Bible? Quran?
PROOF AT LAST!
- yusuf estes
Question:
Some things in Quran don't seem to match some things in the Bible. How do we know what is correct?
Answer:
Thank you for a good question. Many Muslims living amongst Christians notice similarities between translations of the Bible & Quran. They also observe big differences, curious expressions and opposite meanings in comparison of the two.
How do Muslim scholars understand these differences? Can there be some way to reconcile these two Holy Books for better understandings between the two faiths?
Let's explore and see.
Let’s begin with established facts to clear the air about any mystical or magical claims coming from superstitious people who make false claims trying to promote one faith over the other.
WORDS:
The word 'Bible' comes from the word 'biblios', meaning 'book'.
The word 'Quran' comes from the root in Arabic: Qa-Ra-A', meaning 'recitation'.
8 POINTS
There 8 Points to consider when reading the Bible in English, compared to Quran in Arabic.
1st: The Bible no longer exists in the original form and there has been no exact copy since the Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D. All we have been relying on for scripture in the Roman Catholic and Protestant churches has really been translations of some earlier manuscripts that were actually just copies of other manuscripts.
These were of course, all done by hand and over a period of time by different scribes under very difficult circumstances and conditions beyond our imagination. Do keep in mind, the early Christians were being persecuted much the same way the Muslims are oppressed under dominate regimes in very recent months.
So the English Bible we hold today is not, under serious consideration, to be taken as the exact words of Jesus, peace be upon him, or for that matter, anyone at all.
2nd: Quran is much different in a number of ways. First of all, it is in the Arabic language being spoken and understood by the common people today. Second, all Muslims around the planet read, recite and memorize it in their daily lives, exactly as it has been done, without a single change since the time of Muhammad, peace be upon him, over 1,400 years ago.
This reality alone, is enough for many to see the miracle of the Quran and realize this could not be any ordinary book from human source.
3rd: The Quran is preserved by this very same process to be memorized, recited and read for pleasure, guidance, protection, understanding and comfort by millions of Muslims on a daily basis.
4th: over 20 million walking on the earth today have memorized the entire Quran, exactly cover to cover, the same way as the people living at the time of Muhammad, peace be upon him.
5th: more than 1,700,000,000 people on earth today read, memorize and recite portions from the Quran, in Arabic - every single day, five times a day. The majority of these same people are not Arabs, but yet they learn how to recognize the Arabic sounds, letters and meanings so they can enjoy knowing what they read and recite is authentically transmitted to them and they will transmit it the same way for generations to come.
Contests are held all over the Muslim countries every year for children, youth and adults to demonstrate their recitations of the Quran, judges carefully listen and correct any mistakes in pronunciation, phrasing and organization.
6th: the Quran is also preserved in written format on a collection of various medium, such as palm leaves, large stones and animal skins as well as papyrus and other ancient forms of paper.
7th: the teachings of Muhammad, peace be upon him, are also preserved in much the same manner as the Quran, by memorization from the very lips of the prophet himself, peace be upon him, by his companions, and then passed on to their companions word-for-word, to insure exact preservation of prophet Muhammad's teaching, explanations and guidance.
8th: it has been said by scholars of Quran, "If all the books on earth were lost or destroyed, it is the only book on earth that could be brought back entirely, word-for-word, letter-for-letter, dot-for-dot, without a single change and without any doubt."
COMPARE
Let's now compare what we have in front of us.
THE BIBLE:
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English language:
The English translation of the Bible does not contain the word 'bible', and does not directly refer to itself as such, anywhere in the content. References are made only indirectly to a few letters or parts of scrolls in general. -
Authorship of the Bible is considered by Bible scholars to be from a number of divinely inspired men; then various scribes wrote down what they heard from others; then next generations tried to preserve these writings by copying them down; continuation of this occurred for generations after generations. Yet none of these can be traced back exactly to any prophet, nor for that matter even a relative or companion of them.
