Exploring Islam, Part Four: Does The Quran Claim The Bible Was 'Changed'?
Part One was an introduction to humanity's plurality, our commonality, and a glimpse of modern Arabia... where Islam spawned.
In Part Two, the background of Islam was explored showing how poetry and oratory jousting was the method historical narratives, political ideologies, and religious beliefs were expressed and forwarded into posterity.
The pre-Islamic Arabian poets, according to their songful poetic efforts, were very influential and were considered to be divinely inspired (sha'ir)... and this poetry was recited and memorized by their followers, building allegiance and forces around themselves as leaders.
Muhammad's recitations were recognized as poetry by his hearers, and we read how Muhammad was witnessed reciting the poetry of known and unknown poets.
Part Three looked closely at the claim to Muhammad's prophethood and how that story was told into posterity.
We found a contrast regarding the elaborate detail in Hadith (testimonies) and a lack of detail in the Quran of the same story.
We read who suggested to Muhammad his dream was a message from an angel, how the angel was named, and other insights that raised more questions than supported current religious answers.
We realized Muhammad acted as his own witness to his dream.
There is no corroborating witness testimony to the story of the dream by anyone who was alive at the time the dream happened.
There is no direct witness testimony from Khadija or Waraqa regarding the dream Muhammad had. [no Hadith from these two characters]
The details of the dream (and how it was claimed it was an angel) was provided by Muhammad's wife Aisha's testimony... yet she was not born until at least three years after the dream occurred.
Thus, according to Islamic records, Muhammad acted as his own witness when the only details of the dream were quoted by Aisha.
This leaves one to consider the Quran as it really is; a poetic work that echoes much of the Bible's testimony, reflects a time and place (early 7th century Arabia), and makes claims that must be considered according to previous written testimonies.
This leads us to consider accusations of Scripture heresy.
Possible Origins Of Scripture Suspicion
When looking through the entirety of Islamic writings, this particular contention has persisted largely according to legendary polemics while finding no fact-based historical support or direct reference in the Quran.
The canon of the Bible had already been agreed upon and codified by various parts of the ancient church by the time Muhammad was born.
Many other religious writings claiming to be either of orthodox Jewish or Christian origins were in circulation since the 1st and 2nd century and were claiming to have been divinely inspired.
However, when textual criticism and hermeneutics was applied to those writings, contradictions and additions not complimentary to previous things were shown.
Thus there are many rejected writings identified as not authentic nor inspired, but spurious.
This same effort has been done in Islam considering the vast number of contradictory or superfluous Hadith. [counterfeit chains of Hadith]
The details of Scripture canonization was according to qualifiers that are beyond this article's scope.
Does The Quran Accuse The Scriptures As Having Been Corrupted / Changed?
The contentions against the Bible are largely based on polemic arguments found in the traditional interpretations (Hadith and Tafsir), not clearly from the Quran.
These contentions resemble more fallacy than discussion of the topic or reference to earlier written records. [they do not identify the 'changes' nor 'corruptions']
The following is a verse recited in Medina towards the end of Muhammad's oratory ministry:
Let, then, the followers of the Gospel judge in accordance with what God has revealed therein: for they who do not judge in the light of what God has bestowed from on high - it is they, they who are truly iniquitous!
- al-Maida (5) 47 (M. Asad translation - read 16 other translations here)Notice it recognizes there are followers of the Gospel present with Muhammad.
Secondly, it recognizes the Gospel also being present in Muhammad's day.
Thirdly, it obliges these followers to judge matters in accordance with what has been 'revealed' therein (their Gospel).
Fourthly, it describes the Gospel as coming from God (from on high).
Fifthly, it warns (either the followers of the Gospel or believers in general) who do not keep what is written in the Gospel (or that which is from on high) as being iniquitous (sinful).
The Tafsir (exegesis / interpretations) regarding this verse gives several explanations as to meaning, yet does not argue the Gospel to be corrupted or changed.
It does argue obedience and the issue of abrogation (Muslim point of view) or fulfillment (Christian point of view).
The Hadith regarding this verse shares a story about a Jewish man's adultery and how he was not stoned to death by the Jews, but punished another way.
Although the preceding verse 45 quotes the law ('eye for an eye') and adds 'but he who shall forgo it out of charity will atone thereby for some of his past sins' (forgoing retribution), the Hadith surprisingly argues for the man to be stoned in accordance with Jewish law.
This argument seems contradictory by ignoring what I highlighted from verse 45 (read it here).
Perhaps this obscure story of adultery grants strength to the accusation of not strictly obeying the law of Moses.
Besides this, the Hadith argues about obedience and not change or alteration of the actual Scriptures.
Later in verses 48 and 49 it is repeated 'judge between the followers of earlier revelation in accordance with what God has bestowed from on high'.
From verses 45 to 49, both the Torah and Gospel are labeled 'from on high', while the Quran is also labeled to be 'from on high'.
In context, this verse expresses the Torah (Jewish Scripture) and Gospel (Christian Scripture) as valid, present during Muhammad's lifetime, containing 'truth' and, coming 'from on high'.
What About Other Verses In The Quran?
