Bigotry: The Dark Danger

The Gospel and the Torah in the Qur’an

A Muslim must believe in all the prophets and all the Divine books. Muslims are commanded in the Qur’an not to discriminate between one prophet from the others, and anyone who disobeys that instruction are regarded as not abiding that verse and having abjured the faith. Therefore, in the same way that the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is our prophet as Muslims, the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) and the Prophet Moses (pbuh) are also our prophets. In the same way that we are all followers of Muhammad, so we are also followers of Jesus and Moses. This is one of the main and most important preconditions for being a Muslim.

In the same way that the Qur’an speaks of Jews and Christians, so it also speaks of the Torah and the Gospel. God praises these Divine scriptures in the Qur’an. As we have already seen, the Qur’an was sent down, not in order to do away with these sacred texts, but as a “confirmation” of them. Although these books contain sections that have been misinterpreted over the passage of time, those parts that are compatible with the Qur’an are again confirmed by it. This is explicitly set out in many verses of the Qur’an: “He has sent down the Book to you with truth, confirming what was there before it. And He sent down the Torah and the Gospel.” .” (Qur'an, 3:3)

Therefore, we Muslims have a responsibility to be guided by the Qur’an and believe that these books come from the Presence of God. Every commandment, practice or word confirmed by the Qur’an is a guide for Muslims.

Regarding the true books praised by the Qur’an as invalid on the basis of the false hadiths produced by the fanatics is unacceptable in Islam. The guide of true Muslims is the Qur’an, and the Qur’an pronounces as follows on the Torah and the Gospel:

Say, “We have faith in God and what has been sent down to us and what was sent down to Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the Tribes, and what Moses and Jesus were given, and what all the prophets were given by their Lord. We do not differentiate between any of them. We are Muslims submitted to Him.” (Qur'an, 2:136)

We sent down the Torah containing guidance and light, and the prophets who had submitted themselves gave judgment by it for the Jews – as did their scholars and their rabbis – by what they had been allowed to preserve of God’s Book to which they were witnesses. Do not be afraid of people, be afraid of Me. And do not sell My signs for a paltry price. Those who do not judge by what God has sent down, such people are disbelievers. (Qur'an, 5:44)

And We sent Jesus son of Mary following in their footsteps, confirming the Torah that came before him. We gave him the Gospel containing guidance and light, confirming the Torah that came before it, and as guidance and admonition for those who have fear of God. Qur'an, 5:46)

Based on the Qur'an, Muslims believe that all the Divine Books have come down from the Presence of God. For Muslims, every commandment, practice and word confirmed by the Qur'an is a means of guidance.

But before it there was the Book of Moses as a model and a mercy. And this is a corroborating Book in the Arabic tongue so that you may warn those who do wrong, and as good news for the good-doers. (Qur'an, 46:12)

He has sent down the Book to you with truth, confirming what was there before it. And He sent down the Torah and the Gospel, previously, as guidance for mankind, and He has sent down the Furqan [the One discriminating the truth from the wrong]. … (Qur'an, 3:3-4)

The people of the Gospel should judge by what God sent down in it. Those who do not judge by what God has sent down, such people are deviators. (Qur'an, 5:47)

This is a Book We have sent down and blessed, confirming what came before it, so that you can warn the Mother of Cities [Mecca] and the people around it. Those who have faith in the hereafter believe in it and safeguard their prayers. (Qur'an, 6:92)

They do not measure God with His true measure when they say, “God would not send down anything to a mere human being.” Say: “Who, then, sent down the Book which Moses brought as a light and guidance for the people?” You put it down on sheets of paper to display it while concealing much. You were taught things you did not know, neither you nor your forefathers. Say: “God!” Then leave them engrossed in playing their games. (Qur'an, 6:91)

And We have sent down the Book to you [O Muhammad] with truth, confirming and conserving the previous Books. So judge between them by what God has sent down and do not follow their whims and desires deviating from the Truth that has come to you. We have appointed a law and a practice for every one of you. Had God willed, He would have made you a single community, but He wanted to test you regarding what has come to you. So compete with each other in doing good. Every one of you will return to God and He will inform you regarding the things about which you differed.(Qur'an, 5:48)

If only they had implemented the Torah and the Gospel and what was sent down to them from their Lord, they would have been fed from above their heads and beneath their feet. Among them there is a moderate group but what most of them do is evil. (Qur'an, 5:66)

We gave Moses the Book after destroying the earlier nations, to awaken people’s hearts and as a guidance and a mercy so that hopefully they would pay heed. (Qur'an, 28:43)

They said, “Our people, we have heard a Book which was sent down after Moses, confirming what came before it, guiding to the truth and to a straight path.” (Qur'an, 46:30)

Among the People of the Book there are some who have faith in God and in what has been sent down to you and what was sent down to them, and who are humble before God. They do not sell God’s signs for a paltry price. Such people will have their reward with their Lord. And God is swift at reckoning. (Qur'an, 3:199)

“I come confirming the Torah I find already there, and to make lawful for you some of what was previously forbidden to you. I have brought you a sign from your Lord. So have fear of God and obey me.” (Qur'an, 3:50)

This [the Qur’an] is not a narration which has been invented but confirmation of all that came before, a clarification of everything, and a guidance and a mercy for people who have faith. (Qur'an, 12:111)

God describes the Torah as “awakening people’s hearts and guiding to mercy” and as a “light and guidance” in the Qur’an. He describes the Gospel as “containing guidance and light, confirming the Torah that came before it,” and as “guidance and admonition for those who have fear of God.” The true Torah and Gospel are praised as light and guidance; this is what the Qur’an pronounces and it does so explicitly. Those who say anything different and who claim that these books are invalid are, as we have seen, speaking falsehoods.

We can see this also from the practices of our Prophet (pbuh):

Our Prophet’s Practices concerning the Torah and the Gospel

Narrated Abu Huraira: The people of the Book used to read the Torah in Hebrew and then explain it in Arabic to the Muslims. (Sahih Bukhari, Book 92, Hadith 460)

Al-Hafiz al-Zahabi related that Abdullah ibn Salam, a convert to Islam from Judaism, came to the Prophet (pbuh) and said “I read the Qur’an and the Torah (last night).” He replied, “Read one in one night and the other on another night.” (al-Thalabi, Al-Iman al-Thalabi Tathkarar al-Huffadh, Vol. 1, p. 27)

Abdullah ibn Amr, one of the close companions of the Prophet (pbuh), would frequently read the Torah. One night he dreamed that he was holding oil in one hand and honey in the other, and that he sometimes ate from one hand and sometimes from the other. Abdullah ibn Amr described his dream to the Prophet (pbuh). The Prophet (pbuh) interpreted his dream as meaning the two books, and his reading sometimes from the one and sometimes from the other. (Sahih Bukhari, Vol. 6, Hadith 987, p. 439)

From Abu Sa’id al-Khudri: We asked the Prophet (pbuh): “O the Messenger of God! May we relate accounts from the Children of Israel?” He said, “Yes, you may relate accounts from the Children of Israel. There is no problem. Know that if you relate accounts from them, there is more interesting information as well.” (Musnad of ibn Hanbal, 111/12, Hadith 11034)