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Divine Books
Belief in Allah's Books:
We believe that Allah
revealed books to His messengers as proof against mankind and a
guidance for the righteous workers. They purified and taught them
wisdom by these books.
We believe that Allah
sent down a book with every messenger, because He says: "Indeed We
sent down Our messengers with the clear signs, and We sent down with
them the book and the balance, so that people may uphold justice"
(57:25).
Books Known:
Among the books that were
revealed, we know:
I ) The Torah, which was
revealed to Moses, peace be upon him. It is the greatest among the
Israelites' books: "Surely, We sent down the Torah, wherein is
guidance and light; by its laws the Jews have been judged by the
prophets who surrendered themselves to Allah, the rabbis and the
doctors of law, because they were entrusted the protection of Allah's
book and were witnesses thereto" (5:44).
2) The Gospel, which
Allah revealed to Jesus, peace be upon him. It is a confirmation of
the Torah and a complement to it: "And we gave him the Gospel, wherein
is guidance and light and confirming the Torah before it, as a
guidance and an admonition to the God-fearing" (5:46); "And to make
lawful to you certain things that, before, were forbidden to you"
(3:50).
3) The Psalms, which
Allah gave to David, peace be upon him.
4) The Tablets of Abraham
and Moses, peace be upon them.
5) The Glorious Qur'an,
which was revealed to His Prophet Muhammad, the Seal of the Prophets.
It is "a guidance to the people and clear signs of guidance and the
criterion between right and wrong" (2:185). The Qur'an Is Protected
from Change:
The Qur'an is "confirming
the scripture that was before it and stands as a guardian over it."
Thus, by means of the Qur'an, Allah abrogated all the previous
revealed books. Allah has also guaranteed its protection from any play
or mischievous distortion: "Indeed, We sent down the message and We
will guard it" (15:9), for the Qur'an is a proof against mankind till
the Day of Judgment.
Previous Scriptures Changed:
The previous
scriptures were meant for a limited period. Their use ended with the
revelation of the Qur'an, which abrogated them and exposed their
distortions and changes. That is why they were not protected from
corruption. They underwent distortion, addition, and omission: "Some
of the Jews pervert words from their meanings" (4:46); "So woe to
those who write the Book with their hands, and then say: 'This is from
Allah,' that they may sell it for a little price. So woe to them for
what their hands have written, and woe to them for their earnings"
(2:79); "Say, who sent down the Book that Moses brought as a light and
a guidance to people? You put it into sheets of paper showing some of
them and concealing much" (6:91); "And there is a group among them who
twist their tongues with the Book, that you may think it is a part of
the Book but it is not part of the Book. And they say 'It is from
Allah,' yet it is not from Allah, and they tell a lie against Allah
and they know it. It is not for any human being to whom Allah has
given the Book, the Wisdom and the Prophet hood to say to men 'Worship
me instead of Allah"' (3:79); "People of the Book! Our Messenger has
come to you, making clear to you many things you have been concealing
of the Book and forgiving you of much. A light has come to you from
Allah and a glorious Book, with which He will guide whoever follows
His pleasure in the way of peace, and brings them forth from darkness
into the light by His will" (5:15-16).
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