If the Bible doesn't predict a future Gentile prophet like Muhammad then Islam is false. But if the Bible does predict a future Gentile prophet then Islam is false. Either way Islam must be false.
The dilemma is built on the Quranic claim that Muhammad is mentioned in the Torah and the Gospel (Surah 7:157). If this claim is tested against the text of the Bible, two paths emerge.
Surah 3:81 - When Allah made a covenant with the prophets,“Now that I have given you the Book and wisdom, if there comes to you a messenger confirming what you have, you must believe in him and support him.” He added, “Do you affirm this covenant and accept this commitment?” They said, “Yes, we do.” Allah said, “Then bear witness, and I too am a Witness.”
Surah 7:157 - The ones who follow the Messenger, the unlettered Prophet, whose description they find in their Torah and the Gospel. He commands them to do good and forbids them from evil, permits for them what is lawful and forbids to them what is impure, and relieves them from their burdens and the shackles that bound them. Those who believe in him, honour and support him, and follow the light sent down to him will be successful.”
Surah 61:6 - And when Jesus, son of Mary, said, “O children of Israel! I am truly Allah’s messenger to you, confirming the Torah which came before me, and giving good news of a messenger after me whose name will be Aḥmad.” Yet when the Prophet came to them with clear proofs, they said, “This is pure magic.”
If the Bible contains no prophecies regarding a future, non-Israelite prophet like Muhammad, then the Quranic claim in these verses above is factually incorrect.
The Quranic Claim: "Those who follow the Messenger, the unlettered prophet, whom they find written in what they have of the Torah and the Gospel..."
The Biblical Counter: If a search of the Hebrew and Greek Scriptures yields no such figure, the Quran’s assertion fails. Under this branch, Islam is false because its own scripture makes a historical and textual claim about the Bible that cannot be verified.
If one argues that the Bible does predict a future prophet, it is usually through passages like Deuteronomy 18:18 or the "Paraclete" in John 14–16.
However, if these prophecies are accepted as valid, the prophet must adhere to the standards set by those same scriptures.
The Standard of Prophecy: The Bible establishes strict criteria for true vs. false prophets.
Deuteronomy 13:1-3: A prophet who suggests following other gods (or a different conception of God) is to be rejected.
Galatians 1:8: "But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse!"
The Doctrinal Clash: The Bible identifies Jesus as the Son of God and the crucified Savior (Matthew 16:16, 1 Corinthians 15:3-4). The Quran explicitly denies the Sonship of Christ (Surah 9:30) and His crucifixion (Surah, 4:157). The Quran paraphrases and contradicts many stories in the Old Testament. In Genesis 22:1-2 it is Isaac whom Abraham goes to sacrifice NOT Isaac. The Quran nowhere say it was sent to correct corrupted scripture.
Yet Muslims try to find Muhammad in what they call partially corrupted Scriptures. It requires great mental gymnastice to cherry pick selected words from a sentence and ignore others in humans deciding what is original and what is not from the Quran. This is known as Circuilar Reasoning!
If the Bible predicts a prophet, that prophet cannot contradict the core theology of the Bible. Since Muhammad’s message contradicts the previous revelation (the Gospel), he would be classified as a false prophet by the very book that supposedly predicted him.