Transcript The Qur'an (Koran)

Islam History, Culture and Religion Slide Presentation
Part Five
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Producing the Qur’an
"Alif Laam Raa. A book which we have revealed to you
(Muhammad) so that you may lead the people from out of the
darknesses into the light by their Lord's leave to the path of the
All-Mighty, the Praiseworthy.“ Sura 14:1
“The Qur'an is a Message from Allah to humanity. It was
transmitted to us in a chain starting from the Almighty Himself (swt) to
the angel Gabriel to the Prophet Muhammad (saas). This message was
given to the Prophet (saas) in pieces over a period spanning
approximately 23 years (610 CE to 622 CE). The Prophet (saas) was 40
years old when the Qur'an began to be revealed to him, and he was 63
when the revelation was completed. The language of the original
message was Arabic, but it has been translated into many other
languages.” http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/quran. (Univ So. Calif).
“The Qur'an is one leg of two which form the basis of Islam. The
second leg is the Sunnah of the Prophet (saas). What makes the Qur'an
different from the Sunnah is primarily its form. Unlike the Sunnah, the
Qur'an is quite literally the Word of Allah, whereas the Sunnah was
inspired by Allah but the wording and actions are the Prophet's. The
Qur'an has not been expressed using any human's words. Its wording is
letter for letter fixed by no one but Allah.”
“Prophet Muhammad (saas) was the final Messenger of Allah
to humanity, and therefore the Qur'an is the last Message which Allah
has sent to us. Its predecessors such as the Torah, Psalms, and Gospels
have all been superceded. It is an obligation - and blessing - for all who
hear of the Qur'an and Islam to investigate it and evaluate it for
themselves. Allah has guaranteed that He will protect the Qur'an from
human tampering, and today's readers can find exact copies of it all
over the world. The Qur'an of today is the same as the Qur'an
revealed to Muhammad (saas).”
Ultra Violet Photo of Manuscript
Qur’an Manuscript As Found
Brief History of Compilation of the Qur'an
Adapted from an article in Perspectives, Vol 3, No. 4, Aug/Sept 1997
During the life of the Prophet (saas) (570-632 CE)
•The Prophet (saas) used to recite the Qur'an before angel Jibreel
(Gabriel) once every Ramadan, but he recited it twice (in the same
order we have today) in the last Ramadan before his death. Jibreel
also taught the Prophet (saas) the seven modes of recitation.
•Each verse received was recited by the Prophet, and its location
relative to other verses and surahs was identified by him.
•The verses were written by scribes, selected by the Prophet, on any
suitable object - the leaves of trees, pieces of wood, parchment or
leather, flat stones, and shoulder blades. Scribes included Ali Ibn Abi
Talib, Mu'awiyah Ibn Abi Sufyan, Ubey Ibn Ka'ab, Zayed Ibn Thabit.
•Some of the companions wrote the Qur'an for their own use.
•Several hundred companions memorized the Qur'an by heart.
During the caliphate of Abu Bakr (632-634 CE)
•Umar Ibn Al-Khattab urged Abu Bakr to preserve and compile the
Qur'an. This was prompted after the battle of Yamamah, where heavy
casualties were suffered among the reciters who memorized the Qur'an.
•Abu Bakr entrusted Zayed Ibn Thabit with the task of collecting the
Qur'an. Zayed had been present during the last recitation of the Qur'an by
the Prophet to Angel Jibreel (Gabriel).
•Zayed, with the help of the companions who memorized and wrote
verses of the Qur'an, accomplished the task and handed Abu Bakr the
first authenticated copy of the Qur'an. The copy was kept in the residence
of Hafsah, daughter of Umar and wife of the Prophet
This is the claim for “inspired” or “God given” words in the
Qur’an and the basis for the claim that the Qur’an is “Exactly”
as God originally gave it to Muhammad.
THE INITIAL COLLECTION OF THE QUR'AN TEXT
1. THE QUR'AN'S DEVELOPMENT DURING MUHAMMAD'S
LIFETIME.
A study of the compilation of the Qur'an text must begin with the
character of the book itself as it was handed down by Muhammad to his
companions during his lifetime. It was not delivered or, as Muslims
believe, revealed all at once. It came piecemeal over a period of twentythree years from the time when Muhammad began to preach in Mecca in
610 AD until his death at Medina in 632 AD. The Qur'an itself declares
that Allah said to Muhammad: "We have rehearsed it to you in slow,
well-arranged stages, gradually" (Surah 25.32).
