A weak argument for a prophet is not the same as a disproof of that prophet. The Quran's claim is not that every popular Muslim citation of the Bible is sound, but that the earlier revelations contained real signs and descriptions of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), some of which remain recognizable.
The argument at its strongest
The critic's point deserves to be stated fairly. The Quran says that the unlettered Messenger is found "written" with the People of the Book in the Torah and Gospel, and that this message is in the scriptures of earlier peoples:
"Those who follow the Messenger, the unlettered Prophet, whom they find written with them in the Torah and the Gospel..."
Quran 7:157
"And indeed, it is the revelation of the Lord of the worlds... And indeed, it is in the scriptures of the former peoples."
Quran 26:192-196
Some Muslims have pointed to Song of Solomon 5:16, where the Hebrew word machmadim appears, and said it is the name "Muhammad." Critics reply that machmad is a normal Hebrew word meaning desirable or lovely, that the "-im" ending is not a "plural of respect" for names, and that if every similar use were turned into "Muhammad," the reading would become absurd. Therefore, they say, the Quran's claim is falsified.
Song of Solomon is not the foundation
The reply is simple: that particular argument is not strong enough to carry the case. Machmadim in Song of Solomon 5:16 is best understood in its Hebrew context as "altogether desirable" or "altogether lovely." A Muslim does not need to force it into being a proper name. If someone presents it as a decisive proof, the critic may rightly say the proof is overstated.
But this only refutes that use of that verse. The Quran never says, "Muhammad is named in Song of Solomon 5:16." Nor does Islamic belief rest on a sound-alike argument. Classical Muslim discussions were broader: they spoke of descriptions, roles, location, law, mission to the nations, and the recognition of the Prophet (PBUH) by learned people from the earlier communities.
What "written with them" can mean
The Quranic wording is careful: "whom they find written with them." It does not require that every current biblical manuscript preserve an explicit Arabic-style name, unchanged and uncontested. The Quran also teaches that earlier communities sometimes concealed, misread, or altered parts of revelation. So the claim is that the original Torah and Gospel bore witness to him, and that enough traces remained for sincere recognition.
This is why Muslims often point more seriously to passages such as Deuteronomy 18:18 and Isaiah 42. Deuteronomy speaks of a prophet like Moses raised from the "brothers" of the Israelites. Jews usually read this within Israel; Christians often apply it to Jesus. Muslims argue that "their brothers" can naturally include the Ishmaelite kin of Israel, and that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) resembles Moses in bringing law, forming a community, leading a people, and establishing public worship.
Isaiah 42 speaks of a servant bringing justice to the nations, with a "new song," and then mentions the wilderness, the villages of Kedar, and people rejoicing from the mountains. Kedar is associated with the Ishmaelites. A Muslim reading sees here a striking pointer toward Arabia and a universal mission. Is that a mathematical proof? No. Is it a serious reading, not a childish pun? Yes.
What the criticism proves - and what it does not
The criticism proves that some popular apologetic claims are too quick, especially the claim that machmadim simply "is Muhammad" in Hebrew. Muslims should be honest about that.
It does not prove the Quran false. To do that, one would have to show that the earlier revelations contained no such descriptions at all, and that no credible traces remain. The existence of weak arguments does not erase stronger cumulative ones, nor does disagreement over biblical interpretation settle the matter.
A fair Muslim answer is therefore calm: do not build the case on Song of Solomon wordplay. Look instead at the Quran's actual wording, the possibility of lost or obscured revelation, and the broader biblical patterns that Muslims have long understood as pointing to the final Messenger (PBUH).