There's no doubt for all Muslims that the Bible, in its recent form, had changed by early Jews & Christians, but Christians may have another view! During many arguments between the two parties about that view; Christians try to prove the truth of their Bible to Muslims by anyway; such as Archeological & Historical researches, many studies about the Bible & some mental proofs! Many of them also try to study Qur'an verses to prove that Qur'an states the truth of Bible!!
What is that means? Is Muslims are not able to understand their Holy Book? Then, who is understand it and able to explain its meaning to others? Are they the Christians whom not believe in it at all as Words of Allâh?! This may take the reader into a trouble!!
Any Muslim man read that will be so sad, and he'll consider that as an attack to the Qur'an by some satanic ideas!! All of Christians should consider that Qur'an is the most important source (or origin) of Muslim man belief.
In his answer book (The Qur'an & the Bible in the Light of History & Science, Middle East Resources 1992), Dr. William Campbell had critiqued Dr. Boucaille's way; that he'd ignored to mention the fulfilled prophecies of Bible or other strong testimonies to the truth of it, as you wrote.
In Sec. II, Ch.1 of Dr. Campbell's book, he'd fall in the same hole when he tried to explain some Qur'anic verses by a wrong way! I'm sure that he'd not reviewed the Qur'anic explain 'tafseer' books. But, he may follow his own explain! Also, he'd ignored many Qur'anic verses states the change of Bible clearly.
Let us now revisit and reexamine which he wrote to conclude was it right or not!
o The Change of Bible:
{وَإِنّ مِنْهُمْ لَفَرِيقاً يَلْوُونَ أَلْسِنَتَهُمْ بِالْكِتَابِ لِتَحْسَبُوهُ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ وَمَا هُوَ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ وَيَقُولُونَ هُوَ مِنْ عِنْدِ اللّهِ وَمَا هُوَ مِنْ عِندِ اللّهِ وَيَقُولُونَ عَلَى اللّهِ الْكَذِبَ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ}- ( آل عمران : 78)
1- {There is among them a section who distort the Book with their tongues; (as they read) you would think it is a part of the Book but it is no part of the Book; and they say "That is from Allâh" but it is not from Allâh: it is they who tell a lie against Allâh and (well) they know it!} – Surat Ale-Imran: 78
This is a clear view for fabrication! Jews & Christians, during the first Islamic era, distort the verses of Bible with their tongues when they read to Muslims and say: "That is from Allâh"! Consider that the verse states clearly; that it is not from Allâh, and they (Jews & Christians) know well that they told the lie against Allâh! (Tafseer Ibn Katheer – Surat 3: 78). You may feel, like me, that good faith is not found here!! Dr. Campbell considered that Jews may twist the words or the pronunciation while they read. They do this so that the hearers will think that this different meaning is from the Book (the Torah) and from Allâh. He also says the verse goes on to say, "It is not from the Book" and "it is not from Allâh ". Really, he tries to twist the verse exactly like Jews, but the verse state clearly in its beginning that the Jews distort the verses of the Book (Torah), not another verses they'd composed!!
{فَوَيْلٌ لّلّذِينَ يَكْتُبُونَ الْكِتَابَ بِأَيْدِيهِمْ ثُمّ يَقُولُونَ هَـَذَا مِنْ عِنْدِ اللّهِ لِيَشْتَرُواْ بِهِ ثَمَناً قَلِيلاً فَوَيْلٌ لّهُمْ مّمّا كَتَبَتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَوَيْلٌ لّهُمْ مّمّا يَكْسِبُونَ}( البقرة : 79)
2- {Then woe to those who write the Book with their own hands and then say: "This is from Allâh" to traffic with it for a miserable price! Woe to them for what their hands do write and for the gain they make thereby.} – Surat Al_Baqara: 79
The meaning we search for is clear in the last verse; that Jews & Christians had written the Bible by their own hands! Not by revelation of Allâh, then, they teach other that this is from Allâh! In order to traffic with it for a miserable price! Is that clear?.. I think it!!
