The books which influence 4 billion people today
The world's population is estimated to be 7.1 billion people. Of that, it's estimated that 56.46% have been influenced by the words of the Bible and or The Qur'an. The following paragraphs go beyond the desire to proof someone right or wrong. The words contained in this article are no more than sincere reflections based upon facts. My desire is that you would read with a critical and receptive mind. You may or may not agree with me. In any case, I invite you to think, weighing the facts presented and understanding the statements made. I may not know your background, whichever it is, bear in mind I only desire to expose my thought process. I would like to state how I evaluated the claims made by The Qur'an and the Hadith about what is and what isn't the word of God.
The words here contained are not aiming to degrade anyone. Rather, I'm trying to highlight the fact that what's at stake is too much not to think about it. It's about our destiny after life. All believers need Knowing The Word of God, because The word serves for guidance and for spiritual nourishment. It's absolutely necessary knowing if one is really reading the word of God, when one holds The Noble Qur'an.
The following flowchart may guide you as a map on the rationale behind the chapters discussed in this article. I first try to present and clarify what The Qur'an and the Books of today's Bible say about each other. Then, I review scriptures to understand if there are differences among them and why. Finally, I present a summary of what the Word of God says for us.
Figure 1. Thought process road map
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I. Understanding the Qur'an's claims about The Previous Books
The first fact to take into consideration is that long before the Qur'an came to existence, there were several other scriptures which were considered by many as the word of God. In the pages of The Noble Qur'an, it is stated that some of these books either are or were The Word of God in some extent.
While reading the noble Qur'an, I have noted several basic statements about some of the Judeo-Christian scriptures, namely The Torah, The Gospels and The Psalms. There are 4 basic claims which I think summarize where the Qur'an stands regarding the previous scriptures:
1. The Qur'an is Confirmation of the books previously revealed
2. The Qur'an brings clarity and resolve conflicts related to the people of the previous books
3. The Qur'an was foretold in the previous scriptures
4. The Qur'an is protected from corruption and therefore it's still error free, unlike previous scriptures
Let us introduce the sources of these claims.
1. Confirmation of the books previously revealed
The Qur'an states: " 3:2 Allah! None has the right to be worshipped but He, the Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists. 3:3 It is He Who has sent down the Book to you with truth, confirming what came before it. "
The tafsir of Ibn Kathir, Vol 3, page 3, comments the following regarding these ayats: "Confirming what came before it, means, from the previous divinely revealed Books, sent to the servants and Prophets of Allah. These Books testify to the truth of the Qur'an, and the Qur'an also testifies to the truth these Books contained, including the news and glad tidings of Muhammad's Prophethood and the revelation of the Glorious Qur'an."
Another verse of the Qur'an says: " 3:18 Allah bears witness that none has the right to be worshipped but He, and the angels, and those having knowledge (also bear witness to this); (He always) maintains His creation in justice.None has the right to be worshipped but He, the Almighty, the All-Wise."
Accordingly, Ibn Kathir clarifies for us with the following comments:
(vol 3-pg34): "He Alone is the Lord and God of all creation; everyone and everything are His servants, creation and in need of Him. Allah is the Most Rich, Free from needing anyone or anything."
(Volume 3 page 89): "Furthermore, Allah abrogated all the laws that were sent down to the Prophets with the Law. He sent Muhammad with, which consists of the true religion that shall never change or be altered until the commencement of the Last Hour. Muhammad's religion shall always be dominant and victorious over all other religions. This is why Allah allowed Muslims to conquer the eastern and western parts of the world and the kingdoms of the earth.
2. Brings clarity and resolve conflicts related to the conflicts between the people of the previous books
The Qur'an is claimed to be the criterion, i.e. it helps to evaluate right from wrong.
"3:3 And He sent down the Tawrah and the Injil, 3:4 Aforetime, as a guidance to mankind. And He sent down the criterion."
The tafsir of Ibn Kathir, Vol 3, page 4, states that:
"Allah said, And He sent down the Tawrah, to Musa (Musa) son of Imran, And the Injil, to `Isa, son of Mary. Aforetime, meaning, before the Qur'an was revealed. As a guidance to mankind, (in their time).
And He sent down the criterion, which is the distinction between misguidance, falsehood and deviation on one hand, and guidance, truth and piety on the other hand. This is because of the indications, signs, plain evidences and clear proofs that it contains, and because of its explanations, clarifications, etc.
There were conflicts between Jews and Christians attributed to differences between their beliefs. Sura 3:19 reads:
"Truly, the religion with Allah is Islam.Those who were given the Scripture (Jews and Christians) did not differ except out of rivalry, after knowledge had come to them."
Ibn Kathir Vol 3-pg 36 states:
"Allah then states that those who were given the Scripture beforehand divided in the religion after Allah sent the Messengers and revealed the Books to them providing them the necessary proofs to not do so. Jews and Christians, some of them wronged others. Therefore, they differed over the truth, out of envy, hatred and enmity for each other. This hatred made some of them defy those whom they hated even if they were correct."
Vol 3:pg42 continues to say:
"Allah criticizes the Jews and Christians who claim to follow their Books, the Tawrah and the Injil, because when they are called to refer to these Books where Allah commanded them to follow Muhammad, they turn away with aversion."
The mission of the prophet of Islam was to explain what was previously hidden (not corrupted) by Jews and Christians. The Qur'an says about this in sura 5:15&19:
"5:15 O People of the Scripture! Now has come to you Our Messenger explaining to you much of that which you used to hide from the Scripture and passing over much. Indeed, there has come to you from Allah a light and a plain Book."
"5:19 O People of the Scripture! Now has come to you Our Messenger making (things) clear unto you, after a break in (the series of) Messengers, lest you say: "There came to us no bringer of glad tidings and no warner.''
3. Foretold in the previous scriptures
It's written in the Qur'an "5:48 And We have sent down to you the Book (this Qur'an) in truth, confirming the Scripture that came before it and Muhayminan over it (old Scriptures)."
Ibn Kathir Vol 5 pg 161 comments the following about 5:48 : "confirming the Scripture that came before it, meaning, the Divinely Revealed Books that praised the Qur'an and mentioned that it would be sent down from Allah to His servant and Messenger Muhammad.The Qur'an was revealed as was foretold in the previous Scriptures. This fact increased faith in the previous Scriptures for the sincere who have knowledge of these Scriptures, those who adhered to Allah's commands and Laws and believed in His Messengers."
