#51 – Does Islam believe in the Pentateuch (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers Deuteronomy), and in the Gospel Record (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John)?
Answer: Yes, they believe, based on readings we glean from the Qur’an itself. Observe closely the following quotes and judge for yourselves. But the Qur’an states that Jews breached their covenant with Allah. The same accusation is leveled against Christians – that is failure to explain much of the scriptures. Perhaps the Arabs did not understand the preaching of the Christians in the 6th and 7th centuries of the Christian Era. During the 4th to the 6th centuries, there were many theological issues that troubled the Christians like the Trinity, the deity of Christ, the Filioque, the use of images inside the cathedrals, the worship of Mary, among others.
Remember these dates: 570 A.D. or Christian Era – birth of Muhammad; about the year 620 A.D., beginning of revelations received by Muhammad (as claimed), 632 A.D. – death of Muhammad.
Please read the following portions lifted from the Qur’an and after each section, I point out the issue:
*Surat-Al-Baqarah (The Cow) II, verse “4. And who believe in that (the Qur’an and the Sunnah) which has been sent down (revealed) to you (Muhammad arabic letters here) and in that which was sent down before you [the Taurat (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel), etc.] and they believe with certainty in the Hereafter (Resurrection, recompense of their good and bad deeds, Paradise and Hell).
[The Issue: Islam recognizes the 5 books of Moses as part of its belief foundation. The other books of the Old Testament are rejected by Muslims. Also recognized are the 4 gospel accounts of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, but if something in these 4 books goes against Islam belief, that section would be considered as a corruption of the original manuscript. Acts to Revelation are not recognized as sent down by God. – ET]
*Surat-Al-Baqarah (The Cow) II, verse “285. The Messenger (Muhammad arabic letters here) believes in what has been sent down to him from his Lord, and (so do) the believers. Each one believes in Allah, His Angels, His Books, and His Messengers. (They say), ‘We make no distinction between one another of His Messengers’—and they say, ‘We hear, and we obey. (We seek) Your Forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the return (of all).”
[The Issue: Islam enumerates 25 prophets, including Jesus Christ of Nazareth, with Muhammad as the last and the greatest of them all. Muhammad is considered greater than Christ Jesus. But note that Christ Jesus claims to have come from heaven, from the Father and He became flesh, John 1:15. Christ did many miracles, he died but He resurrected, appeared in a span of 40 days to His disciples, to several women, to the 500 brethren in 1 Cor. 15, they ascended back to heaven. By contrast, Muhammad did not do any miracles. He died and he remains dust in his grave. Christ will judge all men, including Muhammad. Notice the Arabic word ‘Baqarah’ which means cow. In our local dialect, cow is baka. There are many Filipino dialect words that are similar to Arabic words. – ET]
*Surat Al ‘Imran (The Family of Imran) III, verse “3. It is He Who has sent down the Book (the Qur’an) to you (Muhammad arabic letters here) with truth, confirming what came before it. And He sent down the Taurat (Torah) and the Ingeel (Gospel), 4. Aforetime, as a guidance to mankind. And He sent down the criterion [of judgment between right and wrong (this Qur’an)]. Truly, those who disbelieve in the Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) of Allah, for them there is a severe torment; and Allah is All-Mighty, All-Able of Retribution.”
[The Issue: This section of the Qur’an testifies that the Torah and the Gospel account are from God, and yet there are many disagreements. The Qur’an points to Ishmael as the heir of Abrahamic blessings, whereas, Isaac is the one pointed to by the Torah. Isaac is the one pointed by the Gospel account as among the fore-parents of Jesus Christ. See Matthew 1 and Luke 3. The above Qur’an claim, therefore, is not true. Meaning, the genealogy, given by Matthew and Luke, does not testify that Ishmael is Abraham’s heir of the promises given in the Book of Genesis. – ET]
*Surat Al-Ma’idah (The Table Spread With Food) V, verse “12. Indeed, Allah took the covenant from the Children of Israel (Jews), and We appointed twelve leaders among them. And Allah said: ‘I am with you if you perform As-Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat) and give Zakat and believe in My Messengers; honour and assist them, and lend a good loan to Allah, verily, I will expiate your sins and admit you to Gardens under which rivers flow (in Paradise). But if any of you after this, disbelieved, he has indeed gone astray from the Straight Path.
