THE WITNESS OF ISLAM TO THE VALIDITY OF THE TORAH AND THE GOSPELS

The Torah and the Gospel, or the Old and New Testaments of the Bible, constitute the written Word of God. Nothing coming from God, the Holy One, is false.

What does Islam have to say about these two divine volumes?

Actually, the Qur'an testifies to the integrity of the Christian Scriptures. Anyone reading the Qur'an will be astonished at its clear witness to the validity of the Bible's contents. The following verses serve as examples to this fact:

"We have sent down the Torah, a guide and a light; the prophets judge thereby, as do the rabbis and priests, with what they preserved of God's book. Of this they are witnesses" (Sura al-Ma'ida 5:44).

"We sent down the Book to you verily, confirming what lies in his hands of that Book and watching over it. So judge among them as to what God sent down in this regard" (Sura al-Nisa' 4:105).

 

"We followed on this with Jesus, Son of Mary, confirming what lay in His hands of the Torah. We brought Him the Gospel, in which is guidance and light, confirming what is in His hands of the Torah, guidance and exhortation for the pious" (Sura al-Ma'ida 5:46).

The Qur'an calls us to honour and to use the Torah and the Gospel:

"Say, O people of the Book, you are nought until you uphold the Torah and Gospel, and what God sent down to you" (Sura al-Ma'ida 5:68).

"Let the People of the Gospel judge as to what God has sent down. They that withhold judgement therein are impious" (Sura al-Ma'ida 5:47).

"O ye that have believed, believe in God, His apostle, and the Book He sent down to His apostle, and the Book He sent down previously. He who disbelieves in God, His angels, His books, His apostles and the Judgement Day, has strayed far away from truth" (Sura al-Nisa' 4:136).

"We have sent men before you other than those whom we inspired; ask then the people of prayer if you understand not" (Sura al-Nahl 16:43).

Christians believe in the divine inspiration of the Old Testament. The canon of the Old Testament was completed around 300 B. C. and divided by the Jews into three sections: the Torah or the Law, the Prophets and the Writings.

Concerning the New Testament, scholars agree that it was written and in circulation while many of Christ's followers who had seen and heard Him were still living. The New Testament contains the four Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, the Epistles of Paul, Peter, James, John, and Jude, and the book of Revelation.

This was a brief summary of the contents of the Bible, a book inspired by God and revealed to holy men. God has preserved it through His sovereignty and power, and has chosen faithful men to translate His Word into the languages of men throughout the world. The existence of the Scriptures in about 1,400 languages today is without doubt one proof that God always watches over and protects His Word.

Indeed, nations will pass away, tongues will stop speaking and the world will continue to change, but the Bible will remain the Living Word forever. God's message for every man, woman and child for all times and places is found in the Bible. This message offers salvation through Jesus Christ to all people, regardless of their race, colour, language or nationality. The Bible has vital power which is available to all who will accept Jesus as their Saviour by faith, thereby becoming the children of God.