What is the إِنجِيل?

Assalamu Alaikum

 

 

I previously wrote a paper titled “what is the Torah” where I gave ample information from the Qur’an alongside Sunnah that the Torah, Jews, and Christians read is not what the Qur’an is referring to. This paper I will focus on what is the إِنجِيل Injeel [Gospel] according to the Qur’an.

 

Christians often have this misconception that whenever the Qur’an makes mention of either the Torah or Gospel it automatically refers to their scriptures I.e., the Old and New Testament. This is their misunderstanding which they try to force upon Muslims. A common polemic by Christians which must be addressed.

 

Let us start by asking the question what is the إِنجِيل Injeel?

إِنجِيل Injeel could be the Arabized word for Evangelion, meaning the Good News. Ultimately, the word Injeel is mentioned 12 times in the Qur’an. The Injeel is a revelation, revealed to Isa As [Jesus] who is the second to last Prophet send by Allah Swt six hundred years before Prophet Muhammed Pbuh as mentioned in the authentic hadith.

 

Narrated Salman:

 

The interval between Jesus and Muhammad was six hundred years.

[Sahih al-Bukhari 3948]

 

This is where it gets interesting. The Arabic letters نجَل [Nun Jeem Lam] not only would spell word إِنجِيل [Injeel] it also has another meaning to it, something which precedes from you. Another way of expressing this would be son proceeded from his father [loins] something which comes after. We know by default the إِنجِيل [Injeel] was revealed after the Torah and the Qur’an was revealed after the إِنجِيل [Injeel].

 

Let us now look at a few verses from the Qur’an which mention the إِنجِيل [Injeel] before present the message it brought.

 

He has sent down upon you, [O Muhammed], the Book in truth, confirming what was before it. And He revealed the Torah and the Gospel [Surah 3:3]

 

 

She said, "My Lord, how will I have a child when no man has touched me?" [The angel] said, "Such is Allah; He creates what He wills. When He decrees a matter, He only says to it, 'Be,' and it is.

 

 And He will teach him writing and wisdom and the Torah and the Gospel [Surah 3:47-48]

 

 

O People of the Scripture, why do you argue about Abraham while the Torah and the Gospel were not revealed until after him? Then will you not reason? [Surah 3:68]

 

And We sent, following in their footsteps, Jesus, the son of Mary, confirming that which came before him in the Torah; and We gave him the Gospel, in which was guidance and light and confirming that which preceded it of the Torah as guidance and instruction for the righteous [Surah 5:46]

 

And if only they had upheld [the law of] the Torah, the Gospel, and what has been revealed to them from their Lord [i.e., the Quran], they would have consumed [provision] from above them and from beneath their feet. Among them are a moderate [i.e., acceptable] community, but many of them – evil is that which they do. [Surah 5:66]

 

Say, "O People of the Scripture, you are [standing] on nothing until you uphold [the law of] the Torah, the Gospel, and what has been revealed to you from your Lord [i.e., the Quran]." And that which has been revealed to you from your Lord will surely increase many of them in transgression and disbelief. So do not grieve over the disbelieving people. [Surah 5:68]

 

 

Those who follow the Messenger, the unlettered prophet, whom they find written [i.e., mentioned] in what they have of the Torah and the Gospel, who enjoins upon them what is right and forbids them what is wrong and makes lawful for them the good things and prohibits for them the evil and relieves them of their burden and the shackles which were upon them.  So they who have believed in him, honored him, supported him and followed the light which was sent down with him – it is those who will be the successful. [Surah 7:157]

 

Indeed, Allah has purchased from the believers their lives and their properties [in exchange] for that they will have Paradise. They fight in the cause of Allah, so they kill and are killed. [It is] a true promise [binding] upon Him in the Torah and the Gospel and the Quran. And who is truer to his covenant than Allah? So rejoice in your transaction which you have contracted. And it is that which is the great attainment. [Surah 9:111]

 

Muhammed is the Messenger of Allah; and those with him are forceful against the disbelievers, merciful among themselves. You see them bowing and prostrating [in prayer], seeking bounty from Allah and [His] pleasure. Their mark [i.e., sign] is on their faces [i.e., foreheads] from the trace of prostration. That is their description in the Torah. And their description in the Gospel is as a plant which produces its offshoots and strengthens them so they grow firm and stand upon their stalks, delighting the sowers – so that He [i.e., Allah] may enrage by them1414 the disbelievers. Allah has promised those who believe and do righteous deeds among them forgiveness and a great reward. [Surah 48:29]

 

Remarkably notice how the Gospel is mentioned in succession to the Torah multiple times. Majority of the times whenever you read إِنجِيل [Injeel] you’ll find the mentioning of the Torah prior to it as you can read from the verse above.

 

Coming back to our previous point what is the message of the إِنجِيل [Injeel]? Interestingly, the Qur’an tells us.

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." [Surah 61:6]

 

Let us break this down.

 

As mentioned in most instances of the Quranic verses whenever the word إِنجِيل [Injeel] is mentioned the word Torah is found before it i.e., the Torah preceded before the إِنجِيل [Injeel]. We would expect the same chronological order of Torah and إِنجِيل [Injeel] being mentioned one after another in Surah 61:6 right? let us see.

