THE TORAH AND THE GOSPEL CONTAIN PASSAGES IN AGREEMENT WITH THE QUR’AN
PART I
THE EXISTENCE OF GOD, DESTINY, IDOLATRY AND BELIEVERS AS MENTIONED IN THE TORAH AND THE GOSPEL
Presenter: Almighty God orders Muslims in the Qur’an to have faith in our Prophet (peace be upon him) and all the prophets that were sent before him. Regarding Muslims, in the fourth verse of Surat al-Baqarah, Almighty God gives the commandment (I seek refuge in God from the accursed satan) "Those who have faith in what has been sent down to you and what was sent down before you..."
As revealed in the Qur’an; the Gospel, the Torah, the Psalms and the tablets of the Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) were the Books that had been sent down to the prophets of the past. Some parts of these Books were lost, and some were either distorted or altered. But despite this, these Books contain many correct descriptions of the true religion. Muslims interpret these Books in accordance with the Qur’an and give the benefit of the doubt that the descriptions that comply with the Qur’an are unaltered. Therefore, the descriptions in the Torah and the Gospel that are in compliance with the Qur’an are the ones that Muslims can benefit from. From among these explanations that are in agreement with the Qur’an, let’s take a look at the ones where God reveals with emphasis such as oneness of God, destiny, idolatry and the characteristics of the believers.
God is One
Presenter: The Oneness of Almighty God is the essence and the foundation of the religion of truth. Accepting Almighty God as the only god and worshiping no other entity but Him is conveyed by all the religions:
The Qur’an
(I seek refuge in God from the accursed satan)
Your God is One God. There is no god but Him... (Surat al-Baqarah, 163)
The Gospel
...The Lord our God, the Lord is One. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind... You are right in saying that God is One and there is no other but Him. (Mark, 12:29-32)
The Torah
There is no one like You, Lord, and there is no God but You! ... (1 Chronicles, 17:20)
You were shown these things so that you might know that the Lord is God; besides Him there is no other. (Deuteronomy, 4:35)
Worshiping None but God
Presenter: God created mankind so that they worship only the Almighty Lord and obey His commandments and prohibitions. Indeed, this is mankind's only path to salvation. In the Qur’an, the Gospel and the Torah, God the Most High forewarns of this fact as follows:
The Qur’an
Say: ‘People of the Book! Come to a proposition which is the same for us and you – that we should worship none but God and not associate any partners with Him and not take one another as lords besides God'… (Surah Al' Imran, 64)
The Gospel
... For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only. (Matthew, 4:10)
The Torah
It is the Lord your God you must follow, and Him you must revere. Keep His commands and obey Him; serve Him and hold fast to Him. (Deuteronomy, 13:4)
Thanking and Praising God
Presenter: Praising is, in other words, the love and contentment of God, being closer to Him, asking everything only from Him and refraining from idolatry; thus, finding much more spiritual enjoyment in the given blessing than the physical enjoyment, and exalting God through these blessings.
The Qur’an
Praise be to God, to Whom everything in the heavens and everything in the earth belongs, and praise be to Him in the hereafter... (Surah Saba', 1)
Why should God punish you if you are thankful and have faith? God is All-Thankful, All-Knowing. (Surat an-Nisa', 147)
The Gospel
Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you... (1 Thessalonians, 5:18)
The Torah
Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. (Psalms, 100:4)
Praise the name of the Lord. (Psalms, 113:1)
I thank and praise You... (Daniel, 2:23)
We praise You, God, we praise You... (Psalms, 75:1)
Presenter: God, the Lord of the heavens and the earth, introduces His All-Glorious Self to His servants extensively in the Qur’an. This introduction is in conformity with the Gospel and the Torah.
The Names of God
The Qur’an
He is God– there is no god but Him. He is the Knower of the Unseen and the Visible. He is the All-Merciful, the Most Merciful. He is God– there is no god but Him. He is the King, the Most Pure, the Perfect Peace, the Trustworthy, the Safeguarder, the Almighty, the Compeller, the Supremely Great. Glory be to God above all they associate with Him. He is God– the Creator, the Maker, the Giver of Form. To Him belong the Most Beautiful Names. Everything in the heavens and earth glorifies Him. He is the Almighty, the All-Wise. (Surat al-Hashr, 22-24)
The Gospel
... They raised their voices together in prayer to God. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “You made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them.” (Acts, 4:24)
The God Who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth... Rather, He Himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. From one man He made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth. (Acts, 17:24-26)
The Torah
He is the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them... (Psalms, 146:6)
Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; His greatness no one can fathom. (Psalms, 145:3)
God Knows Even the Most Concealed
Presenter: Almighty God knows what is revealed and what is concealed, sees everything, and is the Creator of all. The Gospel and the Torah likewise heralds this fact that is informed in the Qur’an.
