Ancient criteria of prophecy were applied selectively to predetermine Muhammad’s failure

Evidence

The Christian monk then explains “the signs of prophecy which oblige one to recognize the title of prophet and of apostle to him who shows them.” The Muslim notion of rasûl differs from Christian and Jewish notions of “prophet.” The Christian author does not acknowledge this, again suggesting that his real audience is fellow Christians and not his fictitious Muslim correspondent. The two signs of prophecy are revelation of things unknown (past and future) and performance of miracles. Muhammad foretold nothing, whereas the Hebrew prophets, Christ, and the apostles did. Muhammad produced no miracles, as the Koran expressly states; the miracles attributed to him are false. — John V. Tolan, Saracens, 394 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

Categorization

Category: Factual Claims

Related

• Medieval Christian polemicists judged Muhammad by Christian criteria for prophecy (similarity 0.92)
• Modern Western scholars retained medieval judgements about Muhammad. (similarity 0.89)
• Medieval Christians judged Muhammad by criteria his own theology did not claim (similarity 0.89)
• The fourfold prophecy tests were deliberately tailored to condemn Muhammad (similarity 0.88)
• Medieval polemicists read Ismael’s biblical disinheritance as prophecy of Islam’s enmity. (similarity 0.88)
• Christian polemicists seized on Muhammad’s wounds as proof he lacked divine protection (similarity 0.87)
• Medieval polemicists tested Muhammad as a prophet against falsifiability-style criteria (similarity 0.87)
• Medieval Christians held Muhammad’s lack of miracles as decisive against his prophethood (similarity 0.84)
• Christian polemicists explained Muhammad’s prophethood as a fraudulent bid for kingship (similarity 0.83)
• Medieval critics narrowed prophecy to future-telling to disqualify Muhammad. (similarity 0.81)
• Twelfth-century Christian polemic against Islam argued Muhammad failed the Old Testament prophetic test. (similarity 0.81)
• Polemicists attacked unsupported miracle claims to deny Muhammad prophethood (similarity 0.81)
• Medieval Christian polemicists read military defeats as disproof of prophets (similarity 0.81)
• Muhammad’s alleged false prophecy legitimized Christian political rule over Muslims (similarity 0.80)
• Christian polemicists studied Muslim revelation accounts seriously rather than dismissing them (similarity 0.80)

Broader Connections

• Medieval Christian polemicists judged Muhammad by Christian criteria for prophecy #corroborates (0.95) — John V. Tolan, Saracens, 394
• Polemical ‘signs of prophecy’ tests were rigged against Muhammad #expands (0.92)
• Christian polemicists measured Muhammad against Hebrew prophecy criteria he was not claiming to meet #corroborates (0.90)
• Medieval Christians held Muhammad’s lack of miracles as decisive against his prophethood #exemplifies (0.85) — Norman Daniel, Islam and the West, 1524
• Medieval Christian polemicists attacked Muhammad’s pagan youth as disqualifying prophecy #exemplifies (0.80) — Norman Daniel, Islam and the West, 469