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to be well-founded. This second objection, however, though it seems distinctly opposed to the
Qur'anic statement that God's words cannot1 be changed, will be examined, with God's
help, in the other chapters of this Part of our present volume. But before undertaking this inquiry
we venture to adduce, with all courtesy and respect for our Muslim brethren, a few of the leading
passages of the Qur'an in which testimony is borne to the Bible. We shall also appeal to leading
Muslim commentators, in order to show that we rightly understand the meaning of the verses which we
quote.
It is clear from the Qur'an itself that "the
Book" (ألكِتاب), that is to say, the Bible,
existed among "the People of the
Book" (أهلِ
آلكِتاب) in Muhammad's time, and was not "a name devoid of
the thing named". This is evident from many passages, of which we content ourselves with
quoting only a few.
For instance, in Surah v. (Al Ma'idah), ver. 72, Muhammad receives a command to speak thus:
"Say thou: 'O People of the Book, ye are [founded] upon nothing, until ye observe [or
establish] the Torah and the Injil and that which hath been sent down unto you by your Lord.’"
Regarding the occasion on which this2 verse was revealed, the historian, Ibn Ishaq, is
stated by Ibn Hisham, in the Siratu'r Rasul, to have spoken thus: "Rafi' ibn Harithah
and Salam ibn Mushkim and Malik ibn Az Zaif and Rafi' ibn Harmalah came to the Apostle of God. They
said, 'O Muhammad, dost thou not assert that thou art [standing] on the creed of Abraham and his
religion, and believest in that which is with us of the Torah and testifiest that it is from God,
truth?' He said, 'Yes; but ye have innovated, and ye deny what is therein of that covenant which was
made with you, and ye have concealed of it that which ye were commanded to explain to men. Wherefore
I am clear from your innovations.' They
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said, ‘Verily then we hold by what is in our hands, and truly we are [based] upon the
truth and the Evidence, and we believe not in thee, and follow thee not.' Accordingly God (may He be
honoured and glorified) sent down concerning them" this verse. Here we see that Muhammad
declared his acceptation of the Scriptures then current among the Jews, though he repudiated the
"innovations" which he rightly declared they had introduced into the outward practice of
their religion. In this respect Muhammad agreed with what Christ said to the Jews in His own time
(Matt. xxiii. 16-24). Both this verse of the Qur'an, however, and Ibn Ishaq's narrative show that
the Jews then had the Torah and that the Christians had the Injil; for there would be no meaning in
commanding them to
observe (حَتّى
تُقِيمُوا) the precepts contained in those books, if the books had perished or
been previously corrupted. In the former case it would be impossible to obey the command: in the
latter case obedience would entail their going astray.
In Surah ii. (Al Baqarah), ver. 107, we read: "And the Jews say, ‘The Christians are
[founded] upon nothing,' and the Christians say, 'The Jews are [founded] upon nothing': and they are
reading the Book." The tense of the latter
verb (يَتْلُونَ, "they are reading aloud, reciting,
or meditating") shows that the Scriptures were then in the hands of both Jews and Christians,
otherwise the Preterite might be used but not the Present, for it could not be truly said that they
were then able to read them and actually were in the habit of doing so.
In Surah x. (Yunus), ver. 94, it is stated that God said: "And if thou art in doubt
regarding what We have sent down unto thee, then ask those who are reading the Book previous to
thee." Ar Razi mentions some difference of opinion as to whether Muhammad is here addressed or
not: but he tells us that even those who thought he was not, explained the verse thus,—that God
was here speaking to everyone who doubted
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