 

Again, like other verse cited Surah 61:6 mentions Torah as the preceding scripture revealed to Isa As, but this time with the exception, rather than the word إِنجِيل [Injeel] being mentioned as coming after the Torah instead we read the word  مُبَشِّرًۢا [Good News] an alternative to the word إِنجِيل [Injeel].

 

Do not be surprised the إِنجِيل [Injeel] is also known as the مُبَشِّرًۢا [Good News] and vice versa, and what is this Good News? It’s in the very same text, the advent of The Prophet Muhammed Pbuh. Therefore, we can conclude without hesitation Surah 61:6 is informing us what the إِنجِيل [Injeel] is and the message it brought.

 

إِنجِيل [Injeel] = مُبَشِّرًۢا [Good News]          

 

مُبَشِّرًۢا [Good News] = The proclamation of the Messenger to come whose name will be Ahmed.

 

Note we also have a direct saying from Prophet Muhammed Pbuh where he says one of his names is Ahmed.

 

Narrated Jubair bin Mut`im:

 

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "I have five names: I am Muhammad and Ahmad; I am Al-Mahi through whom Allah will eliminate infidelity; I am Al-Hashir who will be the first to be resurrected, the people being resurrected there after; and I am also Al-`Aqib (i.e. There will be no prophet after me). [Sahih al-Bukhari 3532]

 

 

We must also note the إِنجِيل [Injeel] was preached by Isa As. Speech of a person is not a book rather you can memorise or document it i.e., write it down. It is not necessary all words are written down. Therefore, we can conclude the Gospel was not a book it was an utterance from the mouth which was conveyed and heard by the people of that time. Someone hearing and then writing it down does not mean they were truthful in what they wrote hence, to trust the four gospels’ Christians claim being documents by eyewitness is nothing but a lie they invent to convince themselves and others.

 

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: 

As for the Gospel that is in their hands, they acknowledge that it was not written by the Messiah (peace be upon him), nor did he dictate it to someone else to write it down. Rather they wrote it after the Messiah was taken up (into heaven). Al-Jawab al-Saheeh.

 

He also said.

 

Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:  

These four books that they call the Gospel, or call each of them a Gospel, were written by them after the Messiah was taken up into heaven, but they do not say in them that they are the word of God, or that the Messiah conveyed them from God. Rather they transmitted in them some of the words of the Messiah, and some of his actions and miracles. They said that they did not narrate from him everything that they heard and saw from him. So they are more akin to what was narrated by the scholars of hadeeth (prophetic narrations), biography and maghaazi (battle) reports from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) of his words and deeds that are not Quran. So the Gospels that they have in their hands are more like the books of seerah (biographies) and hadeeth (prophetic narrations), or like these books, even if most of them are true. Al-Jawab al-Saheeh.

Another point Christians try to bring is that if Surah 61:6 is Prophesising of Prophet Muhammed Pbuh the where is it mentioned in the gospels they have? Firstly, the Gospels are not the Injeel which was revealed to Prophet Isa As. Secondly, the fact you don’t have such a message in your books shows it is not the Injeel. Christians normally counter back by saying if that is the case, why does the Qur’an state in Surah 7:157 “they find His description in the Torah and Gospel?

 

Note the ayah in Surah 7 reads ʿindahum  عِنْدَهُمْ “with them” i.e. their own scripture and Surah 61:6 reads wa-idh qāla   وَإِذْ قَالَ عِيسَى ٱبْنُ مَرْيَمَ “when Isa son of Mary said”.  Surah 61, Isa As “said” whereas in  Surah 7 “they find in what they have”, both are not the same. We must also note in Surah 61:6 Isa As explicitly gave the name of Prophet Muhammed Pbuh “AHMED” whereas in Surah 7:157 they find His “description maktūban مَكْتُوبًا" 

If you're looking for the name of Prophet Muhammed Pbuh in your scripture then you taking the wrong route. The Quran does not say you will find his name (إسمه ismuhu), rather the Quran says in Surah 7:157 they found his written description (مَكْتُوبًا maktuban), be consistent.

Conclusion:

 

Christians are in denial when they are told the Injeel إِنجِيل is not the four gospels written by unknown authors. It is crystal clear from the Qur’an that the إِنجِيل [Injeel] is the Good News مُبَشِّرًۢا as demonstrated specifically from Surah 61:6 alongside the Hadith.

 

If Christians really believe the Qur’an is speaking about their book, then they shouldn’t have a problem directing us to where their scriptures explicitly mentions the name of Prophet Muhammed Pbuh as the Messenger of Allah Swt as found in Surah 61:6. Furthermore, if they are still adamant then surely they should be able to explain Surah 7:157 how the converts i.e. the learned men of the Children of Israel [Rabbis and Christians] found the description of Prophet Muhammed Pbuh in their Scriptures?   

 

As they say you can’t have the cake and eat it.

Once again, JazakhAllahu Khair to my dear brother Adnan who helped me by the will of Allah Swt investigate this matter like I did for the Torah and motivated me to write this paper.