Does the Quran indicate that the Gospel has been corrupted? If you’ve previously engaged in discussions with Muslims about this topic, you might assume that the Quran does indeed proclaim the corruption of the Gospel. However, upon reading the Quran for yourself, you’ll discover that it not only refrains from stating that the Gospel has been corrupted but affirms the inspiration, preservation, and authority of the Gospel.
Table of Contents
Into The Quran
Within this article, we will embark on a comprehensive journey through each and every verse of the Quran that references the Gospel, aiming to uncover its authentic perspective. Prepare yourself for an enlightening experience, as we delve deep into the Quranic insights regarding the Gospel. Get ready for an enriching exploration!
Surah 3:2-4
Let’s begin our exploration with the opening verses of Surah 3:2-4.
(2) Allah! There is no god ˹worthy of worship˺ except Him—the Ever-Living, All-Sustaining. (3) He has revealed to you ˹O Prophet˺ the Book in truth, confirming what came before it, as He revealed the Torah and the Gospel (4) previously, as a guide for people, and ˹also˺ revealed the Standard ˹to distinguish between right and wrong˺.1 Surely those who reject Allah’s revelations will suffer a severe torment. For Allah is Almighty, capable of punishment.
Analyzing Surah 3:3, we find an unequivocal affirmation within the Quran itself, attesting to the inspiration of both the Torah and the Gospel: “Confirming what came before it, as He revealed the Torah and the Gospel”.
Surah 3:45-48
Turning our attention to the verses of Surah 3:45-48:
(45) ˹Remember˺ when the angels proclaimed, “O Mary! Allah gives you good news of a Word1 from Him, his name will be the Messiah,2 Jesus, son of Mary; honoured in this world and the Hereafter, and he will be one of those nearest ˹to Allah˺. (46) And he will speak to people in ˹his˺ infancy and adulthood and will be one of the righteous.” (47) Mary wondered, “My Lord! How can I have a child when no man has ever touched me?” An angel replied, “So will it be. Allah creates what He wills. When He decrees a matter, He simply tells it, ‘Be!’ And it is! (48) And Allah will teach him writing and wisdom, the Torah and the Gospel,
Evaluating Surah 3:48, it becomes evident that Allah would grant Jesus knowledge of the Gospel. This once again reaffirms the Gospel’s significance, and notably, there remains no indication of any mention concerning the “Corruption” of the Gospel.”
Surah 3:64-65
Continuing to the next verses in Surah 3:64-65:
(64) Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “O People of the Book! Let us come to common terms: that we will worship none but Allah, associate none with Him, nor take one another as lords instead of Allah.” But if they turn away, then say, “Bear witness that we have submitted ˹to Allah alone˺.” (65) O People of the Book! Why do you argue about Abraham, while the Torah and the Gospel were not revealed until long after him? Do you not understand?
Upon examining this passage, it becomes clear that the revelation of the Torah and the Gospel occurred after the era of Abraham. Once again, there is no indication of any assertion of “Corruption” in relation to the Gospel.”
Surah 5:36
Moving on to our next verses Surah 5:46-47:
(46) Then in the footsteps of the prophets, We sent Jesus, son of Mary, confirming the Torah revealed before him. And We gave him the Gospel containing guidance and light and confirming what was revealed in the Torah—a guide and a lesson to the God-fearing. (47) So let the people of the Gospel judge by what Allah has revealed in it. And those who do not judge by what Allah has revealed are ˹truly˺ the rebellious.
In these two verses, numerous details emerge. First, Allah states that he sent Jesus to confirm “the Torah revealed before him.” Additionally, Allah asserts that he bestowed upon Jesus the Gospel, which in itself contains “guidance and light and confirming what was revealed in the Torah”. Once again, there is no indication of any corruption within the Gospel. On the contrary, we find further affirmation of its authenticity.
Examining verse 47 closely, we observe Allah’s command to the “people of the Gospel,” referring to Christians, to “judge by what Allah has revealed in it.” This verse presents a perfect moment to declare any corruption within the Gospel. Instead, Allah instructs Christians to base their judgment on what was revealed in the Gospel.
