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Books
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> The Holy Quran and the Bible by Khwaja
Kamal-ud-Din Sahib
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The
Holy Quran and the Bible:
by Khwaja
Kamal-ud-Din
The question has often been asked as
to why the Holy Quran refers only to the Jewish scriptures.
It is urged that if it was meant as a guidance for the whole
world, then it should have also referred to the other
revealed books. The answer is very simple and not far to
seek. It is furnished by the Holy Quran itself.
The Book is neither a treatise on
Ritualism, like the Rigveda -- the Hindu Sacred Book,
nor a tribal record like the Bible. It deals with ceremonial
religion, but its minimises (The Holy Quran, 2:177) its
importance, and speaks of it as a means to attain higher
ends. It is intended to bring righteousness to the
worshipper. It narrates certain historical events, but with
a purpose. It refers to the history of the Israelites in its
pages. The Jews, in those days, were the only nation in the
whole world who possessed a history in black and white. The
world had seen many religions and civilisations before
Islam, but the authentic writing of history was a thing
nearly unknown in pre-Islamic days. Even modern discoveries
have failed to find out any recorded history of the ancient
people. The Quran, therefore, could not refer to the history
of any other nation to serve its purposes, which were as
follows:
(a) The Book intended to
elucidate some of its tenets by referring to certain
points. For instance, it sought to convince those around
the Holy Prophet in the days of adversity, that his
mission would meet with success, just as all Messengers
from God had succeeded in the end to the discomfiture of
their adversaries. For this reason, the Book repeatedly
made reference to Moses and Pharaoh. It also spoke of the
success of other prophets (Cf. Chapters Jonah,
Hud, Joseph and Abraham.) in the face of opposition. The
Book purposely avoids the account of many ordinary things
in their life-story as not possessing any practical moral
for a reader. The Quran is not a book of stories, but a
Book of wisdom and morals.
On the other hand, it gives a
detailed account of Joseph, but his story has been the
subject of infinite moralising. Joseph had his enemies
among his brethren; he was betrayed by them and had to
face many hardships. But he achieved unique success
afterwards, when he saw his brethren at his feet. The
arch-enemies of the Arabian Prophet [The Holy Prophet
Muhammad (pbuh)] were also his near relatives. The
chapter dealing with Joseph in the Quran was revealed at
a time when those enemies were trying their utmost
to make an end of the Prophet. Friends and foes then
asked him as to what was to be the final outcome of the
situation. The Revelation came therefore to declare that
there was a reply (The Holy Quran, 12:7) to such
inquirers in the story of Joseph. Like the other sons of
Jacob, the brethren of the Prophet would one day be also
at his mercy. The day came and the Prophet found the
enemy in terror of a severe retribution from him for
their savage oppression of him and his followers, but he
informed them that they would receive the same treatment
at his hand that Joseph's brethren had from their
brother. (12:92)
(b) The Judaic Scripture, though
passing as a Revealed Book, has not remained free from
errors and inaccuracies. The Bible contained many
inaccurate records, and these the Arabian Revelation
[The Holy Quran] came to correct. Reference may
here be made to one such event, viz., that of the
drowning of Pharaoh; similarly, we read that Aaron joined
with his people in worshipping the calf in spite of
Moses, who made them drink the water in which the ashes
of the burnt calf had been mixed. All this is a fiction
and the Quran contradicts it.
(c) The Bible gives a most unworthy
account of the various prophets of God. Many of those who
came to walk humbly with the Lord as His Messenger and
mouthpiece, have been shown as cutting a despicable
figure. But this was all a defamation from the hostile
pen of writers who either bore malice against some of the
patriarchs, like David and Solomon, or sought to vilify
the prophet's descendants, as in the case of the
Moabites. Even a patriarch like Abraham was not spared,
who, they say was a liar. The same thing is said about
Joseph. Then there is Lot under the influence of wine, as
the Bible records, misconducting himself with his own
daughters. Noah, instead of giving thanks unto the Lord,
got drunk soon after he was delivered from the Flood.
David sacrificed his piety at the altar of an unholy
passion. Solomon, as depicted in the Bible, seems to be
rather an indulgent poet than a prophet. The Judaic
Scriptures contain scurrilous libels on the memory of
this righteous class, as the Last Book of God [The
Holy Quran] said, and the Book came to clear their
sacred names from all the calumnies heaped upon them.
(The Holy Quran, 3:95, 6:85, 12:46, 19:41)
(d) The Bible gives a most
unscientific account of the creation of the heaven and
the earth in the Book of Genesis. Let the Fundamentalist
say what he will, but science has confirmed the Quran in
this respect.
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Books
Section
> The Holy Quran and the Bible by Khwaja Kamal-ud-Din
Sahib
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