Abdiwahab Rashid

Belief in the scriptures revealed by God is the third article of Islamic faith. We can identify four main reasons for the revelation of the scriptures:

1. The scripture revealed to a prophet is a point of

reference to learn the religion and obligations

towards God and fellow human beings. God

reveals Himself and explains the purpose of

human creation through revealed scriptures.

2. By referring to it, disputes and differences

between its followers in matter of religious belief

and practice or in matter of social practice could

be settled.

3. The scripture are meant to keep the religion safe

from corruption and deterioration, at least for

some time after the death of the prophet.

At the present time, Qur’an revealed to our

Prophet Muhammad (may the mercy and

blessings of God be upon him) is the only

scripture to remain safe from corruption.

4. It is God’s proof against human beings. They are

not allowed to oppose or overstep it.

Muslims uphold and respect the following scriptures:

1. The Qur’an itself, revealed to the Prophet

Muhammad (peace be upon him)

2. The Torah (Tawrah in Arabic) revealed to the

Prophet Moses (different from the Old Testament

read today).

3. The Gospel (Injeel in Arabic) revealed to Prophet

Jesus (different from the New Testament read in

churches today)

4. The Psalms (Zaboor in Arabic) of David.

5. The Scrolls (Suhuf in Arabic) of Moses and

Abraham.

Muslims believe whatever is true in them and has neither been altered or deliberately misconstrued. Islam affirms that God revealed the Qur’an as a witness over the previous scriptures and confirmation of them, because,

Allah, the Exalted, says: “And We have sent down to you [O Muhammad] the Book (the Qur’an) in truth, confirming the scripture that came before it and (trustworthy in highness and awitness) over it (the collection of old scriptures) ...” Qur’an 5:48

Meaning the Quran confirms whatever is true in previous scriptures and rejects whatever alterations and changes human hands have made to them. The Holy Quran is different from other scriptures in the following respects:

1. The Quran is miraculous and inimitable. Nothing

similar to it can be produced by human beings.

2. After the Quran, no more scriptures will be

revealed by God. Just as the Prophet Muhammad

(Peace Be Upon Him) is the last prophet, the

Quran is the last scripture.

3. God has taken it upon Himself to protect the

Quran from alteration, to safeguard it from

corruption. On the other hand, previous scriptures

suffered alteration and distortion and do not

remain in their originally revealed form.

4. The Quran, for one, confirms early scriptures and,

for another, is a trustworthy witness over them.

5. The Ouran abrogates them, meaning it cancels

the rulings of the previous scriptures and renders

them inapplicable. the Law of the old scriptures

is no longer applicable; the previous rullings have

been abrogated with the Law of Islam.