𝐃𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐈𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐦 𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐁𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞?
Mohamad Mostafa Nassar
Twitter:@NassarMohamadMR
And [mention, O Muhammad], when Allah took a covenant from those who were given the Scripture, [saying], “You must make it clear to the people and not conceal it.” But they threw it away behind their backs and exchanged it for a small price. And wretched is that which they purchased. [Qur’an 3:187]
𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧
Modern missionary minions love excerpting some of the claims of orientalists against the Qur’an (or Islam in general), they claim that Qur’an confirms the current Bible Christians have today, if so, then that would be supposedly problematic since the Bible disagrees with the Qur’an too many times and in too many places. And in an attempt to put Muslims in dilemma, they say that whenever Muslims accuse the Bible of corruption, they should go back to their religious texts and examine them carefully.
And although the Qur’anic disagreement is sufficient for Muslims to believe the current Bible is not reliable, we still say that those orientalists or Christian Missionaries have a lack of integrity in such arguments. Because when Muslims use the Qur’an or Islamic sources against them, they don’t believe them and arrogantly divert by saying
“Well, the Qur’an is not the word of God according to us”, and when the opportunity is available for them they start excerpting passages from the Qur’an and start to show off claiming that they are using the Qur’an against Muslims and some hilariously claim they know Islam better than Muslims themselves.
And even if they say that they believe in some portions of being historically correct of Qur’an while they disbelieve in others, this method of discussion remains speculative, because the verses they quote against Muslims are hypothesized to be true when the verses Muslims quote against them are hypothesized to be untrue according to them.
A Christian would say ‘You Muslims do the same when you use some Biblical portions to prove that Mohammed exists in the Bible when you believe the Bible is corrupt’ and to answer this, we say that we believe the Torah and Injeel as true words of God but corrupted throughout the ages, the Christians in contrast, do not believe that the Qur’an is the word of God.
They don’t believe in the revelation of the Qur’an in the first place, so a Muslim has the right to use this technique and a Christian doesn’t, as we are told by the early scholars of Islam (as we’ll show in this article) to reject of current Bible whatever doesn’t match Islamic teachings, and to accept whatever matches them.
Just to make everything clear, Muslims don’t believe that there was an original book of Philippians or Corinthians, which then, later on, got corrupted. We don’t even believe that these books are divine in the first place. What we believe, is what the Qur’an told us to believe, which are the Zaboor, Torah and Injeel. The current “Bibles” which exist these days are not the ones we believe to be the words of Allah.
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐟𝐬
Before starting, one should understand the attitude of the Qur’an from the people of the scripture/book, and how this attitude automatically leads us to the conclusion that their religious beliefs/ideas/texts were distorted. And to look at this attitude, we begin:
Qur’an 5:19
O People of the Scripture, there has come to you Our Messenger to make clear to you [the religion] after a period [of suspension] of messengers, lest you say, “There came not to us any bringer of good tidings or a warner.” But there has come to you a bringer of good tidings and a warner. And Allah is over all things competent.
Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
(lest you say, “There came unto us no bringer of glad tidings and no warner.”) meaning, so that you, who changed the true religion, do not make it an excuse and say, “No Messenger came to us bringing glad tidings and warning against evil.” There has come to you a bringer of good news and a warner, Muhammad.
Qur’an 5:15-16
O People of the Scripture, there has come to you Our Messenger making clear to you much of what you used to conceal of the Scripture and overlooking much. There has come to you from Allah a light and a clear Book. 16 By which Allah guides those who pursue His pleasure to the ways of peace and brings them out from darknesses into the light, by His permission, and guides them to a straight path.
Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
(O People of the Scripture! Now has come to you Our Messenger explaining to you much of that which you used to hide from the Scripture and passing over much.) So the Prophet explained where they altered, distorted, changed, and lied about Allaah. He also ignored much of what they changed, since it would not bring about any benefit if it was explained.
Qur’an 3:199
“And there are, certainly, among the People of the Book, those who believe in God, and that which has been revealed to you, in that which has been revealed to them, bowing in humility to God. They will not sell the signs of God for miserable gain. For them is a reward with their Lord, and God is swift in account.”
Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) says in this verse:
(They do not sell the verses of Allah for a small price) ﴿3:199﴾, for they do not hide what they know of the glad tidings about the description of Muhammad, his Prophethood, and the description of his Ummah. Indeed, these are the best people among the People of the Book, whether they were Jews or Christians.
We were told that the Injeel and Torah which Islam confirms have signs of the prophethood of Muhammed (peace be upon him) and description of his Ummah, in other words, the Islamic texts are identifying selectively what Torah and Injeel they confirm, so do the radical Christians believe that? It seems obvious who is in dilemma.
