SEGMENT 2
 

 The Before Scriptures

The Qur’an speaks of some Books that it calls the “Scriptures that were before”.  It also tells us the name of these books.  They are the Tawrat, the Zaboor, and the Injiil. 

The Tawrat (English; “Torah”) means “The Law”.  This Book contains the story of the creation, and the story of how Allah worked in the world from Adam to Ibrahim; then from Ibrahim to Musa (to whom Allah gave His Law), and from Musa the coming of Isa Masih.  The Zaboor are the Psalms of Dawood.  These Psalms were actually songs about the greatness of Allah.  They teach us many wonderful things about Allah and His ways.  They were sung by what the Qur’an calls the “People of the Scripture”, who were the people of Israel.  The Injiil, (English; Gospel) is the Book about the life, teaching and commands of Isa Masih. 

The Qur’an is very clear about where these Books came from:

Surah Al Imran (Surah 3) 45,48   O Maryam!  Allah gives you glad tidings of a Word from Him: his name shall be Masih Isa …. And Allah will teach him the Book and Wisdom, the Tawrat and the Injiil.

Surah (Surah 4) 163  To Dawood We gave the Zaboor.

This could not be any clearer.  These Books came from Allah – they are the Word of Allah.  Yet most Muslims do not read these Books. 

Why Don’t Muslims Read the Before Scriptures?

There are two reasons that are given for not reading the “Before Scriptures”.   First, it is often said that these Scriptures have been changed or corrupted.   But also, some say that since the Qur’an has come these Before Scriptures are no longer valid; that is, they have been set aside. 

Are these two statements about the Before Scriptures true?

We need to look and see what the Qur’an says about this.  First we must ask:

Have the Before Scriptures been changed?

Surely, if it was true, that the Before Scriptures have been changed, the Qur’an would say this very clearly.  The Before Scriptures were being carefully copied hundreds of years before Hazrat Muhammed was born.  Hazrat Muhammed knew of these Scriptures.  So what did he say about them in the Qur’an? 

Sura Al An’am (Sura 6) 115  Perfected is the Word of your Lord in truth and justice, and none can change His words; He is the Hearer and Knower.

The Qur’an says very plainly that no one can change Allah’s Word.  It says Allah is listening and that He knows.  He is watching over His Word.  So who changed the Tawrat, Zaboor and Injiil?  Who found a place so dark and desolate that Allah could not see or hear and then changed His Word?   Of course, no one can hide from Allah!

But some will say this ayya only speaks of the Qur’an.  But that is not what it says!  It plainly says the “Word of your Lord”.  In this ayya (6:115), it says the “Kalimah” of the Lord.  Many other ayyat speak of the Qur’an.  In those ayyat, the word “Qur’an” is used.   We saw that the Qur’an says that the Tawrat, Zaboor and Injill are the Word of the Lord – they came from Allah Himself. 

So, either the Qur’an is right and Allah’s Word cannot be changed, or the Qur’an is wrong and the Tawrat, Zaboor and Injiil have been changed.  It cannot be both ways!

Surely if the before Scriptures had been changed, the Qur’an would have given a clear warning to stay away from these “corrupted books”.  Allah is the Hearer and Knower; He would have known that they had been changed.  But this is not what we find in the Qur’an.  Indeed, we find that just the opposite is true.  The Qur’an encourages us to find out what is in the Before Scriptures.   In fact, the Qur’an tells us that if there is something we do not understand in the Qur’an, we should go to the Before Scriptures to understand.

Sura Yunnus (Sura 10) 94  If you are in doubt concerning that which We reveal unto you, question those who have been reading the Book (Scriptures)from before you: the Truth has indeed come to you from your Lord: so be in no wise of those who are in doubt.

And, we see something very special throughout the Qur’an.  Again and again the Qur’an tells us to remember the stories of Nue, or Musa, or Ibrahim, or Isa and many other prophets. 

But we find in the Qur’an only a few short ayyat about these prophets.  But in the Tawrat, Zaboor and Injiil, we find pages and pages of the stories of these prophets.  We see what they did and what they taught and what their lives taught us about Allah and His ways. 

How can you remember these stories if you do not know them?

So the Qur’an is telling us to go back and find out what is in the Tawrat, Zaboor and Injiil. Listen to what these ayyat say:

Sura Al Imran (Sura 3) 93   Say (to Israel): Bring the Tawrat and study it if you are men of truth.  If any after this invent a lie and attribute it to Allah they are indeed unjust wrong-doers.

