in Christian scriptures, while redefining them so as to deny their Christological background.

That corrective function goes beyond these aforementioned pillars of Christology. In the Gospels' eschatology, the trinitarian godhead is at the forefront and Jesus is given the leading role of judgement by his "father" Matt25,26. In the Quran, no possible ambiguity exists as to Allah's supremacy on that day, whether in terms of glory, authority or judgement.

The sending of revelation upon a prophet is carried out by an angelic delegation accompanying the spirit 16:2. In 16:102,26:192-4 that particular descending spiritual entity is not named, in another place God singles out the descending entity by name as Gabriel 2:97. The Quran describes the eminence of that particular messenger of revelation 

81:19-21"honored messenger, the posessor of strength, having an honorable place with the Lord of the Dominion, One (to be) obeyed, and faithful in trust". 

He is one who is mutaAA 81:21 denoting authority and the angels are created in different grades 35:1. His power, honor and unfaltering trustworthiness 26:192-4, his sacredness 16:102, means he is most fit to accomplish this noble task. That is why the Quran always singles him out from among the angels of revelation 2:98,66:4,97:1-4. The mention of an angelic delegation descending with the revelation expresses the prestige of Allah's word and the singling out of one entity from among them denotes the distinct nobility of the one selected to carry it. As noble and honored the carrier of revelation is, He remains under God's authority in the process 

2:97"he made it descend to your heart by Allah's command". 

This emphasis is meant at dispelling any doubt, in the minds of those that dislike the indirect manner in which God communicates with His prophets, making clear Who the ultimate source of that message is. Not only is the descent commanded by Allah, but it in addition originates from Him 

2:99"And certainly WE descended to you clear communications" 

2:105"Those who disbelieve..do not like..that the good should be brought down to you from your Lord, and Allah chooses especially whom He pleases for His mercy, and Allah is the Lord of mighty grace" 

26:192-4"And most surely this (ie Quran) is a sending down from the Lord of the worlds. The Faithful Spirit/RUH has descended with it, Upon your heart that you may be of the warners". 

The Quran originates from Allah, was commanded to be sent down by Him, through the trustworthy RUH, elsewhere named Gabriel, who is accompanied by a delegation of angels. Elsewhere the Quran, in its surgical use of words and in a similar context of attesting to the otherworldly origin of the Book, says that it is 

53:4"a revelation revealed". 

Since the most obdurate could still find a way to disbelieve, admitting to the divine origin of the Quran but rejecting the legitimacy of the prophet who could have been given the revelation by an inspired human, God makes it clear, it is a process twice revealed. The first time to the medium, that is Gabriel, and the second time to the prophet's heart, by the inspired medium. Sure no explicit statement says that Gabriel or holylspirit is an angel. Strong indications however point to the descending delegation as always and exclusively angelic. Throughout the Quran, no entity carrying God's will from heaven (revelation, punishment or else) is ever said to be other than angels. It is known that the descending entities fully encompassed by Allah's will in 19:64-5 are angels for whom Gabriel is speaking in the passage. What those attempting to deny Gabriel's identification with the holy spirit are left with is a slightly ambiguous statement in 97:4. And that is if one disregards the aforementioned patterns, as well as linguistic reasons for singling out the spirit from among the angels.

The WAW in 97:4 which is translated in general as AND, also often means inclusion of a particular entity within the general more encompassing entity. The purpose is to create a distinction in terms of prominence relevant to the context. For example the Quran says "and the prophets and Jesus and Moses" 2:136,3:84. It mentions the two in WAW/AND form to mean that they are included but to bring particular attention to those two amongst the prophets. Elsewhere it says 69:14"the earth and the mountains are lifted" or in 55:68"In both of them are fruit and dates and pomegranates". See also 31:16.

Finally, the attempted parallel of the syntax in 97:4 (separating entities part of the same angelic group) with 3:87 fails for the reason that in this verse God, angels and humans are explicitly stated elsewhere as being different entities. No statement in 97:4 or indications elsewhere say that the descending spirit and the angels are different entities, quite to the contrary as previously demonstrated.

The description of Gabriel with "RUH" denotes that angels are breeze like entities of the unseen realm. In this world they can take any form or be used for any purpose according to God's will. To Mary, that immaterial entity appeared as a human being 19:17-9. Then this immaterial entity, which assumed human form, blew a part of itself into her, so that she might conceive 

21:91"So We breathed into her from/MIN Our RUH". 

The Quran does not detail how that process was executed in relation to Mary. It uses the euphemism "farj" for the location where the breath was sent 66:12 a word referring to the space between 2 things, in this instance the legs. Farj is used for both men and women 23:5,33:35 eloquently but indirectly alluding to the private parts, which are located between that space. This process does not make Mary nor any part of her divine, just as God's breathing from His RUH in every human being doesnt make us or part of us divine 32:9,38:71-2. Ruhana/our breeze or breath is attached to God's name to stress its greatness, the particular connection it creates between the recipient and Allah, as is stated concerning the righteous 

58:22"These are they into whose hearts He has impressed faith, and whom He has strengthened with a RUH from Him/minhu". 