4. Protected from corruption and error free.
In The Tafsir of Ibn Kathir Vol 5:pg 87 is found "I sent to you a Book that cannot be washed by water (it is eternal), and you will read it while asleep and while awake.'
In The Qur'an it's written “We have, without doubt, sent down the Message; and We will assuredly Guard it (from corruption)” (15:9).
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II. Reviewing the claims of the Qur'an under the light of the earlier Books
Having presented and reviewed some of the claims in the Qur'an, it's necessary to seek within the Judeo-Christian scriptures. Why? Because some of the verses in the Qur'an consider these books as authoritative, bearers of the truth. For the sake of argumentation, let us set aside whether today's copies of the earlier books are corrupted or not. Let us start from the assumption they are trustworthy today. The objective is to determine in a historical and factual basis if the statements within the Torah, the Zabur and the Injil (that we have today) agree or disagree with the claims from The Qur'an as mentioned in Section-I of this article.
Though there are other scriptures considered as Authoritative by both Christians and Jews, I will only limit the review at this stage to what Christians and Jews call Torah of Moses, the Zabur of David and the Injil of Isa. That is, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Psalms, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John). The Torah, the Zabur and Injil are the books of the Bible mentioned in the Qur'an. I do this because I'm aiming to keep a fair ground for evaluation. It's like on a court of law allowing the other party to present their version of the facts.
1. Is the Qur'an confirmation of the previous books?
In order to answer this question, one should understand what is it claimed to confirm. The understanding of what confirmation means by mainstream Sunni Islam is that the older Books testify to the truth of the Qur'an, and that the Qur'an also testifies to the truth these previous Books contained.
Since this could be very lengthy task comparing all theological claims, I propose focusing on few foundational beliefs to start with. So, the question can be reformulated as, are the following foundational beliefs present in the Qur'an aligned with foundational beliefs in the 9 Judeo-Christian books mentioned above?
I propose looking at the following foundational beliefs.
A. Submission to God
B. Believe in one God
C. Good deeds
D. God has historically changed his commandments for others better to adjust to historical context and needs
A. Submission to God:
The Arabic word “Muslim” literally means “someone who is in a state of Islam (submission to the will and law of God)”. The message of Islam is meant for the entire world, and anyone who accepts this message becomes a Muslim. " http://www.islamreligion.com/articles/3/
Throughout the 9 judeo-christian books it is mentioned that man's obedience to God is critical in the relationship with Him. For example, it was Adam's and Eve disobedience which brought separation from God, the source of Life. Therefore death came into our world.
"Then the Lord God commanded the man, "You may freely eat fruit from every tree of the orchard, but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will surely die." -Genesis 2:16-17"
Adam did not submit himself to God, He disobeyed God by obeying to Eve, who had been deceitfully convinced by the enemy to not follow the commandment of God. Therefore God said to Adam "(...)"Because you obeyed your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, 'You must not eat from it,' cursed is the ground thanks to you; in painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. -Genesis 3:17"
The book of psalms (Zabur) also calls for obedience.
"For forty years I was continually disgusted with that generation, and I said, 'These people desire to go astray; they do not obey my commands.' So I made a vow in my anger, 'They will never enter into the resting place I had set aside for them.'" -Psalms 95:10-11
"I hasten and do not delay to keep your commandments" Psalms 119:60
The Injil explains that obedience must be done willingly. When Isa al-Masih (Jesus Christ) was on earth, a religious lawyer asked Him a question: “Master, which is the great commandment in the law (The Torah)? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets” (Matthew 22:36–40).
All commandments hang on love to God and others. From these scriptures we learn how important it is for us to love the Lord and our neighbors. But how do we show our love for the Lord? Jesus answered this question when He said, “He who obey my commandments, and keeps them, he is the one who loves me(...)” (John 14:21).
Before his ascension, Isa told his disciples to go spreading his good news to other people "Teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." -Matthew 28:20
In this case there is agreement. Obedience is paramount on our relationship with God. All books and the Qur'an agree on this fact.
B. Belief in one God:
Many verses in the Qur'an make direct reference to the existence of only One God. All Muslims belief in this.
"Monotheism is a prominent theme of the Quran, affirming that God is One without any partners. In a concisely-worded Quranic chapter, God commands, “Say, ‘He is God the One, God the eternal. He begot no one nor was He begotten. No one is comparable to Him’” (112:1-4)." http://www.whyislam.org/submission/the-holy-quran/the-origin-of-the-quran/
The word Tawhid is not found in the Qur'an, however is probably the most important foundational belief of Islam. It defines God as one, in total singularity, indivisible.
"Tawhid further refers to the nature of that God—that he is a unity, not composed, not made up of parts, but simple and uncompounded." http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/584517/tawhid
Let us see now what the Judeo-Christian books say.
There is a very important verse in the Torah, known as the Shema verse, which talks about the oneness of God. It reads " Listen, Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! -You must love the Lord your God with your whole mind, your whole being, and all your strength. -Deuteronomy 6:4-5"
Psalm 18:31 reads "Indeed, who is God besides the Lord ? Who is a protector besides our God?"
And in the gospels, John 5:44 says "How can you believe? While accepting glory from one another, you don't seek the glory that comes from the ONLY God."
So we find agreement in the fact that God is one, only God is God. Up to here the Qur'an confirms the previous scriptures.
Deeper examination challenges the indivisibility of God as presented by the Qur'an.
First, in Hebrew when stated "The Lord is One", this phrase is transliterated as YHWH Echad. The word YHWH is the unpronounceable name of God, sometimes translated as Jehovah or Yahweh. The word Echad according to the Strong's Hebrew lexicon means: one (when talking about numbers), each, every, an (indefinite article), first, only. Gesenius, 18th century German orientalist and Biblical critic, said that Echad could mean one, same, first, someone. Echad does not necessarily mean unique, it's used for example when saying "one group", "one family", or "one nation". As we see the word Echad does not necessarily support an idea of indivisibility, it leaves a window open for a plurality. In addition to this, in fact in Hebrew there exists another word, yachid, which would be more appropriate to describe unity and indivisibility. Yachid is translated, as explained in Gesenius Hebrew grammar lexicon, as either one, only or solitary. The word yachid is used en Genesis 22:2 to speak when saying that Isaac was the one and only son of Abraham, because Isaac was the only heir of Abraham and Sarah. Yachid is not used for groups of things.