Qur’an 74:30
“And We have not made the keepers of the Fire except angels. And We have not made their number except as a trial for those who disbelieve – that those who were given the Scripture will be convinced and those who have believed will increase in faith and those who were given the Scripture and the believers will not doubt and that those in whose hearts is hypocrisy and the disbelievers will say, “What does Allah intend by this as an example?” Thus does Allah leave astray whom He wills and guides whom He wills. And none knows the soldiers of your Lord except Him. And mention of the Fire is not but a reminder to humanity.”
Note here, the number (iddah) mentioned in that verse is a trial for those who disbelieve, that those who were given the book, the scripture, will be “convinced” and those who have believed will “increase in faith”. So apparently, those who were given the book committed a disputation in their religion and therefore, they need to be convinced of the religion of Allah. Islam abrogated all religions before it.
Qur’an 3:85
“And whoever desires other than Islam as religion – never will it be accepted from him, and he, in the Hereafter, will be among the losers.”
Quite a clear attitude.
Qur’an 3:20
“So if they argue with you, say, “I have submitted myself to Allah [in Islam], and [so have] those who follow me.” And say to those who were given the Scripture and [to] the unlearned, “Have you submitted yourselves?” And if they submit [in Islam], they are rightly guided; but if they turn away – then upon you is only the [duty of] notification. And Allah is Seeing of [His] servants.“
So why would a Muslim or the Prophet Mohammed make a dialogue and discussions with those who were given the book asking them to become Muslims (submit) if their religion (based on their religious texts hence the bible) was supposedly confirmed by Islam?
Qur’an 9:29
“Fight those who do not believe in Allah or in the Last Day and who do not consider unlawful what Allah and His Messenger have made unlawful and who do not adopt the religion of truth from those who were given the Scripture – [fight] until they give the jizyah willingly while they are humbled.”
Qur’an 7:157
“Those who follow the Messenger, the Prophet who can neither read nor write whom they find written of with them in the Tawrah and the Injil, — he commands them to do good; and forbids them from evil; he makes lawful for them the good things, and forbids them from the evil things, he releases them from their heavy burdens and from the fetters that were upon them. So those who believe in him, honor him, help him, and follow the light which has been sent down with him, it is they who will be successful.”
In simple English, you can summarize the following:
1- Either Mohammed (peace and blessing be upon him) should be mentioned in the current Bible if Islam confirms it.
Or
2- The Bible you have today is not what the Qur’an had been talking about, in other words, the current Bible is corrupted according to Islam.
Qur’an 4:157
And their saying: Surely we have killed the Messiah, Isa son of Marium, the apostle of Allah; and they did not kill him nor did they crucify him, but it appeared to them so (like Isa) and most surely those who differ therein are only in a doubt about it; they have no knowledge respecting it, but only follow a conjecture, and they killed him not for sure.
The verse is making it clear that the crucifixion of Jesus is conjecture or corruption. The crucifixion of Jesus is clearly taught in the present Bible in the books of Paul that we have today, thus the Qur’an is clearly in an indirect way saying that this is corrupted.
Qur’an 5:73
They have certainly disbelieved who say, ” Allah is the third of three.” And there is no god except one God. And if they do not desist from what they are saying, there will surely afflict the disbelievers among them a painful punishment.
Thus the attitude toward the Qur’an from the people of the book and their basic ideas is quite clear. Islam affirms the Tawheed (monotheism) and rejects the polytheism.
Qur’an 6:91
And they did not appraise Allah with true appraisal when they said, “Allah did not reveal to a human being anything.” Say, “Who revealed the Scripture that Moses brought as light and guidance to the people? You [Jews] make it into pages, disclosing [some of] it and concealing much. And you were taught that which you knew not – neither you nor your fathers.” Say, “Allah [revealed it].” Then leave them in their [empty] discourse, amusing themselves.
𝐇𝐀𝐃𝐈𝐓𝐇𝐒
Abu Abdullah Muhammad Ibn Abdullah As-Saffar told us: Ahmad Ibn Mahdi Ibn Rustum Al-Asfahani told us: Mu’azh Ibn Hisham Ad-Distwani told us: my father told me: Al-Qasim Ibn ‘Awf Ash-Shaybani told me: Mu’azh Ibn Jabal – radiya Allahu ‘anhu – told us that he went to Sham and saw the Christians prostrate to their Bishops and priests and saw the Jews prostrate to their Rabbis and scholars.
He said, “Why do you do this?” they answered, “This is the greeting of Prophets (peace be upon him)”. I said, “We better do this to our Prophet”. Allah’s Prophet – salla Allahu ‘alaihi wa sallam – said, “They lied about their Prophets just as they distorted their Book.