And just as the Quran associates the RUH with Jesus, it does the same with the prophet Muhammad in the context of divine inspiration 16:102.

The RUH sent by Allah, under His command, affects multiple people at once like the wind would. Similar usage is seen with the house of Allah or the month of Allah or the sakina of Allah/the soothing calmness that filled Muhammad and the believers, or the love from Allah bestowed upon Moses 20:39 etc. None of those things are considered parts of Allah, having any intrinsic power, or emanating from within His essence, or sharing in His divinity. Again, it is the RUH that breathed a portion of it into Mary, not Allah 

19:19"He (the RUH) said: I am only a messenger of your Lord, that I will give you a pure boy". 

The RUH is consistently described as in Allah's control and command. God in 21:91 attributes to Himself the breathing of a portion of the RUH into Mary, because the whole process is under His control. He commands the RUH to blow into Mary, and God alone gives power to the RUH to have the intended effect on Mary. The RUH has no intrinsic ability by itself other than what Allah grants it 

19:21"She said, when shall I have a boy when no mortal has touched me, nor have I been unchaste? He (the RUH) said; Even so; Your Lord says "It is easy to Me"

 3:47"He (the RUH) said; Allah creates what He pleases, when He has decreed a matter, He only says to it "BE" and it is".

The RUH, like the prophets of old, is a vessel through which God manifests His will. There are no ambiguities the like of which trinitarians have read into passages of the HB. It doesnt even say that this RUH is an emanation FROM Allah, but that it is something TO Allah, meaning belonging to Him, in His possession and full control. The RUH breathed into every human being just as the RUH breathed into Mary is said to be OF God because it BELONGS TO God. The action of God blowing the RUH does not hint to it emanating from inside of Him. The RUH is a breeze-like entity external to Allah. The action of God breathing it for the performance of a task, means He creates the conditions external to Him that make blowing to happen, so that the RUH is transferred from its location to where He wants it to be. For example God, whether in the times of Moses as depicted in the HB or the times of Muhammad as described in the Quran, is said to be literally fighting the disbelievers in battle, although the physical reality was that the believers were the ones waging war. Religious scriptures are replete with such usage of God acting, and His actions manifesting through conditions external to Him. So, instead of naively imagining a human like deity blowing air out of its lungs, one can easily preserve the overall Quranic axiom of divine transcendence, by paralleling what causes the RUH to be sent, to the meteorological causes that send the wind on earth 

30:46"And one of His signs is that He sends forth the winds bearing good news.."

Lastly, what should be kept in mind as regards the RUH, is that it is an issue of which very little knowledge has been imparted to the humans, other than it is an entity under Allah's complete grasp and control 17:85 as demonstrated earlier. Therefore, like every reality pertaining to the Hereafter or the heavenly realm, only a glimpse of its true nature and manner in which it operates can be accessible to our perception in this life.

Gabriel is a highly ranked archangel, and is so powerful as stated in sura takwir above, that evil spirits cannot overpower him; he is the head of all angels and whatever is entrusted to him by the Almighty, he fully protects. The adjective, "one (to be) obeyed", shows that there are other angels under his command. 

Angels in general have thus been specifically pointed as the carriers of divine revelation, necessarily making the belief in them a tenet of faith 2:177,285. At two points during Muhammad's revelational experience, the angel Gabriel, the one repeatedly singled out as the possessor of mighty strength, became to him as a clearly perceptible, almost tangible presence, revealing himself in his true shape and form 81:19-25,53:4-18. As a side note, in 53:10"And He revealed to His servant what He revealed", the 3 pronouns refer to God who always revealed to His servant Muhammad through His angelic messenger Gabriel, who had come unusually close to the prophet on that occasion. There are many examples throughout the Quran of instances where the object of the pronoun is absent from the close context but is nevertheless implied either through logical deduction as in 35:45 where the "it" implies the earth, or through an established pattern as is here the case.

Very few humans have had the privilege of such visions of the heavenly creatures. They mostly appear in this world in the shape of humans, it therefore is a great favor from the Creator to make a human capable of withstanding such a vision. The HB speaks of Ezekiel's visions of the throne bearing angels in their true form. But what is to be noted is that even during those intense encounters, clear signs were shown to Muhammad to make him understand that there always will remain areas of knowledge no human mind can penetrate, which the Creator has reserved for Himself. 