Second, in Psalms 18:31 the word "Our God (Eloheinu)" means literally Our Gods. Coincidentally Eloheinu is also used in the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:7), (YHWH Eloheinu YHWH echad). Interestingly, therefore the verse can be rightly translated Yahweh-Our Gods, Yahweh is one.
People has argued in the past that the reason for using the plural of God in the Torah and Zabur could either refer to
- the "royal we" or
- as a superlative, to denote that the singular word can't explain the magnitude or complexity of God.
In the case of the "royal we", the main issue comes on the fact that in these books, the plural is only used for God, but not for his actions. To put an example in English, Royal we would say "We are creating" and the TORAH would say "We is creating". An example is found In the first verse of the Torah, "B'rishit bara' Elohim et hashamayim veet haerets", in the beginning The Lords (3rd person masculine plural) created (3rd person masculine singular) the heavens and the earth.
The superlative argument on the other hand only affirms the fact that God is far more complex that an indivisible unity, and supports more the idea of a God of unity in multiplicity.
It should also be mentioned that God is attributed the names Elohim (Gods) and Adonai (My Lords) multiple times. Both names are plurals. Elohim appears 2606 in the Old Testament books, and Adonai 461 times. This means that is not error or mistake of the scribes using plural names.
In addition to this, there are several other passages in which is related as if God were more than one person at the same time:
- In Genesis 22:1-2 God (Elohim) speaks to Abraham asking him to offer his son in sacrifice. Abraham obeys. Right when Abraham is about to land the knife on the lad, the Angel of God stops him with loud voice saying "Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God (Elohim), seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me (Angel of God, Malakh YHWH)." (Genesis 22:12).
As we see, in verse 12 the Angel said He was the one who asked to Abraham his son in sacrifice, and in verse 1&2 it was said that it was God who made such request. This indicates that both Elohim and the Angel of Elohim are the same character in the story.
- Psalms 110:1 reads "A Psalm of David. The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool."". The two words translated to English as LORD and my Lord are actually YHWH and Adoni. It is mentioned in the Gospel that Isa used this verse to explain a mystery about God and the Messiah: "41 Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question, 42 saying, "What do you think about the Christ (Messiah, Al Masih)? Whose son is he?" They said to him, "The son of David." 43 He said to them, "How is it then that David, in the Spirit, calls him Lord (Adoni), saying, 44 "'The Lord (YHWH) said to my Lord (Adoni), Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet'? 45 If then David calls him Lord (Adoni), how is he his son?"46 And no one was able to answer him a word, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions." Matthew 22:41-46
One argument might be that Christians are the only people holding into this belief. However the idea of God as unity in multiplicity / plurality has been held by many Jews, even from before and during the time of Isa Al-Masih. For example, The Jewish philosopher Philo of Alexandria (who was born before Isa) wrote about how the Word of God was independent of God himself, and that his word was whom actually created the universe independently from God. Also, there are references of unity in multiplicity in the Zohar (the cabalistic Jewish book) and among chassidic rabbinic Jews. Also is needless to say that messianic Jews also hold this belief. Further information can be read at:http://www.thechristianrabbi.org/threeasone.htm
The arguments exposed lead to therefore conclude that though the 9 judeo-christian books all support the idea of one God, as stated in the Quran, the same 9 books do not agree on the theological concept of Tawhid as indivisible God.
C. Good deeds
The Quran invites doing good deeds as a way to worship God. Not only that, good deeds and bad deeds may determine whether a Muslim would be accepted in heaven or not.
Surah 17:13-14 reads: And We have fastened every man's Ta'irah (deeds) to his neck, and on the Day of Resurrection, We shall bring out for him a Book which he will find wide open.14 (It will be said to him): "Read your Book. You yourself are sufficient as a reckoner against you this Day.''
The tafsir of Ibn Qathir Vol 17 comments: The word Ta'irah (lit. something that flies) refers to man's deeds which fly from him, as Ibn Abbas, Mujahid and others said. It includes both good deeds and bad deeds, he will be forced to acknowledge them and will be REWARDED OR PUNISHED accordingly.
The Torah and psalms in multiple places invite us doing good deeds, as a covenant where God promises blessings as a result of them:
- ""Now this is the commandment, the statutes and the rules that the LORD your God commanded me to teach you, that you may do them in the land to which you are going over, to possess it...." That you may fear the LORD your God, you and your son and your son's son, by keeping all his statutes and his commandments, which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be long. Hear therefore, O Israel, and be careful to do them, that it may go well with you, and that you may multiply greatly, as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey. -Deuteronomy 6:1-3"
- Vindicate the weak and fatherless; Do justice to the afflicted and destitute. Psalms 82:3
- "When you have finished paying all the tithe of your produce in the third year, which is the year of tithing, giving it to the Levite, the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow, so that they may eat within your towns and be filled...." -Deuteronomy 26:12
The main difference that one could find after reading the Judeo-Christian books and the Qur'an is that deeds do not play a role in salvation according to the judeo-Christian books. Some people get confused at reading the Torah separately from other books in the Old Testament. This may lead to think that fulfilling religious deeds are a must for salvation. However, this is not the case.
"The prevailing consensus among religious pundits seems to be that there is an unbridgeable chasm between Judaism and Christianity. To be sure there are definite differences in the practice of the two religious systems, but they do have a significant number of common features. Christians worship the Messiah who was a practicing Jew during His life. All of the authors of the New Testament, with one exception, were practicing Jews. The Old Testament, which Christians revere as the inscripturated Word of God, is a distinctly Jewish writing. If this is the case, and God, Jehovah, never changes, then the plan of salvation, reestablishing fellowship between sinful persons and God should be the same." https://bible.org/article/old-testament-salvation
Even main stream Judaism confirms that deeds are not guarantee of salvation:
"Rabbi Elazar of Moda said: One who desecrates sacred objects, one who disgraces the festivals, one who shames his fellow in public, one who annuls the covenant of our forefather Abraham, or one who interprets the Torah not according to Jewish law -- even if he has Torah [study] and good deeds, he has no share in the World to Come." Chapter 3, Mishna 15 (b)
As such it should be concluded that despite of finding agreement on the fact that all scriptures call for doing good deeds, the role of these are totally distinct. The Qur'an indicates that good deeds should overbalance the bad ones to access paradise. The Judeo-Christian books indicate that good deeds should be the natural consequence of a person who has received salvation for free. In simple words, salvation makes you fall in love with your creator, and that love is what leads a believer to doing good deeds.
