Translation: Whether the Holy Scriptures Have Been Altered: An Evaluation from the Quranic Perspective

The question of whether holy scriptures have changed over time is a significant topic of debate, particularly in the Islamic world. These discussions have been shaped by the examination of relevant Quranic verses, the interpretations of early Islamic scholars, and historical contexts. Certain Quranic verses contain various expressions related to the alteration or corruption of previous scriptures, which has brought different interpretations to the fore. The word tahrif is derived from the word harf, which literally means "edge, boundary, margin." The concept has generally been used in the following senses:

1. Interpreting a statement in two different ways and pulling it to one side,
2. Replacing the meaning of a word or statement with a similar meaning,
3. Changing the wording of a statement without corrupting its meaning. These definitions appear in sources such as al-Isfahani's Mufradat (p. 228), Ibn Manzur's Lisan al-Arab (vol. IX, p. 43), and al-Jurjani's Ta'rifat (p. 53). In the Quran, the word tahrif is used in the sense of misinterpreting words or corrupting their meanings. Tahrif can be defined as misdirecting a word or statement in a wrong direction — that is, changing its meaning. In the Quran, the word tahrif appears particularly as a criticism directed at the Jews and Christians, known as the People of the Book. This concept occurs in Surah Al-Baqarah 2:75, Surah An-Nisa 4:46, and Surah Al-Ma'idah 5:13 and 5:41. These verses particularly emphasize the wrongful displacement of words and the alteration of their meanings. However, the important point to note here is that tahrif generally relates not so much to the alteration of the earlier scriptures themselves, but rather to the misinterpretation of these scriptures or the disregarding of their teachings. In the Quran, the word tahrif is used both in the sense of distorting the meanings of words and in the sense of twisting language. In Surah An-Nisa 4:46, the criticism is directed at Jews who twisted words to insult the Prophet Muhammad. This is a matter of misinterpreting religious texts, not of altering holy scriptures. In Surah Ali 'Imran 3:78, certain individuals are criticized for reading religious texts and presenting them incorrectly, interpreting them for their own benefit. Here, the issue is not the corruption of the Torah and Gospel, but their misinterpretation and use in accordance with personal interests. The Quran is accepted as a book that confirms the previous scriptures. At the same time, the Quran contains various criticisms regarding the Torah and the Gospel. The question of whether the Torah and Gospel have been altered is widely debated in the Islamic world. In Surah Al-Ma'idah 5:45–68, it is emphasized that the Torah and Gospel were not applied correctly, and that those who acted contrary to them are criticized. Here the issue raised is not the alteration of these books, but the failure to apply them correctly. Therefore, according to Islam, the focus of the Quranic criticisms is not the alteration of the Torah and Gospel, but acting contrary to the rulings of these books. In Surah Al-Ma'idah 5:66, it is stated that no change has been made to the content of the Torah and Gospel, but that the requirements of these books have not been fulfilled. This is not a tahrif of the content of the earlier books, but relates to their failure to be applied correctly. Furthermore, in Surah Al-Ma'idah 5:47, it is stated that the people of the Gospel will have gone astray if they do not judge by what Allah has revealed. The Quran establishes a confirmatory relationship with the previous books. In Surah Ali 'Imran 3:3, the expression "He sent down the Book to you in truth, confirming what was before it, and He sent down the Torah and the Gospel" clearly sets out the Quran's relationship with the previous books. Moreover, the verse says "what is in their hands," implying the content of the Torah and Gospel is fundamentally accepted as correct, though their misinterpretation and misapplication is a situation criticized in the Quran. Therefore, rather than saying that the Quran declares the earlier books to have been altered, we can say that it expresses that these books have not been applied correctly. According to the Quran, the earlier holy scriptures have not been completely altered. At this point, two different possibilities arise:
