Does Isaiah predict Muhammad, the illiterate prophet?

In Isaiah 29:12 we find the verse

 
    Or if you give the scroll to someone who cannot read, 
    and say, "Read this, please," 
    he will answer, "I don't know how to read." 

and there are Muslims who claim that this is a prediction of Muhammad, and his first experience in the cave on Mt. Hira where Gabriel supposedly pressured him to read, but he could not.

However, looking into the context of this verse will make clear that this is a complete misinterpretation. There is no prediction of a future prophet in this passage. In the contrary.

Isaiah 29 is a chapter of announcing punishment on Israel.

3  I will encamp against you all around; 
   I will encircle you with towers 
   and set up my siege works against you. 
4  Brought low, you will speak from the ground; 
   your speech will mumble out of the dust. 
   Your voice will come ghostlike from the earth; 
   out of the dust your speech will whisper. 

and as part of the punishment we read that God will also take away the ability to read (understand) the holy word because they have disobeyed it for so long. In particular, verse 10 states clearly that the prophets and seers themselves will be put to sleep and no longer receive revelation from the LORD.

 9  Be stunned and amazed, blind yourselves and be sightless; 
    be drunk, but not from wine, stagger, but not from beer. 
10  The LORD has brought over you a deep sleep: 
    He has sealed your eyes, the prophets; 
    he has covered your heads, the seers. 
11  For you this whole vision is nothing but words sealed in a scroll. 
    And if you give the scroll to someone who can read, and say to him, 
    "Read this, please," he will answer, "I can't; it is sealed." 
12  Or if you give the scroll to someone who cannot read, and say, 
    "Read this, please," he will answer, "I don't know how to read." 
13  The Lord says: "These people come near to me with their mouth 
    and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 
    Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men. 

Would Muslims really want to say that this refers to Muhammad? The heart far from God, with worship that is not according to God's will but according to what men have invented (v.13) and that his inability to read is part of God's punishment? It is a sign of God putting a deep sleep on the people regarding spiritual matters, so that regardless how knowledgeable they are, they would nevertheless be unable to read (comprehend) what the word of God means.

Be careful what passages you claim for him! Maybe this does indeed describe Muhammad?


Bible Commentary Index
Answering Islam Home Page