The Qur’an
Everything in the heavens and everything on the earth and everything in between them and everything under the ground belongs to Him. Though you speak out loud, He knows your secrets and what is even more concealed. (Surah Ta Ha, 6-7)
The Gospel
For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open. (Luke, 8:17)
The Torah
You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue You, Lord, know it completely. (Psalms, 139:2-4)
Those Who Abandon God for Idols
Presenter: In all the sacred Books God has revealed, our Lord commands His servants to have absolute faith in Him, in other words, to devote themselves to Him alone without resorting to idolatry.
The Qur’an
Your Lord creates and chooses whatever He wills. The choice is not theirs. Glory be to God! He is exalted above anything they associate with Him! (Surat al-Qasas, 68)
The Gospel
They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator— Who is forever praised... (Romans, 1:25)
The Torah
But you have forsaken Me and served other gods... Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them save you when you are in trouble! (Judges, 10:13-14)
Asking for the Contentment of God, not the People
The Qur’an
They swear to you by God in order to please you, but it would be more fitting for them to please God and His Messenger if they are believers. (Surat at-Tawba, 62)
The Gospel
On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, Who tests our hearts. (1 Thessalonians, 2:4)
Submitting to the Word of God
The Qur’an
Follow what has been revealed to you from your Lord. God is aware of what you do. (Surat al-Ahzab, 2)
The Gospel
Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. (James, 1:21)
The Torah
Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget His deeds but would keep His commands. (Psalms, 78:7)
They did not keep God’s covenant and refused to live by His law. (Psalms, 78:10)
He follows My decrees and faithfully keeps My laws. That man is righteous... (Ezekiel, 18:9)
Devotion to God
The Qur’an
Remember the Name of your Lord, and devote yourself to Him completely. (Surat al-Muzzammil, 8)
The Gospel
So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. (1 Corinthians, 10:31)
The Torah
Look to the Lord and His strength; seek His face always. (1 Chronicles, 16:11)
To Listen Well and Follow
The Qur’an
Those who listen well to what is said and follow the best of it, they are the ones whom God has guided, they are the people of intelligence. (Surat az-Zumar, 18)
The Gospel
For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. (Romans, 2:13)
The Torah
Then they would put their trust in God and would not forget His deeds but would keep His commands. (Psalms, 78:7)
Statements that are in Agreement with the Fear of God in the Qur’an
Presenter: Fear of God; it is an emotion that elevates a person's faith, enthusiasm, and love and devoutness towards God. This fear that keeps a person away from behavior that God is not pleased with curbs the intemperance and unbridled evil of the self, and always inclines the person towards goodness is defined in the Qur’an and other sacred Books as follows:
The Qur’an
Those who conveyed God’s Message and had devotion of Him, fearing no one except God. God suffices as a Reckoner. (Surat al-Ahzab, 39)
The Gospel
... Live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear. (1 Peter, 1:17)
The Torah
The Lord’s love is with those who fear Him... (Psalms, 103:17-18)
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow His precepts have good understanding... (Psalms, 111:10)
Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in obedience to Him. (Psalms, 128:1)
God Grants Discrimination to Those Who Have Fear of Him
The Qur’an
You who have faith! If you have devotion of God, He will give you a criterion (by which to judge between right and wrong) and erase your bad actions from you and forgive you. God’s favor is indeed immense. (Surat al-Anfal, 29)
The Torah
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow His precepts have good understanding. To Him belongs eternal praise. (Psalms, 111:10)
The Importance of the Fear of God and Good Moral Values
The Qur’an
Children of Adam! We have sent down clothing to you to conceal your private parts, and fine apparel, but the garment of piety– that is best! That is one of God’s Signs, so that hopefully you will pay heed. (Surat al-A'raf, 26)
The Gospel
(Women) Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. (1 Peter, 3:3-4)
The Torah
... Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil. (Ecclesiastes, 12:13-14)
Statements Regarding Destiny and the Relativity of Time that are in Accordance with the Qur’an
Presenter: Almighty God created everything with destiny. The destiny He created is impeccable. Everything that is experienced, every situation that is witnessed and every detail is created for a certain reason, beneficence and wisdom and is written in the Presence of God. God informs this truth as follows.