4. These books may have been partially altered.
5. These books have not been altered, but have been misinterpreted or misapplied. In Surah Ali 'Imran 3:3, it is stated that the Quran was sent as a confirmer of what the People of the Book have in their hands. This shows that the content of the previous books has not been corrupted — they have only been misinterpreted. This approach acknowledges that some portions of the earlier holy scriptures may have changed through translations over time, but that their original teachings have not been corrupted. Additionally, in Surah Al-Ma'idah 5:43, the failure to apply the Torah correctly is criticized, and in verse 66, it is stated that these books must be applied correctly. This is further evidence showing that the content of the earlier books has not changed, but they have not been properly applied. Surah Al-Baqarah 2:75 "Do you hope that they will believe you, while a group of them used to hear the word of Allah and then distort it knowingly after they had understood it?" The expression yuharrifunahu used in this verse means "the misinterpretation of Allah's word." What is meant here is that a segment of the People of the Book twisted Allah's verses for their own benefit — that is, they distorted the verses just as some Muslims do. Surah An-Nisa 4:46 "Among the Jews are those who distort words from their proper usages and say, 'We hear and disobey' and 'Hear, may you not hear' and 'Ra'ina,' twisting their tongues and defaming the religion. And if they had said, 'We hear and obey' and 'Wait for us to understand,' it would have been better for them and more suitable. But Allah has cursed them for their disbelief, so they believe not, except for a few." In this verse, it is stated that the Jews twisted words for the purpose of insult and imprecation against the Prophet Muhammad. The context of the verse concerns misinterpretation and distortion, rather than any literal change to the holy scriptures. Surah Al-Ma'idah 5:13 "So for their breaking of the covenant We cursed them and made their hearts hard. They distort words from their proper usages and have forgotten a portion of that of which they were reminded. And you will still observe deceit among them, except a few of them. But pardon them and overlook — indeed, Allah loves the doers of good." Surah Al-Ma'idah 5:41 "O Messenger, let not those who hasten into disbelief grieve you — of those who say with their mouths 'We believe' but their hearts do not believe — and of the Jews. They are avid listeners to falsehood, listening to another people who have not come to you. They distort words beyond their usages, saying 'If you are given this, take it; but if you are not given it, then beware.' And for whom Allah intends fitnah — never will you possess anything for him against Allah. Those are the ones for whom Allah does not intend to purify their hearts. For them in this world is disgrace, and for them in the Hereafter is a great punishment." In these verses as well, what is criticized is not a literal textual change but the forgetting and misinterpretation of Allah's commands. Another concept used in relation to tahrif is tebdil (tabdil). Tabdil means "to put something in another place," "to corrupt," "to change, to misinterpret, to distort its meaning." In Surah Al-Baqarah 2:59 and Surah Al-A'raf 7:162, it is stated that the Children of Israel replaced the words Allah had commanded them with other words. However, here too, the emphasis is on disobedience to Allah's commands rather than the alteration of holy texts. The Quran has a role of confirming the previous holy scriptures: “He sent down to you the Book in truth, confirming what is in their hands. And He had sent down the Torah and the Gospel.”(Surah Ali 'Imran 3:3) Furthermore, certain verses in the Quran are seen to parallel expressions in the Torah and Gospel:

• Torah: Surah Al-Ma'idah 5:45 corresponds with the "eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth" law found in today's Torah (Exodus 21:23–25).
• Psalms (Zabur): In Surah Al-Anbiya 21:105, the expression "the earth shall be inherited by My righteous servants" is identical to the 29th verse of Psalm 37 in the Psalms.
• Gospel: Surah Al-Fath 48:29 explains that believers are likened in the Gospel to a growing seedling, and this parable is found in Matthew 13:1–43. "Say, 'Bring the Torah and recite it, if you should be truthful.'" (Surah Ali 'Imran 3:93) This verse shows that the Torah was still a valid source during the period in which the Quran was written. Similarly, the following verse concerning the ruling of the Gospel is quite illuminating: "And let the People of the Gospel judge by what Allah has revealed therein." (Surah Al-Ma'idah 5:47) These verses clearly express that Allah's words are preserved and that the Torah and Gospel are accepted as reliable sources. The strongest evidence that the Torah, Psalms, and Gospel have not changed is the strict warnings given for the preservation of these texts. For example:
• Deuteronomy 4:2: "You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it."
