Islamic view of the Bible
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The Islamic view of the Christian Bible is based on the belief that the Quran says that parts of Bible are a revelation from God, but believe that some of it has become distorted or corrupted (tahrif), and that a lot of text has been added which was not part of the revelation.[citation needed] Muslims believe The Qur'an, which they hold to be a revelation to the Islamic prophet Muhammad, was given as a remedy and that it identifies three sets of books from the Bible as genuine divine revelation given to trusted messengers: the Tawrat (Torah) given to Musa (Moses), the Zabur (Psalms) given to Daud (David) and the Injil (Gospel) given to Isa (Jesus). They believe that, together, the Qur'an, these books, and the Suhuf Ibrahim ("Scrolls of Abraham", which they believe is currently lost) constitute Islam's scripture. Belief that this scripture is divinely inspired is one of Islam's fundamental tenets, traditional Muslim teaching stresses those passages in the Koran which affirm the Christian Gospel and the Hebrew Torah as valid revelations of God and paths to salvation. But there is a harsher, Saudi-influenced view which insists that since Muhammad delivered the final revelation, Christianity and Judaism have lost their power to save. [1] Despite this, they believe it is still possible to find Muhammad in the Bible.
It is forbidden to have Bibles in Saudi Arabia, due to Kingdom's Wahhabi beliefs. [2]
Perspectives
Early Muslims have historically held multiple perspectives in regard to the Bible.
Usages
Many Muslim apologists use Bible verses they interpret in light of their own beliefs, and that they believe are symbolic or descriptive of the rise of Islam, Muhammad or events that relate to their faith.[3]
Islamic view of the Torah (Tawrat)
The Qur'an mentions the word Torah eighteen times and confirms that it was The Word Of God. However, they believe that there have been additions and subtractions made to the Torah.
Islamic view of the Book of Psalms (Zabur)
Sura An-Nisa 4:163 of the Qur'an states "and to David We gave the Psalms".[4] Therefore, Islam confirms the Psalms as being inspired of God. The Qur'an mentions the word Zabur three times.[5]
Islamic view of the Gospel (Injil)
When the Qur'an speaks of the Gospel, it is believed to refer to an original divinely revealed Book that came to Jesus Christ. It does not refer to any Gospel written by any of Jesus's disciples, such as the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John and other lost Gospels such as that of Peter. Some Muslims believe that the book titled the Gospel of Barnabas is a true gospel, but Christian and non-Christian scholars dispute its authenticity.
Although Muslims believe that Jesus' original Gospel has been corrupted and lost, they believe that hints of the message of the original Gospel are still evident in the traditional Gospels of Christianity. However, they believe that there have been additions and subtractions made to the real story in these Gospels, much like they do the Torah
Muhammad and the Bible
Certain passages in the Bible have been interpreted by some Islamic scholars as prophetic references to Muhammad,[6] such as Deuteronomy 18:15-22.[7] Verse 15 says: "...a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me;..."
Though Muhammad was not an Israelite, according to Islamic tradition, he was a descendant of Ishmael and therefore traced his descent back to Abraham, like the Israelites.
Mention of Parakletos (English translation commonly "Comforter") in John 14:16, 15:26, 16:7 and 18:36 have been taken to be prophetic references to Muhammad by Muslims.[8] Christian scholars, on the other hand, interpret Parakletos as the Holy Spirit.[6]
Similarly, the Spirit of truth mentioned in John 16:12-14 has been claimed by some Muslims as a prophetic reference to Muhammad.,[6][9] though Christians consider it another reference to the Holy Spirit.
Qur'anic references to other persons in the Bible
Some of the people found in both the Qur'an and the Bible include; Aaron, Abel, Abraham, Adam, Cain, David, the disciples of Jesus, Elias, Elisha, Enoch, Eve, Ezra, Goliath, Isaac, Ishmael, Jacob, Jesus, John the Baptist, Jonah, Joseph, Lot, Mary, Moses, Noah, the Pharaohs of Egypt, Samuel, Saul, Solomon, and Zacharias.[10]
Christian apologetics
John Wijngaards and other Christian apologists reject Qu'ranic arguments that imply the typical Muslim view of "at-tahrif al-lahzi" (corruption of the text) They argue that early Muslim commentators held a more positive view of the Christian Bible and believe that the idea that the original text of the Bible was irrecoverable originated with Ibn Hazm, often written "Ibn Khazem".[11]
See also
References
- ^ http://www.economist.com/node/10311317.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ https://zenit.org/articles/living-in-secret-in-saudi-arabia/.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ http://www.academia.edu/4217516/Using_the_Bible_in_Dawa
- ^ Quran 4:163
- ^ Quran 17:55, Quran 21:105
- ^ a b c Abdus Sattar Ghauri (September 2006). "Muhammad foretold in the Bible: An Introduction" Renaissance 16 (9). ISSN 1606-9382.
- ^ Deuteronomy 18:15–22
- ^ John 14:16, 15:26, 16:7, 18:36
- ^ John 16:12–14
- ^ The Koran, N. J. Dawood, Penguin Classics, London, 1999 Index ISBN 0-14-044558-7.
- ^ Wijngaards, Hans (1985). Can we trust the Gospels?. 192 Vauxhall Bridge Road, London SW1: Catholic Truth Society. ISBN 0-85183-614-3. Retrieved 10 May 2015.
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