God Created All Things With Destiny
The Qur’an
We have created all things in due measure. Our command is only one word, like the blinking of an eye. (Surat al-Qamar, 49-50)
The Gospel
But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose you to be saved… through belief in the truth. (2 Thessalonians, 2:13)
The Torah
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens." (Ecclesiastes 3:1)
I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it... (Ecclesiastes, 3:14)
Trust in God
The Qur’an
If God helps you, no one can vanquish you. If He forsakes you, who can help you after that? So the believers should put their trust in God. (Surah Al' Imran, 160)
You who have faith! Remember God’s blessing to you when certain people were on the verge of raising their hands against you and He held their hands back from you. Have devotion of God. The believers should put their trust in God. (Surah al-Ma'ida, 11)
The Gospel
For through the Spirit of God we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope [in the hereafter]. (Galatians, 5:5)
The Torah
He sought God during the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God. As long as he sought the Lord, God gave him success. (2 Chronicles, 26:5)
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding... (Proverbs, 3:5)
Lord Almighty, blessed is the one who trusts in You. (Psalms, 84:12)
A Day with God is Equivalent to a Thousand Years in the Way We Count
The Qur’an
They ask you to hasten the punishment. God will not break His promise. A day with your Lord is equivalent to a thousand years in the way you count. (Surat al-Hajj, 47)
The Gospel
... With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. Instead He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (2 Peter, 3:8-9)
Statements that are in Agreement with the Prayer in the Qur’an
Presenter: Prayer is a great blessing that helps believers to be constantly be in touch with God. God states that He is pleased with prayer because it is a means for connection with Him, and that He will accept and answer sincere prayers.
God Answers the Prayers of Those Who Pray
The Qur’an
If My slaves ask you about Me, I am near. I answer the call of the caller when he calls on Me. They should therefore respond to Me and believe in Me so that hopefully they will be rightly guided. (Surat al-Baqarah, 186)
The Gospel
Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. (Matthew, 7:7-8)
Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. (Mark, 11:24)
The Torah
In your distress you called and I rescued you, I answered you out of a thundercloud... (Psalms, 81:7)
God Will Repay Everyone for Their Deeds
The Qur’an
You will see every nation on its knees, every nation summoned to its Book: ‘Today you will be repaid for what you did.' (Surat al-Jathiyya, 28)
The Gospel
God "will repay each person according to what they have done." To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, He will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. (Romans, 2:6-8)
The Torah
The day of the Lord is near for all nations... As you have done, it will be done to you; your deeds will return upon your own head. (Obadiah, 1:15)
Statements Regarding the Judgment Day and the Hereafter that are in Agreement with the Qur’an
Presenter: God refers to the Hereafter in the Qur’an as "the true life"; the life of the world is defined as nothing but a "diversion" and “a place of trial” for people.
