This question is often asked. Many Muslim are taught that the Christian Scriptures have been changed. But have you thought about how serious this claim is? What they are attacking is the very Word of God revealed in the Tawrat, Zabur and Injil. The Holy Bible that the followers of Jesus have today is the same as the original Bible. It could not have been corrupted. Consider these facts… 1. God’s severe warning Christians love their Holy Scriptures and would never let anyone change them. The Bible warns that those who try to change God’s Word will be severely punished. A long time ago God spoke through Moses (in the Tawrat) commanding, “You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you”(Tawrat, Deuteronomy 4:2). Two centuries later Solomon (سليمان) said, “Every word of God is pure. He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him. Do not add to His words, lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar” (Proverbs 30:5-6). Even when the last book of the Bible was written, God said through the apostle John, “I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book. And If anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the book of life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book”(Injil, Revelation 22:18-19). These warnings are clear. No believer would dare to change God’s Word. Other questions about the Bible 2. The number of Bibles Imagine that copies of a book written by a Mr AbdelAziz were given to every family in your town, including your family. All the copies were the same and each copy was a perfect reproduction of the original book. Later, someone suddenly said that the book had been changed and could no longer be trusted. Would you have accepted that claim when you had a reliable copy in your hands? Surely you would have said, ‘Wait a minute, I’ve got a copy of the original book at home and it hasn’t been changed.’ Others would bring out their perfect copies too. So it is with the Bible. The original manuscripts were reproduced very carefully. Whenever a new copy was made, it was strictly checked. Many reproductions of the original manuscripts existed. If someone had wanted to change the Bible they would have had to gather all the reproductions from each house... from Europe, Africa, the Middle East… and then change them. Is that possible? No! Even if one copy had been changed, people who owned the true copies would have noticed and condemned it. 3. Muslim scholars and the Qur’an No one attacked or questioned the genuineness of the Bible until A.D. 1046 (over 400 years after Muhammad died). In 1046 Ibn-Hazm (who died at Cordoba in 1064 AD) first charged that the Bible had been corrupted and falsified. This charge was to defend Islam against Christianity because Ibn-Hazm came upon differences and contradictions between the Bible and the Qur’an. Believing, by faith that the Qur’an was true, the Bible must then be false. He said, “Since the Qur’an must be true it must be the conflicting Gospel texts that are false. But Muhammad tells us to respect the Gospel. Therefore, the present text must have been falsified by the Christians after the time of Muhammad.” His argument was not based on any evidence or historical facts but only on his personal faith, reasoning and desiring to safeguard the Qur’an.[1] “If we prove the falsehood of their books, they lose the arguments they take from them.”[2] This led him to teach that, “the Christians lost the revealed Gospel except for a few traces which God has left intact as argument against them.”[3] a) The testimony of the Qur’an and Muhammad While I do not depend on the Qur’an to prove the credibility of the Bible, I find it significant and interesting that throughout its pages, the Qur’an testifies to the authenticity of the Bible. Muhammad himself believed that the Bible which existed in his day was authentic. This is evident from the following Qur’anic passages: Surah 10:94 is a command given to Muhammad (and all Muslims) to treat the Bible as the primary source of enlightenment: “If thou (Muhammad) wert in doubt as to what We have revealed unto thee, then ask those who have been reading the Book (Jews & Christians) from before thee: the Truth hath indeed come to thee from thy Lord: so be in no wise of those in doubt. (Qur’an, Surah Yunus 10:94, Yusuf Ali Translation, Italic added. See also Surah 21:7) Here, Muhammad is commanded to consult with the Jews and Christians who have been reading their Holy Scripture. This verse clearly instructs all Muslims to refer to the Bible when questions arise regarding the Qur’an’s meaning! So Surah 10:94 shows not only the credibility of the Bible, but also that the Qur’an does not supersede the Bible. What about you my Muslim friend? If Muhammad had doubt and was commanded to ask, then you, as a Muslim, have the permission- and the obligation- to