Jesus, the Comforter, and the Claims Regarding Muhammad

Jesus, the Comforter, and the Claims Regarding Muhammad: A Theological Inquiry
By Max Shimba Ministries Org

In the Gospel of John 15:26, Jesus declares:

“But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me.”

This passage is pivotal in Christian pneumatology (the study of the Holy Spirit). It clearly identifies the Comforter (Greek: Paraklētos) as the Holy Spirit, who is sent by Jesus from the Father and whose role is to testify of Jesus. The broader context of John 14–16 affirms that the Comforter is the Spirit of Truth who will dwell in the disciples (John 14:17), teach them all things (John 14:26), and glorify Jesus (John 16:14).

Evaluating the Islamic Claim That Muhammad is the Comforter

Some Islamic apologists argue that the Paraklētos (Comforter) refers to Muhammad. However, when examined critically, both biblically and historically, this interpretation collapses under scrutiny:

1. Was Muhammad given to the disciples?
   No. Muhammad was born approximately six centuries after Jesus’ ascension. He was not present in the time of the disciples, nor was he received by them, as the Holy Spirit was on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1–4).

2. Was Muhammad living at the time of the disciples?
   No. Muhammad lived in the 6th and 7th centuries AD (c. 570–632 AD), whereas the disciples of Jesus lived and ministered in the 1st century.

3. Was Muhammad living inside the disciples?
   This is an impossibility both biologically and theologically. The Gospel of John 14:17 says of the Comforter, “He dwelleth with you and shall be in you.” No human prophet, including Muhammad, can indwell believers. Only the Holy Spirit, a divine person, has that capacity.

4. Was Muhammad omnipresent?
   No. Omnipresence is an attribute of deity, not of created beings. Muhammad, as a human prophet in Islam, was not omnipresent. The Holy Spirit, however, is described as present in all believers simultaneously (cf. Romans 8:9–11).

5. Is Muhammad inside Christians?
   Again, this contradicts both Christian theology and Islamic teaching. Christians believe the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is essential to the new birth (John 3:5; Romans 8:9). Muhammad is not believed by Muslims to indwell anyone.

6. Did Muhammad teach about Jesus?
   Muhammad acknowledged Jesus in the Qur’an as a prophet and messenger but explicitly denied key aspects of Jesus' identity, such as His divinity (Qur’an 5:72), crucifixion (Qur’an 4:157), and Sonship (Qur’an 19:35). This is fundamentally incompatible with the Comforter's mission, which is to glorify and testify of Christ (John 16:14).

7. Was Muhammad a spirit?
   No. Muhammad was a man, not a spirit. The Comforter is called the Spirit of truth (John 14:17). Islam never claims Muhammad was a spirit or divine presence.

8. Was Muhammad from the Father?
   The Comforter is said to "proceed from the Father" (John 15:26), which implies eternal origin and divine nature. This language is Trinitarian, affirming the deity and eternal procession of the Spirit. No Islamic theology attributes divine procession from the Father to Muhammad.

9. Is Allah the Father?
   In Islam, Allah is not considered “Father” in any personal or relational sense (Qur’an 112:3; 5:18). This directly contradicts the New Testament revelation of God as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:3). Therefore, the God who sends the Comforter in John is the Christian God—the Father, not Allah of the Qur’an.

Logical Conclusion: If Muhammad is Claimed to be the Comforter, Then Jesus Is Claimed to Be Allah

If one were to argue—contrary to both Christian and Islamic theology—that Muhammad is the Comforter, then by necessity of John 15:26, one must also affirm that:

• Jesus sent Muhammad,

• Muhammad proceeded from the Father,

• and Muhammad glorifies and indwells believers.

This would make Jesus the sender of a divine being, thereby placing Him in the position of divine authority and omnipotence, a status Islam explicitly denies. Therefore, such a claim logically and theologically leads to the affirmation of Jesus’ divinity—ironically making Jesus equal with God, which contradicts Islamic monotheism (Tawḥīd).

Conclusion

The identity of the Comforter as the Holy Spirit is clear in both the immediate and wider biblical context. Attempts to reinterpret this as a prophecy of Muhammad are not only theologically inconsistent but also historically and linguistically unfounded.

Shalom,
Max Shimba Ministries Org

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