Bulus Ibn Raja (nicknamed al-Wadih [“the Clarifier”]) was a Muslim convert to Christianity and became a Coptic monk. Ibn Raja, who born 950s and died after 1009 AD, wrote a scathing book exposing Muhammad and refuting Islam, titled Kitāb al-wāḍiḥ bi-l-ḥaqq (Arabic: كتاب الواضح بالحق), known in Latin as the Liber denudationis (lit. ’Book of Denuding’).
What makes Ibn Raja’s refutation so remarkable is that he employs the very same Quranic texts, ahadith and objections which Christian apologists employ till this very day. Ibn Raja’s polemic illustrate the old adage that there truly is nothing new under the sun.
In this post I will be excerpting the segment of Ibn Raja’s appeal to the Quran in defense of the preservation of the Torah and the Gospel. I will be citing from David Bertaina’s translation titled Būluṣ ibn Rajāʾ The Fatimid Egyptian Convert Who Shaped Christian Views of Islam (Arabic Christianity: Texts and Studies, 4) (English and Arabic Edition), published by Brill in 2022, pp. 113-121. All emphasis will be mine.
Chapter 2
[16] The refutation against whoever says that the Torah and the Gospel have been altered.35
[17] Suppose someone says: “Moses brought news about him in the Torah, and Christ brought news about him in the Gospel, but you altered the Gospel and corrupted it, and likewise the Jews altered the Torah and changed it.”36 We answer them about that saying to them: “When do you claim the Torah and the Gospel were altered?”
[18] Now if one of them says: “The Torah was altered after Moses’ death and the Gospel after Christ’s ascension,” then this is the Qurʾan’s answer which annuls it clearly, because it claims about God that he said in the Qurʾan in sura “Jonah”: “If you are in doubt about what we have revealed to you, then ask those who have been reading the Scripture before you.”37 If what he says about altering the Torah and the Gospel is true – and they are lies – then he has brought an accusation against God for commanding [Muḥammad] to ask the liars. How can those intellectuals not comprehend this clear impossibility! For he claims that God informed him that the Torah had been altered after Moses and likewise the Gospel, and they are lies. Then after that he brought an accusation against God for commanding [Muḥammad] that if he was in doubt about what He revealed to him, [then] he should ask those who were reading the Scripture before him, and they are the Christians and the Jews. How can it be that, according to him, they are liars at the beginning of the conversation and they are telling the truth at the end of the conversation!
[19] How can one who proclaims prophethood express doubt in God with these false assertions which he claims, since he says: “I am the master of the children of Adam, among the prophets and martyrs and the righteous.”38 And were it not for him, “God would not have created the Heavens or the earth or anything between them.”39 What was added to his claims was that he ascended to seven Heavens, [and the distance] between each Heaven was a five-hundred year march.40 He saw some of the miracles in it, which I will mention in my book in another place, God willing. How can [Muḥammad], who was in this glorious state, and the angels and the messengers appeared to him, and he spoke to God directly, and [God] put his hand between his shoulders until [Muḥammad] felt its coolness in his chest41 – according to his impossible allegation – have had doubts about God? If he did not believe all of this, and his soul was not comforted until God commanded him to ask the liars to remove his doubts at that time, then this is weakness and ignorance. If these [Jews and Christians] were not liars but they were telling the truth, and it was for their sincerity that [God] commanded him to ask them so it would strengthen his weak soul at that time, then why did he associate them with lying and [claim] that they altered what they embrace from the Torah and the Gospel?
[20] There is a proof even better than this which demonstrates the confusion of his claims, where it says in sura “The Table”42 that the Jews appealed to him for a legal decision. That matter was before Abū Hurayra43 – whose name was ʿAbd Shams or it is said ʿAbd Nahm44 or it is said “Grasshopper” – whom Muḥammad appointed to judge between the people. So the Jews opposing each other came to him. He said: “I cannot judge between you until I ask Muḥammad,” so he went to him. Then he said to him: “The Jews have come as litigants and I will not judge between them without your permission.” He said to him: “God has revealed to me in sura “The Table” concerning the Jews, saying, ‘If they come to you, then judge between them or turn away from them. If you turn away from them, they will never harm you at all. If you judge between them, judge with equity, for God loves those who act with equity. How can they ask you for judgment when they have the Torah and God’s judgment is in it?’”45 Muḥammad had already testified to that, namely that the Torah had God’s judgment in his time and that it was not altered. So if you claim that it was altered after Moses’ death, then you have made God into a liar in his words. It already mentioned in Muḥammad’s time that [the Torah] contains God’s judgment as well. So now, your claim that the Torah and the Gospel are altered is invalidated.
