Commentary: On Daniel

[As for both kings, their minds will be bent on evil, and at one table they will sit and they will speak lies. But it will be to no avail, for there still remains an end at the appointed term. (Daniel 11:27)—Ed.]

As for both kings, the king of Ishma‘el and the king of the South, [that is] the king of the Greeks [or: Byzantines, Christians], kings alike, both of them their minds will be bent on evil against each other and also to make statements against [each] other. And at one table, i.e., about one [fundamental] principle, they will speak lies. The meaning of table is religion. [Each] one [comes with] his religion. The king of the South says: The Old Torah has passed away and a New Torah has come, and the other [king of Ishma‘el, Muḥammad] says: The Law of Moses is a law, but it has passed and my Torah has come, for He [God] sent me. And one table is, in my opinion, the Law of Moses, the table of Israel’s [spiritual] food. Both of them [these kings] make statements about this Law. The one [Muḥammad] claims the mission to himself, saying: I am the messenger [prophet], while the other [the king of the South] says that he [Jesus] is [the] Messiah that is mentioned in God’s Torah, but to no avail for there still remained [many] days and years till the appointed term of the Messiah.

[He will return to his land with great wealth, but his mind set against the holy covenant. Having done his pleasure, he will return to his land. (Daniel 11:28)—Ed.]

He will return to his land with great wealth, [i.e.,] the king of Ishma‘el. His mind set against the holy covenant, against Jerusalem to capture it from the hand of the king of the South. Having done his pleasure he will return to his land, and will yet not take [it].

[At the appointed time he will again invade the South, but this time it shall not be like the first and the last. (Daniel 11:29)—Ed.]

At the appointed time he will again invade the South a second time. This time will not be like the first and the last [times], for on the first occasion the army of the king of the South overflowed . . . and many fell slain [Daniel 11:26—Ed.] and on the last occasion, the third one, Jerusalem was captured from the king of the South by the kingdom of Ishma‘el, as is written about the third time, forces will stand from him; they will desecrate the temple [Daniel 11:31—Ed.]. In my opinion not he [Muḥammad] took [Jerusalem] but after his death arms and hosts arose from him and took the temple, as is written, and forces will stand from him, but it is not written “He will stand by himself.”

[Ships from Kittim will come against him; he will be checked. He will turn back, raging against the holy covenant. Having done his pleasure, he will then attend to those who forsake the holy covenant. (Daniel 11:30)—Ed.]

But about the second time it is written, Ships from Kittim will come against him; he will be checked, these are the Greeks [Byzantines]. The explanation of ונכאה is “and he will be weak,” for he [Ishma‘el, the Muslims] will not prevail against them. He will turn back raging against the holy covenant, against Jerusalem because he could not capture it. Having done his pleasure, he will then attend to and plan about the uncircumcised [Christians] in Jerusalem.

[And forces will stand from him and they will desecrate the temple, the fortress. They will abolish the regular offering and will render the abomination desolate. (Daniel 11:31)—Ed.]

Forces will stand from him, after him the men of his arm, the children of his people, will arise and desecrate the temple, the fortress, [i.e.,] the fortress of Jerusalem, the city of the temple. They will abolish the regular offering of [the] Christians, and will render the abomination, the Cross, the bell [of the church] and the Nea church¹ desolate.

[And those that act wickedly towards the covenant, he will make profane by division; the people devoted to their God will stand firmly and succeed. (Daniel 11:32)—Ed.]

And those that act wickedly towards the covenant, these are the Christians who changed the covenant of Moses’ Torah [and] separated from Israel, them as well as the Greeks he will make profane by divisions, for he will abhor their worship and diminish their kingdom. But the people devoted to their God, these are Israel, will stand firmly and succeed. For before his [i.e., the Muslims’] coming they [Israel] could not enter Jerusalem. They had to come from the four corners of the earth to Tiberias and Gaza for the desire [of seeing] the temple. But now, after his arrival, he brought them to Jerusalem, assigned to them a quarter and many Jews settled there. Ever since Jews are coming from the four ends of the earth to Jerusalem to study and pray. [ . . . ]

[The king will do as he pleases; he will exalt himself and magnify himself above any god and above the God of gods he will speak odd things. He will prosper until wrath is spent, and what has been decreed is accomplished. (Daniel 11:36)—Ed.]

The king will do as he pleases, this is the king of Ishma‘el who is greater than all kings. Therefore it is written, he will exalt himself and magnify himself above every god, above the kingdom of Persia, the whole of Khurāsān, and above the kings of the Greeks [Byzantines] and every emperor, and above the kings of the Turks, for many Turkish provinces they took at the side of Khurāsān, Khwārazm, Samarqand, Shāsh, Farghāna and others; and also from the province of Hinduwān to Kāwulān and the land of the Brahmans. Who can count all the provinces of their dominion? Therefore [the verse] said, and he will magnify himself above every god. He mentioned[?]‌ every god because all the provinces which he will capture are [of] idol-worshippers. Therefore it is written above every god and above the God of gods. [The latter] is the God of Israel. About him² he [Muḥammad] will speak odd things. For he said that he was God’s messenger [prophet]; and about His prophets he spoke things that are not written [in Scripture]. He will prosper in his dominion and his statements, as he said above. Thus he will use deceit successfully (Daniel 8:25) and his kingdom will remain under him until wrath is spent, this is the termination of the Exile, for nobody after him [the Muslims] will hold dominion till the coming of the Messiah, as it is written, until wrath is spent. It is also written, and what has been decreed is accomplished because the decree of destruction (Isaiah 10:23) that is upon Israel will be accomplished during his [the Muslims’] reign, as it is written for what has been decreed is accomplished, and it is also written in the days of the kings etc. (Daniel 2:44).

Source: CUL T-S 10C2.2.