Belief in the Heavenly Books - II

19/03/2022| IslamWeb

 Distortion of the Injeel (Gospel)

The Injeel was also distorted and altered and is not in its original state in which Allah The Almighty revealed it. Christians contintued altering and changing its facts so as to attain their desired worldly gains.

The distortion of the current versions of the Injeel can simply be proved if we know that they are four versions of the Injeel selected from many more versions. Such versions reported the words of Prophet ‘Eesa, may Allah exalt his mention. Their writers are known and their names are written on them. In the library of one of the princes in Paris, a version of the Injeel – Injeel (Gospel) of Barnabas - was found. It differed greatly from the other four selected versions of the Injeel and agreed with the Noble Quran in many beliefs and principles.

After we have known for certain that those books have been distorted, then what is the meaning that the Noble Quran came to confirm in the divine books that preceded it? This simply means that the Noble Quran came to enhance and support the truth which was mentioned in the books that came before it, mainly worshiping Allah The Almighty Alone, believing in His Messengers, believing in the reward, observing rights and justice, enjoining good and forbidding evil, and adhering to noble moral standards. Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {Say, "O People of the Scripture, you are [standing] on nothing until you uphold [the law of] the Torah, the Gospel, and what has been revealed to you from your Lord."} [Quran 5: 68]

Consequently, the Quran is the only way with which we can know the sound divine teachings. It is the book whose fundamental principles are preserved, its teachings are not distorted, and the Ummah received it from the angel who brings down the Revelation to the Messengers - Jibreel, may Allah exalt his mention - who came down to the Messenger . This preservation was not granted to any book other than the Noble Quran. In fact, the Quran comprises the most sublime principles, methods and systems. It has all that humans need of beliefs, acts of worship, morals, and transactions. It befits all times and places. It is sufficient to create a Muslim individual, a virtuous family and a righteous society. Truthful is the one who speaks with it. Just is the one who passes judgment according to it. Guided to the right path is the one who adheres to its teachings. Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {There has come to you from Allah a light and a clear Book. By which Allah guides those who pursue His pleasure to the ways of peace and brings them out from darknesses into the light, by His permission, and guides them to a straight path.} [Quran 5: 15-16]

The Previous Divinely Revealed Books Were not Universal

The books that Allah The Almighty revealed, other than the Quran, addressed certain people in certain times and they agreed with the Noble Quran in some rulings and laws. Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {And We ordained for them therein a life for a life, an eye for an eye, a nose for a nose, an ear for an ear, a tooth for a tooth, and for wounds is legal retribution.} [Quran 5: 45]
Muslims believe in what is mentioned in these books as long as it does not contradict with the Quran. They also believe that the Noble Quran is the main constitution for all people.

Characteristics of the Noble Quran

The Noble Quran has many characteristics that distinguish it from the books that came before it. Amongst such characteristics are:
• It has all the divine instructions that Allah The Almighty revealed in the Tawraah, the Injeel, and all the teachings that Allah The Almighty revealed.

• It supports the truth which was mentioned in these books regarding worshiping Allah The Almighty Alone, believing in His Messengers, believing in reward, observing and establishing rights, enjoining good and forbidding evil, and adhering to noble moral standards. Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {And We have revealed to you, [O Muhammad], the Book in truth, confirming that which preceded it of the Scripture and as a criterion over it. So judge between them by what Allah has revealed and do not follow their inclinations away from what has come to you of the truth. To each of you We prescribed a law and a method.} [Quran 5: 48]

That is to say, Allah The Almighty revealed the Noble Quran which is truthful in all that is mentioned in it and it confirms the preceding Scriptures that were revealed by Allah The Almighty. It is a witness over them. It explains the distortion and alteration that inflicted them. Then Allah The Almighty ordered His Prophet to judge between all people, Muslims and non-Muslims, by what Allah The Almighty has revealed in the Noble Quran and not to follow them in disobeying Allah The Almighty.

• Allah The Almighty prescribed a law for every nation with its rulings and different interactions that befit its nature and inclinations in the best way. The main pillars of creeds are the same in all messages. Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {He has ordained for you of religion what He enjoined upon Noah and that which We have revealed to you, [O Muhammad], and what We enjoined upon Abraham and Moses and Jesus - to establish the religion and not be divided therein.} [Quran 42: 13]
Then when Islam came, it abrogated all other laws and methods. It established only one creed and method for all people.

• The original versions of the books that were revealed before the Quran were lost. Nothing remained of them except their translations, unlike the Noble Quran which was preserved as a whole with its Soorahs, verses, words, and letters exactly as Jibreel, may Allah exalt his mention, recited it to the Messenger of Allah . In the previous books, the words of humans were mixed with the Words of Allah The Almighty. No one can recognize the words of Allah The Almighty from those of humans. As for the Noble Quran, all of its words are from Allah The Almighty and they were never mixed with the Hadeeths of the Messenger or the speeches of the companions or any other person.

• None of those books can in any way be attributed to the Messenger to whom it was revealed. The Tawraah (Torah) was not written by Moosa (Moses). In fact, it was written many centuries after Moosa. The Noble Quran is the only book that was proved to be decisively attributed to the Messenger (even if he did not write it down himself, for he ordered the writers of the revelation to record every verse immediately after it was revealed to him).

• The teachings of the Noble Quran are the Words of Allah The Almighty that can achieve happiness to all humanity. So Allah The Almighty Willed for it to last forever. He preserved and protected it from distortion. Allah The Almighty Says (what means):

• {And indeed, it is a mighty Book Falsehood cannot approach it from before it or from behind it; [it is] a revelation from a [Lord who is] Wise and Praiseworthy.} [Quran 41: 41-42]

• {Indeed, it is We who sent down the Quran and indeed, We will be its guardian} [Quran 15: 9]

The wisdom behind that is to make the Quran the argument of Allah The Almighty over people. The Quran is for all worlds and all people. It is not for a specific people unlike the previous heavenly books. Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {And We have not sent you except comprehensively to mankind as a bringer of good tidings and a warner.} [Quran 34: 28]

• The Quran is the guidance that leads to all that is good. Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {Alif, Lam, Meem. This is the Book about which there is no doubt, a guidance for those conscious of Allah} [Quran 2: 1-2] Allah The Almighty wants His word to spread and reach minds and ears everywhere. This will not be attained except if the Quran is easy to memorize and understand. Nothing in the Quran is difficult for people to understand or fulfill. Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {And We have certainly made the Quran easy for remembrance, so is there any who will remember?} [Quran 54: 17]

• The Quran is also the miracle of the Messenger . In fact, if the whole world gathered in order to produce something like what is mentioned in the Quran, they could not produce the like of it for it is as Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {And indeed, it is a mighty Book. Falsehood cannot approach it from before it or from behind it; [it is] a revelation from a [Lord who is] Wise and Praiseworthy.} [Quran 41: 41-42]

• The Quran is an invitation to every good matter and forbids every vice. Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {O mankind, there has come to you instruction from your Lord and healing for what is in the breasts.} [Quran 10: 57]

• The Quran is a cure for souls. It purifies them from their diseases. It is a remedy from disbelief, misguidance, hatred and envy. Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {And We send down of the Quran that which is healing and mercy for the believers, but it does not increase the wrongdoers except in loss.} [Quran 17: 82]