Furthermore no chronological record of the sequence of passages
was kept by Muhammad himself or his companions so that, as each of
these began to be collected into an actual surah (a "chapter"), no thought
was given as to theme, order of deliverance or chronological sequence. It
is acknowledged by all Muslim writers that most of the surahs, especially
the longer ones, are composite texts containing various passages not
necessarily linked to each other in the sequence in which they were
given. As time went on Muhammad used to say "Put this passage in the
surah in which so-and-so is mentioned", or "Put it in such-and-such a
place" (as -Suyuti, Al Itqan fii Ulum al-Qur'an, p.141). Thus passages
were added to compilations of other passages already collected together
until each of these became a distinct surah. There is evidence that a
number of these surahs already had their recognised (sic) titles during
Muhammad's lifetime, as from the following hadith:
“The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) (in fact) said:
Anyone who recites the two verses at the end of Surah al-Baqara at
night, they would suffice for him. ... Abu Darda reported that Allah's
Apostle (may peace be upon him) said: If anyone learns by heart the first
ten verses of the Surah al-Kahf, he will be protected from the Dajal.
(Sahih Muslim, Vol. 2, p.386).”
“As the Qur'an developed Muhammad's immediate companions
took portions of it down in writing and also committed its passages to
memory. It appears that the memorisation (sic) of the text was the
foremost method of recording its contents as the very word al-Qur'an
means "the Recitation" and, from the very first word delivered to
Muhammad when he is said to have had his initial vision of the angel
Jibriil on Mount Hira, namely Iqra - "Recite!" (Surah 96.1), we can see
that the verbal recitation of its passages was very highly esteemed and
consistently practised (sic). Nevertheless it is to actual written records of
its text that the Qur'an itself bears witness in the following verse:
It is in honoured scripts (suhufin mukarramatin), exalted, purified, by the
hands of scribes noble and pious. Surah 80.13-16.
“Regarding the written materials there are no records as to
exactly how much of the Qur'an was reduced to writing during the
lifetime of Muhammad. There is certainly no evidence to suggest that
anyone had actually compiled the whole text of the Qur'an into a single
manuscript, whether directly under Muhammad's express authority or
otherwise, and from the information we have about the collection of the
Qur'an after his death (which we shall shortly consider), we must rather
conclude that the Qur'an had never been codified or reduced to writing in
a single text.”
“Muhammad died suddenly in 632 AD after a short illness and,
with his death, the Qur'an automatically became complete. There could
be no further revelations once its chosen recipient had departed. While he
lived, however, there was always the possibility that new passages could
be added and it hardly seemed appropriate, therefore, to contemplate
codifying the text into one harmonious whole. Thus it is not surprising to
find that the book was widely scattered in the memories of men and on
various different materials in writing at the time of Muhammad's
decease.”
Quoted from the web page of Answering Islam at http://answeringislam.org/Gilchrist/Jam/chap1.html
“Aishah said: A man got up (for prayer) at night, he read the
Qur'an and raised his voice in reading. When morning came, the Apostle
of Allah (saw) said: May Allah have mercy on so-and-so! Last night he
reminded me a number of verses I was about to forget. (Sunan Abu
Dawud, Vol. 3, p.1114). Here it is implied that Muhammad himself had
forgotten some of the Qur’an. Islam’s answer is that God made him do
it.
“Let us conclude this section. Zaid, quite obviously one of
the companions of Muhammad who had an outstanding knowledge
of the Qur'an, set about collecting its text so as to produce as
genuine and authentic a codex as he possibly could. His integrity
in this undertaking is not to be questioned and we may accordingly
deduce from all the evidences he consulted that the single Qur'an
text he finally presented to Abu Bakr was a basically authentic
record of the verses and suras as they were preserved in the
memories of the reciters and in writing upon various materials.”
“The evidences, however, do not support the modern hypothesis
that the Qur'an, as it is today, is an exact replica of the original, nothing
lost or varied. There is no evidence of any interpolation in the text and
such a suggestion (occasionally made by Western writers) can be easily
discounted, but there are ample evidences to indicate that the Qur'an was
incomplete when it was transcribed into a single text (as we have already
seen) and that many of its passages and verses were transmitted in
different forms…”
“Before closing our study on the collection of the Qur'an during
the caliphate of Abu Bakr it is important to study the brief mention made
by Zaid of the two verses which he said he found only with Abu
Khuzaimah al-Ansari. The full text of the hadith on this subject reads as
follows: I found the last verse of Surat at-Tauba (Repentance) with Abi
Khuzaima al-Ansari, and I did not find it with anybody other than him.