A shortlist of Quran verses regarding the Scriptures, according to their context, have to do with Jews and / or Christians being accused of the following:
- hiding it (al-Imran (3) 187)
- covering it (al-Baqara (2) 42)
- misinterpreting it (an-Nisa (4) 46)
- writing extra things and selling these extra writings as pretended Scripture (al-Baqara (2) 79)
The last one about selling may speak to the extra-biblical writings mentioned earlier that were rejected from the canon by the Church.
The rest of the accusations from Islamic writings have similar misinterpretations based on Hadith and Tafsir stories, but no literal accusation is found in the Quran claiming change or corruption.
A thorough academic exposé of all of the accusatory Quran verses regarding the Bible, and their political and religious motivations, is found here (a must read to fully explore this topic).
A Possibly Accurate Accusation?
The only verse which may literally identify that a 'change' took place regarding Scripture is this one:
But those who were bent on evildoing substituted another saying for that which had been given them: and so We sent down upon those evildoers a plague from heaven in requital for all their iniquity.
- al-Baqara (2) 59 (M. Asad translation - 16 other translations)Notice the phrase 'substituted another saying for that which had been given them'.
Notice that phrase does not accuse 'change' of the Scriptures themselves, but substitution of something else in place of Scripture.
Notice the substitution is not arguing or claiming to have occurred in the Scripture text itself.
Keep this in mind when reading what was expressed in Jeremiah chapter eight, verse eight:
Even the stork in the sky
knows her appointed seasons,
and the dove, the swift and the thrush
observe the time of their migration.
But my people do not know
the requirements of the Lord.
“ ‘How can you say, “We are wise,
for we have the Law of the Lord,”
when actually the lying pen of the scribes
has handled it falsely?
The wise will be put to shame;
they will be dismayed and trapped.
Since they have rejected the Word of the Lord,
what kind of wisdom do they have?
Therefore I will give their wives to other men
and their fields to new owners.
From the least to the greatest,
all are greedy for gain;
prophets and priests alike,
all practice deceit.
- Jeremiah 8: 7-10These scathing remarks are a prophecy dated from the 7th century before Christ (B.C.) to the time before Israel and Judah were taken into exile for violating God's Law.
Conflation Was The Accusation
Notice here there is no accusation of 'change' to the Scriptures, but an admonition that scribes have rejected the Law of God (what came through Moses and already present in Jeremiah's time) and were handling it falsely.
What and where and when is this falsehood?
Extant copies of the Halakha are dated to before the 6th century B.C. and contain a vast collection of Jewish writings that include biblical laws and rules authored by priests (scribes).
The Halakha includes the Written Torah (Jewish Bible / Old Covenant) and Oral Torah (further traditions added to the Torah, argued by certain priests and scribes to also be divinely inspired).
The timing of the prophecy given before the earliest evidences of the Halakha, and the eventual exile into Assyria and Babylon, is difficult to suggest as mere coincidence.
In hindsight, it is quite prophetic.
A warning preempting the practice of adding to the Law... and fulfillment; the punishment of exile for disobedience to the Law and following the ideas of men.
Centuries after the Jews returned from exile, some people continued this practice as Yeshua mentioned here:
He replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites;
as it is written:
“ ‘These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
They worship me in vain;
their teachings are merely human rules.’
You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.”
- Mark 7: 6-8Isaiah was a contemporary of Jeremiah and was another prophetic witness to these practices.
The following prophetic warning, besides the verse quoted by Yeshua, confirms the warning:
Consult God's instruction and the testimony of warning. If anyone does not speak according to this Word, they have no light of dawn.
- Isaiah 8: 20Clarifying Past Polemics Built Upon Fallacy
Looking at the Quran's literal accusation in al-Baqara (2) 59, and the fact of extra-biblical writings evidenced with the Halakha, does the Halakha reveal a 'change' or 'corruption' of the written Torah?
No, because the written Torah continued to be recognized as it always was and kept as a separate collection of books / scrolls.
The Halakha contained the extra writings and began to be recognized for what it became although also including the Torah alongside man's writings as extra books / scrolls.
Where is the lying pen of the scribe that handled it falsely?
We already read it; an entirely different volume of work that was argued to also be divinely inspired, and the eventual departure of obeying the Law and instead obeying rules made by men.
In light of these historical realities, and their references in the primary sources (Scriptures), perhaps it is the Halakha and similar scribal writings the Quran was addressing when mentioning the Scriptures.
Perhaps these accusations can find their proper context when compared to the traditional opinions of later Muslim writings.
Perhaps the polemical opinions can also reflect the purposeful or accidental ignoring of the Scriptural references.
What is needed is continued [con]textual criticism and adequate hermeneutics of the Islamic writings (from Quran to modern understandings of Hadith and Tafsir over the centuries) as has been done with the Scripture and the things claimed to be Scripture or inspired.
What is needed is reflection and consideration of the claims against (and found in) Scripture, instead of what has been traditional: projecting fallacies and later ideas onto the prescience found in Scripture.
Part One: Ideas That Separate and Unify
Part Two: Power of Poetry in Ancient Arabia.
Part Three: The First 'Revelation'
Part Four: Does The Quran Claim The Bible Was 'Changed'?
Part Five: Defining Messiah
Part Six: Contributions And Subtractions
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