Divine inspiration transmitted to an individual by an angel is not something unique to Muhammad. Although the Tanakh (like the Quran) recognizes that every prophet receives the ruh/ruach that allows divine inspiration, it is mostly silent on whom the carrier of that inspiration is, except in Daniel's case whose visions, prophetic dreams and inspiration were brought by a third party, who was none other than the angel Gabriel/Jibreel Dan7:15,8:16,9:21. The fact that Gabriel is referred to as "a man" is due to his appearance in the form of a man in Daniel's vision. Gabriel, along with another angel, would later appear to Daniel while awake, but still in the shape of a man. He was sent to Daniel to reveal to him the meaning of a frightening vision he had. Again in 

Dan9:21"While I was still speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I saw in the vision at first, approached me in swift flight about the time of the evening offering". 

Gabriel proceeded by transmitting divine revelation upon Daniel.

Moses himself is described as receiving his ever first communication with God through an angel Ex3:2. Other prophets received revelation through angels. In dreams, Jacob was regularly visited by angelic messengers Gen31:11. Same for Elisha 2Kings1:3 or Zechariah's angelic visions later on throughout the book attributed to him.  We also read that the spirit of God descending on an individual is always a pre-condition for prophethood. Even a regular person receiving the spirit of God automatically becomes a prophet Numb11:16-30. In fact we read that when God intends to speak with a prophet, He does so through an angel Numb22:20,35 and it was enough for the prophet Iddo to be convinced of the truthfulness of a man claiming to be a prophet when the latter said he received revelation through an angel 1Kings13:18. 

When the prophets David and Solomon were visited in dreams by "the Lord", it obviously doesnt mean God physically appeared to them. God visiting these men means He made His will known to them through some means, like the angels 1Kings3:5. Not in one instance is there any prophet who was in this way "visited by the Lord" ever speaking of having literally seen the divine essence. 

Prophetic revelation through angels, and more particularly through Gabriel, was therefore an already well established knowledge at least among the people of the book before the beginning of Muhammad's mission. The prophet himself claimed very early on in Mecca as seen from the above verses, that it was an angel who was carrying down revelation to him, not directly through God. The non-believing Arabs, who also believed in the existence of angels but had corrupted it by calling them God's daughters, echoed that claim by challenging him to show those angels of revelation 15:6-7. The Quran would reply to this demand and other similar ones that firstly angels, when they enter the physical realm, only appear in human form and that second, should they ever be sent as per the request of a disbelieving people, then the punishment would immediately follow.

Sam Shamoun "The Incomplete Quran: Whom Did Muhammad See?" (2)

Sam Shamoun "The Incomplete Quran: Whom Did Muhammad See?" (2)

The Quranic concept of Allah being the indirect cause of all things because of the laws of causality established and allowed by Him is reflected in many instances. In the language of the Quran everything is with God and is sent down to men 15:21. From the rain falling from the clouds 16:65 to even the most insignificant things like the clothes man wears 7:26,16:80-1 that are found in the cattle 16:5 which were themselves sent down 39:6. The same is the case with iron 57:25, the prime symbol used in the Quran to denote God's having endowed mankind with the ability to engineer, convert to his use the natural resources of his natural environment. Allah is thus 57:3"the Apparent and the Hidden". He is the transcendental cause of all that exists and at the same time inherently operating in every phenomenon. That higher reality is beautifully pictured in the opening verses of sura hadid, the chapter of the iron.

 It is Allah Who holds the birds up in the air, yet they are themselves expanding and contracting their wings 16:79,24:41,67:19. 

He is the "splitter" of the seed grain 6:95. He is the One to have multiplied the humans on earth 23:79. He established, allows and sustains the reproductive system resulting in us multiplying. He makes people laugh or cry because He controls and allows all the processes of causality from birth till death, and beyond 53:43-8. 

This higher principle present in every aspect of life, of which the God-conscious is always aware of, is mentionned by Ibrahim to his people 

26:78-81"Who created me then He has shown me the way, and He who gives me to eat and gives me to drink, and when i am sick, He restores me to health, and He who will cause me to die and give me life".

This Quranic style of reminding the believer the true meaning of God's all-encompassing ownership, power and authority is also conveyed with the taking of the soul which is attributed to Allah 39:42,53:44 the angel of death 32:11, and a group of angels 6:61, or the movement of clouds of which God is responsible 24:43 because He is the originator and constant sustainer of the various meteorological phenomena leading to a cloud's movement 7:57,35:9,56:69. The recording of the Book of Deeds is attributed to Allah 4:81,36:12,58:6,78:29 and to the honourable angels guarding each person in this world 13:11,50:16-18,82:10-12. 

This is a concept found in previous religious books too and in fact is an axiom of HB scriptural exegisis, that a person's agent is like himself; the agent's action is considered as though his principal had performed it. 