The verse is: 'Verily there has come to you an Apostle from amongst
yourselves. It grieves him that you should receive any injury or difficulty
... (till the end of Bara'a)'. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Vol. 6, p.478).”
The Holy Qur’an
Today the Qur’an may be found in many forms and
bindings from many volumes with commentary to single books.
The Design of the Qur’an
 It is written in Arabic (Arabic is read left to right).
 It is divided into surahs (chapters) and ayat (verses).
 There are 114 surahs and 6,000 ayats.
 Surahs are arranged according to length, not
chronologically.
 The longer surahs are the later “revelations”.
 Each surah is given a different name, which is not a part of
the text, such as “The Cow,” “The Star,” “The Ant.”
Test the Text, Not God
We must not choose to test God. Testing God is a great sin
and there is a command against it in the Bible: Do not test the LORD
your God (Deuteronomy 6:16, NIV). However, while we must not
test God, God does command us to test prophets.
For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform
great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect--if that were
possible. See, I (Jesus) have told you ahead of time. (Matthew
24:24-25, NIV).
Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see
whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone
out into the world (1 John 4:1, NIV).
Muhammad claimed to
be a prophet of God
Christians cannot reject his claim as impossible because
Christians believe that God has sent prophets. But this does not
mean that Christians must blindly accept that Muhammad is a
prophet, that would be foolish and disobedient, instead we are
commanded to test prophets to determine whether they are from
God. Muhammad may be a true prophet or he may be a false
prophet. We must test him to see which he is.
We test a prophet
by examining his prophecy to see whether it is
true. The prophecy of Muhammad is recorded
in the Qur'an, so we need to test what the
Qur'an says to see whether Muhammad is a
true prophet.
The Qur'an makes three claims as to why Muhammad is a true
prophet. These claims are "testable". These claims are:
1. The Qur'an confirms the teaching of the Jewish and Christian
Scriptures (Usually meaning the Torah and the Gospels).
2. The Qur'an makes clearer the teaching of the Jewish and
Christian Scriptures.
3. Muhammad is foretold in the Jewish and Christian Scriptures.
Does the Qur’an Verify the Bible?
Confirming the Scripture?
In the Qur'an there are many references to the Jewish Talmud
and the Bible. The Qur'an addresses Christians and Jews in terms of
the Book: O People of the Book! Surah 5:68. The Qur'an claims that
it confirms the teaching of these “former” Books: O ye People of the
Book! Believe in what We have (now) revealed, confirming what was
(already) with you… Surah 4:47.
The Qur'an teaches that there are faithful Christians and Jews:
Not all of them are alike: Of the People of the Book are a
portion that stand (for the right); they rehearse the Signs of Allah all
night long, and they prostrate themselves in adoration. They believe
in Allah and the Last Day; they enjoin what is right, and forbid what
is wrong; and they hasten (in emulation) in (all) good works: They
are in the ranks of the righteous. Of the good that they do, nothing will
be rejected of them; for Allah knoweth well those that do right Surah
3:113-115.
Nearest among them in love to the Believers wilt thou find those
who say, "We are Christians": Because amongst these are men devoted to
learning and men who have renounced the world, and they are not
arrogant Surah 5:85.
According to the Qur'an, the faithful Christians and Jews did not
do what the unfaithful did; they obeyed their Scriptures and worshipped
God.
But what about their Scriptures? Does the Qur'an consider the
Scripture of the Jews and Christians to have been corrupted by the
actions of the Unfaithful? Or has it been preserved by the Faithful? Does
the Qur'an consider that only part of their Scripture now contains truth?
O ye who believe! Believe in Allah and His Apostle, and the
scripture which He hath sent to His Apostle and the scripture which He
sent to those before (him). Any who denieth Allah, His Angels, His
Books, His Apostles, and the Day of Judgement, hath gone far, far astray
Surah 4:136.
We believe in Allah, and in what has been revealed to us and
what was revealed to Abraham, Ismail, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and
in (the Books) given to Moses, Jesus, and the Prophets, from their Lord:
We make no distinction between one and another among them Surah
3:84.
Those who follow the Messenger (Mohammed), the Prophet who
can neither read nor write, whom they will find described in the Torah
and the Gospel (which are) with them Surah 7:157.
And when there cometh unto them (Jews) a Scripture (the Qur'an)
from Allah, confirming that in their possession. Surah 2:89.
This Koran is not such as can be produced by other than Allah; on
the contrary it is a confirmation of (revelations) that went before it, and a
fuller explanation of the Book. Surah 10:37.
