When Christians use the testimony of the Qur’an to support the Bible’s integrity, some Muslims argue that the references in the Qur’an do not relate to present-day versions of the Torah and the Gospel. They say that the “Scriptures” of the Jews and the “Scriptures” of the Christians at the time of Muhammad, 571-632 AD, were different than those available today.
God chose Abraham for a particular special purpose. The Bible states that God told him, “I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who curses you I will curse; and by you, all the families of the earth shall bless themselves” (Genesis 12.1-3). The Qur'an also confirms that God promised Abraham that he would be the father of many nations: “Lo: I have appointed thee a leader for mankind” (Sura 2.124). Almost every sincere Muslim in the world celebrates the festival of Eid al-Adha with great feeling. This festival is observed in memory of the sacrifice that Abraham offered God. Muslims believe that God put Abraham to the test by asking him to sacrifice his son. At the right moment, God provided a ram to be sacrificed. In the Quran, we read of Abraham that God “gave him tidings of a gentle son. And when his son was old enough to walk with him, Abraham said: O my dear son, I have seen in a dream that I must sacrifice thee” (Surah 37.100-102). Muslim exegetes claim it was Ishmael, not Isaac, as the Bible states in Genesis 22. However, the Qur’an does not state whether that son was Ishmael or Isaac. Among early Muslims, several key figures believed it was Isaac, not Ishmael.
Does Jeremiah 8:8 imply that the Bible is corrupted?
Even though the Qur'an states there is “guidance and light” in the Torah (Sura 5:43), many Muslims often quote Jeramiah 8:8 as proof that the Torah has been “corrupted.” The text says: “How can you say, ‘We are wise, for we have the law of the LORD,’ when actually the lying pen of the scribes has handled it falsely?” (Jeremiah 8:8)
It is important to look at the context. The above verses are part of Jeremiah's "Temple Address" in Jeremiah 7:1-10:25. The first important clue is that God through the prophet Jeremiah states in verse 7: "My people do not KNOW the requirements of the LORD.” He does NOT say that they do not HAVE them. Then in verse 8, he takes up the false security of those scribes who claim that they have the law, although they do not obey it and distort it with their false interpretations. The next verse gives us the context of how legitimate these scribes were: "The wise will be put to shame; they will be dismayed and trapped. Since they have rejected the word of the LORD, what kind of wisdom do they have?” (Jeremiah 8:9)
It’s that time of year, once again, when we hear people saying, “Peace on earth and goodwill between men.” This constant refrain in songs and conversations is uttered by many from all quarters at this time of year. However, what's interesting is that many people don't know that this quotation is actually a passage from the Bible. And even many Christians, sad to say, don't know what it really means.
What is the most precious stone of all? The Hajj pilgrimage was being shown live on T.V. Pilgrims were walking around the Ka’ba ceremonially. Many Muslims were kissing the special stone called Hajr al-Aswad, the black stone in one of the walls. It is said that Abraham and Ishmael used this stone to stand on while building the Ka’ba. According to some stories, the stone at a time could change its shape to help them construct the building.