There are many instances such as in Ex12:12 where it is God personally who promises to punish the Egyptians yet a few verses down in v23 it is the "destroyer". Or throughout Isaiah where "the Lord spoke" to such and such while it in fact was the prophet relating the divine inspiration to such a person Isa7:10. Again in Isa22:11 it is God who is said to have built what king Hezekiah made 2Chron32:5 and this is because he was acting as God's agent during the process, trusting Him in his endeavours 2kings18:5. In 2Sam24:1 it is God that incites David to conduct a census while in 1Chron21:1 it is Satan, the adversary that does God's work. Hasatan by the way is an angel, just as the angel sent on specific occasions during the Israelites' exodus to execute the will of God Ex14,23,33etc. God in all those instances was "with" the Israelites through His messenger angel, the same way as a commander talking to the citizen of his nation, telling them he is with them although his soldiers are the ones defending the people.  This angel/messenger of the Lord by the way is incapable of forgiving sins Ex23. It is thus very surprising that Christians would use this type of proof text as an indication of the HB having multiple divine persons. Further the book of Hebrews openly states Jesus is not an angel Heb1. 

This kind of language, where the agent is called God or the consequence of an agent's actions is attributed to God, is common to the Semitic revelations, and found throughout the Quran too. It stems from the monotheistic notion that God is the creator of all things, including the laws of causality which He maintains and allows at each instant. These are straightforward notions to a person imbedded in Abrahamic monotheism. But as soon as these concepts are read through the lens of polytheistic cultures where multiple gods interract among oneanother and independantly influence the lives of the humans, then confusions appear. That is why one will never find an Israelite reading trinity or any other speculation on God's unity in any of the passages proposed by Christians.

Sam Shamoun "The Incomplete Quran: Whom Did Muhammad See?" (1)

Sam Shamoun "The Incomplete Quran: Whom Did Muhammad See?" (1)

The moment during which the Quran started descending to the heart of the prophet wasnt a random point in time. It was in the night, as darkness symbolically stands for a time of spiritual obscurity. A prophet's advent is always preceded by such darkness. And neither was it a random night. It was during the month of Ramadan 2:185, during the specific night of qadr/destiny 97:1, a most blessed night 44:3. It is blessed because in it the world received the greatest manifestation of Divine light. The exact date when the night occurs hasnt been specified by the prophet. He purposefully said it is on one of the last 5 odd nights of Ramadan. The prophet could have specified a day but chose not to. The Quran itself does not prescribe the believers to seek that night as a means of getting a "shortcut" to salvation. This creates a yearning in the believers in seeking it, given its spiritual, metaphysical importance. Each one seeks it according to his desire for it, thereby testing his level of spiritual thirst. It is in this test that the blessings of this night are concealed

 "Whoever establishes the prayers on the night of Qadr out of sincere faith and hoping to attain Allah's rewards (not to show off) then all his past sins will be forgiven".

Linguistically, the Quran descending in one night does not necessarily imply it entirely descended on that specific night. The Quran is a composite entity spoken of as "Quran" even while it wasnt yet entirely revealed 43:2-4 just as it is said to be the book before it was a complete book. Even in everyday speak, a portion of it is said to be "Quran". So it is perfectly accurate to say of the Quran that it has descended on a specific moment in time, even though it was just the beginning of this glorious process. Finally, even those that argue that the Quran did entirely descend on that night, still say that this descent was partial, remaining suspended somewhere in the heavens from where it was sent on occasions unto the prophet's heart.

Further readings answering Sam Shamoun "The Incomplete Quran: Whom Did Muhammad See?"

Acts17apologetics crack Islamic code; Quran is easy to understand?

Islam Critiqued is no textual critic; incoherent, garbled quran?

Sam Shamoun "Muhammad the Womanizing Sensualist" (2)

Sam Shamoun "Muhammad the Womanizing Sensualist" (2)

As to Layla bint Khutaim/Khatim, she offered herself to the prophet at a seemingly advanced age. Ibn Saad reports how she was with her 2 daughters and 2 grand daughters when the prophet arrived in Medina. The prophet accepted her marriage proposal, probably as he thought it could help improve her situation. Upon learning of the news, her people urged her to ask for a divorce, which the prophet granted her, citing the reason that 

"Evil is what you have done! You are a jealous woman and the prophet has several wives who are jealous about him and will invoke Allah against you". 

As a side note, there is a notoriously flawed mistranslation of that report gladly picked up by the enemies of Islam 

"you are a self respecting woman but the prophet is a womanizer". 

The Arabic says "anti imra'atun ghira/you are a jealous woman" "wal nabi sahib nisa' tagharin alayh/and the prophet has women jealous for him". 

Further readings answering Sam Shamoun "Muhammad the Womanizing Sensualist"

Acts17apologetics find a Biblical pattern; Can prophets lust after many women? 

Acts17apologetics uncover a paradox; prophet refusing advantages?

Acts17apologetics are suspicious; convenient revelations?