[21] Another proof is where it says in surat “al-Ḥijr”: “It is we who revealed the reminder and we will indeed be its guardian.”46 For you, the Torah and the Gospel are the revealed reminder.47 If that has been altered, then it has nullified God’s protection for them. You made a liar of God in his statement, “We will indeed be its guardian.”48 If that [Scripture] was not altered, and you returned to the truth and would yield to it, then [you would acknowledge that] we did not find any mention of your companion in it nor that which can establish the proof of his prophethood or anything else; only what our Lord Christ says in the pure Gospel, where he says: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their actions.”49 The exalted and elevated one also said in the Gospel that on the Day of Resurrection, the false prophets will say to him: “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name?” Then he will declare to them, “Truly I tell you, I never knew you; go away from me, you evildoers.”50 And he said – exalted be his name – in another place: “Do not follow the religion of the Ḥunafāʾ51 and do not enter the cities of the Samaritans.” He told us that the religion of the Ḥunafāʾ is like the Samaritans’ religion, and he told us to be wary of the religion of the Ḥunafāʾ just as he told us to be wary of the Samaritans’ and Jews’ religions.
[22] Adding to that, he told us that John the son of Zechariah was the seal of the prophets.52 There is no prophet after him, because the prophets are twenty-four in number, the first of them was Moses and the last of them was John the son of Zechariah. Some of these prophets talked to God directly, and some of them received [God’s message] through his pure angels, and some of them spoke through the Holy Spirit. They foretold the incarnation of our Lord Christ from the pure Virgin, and her pregnancy with him and her birth-giving and his life with the people, and what happened to him from his enemies the accursed Jews, from his crucifixion and his death and his piercing and his burial and his resurrection and his ascension. Every one of them foretold what God favored him with, which was perfectly complete, and they did not contradict one another. The blessed and exalted one accomplished these things one after another in order to fulfill all of the prophecies.
[23] An example of that is if a king wanted to march, his troops would go before him. So they would announce that the king is going to come after them. When they march all together, the king would come after them and confirm that their statement was true. In the same fashion, all the prophets prophesied about our Lord Christ. Then he came after them so he confirmed their prophecies. Then the prophecies ceased after him. No prophet will appear with a sign or a proof except for the false prophets about whom our Lord Christ informed us.
35 This verse and the theme of corruption (taḥrīf) became part of an extensive discussion in the hadith and fiqh literature on the permissibility of consulting the People of the Book regarding their sources, doctrines, and laws.
36 The Islamic claim that the Bible originally had references to Muḥammad which Jews and Christians subsequently altered in their texts is found in places such as Q 61:6 and Q 26:196–197. Muslims believed Muḥammad was referred to as the prophet in Deuteronomy 18:15, the camel rider in Isaiah 21:7, and the Advocate/Paraclete mentioned in John 14–16.
37 Q 10:94. Throughout the treatise, Ibn Rajāʾ uses the first line of a sura for its title.
38 This reference is based upon a hadith on the authority of Abū Hurayra on the virtues of Muḥammad: “I will be the leader of the sons of Adam on the Day of Resurrection.” See the Arabic text and English translation in Muslim ibn al-Ḥajjāj al-Qushayrī, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: English Translation of Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, 7 vols., ed. Abū Ṭāhir Zubayr ʿAlī Zaʾī, Nasiruddin Khattab, Huda Khattab, and Abū Khalīl (Riyadh: Darussalam, 2007), 6:134 (Book 43, #5940). The hadith is also found in the collection (Arabic text and English translation) of Abū Dāwūd, English Translation of Sunan Abu Dawud, 5 vols., ed. Abū Ṭāhir Zubayr ʿAlī Zaʾī (Riyadh: Darussalam, 2008), 5:195 (Book 39 #4673).
39 Q 32:4.
40 The scribe notes that this incident is alluded to in al-Mirāj Q 17:1. This topic is analyzed in chapter 30 later.
41 He is referring to a hadith relating a dream Muḥammad had in which this event took place, according to Ibn ʿAbbās. See al-Tirmidhī, Jāmiʿ at-Tirmidhī, 5:540–541 (Book 44, #3233). See also the text and translation in Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, English Translation of Musnad Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal, 3 vols., ed. Nasiruddin Khattab and Huda Khattab (Riyadh: Darussalam, 2012), 3:238–239 (#3484).
42 Q 5.
43 On Abū Hurayra al-Dawsī (d. 678/681), see EI2, 1:129.
44 Both manuscripts give his nickname as ʿAbd al-Fahm, or “Servant of Understanding.”
45 Q 5:42–43.
46 Q 15:9.
47 The title of al-dhikr given to earlier scriptures such as the Torah and Gospel as a “recollection” or “remembrance” that the Qurʾan recalls in its verses is well known. See for instance Griffith, The Bible in Arabic, 54–96.
48 The Latin version also adds: “Therefore God always preserved the testimony of His scripture among His faithful before Muḥammad and will preserve it incorrupt after. Indeed how could the Christians and the Jews, who oppose each other in the extreme – both the former and the latter – everywhere have falsified their holy scripture in the same way (and these falsifiers before God stand in the hatred of Muḥammad), while dispersed throughout the world by the decree of the centuries? For either this happened secretly, and some codex would have remained intact, or it was publicly well-known, and these things would not have been concealed from the histories of the nations.” See Burman, Religious Polemic, 254–257.
