Also, many Jewish and Christian scholars acknowledged and admitted that the attributes  of Muhammad  the Arabian  (Upon whom be blessings  and  peace)  were written in their scriptures.[305]  The famous Roman Emperor Heraclius, who was a non- Muslim himself, said: “Jesus foretold Muhammad’s coming.”[306]

Also, another Roman ruler called Muqawqis, the Governor of Egypt,[307] and celebrated  Jewish  scholars  and  leaders  such  as  Ibn Suriya,  Zubayr  b.  Batiya,  Ibn Akhtab and his brother Ka‘b b. Asad, although remaining non-Muslim, admitted: “He is described in our Books.”[308]

Also, some of the well-known Jewish scholars and Christian priests gave up their obduracy on seeing Muhammad’s (UWBP) attributes as described in the above- mentioned books, and believed in him. They then pointed out these references to other Jewish and Christian scholars, and convinced  them. Among them were the famous ‘Abdullah b. Salam, Wahb b. Munabbih, Abu Yasir, the two sons of Sa‘ya, Asid and Tha‘laba, and Shamul. The latter lived at the time of Tubba‘, the ruler of Yemen.[309]

Shamul became a believer before Muhammad’s prophetic mission and without ever seeing him, just as Tubba‘ did. While the guest of the Bani Nadir before the prophetic mission, a gnostic called Ibn al-Hayyaban, declared: “A prophet will soon appear, and this is the place he will emigrate to.” He died there. Later, when that tribe was at war with God’s Messenger (Upon whom be blessings and peace), Asid and Tha‘laba came forward and cried out to the tribe: “By God, he is the one Ibn al-Hayyaban promised would come. Don’t fight him!”[310] But they did not heed him, and paid the penalty.

[305] Ibn Hisham, al-Sirat al-Nabawiyya, i, 217; Bayhaqi, Dala’il al-Nubuwwa, ii, 744; Qadi Iyad, al- Shifa’, i, 363-5.

[306] Ibn Sayyid al-Nas, ‘Uyun al-Athar ii, 26; Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’ i, 364; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, 745.

[307] Suyuti, al-Khasa’is al-Kubra, ii, 139; Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 366; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 744-5; Ibn Kathir, al-Bidaya wa’l-Nihaya, iv, 80, 81, 272; Bayhaqi, Dala’il al-Nubuwwa, iii, 362; Waqidi, Kitab al-Maghazi, 403-4; Abu Nu’aym, Dala’il al-Nubuwwa, i, 85.

[308] Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 366; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 744-5; Ibn Kathir, al-Bidaya wa’l- Nihaya, iv, 80-1; Bayhaqi, Dala’il al-Nubuwwa, iii, 361-2; Waqidi, al-Maghazi 403-4; Ibn Jawzi, Sifat al-Safwa, iii, 361-2; Abu Nu’aym, Dala’il al-Nubuwwa, i, 79; ii, 492.

[309] Bayhaqi, Dala’il al-Nubuwwa, i, 367; ii, 526; vi, 240-9; al-Hindi, Kanz al-‘Ummal, xi, 401; xii, 390-408; Qadi Iyad, al-Shifa’, i, 364; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 739-43; al-Haythami, Majma’ al- Zawa’id, viii, 240.

[310] Bayhaqi, Dala’il al-Nubuwwa, ii, 80-1; iv, 31; ‘Ali al-Qari, Sharh al-Shifa’, i, 744-5; Yusuf Nabhani, Hujjat Allah ‘ala’l-‘Alamin, 137; Abu Nu’aym, Dala’il al-Nubuwwa, i, 82; Ibn al-Jawzi, Sifat al-Safwa, i, 87.