Verily this Koran doth explain to the Children of Israel most of
the matters in which they disagree. Surah 27:76.
The Qur'an is not referring to Scripture that Jews and Christians
use to possess in the past, but now are lost. Rather, the Torah given to
Moses, and the Gospel given to Jesus, is the Scripture that is with them
(the Christians and Jews) and in their possession at the time of
Muhammad. The Qur'an sees itself as the guardian of the message of all
Scripture: To thee We sent the Scripture in truth, confirming the scripture
that came before it, and guarding it in safety. Surah 5:48.
DOES THE QUR’AN CONFIRM THE BIBLE?
In the Gospel Jesus very clearly taught that Christians are not to
fight for their religion. His apostles also taught the same:
(T)urn the other cheek ... love your enemies and pray for those
who persecute you. (Matthew 5:39, 44). Put back your sword in its place
... for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. (Matthew 26:52)
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the
rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and
against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (Ephesians
6:12).
The Qur'an says that the Gospel taught that fighting for God
(religion) is acceptable.
(T)hey fight in the way of God; they kill, and are killed; that is a
promise binding upon God in the Torah, and the Gospel, and the Koran
Surah 9:112.
In the Bible the punishment for stealing is that the thief must
repay the property he stole plus an additional amount to compensate
(Leviticus 6:1-5, Exodus 22:3-4). If the thief cannot repay then he is
forced to work to repay his debt (Exodus 22:1). The maximum length of
time that he can work is six years, then he must be released (Deut. 15:1214). This type of justice is property punishment for a property crime.
In the Qur'an however a
thief is to have his hand cut off:
As for the thief, both male
and female, cut off their hands.
Surah 5:38. This type of
punishment is a permanent lifelong
physical punishment for a property
crime.
The Qur'an's teaching in no
way confirms the Bible's teaching.
Remarrying the Same Woman
In Deut. God commanded Moses that a man must not remarry his
wife if after leaving him she has married another man. In fact God said it
is detestable to do such a thing. …her first husband, who divorced her, is
not allowed to marry her again after she has been defiled. That
would be detestable in the eyes of the LORD. (Deut. 24:1-4).
The Qur'an allows a man to remarry his wife when after leaving
him she has been married another man:
And if he hath divorced her (the third time), then she is not lawful
unto him thereafter until she hath wedded another husband. Then if he
(the other husband) divorce her it is no sin for both of them that they
come together again. Surah 2:230.
What the Qur'an allows, the Bible teaches is detestable.
Obviously, the Qur'an does not confirm the Bible.
Marrying More
Than One Wife
“Marry women of your choice, Two or three or four; but if ye
fear that ye shall not be able to deal justly (with them), then only
one, or (a captive) that your right hands possess, that will be more
suitable, to prevent you from doing injustice.” Surah 4:3.
“Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man
have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband.”
I Cor. 7:2
Jesus said, "For this reason a man shall leave his father and
mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one
flesh.” Matt. 19:5 quoted from Genesis 2:24. No confirmation!
The Death of Jesus
In the Bible Jesus clearly taught that he would die and be raised
from the dead:
“From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he
must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders,
chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on
the third day be raised to life.” (Matthew 16:21).
Jesus also said that his death and resurrection was what the
prophets before him had foretold:
He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with
you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of
Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms." Then he opened their minds so
they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, "This is what is
written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day,
and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to
all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. (Luke 24:45-47)
The Qur'an teaches about the death of Jesus on the cross it says
that he never really died!
"We (the Jews) slew the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, the
Messenger of God" - yet they did not slay him, neither crucified him,
only a likeness of that was shown to them. ... and they slew him not of
certainty - no indeed; God raised him up to Him; God is All-mighty, Allwise. Surah 4:156-157.
Jesus taught that his death on
the cross was to pay for our sins and
that it was part of God's work that he
came to perform. The Qur'an says that
Jesus' death on the cross is no death at
all. That He really did not die, “no
indeed.” Obviously, the Qur'an does
not confirm the Bible on this most
important point.
The Bible Account
“For I determined not to know anything among you
except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” I Cor. 2:2
“But God forbid that I should boast except in the
cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom [by which ] (the
cross) the world has been crucified to me, and I to the
world.” Galatians 6:14.
“And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a
loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" that is,
"My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?“
Matthew 27:46
If not Jesus on the cross, then who? Islam says it was Judas!
Does the Qur’an make the Bible
Clearer?
In the Qur'an one of Noah's sons did not come into the ark:
And Noah called to his son, who was standing apart (from the
ark), "Embark with us, my son, and be thou not with the unbelievers!"
