CHAPTER 3: THE BOOKS OF THE PROPHETS WITNESS CHRIST, HIS RELIGION AND MUHAMMAD AND HIS NATION
The Christians said, “What could be a stronger proof or testimony than the fact that the religious books of our enemies witness for us. They confess this testimony and read it in their places of worship without denying a single word or even a single letter of it.”
The Answer:
Even if these words, which support their argument, were really said by some prophets, they do not include any praise for their religion after it was altered, so what is the case when it was abrogated and changed? In these words there is a notification that the reign of the Children of Israel will vanish and that the Jewish religion will be abrogated upon the conning of Christ. This is proof of the prophethood and truthfulness of Christ, which is a fact on which Muslims unanimously agree.
Muslims see Christ (peace be upon him) just as Allah has described him in His saying to Maryam (Mary, may Allah be pleased with her),
which means, “…Verily, Allah gives you the glad tidings of a Word (‘Be!’ – and he was! i.e. ‘Isa (Jesus) the son of Maryam (Mary)] from Him, his name will be the Messiah ‘Isa (Jesus), the son of Maryam (Mary), held in honor in this world and in the Hereafter, and will be one of those who are near to Allah. He will speak to the people in the cradle and in manhood, and he will be one of the righteous.” (Al-‘imran, 3:45-46)
They say that this is found in the books of the Jews, their enemies, and to this we say: there is no doubt that the Jews differ from the Christians in interpreting the sacred books. The Christians interpret these books one way and the Jews interpret them in another, while both ways may be wrong. Thus, it should be said to the Christians: the books of the Prophets are a witness for Christ and his religion even if the Jews differ from you in interpreting them, and these books are also a witness for Muhammad (peace be upon him) and his nation even if the People of the Scripture differ in interpreting them. In addition, Allah explained the characteristics of Muhammad (peace be upon him) and his nation in many places within the books of the prophets.
When nations dispute the interpretations of the sacred books, the truth, which is supported by reason and authentic religious texts, should be made manifest and adhered to. Through doing so, it will be shown that the Christians interpret the Books of Allah in a way which differs from His intended meaning; as they have deduced wrong concepts such as the trinity, unification, immanence, etc. just as the Jews did in their interpretation of the Divine Books.
By: Sheikhul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyah
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