What do Christians believe about Muhammad?

Christians do not receive Muhammad as a prophet. The church confesses that Jesus is God, that he was crucified and raised, and that this was already being preached before Muhammad was born.

Key points

• Qur’an 33:40Muḥammad is not the father of [any] one of your men, but [he is] the Messenger of Allāh and seal [i.e., last] of the prophets. And ever is Allāh, of all things, Knowing.Qur’an 33:40 · Saheeh InternationalOpen on quran.com ↗ calls Muhammad the seal of the prophets. Christians do not share that sentence.
• Qur’an 4:157And [for] their saying, "Indeed, we have killed the Messiah, Jesus the son of Mary, the messenger of Allāh." And they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him; but [another] was made to resemble him to them. And indeed, those who differ over it are in doubt about it. They have no knowledge of it except the following of assumption. And they did not kill him, for certain.Qur’an 4:157 · Saheeh InternationalOpen on quran.com ↗ says Jesus was not killed and was not crucified. The Gospels say he was. Did Jesus die on the cross?
• John 1:1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.John 1:1 · King James Version says the Word was God. John 20:28And Thomas answered and said unto him, My LORD and my God.John 20:28 · King James Version records Thomas calling the risen Jesus Lord and God.
• Qur’an 46:9Say, "I am not something original among the messengers, nor do I know what will be done with me or with you. I only follow that which is revealed to me, and I am not but a clear warner."Qur’an 46:9 · Saheeh InternationalOpen on quran.com ↗ has Muhammad say he does not know what will be done with him. Sahih al-Bukhari 1243By Allah, I too wish him good, but by Allah, I do not know what Allah will do with me though I am Allah's Messenger (ﷺ).Sahih al-Bukhari 1243 · Muhammad Muhsin KhanOpen on sunnah.com ↗ has him say the same about himself while calling himself God’s messenger.
• Thomas Aquinas judged Muhammad’s message by proofs and by arms. The quotation below is his. The Christian confession beside it is the older one: Jesus is Lord and God.

What Muslims claim for him

Qur’an 33:40Muḥammad is not the father of [any] one of your men, but [he is] the Messenger of Allāh and seal [i.e., last] of the prophets. And ever is Allāh, of all things, Knowing.Qur’an 33:40 · Saheeh InternationalOpen on quran.com ↗ (Saheeh International) says:

Muḥammad is not the father of [any] one of your men, but [he is] the Messenger of Allāh and seal [i.e., last] of the prophets. And ever is Allāh, of all things, Knowing.

Qur’an 33:40 · Saheeh International

Qur’an · accepted by Muslims

Sahih al-Bukhari 4416Narrated Sa`d: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) set out for Tabuk. appointing `Ali as his deputy (in Medina). `Ali said, "Do you want to leave me with the children and women?" The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Will you not be pleased that you will be to me like Aaron to Moses? But there will be no prophet after me."Sahih al-Bukhari 4416 · Muhammad Muhsin KhanOpen on sunnah.com ↗ (Muhammad Muhsin Khan) says:

Narrated Sad: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) set out for Tabuk. appointing Ali as his deputy (in Medina). `Ali said, “Do you want to leave me with the children and women?” The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Will you not be pleased that you will be to me like Aaron to Moses? But there will be no prophet after me.”

Sahih al-Bukhari 4416 · Muhammad Muhsin Khan

Sunni hadith

That report is Sunni hadith. Which Muslims accept which hadith? The Qur’an verse is the shared book.

Qur’an 46:9Say, "I am not something original among the messengers, nor do I know what will be done with me or with you. I only follow that which is revealed to me, and I am not but a clear warner."Qur’an 46:9 · Saheeh InternationalOpen on quran.com ↗ (Saheeh International) has him say:

Say, “I am not something original among the messengers, nor do I know what will be done with me or with you. I only follow that which is revealed to me, and I am not but a clear warner.”

Qur’an 46:9 · Saheeh International

Qur’an · accepted by Muslims

What he said about Jesus

Qur’an 4:157And [for] their saying, "Indeed, we have killed the Messiah, Jesus the son of Mary, the messenger of Allāh." And they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him; but [another] was made to resemble him to them. And indeed, those who differ over it are in doubt about it. They have no knowledge of it except the following of assumption. And they did not kill him, for certain.Qur’an 4:157 · Saheeh InternationalOpen on quran.com ↗ denies the crucifixion the Gospels report. Qur’an 5:72They have certainly disbelieved who say, "Allāh is the Messiah, the son of Mary" while the Messiah has said, "O Children of Israel, worship Allāh, my Lord and your Lord." Indeed, he who associates others with Allāh - Allāh has forbidden him Paradise, and his refuge is the Fire. And there are not for the wrongdoers any helpers.Qur’an 5:72 · Saheeh InternationalOpen on quran.com ↗ (Saheeh International) says:

They have certainly disbelieved who say, “Allāh is the Messiah, the son of Mary” while the Messiah has said, “O Children of Israel, worship Allāh, my Lord and your Lord.” Indeed, he who associates others with Allāh - Allāh has forbidden him Paradise, and his refuge is the Fire. And there are not for the wrongdoers any helpers.