He said, "I will take refuge in a mountain, that shall defend me from the
water." ... And the waves came between them and he was drowned.
Surah 11:42-43.
The Bible records in great detail the plagues that God sent upon
Egypt. This can be found in Exodus Chaps. 7-11.
The Qur'an says: So we let loose upon them the flood and the
locusts, the lice and the frogs, the blood, distinct signs; but they
waxed proud and were a sinful people. Surah 7:130/133. This is just
wrong; a flood was not one of the plagues that God sent on Egypt.
The Sacrifice of Abraham
The Bible states that
Abraham offered Isaac as God
commanded.
Islam teaches that
Abraham offered Ishmael and
that the promise of God comes
to man through Ishmael.
Does the Qur’an
clear up this obvious
contradiction?
Abraham's sacrifice
The Bible teaches very clearly that Abraham was commanded to offer his
son Isaac as a sacrifice to God: “He took with him two of his servants
and his son Isaac. ... When they reached the place God had told him
about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He
bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then
he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel
of the LORD called out to him from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!"
"Here I am," he replied. "Do not lay a hand on the boy," he said. "Do not
do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have
not withheld from me your son, your only son." (Genesis 22:1-12, NIV)
The rest of the Bible also teaches clearly that Isaac was the son that
Abraham offered in sacrifice: By faith Abraham, when God tested him,
offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about
to sacrifice his one and only son. (Hebrews 11:17, NIV)
Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did
when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? (James 2:21, NIV).
The account of Abraham's sacrifice is also told in the Qur'an.
However the account is not very clear. In particular the identity of the
son is not explicitly stated.
We gave him (Abraham) news of a gentle son. And when he
reached the age when he could work with him, his father said to him:
"My son, I dreamt that I was sacrificing you. Tell me what you think."
He replied, "Father, do as you are bidden. God willing you shall find me
steadfast." And when they had both submitted to God, and Abraham had
laid down his son prostrate upon his face, We called out to him saying:
"Abraham, you have fulfilled you vision." Surah 37:99-104.
Since the identity of Abraham's son is not mentioned, this has led
to all types of confusion for the Muslim community. Al-Tabari is one of
Islam's greatest historians of the Qur'an. He freely admits that the early
Muslim theologians were not sure which son Abraham offered, some
thought it was Isaac, others that it was Ishmael. In fact Al-Tabari even
says that there are reliable hadiths (reports) from Muhammad some of
which say it was Isaac and others which say it was Ishmael.
This confusion, caused by the Qur'an, comes to a climax with the
Muslim festival of Eid-ul-Adha. This festival occurs during the annual
pilgrimage to Mecca. At this festival an animal is sacrificed to remember
the time when Abraham offered, not Isaac, but his son Ishmael. The
Bible clearly teaches that the son Abraham offered was Isaac. The Qur'an
does not say who the son was, but the result of the Qur'an's unclear
teaching is that Muslims reject the clear teaching of the Bible and instead
think that the son was Ishmael even though there is not evidence for this
from the Qur'an.
Again we see that what was
clearly taught in the Bible is
confused by the Qur'an and has led
to confusion and disagreements
between Muslims and Jews and
Christians. Thus the Qur'an's claim
to explain more clearly the Bible is
seen to be false yet again.
The LORD declares to you (David) that the LORD himself will
establish a house for you: When your days are over and you rest with
your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will
come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the
one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne
of his kingdom forever. I will be his father, and he will be my son. (2
Samuel 7:11-14, NIV)
When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his
disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" ... Simon Peter
answered, "You are the Christ (Messiah), the Son of the living God."
(Matthew 16:13-16, NIV)
Throughout the Qur'an it denies that Jesus is the Son of God yet
mistakenly still calls him the Messiah.
The Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, was no more than God's apostle and his
Word which He cast to Mary Surah 4:171.
The Jews say, Ezra is the "Son of God"; the Christians say, "The
Messiah is the Son of God." That is the utterance of there (sic) mouths,
conforming with the unbelievers before them. God assail them! How
they are perverted. Surah 9:30.
They say: "God has begotten a son" God forbid! Surah 10:68.
The Qur'an shows no understanding of the meaning of the title
"Son of God". In the Qur'an it means nothing more than to imply that
God had sex, and as we have seen from the Bible this is not what the title
means. In the Qur'an Jesus is given the title of Messiah and yet denied
the title of the Son of God; the Bible clearly teaches that both of these
titles go together.