{وَاتّبَعُواْ مَا تَتْلُواْ الشّيَاطِينُ عَلَىَ مُلْكِ سُلَيْمَانَ وَمَا كَفَرَ سُلَيْمَانُ وَلَـَكِنّ الشّيْاطِينَ كَفَرُواْ ...}( البقرة : 102)
3- {They followed what the evil ones gave out (falsely) against the power of Solomon; the blasphemers were not Solomon but the evil ones…} – Surat Al_Baqara: 102
The meant by (the evil ones) is not the literary meaning, but the meant is who wrote that Solomon (pbuh) loved many strange women, and his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and he build a high place for it! Finally, he did evil in the sight of the LORD (refer 1Kings 11:1-5).
All Muslims knows that it is WRONG!! And the last verse says that Solomon had not blasphemed yet. But the evil ones, or Bible changers, have done! This is very clear. Consider also that the last verse answers who says that Qur'an states the truth of Bible! Because it teaches us the contrary! You may consider that during many stories about the other Prophets (pbut) between the Qur'an & the Bible.
{وَمَا قَدَرُواْ اللّهَ حَقّ قَدْرِهِ إِذْ قَالُواْ مَآ أَنزَلَ اللّهُ عَلَىَ بَشَرٍ مّن شَيْءٍ قُلْ مَنْ أَنزَلَ الْكِتَابَ الّذِي جَآءَ بِهِ مُوسَىَ نُوراً وَهُدًى لّلنّاسِ تَجْعَلُونَهُ قَرَاطِيسَ تُبْدُونَهَا وَتُخْفُونَ كَثِيراً وَعُلّمْتُمْ مّا لَمْ تَعْلَمُوَاْ أَنتُمْ وَلاَ آبَاؤُكُمْ قُلِ اللّهُ ثُمّ ذَرْهُمْ فِي خَوْضِهِمْ يَلْعَبُونَ}(91)
4- {No just estimate of Allâh do they make when they say: "Nothing doth Allâh send down to man (by way of revelation)": Say: "Who then sent down the Book which Moses brought? A light and guidance to man: but ye make it into (separate) sheets for show while ye conceal much (of its contents)…} – Surat Al_An'aam: 91
You may know that the book which Moses (pbuh) brought is Torah (the first section of the Bible). But the verse explains that Jews had made it into separated sheets! Then, they show some of these sheets & hide other ones! Not only the sheets it selves but also they maybe explain its meaning by a wrong way to hide some facts (Tafseer Ibn Katheer – Surat 6: 91). This is a clear view of FABRICATIONS explained by a Qur'anic verse.
o Missed facts in the Bible:
Qur'an teaches us that there're many facts you may find it in Bible if you study it. Then, when we do we'll not find any of these facts! For us (Muslims) that states the change of the Bible. Christians may not agree that view but anyway, that states that the Qur'an had not teaches us the truth of the Bible. Let's consider these verses!
{بَلْ تُؤْثِرُونَ الْحَيَاةَ الدّنْيَا * وَالاَخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ وَأَبْقَىَ * إِنّ هَـَذَا لَفِي الصّحُفِ الاُولَىَ * صُحُفِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَمُوسَىَ}( الأعلى : 16 - 19)
1- {Nay (behold) ye prefer the life of this world * But the Hereafter is better and more enduring * And this is in the Books of the earliest (Revelations) * The Books of Abraham and Moses} – Surat Al_Aa'la: 16-19
When you study the Torah (or the first five chapters of Bible) you may not find anything about the Hereafter (or the life after death). Although, the verse teaches us that it's found in the Books of the earliest Prophets! It also says that Abraham (pbuh) was had a Book by revelation from Allâh, then, you'll not find it into the Bible! Where is it? The answer is clear; it had missed with another Books & verses!!