Sam Shamoun "Muhammad the Womanizing Sensualist" (1)

Sam Shamoun "Muhammad the Womanizing Sensualist" (1)

When God promises to bless Abraham's progeny, he does so indiscriminately as reflected both in Gen12,17 and the Quran in 3:33. The promise of spiritual leadership extended to the RIGHTEOUS among the descendants of Abraham because of his pure obedience not unconditionally to any one branch, Israelite or Ishmaelite 2:123-141,37:113. God is not bound to anyone group 2:89-90. His guidance is open to all of humanity indiscriminately 39:41,10:57,14:52. 

The Quran doesnt remove the Israelites from the Abrahamic promise, but restored the righteous among the Ishmaelites to their rightful place as being bearers of this same promise. The prejudiced and ethno-centred Israelites in the times of the prophet Muhammad went to great extents in trying to hide this reality. The Quran relates how they openly favoured polytheism to Islamic monotheism in order to appease the Meccans. This is unsurprising to anyone familiar with their history as described on their own books, treacherously allying with one another's pagan enemies for the fleeting benefits of this world. They knew the Arabs would naturally assume that they, monotheists like Muhammad, were most likely to adhere to his message. This made the Meccans hesitant in allying with them against Islam. 

To appease their suspicions, the Jews would publicly deny the concept of prophethood altogether, even paying their respects to the idols. They denied God had ever revealed Books to prophets previously

 6:91"Allah has not revealed anything to a mortal. Say: Who revealed the Book which Musa brought, a light and a guidance to men, which you make into scattered writings which you show while you conceal much? And you were taught what you did not know, (neither) you nor your fathers". 

The traditions speak of a delegation of Medinite Jews sent to Mecca after the battle of Uhud, seeking to form a political alliance 

"Your are people of Scripture and Muhammad has a Scripture and we are not completely sure that this is a scheme that you devised. So if you want us to go along with you, you have to prostrate to these two idols and believe in them". 

The Quran flagged them with a description that echoed throughout history, past, as attested in their own books, present, as they were doing during the rise of Islam, and modern 

5:80"You will see many of them befriending those who disbelieve; certainly evil is that which their souls have sent before for them".

The Jewish delegation preferred revering the idols whom their prophets warned them against, so as to reassure the Quraysh 

2:109,4:51"Have you not seen those to whom a portion of the Book has been given? They believe in idols and false deities and say of those who disbelieve: These are better guided in the path than those who believe". 

Up until 4:54, the passage relates the same prejudiced theme the Jews had in regards to prophethood. They could not fathom how would God favor another nation in that aspect. But they were told and reminded that the object of their envy, ie prophethood, when it came in the line of Ibrahim, it was never meant to be the prerogative of one branch or another. It was given to Ibrahim's progeny indiscriminately.  Ibn Kathir reports how ibn Abbas explained the Jews' "envy" towards the Muslims

 "We are the worthy people, rather than the rest of the people". 

This contradicts al-Suyuti's strange reason of revelation of 4:54 also attributed to ibn Abbas; "The people of Scripture said: 

“Muhammad claims that he has been given what he has been given; yet he is humble. But he has nine wives and his main concern is to have sexual intercourse (with his wives). Which dominion is better than this?” 

It would be strange for the Jews to envy the prophet for having 9 wives when their own scriptures put no limit on polygamy, beside the fact that this "envy" is in relation to the Muslims in general not to the prophet in particular, as accurately interpreted by ibn Kathir.

This attitude of the Jews toward Quraysh and their favouring of the latter's paganism over the monotheism of Muhammad was in sharp contrast with the attitude of the Christian Negus of Abyssinia who sheltered and protected the early days persecuted Muslims of Mecca 

5:82"Certainly you will find the most violent of people in enmity for those who believe (to be) the Jews and those who are polytheists, and you will certainly find the nearest in friendship to those who believe (to be) those who say: We are Christians; this is because there are priests and monks among them and because they do not behave proudly". 

Christians in addition, contrary to the Jews, do not hold the arrogant belief of a special relation with God; their "priests and monks" teach them humility. Christians also reject the Jewish notion of unconditional, everlasting chosenness as the leading spiritual nation to mankind, drawing them closer to the Muslim understanding of religion from that aspect.

The Israelites were blessed was because of Abraham. Abraham heard the voice of the Lord and obeyed, and because of this, God promised his descendants spiritual leadership of humanity 

53:37"Abraham, who to his trust was true". 

The purpose of mentioning this attribute of Abraham to both the Quraysh/Ishmaelites and the People of the Book/Israelites is to admonish them that the high status achieved by Abraham in this world and in the next was the result of showing complete obedience and faithfulness to God. He earned that honorary status and his descendants too would have to earn it 

2:140-1"That is a nation that has passed away; theirs is that which they have earned and yours is what you earned; you shall not be questioned for what they had been doing". 

A nation should rely upon its own deeds, not on its past history. 

This Abrahamic promise is thus conditional, provided his descendants faithfully fulfill certain obligations. As Jesus says in the NT 

"And do not think you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham".  