D. God has historically changed his commandments for others better to adjust to historical context and needs
Throughout the Qur'an there are verses which cancel others. This concept is called Abrogation.
16:101-102 And when We change a verse in place of another - and Allah knows best what He reveals - they (the disbelievers) say: "You (O Muhammad) are but a forger.'' 102 Say (O Muhammad); "Ruh-ul-Qudus has brought it (the Qur'an) down from your Lord with truth.'' for the conviction of those who believe, and as a guide and good news for the Muslims.
The tafsir of Ibn Kathir Vol 16 explains this ayat as follows:
"Allah tells us of the weak minds of the idolators, and their lack of faith and conviction. He explains that it is impossible for them to have faith when He has decreed that they are doomed. When they saw that some rulings had been changed by being abrogated, they said to the Messenger of Allah: You are but a forger, meaning one who tells lies. But Allah is the Lord Who does whatever He wills, and rules as He wants. Rather, most of them know not. And when We change a verse (of the Qur'an) in place of another, Mujahid said: this means, "We remove one and put another in its place.'' Qatadah said: this is like the Ayah: Whatever verse We change (abrogate) or omit (the abrogated)...'' (2:106) Allah said, in response to them: Say: "Ruh-ul-Qudus has brought it...'' (meaning, Jibril),"
Muslim scholars attribute the differences between the Quran and other books to Abrogation. According to them Abrogation does not occur only in the Qur'an but in all books. For example Sura 3:50 states that Isa abrogated some commandments given to the Jews:
"(And I have come) confirming that which was before me of the Tawrah, and to make lawful to you part of what was forbidden to you, and I have come to you with a proof from your Lord. So have Taqwa of Allah and obey me.''. Surah 3:50
According to Ibn Kathir, vol 3 page 81: This part of the Ayah indicates that `Isa abrogated some of the Laws of the Tawrah and informed the Jews of the truth regarding some issues that they used to dispute about.
In another portion, ibn Katir comments the following:
"For instance, Allah has stated in their Book, the Tawrah, that when Nuh departed from the ark, Allah allowed him to eat the meat of all types of animals. Afterwards, Israil forbade the meat and milk of camels for himself, and his children imitated this practice after him. The Tawrah later on prohibited this type of food, and added several more types of prohibitions.
Allah allowed Adam to marry his daughters to his sons, and this practice was later forbidden. The Law of Ibrahim allowed the man to take female servants as companions along with his wife, as Ibrahim did when he took Hajar, while he was married to Sarah. Later on, the Tawrah prohibited this practice. It was previously allowed to take two sisters as wives at the same time, as Yaqub married two sisters at the same time. Later on, this practice was prohibited in the Tawrah. All these examples are in the Tawrah and constitute a Naskh (abrogation) of the Law. Therefore, let the Jews consider what Allah legislated for `Isa and if such legislation falls under the category of abrogation or not. Why do they not then follow `Isa in this regard Rather, the Jews defied and rebelled against `Isa and against the correct religion that Allah sent Muhammad with." Ibn Kathir volume 3, pg 147
The view presented may seem rational. However, it is necessary to review the posture of the 9 Judeo-Christian books before concluding whether they are on alignment or not with the Noble Quran.
- Let's examine first the Torah:
"We and our children are accountable FOREVER for all that he has revealed to us, so that we may obey all the terms of these instructions."(Deuteronomy 29:29 NLT)
- in the Zabur we find:
"I will ALWAYS obey your law, FOR EVER AND EVER. The law from your mouth is more precious to me than thousands of pieces of silver and gold. Your word, Lord, is ETERNAL; it stands firm in the heavens. Your commands are ALWAYS with me and make me wiser than my enemies. Your statutes are my heritage FOREVER; they are the joy of my heart. Your righteousness is EVERLASTING and your law is true. Your statutes are ALWAYS righteous; Long ago I learned from your statutes that you established them to last FOREVER. Salvation is far from the wicked, for they do not seek out your decrees. All your words are true; all your righteous laws are ETERNAL".(Psalm 119)
- and last but not least it's found Isa saying in the Injil:
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven. "(Matthew 5:17-20 NIV)
The above verses clearly denote a different view from that of the Qur'an. The word of God and his commandments do not change. They are applicable for ever.
In order to sustain this claim, let's study if what was lawful for Moses and was lawful for Isa, under the light of the scriptures before The Qur'an.
Most people get confused with the purpose of the commandments given to Moses. The Torah says about it:
"1And now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the rules that I am teaching you, and do them, that you may live, and go in and take possession of the land that the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving you." (...)6. Keep them and do them, for that will be your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, 'Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.' -Deuteronomy 4:1&6
The most important factors to highlight are that:
1. When moses received the tablets with the commandments, they were to a covenant with the people of Israel.
2. The covenant promised living in the promised land for the people of Israel.
3. Fulfilling all commandments would bring wisdom and understanding.
For example, Why did YHWH forbid eating pork, shrimp, seagull and catfish? It was not because he abrogated previous commandments, but because YHWH wanted to give understanding to the people of Israel. These commandments were signs that would allow the people of Israel understand the events that were to occur in days to come. For example, God asked in the book of Leviticus to the people of Israel to make continuous offering and sacrifices for redemption of sins. It wasn't that the blood of lambs would pay for the wrongdoings of people, but that one rite would explain to the hearts of the people of Israel that sin required payment. And the atonement that God had planned was a sacrifice. All commandments were aiming to show the holiness and justice of God, and to demonstrate that no human being was free of paying the penalty of their sins.
The Gospel relates a story in which Isa Al Masih ask the religious leaders to think about what we have explained:
"And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" 12But when he (Isa) heard it, he said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick."13 "Go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.' For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners." -Matthew 9:11-13.