Sura Al Mai’dah (Sura 5) 46-47  And in their footsteps (the prophets) We sent Isa the son of Maryam, confirming the Law that had come before him: a guidance and an admonition (correction) to those who fear Allah.  Let the people of the Injiil judge by what Allah has revealed therein.  If any do fail to judge by what Allah has revealed, they are those who rebel.

Sura Al Mai’day (Sura 5) If only the People of the Book (the Jews – see ayya 64) had believed and been righteous, We should indeed have blotted out their iniquities (sins) and admitted them to Gardens of Delight.  If only they had stood fast by the Tawrat, the Injiil and all the revelation that was sent to them by their Lord, they would have enjoyed happiness from every side.

The Before Scriptures are called the The Bible, which means simply, “the Book”.  The Qur’an calls the Jews and the Christians “People of the Book”.  So we see, from the Qur’an that these “Before Scriptures” were not changed by the time of Hazrat Muhammed, who lived from 570 to 632 AD.  And the Tawrat, Zaboor and Injiil that we read today are translated from copies from before the time of Hazrat Muhammed.  We have thousands of copies and parts of copies of Before Scriptures in the original languages from before the time of Hazrat Muhammed.

Suppose someone decided to try to change the Qur’an?  Could he do it?  Of course not!  There are thousands of copies of the Qur’an in Arabic around the world.   Wouldn’t these accurate copies of the Qur’an quickly expose the false copy?  In the same way, even if someone had wanted to change the Bible, it would have been impossible, by the time of Hazrat Muhammed.  There were thousands of true copies of the Tawrat, Zaboor and Injiil kept in places all over the world.  If a Pope or King or a group of people had tried to change the Bible, these thousands of true copies would have exposed their attempt at a “changed Bible”. 

Some attempts were made to discredit the Bible.  One classic example of this is the so called the “Gospel of Barnabus”.  Evidence from within this forgery itself make it clear that it was written after 1000 AD and not anywhere near the time of Isa who was on the earth from around 4-6 BC until 30 AD.   The followers of Isa can simply go back to the true Tawrat, Zaboor and Injiil to expose such forgeries. 

Allah was watching over His Word to keep it safe and pure.  Indeed, “there is none that can change the Word of your Lord; He is the Hearer and the Knower.” 

Nowhere in the Qur’an does it ever say the Tawrat, Zaboor or Injiil have been changed!  It only says that some Jews had twisted the meaning of the Before Scriptures, not that they had changed the Book itself.

But what do the Before Scriptures say about this.  In the Zaboor, Dawood said, “Thy Word is true from the beginning.”[1]  Isa said to His followers:  “The Scripture cannot be destroyed…. Your Word is Truth.”[2]   The Injiil tells us:

All Scripture is given by inspiration of Allah and is profitable for teaching the truth, for rebuke, correction and instruction in righteousness.[3]

Know this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation (the prophets did not make it up).  For prophecy did not come by the will of men, but holy men of old spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.[4]

 The Tawrat, Zaboor and Injiil came from Allah and no one can change His Word!

 But, now we must look at the second question about the Before Scriptures:

 Are the Tawrat, Zhaboor and Injiil set aside now that the Qur’an has come?

 The answer is no!  Again, we need to look and see what the Qur’an says about this. 

 We have already seen that the Qur’an says “If you have doubts concerning what We reveal unto you, question those who have been reading the Book from before you.”  Why would the Qur’an tell you to go to Holy Books that had been set aside to get your doubts and questions answered?  If they were going to be changed later, wouldn’t Allah have known this?  The Qur’an says that Allah sent the Tawrat and Zaboor through Musa, Dawood and the prophets.   It says in Sura Al Imran 50 that Isa came confirming what was in the Tawrat, not setting it aside.   We saw that the Quran said to study the Tawrat if you are a man of truth.   The Qur’an says that if someone stands fast in the Tawrat and Injiil he can have his sins forgiven and go to heaven.

 And finally, we saw that the Qur’an says in Sura Al Imran ayya 50 to obey Isa.  Then in ayyat 55 it says that those who follow Him will be made superior to those who disbelieve until the Day of Resurrection.  That is the last day – the Day of Judgment.  The command to obey Isa is not set aside, even up to the Day of Judgment! 

 And how can you know what Isa has commanded unless you know what the Tawrat and Injiil say?  Isa came confirming what was in the Tawrat and bringing us the Injiil which Allah had given to him.  The Qur’an says to study the Tawrat and judge by what is in the Injiil.

 So, let us move on to Segment 3 to see what the Tawrat, Zaboor and Injiil tell us about what the Qur’an calls “The tidings of things unseen (hidden).”  We look next at the great Mystery of the Ages.