Surah Al Nahl , 16..Qur'an, Torah and Bible..

.. the Qur'an,the Torah and the Bible


The surah then turns on a slander perpetrated by the enemies of Islam against the integrity of the Prophet during the early stages of his mission. The Arabs used to say that Muhammad has been taught the Qur'an by Jewish and Christian elders, or someone well-versed in the knowledge of earlier scriptures. The implication was that these mysterious mentors were non-Arabs. However, they had not explain why none of them had come forward to claim credit for the alleged contribution. " And We know well that they say: Only a man teacheth him. The speech of him at whom they falsely hint is outlandish, and this is clear Arabic speech "[103)

The Qur'an immediately points out the absurdity of the accusation and the fallacy of the argument, for how could a non-Arab, no matter how skilled and versed in the knowledge of earlier scriptures, be able to compose a religious text of such utter beauty, perfection, and purity as to be considered by all literary experts as a unique masterpiece of Arabic prose unmatched to this day, without speaking a word, or very little, of the language itself. Moreover, if such a mentor did happen to exist, why on earth would the Arabs keep his identity a secret? Surely, the obvious would  have been  to confront Muhammad with him in order to discredit his mission and expose him as an imposter? The accusation becomes more ludicrous if we take a closer look at the Torah, the Gospel and the Qur'an, an exercise which would reveal serious and fundamental differences between them.

The Torah speaks of a 'personal  god' whom it presents in extremely derogatory and demeaning terms, for instance in the account God's alleged defeat in a wrestling contest with Israel, or Jacob's father, father of the Jews. Furthermore, on several occasions God is made to appear in human form, and invariably describe as 'ignoramus', 'reckless', and 'remorseful'! There is no room for comparison between the content of the Torah and those of the Qur'an. By what stretch of the imagination can the Torah be considered a source of inspiration or a reference for the Qur'an  which bases faith on absolute monotheism and the total and absolute perfection, uniqueness, and sovereignty of God? It describes God as:

The Beneficent One, Who is established on the Throne. Unto Him belongeth whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth, and whatsoever is between them, and whatsoever is beneath the sod. And if thou speakest aloud, then lo! He knoweth the secret (thought) and (that which is yet) more hidden. ( Ta Ha : 5-7)

The Qur'an says: " There is none in the heavens and the earth but cometh unto the Beneficent as a slave. (93) Verily He knoweth them and numbereth them with (right) numbering. (94) And each one of them will come unto Him on the Day of Resurrection, alone "(Maryam: 93-95).

Likewise , the Gospel also differs dramatically from the Qur'an in its conception of God. It says nothing even remotely resembling the above verse, and talks instead of "the Holy Spirit" [ a probable reference to Archangel Gabriel ] and of Jesus, the son of Mary, as " God the son" and "God the father." In other words, that all three, are, in essence, one, and that God is a trinity in which the father, the son, and the holy ghost are one and the same!!!

This is poles apart  from the Qur'anic conception and admits of no reconciliation between them for Allah says: "

Say: He is Allah, the One! (1) Allah, the eternally Besought of all! (2) He begetteth not nor was begotten. (3) And there is none comparable unto Him. (4)

In light of above, how can one possibly conclude that Prophet Muhammad borrowed from the Torah or the Gospel, especially bearing in mind the fact that nothing in these scriptures come close to the unique style, diction, and presentation  employed by the Qur'an? Its linguistic, literary, and stylistic merits. as well as its content and structure, are without parallel, either in the language in which it is preserved, Arabic, or in any other language known to man. The Qur'anic concept of God is rich with reverence and veneration. It inspires man to be fully aware and appreciative of His absolute power and control over the whole of creation.  God is Omnipotence, Omnipresent and Omniscient. The Qur'an invokes in the human mind immediate and spontaneous submission and obedience to God Almighty. Any attempts to undermine the origins and integrity of the Qur'anic text will always be proved groundless.

Lo! those who disbelieve the revelations of Allah, Allah guideth them not and theirs will be a painful doom. (104) Only they invent falsehood who believe not Allah's revelations, and (only) they are the liars. (105) 

Although the Qur'an does not spare such liars, for their crimes is serious, it does  show clemency and compassion towards those who are misled or who succumb to temptation due to weakness or duress.

Whoso disbelieveth in Allah after his belief - save him who is forced thereto and whose heart is still content with the Faith - but whoso findeth ease in disbelief: On them is wrath from Allah. Theirs will be an awful doom. (106) That is because they have chosen the life of the world rather than the Hereafter, and because Allah guideth not the disbelieving folk. (107) 

As Muslims, we believe that the Qur'an shall continue, unrivalled and unchallenged, till the very end of time, to be the unparalleled phenomenon it has always been.

Excerpt from " A Thematic Commentary On The Qur'an " 
Shaykh Muhammad al-Ghazali
[ 1917 -1996 ]




Reflection and commentary by Imam Dr Yusuf Ziya Kavakci,