Modern Muslims are under the impression that the text of the Bible was corrupted by Christians but is this really the position of the Quran and earlier Muslims who were closer to Muhammad? We shall investigate this by analyzing what the Quran and Islamic sources have to say on the matter.
The Quran affirms that no one can change the words of Allah.
Surah 18:27: And recite that which hath been revealed unto thee of the scripture of thy Lord. There is none who can change His words and thou wilt find no refuge beside Him
The Quran affirms that the Torah and Gospel are the word of Allah:
Surah 3:3-4: He hath revealed unto thee (Muhammad) the Scripture with truth, confirming that which was (revealed) before it, even as He revealed the Torah and the Gospel.
Surah 6:114: Shall I seek other than Allah for judge, when He it is Who hath revealed unto you (this) Scripture, fully explained? Those unto whom We gave the Scripture (aforetime) know that it is revealed from thy Lord in truth. So be not thou (O Muhammad) of the waverers.
The Quran tells Christians in Muhammad’s time to judge by their Gospel.
Surah 5:47: Let the People of the Gospel judge by that which Allah hath revealed therein. Whoso judgeth not by that which Allah hath revealed: such are evil-livers.
Muhammad is even directed to previous scriptures for confirmation of Quran!
Surah 10:94 94: And if thou (Muhammad) art in doubt concerning that which We reveal unto thee, then question those who read the Scripture (that was) before thee. Verily the Truth from thy Lord hath come unto thee. So be not thou of the waverers.
Islam confirms Paul as one of the messengers of Allah.
Surah 36:14:
When We sent unto them twain, and they denied them both, so We reinforced them with a third, and they said: Lo! we have been sent unto you.
Who is this third? Ibn Kathir, perhaps the most prominent exegete of the Quran, commenting on Surah 36:14), says: (so We reinforced them with a third,) means, `We supported and strengthened them with a third Messenger. ' Ibn Jurayj narrated from Wahb bin Sulayman, from Shu`ayb Al-Jaba'i, "the names of the first two messengers were Sham`un and Yuhanna, and the name of the third was Bulus, and the city was Antioch (Antakiyah).
Bulus is the Arabic for Paul. Hence, Simon and John were the first two messengers and Paul was the third! This is also confirmed by Al Qurtubi in his writings (see http://quran.ksu.edu.sa/tafseer/qortobi/sura61-aya14.html)
Aside Ibn Kathir and Al Qurtubi, over twenty Islamic sources confirm this view that Paul was one of the messengers mentioned in Surah 36:14 (see links to all these sources at THE APOSTLE PAUL IN EARLY ISLAMIC EXEGESIS – Answering Islam Blog (wordpress.com)
In conclusion, the Quran endorses the Bible as inspired, preserved and authoritative word of God.
However, the fundamental teachings of the Bible contradict those of the Quran. What are we to make of this?
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