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Is the Quran Truly Confirmatory of Previous Scripture?

Introduction: The Quran’s Claim to Confirm Prior Revelation


The Quran, regarded as the holy book of Islam by nearly 1.9 billion Muslims worldwide, is considered by its followers to be a divine revelation from Allah. According to Islamic belief, the Quran was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad over a span of approximately 23 years, beginning in 610 C.E. The Quran makes numerous references to key figures and events that are also mentioned in the Bible, including Adam, Noah, Moses, and Jesus, as well as the Flood. Furthermore, it claims to corroborate and confirm the divine revelations that came before it, specifically those found in the Torah (the Law) and the Gospel (the Evangel). Sura 5:50-52, for instance, states: “And we gave [Jesus] the Evangel with its guidance and light, confirmatory of the preceding Law; a guidance and warning to those who fear God… And to thee we have sent down the Book of the [Quran] with truth, confirmatory of previous Scriptures, and their safeguard.”



Given that the Quran asserts its role as a confirmation of previous scriptures, it is essential to examine whether it indeed upholds the teachings and revelations of the Bible. To do so, we must compare the content and doctrinal teachings of the Quran with those of the Bible, both the Hebrew Scriptures (commonly referred to as the Old Testament) and the Greek New Testament. The objective of this examination is to determine whether the Quran aligns with, or diverges from, the earlier revelations, thereby validating or refuting its claim as a continuation of the divine message.



The Unity and Consistency of Biblical Revelation


One of the distinguishing features of the Bible is its internal consistency, despite being composed over a period of approximately 1,600 years by more than 40 different authors. The Hebrew Scriptures, consisting of 39 books, and the Greek New Testament, comprising 27 books, present a unified message that is harmonious and coherent. This unity is a reflection of the divine inspiration behind the scriptures, as the apostle Paul attested in his letter to the Corinthians: "For God is not a God of confusion but of peace" (1 Corinthians 14:33). Additionally, the prophet Isaiah recorded Jehovah's invitation for reasoned discourse: "Come now, let us reason together, says Jehovah" (Isaiah 1:18), highlighting the logical and consistent nature of God’s revelations.


Given this biblical precedent of consistency and unity, any subsequent revelation that claims to be divinely inspired should also demonstrate harmony with the earlier scriptures. The Quran, in claiming to confirm the previous revelations found in the Bible, must therefore be consistent with the teachings and doctrines presented in the Hebrew Scriptures and the Greek New Testament. However, upon closer examination, several significant discrepancies between the Quran and the Bible become evident, casting doubt on the Quran’s claim of confirmatory revelation.



The Absence of Jehovah’s Name in the Quran


One of the most significant aspects of the Bible is the frequent use of the divine name Jehovah, which appears over 6,800 times in the Hebrew Scriptures alone. This name is central to the identity of God in the Bible and signifies His covenant relationship with His people. For example, in Exodus 6:3, Jehovah declared to Moses, "I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by my name Jehovah I did not make myself known to them." The name Jehovah is used throughout the Bible to emphasize God's unique identity and His direct involvement with humanity.


In stark contrast, the Quran does not mention the name Jehovah even once. Instead, the Quran uses the name “Allah,” which, although meaning "The God" in Arabic, lacks the personal and covenantal significance that the name Jehovah carries in the Bible. The absence of Jehovah’s name in the Quran is a significant departure from the biblical revelation, especially considering that the name Jehovah is central to the Hebrew Scriptures and is also affirmed in the Greek New Testament. Jesus Himself emphasized the importance of God's name when He prayed, "I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world" (John 17:6). The omission of Jehovah's name in the Quran raises questions about its claim to confirm the previous scriptures, as it fails to uphold one of the most fundamental aspects of the biblical revelation.



The Doctrine of Sin and Its Consequences: A Divergent Teaching


Sura 4:56 of the Quran describes the punishment for those who reject Allah's signs: "Those who reject Our signs, We shall soon cast into the Fire: as often as their skins are roasted through, We shall change them for fresh skins, that they may taste the penalty." The Quran repeatedly emphasizes the idea of eternal torment in hellfire, a stark contrast to the biblical teaching that the ultimate penalty for sin is death. The Bible does not support the notion of eternal conscious torment; instead, it presents death as the final consequence of sin, with the hope of resurrection and eternal life offered through Jesus Christ (John 5:28-29; 1 Corinthians 15:22).


Moreover, the Bible's teaching on the state of the dead is clear: the dead are unconscious, knowing nothing (Ecclesiastes 9:5, 10). In contrast, the Quran's portrayal of hellfire and eternal punishment suggests a continued state of suffering after death, which diverges significantly from the biblical understanding. This difference in the portrayal of sin's consequences further challenges the Quran's claim of being confirmatory of the previous scriptures.



The Person and Work of Christ Jesus: Contradictory Claims


The identity and mission of Jesus Christ is another area where the Quran and the Bible present differing accounts. The Bible consistently portrays Jesus as the Son of God and the promised Messiah. In the Hebrew Scriptures, prophecies such as Isaiah 9:6 foretell the coming of a child who will be called "Mighty God" and "Prince of Peace," indicating the divine nature of the Messiah. The Greek New Testament confirms this by recording the voice from heaven at Jesus' baptism, saying, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased" (Matthew 3:17).