examine all things. “And before thee (Muhammad) also the apostles We sent were but men, to whom We granted inspiration: if ye realise this not, ask of those who possess the Message (Jews & Christians).” (Qur’an, Surah 16:43, Yusuf Ali Translation. Italic added) There are many other passages in the Qur’an that assure us that the authentic Torah and Injil were available during the time of Muhammad[4]: “And dispute ye not with the People of the Book, except with means better (than mere disputation), unless it be with those of them who inflict wrong (and injury): but say, We believe in the revelation which has come down to us and in that which came down to you; Our Allah and your Allah is one; and it is to Him we bow (in Islam).“ (Qur’an, Surah Al-Ankabut 29: 46, Yusuf Ali Translation) O People of the Book! ye have no ground to stand upon unless ye stand fast by the Law (Torah), the Gospel, and all the revelation that has come to you from your Lord (Qur’an, Surah Al-Ma’idah 5:68, Yusuf Ali Translation. Italic added) This last verse is another clear example showing that the Jews and Christians had the authentic Word of God in their possessions prior to the writing of the Qur’an. Since Jews and Christians are commanded to observe the precepts contained in their Scripture, it would have been impossible for them to know the commandments they must obey if their Book had been altered. At-Tabari, one of the earliest authoritative commentators on the Qur’an, commented on this very Surah 5:68. He noted that Ibn Abbas, one of Muhammad’s companions, said that some Jews wanted to know if Muhammad believed the Torah. So they asked Muhammad, “Oh Muhammad, do you not claim that you walk in the steps on Abraham’s community and religion, and do you not believe in the Torah which we have and confess that it is God’s truth?” The messenger [Muhammad] sad, “Of course I do but you have read into Scripture things that are no there and you have rejected God’s covenant with you. You have concealed what you had been commanded to make known to the people. Therefore, I disown your innovations.”[5] b) The testimony of the Muslim scholars Early scholars of Islam and many others after them refused to believe that the Tawrat, Zabur and Injil had been changed. For example, Fakhruddin Razi, on the authority of Ibn Abbas, a nephew of Muhammed, said: The Jews and early Christians were suspected of altering the text of the Tawrat and Injil; but in the opinion of eminent doctors and theologians it was not practicable thus to corrupt the text, because those Scriptures were generally known and widely circulated, having been handed down from generation to generation. According to many scholars, the Qur’an says the Scriptures were misrepresented, not that they were changed. What about Surahs 2:75 and 4:46? When Muslims are asked to show where the Qur’an says that the Bible has been changed, they often refer to Surah 2:75. However, commenting on this very Surah, Imam Baydaoui says, ‘Can ye entertain the hope that they (that is Jews) will believe in you? - Seeing that a party of them heard the word of Allah and perverted it knowingly … meaning they misinterpreted and explained it as they like…after they understood it. يقول الإمام البيضاوي: أفتطمعون أن يصدقونكم (أي اليهود) وقد كانت طائفة من أسلافهم يسمعون كلام الله أيالتوراة ثم يحرفونه...أي يؤولونه ويفسرونه بما يشتهون...من بعد ما عقلوهأي فهموه بعقولهم ولم يبق فيه ريبة. In his commentary, Imam Bukhari explains Surah 4:46 as follows; ‘displace words from their right places…means misinterpreted.’ ويقول صحيح البخاري: يحرفون الكلم عن موضعه أي يزيلونه وليس أحد يزيل لفظ كتاب من كتب الله تعالى، ولكنهم يؤولونه على غير تأويله. You can also read similar comments made by Imam Razi. Some people who called themselves ‘Christians’ in Muhammad’s time had stopped reading God’s Word. Instead, they followed traditions created by men. It is true that they had ‘misinterpreted’ God’s Word. But the Holy Scriptures themselves had not been changed. They had been forgotten. Throughout history, however, there have been true Christians who have loved, protected and followed God’s Word. What are we to conclude? If the Jews and Christians changed their Holy Scripture, then the testimonies of the Qur’an and Muhammad supporting their authenticity are false. 