of his own accord, made unlawful to himself, and which the Israelites
accordingly would not eat. (See Genesis xxxii. v. 32.) Therefore,
reasoned Mahomet, in the Abrahamic (or Catholic) faith which I follow, flesh is
not forbidden.
Then, to prove his position, the words of the text follow in which God
commands Mahomet to say to the Jews,"Come hither; bring the Tourât
and read it (to prove whether or not I am right) if ye be sincere."
And this was to be an authoritative and final decision of the question;
Whoever after that shall fabricate a lie against God, surely they are the
transgressors."
It was then the Tourât,the Old Testament, which the Jews of Medina had in
use, in common with the Jews of all surrounding countries, which Mahomet
demanded to be produced before all, and which is thus appealed to as an
unimpeachable test of a disputed fact.
سورة آل عمران
قُلْ يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ لِمَ تَكْفُرُونَ بِآيَاتِ اللّهِ وَاللّهُ
شَهِيدٌ عَلَى مَا تَعْمَلُونَ* قُلْ يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ لِمَ تَصُدُّونَ عَن
سَبِيلِ اللّهِ مَنْ آمَنَ تَبْغُونَهَا عِوَجًا وَأَنتُمْ شُهَدَاء
Say; O ye People of the Book! why do ye disbelieve in the
signs of God, and God is witness of that which ye do? Say, O ye People of the
Book! why do ye hinder from the way of God him that believeth, desiring to make
it (the way of God) crooked, while ye are witnesses?