Habakkuk 3:3—Is this a prediction of the Prophet Mohammed?

Problem: Many Muslim scholars believe this refers to the prophet Mohammed coming from Paran (Arabia), and use it in connection with a similar text in Deuteronomy 33:2.

Solution: As already noted (see comments on Deut. 33:2), Paran is not near Mecca where Mohammed came, but is hundreds of miles away. Furthermore, the verse is speaking of “God” coming, not Mohammed. Finally, the “praise” could not refer to Mohammed (whose name means “the praised one”), since the subject of both “praise” and “glory” is God (“His”), and Mohammed is not God.

This excerpt is from When Critics Ask: A Popular Handbook on Bible Difficulties (Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books, 1992). © 2014 Norman Geisler and Thomas Howe. All rights reserved. Used by permission. Click here to purchase this book.