Again we see that what was clearly taught in the Bible is
confused by the Qur'an and has led to confusion and disagreements
between Muslims and Christians. The Qur'an claims to make clearer the
teaching of the Bible but this claim is false. It does not make clearer the
Bible's teaching, in fact it only confuses it.
Terms and Abbreviations
P.B.U.H. These letters are abbreviations for the words
Peace Be Upon Him which are the meaning of the Arabic
expression " 'Alaihis Salam", which is an expression that is said
when the name of a prophet is mentioned.
S.A.A.S. / S.A.W.S. These letters are abbreviations for
the words "Salla Allahu 'Alaihi Wa Sallam", which means :
may the blessing and the peace of Allah be upon him. When the
name of Prophet Muhammad is mentioned, a Muslim is to
respect him and invoke this statement of peace upon him.
S.W.T. These letters are abbreviations for the words of
"Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala". When the name of Almighty Allah is
pronounced, a Muslim is to show his respect to Him. The
meaning of this statement is that Allah is purified of having
partners or a son.
AS means "Alayhi Salam" in Arabic, which means "May
Allah bless him“.
RA means "Radiy Allahu Anhu" in Arabic, which means
"May Allah be pleased with him". [Anha=her. Anhuma=them.]
(sic) when found, usually in parentheses, it means that the
word, phrase, number or statement is printed (or used) as it was
found in the original text. It generally denotes a wrong use: e.g.
the author’s translation, grammatical, textual or printing error.
You may find some of these terms in the following
material. They will not be read (since we are not
Muslims).
Is Muhammad
foretold in the Bible?
Dr. Jamal Badawi in his leaflet called, Muhammad
in the Bible quotes the following Qur'anic verse on
his title page: Those who follow the Apostle
(Muhammad), the unlettered Prophet, whom they
find mentioned in their own Scriptures, in the Law
(Torah) and the Gospel (Surah 7:157: Trans: Yusuf
Ali). He then seeks to demonstrate that Muhammad
is foretold in the Bible.

Muhammad: The Prophet Like Unto Moses.
Long (sic) time after Abraham, God's promise to send the long-awaited
Messenger was repeated this time in Moses' words. In Deuteronomy
18:18, Moses spoke of the prophet to be sent by God who is:
1) From among the Israelites, "brethren", a reference to their Ishmaelite
cousins as Ishmael was the other son of Abraham who was explicitly
promised to become a "great nation".
2) A prophet like unto Moses. There were hardly any two prophets who
were so much alike as Moses and Muhammad. Both were given
comprehensive law code of life, both encountered their enemies and
were victors in miraculous ways, both were accepted as
prophets/statesmen and both migrated following conspiracies to
assassinate them. Analogies between Moses and Jesus overlooks not only
the above similarities but other crucial ones as well (eg. the natural birth,
family life and death of Moses and Muhammad but not of Jesus ...)
Muhammad in the Bible
Dr. Badawi is right to refer to Deuteronomy 18:18 as a verse
which predicts the coming of another prophet after Moses. This verse
from Deuteronomy is part of the law that God gave to Moses. Here is the
verse:
“I will raise up for them a prophet like you (Moses) from among
their brothers; I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them
everything that I command him.” (Deuteronomy 18:18, NIV)
Dr. Badawi (and Muslims) contend that the prophet who would
be like Moses was Muhammad. Who is the prophet?
The Bible actually tells us who the prophet of Deuteronomy 18:18 is.
(Jesus said:) If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote
of me. (John 5:46, RSV)
Peter said, “The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of
our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be
killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let
him go. You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a
murderer be released to you. You killed the author of life, but God raised
him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. ... Now, brothers, I know
that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. But this is how God
fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his
Christ would suffer. Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may
be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, and that
he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you--even Jesus. He
must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore
everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets. For
Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like
me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he
tells you. Anyone who does not listen to him will be completely cut
off from among his people.’” (Acts 3:13-23, NIV)
“The Awaited Prophet Who Was To Come From Arabia.
“Deuteronomy 33:1-2 combines references to Moses, Jesus and
Muhammad. It speaks of God (i.e. God's revelation) coming from Sinai,
rising from Seir (probably the village of Sa'ir near Jerusalem) and
shining forth from Paran. According to Genesis 21:21, the wilderness of
Paran was the place where Ishmael settled (i.e. Arabia, specifically
Mecca).
“Indeed the King James Version of the Bible mentions the
pilgrims passing through the valley of Ba'ca (another name of Mecca) in
Psalms 84:4-6.
“Isaiah 42:1-13 speaks of the beloved of God. His elect and
messenger who will bring down a law to be awaited in the isles and who
"shall not fail nor be discouraged till he have set judgement on earth".