{إِنّ اللّهَ اشْتَرَىَ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَنفُسَهُمْ وَأَمْوَالَهُمْ بِأَنّ لَهُمُ الّجَنّةَ يُقَاتِلُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللّهِ فَيَقْتُلُونَ وَيُقْتَلُونَ وَعْداً عَلَيْهِ حَقّاً فِي التّوْرَاةِ وَالإِنْجِيلِ وَالْقُرْآنِ وَمَنْ أَوْفَىَ بِعَهْدِهِ مِنَ اللّهِ فَاسْتَبْشِرُواْ بِبَيْعِكُمُ الّذِي بَايَعْتُمْ بِهِ وَذَلِكَ هُوَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِيمُ}( التوبة : 111)
2- {Allâh hath purchased of the believers their persons and their good; for theirs (in return) is the garden (of Paradise): they fight in His cause and slay and are slain: a promise binding on Him in truth through the Torah the Gospel and the Qur'an: and who is more faithful to his covenant than Allâh? Then rejoice in the bargain which ye have concluded: that is the achievement supreme} – Surat Al_Tawba:111
When you study the Torah or the Gospel in its current form you'll not find anything about fighting in Allâh cause, and give up our own selves & own goods to Him, (which we call it: Al_jehaad). Where this fact had gone?.. It'd also missed!
{الّذِينَ يَتّبِعُونَ الرّسُولَ النّبِيّ الاُمّيّ الّذِي يَجِدُونَهُ مَكْتُوباً عِندَهُمْ فِي التّوْرَاةِ وَالإِنْجِيلِ يَأْمُرُهُم بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَاهُمْ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَيُحِلّ لَهُمُ الطّيّبَاتِ وَيُحَرّمُ عَلَيْهِمُ الْخَبَآئِثَ وَيَضَعُ عَنْهُمْ إِصْرَهُمْ وَالأغْلاَلَ الّتِي كَانَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ فَالّذِينَ آمَنُواْ بِهِ وَعَزّرُوهُ وَنَصَرُوهُ وَاتّبَعُواْ النّورَ الّذِيَ أُنزِلَ مَعَهُ أُوْلَـَئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ}( الأعراف : 157)
3- {Those who follow the apostle the unlettered prophet whom they find mentioned in their own (Scriptures); in the Torah and the Gospel; for he commands them what is just and forbids them what is evil: he allows them as lawful what is good (and pure) and prohibits them from what is bad (and impure); He releases them from their heavy burdens and from the yokes that are upon them. So it is those who believe in him honor him help him and follow the light which is sent down with him it is they who will prosper.} – Surat Al_Aa'raf: 157
The meant by that verse is the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh); because he is the unlettered prophet. The verse teaches us that he is mentioned in the Bible. Although many Muslims researches to prove this fact to world, Jews & Christians had united to say the contrary!
More & more of verses are explains the same meanings above. I'll not show more because I'm afraid of prolongation! Any reader can study more verses then bring one or more to the discussion, if he feels that it will change the last conclusions.
o The Coptic Bible:
Another point before we arrive to finish this essay; Dr. Campbell had explained (at end of point F of his mentioned book) the separation between the Coptic Christian Church, the Roman and Byzantine Churches. Then, he assures that they'd exactly the same Bible! So, let me tell you about the correct situation; Readers may knows that the Bible of the Coptic Christian Church now is in Arabic. It may contain the same chapter names, but there's many verses when you'll correspond its Arabic translation with the English one (AV, ASV or KJV) you'll find a great difference in meaning! Especially, to prove the Coptic belief about The Christ! If you ask any Coptic Christian about this difference; he'll answer you that the Coptic Bible is correct & other ones had changed! Here, we can't be able to know which Bible is the correct and which one had been changed!!
Finally, dear Christian readers, forgive me please, that I spoke about your Holy Bible. There's no need to attack your belief. Qur'an did not teach us that, but I should explain to all Christians a clear fact in my belief & my Holy Book.
To be continued during my next essay: (What the Hadith says about the Bible)
Written by:
Tarek,
engi_build@hotmail.com
