Discussion with a closet Missionary

In a recent posting a closet missionary raised some issues which we often see as part of missionary attacks against Islam. Fortunately, for Muslims our scholars and learned ulama have answered all such questions in the past 14 centuries. Nor we should we forget about the challenge of mubahala that our noble Prophet, Muhammad (S), the seal of the Prophets, offered to the Christian delegation from Najran. [Note: some Muslim websites that are responding to missionary polemics and challenges. Mentions can be made of http://www.answering-christianity.com/ac.htm, http://www.bismikaallahuma.org/ amongst many such sites that have good resources on such matters of comparative religion.]

From the closet missionary's line of argument below, I see some questions emerging: The first question: where does the Qur'an say that the previous scriptures were corrupted? The second question: is it Allah's justice that entire humanity lived without true knowledge of Allah for 600 years?

Here is my opinion: 1. The Qur'an could not be more specific when it says: ""But on account of their breaking their covenant We cursed them (Jews and Christians) and made their hearts hard; they altered the words from their places and they neglected a portion of what they were reminded of; and you shall always discover treachery in them excepting a few of them; so pardon them and turn away; surely Allah loves those who do good (to others)." (5:13) Muslims don't need anything extra to reject the Bible. Still, let me provide some references from the Bible to show that Bible has been corrupted. "`How can you say, "We [the Jews] are wise, for we have the law of the LORD," when actually the lying pen of the scribes has handled it falsely?' (From the NIV Bible, Jeremiah 8:8)" A few hundred years before prophet Jeremiah, Prophet Musa (AS) himself warned his community that corruption w ould engulf his community soon after his death. (Deut. 31;25-29). It was no accident that the Jewish people were worshiping idols and gods of the heathens later (Book of Kings). [See also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-canonical_books_referenced_in_the_Bible for a list of books now missing from the Bible.]

Thus, to the question: has the Bible retained textual purity? - the verdict to this question is: no, not just from the point of the original language in which the Scripture was revealed but also from the content itself. It's no accident that we see hundreds of contradictory verses and phrases inundating the Bible. Again, Mowlana Rahmatullah Kairanwi's Izharul Haq shows such verses in great details. If the Bible had retained purity, we would not have seen such major problems with the Bible - Jewish or Christian. The Qur'an on the other hand has retained purity not only in the original language in which it was revealed some 14 centuries ago to Muhammad (S) but also in the content itself. That is why, it is not difficult to understand Allah's promise in Qur'an 15:9 which says: "Verily, We, it is We who have sent down the Dhikr (the Qur'an) and surely We will guard it (from corruption)." There is no such verse in the Bible where Allah promises that He will preserve it from any corruption. Allah made it easy for millions of Muslims, since the time of Prophet Muhammad (S) and until now, to memorize the Qur’an by heart. These people were and are guardians for the message of the Qur’an, correcting any person who errs in one letter of it at any time. Even if today, all the copies of the Qur'an were to be destroyed, by the grace of Allah there are more than a hundred thousand huffaz (memorizers) of the Qur'an who can reproduce it without adding a single extra word.

Thus, when we talk about corruption of the Bible, we are neither making any un-Qur'anic statement, nor anything that cannot be supported from inner criticism of whatever is retained in the Bible.

2. When Allah revealed His words to His prophets and messengers, those words were nothing but the truth. It was however for people to uphold those Truths. They have also been given the aql to reject falsehood in favor of the truth. In this task, all the previous religious communities that came before Islam failed miserably. Thus, they were commanded by Allah, through the latest scripture - the Qur'an, to accept Islam and believe in the message of the Qur'an. The verses 5.15-6 say, "O people of the20Book! There hath come to you our Messenger, revealing to you much that ye used to hide in the Book, and passing over much (that is now unnecessary): There hath come to you from Allah a (new) light and a perspicuous Book. Wherewith Allah guideth all who seek His good pleasure to ways of peace and safety, and leadeth them out of darkness, by His will, unto the light,- guideth them to a path that is straight." In the next two verses, Allah chastises Christians as kafirs for their distorted beliefs in matters of Jesus and his mother Maryam. In 5:19 Allah warns the people of the previous Scriptures that they have no argument against Allah if they were to reject Muhammad (S), now that he had come and his Qur'an is there for their guidance. Thus, Allah said, "And whoever seeks a religion other than Islâm, it will never be accepted of him, and in the Hereafter he will be one of the losers." (3:85) By this, no one should doubt Allah's justice. And yet we know that such verses will not deter rejectors of the truth and the enemies of Allah to reject Islam and Muhammad (S). They will continue to dodge with silly arguments that show their abhorrence for the truth. They say: how was it possible that Allah left humanity without guidance for six centuries, while now that they have the Qu r'an to guide them, they continue to reject it. They cite Qur'anic verses 5.47 to suggest that it's okay to believe in the Gospel. But they forget the verse immediately following which says that the Qur'an is the Muhaiminan (trustworthy in highness and a witness) over all the old Scriptures. So, no matter how these missionaries try to twist words, a reading of the Qur'an is sufficient to dispel their arguments. With the Qur'an's emergence, old scriptures are like old rusted road signs that needed to be replaced by the new one that does not confuse people to find the right direction.

Allah has 99 attributes mentioned in the Qur'an. Of these, His being Just is one such attribute, as is His being Gracious to all creatures (irrespective of whether or not they worship Him) in this world, and His being Merciful to His rightful slaves in the Hereafter. And Allah will judge that befits His Majesty depending on the condition He has left humanity at any time - past, present and future. What is smart of a wise person is to ponder on his/her immediate condition and take actions that are beneficial.

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