Christians got the wrong end of the stick. The idea they believe the Qur’an confirms their bible shows they lack in basic Islamic understanding of previous scriptures.
Christians
have misunderstood the matter. The belief that the Qur’an affirms the
authenticity of their Bible reflects a fundamental lack of understanding of the
Islamic perspective on previous scriptures.
The issue
lies in the fact that many Christians make assumptions based on what they read,
without possessing certain or contextual knowledge. When the Qur’an mentions
the Injeel i.e., the Gospel, they automatically assume it refers to the four
canonised books of the New Testament.
The Islamic position on the
understanding of the Injeel is that it contains the description and prophecy of
the advent of Prophet Muhammad Pbuh. Surah 61:6 confirms this:
“And [mention] when Jesus, the son of
Mary, said, "O Children of Israel, indeed I am the messenger of Allah to
you confirming what came before me of the Torah and bringing good tidings of a
messenger to come after me, whose name is Ahmed." But when he came to them
with clear evidences, they said, "This is obvious magic.”
It is
noteworthy that the verse explicitly mentions the name of Prophet Muhammad Pbuh
'Ahmed' as the Messenger who is to come. This
reference pertains to the Injeel, which is described using the term mubashiran
(مُبَشِّرًۢا), meaning 'good news' or 'glad
tidings.' Accordingly, the Islamic perspective holds that the Injeel contains
the prophecy of the coming of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), rather than being centered
on Jesus (PBUH) himself. It is understood that the Injeel was revealed to Jesus
(PBUH) for the purpose of conveying to the Children of Israel the announcement
of the forthcoming Prophet Muhammad Pbuh. This interpretation provides clarity
on the Islamic understanding of the Injeel’s message.
On the
contrary the four Gospels, written by unknown authors, detail the life and
message of Jesus Christ, who spoke of the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus is the main
focus of all four books. Each Gospel offers a unique perspective, all focus on Jesus
as the Messiah and Son of God, forming the foundation of the Christian faith. The
Christian position is clear, the Gospels they believe in contain no prophecies
about the coming of the last and final Messenger, Prophet Muhammad Pbuh.
The issue
with Christians is that they are conflating two different things. The Injeel
mentioned in the Qur’an refers to the good news given to Prophet Muhammad Pbuh,
whereas the Gospels followed by Christians are based on the life and teachings
of Jesus. The two are not the same; thus, Christians have a significant
misunderstanding of the Injeel, assuming it is their book when it clearly is
not.
Calling it
an "Islamic dilemma" is ludicrous. The fact that many Christians
don’t even understand what the Injeel is according to the Islamic paradigm
shows that their argument is based on a false premise. How can there be a
dilemma when the subject i.e. the Injeel has nothing to do with the Christian
Gospels? How can the two be compared as if they refer to the same thing?
We must make
the distinction that the two scriptures are not the same. One is divine
revelation the Injeel the other is manmade the Gospels. The story of Jesus’s
life is different from the revelation given to him. Christians take his life
story as the revelation itself, which is not the Islamic position.
The Qur'an distinguishes between
Jesus’ true followers and later Christians, implying that the beliefs of
historical Christianity diverged from the original message of Jesus further
showing that the Qur'an does not affirm the Bible in its developed theological
form.
The Injeel was
a supplement to the mission of Jesus, calling the Children of Israel to account
for their actions, guiding them back to Tawhid (monotheism), and giving them
the glad tidings of the coming of Prophet Muhammad Pbuh.
The Injeel
is not the Gospels, nor are the Gospels the Injeel. The two should not be
conflated. This misunderstanding presents a dilemma for Christians.
