Dear Fatima peace to you also
Thanks for you reply, however, I do believe that I can detect some mis-conception.
first of all you repost (Sura 3:3):
a. It is He who sent down to thee (step by step), in truth, Book, confirming confirming what went before it; and He sent down the Torah (of Moses) and the Gospel (of Jesus) (Sura 3:3)
And then you say:
The "book" in this verse is referring to the Quran.
I agree with you, I did not say that the Book in Sura 3:3 refers to the Bible, it is obvious that it refers to the Koran. However, look at Sura 3:3 in the context of the other two verses which I posted, then you will get my point:
“If you Muhammad are in doubt regarding that which we have revealed to thee, ask those who read the book from before you” (Yunus 10:94).
Hast thou not turned thy thought to those who have been given a portion of the Book? They are invited to the Book of Allah, to settle their dispute, but a party of them turn back and decline (Sura 3:23)
I do agree that the Koran is the book mentioned in Sura 3:3, but do look at the context and the analogy, since the Book mentioned in Sura 3:3 confirsm (not the books, but) what went before it, the previous Revelations, such as the Torah, Zabur and the Injil.
These Revelations are according to Sura 3:23 portions of the THE BOOK, which consists of the four Revelations, Torah, Zabur, Injil, and (to the Muslim) the Koran. Look at Sura 3:23 again:
Hast thou not turned thy thought to those who have been given a portion of the Book? They are invited to the Book of Allah, to settle their dispute, but a party of them turn back and decline (Sura 3:23)
This is confirmed even further by Sura 10:94, where Muhammad himself is told to check those who read (not the former books) but the book before him. Look at the verse again:
If you Muhammad are in doubt regarding that which we have revealed to thee, ask those who read the book from before you” (Yunus 10:94).
In other words the Koran is basically useless and unconfirmed and unproven an d unreliable if not read in the light of the previous Revelations. And why is that? Because any book with the first half would be useless.
Let me then correct you one some more errors, you write:
The Bible is a collection of ancient writings. This is not mentioned in the Quran at all.
Well, if you are correct in your statement then the Koran is seriously jeapordized, since the Bible is a collection of ancient writings, Just take the Torah, almost 3500 years old, or the Zabur, dating 3500 to 2700 years old, or the Injel 2000 years, old so these are ancient writings and the Koran does mention them.
Also you say:
There is no concept of the Bible at all. You have the injil and the Torah, which are seperate.
Then how do you explain:
If you Muhammad are in doubt regarding that which we have revealed to thee, ask those who read the book from before you” (Yunus 10:94).
Are you saying that we Jews and Christians do not read the Book (Kitab) in Latin Bible. Well, the Koran does not agree with you, since Christians read the Book before Muhammad did.
You write:
If you're argument is that the Quran mentions the word "book", then the Quran is also referred to as the "book". I guess your argument has just lost its value
I know that the Koran is called the Book, but I dont see why my argument has lost the value.
Peace to you as well
Kai