Has the Message of the Injil and Torah Been Corrupted?

The question of whether the Injil (Gospel) and Torah (Law) have been corrupted or lost is a significant theological issue. Many Muslims assert that the earlier scriptures have undergone distortion, yet a critical examination of the Qur’an reveals a nuanced perspective that suggests otherwise. Let’s explore Qur’anic verses that imply the continued existence and integrity of these scriptures during the time of Muhammad, thus challenging the prevalent view of their corruption.

The Qur’an addresses Christians and Jews as “people of the book,” indicating that they were custodians of divine scriptures.

• ”When it is said to them, ‘Believe in what Allah has revealed,’ they say, ‘We believe in what has been revealed to us,’ and they deny what is beyond it, whereas that is the truth which confirms what is with them. Say, ‘Why then have you been slaying the prophets of Allah earlier, if you were believers?’” )Al-Baqara 2:91). This verse implies that the Jews and Christians possessed the scriptures revealed by Allah, i.e., the Torah and the Injil, at the time of the Qur’an’s revelation. Such a command would lack coherence if these texts had been corrupted or lost.
• “O people of the Book, why do you disbelieve in the verses of Allah while you are yourselves witnesses (to those verses)?” (Al-Imran 3:70). The term “witnesses” indicates that Jews and Christians during Muhammad’s era had access to the authentic texts of their scriptures.
• “Surely, among the people of the Book there are those who believe in Allah and in what has been sent down to you and what has been sent to them, humbling themselves before Allah. They do not barter away the verses of Allah for paltry (worldly) gains. They have their reward with their Lord. Surely, Allah is swift at reckoning” (Al-Imran 3:199). This verse uses the plural pronoun “them,” suggesting that divine revelation was not solely given to Jesus but was also available to his followers.
• “How do they [i.e., the Jews] ask you to judge while the Torah is with them, having the ruling of Allah?… We have sent down the Torah, in which there was guidance and light by which the prophets, who submitted themselves to Allah, used to judge for the Jews… We sent Isa son of Maryam after those prophets, confirming the Torah that was (revealed) before him, and We gave him the Injil having guidance and light therein, and confirming the Torah that was (revealed) before it… And the people of the Injil must judge according to what Allah has sent down therein…” (Al-Maida 5:43-49). The text presupposes that Jews and Christians have the Torah and the Injil and are expected to adhere to their guidance. This expectation would be illogical if the scriptures were corrupted or inaccessible.
• “Say, ‘O people of the Book, you have nothing to stand on, unless you uphold the Torah and the Injil and what has been sent down to you from your Lord.’” (Al-Maida 5:68). The command to uphold the Torah and Injil suggests that these texts were available and uncorrupted, providing a foundation for the believers’ faith and practice.
• “So, (O prophet,) even if you are in doubt about what We have sent down to you, ask those who read the Book (revealed) before you. Surely, truth has come to you from your Lord, so never be among those who are suspicious.” (Yunus 10:94). This verse implies that the authenticity of previous scriptures can be verified by consulting those who read them, indicating their continued reliability and presence.

A comprehensive analysis of these qur’anic verses suggests that the scriptures of the Injil and Torah were not perceived as corrupted or lost at the time of Muhammad. Instead, the Qur’an acknowledges their presence and urges the people of the book to adhere to their teachings. This perspective challenges the prevalent notion of scriptural corruption and invites reconsidering the relationship between the Qur’an and earlier revelations.