Verse 11 connects that awaited one with the descendants of Ke'dar. Who
is Ke'dar? According to Genesis 25:13, Ke'dar was the second son of
Ishmael, the ancestor of the Prophet Muhammad.” Dr. Badawi in his
leaflet Muhammad in the Bible.
These verses do not even mention revelation of any sort at all. So
the verse is not even speaking about revelation.
Secondly, Dr. Badawi has incorrectly identified two of the
locations: he says that Se'ir is near Jerusalem. It is not. Se'ir is in the
country of Edom (NBD) south of the Dead Sea while Jerusalem is to the
north of the Dead Sea.
Then he claims that the Wilderness of Paran is Mecca; again this
is wrong. The Wilderness of Paran is about 200km south west of the
Dead Sea (NBD) and is nowhere near Mecca!
Next, Dr. Badawi refers to Psalm 84 and says that the Baca Valley
is Mecca. The verse from Psalm 84 is: Blessed are the men whose
strength is in thee, in whose heart are the highways to Zion. As they go
through the valley of Baca they make it a place of springs; the early rain
also covers it with pools. (Psalm 84:5-6, RSV). These verses only tell
how pilgrims travel through the Baca Valley; they do not say that a
Prophet will arise from there. Therefore, even if the Baca Valley of
Psalm 84 is the same as the Bakkah of Mecca that does not prove that a
Prophet will arise from there. The Bible, however, uses valleys to
describe our experience of God. In Psalm 23 there is the Valley of the
Shadow of Death, in Joel 3:14 the Valley of Decision, and in Isaiah 22 the
Valley of Vision. The word (Baca) is Hebrew for weep(ing) (NBD). So
the Valley of Baca is literally translated the Valley of Weeping. In this
Psalm it symbolizes the weeping and difficulties that pilgrims have to
endure when they travel across harsh terrain on their pilgrimage.
Then, Dr. Badawi claims that Isaiah 42:1-13, connects the awaited one
with the descendants of Ke'dar. Let us consider some of these verses:
Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul
delights; I have put my Spirit upon him, he will bring forth justice to the
nations ... Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise from the end of the
earth! Let the sea roar and all that fills it, the coastlands and their
inhabitants. Let the desert and its cities lift up their voice, the villages
that Kedar inhabits; let the inhabitants of Sela sing for joy, let them shout
from the top of the mountains. Let them give glory to the LORD, and
declare his praise in the coastlands. (Isaiah 42:1-12, RSV)
It is true that they are connected, but so too are the people of
Sela. In fact, all people from the ends of the earth are connected and will
praise God when he brings his chosen Servant. Isaiah 42 is not saying
from which nation the Servant will come, as Dr. Badawi claims; it just
tells us that many nations will praise God when his Servant does come.
The Bible actually tells us who the Servant of Isaiah 42 is:
“And many followed him (Jesus), and he healed them all, and ordered
them not to make him known. This was to fulfil what was spoken by
the prophet Isaiah: "Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my
beloved with whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my Spirit upon
him" (Matthew 12:15-18, RSV).
The Qur'an (Koran) Foretold In The Bible?
... Was it another coincidence that Isaiah ties between the messenger
connected with Ke'dar and a new song (a scripture in a new language) to
be sang unto the Lord (Isaiah 42:10-11). More explicitly, prophesies
Isaiah "For with stammering lips, and another tongue, will he speak to
this people" (Isaiah 28:11). This latter verse correctly describes the
"stammering lips" of prophet Muhammad reflecting the state of tension
and concentration he went through at the time of revelation. Another
related point is that the Qur'an was revealed in piece-meals over a span
of twenty-three years. It is interesting to compare this with Isaiah 28:10
which speaks of the same thing.
Muhammad in the Bible
Dr. Badawi teaches that when Isaiah 42:10 says: Sing to the
LORD a new song, it is foretelling a scripture in a new language. This is
a ridiculous interpretation of this verse. Firstly, there no mention of any
scripture, new or old, in this verse, so how can it foretell the coming of
any scripture? Secondly, Dr. Badawi makes the claim that the word song
means language. The word song means song!
Dr. Badawi teaches that Isaiah 28 foretells Muhammad's state of
tension and concentration. What is the context of Isaiah 28? After the
death of King Solomon, Israel engaged in civil war and the kingdom of
Israel was divided between north and south. Ephraim was a major tribe
of the northern kingdom. This kingdom began to worship two golden
calves (1 Kings 12:28). Moses had warned Israel that if they turn to other
gods then:
“The LORD will bring a nation (army) against you from afar,
from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flies, a nation whose
language you do not understand, a nation of stern countenance, who
shall not regard the person of the old or show favor to the young.”