Surah 5:65-68
Continuing to the next verses in Surah 5:65-68:
(65) Had the People of the Book only been faithful and mindful ˹of Allah˺, We would have certainly absolved them of their sins and admitted them into the Gardens of Bliss. (66) And had they observed the Torah, the Gospel, and what has been revealed to them from their Lord, they would have been overwhelmed with provisions from above and below. Some among them are upright, yet many do nothing but evil. (67) O Messenger! Convey everything revealed to you from your Lord. If you do not, then you have not delivered His message. Allah will ˹certainly˺ protect you from the people. Indeed, Allah does not guide the people who disbelieve. (68) Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “O People of the Book! You have nothing to stand on unless you observe the Torah, the Gospel, and what has been revealed to you from your Lord.” And your Lord’s revelation to you ˹O Prophet˺ will only cause many of them to increase in wickedness and disbelief. So do not grieve for the people who disbelieve.
Analyzing verse 66, Allah references Jews and Christians, stating, “Had they observed the Torah, the Gospel, and what has been revealed to them from their Lord, they would have been overwhelmed with provisions from above and below.” Once more, there is no implication of any “corruption” of the Gospel. Instead, the passage conveys the opposite message. It simply highlights that Jews and Christians are not adhering to the Torah or the Gospel. To delve deeper, consider verse 68, where Allah addresses the ‘People of the Book,’ emphasizing, “You have nothing to stand on unless you observe the Torah, the Gospel, and what has been revealed to you from your Lord.” Here again, Allah underscores that Jews and Christians must obey the Torah and the Gospel to have a firm foundation. This verse also could have been an opportunity to reveal any “corruption” within the Gospel or Torah, yet it does not. Another perspective to consider is whether Christians and Jews can obey the Torah and the Gospel if they lack access to them. The answer is negative, further underscoring that if the Gospel were “corrupted,” this would be an appropriate context to disclose it.
Surah 5:109-110
Moving on to our next verses in Surah 5:109-110:
(109) ˹Consider˺ the Day Allah will gather the messengers and say, “What response did you receive?” They will reply, “We have no knowledge ˹compared to You˺! You ˹alone˺ are indeed the Knower of all unseen.” (110) And ˹on Judgment Day˺ Allah will say, “O Jesus, son of Mary! Remember My favour upon you and your mother: how I supported you with the holy spirit1 so you spoke to people in ˹your˺ infancy and adulthood. How I taught you writing, wisdom, the Torah, and the Gospel. How you moulded a bird from clay—by My Will—and breathed into it and it became a ˹real˺ bird—by My Will. How you healed the blind and the lepers—by My Will. How you brought the dead to life—by My Will. How I prevented the Children of Israel from harming you when you came to them with clear proofs and the disbelievers among them said, “This is nothing but pure magic.”
In this passage, though containing a wealth of information, the aspect relevant to this article is when Allah states that He taught/imparted to Jesus “writing, wisdom, the Torah, and the Gospel.” By now, the pattern is becoming evident there are numerous instances where it would be fitting for Allah to reveal any “corruption” within the Gospel, yet no such sign is present. This passage, once more, offers a prime opportunity for Allah to disclose any alteration, but it doesn’t. In fact, it could be argued that Allah reinforces the Gospel’s credibility even further, rather than casting any doubt upon it.
Surah 7:156-157
Navigating to our next set of verses Surah 7:156-157:
(156) Ordain for us what is good in this life and the next. Indeed, we have turned to You ˹in repentance˺.” Allah replied, “I will inflict My torment on whoever I will. But My mercy encompasses everything. I will ordain mercy for those who shun evil, pay alms-tax, and believe in Our revelations. (157) “˹They are˺ the ones who follow the Messenger, the unlettered Prophet, whose description they find in their Torah and the Gospel. He commands them to do good and forbids them from evil, permits for them what is lawful and forbids to them what is impure, and relieves them from their burdens and the shackles that bound them. ˹Only˺ those who believe in him, honour and support him, and follow the light sent down to him will be successful.”