4. An impossible conspiracy It is not rational to suppose that Christians and Jews throughout the world could meet and agree on the alterations of their Holy Scripture. History shows that Jews and Christians have had major doctrinal differences between them, and they have been in disagreement regarding many religious issues. Furthermore, the Jews are the last people who would want to add anything about Jesus to their Scriptures. Remember, most of them hated Him. They were waiting for the Messiah, but they wanted a great political leader who would deliver them from Roman domination, forgetting that their own Scriptures promised a Messiah who would sacrifice Himself to save them from the power of sin. They did not like that. So why would they allow anyone to add prophecies about a coming Saviour who would do the very things they did not want? If there were a portion in the Scripture that those Jews could have changed, (if they dared to do so) it would have been the prophecy of Isaiah 53 for example. Alex, a friend of mine, is Jewish. He told me that during all his visits to the synagogue, he never once heard a rabbi reading Isaiah 53, which details the Messiah’s life and what He would experience on the cross (death). When Alex heard about the prophecies, he compared them with the record of the life of Jesus in the New Testament (Injil), and was amazed at what he discovered. For the first time he realised that Jesus must be the One mentioned in the Jewish Scriptures. He has been a follower of Jesus ever since. 5. The number of ancient manuscripts If early Muslim scholars thought the Bible that existed in their time was genuine, then any document from before the 7th century must be authentic. Manuscripts of the Tawrat, Zabur and Injil, (the Old and New Testaments) dating back to several hundred years before the rise of Islam, are displayed in well-known museums across the world. The Vatican and Sinaitic Manuscripts date from only two centuries after the writing of the Bible. Anyone can compare them with the Bible that we have today and see that it has not been corrupted. There are also many other ancient manuscripts which contain quotations from the Bible, or part of the Bible. These all confirm the integrity of the text Christians use to this day. I ask you then to answer this question: When was the Bible changed? Before or after Muhammad? If it was changed beforehand you are accusing Muhammad of being a false teacher. On the other hand it could not have been changed afterwards because by then the Bible had been translated into many languages and widely distributed across the world. 6. The unity of the message The Bible has one great story running from beginning to end. Throughout the long period of history that it covers, there are no contradictions. God’s great plan is always central. This is why the Bible is amazing and unique! The Tawrat, the Zabur and the Injil are all about Christ and how God planned to sort out our problem of sin. All the prophets of the Old Testament talked about the Messiah, the Saviour who would come to offer Himself and save sinners. The New Testament talks about the fact that that promised Saviour has come. It shows that He was none other than Jesus. If someone had changed part of the Bible, surely certain sections would contradict others. They do not. There is a clear unity of thought between all sections of the Bible. Muslim writers cling to a few parallel passages where they assume there are contradictions in various numbers and ages. In doing this, several verses are often referenced as being problematic. With an earnest and genuine study, one can be sure that those assumptions are absolutely untrue. We can trust the Bible to be what it says it is: the Word of God. 7. God guards His Word. Any accusation that the Bible has been changed raises serious questions which demand answers from any Muslim who makes this claim. · If the Bible is Gods Word, how can man change it? · Isnt God able to protect His Word from being changed? · Since the Bible is Gods Word, who are we accusing when we say it has been changed? Are we not accusing God Himself by saying He was not able to protect it from being changed? · Who changed the Bible? · Which parts were changed, when was it changed, and for what reason? The Bible is the Word of God. God who created everything, the Almighty, who knows everything, is the Author of the Bible. Because He is God, He is able to protect His Word from corruption and change. Here is what He says in the Zabur, “Forever O Lord, Your Word is settled in Heaven” (Zabur, Psalm 119:89). The prophet Isaiah said, “The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.” (Isaiah 40:8) Jesus said, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. ” (Injil, Matthew 5: 18) Later he also said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My Words will by no means pass away.” (Injil, Matthew 24:35). There is a verse in the Qur’an which says, “The word of thy Lord doth find its fulfillment in truth and in justice: None can change His words” (Qur’an, Surah 6:115, Yussuf Ali Translation). God’s Holy Word (Tawrat, Zabur, the writing of the Prophets and Injil) is eternal. It stands for ever. He would never permit His everlasting Word to be changed. God has kept this promise throughout the centuries. It is unthinkable to imagine that a feeble human being could change the very Word spoken by God. It is a blasphemy to say that the Bible has been changed because by saying this, you make two horrible accusations towards God - First that God is a liar for not keeping His promise; and secondly that God is not God since He was unable to keep His Holy Word. If the Bible has been changed then God was not able to protect it. It would mean that man is greater than God. And, my friend, if God was not able to protect His Word, then He is not God! That is blasphemy. 