Earlier Scripture as Guidance and Confirmation
The Christian case emphasizes that Qur'an 5:46 calls the Gospel guidance and light, 5:47 directs the People of the Gospel to judge by what God revealed in it, 5:68 tells the People of the Book to uphold Torah and Gospel, and 29:46 speaks of belief in what was revealed to them. The argument then asks whether these statements make sense if the communities possessed no trustworthy access to the revelation in question.
Perspective note
This is a Christian apologetics analysis. Muslim interpretations are identified as replies and should be read from their cited Qur'anic and tafsir sources before evaluation.
Key points
- Positive language about earlier revelation is a premise of the argument, not yet proof that every manuscript reading is endorsed.
- The time and audience of each command must be established from context.
- The Christian inference is strongest when confirmation, accessible texts, and doctrinal comparison are defended as separate steps.
Primary sources
Read Qur'an 5:47 in Pickthall's translation:
This commands judgment by what was revealed in the Gospel. Identifying the precise historical referent and its relation to the four canonical Gospels requires additional evidence.
Let the People of the Gospel judge by that which Allah hath revealed therein.
Passage context and translation
This commands judgment by what was revealed in the Gospel. Identifying the precise historical referent and its relation to the four canonical Gospels requires additional evidence.
After the excerpt
Whoso judgeth not