(Deuteronomy 28:49-50, RSV)
Isaiah 28 is God's reminder to faithless Ephraim (Northern Israel)
that he is now going to send this army whose language you do not
understand to punish Ephraim:
“Woe to the proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim ... The
proud crown of the drunkards of Ephraim will be trodden under foot ...
Nay, but by men of strange lips and with an alien tongue the LORD will
speak to this people ... that they may go, and fall backward, and be
broken, and snared, and taken.” (Isaiah 28:1-13, RSV) This historical
event happened in 722 B.C. when the Assyrian army conquered Israel; it
has nothing to do with Muhammad's state of tension and concentration.
That Prophet - Paraclete - Muhammad.
... In the Gospel according to John (Chapters 14,15,16) Jesus spoke of
the "Paraclete" or comforter who will come after him, who will be sent
by (sic) Father as another Paraclete, who will teach new things which the
contemporaries of Jesus could not bear. While the Paraclete is described
as the spirit of truth (whose meaning resemble Muhammad's famous title
Al-Amin, the trustworthy) he is identified in one verse as the Holy Ghost
(John 14:26). Such a designation is however inconsistent with the profile
of that Paraclete ... It was Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) who
was the Paraclete, Comforter, helper. From Muhammad in the Bible
The Greek word (paraclete) refers to someone who acts as a
counsellor, a helper, an intercessor, or a representative for someone else.
Jesus acted this way for his disciples as he taught them about God and
begged God to be merciful to them. Jesus was the first Paraclete.
However, Jesus promised that after he had returned to heaven, God
would send another Paraclete to be with the disciples. Jesus said:
“And I will pray the Father, and he will give you another
Counsellor (Paraclete), to be with you forever.” (John 14:16, RSV).
Jesus then tells us that the Paraclete is the Holy Spirit:
“These things I have spoken to you, while I am still with you. But
the Counsellor (Paraclete), the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in
my name, he will teach you all things.” (John 14:25-26, RSV).
These are but a few of the
examples that could be sited to
show that the claims of
Muhammad (and the Qur’an) that
he is mentioned in the Bible are
not true.
You Changed the Bible
Whenever a Christian quotes the Bible to a Muslim in order to
establish why he believes something, the Muslim almost always
responds by saying, "BUT YOU CHANGED YOUR BIBLE."
Let’s examine what the Qur’an says about the Bible. These VERSES
FROM THE QUR’AN CLAIM THE TORAH AND THE GOSPELS
WERE TRUE AND ACCEPTABLE AT THE TIME OF JESUS.
Surah 19:12. God says, "`Oh Yahya! (John the Baptist) take hold of
the Book with might': and We gave him wisdom as a child."
Surah 3:48. The Angel Gabriel is speaking to Mary about Jesus before
Jesus' birth and says: "And he (God) will teach him the book and
wisdom and the Torah and the Gospel"
Surah 66:12. "and Mary (Jesus' mother)...believed in the words of her
Lord and His Books"
Surah 3:49-50. Jesus says, "I have come to you...attesting to (the
truth of) what is between my hands of the Torah, and to make lawful
to you a part of that which is forbidden to you."
Surah 61:6. "And remember, Jesus, the son of Mary, said: `Oh
Children of Israel! I am the apostle of God to you, confirming that
which IS between my hands from the Torah...'"
Surah 5:49. "And in their footsteps (of Moses and the Jews) We sent
Jesus the son of Mary, attesting to (the truth of) the Torah which was
between his hands; and We gave him the Gospel - therein is guidance
and light and attesting to (the truth of) the Torah which was between
his hands: a guidance and an admonition to the righteous."
Surah 5:113. "Then will God say, `O Jesus son of Mary! Recount my
favor to you and to your mother when I strengthened you with the Holy
Spirit, so that you spoke to the people in childhood and in maturity.
Behold! I taught you the Book and Wisdom, the Torah and the
Gospel...
The Bible Has Not Changed
"As for Me," says the LORD, "this is My covenant with them:
My Spirit who is upon you, and My words which I have put in your
mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your
descendants, nor from the mouth of your descendants'
descendants," says the LORD, "from this time and forevermore."
Isaiah 59:21
“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no
means pass away.” Matthew 24:35.
“He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has
that which judges him--the word that I have spoken will judge him
in the last day.” John 8:48.
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