If I were to command anyone to prostrate to anyone, I would command woman to prostrate to her husband for his great right upon her. No woman will taste the sweetness of Faith till she does her husband’s rights even if he asks herself while she is on a Qutub” [Majma al-Zawa’id by: Al-Haithami, and its Status is Sahih.]
‘Abdullah b. ‘Umar reported:
I went to Allah’s Messenger in the morning and he heard the voice of two persons who had an argumentation with each other about a verse. Allah’s Apostle came to us (and) the (signs) of anger could be seen on his face. He said: Verily, the (peoples) before you were ruined because of their disputation in the Book. [Sahih Muslim 2666]
The disputation here can also mean corruption/distortion, oral or textual one. Muslims after all believe that all kinds of corruption/distortion have taken place.
Narrated ‘Ubaidullah bin ‘Abdullah:
‘Abdullah bin ‘Abbaas said, “O the group of Muslims! How can you ask the people of the Scriptures about anything while your Book which Allah has revealed to your Prophet contains the most recent news from Allah and is pure and not distorted? Allah has told you that the people of the Scriptures have changed some of Allah’s Books and distorted it and wrote something with their own hands and said, ‘This is from Allah, so as to have a minor gain for it.
Won’t the knowledge that has come to you stop you from asking them? No, by Allah, we have never seen a man from them asking you about that (the Book Al-Qur’an ) which has been revealed to you. [Sahih Al Bukhari, Volume 9, Book 93, Number 614]
Ibn Abbas is the Prophet Mohammed’s cousin, he is called Habr-ul-Ummah, meaning that he is the learned scholar of the Ummah.
Christian haters were confused about this Hadith, some closed the topic and believed Islam truly taught about textual corruption, and others make a funny comment by saying Sahih Al-Bukhari has contradictory Hadiths. Others said the full chain of transmission wasn’t mentioned which would make it problematic, and this is a funny objection because Islamic scholars of Hadith all agree that Sahih Al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim are the second Islamic sources after the Qur’an as these books were looked into by many of the scholars of the Hadith. Ibn Hazm (May Allaah have mercy on him) comments:
“The soundest Isnad (chain of transmission) or ascription to Ibn Abbaas, which is exactly our view. There is no difference between the companions on this matter. “[Al-Fasl fil Milal, Volume 2, p. 3]
The opinion of Ibn Abbas regarding their corrupted books is the opinion of the whole companions of the Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him).
𝐄𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐬
Shams Al Deen Al Thahabi (may Allaah have mercy on him) says: “It’s not allowed and legislated for anyone after the descent of the Qur’an to read the Torah or to memorize it, because it is substituted, corrupted and abrogated, truth was mixed with falsehood in it, but reading it for mere consideration or responding to the Jews, is okay for a person with knowledge, and its rejection is better.”
Al Tabari (may Allaah have mercy on him) says: “ Meaning; Those who corrupted the book of Allah among the Jews of Bani Israel, and wrote a book [based on] what they interpreted of their interpretations, which is contradictory to what Allah had revealed, then they sold it to a people that have no idea about it, and no idea of what’s in the Torah, ignorants about what’s in Allah’s book.”
Ibn Kathir (may Allaah have mercy on him) says:
Our Sheikh the notable Imam Abul-‘Abbas Ibn Taimiyyah said: As for those who argued that it [the Torah] is entirely corrupted from beginning to end without sparing one letter, they are mistaken. Also, those who argued that nothing has been corrupted are mistaken. The truth is that alteration and change had reached it and they [the Jews] manipulated its words with additions and omissions as they manipulated its meanings. This is well recognized on pondering and may be explained in another occasion, and Allah knows best….
Source: [Al Bidaya wal nihaya Vol.2]
Ibn Hazm (May Allaah have mercy on him) says:
” كيف يستحل مسلم إنكار تحريف التوراة والإنجيل وهو يسمع كلام الله عز وجل ( مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ وَالَّذِينَ مَعَهُ أَشِدَّاءُ عَلَى الْكُفَّارِ رُحَمَاءُ بَيْنَهُمْ تَرَاهُمْ رُكَّعًا سُجَّدًا يَبْتَغُونَ فَضْلًا مِنَ اللَّهِ وَرِضْوَانًا سِيمَاهُمْ فِي وُجُوهِهِمْ مِنْ أَثَرِ السُّجُودِ ذَلِكَ مَثَلُهُمْ فِي التَّوْرَاةِ وَمَثَلُهُمْ فِي الْإِنْجِيلِ كَزَرْعٍ أَخْرَجَ شَطْأَهُ فَآزَرَهُ فَاسْتَغْلَظَ فَاسْتَوَى عَلَى سُوقِهِ يُعْجِبُ الزُّرَّاعَ لِيَغِيظَ بِهِمُ الْكُفَّارَ ) الفتح/29. وليس شيء من هذا فيما بأيدي اليهود والنصارى ، مما يدعون أنه التوراة والإنجيل
“How can any Muslim deny the corruption of the Torah and Injeel when he hears the words of Allaah (azza-wa-jal):((Muhammad is the messenger of Allah; and those who are with him are strong against Unbelievers, (but) compassionate amongst each other. Thou wilt see them bow and prostrate themselves (in prayer), seeking Grace from Allah and (His) Good Pleasure. On their faces are their marks, (being) the traces of their prostration.