After they were tasked under oath to be the bearers of the truth to the nations, the descendants of Isaac were sent many prophets from among their own people, some of them distanced by 400 years such as Malachi and Jesus. The sending of many prophets isnt a blessing but a stain against them because the majority of these prophets were sent to bring them back to the right path, as stated in the HB, to remind them of the terms of the covenant. Jesus alludes to this multiple times, especially in his parable of the King, who sends his servants, and finally his son whom they murder. Jesus tells them that as a consequence their nation will be destroyed and a new nation will come forth which will establish the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth. History bares witness that what the Israelites failed to do with multiple Prophets, the Ishmaelites did with one.

In Sura Baqara, the Israelites are thrice reminded 2:40,47,122 how Allah made them a great nation, through the prophets and revelations that made them a beacon of spiritual light. But as they turned away from the straight path, forsaking the ways of righteousness, they became unworthy of that exaltedness. Their history of greatness and failure serves in the Quran as an example to the new Abrahamic nation. 

Where a line of the children of Ibrahim failed and were consequently deposed from their responsibilities, despite the sending of numerous prophets among them, the other line believed and held fast by what was revealed to them. 

The believers in the times of the prophet were those told to ignore the prejudiced talk of the Jews and focus on what was revealed upon them 

45:16-9" And certainly We gave the Book and the wisdom and the prophecy to the children of Israel, and We gave them of the goodly things, and We made them excel the nations..Then We have made you follow a course in the affair, therefore follow it, and do not follow the low desires of those who do not know.."

As to the efforts of some (mainly, if not only, Bible-ignorant Christians) to exclude Ishmael's progeny (or any other non-Israelite branch) from potential chosenness for prophehood based on Ishmael's supposed exclusion from the Abrahamic covenant, firstly, God in the Torah is reported to have announced several covenants with Abraham, not only one, and none of them is related to prophethood being the sole prerogative of one branch or another. In Gen15:18-21,17:2,8,10 we read about the covenant of dominion over the land of Canaan by Abraham's offspring, the covenant that would increase his descendants in numbers, and the covenant of circumcision of his male children including all those living in his household that are not his male offspring. We read in Gen17:17-27 that Ishmael was made fully part of the covenant of circumcision. This practice remained among some of the pre-islamic Arabs of Mecca that had maintained the tradition. The passage also says that the covenant of blessed and fruitful nation will apply to Ishmael. 

The only covenant that isnt explicitly mentionned as covering him is the one of dominion over the land of Canaan. This is why God in Gen17:19 is reported to have accepted and did not deny Abraham's request that Ishmael might "live before the Lord" (an expression of righteousness and sacrifice to God). But God added further qualification in relation to the land covenant 

(judaica press translation) "And Abraham said to God "If only Ishmael might live before you!" And God said, "Indeed, your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you shall name him Isaac, and I will establish My covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his seed after him.." 

That is the covenant continuously spoken of all over the Hebrew scriptures as applying to the Israelites only, lamented over, prophesied about to be restored following every destruction. This covenant will eventually forever be reinstated in the Messianic era. See for example Jer11:1-5 or when Isaiah prophesied the renewal of the covenant he stated

 Isa49:8"I will make you for a people of a covenant, to establish a land, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages". 

The psalmist remembers the covenant in this way 

Ps105:9-11"Which He had made with Abraham, and His oath to Isaac, And He set it up to Jacob as a statute, to Israel as an everlasting covenant, Saying, "To you I shall give the land of Canaan, the portion of your heritage."" 

A reminder of that covenant with the seed of Isaac, and it being related to land rights is reiterated in 1Chr16:15-18. King David, in his last days, as he gathered the leaders of the community and announced his succession through his son Solomon, as he told them that the responsibility to build the Temple to shelter the Ark of God would rest upon his son, he reminded everyone that 

1Chr28:8"And now, before the eyes of all Israel, the congregation of the Lord, and in the ears of our God, observe and seek all the commandments of the Lord your God, in order that you inherit the good land and bequeath it to your sons after you forever".

Sam Shamoun "Muhammad: The Signless Prophet"

Sam Shamoun "Muhammad: The Signless Prophet"

The Quran does not say the last prophet cannot do any miracles by God's will. Before getting into that, let us just take a look at the HB.

Deut13 warns the people to be very suspicious of anyone with the ability to perform what may seem as unexplainable supernatural deeds. The NT similarly says false prophets may be allowed the performance of miracles as a matter of test to the believers Matt24:4-5,23-25,2Thess2:9-10. John the Baptist was a true prophet but performed no supernatural miracles Jn10:41,Matt21:25-26. Jesus, despite the spectacular wonders he performed, failed doing so when challenged by his opponents. 

