Muslim friends often want to tell us that the Bible has been corrupted and cannot be trusted now. The Quran never said this and Prophet Muhammed never said this. Let us look at some verses from the Quran which show the full confidence that Prophet Muhammed had in the Bible and how Allah instructed the people to trust the Bible.
Sura 5:68 (Al-Maida) - "Say: 'People of the Book (Christians and Jews), you stand for nothing until you observe the Torah and the Gospel and that which is revealed to you from your Lord."
Sura 4:136 (Al-Nisa) - "0 believers, have faith in Allah and His Apostle, in the Book He has revealed to His Apostle, and in the Book He formerly revealed (Bible). He that denies Allah, His angels, His Scriptures, His apostles, and the Last Day, has strayed far from the truth."
Sura 5:48 (Al-Maida) - "And to you We have revealed the Book with the truth confirming what was revealed before it in the other Books, and standing as a guardian over it."
The Quran was to be the guardian of all the previously revealed Scripture. If the Bible was corrupted, then the Quran failed in its work. If the Bible was corrupted, when and where and how was it corrupted? Was it corrupted before Prophet Muhammed's time or after? If it was before his time, then why did he not say so and why did he tell his people to read the Law and the Gospel? If it was after Prophet Muhammed's time, then why do we have ancient copies of the Bible that are much older than Muhammed that read exactly the same as the Bible today?
In Sum 5:43 (Al-Maida) the Quran confirms the truthfulness of the Torah (Law of Moses, Old Testament). When Prophet Muhammed met some Jews in Arabia, Allah said to him, "But why do they come to you for judgment when they already have the Torah in which is Allah's own judgment?" Furthermore, in Sura 5:47, the Quran says, "Let the followers of the Gospel judge in accordance with what Allah has revealed therein. Evil doers are those who do not base their judgments on Allah's revelations." This confirms that the Bible was known to Prophet Muhammed and he had full confidence in its truthfulness. It also tells us that according to true Islam, Christians are to guide themselves by the Gospel. Muhammed was even told, "If thou (Muhammed) art in doubt concerning that which we reveal unto thee, then question those who read the Scriptures before thee." (Sura 10:94 - Yunus). Prophet Muhammed was told to refer to the Christians for fuller spiritual understanding.
The Bible was fully written and confirmed and compiled by the Lord 500 years before Muhammed was even born. Sura 6:115 (AI-An'am) says: "Perfected are the words of your Lord in truth and justice. None can change them. He is the Hearing, the Knowing." The Torah and the Gospel are the word of the Lord, according to the Quran, so no one can change them! If the Bible has been changed, as some Muslims will argue, then the Quran is not true. No, the Bible has not been changed; it must be studied and respected as the Word of God.
My Muslim fiend, do you believe the Bible? Sura 29:46 (AI-Ankabut) says: "And do not argue with the people of the Book (Jews and Christians) except in the best way, unless it be with those among them who do evil. Say: 'We believe in that which is revealed to us and which was revealed to you. Our God and your God is one. To Him we surrender ourselves.'" You must believe the Bible. The true submitter to God must accept His word. It is only through a true knowledge of Jesus Christ as proclaimed in the Bible that we can find life and hope. The Quran says in Sum 35:18 (Fatir): "No soul shall bear another's burden. If a laden soul cries out for help, nothing of its burden will be carried even by a relative." However, Jesus Christ said, "Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you shall find rest unto your souls." (Matthew 11:28-29). Jesus, our Savior and King, is the only one who is qualified and holy enough to bear our burdens and lead us to salvation. He said, "I am the way the truth and the life, no one can go to the Father but through me." (John 14:6)
My Muslim fiend, please take time to learn of Jesus the Christ and find the true meaning of submission to God. The Gospel is the true witness to Jesus Christ and we invite you to honestly and open-heartedly seek the truth from above from the one true God. Read about Jesus Christ and learn of him, for He is ready to receive you. Many thanks to great writers like Ahmed Adjei, Iskandar Jadeed, and Abdiyah Akbar Abdul-Haqq. Dan McVey