49 Matthew 7:15.
50 Matthew 7:22–23.
51 Matthew 10:5. The Arabic word ḥunafāʾ has a double meaning here. It refers to pagan religions of the ancient gentiles, but also refers in coded terms to Muslims.
52 Note that Ibn Rajāʾ appropriates this Islamic title for Muḥammad (khātam al-anbiyāʾ) for use in his Christian theological argument.
Here are the passages which Ibn Raja cites to show how the Quran confirms the textual incorruptibility and authority of the Judeo-Christian Scriptures:
Listeners for the sake of falsehood! Greedy for illicit gain! If then they have recourse unto thee (Muhammad) judge between them or disclaim jurisdiction. If thou disclaimest jurisdiction, then they cannot harm thee at all. But if thou judgest, judge between them with equity. Lo! Allah loveth the equitable. How come they unto thee for judgment when they have the Torah, wherein Allah hath delivered judgment (for them)? Yet even after that they turn away. Such (folk) are not believers. Lo! We did reveal the Torah, wherein is guidance and a light, by which the prophets who surrendered (unto Allah) judged the Jews, and the rabbis and the priests (judged) by such of Allah’s Scripture as they were bidden to observe, and thereunto were they witnesses. So fear not mankind, but fear Me. And barter not My revelations for a little gain. Whoso judgeth not by that which Allah hath revealed: such are disbelievers. And We prescribed for them therein: The life for the life, and the eye for the eye, and the nose for the nose, and the ear for the ear, and the tooth for the tooth, and for wounds retaliation. But whoso forgoeth it (in the way of charity) it shall be expiation for him. Whoso judgeth not by that which Allah hath revealed: such are wrong-doers.
And We caused Jesus, son of Mary, to follow in their footsteps, confirming that which was (revealed) before him in the Torah, and We bestowed on him the Gospel wherein is guidance and a light, confirming that which was (revealed) before it in the Torah – a guidance and an admonition unto those who ward off (evil). Let the People of the Gospel judge by that which Allah hath revealed therein. Whoso judgeth not by that which Allah hath revealed: such are evil-livers.
And unto thee have We revealed the Scripture with the truth, confirming whatever Scripture was before it, and a watcher over it. So judge between them by that which Allah hath revealed, and follow not their desires away from the truth which hath come unto thee. For each We have appointed a divine law and a traced-out way. Had Allah willed He could have made you one community. But that He may try you by that which He hath given you (He hath made you as ye are). So vie one with another in good works. Unto Allah ye will all return, and He will then inform you of that wherein ye differ. S. 5:43-48
And if thou (Muhammad) art in doubt concerning that which We reveal unto thee, then question those who read the Scripture (that was) before thee. Verily the Truth from thy Lord hath come unto thee. So be not thou of the waverers. S. 10:94
Lo! We, even We, reveal the Reminder, and lo! We verily are its Guardian. S. 15:9
And here all the places where the Holy Bible is called the reminder (al-dhikr):
And We sent not (as Our messengers) before thee other than men whom We inspired – Ask the followers of the Remembrance if ye know not! – S. 16:43
And We sent not (as Our messengers) before thee other than men, whom We inspired. Ask the followers of the Reminder if ye know not? S. 21:7
And verily we have written in the Scripture, after the Reminder: My righteous slaves will inherit the earth: S. 21:105
And We verily gave Moses the guidance, and We caused the Children of Israel to inherit the Scripture, A guide and a reminder for men of understanding. S. 40:53-54
All quranic citations are taken from Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall’s version.
I have more from Ibn Rajal in the next part: A Coptic Convert Exposes Muhammad Pt. 2.
FURTHER READING
What the Qur’an says about the Bible (overview page)
The meaning and implications of Sura 10:94 and Sura 15:9
Muhammad the compromiser and doubter
Muhammad the Compromiser and Doubter
Sura 10:94 and Muhammad’s doubts
Does the Quran confirm the Bible and the Canonical Gospels?
The Quran’s Confirmation of the Judeo-Christian Scriptures
Does Taurat Refer Only to the Revelation Given to Moses?
The Muhammadan Fraud That Was Ahmed Deedat: Which Bible?
THE QURAN’S CONFIRMATION OF THE HOLY BIBLE REVISITED
AN OPEN CHALLENGE TO MUSLIMS CONCERNING THE BIBLE
NOTES FOR THE LIVESTREAM ON ADNAN RASHID AND HIS MISUSE OF Q. 5:48
Refuting One Muhammadan’s Rabbit Trails
MATERIAL FOR THE ANDANI DISCUSSION
A Docile Beast Falsifies the Quran: How A Sheep Trumped Allah and His “Messenger”!
Answering Islam Blog 