This is their similitude in the Taurat; and their similitude in the Gospel is: like a seed which sends forth its blade, then makes it strong; it then becomes thick, and it stands on its own stem, (filling) the sowers with wonder and delight. As a result, it fills the Unbelievers with rage at them.
Allah has promised those among them who believe and do righteous deeds forgiveness, and a great Reward.)) [Al-Fath:29] And nothing of this is in the hands of Jews and Nasaara (Christians) of which they claim to be Torah and Injeel” [Al-Fasl fi’l Milal, Vol. 1, page: 160]
Qur’an 2:79
The clearance of this ayah was reinterpreted by modern Christian disbelievers through a weak narration, after quoting the surrounding passages they say that this refers to some group of illiterates and not Jews and Christians, assuming that the pronoun “those” is necessarily referring to the illiterates. Let’s read the ayahs:
Qur’an 2:78-79
And there are among them illiterates, who know not the Book, but (see therein their own) desires, and they do nothing but conjecture.[78] Therefore woe be unto those who write the Book with their hands and then say, “This is from Allah,” that they may purchase a small gain therewith. Woe unto them for that their hands have written, and woe unto them for that they earn thereby. [79]
The interpretations or Tafsir should be seen from the early Islamic scholars and people of knowledge. The Muslim ignores the weak narrations and focuses the ‘agreed upon’ ideas and narrations, the majority of early Muslim scholars did not understand these ayahs for one category of illiterates, these ideas come from the missionaries’ failed attempts only, for example:
Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) says in this verse:
This is another category of people among the Jews who called to misguidance with falsehood and lies about Allah, thriving on unjustly amassing people’s property. `Waylun (woe)’ carries meanings of destruction and perishing, and it is a well-known word in the Arabic language. Az-Zuhri said that `Ubadydullah bin `Abdullah narrated that Ibn `Abbas said,
“O Muslims! How could you ask the People of the Book about anything, while the Book of Allah (Qur’an) that He revealed to His Prophet is the most recent Book from Him and you still read it fresh and young Allah told you that the People of the Book altered the Book of Allah, changed it and wrote another book with their own hands. They then said, `This book is from Allah,’ so that they acquired a small profit by it.
Hasn’t the knowledge that came to you prohibited you from asking them By Allah! We have not seen any of them asking you about what was revealed to you.” This Hadith was also collected by Al-Bukhari. Al-Hasan Al-Basri said, “The little amount here means this life and all that it contains.”
Interestingly, Ibn Kathir quotes the same Hadith quoted above of Ibn Abbas, so it’s referring to the people of the book in general, which means the ayah indeed deals with the textual corruption of the Injeel and Torah, not a group of illiterates.
Tafsir Al Jalalayn on Qur’an 2:79 :
So woe, a severe chastisement, to those who write the Scripture with their hands, that is, fabricating it themselves, then say, ‘This is from God’ that they may sell it for a small price, of this world: these are the Jews, the ones that altered the description of the Prophet in the Torah, as well as the ‘stoning’ verse, and other details, and rewrote them in a way different from that in which they were revealed. So woe to them for what their hands have written, of fabrications, and woe to them for their earnings, by way of bribery (rishan, plural of rishwa).
𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧
In conclusion, Muslims believe in the Torah, Injeel, and Zaboor as revelations from Allah SWT and we believe that their messages were not lost as we have the Qur’an. Indeed, no one has changed the words of Allaah practically as the messages of the proven corrupted previous books were restored through Islam. We also believe that the Torah, Injeel, and Zaboor have/had remaining truths inside, but throughout the ages, the Godly facts, orders, commands, and truths were distorted and changed.
So, the present Bible is not the Torah, Injeel, and Zaboor which Islam says they’re the revelations of Allaah, the present Bible according to Islam is distorted, corrupted, changed, and substituted. Islam corrects its distortion and confirms its truthfulness. Islam says the present bible is orally and textually distorted. It’s very clear as well, that the disbelievers of radical ‘Christianity’ are the ones in dilemma, not Muslims.
And Allah knows best!