Here Jesus was telling the Pharisees (who would speak loudly how well they attached to all laws, including offering sacrifices), that they did not understand The Torah. Jesus told them that what they should be more worried about was not focusing on rites but understanding the message of mercy from God which was presented all over the Torah.
Finally, the Zabur states:
"9. The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether.12 Who can discern his errors? Declare me innocent from hidden faults. -Psalms 19:9-12"
Indeed, we found a third major difference between the view of The Qur'an and the view of the other 9 books. The Torah clarified that the commandments were to bring wisdom. The gospel declared that God did not want sacrifice but that he is more interested on giving mercy. And psalms showed that even the most pious person would be found faulty in the eyes of God, because we all have hidden faults. In summary, God did not change the salvation plan. God did not offer one way to salvation through a first set of commandments, to change them later on for another commandment representing another way towards salvation. God's salvation plan has always been the same, a plan which does not compromise his infinite justice nor his infinite mercy.
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III. Understanding why The Qur'an differs from the Previous Scriptures
As we have explained above, there are several theological and conceptual differences in the views presented by the Qur'an versus the views presented in the Judeo-Christian books. If there were no such differences, the Qur'an might be easily accepted by Jews and Christians.
However, it should not just be concluded right away that the Qur'an's claims are simply not true. It's necessary to understand why The Qur'an differs from the previous scriptures. Plausible explanations that should be explored are:
1. The books of the Bible were corrupted before the time of the prophet of Islam
2. The books were corrupted after the time of the prophet of Islam
1. Were The Torah, the Injil and The Zabur corrupted at The time of The Prophet of Islam?
An unavoidable topic of discussion in the muslim-judeo-christian dialogue is the validity and reliability of the books revealed by God before and during the time of the glorious Qur'an was revealed. The Qur'an states:
"5:66 And if only they had acted according to the Tawrah, the Injil, and what has (now) been sent down to them from their Lord (the Qur'an), they would surely have gotten provision from above them and from underneath their feet."
Comment from Ibn Kathir: "Had they adhered to the Books that they have (present tense)with them which they inherited from the Prophets, without altering or changing these Books, these would have directed them to follow the truth and implement the revelation that Allah sent Muhammad with. These Books testify to the Prophet's truth and command that he must be followed."
Tafsir Ibn Qatir Volume 5, page 199. Found at www.quran4u.com
Ibn Kathir presents a good summary of one alleged explanation of why there exist differences between today's version of the Torah and Gospels. The following is an extract from the commentaries related to Surah 5:46-50
"Allah mentioned the Tawrah that He sent down to His Prophet Musa, the one whom He spoke directly to, praising it, commanding that it should be implemented, before it was abrogated. Allah then mentioned the Injil, praised it and commanded its people to adhere to it and follow it, as we stated. He next mentioned the Glorious Qur'an that He sent down to His honorable servant and Messenger."
As previously explained, this Muslim view indicates that though the Torah and the Gospel were guidance, they were not needed anymore after the Qur'an was revealed.
Ibn Kathir continues:
Allah said, And We have sent down to you the Book in truth...,(5:48)
meaning, with the truth that, no doubt, is coming from Allah.
confirming the Scripture that came before it, (5:48)
meaning, the Divinely Revealed Books that praised the Qur'an and mentioned that it would be sent down from Allah to His servant and Messenger Muhammad.
The Qur'an was revealed as was foretold in the previous Scriptures. This fact increased faith in the previous Scriptures for the sincere who have knowledge of these Scriptures, those who adhered to Allah's commands and Laws and believed in His Messengers.
(...)
Allah's statement, and Muhayminan over it, (5:48) (...)
Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn Abbas said,"Muhaymin is, `the Trustworthy'. Allah says that the Qur'an is trustworthy over every Divine Book that preceded it.''
This was reported from Ikrimah, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Mujahid, Muhammad bin Ka`b, Atiyah, Al- Hasan, Qatadah, Ata' Al-Khurasani, As-Suddi and Ibn Zayd. Ibn Jarir said, "The Qur'an is trustworthy over the Books that preceded it. Therefore, whatever in these previous Books conforms to the Qur'an is true, and whatever disagrees with the Qur'an is false.''
(...)
Consequently, the Qur'an is trustworthy, a witness, and dominant over every Scripture that preceded it. (...)
Verily, We, it is We Who have sent down the Dhikr and surely, We will guard it (from corruption). (15:9)"
Tafsir Ibn Qatir Volume 5, page 161 to 163. Found at www.quran4u.com
This hypothesis is interesting. However it assumes that previous scriptures are no longer worthy at the time of the prophet of Islam. It is therefore important reviewing what other Islamic sources have to say about the trustworthiness of the Torah, the Injil and the Zabur.
Let s first review the accounts of the life of the prophet, as presented by Ibn Ishaq and ibn Hisham in the Sira Rusul Allah:
Paragraph 394
One of the B, Qurayza told me that Abu Yasir and Wahb B Yahudha were with them and the apostle questioned them so that he got to the bottom of their affair until they said (pointing) to Abdullah B Suryia, " This is the most learned man living in the Torah" He was one of the youngest of them and when the apostle was alone with him he put him on his oath as to whether the Torah did not prescribe stoning for adulterers. "Yes" he said, "They know right well, Abu'l Qasim, that you are a prophet sent (by God) but they envy you". The Apostle went out to them and commanded that the two should be stoned and they were stoned at the door of his mosque among B. Ghanm b Malik b Al Najjar. Afterwards Ibn Suriya disbelieved and denied that the apostle was a prophet. So God sent down concerning them: "O apostle let not those who vie with one another in unbelief sadden you, those who say with their mouths we believe, but their hearts do not believe, those Jews listen to lies, listening for other people who do not come to you" i.e. those who sent others and stayed behind themselves and gave them orders to CHANGE THE JUDGMENT FROM ITS CONTEXT. Then He said: "They change words from their places, saying, if this be given to you receive it, and if it is not given to you, i.e. the stoning beware of it"
- Conclusion from paragraph 394: The prophet of Islam didn't have an issue with the Torah, but with people changing the context in interpretation
Paragraph 395
Salih b Kaisan from Nafi, freedman of Abdullah b Umar from Addulla b Umar told me: When the gave judgement about them he asked for a Torah. A rabbi sat there reading it having put his hand over the verse of stoning. Abdullah b. Salam struck the rabbi's hand saying, "this, O prophet is the verse of stoning which he refuses to read to you" The apostle said, "Woe to you Jews, what has induced you to abandon THE JUDGMENT OF GOD WHICH YOU HOLD (present tense) in your hands?" They answered: "the sentence used to be carried out until a man of royal birth and noble origin committed adultery and the king refused to allow him to be stoned. Later another man committed adultery and the king wanted him stoned, but they said No, no until you stone so and so. And when they said that to him he agreed to arrange the matter by tajbih and they did away with all mention of stoning" The apostle said " IAM THE FIRST TO REVIVE THE ORDER OF GOD AND HIS BOOK (I.E. The Torah) and to PRACTICE IT" They were duly stoned and Abdullah b Umar said, " I was among those that stoned them"
Note this is also found in the hadiths, http://sunnah.com/abudawud/40/96 Grade : Sahih (Al-Albani)
- Conclusion from paragraph 395: the Torah of the time of the prophet was trustworthy and the prophet of Islam said that it contains the judgement of God.