Compare this to Muhammad whose miracle of eloquence was made available for all. His opponents labelled it magic and sorcery, as they could not accept its message while the Muslims believed it as God-sent. This is the typical reaction of one bent on denying the truth, who will always find an excuse to remain in disbelief

15:15"Even if we had opened opened a gate for them in heaven, and they had begun to ascend through it during day time, they would have said; our eyes have been dazzled, nay we have been bewitched".

Their constant demand for a "sign" although they would obviously never believe it no matter how clear it is, even if it came in accordance with their desires, was thus rejected, just as Jesus did. In 6:111,10:95-101 Allah speaks of those who continuously reject His communications, they will not believe no matter what sign is shown to them. All scriptures speak of such rejectors bent on denying revelation no matter what. In fact if they truly wanted a sign and werent instead seeking excuses for their disbelief, they would have at least considered the surrounding signs that point to the realities of which the Quran speaks of verse after verse. But the fact is these obdurate disbelievers see the Truth only when the promised divine torment in this earth or death overtakes them, just as Pharao came to believe only when he was drowning.

When Jesus was challenged by the wicked Pharisees to display supernatural wonders as he did in his ministry, he answered them

Mk8:11-13"Why does this generation ask for a miraculous sign? I tell you the truth, no sign will be given to it."

Jesus categorically denied them the performance of Signs. True to his word, Jesus never appeared to those very people who demanded him a miracle after his alleged resurrection. Although as a side note he is depicted as saying elsewhere that he will indeed reappear resurrected to them Matt12:39 yet in reality he never did. In fact the risen Jesus never appears to anyone but believers. Those stubborn disbelievers demanded miracles to excuse their unbelief.

The demand of a sign in itself is not condemnable when it is motivated by a desire of assurance of an already existing, sincere belief. Even prophets requested such signs from God, seeking to know the reality, the functioning of concepts like the resurrection 2:259-60. This is because prophets often had to face the staunchest barrages of calumnies and opposition, and would thus seek personal comfort, requesting to see miracles on a private level and not to vindicate themselves publicly. However when such demand is but a challenge with the aim of comforting one's disbelief, a mere display of mockery, then God either rejects the demand through His prophets or immediately punishes the culprits. This happened to the Jews who, after witnessing all sorts of signs and wonders in Egypt and during their journey, still demanded to see this God whom Moses claimed to have conversed with 2:55,4:153.

When some challenged similarly the prophet Muhammad, arguing that the absence of supernatural wonders is the reason of their disbelief, they are told that they instead have no real desire in them to seek the right guidance. Miracles do not conform to the whims and demands of such people, neither does Allah force belief upon anyone 10:99 much less if the person deliberately turns away from it. He lets such persons wander in their own ways 13:27.

In the NT Jesus reiterates the principle that miracles were only granted to those who desired them to confirm their faith, as Abraham or Gideon before (Judges6), and to grant satisfaction to those that already incline to truth. Miracles are not for those who

6:109"swear by Allah with the strongest of their oaths, that if a sign came to them they would most certainly believe in it. Say: Signs are only with Allah; and what should make you know that when it comes they will not believe?". 

Thomas and Philip for example Jn14 believed and inclined to the truth but wanted satisfaction and clearing of some remaining doubts. Jesus used the miracle argument to comfort them, he is not addressing unbelievers and trying to convert them using miracles, he is addressing believers and reminding them of his miracles as a support to some specific claim. Same in Jn11:1-44. In fact we even read in Mk10:46-52,Matt9:27-30 how it is faith that actually causes Jesus' miracles to succeed.

In Nazareth, Jesus was unable to do "powerful works" because he was not believed in. In Luke24 Jesus, after his crucifixion and alleged resurrection, encounters 2 men who declare their disbelief in Jesus, thinking that his mission had failed. Instead of revealing his identity which would have been a compelling evidence for them to believe, scolds them for their disbelief in scriptures which he claimed he fulfilled. His demand was to have faith in scriptures without the need to resort to supernatural evidence. Jesus alludes to this reality again in a parable where a disbeliever put in hell requests the performance of a miracle to his people -who possess and know the scriptures- still on earth that they might believe

Lk16:19-31"If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead".

The Quran, after mentioning the various miracles of Jesus, points that these were signs for the believers 3:49. Jesus, and the few other Prophets through whom God showed miracles, werent going around town squares performing magic tricks to awe passers by, or clapping their hands to cause rainfall upon request.

Simon, Peter, James and John did not need the slightest miracle to believe in Jesus' prophethood Matt4,Jn1:35-51 but all are said to "believe" in Jesus a second time after they saw his miracles and that is because it strengthened their already existing belief Jn2:11. 

When Moses was sent to announce the future deliverance of the Israelites, he was strengthened with miracles and sent to the elders of the community, those grounded in knowledge, devoted to study, already inclined to the truth and knew God Ex4. They were those who would first and foremost believe Moses' words and this is because they had preserved and faithfully transmitted the knowledge, that God would eventually remember them and lead them out of Egypt into the land promised to Abraham Gen50:24-25. The sign would be that one would come to them with the words matching exactly that promise and therefore Moses was commanded to remind them of it with the same words as sufficient proof of his prophethood Ex3:15-18.

