Read Journeys, chapter 6

Read Dialogue, chapters 5, 17

9.1: Understanding the Quran

9.2: The Arabic Quran

The Quran and the Bible

Introduction

Ibraihim asked me for a Bible.

• A day later he returned the Bible to me and said, “This is not the Word of God; this is a history book.”
• Ibraihim was right; the Bible is primarily a history book.
• Ibraihim was also wrong; the Bible is the Word of God.
• The Quran is not a history book.
• Why this important difference between the Bible and the Quran?

1. This is what Muslims believe about revelation: it is tanzil (God sending His will down).

1.1 Muslims believe that the first revelation came to Muhammad in a cave on Mount Hira outside of Mecca in 610 A.D. during the month of Ramadan.

1.2 They believe that Gabriel appeared and proclaimed: “Recite: in the name of thy Lord who createth, createth from a clod of mud. Recite: And thy Lord is the most bounteous, who teacheth by the pen, teacheth man that which he knew not” (Proclaim 96:1-5).

1.3 The night of revelation is the night of power: “Lo! We revealed it on the night of power. Ah, what will convey unto thee what the night of power is? The night of power is better than ten thousand months” (The night of Power 97:1-3).

1.4 God sends His will down, but He does not meet us personally.

1.5 There is a Mother of the Book in heaven (Umm-ul-Kitab) which is the source of all true revelation (Ra’d: Thundder 13:39).

1.6. God has sent portions of the Mother of the Book down to earth through angels. The Quran is the final revelation which clarifies all previous revelation.

1.7 The Quran is ijaz, that is, a miracle that cannot be repeated. It transcends history.

1.8 Some portions of the Quran are allegorical and others clear and foundational (Al-I’ Imran: 3:7).

1.9 The prophets who receive these revelations are known as rasul (apostles).

1.10 God has sent down five books of revelation:

• The Suhuf (Scrolls) revealed through the prophet Abraham (This scripture has been lost.)
• The Taurat (Torah) of the Prophet Moses
• The Zabur (Psalms) of the Prophet David
• The Injil (Gospel) of Jesus the Messiah
• The Quran (Recitation) of the Prophet Muhammad

1.11. Christians and Jews are called the People of the Book.

• They possess the former scriptures: Taurat, Zabur, and Injil.
• Muslims believe that they possess the Quran, which is the final scripture.
• The Quran commands Muhammad: “If thou wert in doubt as to what we have revealed unto thee, then ask those who have been reading the Book from before thee ...” (Quran 10:94).
• The Quran also commands the People of the Book to expound their Scriptures to mankind and not to hide their Scriptures (Al-I’ Imran: 3:187).
• The Quran also commands the People of the Book to stand upon their Scriptures (Maida: 5:68).

2. The Arabic Quran

2.1. Muslims believe that the Quran was sent down to Muhammad through the angel Gabriel.

2.2 The Quran was sent down in Arabic.

2.3 The Quran was sent down in Arabic to the Arab people so that they might understand (Yusuf: 12:2).

2.4 It can be interpreted into other languages.

2.5 It cannot be translated into another language.

2.6 For this reason all Muslims must learn Arabic.

2.7 In all mosques around the world, the scriptures are always read in Arabic and the prayers are offered in Arabic. The mosque sermons are interpretations of the Quran and can be preached in the language of the people.

3. The Quran is organized according to the size of the chapters, with the longest chapter coming first.

3.1 The exception is the first chapter known as the Fatiha (Opening). The Fatiha is the prayer that Muslims always offer when they bow in prayer.

3.2 There are 114 chapters in the Quran.

3.3 If the Quran were a history book, then the chapters would be organized according to when they were written. Since it is not considered to be history, then organizing the chapters according to size makes a lot of sense.

3.4. Muslims believe that the Quran clarifies and brings to completion all the former scriptures.

3.5 Muslims handle the Quran with highest respect; it must be the highest item in a room and never laid on the floor.

4. The Quran was organized in its final form under the leadership of Caliph Uthman. It was completed about 652 A.D. or 20 years after Muhammad’s death.

5. Muslim history

5.1 Muslims place great value on the history of Muhammad and the early Muslim community.

5.2 That history is not included in the Quran for they believe that these scriptures came down from heaven.

5.3 However, that history is recorded in the Hadith (Traditions).

6. So for scripture, Muslims read the Quran; for history, they read the Hadith.

7. Christians believe that revelation is incarnational (God meeting us in our situation).

• God met Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.
• God met Moses at the burning bush.
• God met Israel at Mount Sinai.
• God met Joshua at the Jordan River.
• God met Isaiah in the temple.
• God met the disciples of Jesus on the Day of Pentecost.
• God met me!
• Supremely, God meets us in Jesus Christ.

8. Christians believe that God acts in history. For example:

• God acted through the Flood at the time of Noah.
• God acted by delivering Israel from slavery in Egypt.
• God acted by signs and wonders before Israel at Mount Sinai.
• God acted by causing the walls of Jericho to fall down.
• God acted supremely through Jesus Christ.
• God acted by creating the Church.

9. God reveals Himself through meeting us and through His acts in history.

• That is what the Bible is about.
• God always reveals Himself within our culture and history.
• That is why the Bible is primarily a history book. It is the account of God’s acts in history and our response to what He is doing. It is the account of His revelation of Himself.
• The Bible has been written over 1,500 years of time. God has inspired many writers whose accounts of God’s revelation are included in the Bible.

10. Incarnation and Bible translations

• God chooses to meet us in our own culture and history (incarnation).
• It is for this reason that the biblical writers have different styles and perspectives. For example, in the New Testament Peter writes in a rather rambling style and Paul writes with very long sentences and with very good organization.
• Because revelation is incarnational, Christians seek to translate the Bible into languages everywhere.
• No Christian should need to learn Greek or Hebrew in order to read the Bible!
• Today parts of the Bible are available in at least 3,000 languages!

