Author: Abdul Hamid Gorgeij
The Method of Christians in Spreading Doubts about Islam (part two)
Distortion of Texts:
Christians have also resorted to the distortion of Islamic texts. One example is the statement of Pastor Shorosh to his English audience: “You Muslims believe that Christ is still alive.” Sheikh Ahmad Deedat replied: “Yes.” The pastor then continued: “But when we compare this belief with what is mentioned in the Qur’an, we find a contradiction, for the Qur’an quotes Jesus as saying: «وَالسَّلامُ عَلَيَّ يَوْمَ وُلِدْتُ وَيَوْمَ أَمُوتُ وَيَوْمَ أُبْعَثُ حَيًّا» [1]” Translation: “Peace is upon me the day I was born, the day I will die, and the day I will be resurrected alive.”
The pastor recited the Arabic verse correctly, but in his translation, he distorted the verb «أموت» (present tense – I will die) into «مِتُ» (past tense – I died), exploiting his audience’s ignorance of Arabic.
Another form of distortion by Christians is the misinterpretation of meanings. For example, they confused the Qur’anic mention of the flood in the verse: «فَأَرْسَلْنا عَلَيْهِمُ الطُّوفانَ وَالْجَرادَ وَالْقُمَّلَ وَالدَّفَادِعَ وَالدَّمَ آياتٍ مُفَصَّلاتٍ فَاسْتَكْبَرُوا وَكانُوا قَوْماً مُجْرِمِينَ» [2]” Translation: “So We sent upon them the flood, locusts, lice, frogs, and blood—clear signs. But they acted arrogantly, and they were a criminal people.”
They mistakenly believed this referred to Noah’s flood, mixing two separate events: Noah’s flood and the smaller flood at the time of Moses (peace be upon them). The Qur’an details both events, and the Torah also records them: in Genesis [3] the flood of Noah, and in Exodus [4] the flood in Egypt to punish Pharaoh for not freeing the Israelites.
Another distortion is in the interpretation of the verse: وَمِنْ قَبْلِهِ كِتَابُ مُوسَى إِمَامًا وَرَحْمَةً” [5]” Translation: “And before it was the Scripture of Moses as a guide and mercy.”
Haddad Khoury claimed: “Muhammad (peace be upon him) explicitly affirms here that the Book of Moses is the leader of the Qur’an.” [6]
In response, this verse speaks of the authentic Torah revealed to Moses as guidance and mercy for his people, not as the leader of the Qur’an.
The book Istihalah claims that the Qur’an’s denial of Jesus’s death is in the verse: “وَقَوْلِهِمْ إِنَّا قَتَلْنَا المَسِيحَ عِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَمَا قَتَلُوهُ وَمَا صَلَبُوهُ وَلَكِن شُبِّهَ لَهُمْ [7]” Translation: “And for their saying, ‘We killed the Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah.’ But they neither killed him nor crucified him; it was only made to appear so to them.”
Some argued that this verse only refutes the Jewish claim: إِنَّا قَتَلْنَا الْمَسِيحَ” [8]” Translation: “We killed the Messiah.”
They suggested that it was actually the Romans who crucified Jesus, while the Jews merely claimed responsibility [9].
However, Qur’anic commentators have never endorsed this interpretation. The Qur’an affirms: “وَما قَتَلُوهُ يَقِيناً * بَلْ رَفَعَهُ اللَّهُ إِلَيْهِ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَزِيزاً حَكِيماً [10]” Translation: “They certainly did not kill him. Rather, Allah raised him up to Himself. And Allah is Almighty, Wise.”
Similarly, Pastor Shorosh misinterpreted the verse: “حَتَّى إِذَا بَلَغَ مَغْرِبَ الشَّمْسِ وَجَدَهَا تَغْرُبُ فِي عَيْنٍ حَمِئَةٍ) [11] Translation: “Until, when he reached the setting place of the sun, he found it setting in a spring of dark mud…”
He claimed: “The ancients in Muhammad’s time believed the sun literally set in a spring.” Scholars clarified that it refers to Dhul-Qarnayn’s perspective, not a literal astronomical fact [12]. Sayyid Qutb explains that the “setting place of the sun” describes the horizon where it appears to set, which may vary depending on location. Dhul-Qarnayn reached the westernmost settlement and saw the sun setting into a spring-like area surrounded by vegetation and mud [13].
Another distortion is selective quoting. Waheeb Khalil, in Istihalah Tahreef al-Kitab al-Muqaddas, cites the hadith: «لَا تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ حَتَّى يَنْزِلَ فِيكُمْ ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ حَكَمًا مُقْسِطًا فَيَكْسِرَ الصَّلِيبَ وَيَقْتُلَ الْخِنْزِيرَ وَيَضَعَ الْجِزْيَةَ وَيَفِيضَ الْمَالُ حَتَّى لَا يَقْبَلَهُ أَحَدٌ» [14][16]” Translation: “The Hour will not be established until the son of Mary descends among you as a just ruler, who will break the cross, kill the pig, abolish the jizyah, and wealth will become so abundant that no one will accept it.”
Khalil argues this proves Christ’s divinity [15], ignoring the continuation of the hadith that clearly indicates Jesus (peace be upon him) will implement Shari‘ah and invalidate Christianity.
Moreover, the Qur’an affirms that only God will judge: «ثُمَّ رُدُّوا إِلَى اللَّهِ مَوْلَاهُمُ الْحَقِّ أَلَا لَهُ الْحُكْمُ وَهُوَ أَسْرَعُ الْحَاسِبِينَ» [17]” Translation: “Then they will be returned to Allah, their True Master. Surely, all authority belongs to Him, and He is the swiftest of reckoners.”
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References:
[1] Surah Maryam, Ayah 33.
[2] Surah Al-A‘raf, Ayah 133.
[3] Genesis, vol. 7, pp. 1–24.
[4] Exodus, vol. 9, pp. 17–34.
[5] Surah Al-Ahqaf, Ayah 12.
[6] Christian Doubts about Islam, p. 10.
[7] Surah An-Nisa, Ayah 157.
[8] Surah An-Nisa, Ayah 157.
[9] Waheeb Khalil, Istihalah Tahreef al-Kitab al-Muqaddas, p. 157.
[10] Surah An-Nisa, Ayah 157–158.
[11] Surah Al-Kahf, Ayah 86.
[12] Waheeb Khalil, Istihalah Tahreef al-Kitab al-Muqaddas, p. 172.
[13] Sayyid Qutb, Fi Zilal al-Qur’an, under Al-Kahf: 86, p. 676.
[14] Sahih al-Bukhari, vol. 3, p. 136, Book of Injustices and Usurpation, Chapter: Breaking the Cross and Killing the Pig, Hadith no. 2476.
[15] Waheeb Khalil, Istihalah Tahreef al-Kitab al-Muqaddas, p. 243.
[16] Sahih al-Bukhari, vol. 3, p. 136, Hadith no. 2476.
[17] Surah Al-An‘am, Ayah 62.