This passage presents a confusing scenario where Allah is addressing Moses in response to his plea for mercy, made after Aaron creates an idol. Allah’s response to Moses affirms his mercy for “the ones who follow the Messenger, the unlettered Prophet, whose description they find in their Torah and the Gospel.” The puzzling aspect arises from the fact that during Moses’ time, neither the Gospel nor the completed Torah existed. The Torah was still in development, and the Gospel was centuries away from emergence. This becomes even more bewildering as some Muslims claim that the “Messenger” or the “unlettered Prophet” is Muhammad, who would appear around 600 years after the Gospel’s era. If one were to accept the Quran’s authenticity—which I personally don’t—the confusion Moses would experience upon hearing about those who “believe in him” (referring to Muhammad), “support him,” and “follow the light sent down to him” would be considerable. However, the main focus of this article is not to emphasize this point. The important aspect to underscore is the opening of verse 157: “˹They are˺ the ones who follow the Messenger, the unlettered Prophet, whose description they find in their Torah and the Gospel.” Once again, Allah reinforces the notion that the Torah and the Gospel had not been “corrupted.” By specifically stating “In their Torah and the Gospel,” Allah implies that the Torah and Gospel accessible to them were free from corruption.
Surah 9:111
Continuing to the next verse in Surah 9:111:
(111) Allah has indeed purchased from the believers their lives and wealth in exchange for Paradise. They fight in the cause of Allah and kill or are killed. This is a true promise binding on Him in the Torah, the Gospel, and the Quran. And whose promise is truer than Allah’s? So rejoice in the exchange you have made with Him. That is ˹truly˺ the ultimate triumph.
In this verse, Allah offers the promise of paradise to believers who engage in combat “in the cause of Allah and kill or are killed.” Allah further emphasizes that “This is a true promise binding on Him in the Torah, the Gospel, and the Quran.” Though the specific Gospel verse to which Allah refers is unknown, His statement affirms the continued availability of the Gospel. This affirmation is noteworthy because it would be inappropriate for Allah to make a pledge within a book considered “corrupt.” The underlying message is that the Gospel remains valid and reliable.
Surah 48:29
Moving on to our next verse Surah 48:29:
(29) Muḥammad is the Messenger of Allah. And those with him are firm with the disbelievers and compassionate with one another. You see them bowing and prostrating ˹in prayer˺, seeking Allah’s bounty and pleasure. The sign ˹of brightness can be seen˺ on their faces from the trace of prostrating ˹in prayer˺. This is their description in the Torah. And their parable in the Gospel is that of a seed that sprouts its ˹tiny˺ branches, making it strong. Then it becomes thick, standing firmly on its stem, to the delight of the planters—in this way Allah makes the believers a source of dismay for the disbelievers. To those of them who believe and do good, Allah has promised forgiveness and a great reward.
In this verse, a description of the believers is provided, drawing from the Torah and the Gospel. Once more, the prevailing pattern is that the Quran appeals to both the Torah and the Gospel. The question naturally arises: Why would the Quran consistently reference these sources if the Gospel was indeed “corrupted”? The continuous acknowledgment of the Torah and the Gospel by the Quran strongly suggests their ongoing authenticity.
Surah 57:27
Now we are onto our final verse, the last reference to the Gospel in the entire Quran is in Surah 57:27:
(27) Then in the footsteps of these ˹prophets˺, We sent Our messengers, and ˹after them˺ We sent Jesus, son of Mary, and granted him the Gospel, and instilled compassion and mercy into the hearts of his followers. As for monasticism, they made it up—We never ordained it for them—only seeking to please Allah, yet they did not ˹even˺ observe it strictly. So We rewarded those of them who were faithful. But most of them are rebellious.
Once again, it is evident that Allah bestowed the Gospel upon Jesus. Additionally, Christians are characterized as possessing qualities of compassion and mercy. The passage proceeds to mention Christians’ practice of monasticism (monkhood). This reference could be misleading if loosely interpreted as a sign of “corruption,” a closer examination reveals Allah’s criticism was of the Christians for not rigorously adhering to the Gospel, not the Gospel itself. This repetition strengthens the consistent theme of Allah reaffirming the authenticity of the Gospel and rebuking Christians for not upholding its precepts strictly.
To Conclude
That concludes all the Quranic verses discussing the Gospel. Not one of these verses makes any mention of corruption within the Gospel. On the contrary, each verse reinforces the concepts of preservation, authority, and divine inspiration associated with the Gospel. The notion propagated by some Muslims that the Quran asserts the corruption of the Gospel or accuses Paul of corrupting it is entirely unfounded. This misconception seems to arise from ignorance of the Quranic content or intentional misinformation. Regardless of the origin, it’s my hope that this article has provided valuable insights to you. May it prove beneficial in your future endeavors, particularly when engaging with the Islamic community in matters of evangelism.
