CHAPTER 2: THE BOOK OF ENLIGHTENMENT
They say: He, the Almighty says, which means, “Then if they reject you (O Muhammad), so were Messengers rejected before you, who came with Al Baiyyinat (clear signs, proofs, evidences) and the Scripture and the Book of Enlightenment.” (Al-‘imran, 3: 184)
The Book of Enlightenment refers to the Holy Bible.
The Answer:
It was mentioned before that the word ‘prophets’ mentioned by Allah in the Qur’an are mainly the messengers of strong will like Nuh (Noah), Ibrahim (Abraham), Musa (Moses), Isa (Jesus) the son of Maryam (Mary) and Muhammad (peace be upon him), who was the last of the prophets. Allah favored and distinguished them, for He says,
which means, “And (remember) when We took from the Prophets their covenant, and from you (O Muhammad), and from Nuh (Noah), Ibrahim (Abraham), Musa (Moses), and ‘Isa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary). We took from them a strong covenant.” (Al-Ahzab, 33:
The word ‘prophets’ also includes other prophets whom Allah did not mention by name in the Qur’an. Allah, the Exalted, says,
which means, “And, indeed We have sent Messengers before you (O Muhammad); of some of them We have related to you their story and of some We have not related to you their story.’ (Ghafir, 40; 78)
The Disciples were mentioned by Allah in the Qur’an where He, the Almighty said that they were Muslims, followers of the Messenger (i.e. Jesus) and believers in Allah. Allah says,
which means, “Then when ‘Isa (Jesus) came to know of their disbelief, he said: ‘Who will be my helpers in Allah’s Cause?’ Al-Hawariyyun (the Disciples) said: ‘We are the helpers of Allah; we believe in Allah, and bear witness that we are Muslims (i.e. we submit to Allah). Our Lord! We believe in what You have sent down, and we follow the Messenger [Isa (Jesus)]; so write us down among those who bear witness (to the truth i.e. La ilaha ilia-Allah – none has the right to be worshipped but Allah).'” (Al- ‘Imran, 3: 52-53)
He, the Almighty also says,
which means, “And when I (Allah) put in the hearts of AlHawariyyun (the Disciples) [of ‘Isa (Jesus)] to believe in Me and My Messenger, they said: ‘We believe. And bear witness that we are Muslims.'” (Al-Ma’idah, 5: 111)
Allah never mentioned in the Qur’an that He had sent them as messengers. He only said that He had guided them to believe in Him and His Messenger and had commanded them to follow His Messenger. When Allah says, “And when I (Allah) put in the hearts of AlHawariyyun (the Disciples),” this is not proof of their prophethood, for Allah also says,
which means, “And We inspired the mother of Musa (Moses), (saying): ‘Suckle him (Musa (Moses)).” (Al-Qasas, 28: 7)
The Mother of Musa (Moses) was not a prophet. The majority of Christian and Muslim scholars agree that no woman was ever a prophet.
In addition to this, Allah says,
which means, “Who came with Al-Bayyinat (clear signs, proofs, evidences) and the Scripture and the Book of Enlightenment.” (Al-‘imran, 3: 184)
And ‘the Book’ is a gender, which comprises every Book sent by Allah, the Exalted. Allah says,
which means, “And among men is he who disputes about Allah, without knowledge or guidance, or a Book giving light (from Allah).” (Al-Hajj, 22: 8)
The phrase, ‘a Book giving light’ is indefinite within the negative clause. Thus, every book revealed by Allah is ‘enlightening’ and if the Bible was the only Book of enlightenment, Allah would have said, ‘or the Book giving light.’
Moreover, the Torah is more glorified than the Gospel, for Allah clarifies that He had not sent a more enlightening book than the Torah and the Qur’an. Allah, the Exalted, says,
which means, “they say: ‘Why is he not given the like of what was given to Musa (Moses)?’ Did they not disbelieve in that which was given to Musa (Moses) of oid? They say: Two kinds of magic (the Tawrah (Torah) and the Qur’an) each helping the other!’ And they say: ‘Verily! In both we are disbelievers; Say (to them, O Muhammad): Then bring a Book from Allah, which is a better guide than these two (the Tawrah (Torah) and the Qur’an), that I may follow it, if you are truthful.”‘ (Al-Qasas, 28, 48-49)
This verse declares that it is impossible for them to bring a book from Allah, which is a better guide than the Tawrah and the Quran. He, the Almighty also says,
which means, “Or do they say: ‘He (Muhammad) has forged it?’ Say: ‘Bring then a Surah (chapter) like unto it.'” (Yunus, 10: 38)
This demonstrates the fact that neither the Bible nor the Psalms give more guidance than the Torah or the Qur’an. So how can the book of enlightenment refer to the Bible and not the Torah?
In the Qur’an, the phrases that mean, “O people of the Scripture” and “The food (slaughtered cattle, eatable animals, etc.) of the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) is lawful to you,” (Al-Ma’idah, 5: 5) we find the word ‘Scripture’ is singular. But it is well known that those who received the Scripture before us were the Jews and the Christians. The Christians are not the only sect meant in the phrase ‘the people of the Scripture,’ for Allah says,
which means, “Lest you (pagan Arabs) should say: The Book was only sent down to two sects before us (the Jews and the Christians).” (Al-An’am, 6: 156)
The falsity of the claims of those who displace the divine words from their rightful places and propagate such wrong interpretations about the words of Allah and His Messenger, is evident to anyone who has sufficient knowledge, whether he is a believer or a disbeliever, to know that they are not the intended meanings.
Allah is not referring to the Bible when He says ‘the Book.’ He is not referring to the Disciples when He says ‘Messengers.’ The Book of Enlightenment’ means the Books Allah has revealed like the Tawrah (Torah) and the Bible, while ‘the Messengers’ mean those who were sent by Allah like: Nuft (Noah), Ibrahim (Abraham), Musa (Moses) and the ‘Isa (Jesus) son of Maryam (Mary) (peace be upon them all).
By: Sheikhul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyah
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