I heard that when Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, started preaching Islam, the Jews were very upset and they wanted to test him to find out whether he was a true Prophet, so they prepared 40 difficult questions and asked him. Is this true, if yes, please explain what are the 40 questions and what were the answers given by Prophet Muhammad?

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds.  I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.

There is no doubt that the Jews disbelieved in what Allaah The Almighty revealed to the Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and hated it. They were envious of him – except for a few of them who believed in him– because he was not one of them, i.e. he did not descend from the children of Israel.

Allaah The Almighty Says (which means): {And when there came to them a Book [i.e. the Quran] from Allaah confirming that which was with them - although before they used to pray for victory against those who disbelieved - but [then] when there came to them that which they recognized, they disbelieved in it; so the curse of Allaah will be upon the disbelievers. How wretched is that for which they sold themselves - that they would disbelieve in what Allaah has revealed through [their] outrage that Allaah would send down His favor upon whom He wills from among His servants. So they returned having [earned] wrath upon wrath. And for the disbelievers is a humiliating punishment.} [Quran 2:89-90]

However, we do not know of any authentic Hadeeth stating that they prepared forty questions for the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and asked him about them. What is proved in the books of Imaam Al-Bukhari and Imaam Ahmad as well as other authentic sources is that they asked him seven questions.

Al-Bukhari reported that Anas narrated that when 'Abdullaah ibn Salaam heard about the arrival of the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, to Madeenah, he came to him and asked him about some things, saying,"I will ask you about three things that none except a Messenger knows: what is the first sign of the Hour? What is the first meal that the dwellers of Paradise eat? Why is it that the child sometimes resembles his father and other times his mother?" The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “Jibreel (Gabriel) informed me about this earlier.” Ibn Salaam said, "That is the Jews' enemy from the angels." The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “As for the first sign of the Hour, it is a fire that gathers the people from the East to the West. As for the first meal that the dwellers of Paradise eat, it is a portion of fish liver, which is the best and tastest part of it. As for the child, if the water (i.e. sperm) of the man comes before that of the woman, the child resembles his father and if the mother's water comes first then the child resembles her.”

Thereupon, Ibn Salaam said, "I bear witness that None has the right of being worshipped but Allaah and that you are His Messenger." Then Ibn Salaam said, "O Prophet of Allaah, the Jews are people of falsehood. So ask them about me before they realize that I have become Muslim.” The Jews came and the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, asked them: “How do you grade 'Abdullaah Ibn Salaam within your community?" They said, "Our best, and the son of our best." Thereupon, the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “What if 'Abdullaah Ibn Salaam becomes Muslim?” They said, "May Allaah protect him from that!" Then the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, repeated the same questions and the Jews repeated the same answers. At that time, 'Abdullaah Ibn Salaam came out to them and said, “I bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped but Allaah and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Messenger.” Thereupon, they (the Jews) said, "He is our worst and the son of our worst," and demeaned him. Ibn Salaam said, “This is what I feared, O Prophet of Allaah."

Besides, Ahmad reported that Ibn ‘Abbaas said, "A group of Jews came one day to the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and said, 'O Abul-Qaasim, tell us some things that only true messengers of Allaah know.' The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “Ask me about whatever you wish, but promise me by the Name of Allaah and by the covenant Prophet Ya'qoob took from his sons, that if I tell something that you know, then you will follow me and become Muslims.” They said, ‘That is for you (i.e. we agree and we will do that).’ Thereupon they said, ‘Tell us about the following four things: tell us about the meal that Israa’eel forbade [on] himself before the revelation of the Torah, and tell us about the water of the woman and the water of the man (sperm); how is the male child formed from that? And tell us [about] this illiterate Prophet during his sleep and who is his guardian from the angels?’ The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “Do you accept by the covenant of Allaah that you will follow me if I inform you?” They gave him as much covenant and promise as he wished.

“Then the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “I ask you by the One Who revealed the Torah to Moosa (Moses) do you know that Israa’eel (Ya'qoob ) fell badly sick and his sickness took a long time, then he made a vow to Allaah that he would forbid on himself the food he liked most if Allaah cured him, and the food he liked most was camel's meat and the drink was camel's milk?” They said, ‘Yes.’ He said: “O Allaah! Testify against them.” Then he, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “I ask you by Allaah, the One Who Has no partners Who revealed the Torah to Moosa do you know that the man's water is white and thick and that the woman's water is yellow and thin? Any of the two waters which gets above the other gets the resemblance of the child in his sex and characters by the will of Allaah. If the water of the man gets over the water of the woman, then it is a male by the Will of Allaah, and if the water of the woman gets above that of the man then it is a female by the Will of Allaah.” They said, 'By Allaah, what you said is true.' The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “O Allaah! Testify against them.”

“Then he (the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “I ask you by the One Who revealed the Torah to Moosa do you know that the eyes of this illiterate Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) sleep but his heart does not?” They said, 'By Allaah, that is true.' He said: “O Allaah! Testify against them.” They said, 'Now tell us about your guardian from the angels; we will stay with you or leave you according to that.' He, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “My guardian is Jibreel (Gabriel) and Allaah never sent any Prophet except that Jibreel was his guardian.” The Jews said, 'So we will separate from you. Had your guardian been an angel other than Jibreel, we would have followed you and believed in what you brought.’

“The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “But what prevents you from believing in him?” They said, 'He is our enemy.' Then Allaah The Almighty revealed the following verses (which mean):

·   {Say, “Whoever is an enemy to Jibreel (Gabriel) - it is [none but] he who has brought it [i.e. the Quran] down upon your heart, [O Muhammad], by permission of Allaah…}[Quran 2:97]

·   {And when a messenger from Allaah came to them confirming that which was with them, a party of those who had been given the Scripture threw the Scripture of Allaah [i.e. the Torah] behind their backs as if they did not know [what it contained].}[Quran 2:101]

·   {So they returned having [earned] wrath upon wrath}[Quran 2:90]”

Allaah Knows best.