Paragraph 397
"Rafi b Haritha and Sallam b Mishkam and Malik b Al Sayf and Rafi b Huraymila came to him and said: "DO YOU NOT allege that you follow the religion of Abraham and BELIEVE IN THE TORAH WHICH WE HAVE and testify that IS THE TRUTH FROM GOD?" He replied, CERTAINLY, BUT YOU have sinned and broken the covenant contained therein and CONCEALED (I.e you hid) what you were ordered to make plain to men, and I dissociate myself from your sin" theysaid, " We hold by what we have. We live according to the guidance and the truth and we do not believe in you and we will not follow you" So God sent concerning to them : (Sura 5:72)"
- Conclusion from paragraph 397: 0nce again the Prophet of Islam says that the Torah available in his time was (is) the truth of God, and the he believed in it. He was not in agreement with those who would not explain or would hide what was in it, but others could not read it.
399
"Mahmud b. Sayhan and Nu'man b Ada and Bahri Uzayr and Sallam came to him and said: "Is it true Mohammad, that what YOU HAVE BROUGHT IS THE TRUTH FROM GOD? For our part we cannot see that it is arranged as the Torah is". He answered, "You know quite well that it is from God; YOU WILL FIND IT WRITTEN IN THE TORAH WHICH YOU HAVE (present tense at the time of the prophet). If men and jinn came together to produce its like they could not" Finhas and Abdullah b Suriya and Ibn Saluba and Kinana b Al Rabi and Ashya and Kab b Al and Shamwil and Jabal were there and said: "Did neither men nor jinn tell you this, Muhammad?" He said: "you know well that it is from God and that I am the apostle of God. You will find it written IN THE TORAH YOU HAVE" They said; " When God sends an apostle He does for him what he wishes, so bring down a book to us from heaven, that we may read it and know what it is, otherwise we will produce one like the one you bring" So God sent down concerning their words Surah 17:90"
- Conclusion from paragraph 399: twice the prophet invites to look into the Torah to find him foretold within its pages.
From the stories related in the Sira Rusul Allah by Ibn Ishaq and Ibn Hisham is concluded:
1. That according to the prophet of Islam the sin of the Jews was not corrupting the scriptures but breaking the covenant and hiding what was written in it, changing judgement from its context.
2. That theTorah in his time contained the truth from God and the right judgement.
3. That the Torah of the time contained what He had brought to the Jews, the truth of God, and that if the Jews would search within it the would find it.
4. That there was no corruption and that the book was trustworthy, appropriate for searching prophecies about him and the Qur'an.
There are also Sahih and Hasan Hadiths which shed further light in the trustworthiness of the books previous to The Qur'an:
Narrated by Aisha “(...)Khadija [his wife] then accompanied him [The Prophet - PBUH] to her cousin Waraqa …, who, during the PreIslamic Period became a Christian and used to write the writing with Hebrew letters. HE WOULD WRITE FROM THE GOSPEL in Hebrew as much as Allah wished him to write.(...)”
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 3
In-book reference : Book 1, Hadith 3
USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 1, Book 1, Hadith 3 (deprecated numbering scheme)
Narrated Abu Huraira: ..The people of the Scripture USED TO READ THE TORAH IN HEBREW AND EXPLAIN IT to the Muslims in ARABIC. Then Allah’s Apostle said, “Do not believe the people of the Scripture, and do not disbelieve them, but say, ‘We believe in Allah and whatever has been revealed…’ Al-Bukhari Vol 9, Book 93, No. 632
USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 6, Book 60, Hadith 12
Arabic reference : Book 65, Hadith 4526
Narrated by Abdullah Ibn Umar: The Jews came to Allah’s Apostle and told him that a man and a woman from amongst them had committed illegal sexual intercourse. Allah’s Apostle said to them, “WHAT DO YOU FIND IN THE TORAH about the legal punishment of Ar-Rajm (stoning)?” They replied, “(But) we announce their crime and lash them.” Abdullah bin Salam said, “You are telling a lie; Torah contains the order of Rajm.” … the Verse of Rajm was written there. They said, “Muhammad has told the truth; the Torah has the Verse of Rajm. Al-Bukhari Vol. 4, Book 56, No. 829
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 3635
In-book reference : Book 61, Hadith 139
USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 4, Book 56, Hadith 829 (deprecated numbering scheme)
Narrated Abdullah Ibn Umar: ..A group of Jews came and invited the Apostle of Allah (PBUH) to Quff. … They said: ‘AbulQasim, one of our men has committed fornication with a woman; so pronounce judgment upon them’. They placed a cushion for the Apostle of Allah (PBUH) who sat on it and said: “Bring the Torah”. It was then brought. He then withdrew the cushion from beneath him and placed the Torah on it saying: “I BELIEVE IN YOU (The Torah) and in Him Who revealed YOU.” Sunan Abu Dawud Book 38, No. 4434
Grade : Hasan (Al-Albani)
Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 4449
In-book reference : Book 40, Hadith 99
English translation : Book 39, Hadith 4434
Narrated AbuHurayrah: The Apostle of Allah (PBUH) said: The best day on which the sun has risen is Friday; on it Adam was created, …. Ka’b said: That is one day every year. So I said: It is on every Friday. KA'b READ THE TORAH and said: The Apostle of Allah (PBUH) has spoken the TRUTH. Sunan Abu Dawud Book 3, No. 1041 http://sunnah.com/abudawud/2
Grade : Sahih (Al-Albani)
Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 1046
In-book reference : Book 2, Hadith 657
English translation : Book 3, Hadith 1041
Further hadiths which speak about the Torah and the Gospel can be found at:
http://jtruthtobelieve.blogspot.com/2014/10/what-did-messenger-of-allah-think-of.html
Based on the Arguments presented, it s therefore concluded that the books were trustworthy at the time of the prophet, precluding the idea that corruption occurred before or during the time of the prophet.