QURAN:
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Quran - The word 'Quran' occurs many times in the Arabic language, throughout the Quran. Many verses tell us it is a “Quran from Allah” (a Reading from God Almighty) and it is He who has sent it down (from above) for all mankind. This leaves no doubt in reader’s minds as to what they are reading and where it came from.
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Source - The Quran is easily traced back to Almighty God, from His angel Gabriel to Muhammad, peace be upon him. Scholars of Quran know with certainty each and every word, the proper spelling, grammar, vocabulary and usage for each sentence, each word, each letter - and yes - each dot or jot.
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Preservation - The Quran’s dictation from the angel Gabriel to Muhammad, peace be upon him, to his companions and to their successors, is well known to the most accurate chain of traceable narrations in the world. The names, dates and places of each person who heard, memorized and taught others is verified and recorded in preserved documents around the world.
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Memorization - There is no other book in history that has been memorized completely by so many people, even though the vast majority (over 80%) are not Arabs. Certificates (called ‘ejazah’) are given to students who have heard, memorized and demonstrated their recitation by memory in front of their teachers before receiving their 'ejazah'.
Quran / Bible
QURAN PRESERVED
God Almighty (Allah) has preserved His Words for all to know, if they will just take the time to search.
BIBLE NOT PRESERVED
The Bible today, even in English, still has some excellent teachings for people everywhere. But it cannot be taken totally as the perfect and only Word of God.
ISLAM RESPECTS BOTH
Both books, Quran and the Bible (even the translations) are respected books for Muslims. Neither book is to be taken into the bathroom, nor placed on the ground and must be respected at all times.
QURAN IS RELIABLE
Muslims rely ultimately on the Quran and its teachings from Muhammad, peace be upon him, for guidance and understanding of the Will of God to mankind. However, when asked to consider something of the Bible, there is no problem for the scholars of Quran to investigate, read and compare what may be found within it.
FINAL WORD - QURAN
The final decision in all matters of serious consideration comes down to the reliability of evidence. Therefore, due to what is available from both types of acquisition in what we many hold in our hands today, the Quran, in Arabic, must be the final word of the One Almighty God (Allah).
Now to go directly to your questions about crucification of Jesus, peace be upon him; baptizing; his first miracle and who we must follow, inshallah (God willing).
- More answers to your questions:
- 1. (Crucification):
- The Quran definitely clears up the matter, testifies to God’s Will for His beloved ‘Esa (Jesus in English). Allah says, “They did not kill him, neither did they crucify him".
- 2. (Bible):
- People seeking a 'crucified' Jesus, peace be upon him. Some people were looking for evidence - and the angels told them, "You are looking for this or that" but it doesn't mean they believed it.
- 3. (Common Sense):
- Risen from the dead - Getting up from where people are buried and walking away doesn't mean you are dead. It means you are alive.
- 4. (Baptizing):
- When someone enters Islam they first make their ‘shahadah’ (to bear witness of belief in One God (Allah) and Muhammad, peace be upon him, is a messenger of God).
- In relation to this ‘shahadah’, new Muslims are instructed to take a bath or shower to symbolize and 'wash away' the previous sins and begin a new, clean life. There is no surprise this would be taught by earlier prophets, peace be upon them all.
- 5. (Jesus):
- Quran declares Jesus’, peace be upon him, first miracle was speaking his first words from the cradle as a newborn baby. His exact words are recorded for all times and all people to hear.
- 6. (Muhammad):
- Quran tells us: “If you truly love Allah, then follow Muhammad and Allah will love you, and forgive all your sins. Verily, Allah is The Forgiver, The Merciful” [Quran 3:31]
- 7. (Conclusion):
- Quran & Bible both came from Allah. He allowed people to play with some of the first revelations. But He will preserve the Last and Final Revelation - Until the Last Day!
(FREE): Order your copy of a translated Quran today or go online to see more: www.AllahsQuran.com
References: Christian Scholars: 'Bible Changed'
www.islamnewsroom.com/news-we-need/368-biblechanged
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