13. So because of their breach of their covenant, We cursed them and made their hearts grow hard. They change the words from their (right) places and have abandoned a good part of the Message that was sent to them. And you will not cease to discover deceit in them, except a few of them. But forgive them and overlook (their misdeeds). Verily, Allah loves Al-Muhsinun (good-doers – See V.2:12).
14. And from those who call themselves Christians, We took their covenant, but they have abandoned a good part of the Message that was sent to them. So We planted amongst them enmity and hatred till the Day of Resurrection (when they discard Allah’s Book, disobeyed Allah’s Messengers and His Orders and transgressed beyond bounds in Allah’s disobedience); and Allah will inform them of what they used to do.
15. O people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians)! Now has come to you Our Messenger (Muhammad Arabic letters here) explaining to you much of that which you used to hide from the Scripture and pass over (i.e. leaving out without explaining) much. Indeed, there has come to you from Allah a light (Prophet Muhammad Arabic letters here) and a plain Book (this Qur’an).”
[The Issue: In the four above verses we read the name Allah, the God worshipped by Muslims. The term “Allah” can be read in the Old Testament of our Bible. You can find that in item #464, of the Hebrew to English Index-Lexicon & Expository Dictionary. It means “oak”, possibly the oak tree which is known for its strength. The following is a quote from the Expository Dictionary, page 87: “elah, ‘god.’ This Aramaic word is the equivalent of the Hebrew éloah’. It is a general term for ‘God’ in the Aramaic Passages of the Old Testament, and it is a cognate form of the word ‘allah,’ the designation of deity used by the Arabs.” Please notice that the Qur’an recognizes the Pentateuch and yet the Qurán avoids using the name Yahweh as the revealed name of the Hebrew true God. In a future article, we shall expand the political and cultural reasons why this deviation of name from Yahweh to Allah. But this deviation reveals the inconsistency of the Qurán from its claim of being sent from heaven. In like manner, verses 14 and 15 accuse the Christians of abandoning the good part of the Message or the Gospel. In modern terminology, it is the corruption of the Gospel. Of course, we the Christians deny that we have corrupted the teachings of the Gospel taught by Christ.]
*Surat Al-Ma’idah (The Table Spread With Food) V, verse “46. And in their footsteps, We sent ‘Isa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary), confirming the Taurat (Torah) that had come before him, and We gave him the Ingeel (Gospel), in which was guidance and light and confirmation of the Taurat (Torah) that had come before it, a guidance and an admonition for Al-Muttaqun (the pious – See V.2.2).”
[The Issue: The above quote from the Qur’an recognizes the historicity of Mary and Jesus. Jesus confirmed the prophecies of the Pentateuch. Likewise, the Gospel is confirmed as guidance and light and confirmation of the Pentateuch. This recognition of the Pentateuch and the Gospel by the Qur’an is very revealing which we shall expand in the future.- ET]
*Surat Yunus (Jonah) X, verse 94, “So, if you (O Muhammad arabic letters here) are in doubt concerning that which We have revealed to you, [i.e. that your name is written in the Taurat (Torah) and the Ingeel (Gospel), then ask those who are reading the Book [the Taurat (Torah) and the Ingeel (Gospel)] before you. Verily, the truth has come to you from your Lord. So be not of those who doubt (it).”
[The Issue: The immediate passage above reveals that the Pentateuch and the Gospel account are true and should not be doubted. We Christians should carefully watch out for some specific claims of Islam and check up with the Pentateuch and the Gospel and evaluate the claims of some Muslims. For example, the instruction that the heir to God’s promises to Abraham was Isaac and NOT to Ishmael. And the claims of Jesus Christ about his coming from above, and that he has existed before Abraham was born and his presence with God before the creation of the world. – ET ]