8. Where are the original Tawrat and Injil? The Qur’an states that the Tawrat, Zabur and Injil were actually sent down to Moses, David and Jesus by dictation. It also teaches that they were very similar to the Qur’an (Qur’an, Surah 3:3, Yusuf Ali translation). So Muslims looks for the actual gospel that was with God in heaven and which was revealed to Jesus. They often say: The Bible you have today is not the original Tawrat and Injil which were revealed to Moses and Jesus respectively. You have the books of Paul and other writers but not the Word of God. There are no historical evidences whatsoever that books revealed to Moses and Jesus, in the form of the Qur’an, ever existed. Not so much as a page can be found anywhere to support the Muslim claim that these were the original scriptures. This teaching of the Qur’an has no support at all in the factual records of human history. The problem for the Muslims is that the only two books the Jews and Christians have ever known as their holy scripture are the Old and New Testaments respectively. They are very similar in form and style to each other and the latter consistently quotes from the former. Each contains narrative works, prophetic material, quotations from prophets and apostles, the actual words of God and instructive teaching. Neither, however, is remotely like the Qur’an. As the Christians and Jews books are so different to any Tawrat and Injil in the form the Qur’an presupposes them to have been, the real task before Muslims is to produce the original books or at least some evidence of their former state. Until they do so it can only be presumed that such books never existed. 9. What about different translations? The original Bible was written in Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic. Many manuscripts of the Holy Bible still exist in these languages. However, God wanted everyone in the world to be able to read His Word. In order to make this possible the Bible has been translated into different languages. This does not mean that these Bibles are corrupted, but it does mean that there are many translations of the Bible. For example, in English we have the King James Version which was translated back in 1611 A.D. It is still widely used today. However, since then, the language of the people has developed and changed, so the translations have been updated to make the Holy Bible more readable. Since these translations are made from very old documents, there is no difference in their meaning. Every translation must agree with the ancient manuscripts. If it does not, it is not accepted. The Jehovah’s witness’ translation, for example, is not an accurate translation of those documents. That is why Christians everywhere strictly condemn what they have done. One day God will judge them for it. What is your answer? The Bible is a message from God to sinful people. In it, God is calling us to have a relationship with Himself. But how is it possible for me, a sinner, to come close to the Holy God? In the Bible, God reveals to us His plan of salvation. That’s why Christians believe that there is no power that can change God’s Word. It is a serious thing to say that God’s Holy Scriptures have been changed! This claim cannot be supported by facts. However, if the Bible we have today is true then we should not ignore it. Each of us must read and obey God’s Holy Scriptures, accepting them as His pure Word, “which is able to save your soul” (James 1:21). In accepting the Tawrat, Zabur and Injil as the Holy Word of God, we must also accept their unchanging message. This message is that, though we are sinners (those who have disobeyed God in our thoughts, words and actions) God has provided a solution. He sent Jesus as our Substitute. Jesus our Saviour lived the perfect life that we should have lived, and then He died the death that we deserve to die. He died to bear the punishment for our wrongdoing. His death satisfied the justice and love of God. By trusting in what Jesus has done for us, we can know that our sins have been forgiven. Our relationship with our Creator will be restored. God will give us a new heart and help us to live increasingly as we ought to live. “From your childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (Injil, 2 Timothy 3:15).
Posted on: Tue, 15 Oct 2013 19:09:58 +0000
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