• Deuteronomy 12:32: "Everything that I command you, you shall be careful to do. You shall not add to it or take from it." These warnings show that the texts were considered too sacred to be changed. Moreover, for texts to be altered, every copy would need to be collected and all believers would need to remain silent about it. However, this scenario is historically and practically impossible. Most of those who put forward claims of tahrif are unable to present concrete evidence to support these claims. Frequently, we encounter unanswered arguments such as "I don't know, I just heard so." However, claiming that a holy scripture has been corrupted is an enormous claim, and such a claim needs to be supported by strong evidence. In this context, the following verse from the Quran is quite striking: "And let the People of the Gospel judge by what Allah has revealed therein. And whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed — then it is those who are the defiantly disobedient." (Surah Al-Ma'idah 5:47) This verse shows that the Gospel in the hands of Christians during the period in which the Quran was written was valid and reliable. If the Gospel had been corrupted at that time, it would be inconceivable that Allah would reveal such a verse. This is incompatible with Allah's wisdom and power. The strongest evidence against claims of alteration consists of historical manuscripts and archaeological findings. There are thousands of ancient manuscripts proving that the Gospel has not changed. There are more than 5,000 ancient Greek manuscripts dating back to the first centuries after the life of Jesus Christ, and more than 9,000 manuscripts in other languages such as Latin and Syriac. Moreover, the dense Gospel quotations in the writings of the early church leaders are of a quality that could reconstruct the text of the Gospel almost completely. As an example, the five-porticoed structure of the Pool of Bethesda mentioned in the Gospel was regarded with skepticism for many years, but archaeologists uncovered this structure exactly as described in the Gospel. Likewise, place names and historical details mentioned in the Gospel have been verified without any room for error. All 32 countries, 54 cities, and 9 islands mentioned by Luke in the Acts of the Apostles have been verified archaeologically and geographically. Dead Sea Scrolls: The manuscripts found in the Qumran Caves in 1947 prove that the text of the Torah has not changed for thousands of years. These texts, dated between 200 BC and AD 70, correspond exactly with the modern Torah text. Ebla Tablets: These tablets confirm the customs and culture of the period in which the events described in the Gospel took place. Pilate Inscription: This inscription containing the name of Pontius Pilate supports the existence of a historical figure mentioned in the Gospel. City of Troy: Another archaeological discovery that indirectly supports the historical reality of certain events mentioned in the Gospel. There are three major denominations in Christianity: Catholics, Orthodox, and Protestants. Although the differences among these denominations are well known, there is no difference among them concerning the text of the Gospel. If one denomination had altered the Gospel, the others would have objected to it. Common Text: The Gospel copies used today contain the same text across denominations. This shows that no single denomination made a change on its own. Another important factor showing that the text of the Gospel has not been corrupted is the internal consistency of the text. If changes had been made to the Gospel, those changes would inevitably have created contradictions within the text itself. However, anyone who reads the Gospel carefully can see that the text has a fluent, consistent, and logical structure. Some claim that the Gospel was altered at the Council of Nicaea in AD 325. However, this contradicts historical facts. The text of the Gospel was not discussed at the Council of Nicaea; only theological matters concerning the nature of Jesus Christ were addressed. If changes had been made to the text, this would have been met with the reaction of the early Christians who were tortured and killed for their faith. Yet there is no record of any such event having occurred. The fact that no dispute was recorded at the Council concerning the text of the Gospel shows that the text retained its integrity and authority. By the 7th century AD, Christianity had spread to all corners of the world and the Gospel had been translated into many languages. During this period, Gospel copies existed in different regions of the world. If a change had been made to these holy texts, it would have been very difficult for that change to spread across the entire world and for everyone to remain silent about it. The Importance of Geographical Distribution: Christianity had spread to the continents of Asia, Africa, and Europe. Under the conditions of that era, it was impossible to simultaneously alter and distribute texts across such a vast geography. The Language Problem: Since the Gospel had been translated into different languages, a change made in one language would need to be reflected in copies in other languages as well. However, the harmony among copies in different languages proves that such a change did not occur. The Torah and Psalms are holy texts accepted by both Jews and Christians. Today, the Torah and Psalms in the hands of Jews are the same as those used by Christians. If a change had been made to these texts, a major conflict between the two religions would have been expected. However, the fact that the texts remain the same refutes the claims of alteration. In conclusion, there is no definitive ruling in the Quran that the Torah and Gospel have been completely corrupted. On the contrary, many verses of the Quran emphasize that these books were revealed by Allah and that when properly applied they guide humanity. The Quran states that a group among the People of the Book misinterpreted Allah's verses and concealed certain commands. The Quran does not state that the entirety of the Torah and Gospel has been corrupted. For this reason, two conclusions can be drawn from the Quranic perspective on the corruption of the Torah and Gospel:

