By Dr. Maxwell Shimba
Shimba Theological Institute
Introduction
In interfaith dialogues and theological debates, one of the most crucial tasks is to examine claims to divine revelation with careful scrutiny. The Quran makes bold assertions regarding its relationship to previous scriptures, particularly the Bible (the Taurat and Injil). However, a critical evaluation reveals deep contradictions at the heart of Islam's claims, thus exposing the falsity of its doctrine. This post offers a theological analysis showing why Islam cannot stand as the true revelation of God.
1. The Quran Affirms the Bible as Divine Revelation
The Quran repeatedly acknowledges the authority and truth of the previous scriptures given by God to the Jews and Christians:
“…Those unto whom We gave the Scripture [the Taurat (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel)] know that it is revealed from your Lord in truth…”
(Quran Surah 6:114)
Here, the Quran affirms that the previous revelations – the Torah and the Gospel – were genuine and divinely revealed, existing as true guidance before the coming of Muhammad. This admission is found not only in Surah 6:114 but also in Surah 3:3, Surah 5:46-48, and Surah 10:94, where Muhammad himself is told to consult “those who have been reading the Book before you” if he has any doubts.
2. The Quran Claims That God’s Words Cannot Be Changed
Islamic doctrine holds that the words of Allah are unalterable:
“And the Word of your Lord has been fulfilled in truth and in justice. None can change His Words. And He is the All-Hearer, the All-Knower.”
(Quran Surah 6:115)
“There is none that can alter the words (and decrees) of Allah.”
(Quran Surah 6:34)
This is a foundational principle. If Allah’s words are unchangeable, then the previous scriptures – the Torah and the Gospel – remain intact and trustworthy as revelations from God.
3. Islam Contradicts the Bible on Essential Doctrines
Despite the Quran’s affirmation of the Bible, it fundamentally contradicts the core message of the Gospel – the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ:
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Quran:
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Denies the crucifixion of Jesus.
“They killed him not, nor crucified him, but it was made to appear to them…” (Quran Surah 4:157)
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Bible:
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Affirms the crucifixion as the central act of redemption.
“Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures…” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)
“They crucified Him…” (Mark 15:25)
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This is not a minor disagreement but a direct contradiction on the most pivotal event in the Christian faith.
4. The Dilemma and the Inescapable Conclusion
If the Quran is true, then the Bible must also be true and uncorrupted, since the Quran repeatedly testifies to the authenticity and preservation of the earlier scriptures.
If the Bible is true, then Islam is false because the Bible’s core message – especially the crucifixion, death, and resurrection of Jesus – is absolutely contradicted by the Quran.
Yet, if Muslims argue that the Bible is corrupted, they must then admit the Quran’s error in affirming the Bible’s reliability and preservation. This undermines the Quran’s own claim of being a confirmation and guardian of previous revelations (Quran 5:48).
5. Islam Is Self-Refuting
Thus, the logic is simple and devastating:
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The Quran affirms the Bible.
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The Quran claims God’s Word cannot be changed.
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The Quran contradicts the Bible on essential doctrine.
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Therefore, if the Quran is true, the Bible is true. But the Bible contradicts the Quran.
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Therefore, Islam is self-refuting.
Conclusion:
The internal inconsistency of Islam regarding the status of the Bible and its own contradictory teachings demonstrate that Islam cannot be a true revelation from the One True God. Christianity stands as the only faith grounded in the consistent and historical revelation of God’s Word.
For more in-depth theological resources and interfaith apologetics, visit Shimba Theological Institute.
By Dr. Maxwell Shimba
Shimba Theological Institute
Let me know if you need references, graphics, or further scholarly expansion!
Scholarly Expansion: The Self-Refuting Nature of Islam
1. The Quran’s Witness to Previous Scriptures: A Closer Examination
The Quran’s testimony to the previous scriptures is not a marginal claim, but a repeated assertion that forms a core pillar of its self-identity:
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Surah 2:41:
“And believe in what I have sent down, confirming that which is with you (the People of the Book)…”
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Surah 3:3:
“He has sent down upon you, [O Muhammad], the Book in truth, confirming what was before it. And He revealed the Torah and the Gospel.”
