The Bible and Divine Scriptures: An Islamic Perspective on Previous Revelations.

How do Muslims view the Holy Bible—the Old and New Testaments? Do Muslims dismiss these texts entirely, or do they hold a nuanced, scriptural reverence for the revelations given to Moses, David, and Jesus? Across the world, many assume that Islam rejects previous religious scriptures. In reality, belief in the original divine revelations is one of the mandatory Six Pillars of Faith (Arkan al-Iman) in Islam. To appreciate how Muslims engage with the Bible, one must understand the Islamic theology of prophetic continuity, textual transmission, and the role of the قُرْآن as the ultimate Criterion (Al-Furqan).

The Chain of Divine Scriptures in Islam.

The قُرْآن affirms that throughout human history, الله sent sacred texts to guide diverse communities:

The Scrolls of Abraham, صُحُف إِبْرَاهِيم,. Early prophetic wisdom revealed to the Patriarch Abraham.

The Torah, التَّوْرَاة,. The divine law revealed to Prophet Moses (Musa) on Mount Sinai, containing light and guidance for the Children of Israel (Surah Al-Ma’idah, verse forty-four).

The Psalms, الزَّبُور,. The sublime spiritual hymns and prayers revealed to Prophet David (Dawud) (Surah An-Nisa, verse one sixty-three).

The Gospel, الإِنْجِيل,. The original revelation given directly to Prophet Jesus (‘Isa), confirming the Torah and illuminating the path of mercy and righteous conduct (Surah Al-Ma’idah, verse forty-six).

A Muslim is required to believe in the authentic divine origin of all these original revelations without exception.

Textual Transmission and Modern Biblical Scholarship.

While honoring the original scriptures, Islamic scholars and modern secular textual critics (such as Bart Ehrman, Bruce Metzger, and leading biblical historians) arrive at a shared historical reality: the modern Bible is not a single, verbatim transcript recorded during the lifetimes of Moses or Jesus, but a compilation of texts composed decades and centuries later by various authors, translated through multiple ancient languages, and edited across church councils.

The four canonical Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) were originally anonymous Greek texts composed forty to seventy years after the earthly ministry of Jesus, who spoke Aramaic. Across thousands of surviving ancient biblical manuscripts, scholars document hundreds of thousands of textual variations, scribal insertions, and doctrinal redactions (such as the disputed Johannine Comma in First John, chapter five, verse seven or the extended ending of Gospel of Mark, chapter sixteen, verses nine to twenty).

The قُرْآن refers to this human alteration and loss of original texts as Tahrif تَحْرِيف :

As stated in Surah Al-Baqarah, verse seventy-nine:

“So woe to those who write the “scripture” with their own hands, then say, “This is from الله,” in order to exchange it for a small price. Woe to them for what their hands have written and woe to them for what they earn.”

The Quran as the Criterion (Al-Furqan) and Guardian (Muhaymin).

Because previous communities did not preserve their original prophetic texts in their pristine form, God revealed the قُرْآن as the final, universally preserved revelation. In Surah Al-Ma’idah, God defines the relationship between the Quran and previous scriptures:

As stated in Surah Al-Ma’idah, verse forty-eight:

“And We have revealed to you, O Muhammad, the Book in truth, confirming that which preceded it of the Scripture and as a criterion/guardian over it (مُهَيْمِنًا عَلَيْهِ – Muhayminan ‘alayhi).”

The word Muhaymin means a guardian, a witness, and an arbiter of truth. The Quran acts like a high-definition filter: whatever in the Bible conforms to Quranic monotheism and ethical truth is recognized as remnants of divine light, while passages that contradict core monotheism (such as attributing drunkenness to Noah, incest to Lot, or deification to Jesus) are understood as later human alterations.

Etiquette Toward Biblical Texts: Reverence and Discernment.

Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) instructed Muslims to maintain balanced, respectful conduct when reading the narratives of the People of the Scripture (Isra’iliyyat):

“‘Do not blindly believe the People of the Scripture, nor blindly reject them. Rather, say: “We believe in الله and what has been revealed to us and what has been revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the tribes, and what was given to Moses and Jesus…”’”

Muslims handle the Bible with deep respect, never desecrating it, knowing that it contains the precious names of God and cherished fragments of prophetic guidance.

Conclusion: Celebrating Shared Heritage.

Rather than viewing the Bible with hostility, Islam invites Christians and Muslims to celebrate their vast shared heritage—the shared narratives of Abraham, Moses, David, Solomon, Mary, and Jesus. By understanding the history of scriptural preservation, we can engage in constructive, empathetic interfaith dialogue that honors the ongoing human quest for divine truth.