Muhammadan Objections

86	OBJECTIONS AGAINST THE GENUINESS OF

deserve the answer which Christ gave him (Luke iv. 8)¹.]

64. M. No matter what arguments you adduce to prove that the Bible is not corrupt², there is a final one that you cannot answer. We know that it is corrupt, because in many places it contradicts the Qur'an. Our principle is to use the Qur'an as the touchstone, and to accept only what is in accordance with it. This is justified by reason, because the Qur'an is God's latest and most perfect revelation (تنزيل), written on the Preserved Tablet before the creation of the world. It is justified by the Qur'an, since the latter is styled the "Furqan"

¹ The Rev. A. E. Johnston says: "The answer I found it best to give was to point out that it is not said that every believer would be able to show all these signs, and then to read 1 Cor. xii. 4-11, and point out the distribution of the gifts of the Spirit amongst the faithful, all for the common edification, and to assert that such of these gifts as are still necessary to that end are in fact exercised, and that, in a sense, the others do still follow or accompany us, for we have in the N. T. the evidence of their having been displayed by Christians in attestation of the faith." Be very careful in using the bracketted sentence at the beginning of § 62.
² Muslims often say, "If you Christians believed the Bible to be the Word of God, you would treat it with greater reverence. You put it into your coat-tail pockets and sit upon it. We should never think of doing that with our Qur'an." To us this may seem a trivial matter, but it is not so to Muslims. The Rev. T. R. Wade writes: "This was always a favourite argument with the Pathans in Peshawar, and was used by the Amir of Kabul when he was staying there in the Gurkhatri. Bishop French was always most careful to carry his large Urdu Bible in a nice bag when he went to preach in the Bazar."

THE BIBLE AS IT NOW EXISTS

Surah XXV., I) because it distinguishes the true from the false.

C. There are several weak points in your argument. Before you can rely on it, you have to prove, to yourselves in the first place, that the Qur'an is a revelation from God. This you cannot prove. Again, the title "Furqan" (whatever be the meaning of the word, which is really Syriac and Chaldee adopted into Arabic) is not given exclusively to the Qur'an, for in Surah XXI., Al Anbiya', 49, and Surah II., Al Baqarah, 50¹, the same title is given to the Taurat. Moreover, instead of using the Qur'an to test the Bible, as you say, you are bidden in the Qur'an itself to test the Qur'an by the Bible: for in Surah V., Al Maidah, 47-52 we read:—"But how shall they make thee their judge, since they already possess the Law, in which are the behests of God? . . . Verily, We have sent down the Law, wherein are guidance and light. . . . And whoso will not judge by what God hath sent down—such therefore are unbelievers. . . . And in the footsteps of the prophets caused We Jesus the Son of Mary to follow, confirming the Law which was before Him; and We gave Him the Evangel with its guidance and light, confirmatory of the preceding Law, a guidance and warning to those who fear God; and that the people of the Evangel may [or, let the people of the Evangel] judge

¹ The Qamus, however, in this latter passage explains Furqan as meaning the division of the sea before the Israelites!

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