11. Muslims often accuse Christians of corrupting the Bible.

11.1 These are the reasons for the accusation.

• The Bible is mostly a history book.
• There are many translations of the Bible.
• There are contradictions between the Bible and the Quran.

11.2 Here is a Christian response to those accusations:

• The Christian and Muslim understandings of Scripture and revelation are very different.
• God reveals Himself personally in history, therefore the Bible needs to be primarily an account of God’s acts in history.
• There are hundreds of ancient Old Testament manuscripts and at least 5,000 ancient New Testament manuscripts. These documents enable scholars to be confident that our modern Bible is an accurate transmission of the original text.
• The Dead Sea Scrolls contain some Old Testament manuscripts that are over 2,000 years old. These greatly strengthen confidence that the Old Testament is a trustworthy transmission of the early Hebrew texts.
• We know that God will always protect His Word.
  • The Quran: “... there is none that can alter the Words and Decrees of God” (An’am: Cattle 6:34).
  • The Bible: “Your word, O Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens” (Psalms 119:89).

11.3 Christians do not accuse Muslims of corrupting the Quran. We request the courtesy of Muslims to also recognize that Christians stand on their Scriptures. In fact, the Quran itself commands Christians to “ … stand fast by … all the revelation that has come to you from your Lord” (Maida: Table Spread 5:71).

12. The doctrine of abrogation

12.1 However, even if Muslims are persuaded that the Bible is a trustworthy transmission of the original texts, the doctrine of abrogation might mean that some Muslims will not take the Bible seriously.

12.2 The doctrine of abrogation applies to the Quran . It means that some portions of the Quran abrogate other portions.

12.3 Some Muslim scholars view the later (Medina) revelations as abrogating the earlier (Meccan) revelations. The principal is that revelation progressed with later revelations superseding or abrogating earlier revelations.

12.4 Other scholars view abrogation as relating to the context. The portions that are most pertinent to the current context would abrogate those revelations that are less applicable to the current context. In that case the Meccan revelations might be the more contextually relevant and therefore abrogating at least some of the Medina revelations which came later.

12.5 Other scholars point out that within the revelations that have come down from the Mother of the Book, there is a revelational core that sets the tone for the whole Quran, and in some contexts that core has abrogation authority over less clear or allegorical portions.

12.6 Some scholars push the doctrine of abrogation beyond the Quran and apply the doctrine to the Bible. That does not seem to have been the intent of the doctrine as stated in the Quran, but some scholars nevertheless apply the doctrine to the former scriptures.

Conclusion

Christians cannot respond fully to all such nuances that deflect Muslims from taking the Bible seriously. Nevertheless we bear witness that the Bible is the Word of God, and we invite Muslims to read and hear that Word, praying that God will open their hearts to the life-giving message of the Word of God.

Selective references in the Quran in regard to the Bible

1. God has revealed the former scriptures.

“He, (Allah) sent down the Law (Taurat of the Prophet Moses), and the gospel (Injil of Jesus the Messiah)” (Ali Imran 3:3).

“For to them was entrusted the protection of God’s Book …” (Maida 5:47).

“O People of the Book, you have no ground to stand upon unless you stand fast by the Law (Taurat) and the gospel (Injil) and all the revelation that has come to you from your Lord” (Maida 5:71).

The writings of Moses are the furqan of truth (Anbiyaa 21:48 and Baqara 2:53).

It is also guidance, light, and mercy to humankind. It is the Book of Allah (Maida 5:47; Hud 11:17; Anibiyaa 21:48).

“No change can there be in the Words of God” (Yunus 10:64).

In regard to the gospel, the Quran states: “Therein was guidance and light and confirmation of the law (Taurat) that had come before him (the Messiah) a guidance and an admonition” (Maida 5:49).

The Quran also advises the Prophet Muhammad: “If thou wert in doubt as to what we have revealed unto thee, then ask those who have been reading the Book from before thee …” (Yunus 10:94).

Occasionally the Quran insists that God’s Word cannot be corrupted. Here is an example of that kind of affirmation. “Rejected were the Apostles before thee; with patience and constancy they bore their rejection and their wrongs, until our aid did reach them; there is none that can alter the Words and Decrees of God” (Anam 6:34).

2. The People of the Book must respect and protect their Scriptures.

There are also admonitions for the Christians not to corrupt their Scriptures, not to hide their Scriptures or sell Scripture for a profit, and not to misquote the Scripture.

“And remember, God took a Covenant from the People of the book, to make it known and clear to mankind, and not to hide it” (Ali Imran 3:187).

“There is among them a section that distorts the Book with their tongues; [As they read] you would think it is part of the Book, but it is not part of the Book, and they say, ‘That is from God,’ but it is not from God; it is they who tell a lie against God, and well they know it” (Ali Imran 3:78).

“Ye People of the Book! Why do ye clothe with falsehood, and conceal the Truth, while ye have knowledge” (Ali Imran 3:71).

“Then woe to those who write the Book with their own hands, and then say: ‘this is from God,’ to traffic with it for a miserable price! --Woe to them for what their hands do write and for the gain they make thereby” (Baqara 2:79).

Conclusion

The basic difference:

• For Muslims God is merciful, and therefore He sent the Quran down by the angel Gabriel through Muhammad.
• For Christians, God loves us so much that He has entered our history in Jesus the Messiah. The center of the Christian faith is: Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.

One of the primary ways the Holy Spirit works to bring Muslims to faith in Jesus Christ is through the Bible. So let us make the Bible available to Muslims.