2. Were the books corrupted after the revelation of the Qur'an?
The answer to this argument lays on historical records. If today's Bible translations are developed from manuscripts pre-dating the time of the prophet, then the answer is negative. And this is the exact case.
For the Gospel and the New Testament, the oldest fragments date from the second century CE. The oldest full books (codex) available to us today are the Codex of Alexandria (330 CE) and Codex Vaticanus (325 CE) both before the time of the prophet by approximately 3 centuries.
As for the Torah, the Zabur and other books in the Old Testament, the oldest surviving manuscripts date from 100 to 300 years BCE (before the current era) that is approximately 700 to 900 years before the Qur'an. These manuscripts make part of the Qumran manuscripts found towards mid 20th century.
_________________________________________________________________________
IV. Do The Judeo-Christian books foretell the advent of the Qur'an?
Having concluded the trustworthiness of the books available to us today, one last argument should be reviewed. Do the books of the Bible contain verses foretelling the advent of the prophet and The Qur'an?
One way to tackle this question is reviewing Bible verses which Muslim apologists claim to foretell the prophet of Islam and the book revealed to him, The Qur'an. Multiple debates in the past document and answer these claims. Unfortunately, prophecies in the Bible are mistakenly argued as fulfilled by prophet Muhammad. Once reviewing the arguments one concludes a single reason for this: taking Bible verses out of context to make them fit somehow the profile of the prophet of Islam. For illustration purpose I will review one of the prophecies in Islam attributed to have been fulfilled by prophet Muhammad. I picked reviewing this one because it's found in the Hadith Sahih Bukhari:
Narrated Ata bin Yasar:
I met `Abdullah bin `Amr bin Al-`As and asked him, "Tell me about the description of Allah's Messenger (ï·º) which is mentioned in Torah (i.e. Old Testament.") He replied, 'Yes. By Allah, he is described in Torah with some of the qualities attributed to him in the Qur'an as follows: "O Prophet ! We have sent you as a witness (for Allah's True religion) And a giver of glad tidings (to the faithful believers), And a warner (to the unbelievers) And guardian of the illiterates. You are My slave and My messenger (i.e. Apostle). I have named you "Al-Mutawakkil" (who depends upon Allah). You are neither discourteous, harsh Nor a noisemaker in the markets And you do not do evil to those Who do evil to you, but you deal With them with forgiveness and kindness. Allah will not let him (the Prophet) Die till he makes straight the crooked people by making them say: "None has the right to be worshipped but Allah," With which will be opened blind eyes And deaf ears and enveloped hearts."
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 2125
In-book reference : Book 34, Hadith 77
USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 3, Book 34, Hadith 335
http://sunnah.com/bukhari/34
The first point to make is that this prophecy is not found in the Torah (I.e. The books given to Moses) but in the Book of Isaiah chapter 42. This prophecy reads as follows:
“Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations. He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his teaching the islands will put their hope.” This is what God the Lord says— the Creator of the heavens, who stretches them out, who spreads out the earth with all that springs from it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it: “I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness. (Isaiah 42:1-7 NIV)
If this prophecy is interpreted in an isolated manner, it might be possible to attribute it's fulfillment in Prophet Muhammad's life. However, there are several more verses describing the Servant and what would happen to him. I'm highlighting in bold below attributes that can't fit to the prophet of Islam:
"See, my servant will act wisely; he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted. Just as there were many who were appalled at him — his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any human being and his form marred beyond human likeness— so he will sprinkle many nations, and kings will shut their mouths because of him. For what they were not told, they will see, and what they have not heard, they will understand. (Isaiah 52:13-15 NIV)
Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away. Yet who of his generation protested? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was punished. He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. (Isaiah 53:1-12 NIV)"
According to Islamic theology, no one can bear the sins of someone else. Each one is responsible for their own sins in the eyes of God. I wonder then why would the Hadith attribute to prophet Muhammad the prophecy of the Servant presented in the book of Isaiah. One thing for sure is that prophet Muhammad did not claim to have bore the sins of people. The book of Isaiah is filled with dozens of prophecies which can only be attributed to Isa Al Masih (Jesus Christ). Some further comments on this may be found in the article Who's Isaiah talking about?" http://jtruthtobelieve.blogspot.com/2014/04/who-isaiah-talking-about.html
In addition to this, the gospel (which we have proven reliable per the Islamic scriptures) annotate in Matthew 12 that this prophecy refers to Jesus:
Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. A large crowd followed him, and he healed all who were ill. He warned them not to tell others about him. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: “Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations. He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he has brought justice through to victory. In his name the nations will put their hope.” (Matthew 12:15-21 NIV)
Since it would be excessively lengthy to discuss all prophecies, I would like to offer a different approach to determine if The Qur'an and the prophet of Islam were foretold by the books of the Bible. Given that it has been established above that today's Bible is trustworthy, let us examine whether it could be possible for the Bible to proclaim the advent of a final revelation and a prophet as claimed by The Quran and the Hadith, without falling into contradiction.
As previously exposed, The Bible presents a unique fact. All of God's word is eternal, and for matter of assurance it does not change. The following verses from The Old and The New Testament attest about it:
- "The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever." Isaiah 40:8
-"For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle [a tiny mark in the original spelling of a word] will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled." Matthew 5:18
- "And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail." Luke 16:17
The Bible besides telling us about the un changeable character if God, it prevents from listening lightly from any message or any person claiming to be talking from God. The proof of fire is to compare it to previous messages. If it speaks a different message is not from YHWH Elohim.