1. The Torah and Gospel have been misinterpreted, concealed, and subjected to incorrect translations.
2. The original message of these books has been preserved and, when applied correctly, carries Allah's guidance. According to Islam, the issue of the corruption of holy scriptures is actually related to the misinterpretation or misapplication of the earlier books. The Quran confirms the previous books and indicates that their content is correct. However, the misinterpretation of these books over time, or their incorrect presentation by people, is regarded as tahrif. The criticisms the Quran makes regarding the Torah and Gospel relate not to the alteration of the content of these books, but to the failure to apply them correctly. Therefore, when the question of whether the holy scriptures have been altered is examined from an Islamic perspective, it pertains not to the content of the earlier books but to their misinterpretation. The claims that the Gospel, the Torah, and the Psalms have been altered are supported neither historically nor logically. On the contrary, thousands of ancient manuscripts, archaeological findings, and the consistency of the text prove the reliability of the holy scriptures. The Quranic verses also support the validity of the holy scriptures. These texts have been preserved and remained the same for thousands of years under Allah's protective power. For a change to be made by human hands, numerous geographical, linguistic, and denominational obstacles would have had to be overcome — which was impossible under the conditions of that era. The fact that the holy texts have not changed once again proves the truth and reliability of Allah's words. The same situation happened with the Quran as well. The Quran was incorrectly translated. Exegesis was produced. The words occurring in the verses were concealed — especially by those who accept the hadith — and other words were inserted in their place. For example, "morning Quran" was replaced with "morning prayer." The positions of words were shifted. "And do not be among those who deny the signs of Allah, or you will be among the losers." (Surah Yunus 10:95) In conclusion, the Quran confirms the existence, correctness, and divine origin of the previous holy scriptures. However, it informs us that these books have been subject to tahrif — not in their literal wording, but in terms of interpretation and application. The tahrif emphasized in the verses is more the distortion of divine teachings for personal interests. Therefore, according to the Quran, tahrif is not so much a textual corruption as it is a contextual deviation. Questions for Those Who Claim the Holy Scriptures Have Been Altered Those who claim that the holy scriptures have been altered must answer the following questions:
3. Is the matter on which the Quranic criticisms focus the corruption of the content of the earlier books, or the failure to properly apply the rulings of these books?
4. Would you allow the leaders of your community to alter your books? Your community leader is an ordinary human being. Are the words of Allah more important, or the words of your community leader?
5. Just as there are wicked people in every era, are there not also good people? Who are the People of the Book mentioned in Surah Ali 'Imran 3:113–114 — those who prostrate themselves in the night hours reading Allah's verses? If these books had been corrupted, why would Allah describe them as a righteous community? Do these verses not indicate that the earlier books have not actually been corrupted? "They are not all alike. Among the People of the Book is a community standing, reciting the verses of Allah during periods of the night and they prostrate. They believe in Allah and the Last Day, and they enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and hasten to good deeds. And those are among the righteous."
6. Does the statement in Surah Al-Ma'idah 5:82 — that Christians are the nearest in affection to the believers — not indicate that the essence of the Gospel has not changed? If the Gospel had been completely altered, how could this love and closeness be explained? "You will surely find the most intense of the people in animosity toward the believers to be the Jews and those who associate others with Allah; and you will find the nearest of them in affection to the believers those who say, 'We are Christians.' That is because among them are priests and monks and because they are not arrogant."
7. In Surah Al-Hadid 57:27, it is stated that compassion and mercy were placed in the hearts of those who followed Jesus. Is this verse not evidence that the disciples did not alter the Gospel? Is it possible that this community, remembered for compassion and mercy, would corrupt a holy text? Does this community not also strive to raise its own children as devout Christians?
8. Why are those who follow these books called "righteous" rather than "misguided"? Does this not show that when one adheres to the essence of the holy scriptures, a correct path is possible?
9. In the Quran, the Torah and Gospel are criticized for not being applied, but their content is affirmed as correct (Surah Al-Ma'idah 5:47, Surah Al-Ma'idah 5:66). If the Quran approves of the rulings of these books, does the claim that these books have been altered not contradict this Quranic confirmation?