Prayer Fuel

A massive barrier to Muslims understanding what God has done in and through Christ is the widespread Islamic teaching the that biblical scriptures have undergone corruption (taḥrīf).  Most Muslims reject or ignore the Bible, or accept only parts of it, believing that the original scriptures have been lost or altered over time. They base this charge on a small number of verses in the Qur’an (2:42, 59, 75, 79; 3:71, 78, 187; 4:46; 5:13, 5:41; 7:161). Yet none of these indicate that the text of the Bible has been altered.  Early Muslim interpreters understood these accusations to refer to “people of the book” (the Jews, mostly) corrupting the meaning (taḥrīf al-maʿnā) of the Scriptures—through misinterpreting, mishandling, distorting, misreading, concealing, forgetting, deviating from, or disobeying what the text says.

Until the 11th century, the accusation of deliberate corruption of the text of the Scriptures was rare. Some Muslims accused Jews of Medina of eliminating references to Muhammad from the Torah. Disagreement with certain teachings of Christians and more negative attitudes resulting from the Crusades fueled the assertion that the Bible has undergone serious corruption of its text (taḥrīf al-al-lafẓ). This notion now dominates the Muslim world.

Yet this belief contradicts the testimony of multiple dozens of Qur’anic verses that honor the Bible. The Qur’an states that Jews and Christians of its time possessed the divinely revealed Tawrāt (Torah) and Injīl (Gospel) upon which they were to base their judgments (Q 5:43-48) and that the Qur’an guards and preserves these books (Q 5:68). The Qur’an repeatedly declares that no one can change God’s words (Q 6:34; 6:115; 10:64; 18:27) for he protects his revelation (Q 5:48; 15:9). It commands faith in and respect for all of God’s books and messengers without any distinction: (Q 2:285, 2:136, 3:84). Certain types of Jews and Christians are criticized in the Qur’an, but the Tawrāt and Injil which they possessed at the time of Muhammad contain God’s guidance and light by which they are to make their judgments. In fact, God tells Muhammad, “And how can they make you their judge, when they have the Tawrāt, which contains Allah’s judgment?” (Q 5:43).

Likewise, the people of the Gospel must judge according to what is written in the Gospel that they possess (Q 5:47). Furthermore, contrary to popular Muslim belief, the Qur’an repeatedly testifies that it is not a replacement for or correction to the Bible. It does not bring different teaching (Q 46:9, 12). The Qur’an confirms the message of the previous scriptures. Hence, Muhammad is instructed (Q 10:94), “So when you are in doubt about what we have revealed to you, ask those who are reading the book that was before you” (i.e., Jews and Christians who are knowledgeable about their scriptures). Hence, early Muslim scholars examined the Bible to better understand the Qur’an. Respect for the integrity of the Jewish and Christian scriptures prevailed for several centuries in the leading Muslim commentaries. That this is no longer the case for the vast majority of Muslims today is lamented by some Muslim scholars, such as Abdullah Saeed:

Since the ‘authorized’ scriptures of Jews and Christians remain very much today as they existed at the time of the Prophet, it is difficult to argue that the Qur’anic references to Tawrāt and Injīl were only to the “pure” Tawrāt and Injīl as existed at the time of Moses and Jesus, respectively. If the texts have remained more or less as they were in the seventh century CE, the reverence the Qur’ān has shown them at the time should be retained even today…. The wholesale dismissive attitude held by many Muslims in the modern period towards the scriptures of Judaism and Christianity does not seem have the support of either the Qur’ān or the major figures of tafsīr [Qur’anic commentary] (“The Charge of Distortion of Jewish and Christian Scriptures,” The Muslim World 92, no. 3–4 (2002): 434–35, emphasis added).

Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

Exalting HIs Name
I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness, for you have exalted above all things your name and your word. (Psalm 138:2)

Praying for the Harvest

Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you, and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; for not all have faith. (2 Thess 3:1-2)

• Pray that the views of Muslim scholars who respect the Bible will be given greater exposure. 
• Pray that the eyes of Muslims will be opened to take notice of the Qur’an’s positive testimony to the Scriptures.
• Pray that Muslims will seek the guidance and light that the Qur’an says is in the Bible and access it through story-telling believers, the internet, and audio, visual and social media.

Praying for the Church

For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. (Matt 5:18)

Pray that believers will engage with this important barrier to Muslims accepting the Word and winsomely represent the Word of God as part of the rightful literary heritage of Muslims.

Worship and Waiting

This time can be an opportunity to sit still, turn on a worship song or ask the Lord if there’s anything else he’d like you to pray for the Word of God to be exalted in Kyrgyzstan.

Praying by Name

Pray that your friends would hear from many different sources the importance of reading the Christian Scriptures and that they would do so.

Closing Prayer

Father, we ask you to remove every obstacle to Muslims trusting, opening and reading your word. We pray that the integrity of the Scriptures would be accepted and championed within Muslim communities, and that the Scriptures would be given their rightful place of honor. Please exalt the Scriptures in Kyrgyzstan, and through them, reveal Christ. May many Muslims would devote themselves to study of the Word, and in reading, come face to face with Jesus. For your name’s sake, Amen.

(Thanks to M for their contribution to today’s prayer fuel)