Worldly Possessions will not Benefit People in the Hereafter
The Qur’an
As for those who are unbelievers, their wealth and children will not help them against God in any way. They are fuel for the Fire (Surah al 'Imran, 10)
The Torah
Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to save them on the day of the Lord’s wrath. (Zephaniah, 1:18)
The Judgment Day
The Qur’an
Asking, ‘So when is the Day of Rising?’ But when the eyesight is dazzled, and the moon is eclipsed, and the sun and moon are fused together, on that Day man will say, ‘Where can I run?’ No indeed! There will be no safe place. (Surat al-Qiyamah, 6-11)
The Gospel
But in those days, following that distress, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky... (Mark, 13:24-25)
... The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare... That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. (2 Peter, 3:10-12)
The Torah
... For the day of the Lord is near... The sun and moon will be darkened, and the stars no longer shine. (Joel, 3:14-15)
... the day of the Lord is near; it will come like destruction from the Almighty. Because of this, all hands will go limp, every heart will melt with fear. Terror will seize them, pain and anguish will grip them; they will writhe like a woman in labor. They will look aghast at each other, their faces aflame... The stars of heaven and their constellations will not show their light. The rising sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light. (Isaiah, 13:6-10)
Statements Regarding the Characteristics of Those Who Have Faith in Accordance with the Qur’an
Presenter: Those who have faith strive mightily for their entire lives to earn the pleasure of God and live by the moral values He approves of, to make these moral values prevalent among people and to be instrumental in people’s having faith in God. Such characteristics of those who have faith are described in the sacred Books as follows:
Those Who Have Faith Being in the Minority
The Qur’an
But most people, for all your eagerness, are not believers. (Surah Yusuf, 103)
The Gospel
Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. (Matthew, 7:13-14)
God Choosing Those Who Have Faith
The Qur’an
Say: ‘Praise be to God and peace be upon His slaves whom He has chosen.’ Is God better, or what you associate with Him? (Surat an-Naml, 59)
The Gospel
But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose you to be saved… through belief in the truth. (2 Thessalonians, 2:13)
The Torah
... For the Lord your God has chosen them to minister and to pronounce blessings in the name of the Lord... (Deuteronomy, 21:5)
God's Kindness to Those Who Have Faith
The Qur’an
... Do not say, ‘You are not a believer’, to someone who greets you as a Muslim, simply out of desire for the goods of this world. With God there is booty in abundance. That is the way you were before but God has been kind to you. (Surah an-Nisa', 94)
The Gospel
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians, 2:8-9)
The Torah
When you are in distress and all these things have happened to you, then in later days you will return to the Lord your God and obey Him. For the Lord your God is a merciful God; He will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your ancestors, which He confirmed to them by oath. (Deuteronomy, 4:30-31)
Holding Fast to the Religion of God
The Qur’an
As for those who hold fast to the Book and establish the prayer, We will not let the wage of those who are sincere be wasted. (Surah al-A'raf, 170)
The Gospel
So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter. (2 Thessalonians, 2:15)
He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it. (Titus, 1:9)
The Torah
You must obey My laws and be careful to follow My decrees. I am the Lord your God. Keep My decrees and laws, for the person who obeys them will live by them. (Leviticus, 18:4-5)
The Life and Death of Those Who Have Faith are for the Sake of God
The Qur’an
Say: ‘My prayer and my rites, my living and my dying, are for God alone, the Lord of all the worlds.' (Surah al-An'am, 162)
The Gospel
For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone. If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. (Romans, 14:7-8)
Refraining from Making Divisions in Religion
The Qur’an
He has laid down the same religion for you as He enjoined on Noah: that which We have revealed to you and which We enjoined on Abraham, Moses and ‘Jesus: 'Establish the religion and do not make divisions in it.' (Surah ash-Shura, 13)
The Gospel
... All of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought. (Corinthians, 1:10)
The Creation of Man
The Qur’an
We created man from the purest kind of clay; then made him a drop in a secure receptacle; then formed the drop into a clot and formed the clot into a lump and formed the lump into bones and clothed the bones in flesh; and then brought him into being as another creature. Blessed be God, the Best of Creators! (Surat al-Muminun, 12-14)
The Torah
Your hands shaped me and made me... You molded me like clay... Clothe me with skin and flesh and knit me together with bones and sinews. (Job, 10:8-11)
The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life. (Job, 33:4)
I am the same as you in God’s sight; I too am a piece of clay. (Job, 33:6)
Conclusion
Presenter : As one can see, there are many passages in the Torah and the Gospel that are in agreement with the Qur’an. This shows us a single truth: That the Qur’an and the other sacred Books are revealed by the One and Only Almighty God. People from different cultures all around the world were - and still continue to be - educated through these Books that herald the existence of One God. In every period in history, through His servants whom He rendered distinguished and superior, Our Lord introduced Himself to the people and informed them about the religion that He chose for them. Almighty God informs about this fact in His last revelation, the Qur’an, as follows:
But before it there was the Book of Moses as a model and a mercy. And this is a corroborating Book in the Arabic tongue so that you may warn those who do wrong, and as good news for the good-doers. (Surat al-Ahqaf, 12)