From a purely comparative viewpoint, supposing Moses or Jesus' miracles were productive and crucial in supporting their missions as well as gathering followers, which they clearly were not, as seen from how readily the Israelites strayed from the path during and after Moses, as well as the very few number of followers in Jesus' lifetime despite all the miracles he showed. The fact remains that, like every action, a miracle is only temporary in nature and can not be seen twice. It disappears and becomes history as soon as performed, leaving those that did not witness it to rely at best on those claiming to have seen it. This issue in itself isnt really problematic so long as the line of prophethood hasnt been discontinued yet, since the subsequent prophet will perform his own miracles and endorse the prophet who preceded him. And the cycle would continue.

With Muhammad, the case was different. He was the Final of the prophets. His prophethood had to be asserted through miracles different than those bestowed in support of the likes of Moses, because no action can last long enough to be seen by other generations. Nor could he rely on the endorsement of a subsequent prophet. Thus the nature of the miracle that had to serve as decisive evidence of his truthfulness had to be of a different type. It had to be lasting in order to be witnessed and tested by the future generations as well as by his contemporaries. For that purpose, nothing was more adapted to the technology of the time than a miraculous speech, recorded in writing, preserved through a divine pledge as opposed to every past scripture, so that its superiority in terms of the truth it conveys, as well as the intricate subtlety of its content be witnessed and tested at any time by any generation to come. That is why the Quran repeatedly points to itself as proof of prophethood, although nowhere is it denied that the prophet could or did perform miracles of the type of "wonder workings". The ahadith contain more details, and the Quran passingly alludes to the disbelievers witnessing such secondary signs but remained in denial 2:118,37:14-15,38:4. Among such signs was the instance where the moon was split for all to see 54:1.

The Quran thus never denies the prophet Muhammad's ability, by God's will, of performing miracles the types of which his opponents demanded. It however drives home the point that the divine wonders will never be made to conform to the whims of the disbelievers.

Besides, to base one's faith on the sight of "miracles" is very dangerous for one never really knows whether the "miracle" was in fact an illusion or other clever trick. The prophet Moses' opponents reflected that reality when they described his miracles as illusion without external reality

7:132"And they said; whatever sign you bring us to bewitch us, we are not going to believe you".

As the HB says, God may even purposefully allow a false prophet to perform miracles as a test to the people, whether their hearts and minds will be dazzled and swayed into ungodly ways or remain steadfast in their faith. In Ex7:11 Pharaoh commands his court magicians to imitate with their magic Moses' miracles, and some of these miracles were in fact successfully replicated, showing that seemingly supernatural occurrences do not necessarily come from God. 

Miracles therefore, whether in the Quran or the HB, do not serve the function of attesting to an individual claim to prophethood, rather have the twofold purpose of comforting an already believing heart as well as demonstrate the tremendous responsibilities of those that witness it.

The Bible doesnt even give instructions on how to recognize demonic miracles because technically, they are no different than the divine ones. But it shows how to recognize if the author is a false messenger. The djinn, as described in the story of the prophet Solomon, are capable of what is deemed supernatural bending of the expected laws of nature. But what they have no access to, except as Allah deems fit, is knowledge of the unseen, information that could only be obtained through revelation. Knowledge of the unseen, and of information that could not have been accessible to the messenger, prophecies coming true, uprightness of character are all very strong indications of a person's claims of prophethood. That is why the Quran, although it never denies that its messenger could and did perform miracles, treats this aspect of prophethood as inconsequential in determining the veracity of the claim, dismissing the requests of the doubters and disbelievers and leaving the matter to the Creator. The sending of signs is at all times depending in His will and wisdom. The Quran therefore, in its arguments, brings repeated attention the aforementioned 4 aspects of prophethood, with an additional focus on knowledge; based on what authority, and knowledge do the disbelievers among the polytheists and people of the book persist in their denial and deviations 

46:4"Say, [O Muhammad], "Have you considered that which you invoke besides Allah? Show me what they have created of the earth; or did they have partnership in [creation of] the heavens? Bring me a scripture [revealed] before this or a [remaining] trace of knowledge, if you should be truthful."

In conclusion, messengership does not necessitate that the forces of nature be bent at will and upon request. Miracles are entirely dependent on God's will and the prophets are nothing but mere mortals tasked with transmitting a message of warnings and glad tidings

17:90-3"And they say, we will by no means believe in you until you cause a fountain to gush forth..or you should cause the heavens to come down...or bring Allah and the angels face to face...or you should have a house of gold...Say; Glory be to God, am I aught but a mortal messenger?"

Further reading

 When disbelievers demand a miracle