"You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you."Deuteronomy 4:2
"...if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed. For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ." Galatians 1:9-10
-"'This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me, and they worship me in vain, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'" -Matthew 15:8-9
- "Every word of God is purified; he is like a shield for those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words, lest he reprove you, and prove you to be a liar. -Proverbs 30:5-6
- "but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. (Matthew 24:10-11, 13-14 NIV
- "For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.(Matthew 24:24 NIV)"
- Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words (of Jesus, of God) will never pass away. (Matthew 24: 35 NIV)
- But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. (John 20:31 NIV)
Paradoxically, The Quran and the Hadith present a very distinct message. As explained above, the Qur'an admonishes the believer to do good deeds and earn the passage to heaven. The Bible on the other hand says that God offered himself for the payment of our sins because He loves us, the believer only needs to believe this is true, and one would have life in his name. Since the Qur'an presents a different gospel, as mentioned in the Bible, it cannot be from God.
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V. So what does The Eternal and unchangeable word of God really promises?
Dear reader, please read carefully. Please think and consider these statements:
"I am the YHWH; that is my name! I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols. See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you" (Isa. 42:8-9).
"Bring in your idols to tell us what is going to happen. ...declare to us the things to come, tell us what the future holds, so we may know that you are gods!" - Isaiah 41:22-23
"Who then is like me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare ...what is yet to come-- yes, let him foretell what will come!" - Isaiah 44:7
"I am God and there is none like me. I make known from ancient times ...what is still to come" (Isa. 44:9,10).
The books of the Bible were revealed in roughly 20 centuries to 40 different people who wrote what was revealed to them. The Bible claims that only God has control over what's to come, and he foretells important events as means to proof which one is His word. Now, please carefully consider these facts:
To Nuh it was promised that on a 17 of Nissan, the date of Passover and the date of crucifixion, the curse over humanity would be reversed (Genesis 8:4, the ark rested on 17th of Nissan on mount Ararat, which means where the curse is reversed).
To Ibrahim it was promised that through his seed all of the nations on earth would be blessed(Genesis 17), and a sacrifice was witness of this (Genesis 16).
To Ishmail God promised making of him a great nation (Gen 17).
To Ishaq God confirmed the promise given to his father Ibrahim (Gen 17), and that through his children the promised blessing would come.
To Israil the blessings given to Abraham were also confirmed (Gen 28). Through his life God foretold that a substitute (Yaqub means supplanted) would become the one who prevails (Israel means God who prevails) (Gen 32)
Through the life of Yusuf it was promised that someone would suffer like him, under the hands of his brethren (the tribes of Israel, the Jews), who would not recognize them, but who would later on come to pay respect to Him (Gen 38 to 45)
To Musa it was revealed that YHWH Elohim is slow to anger, that God himself is who would bear the price of the sins.", because He is YHWH memqodishkem, He justifies us. (exodus 34)
To Daud it was revealed that God would suffer for us, like a crimson worm, attached to a wood, covered in red, dying in order to bring life to his children. Surrounded by soldiers who didn't break his bones and who casted lots over his clothes. (psalm 22). This is exact description on how the crucifixion was and what it represented.
To Yunus it was revealed that God will bring his beloved to life after 3 days in darkness (Book Jonah) and that he would bring a message of salvation that would reach both Jews and Gentiles.
To Isaiah it was revealed that the descendent of David would be born of a virgin, who would be called God with Us, who would suffer and pay for our iniquities. God promised bringing righteousnes and justice. The promised descendent of Daud, after His execution, He would be glorified and seated on the throne, surrounded by cherubs worshipping Him. However the people of Israel would not be able to understand despite of clearly seeing all this happening. To Isaiah it as revealed that the Messiah would be called God with us, thus indicating that God would dwell within His creation in a way it had not happened before, He would be incarnated, as a child given to humanity, and he would be called mighty God, equal to the everlasting Father, and considered to be the Tsar of Peace. It was promised that we would be freed through Him. It was promised that He would be a risen sign that would see no decay, a sign for the Gentiles never reached before by the Jews, who would at the end return to gather the people of Israel. The list goes on and on... For more visit http://jtruthtobelieve.blogspot.com/2014/04/who-isaiah-talking-about.html
To Daniel it was revealed that The Messiah would come like a Son of Man, and to Him God even revealed that He would be murdered around 30 CE, and that at that moment He would bring everlasting righteousnes. To him was also revealed that to the Son of Man was given power only belonging to God, and that every soul would worship him.
The eyes of Isa's disciples and many others saw all these promises fulfilled. They were fulfilled in the person of Isa Al Masih, The eternal word of God through whom all things were created (John 1). And their ears heard the promise of the grace and salvation come true. They also were promised that Isa would return, and as promised through Joseph, his brethren, the people of Israel will recognize him, as a prophet, as a priest, as a King, as Eternal and as their savior and redeemer.
Please think this about this. How could the followers of Jesus create a plot to make books match the facts of Jesus life? Remember that these books were written written throughout 20 centuries before them. Is it possible for first century Christians to convince the Jews to modify their scriptures, those scriptures they have jealously guarded for thousands of years to introduce false verses which prophesy the salvation through the Messiah? Why would the Jews allow this if they are the first ones who despised and rejected Isa as The Promised Messiah? The historical rivalry between most Jews and most Christians makes implausible the hypothesis of Christians corrupting the Old Testament to make their view of Jesus fit what's written about the Messiah in the Old Testament.
The last question I'd like to ask is this: Is it possible that just by coincidence Jesus fulfill the prophecies? The prophecies in these books about the salvation brought through the Messiah may be well beyond thousands. Just for your reference, the probability of one person fulfilling only 8 prophecies is approximately 1 in 10^28 people, or 0,000000000000000000000000001%. That is, one person in 25 Quadrillion worlds (25.000.000.000.000.000) like our planet today. Definitely impossible to occur just by chance. Now, if we then take the thousands of prophecies which actually are written in the Old Testament about Jesus, the odds are even lower.(http://www.goodnewsdispatch.org/math.html)
God promise was very simple. There is no one free of sin, and everyone deserves being punished for their wrongdoings. From the beginning God knew we would fall short of his standars. However he created us with freedom to do, to allow us truly loving Him. And it's for those who truly believe in Him and who truly love Him that His promise applies. He promised us to save us, by taking himself the punishment that we deserved. Only believing in him and loving him...
Please think about it. It's the only I beg you to do.
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