In contrast, the Quran denies the divine sonship of Jesus. Sura 112:3 states, "He begetteth not, nor is He begotten," and Sura 4:171 advises Christians not to say "Trinity," asserting that God is one and that He does not have a son. While the Quran acknowledges Jesus as a prophet and affirms His virgin birth, it explicitly rejects the notion of Jesus as the Son of God, which is a fundamental tenet of Christian belief.


Additionally, the Quran denies the crucifixion of Jesus, a central event in Christian theology. Sura 4:157 claims, "They said [in boast], 'We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah'; but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them." This contradicts the consistent testimony of the Greek New Testament, which records the crucifixion, death, and resurrection of Jesus as the foundation of the Christian faith (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).


The denial of Jesus' crucifixion and divine sonship in the Quran presents a direct contradiction to the biblical narrative, further undermining the Quran's claim to be confirmatory of the previous scriptures.



The Story of Noah and the Flood: A Conflicting Account


The account of Noah and the Flood is a significant narrative in both the Bible and the Quran, yet the details differ between the two texts. According to the Bible, Noah was a righteous man who, along with his wife, his three sons, and their wives, was spared from the floodwaters that destroyed the earth's wicked inhabitants. Genesis 7:13 states, "On the very same day Noah and Noah’s sons, Shem and Ham and Japheth, and Noah’s wife and the three wives of his sons with them, entered the ark." The Greek New Testament affirms this account in 2 Peter 2:5, where Peter refers to Noah as "a preacher of righteousness," noting that only eight people were saved through the flood.


The Quran, however, presents a different version of events. In Sura 11:42-43, one of Noah’s sons is depicted as refusing to enter the ark and is consequently drowned in the floodwaters: "The son replied: 'I will betake myself to some mountain: it will save me from the water.' Noah said: 'This day nothing can save, from the command of Allah, any but those on whom He hath mercy!' And the waves came between them, and the son was among those overwhelmed in the Flood." This account contradicts the biblical narrative, which clearly states that all of Noah's sons were saved. The discrepancy between these two accounts raises questions about the Quran's claim to confirm the biblical narrative.



The Status of Angels and Humans: A Reversal in the Quran


The Bible teaches that humans were created a little lower than the angels. Psalm 8:5 declares, "You have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor," and the writer of Hebrews reiterates this in Hebrews 2:7-9, emphasizing that while humanity is currently lower than the angels, Jesus' incarnation and eventual exaltation will bring humanity to a place of glory.


However, the Quran presents a different perspective on the relationship between humans and angels. In Sura 2:30-34, Allah commands the angels to bow down to Adam, signifying Adam's superiority over the angels. This reversal of roles, where humans are depicted as superior to angels, contradicts the biblical teaching and presents yet another area where the Quran diverges from the biblical revelation it claims to confirm.



The Allegation of Biblical Corruption: A Historical Perspective


Faced with the discrepancies between the Quran and the Bible, some Muslim scholars argue that the Bible has been corrupted and that the Quran confirms only the original, uncorrupted scriptures. However, this claim is not supported by historical evidence. The integrity of the biblical texts, especially the Greek New Testament, is well-established through the abundance of manuscript evidence. There are over 5,898 Greek New Testament manuscripts, some dating within decades of the original writings. The process of textual criticism, which involves comparing these manuscripts, has allowed scholars to ascertain the original text of the New Testament with remarkable accuracy.


The same can be said for the Hebrew Scriptures. The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in the mid-20th century provided manuscripts of the Hebrew Bible that predate the earliest previously known manuscripts by nearly a thousand years. These scrolls demonstrate the accuracy with which the Hebrew Scriptures were transmitted over the centuries, further affirming the reliability of the biblical text.


The Quran itself does not explicitly state that the Bible was corrupted; rather, it accuses Jews and Christians of misinterpreting or misquoting their scriptures (Sura 2:75-79; Sura 3:78). However, the Quran's charge of textual corruption is inconsistent with its claim to confirm the previous scriptures. If the Bible were truly corrupted beyond recognition, it would be impossible for the Quran to confirm it. The evidence points to the conclusion that the Bible has been faithfully preserved and that the discrepancies between the Bible and the Quran arise not from corruption of the biblical text but from the Quran itself.



Conclusion: The Quran’s Divergence from Previous Scripture


Upon examining the Quran in light of the Bible, it becomes clear that the Quran diverges significantly from the teachings and narratives of the Hebrew Scriptures and the Greek New Testament. Whether in the omission of Jehovah’s name, the differing doctrines of sin and its consequences, the contradictory accounts of Jesus’ identity and work, or the conflicting narratives of Noah and the Flood, the Quran does not uphold the biblical revelation it claims to confirm.


These discrepancies suggest that the Quran cannot be considered a true continuation or confirmation of the divine revelation given in the Bible. Instead, the Quran presents a different narrative and theology that stands apart from the consistent and unified message of the Bible. For those who seek to understand the nature of divine revelation and the truth of God's Word, it is essential to recognize these differences and to affirm the reliability and consistency of the Bible as the true and uncorrupted Word of God.


About the Author

EDWARD D. ANDREWS (AS in Criminal Justice, BS in Religion, MA in Biblical Studies, and MDiv in Theology) is CEO and President of Christian Publishing House. He has authored over 220 books. In addition, Andrews is the Chief Translator of the Updated American Standard Version (UASV).


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