Qur’an 4:157 · Saheeh International

Qur’an · accepted by Muslims

Christians grant the Qur’an’s honor for Jesus as Messiah and as born of Mary, and they do not grant that denial. Sahih al-Bukhari 1243By Allah, I too wish him good, but by Allah, I do not know what Allah will do with me though I am Allah's Messenger (ﷺ).Sahih al-Bukhari 1243 · Muhammad Muhsin KhanOpen on sunnah.com ↗ (Muhammad Muhsin Khan) has him say, of himself:

By Allah, I too wish him good, but by Allah, I do not know what Allah will do with me though I am Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ). Jesus in the Qur’an and the Gospels Was Jesus a Muslim?

Sahih al-Bukhari 1243 · Muhammad Muhsin Khan

Sunni hadith

The Christian confession

John 1:1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.John 1:1 · King James Version (King James Version):

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1:1 · King James Version

John 20:28And Thomas answered and said unto him, My LORD and my God.John 20:28 · King James Version (King James Version):

And Thomas answered and said unto him, My LORD and my God.

John 20:28 · King James Version

The Trinity is the confession that the one God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The deity of Christ is the confession that Jesus is that Son. The resurrection of Jesus is the confession that he was raised. Those pages were the church’s claim centuries before the Hijra.

A medieval Christian judgment

Thomas Aquinas, in the Summa contra Gentiles, Book I, chapter 6, wrote a harsh paragraph. It is his sentence, quoted here so the judgment is his and not a paraphrase. This page does not take his verb as its own word for Muhammad.

The point is clear in the case of Muhammad. He seduced the people by promises of carnal pleasure to which the concupiscence of the flesh goads us. His teaching also contained precepts that were in conformity with his promises, and he gave free rein to carnal pleasure. In all this, as is not unexpected, he was obeyed by carnal men. As for proofs of the truth of his doctrine, he brought forward only such as could be grasped by the natural ability of anyone with a very modest wisdom. Indeed, the truths that he taught he mingled with many fables and with doctrines of the greatest falsity. He did not bring forth any signs produced in a supernatural way, which alone fittingly gives witness to divine inspiration; for a visible action that can be only divine reveals an invisibly inspired teacher of truth. On the contrary, Muhammad said that he was sent in the power of his arms—which are signs not lacking even to robbers and tyrants.

Aquinas measured the message by supernatural signs and by the claim of arms. The Christian claim on this page is the one the Gospels state: the Word was God, and the risen Jesus received the words “My LORD and my God.”

If you’re talking with a Shia Muslim

The seal of the prophets is Qur’an 33:40Muḥammad is not the father of [any] one of your men, but [he is] the Messenger of Allāh and seal [i.e., last] of the prophets. And ever is Allāh, of all things, Knowing.Qur’an 33:40 · Saheeh InternationalOpen on quran.com ↗, which Shia and Sunni Muslims share. “No prophet after me” in Sahih al-Bukhari 4416Narrated Sa`d: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) set out for Tabuk. appointing `Ali as his deputy (in Medina). `Ali said, "Do you want to leave me with the children and women?" The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Will you not be pleased that you will be to me like Aaron to Moses? But there will be no prophet after me."Sahih al-Bukhari 4416 · Muhammad Muhsin KhanOpen on sunnah.com ↗ is a Sunni collection. Shia Muslims also confess Muhammad as the prophet of Islam and Ali as the leader who should have followed him. They do not confess Jesus as God. What do Shia Muslims believe? What do Sunni Muslims believe?

Frequently asked questions

Do Christians say Muhammad did not exist?

No. Who was Muhammad? treats him as a man of Mecca and Medina. The disagreement is whether he was a prophet of the God who raised Jesus.

Did Christians invent this objection later?

John 20:28And Thomas answered and said unto him, My LORD and my God.John 20:28 · King James Version is in the Gospel. The Hijra is 622. The confession is older than Muhammad’s preaching.

Where are the life, the wives, and the battles?

How many wives did Muhammad have? What happened at the Battle of Badr? What happened to the Banu Qurayza? How did Muhammad die?