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Surah 10:94:
“So if you are in doubt, [O Muhammad], about that which We have revealed to you, then ask those who have been reading the Scripture before you…”
Classical Islamic exegesis (tafsir), such as that of Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, acknowledge these verses refer to the actual texts in the hands of Jews and Christians in the Prophet’s time—not hypothetical, lost, or secret texts. Therefore, the Quran appeals to the integrity and public presence of the Bible as then extant.
2. The Doctrine of Inalterability: Scriptural and Theological Weight
The unchangeability of God’s word is affirmed emphatically:
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Surah 18:27:
“And recite what has been revealed to you of the Book of your Lord. None can change His words…”
This is not just a claim about abstract decrees, but specifically about previous “Books” (kutub), which the Quran repeatedly claims to confirm.
Islamic Scholarship Admits the Challenge:
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Tafsir al-Jalalayn:
“None can alter His words,” meaning both His promises and His revealed Books.
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Al-Razi:
“There can be no replacement or corruption (tahrif) of God’s word.”
Yet, the doctrine of tahrif (corruption of previous scriptures) arose only centuries later among Muslim polemicists as a response to Christian and Jewish critique—contradicting the Quran’s plain statements.
3. Historical and Textual Criticism: The Integrity of the Bible
Archaeological and manuscript evidence demonstrates that the Torah and the Gospels in circulation during Muhammad’s time are textually consistent with those available today:
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Dead Sea Scrolls (2nd century BC – 1st century AD):
Demonstrate the stability of the Hebrew Bible text centuries before Christ and Muhammad. -
Codex Sinaiticus and Codex Vaticanus (4th century AD):
Show the content of the New Testament is fundamentally unchanged from the era before Islam.
No credible historical evidence supports the claim that Christians or Jews corrupted the text after the Quran’s revelation.
4. Central Doctrinal Contradictions
The Crucifixion:
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Quran (4:157):
“They did not kill him, nor did they crucify him, but it was made to appear to them.” -
Bible:
“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, and that He was raised…”
(1 Corinthians 15:3-4)
The historical consensus among secular and religious historians—Jewish, Christian, and even most secular Islamic historians—is that Jesus was, in fact, crucified. Muslim denials have no historical support and were unknown among the earliest Christian heresies.
5. Theological Implications: What Is at Stake?
A. God’s Integrity and Consistency
If Allah truly revealed the Torah and Gospel, and if His words cannot be changed, then for the Quran to contradict those revelations is to make Allah inconsistent—or for the Quran to be in error.
B. The Doctrine of Abrogation (Naskh)
Some Muslims claim that later revelations abrogate (cancel) earlier ones. However, this cannot apply to previous scriptures external to the Quran itself—especially when the Quran claims to confirm those earlier revelations, not cancel them (see Surah 5:48).
C. The Failure of Tahrif Arguments
Muslim apologists often claim the Bible was “textually corrupted” (tahrif al-nass) or only “misinterpreted” (tahrif al-ma’na). But the Quran never clearly claims this, and the burden of proof for such claims is on the accuser—one that is not met by historical evidence.
6. Scholarly Conclusions from Comparative Theology
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Christianity stands on the unbroken testimony of both Old and New Testaments, corroborated by archaeology, manuscript evidence, and fulfilled prophecy.
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Islam self-refutes by both affirming and denying the core message of the Bible. It stands alone in world religions in claiming to “confirm” the Bible, yet systematically denying its most central truths.
Therefore:
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If the Quran is correct about the Bible’s integrity, Islam is false due to contradiction.
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If the Quran is wrong about the Bible’s integrity, Islam is false due to a historical error and a failed claim to divine knowledge.
7. Final Challenge and Invitation
No serious scholar—Christian, Jewish, or secular—accepts the doctrine of a wholesale textual corruption of the Bible after the 7th century.
We invite all seekers of truth to examine the Scriptures and history honestly. The Christian Gospel alone stands vindicated by prophecy, history, manuscript evidence, and spiritual coherence.
Islam, by its own testimony, falls.
For further reading:
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Samuel Green, “The Gospel According to Islam”
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Gordon D. Nickel, “The Gentle Answer to the Muslim Accusation of Scriptural Falsification”
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James R. White, “What Every Christian Needs to Know About the Qur’an”
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“Tafsir al-Jalalayn” and “Tafsir al-Tabari” (for Islamic exegesis)
By Dr. Maxwell Shimba
Shimba Theological Institute
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