Protection of Quran and Bible (1)

                 Some Christian scholars claim that Bible is a protected book and its protection is proved from the Quran as well. Let us analyze this view in the succeeding lines.

One argument presented by the propagators of protection of Bible is that Bible is words of Allah and according to Quran, Allah’s words cannot be changed.

Before replying to this argument, it may be pertinent to differentiate between the two words used by Quran in the verses relating to  protection (or non-protection) of Allah’s words: one word is ‘tabdeel’ and the other word is ‘tehreef’. Whenever word ‘tabdeel’ is used in such verses, such verses  do not mean that Allah’s words cannot be structurally changed; rather such verses mean Allah fulfills / will fulfill His words. Whenever word ‘tehreef’ is used in such verses, such verses mean Allah’s words can be changed structurally. Let us elaborate this point. 

Following are the verses in which protection of Allah’s words has been described; these are the verses in which word ‘tabdeel’ (or other derivatives having the same roots)  has been used.

 Quran says: “ For them are good news in the worldly life and in the Hereafter. No change/ ‘tabdeeli’ is there in the words of Allah. That is what is the great attainment” (Yunus-64). 

This is verse no.64 of sura Yunus. The verse no. 63 states: 

“Those who believed and were fearing Allah”.

By combining both verses, it becomes clear what Quran is saying. Quran says: for those who believe and are Allah fearing, Allah is promising  good news  for such people  in this world and in Hereafter also. Allah fulfills/ will fulfill His words/  promise for such people.  

Therefore the words “No change/ ‘tabdeeli’ is there in the words of Allah” means Allah fulfills/ will fulfill His words;  these words do not mean Allah’s words may not be changed structurally. There is no need to emphasize that anyone can change Allah’s words in their structure. And we know it very well, by changing structure, we can change meanings of the words.

Another verse stating about protection of Allah’s words and containing the word ‘mubaddil’ (means initiator of change/‘tabdeeli’) states as follows:

“And the word of your Lord has been fulfilled in truth and in justice. None can change His words, and He is the Hearing, the Knowing (al-anaam-115).

This verse is self-explanatory. It states that Allah’s word has been fulfilled and then qualifies this fact by stating that there may be no changer of Allah’s words; in other words there may be no one who can prevent Allah from fulfilling  His words.

Another verse stating about protection of Allah’s words and containing the word ‘mubaddil’ states as follows:

“And certainly were messengers denied before you, but they were patient over [the effects of] denial, and they were harmed until Our victory came to them. And none can change the words of Allah. And there has certainly come to you some information about the [previous] messengers” (al-anaam-34).

In this above quoted verse, Allah is informing our Nabi (s.a.w.w) that   previous messengers were denied and harmed by the people until victory came from Allah to them. Nobody can change Allah’s words. It means victory will come from Allah to our Nabi (saww) as well, as it had come to the previous messengers because it was a Allah’s promise and nobody can change Allah’s words [means nobody can prevent Allah from fulfilling His words).

Another verse stating about protection of Allah’s words and containing the word ‘mubaddil’ states as follows:

“And recite, [ Muhammad (s.a.w.w)], what has been revealed to you of the Book of your Lord. There is no changer of His words, and never will you find in other than Him a refuge” (al-kahf-27).

In this above quoted verse, Allah is informing our Nabi (s.a.w.w) that he (s.a.w.w) can refuge nowhere other than Allah because Allah has promised that victory will come from Allah to our Nabi (s.a.w.w) and nobody can prevent Allah from fulfilling His words. Therefore our Nabi (s.a.w.w) has been instructed to recite to the people what has been revealed to him (s.a.w.w) without any apprehension about the consequences. 

 Regarding this interpretation of al-kahf-27, it may be appreciated that this interpretation is justifiable notwithstanding the fact that sura al-kahf was revealed before or after 'sura an’am'. The Quran as we have it today has not been compiled on the basis of ‘tarteeb e nazooli’; therefore we are not bound to understand Quran on the basis of ‘tarteeb e nazooli’ (that is why ‘tarteeb e nazooli’ has not been protected by our Nabi (s.a.w.w). We can understand Quran as if it has been revealed simultaneously. 

Another verse stating about protection of Allah’s words and containing the word ‘yubaddilo’ (‘tabdeel’ and ‘yubaddilo’ have same roots i.e. ‘badal’)  is as follows:

“Those who are left behind will say when you set forth for the gaining of acquisitions: Allow us (that) we may follow you. They desire to change/ ‘yubaddilo’ the world of Allah. Say: By no means shall you follow us; thus did Allah say beforehand. But they will say: Nay! you are jealous of us. Nay! they do not understand but a little” (al-fath-15).

This above quoted verse states the persons not participating in the ‘qattal’ wanted to have share in the acquisitions of the war. Such people in fact wanted to change Allah’s words because Allah had already said that such people were not entitled to any share in the bounty but such people, by wanting share in the acquisitions, actually wanted that Allah should not fulfill His words; but of course nobody can change Allah’s words means nobody can prevent Allah from fulfilling His words. 

We may conclude that all such verses which describe the idea of protection of Allah's words through the word ' tabdeel'/ or other words derived from its roots actually do not suggest that Allah's words cannot be changed structurally; actually all such verses suggest that 'no change/ 'tabdeeli' in Allah's words means Allah's fulfils/ will fulfill His words. Therefore, about protection of Bible, scholars' view  which is based on Quranic verses containing words 'no change/ tabdeeli' in Allah's words' is baseless. We will see in the next part that the protection provided to Quran is not through such verses containing the words' no change in Allah's words'; the protection has been provided to Quran through some other verses.(continued).