In numerous verses of the Noble Quran, we find the expression that ‘the Quran attests the contents of the previous Books’, particularly the Torah and the Gospel. For instance, verse 48 of Suratul Maidah says:
وَ أَنْزَلْنا إِلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ بِالْحَقِّ مُصَدِّقاً لِمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ
“We have sent down to you the Book with the truth, confirming what was before it of the Book.” (1)
This has caused some of the Jewish and Christian preachers to consider these verses as an authentication that the Torah and the Gospels have not suffered distortion and alteration, and to say: Undoubtedly, the Torah and the Gospels that are presently with us are not any different from what existed during the time of the Noble Prophet (PBUHH).
Thus, if there has been any alteration, it could only have occurred before the time of the Noble Prophet (PBUHH). But since the Quran has attested to the veracity of the Torah and Gospels of the time of the Noble Prophet (PBUHH), thus Muslims should formally accept these divine, books as being unaltered and authentic.
Various verses of the Quran testify that the signs and attributes of the Noble Prophet (PBUHH) and his religion did exist in those distorted books, which were in the possession of the Jews and Christians then. This is because the meaning of ‘distortion’ of those divine books surely does not mean that the entire books are false; rather, portions of the original Torah and the Gospels did exist in those books and still do, and the signs and attributes of the Noble Prophet (PBUHH) did exist within these books and/or other religious books which were in the possession of the Jews and Christians (and even today the glad tidings do exist in them).
Thus, the manifestation of the Prophet of Islam (PBUHH) and his divine Book, in practice, has attested all those signs and attributes since it is in conformity with them. Hence, the meaning of the statement ‘the Quran attests the contents of the Torah and the Gospels’ is that the attributes of the Noble Prophet (PBUHH) and the Quran totally match and conform with what has been mentioned about them in the Torah and the Gospels.
The use of the word تصديق (attestation) in the meaning of مطابقت (conformity) is not restricted to this verse, but is also observed in other verses too, like verse 105 of Suratul saffat in which it is said to Ibrahim (a.s):
قَدْ صَدَّقْتَ الرُّؤْيَا
“You have attested your dream”
Meaning: ‘Your actions were in conformity with the dream which you had witnessed’.(2)
And in verse 157 of Suratul A’raf, we read:
الَّذِينَ يَتَّبِعُونَ الرَّسُولَ النَّبِيَّ الأُمِّيَّ الَّذِي يَجِدُونَهُ مَكْتُوباً عِنْدَهُمْ فِي التَّوْرَاةِ وَ الإِنْجِيلِ
“those who follow the Apostle, the untaught prophet, whose mention they find written with them in the Torah and the Evangel…” (3)
Here, the meaning has been mentioned explicitly, i.e., ‘the attributes which they observe in him (PBUHH) match those that they have been found in the Torah (Old Testament).
In any case, the above verses only indicate ‘the practical attestation’ of the Quran and the Noble Prophet (PBUHH) with respect to his attributes present in the ancient books, and do not suggest that all the contents of the Torah and the Gospels have been affirmed. On the contrary, numerous verses of the Quran declare that they have altered and distorted the Torah and the Gospels, and this itself is a firm testimony of what has been stated above. (4)
NOTES:
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1. The Quran 5:48
2. The Quran 37:105
3. The Quran 7:157
4. Tafsir-e-Nemuneh, vol. 1, pg. 210
