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Evidence from the Statements of Kaʿb al Ahbar (d. 14AH)
Evidence from the Statement of Abu al Aliyah (d. 90AH)
Muqatil ibn Sulayman (d. 150AH)
Muhammad ibn Mansur al Mahdi (d. 169AH)
Evidence from the Conversation of Abu Jafar al Mamun ibn Harun (d. 218AH)
Evidence from the Statement of Sahl, the Freedman of Utaybah
Abu Uthman al Jahiz (d. 255AH)
Al Qadi Ismail ibn Ishaq (d. 282AH)
Ibn Jarir al Tabari (d. 310AH)
Al Zajjaj (d. 311AH)
Abu Jafar al Tahawi (d. 321AH)
Summary
Kaʿb al Ahbar and the Missing Descriptions of the Prophet ﷺ
Kaʿb al Ahbar (d. 14AH), a former rabbi who accepted Islam after the death of the Prophet ﷺ, gave reports about descriptions of the Prophet ﷺ and his ummah that he said were found in the Tawrah (Torah). He described the Prophet ﷺ as “the Messenger of Allah”, “My chosen servant”, and one who was not harsh, rough, or loud in the markets. He also said that the Prophet ﷺ would not repay evil with evil, but would pardon and forgive. His birthplace was Makkah, his place of migration was Taybah, and his dominion would be in al Sham. (Sunan al Darimi, 1/17)
Kaʿb also described the ummah of the Prophet ﷺ as people who praise Allah in ease and hardship, say takbir upon high places, watch the sun so they know the times of salah, wash their limbs in wudu, wrap their garments around their waists, and raise their voices at night like the sound of bees. These details are important because many of them are not found in today’s Bible. This supports the view that parts of the earlier scripture were lost, removed, or changed. (Sunan al Darimi, 1/17)
In another report, Kaʿb said: “Hold firmly to the Qur’an, for it is the understanding of the mind, the light of wisdom, the springs of knowledge, and the most recent of the Books in covenant with the Most Merciful.”
He then said that the Tawrah contains the address: “O Muhammad, I am sending down upon you a new Tawrah, through which blind eyes, deaf ears, and covered hearts will be opened.” This connects the coming of the Prophet ﷺ with guidance, light, and the opening of hearts. (Sunan al Darimi, 2/525–526)
In the report from Ibn Abbas رضي الله عنهما, Kaʿb was asked how the Messenger ﷺ was described in the Tawrah. Kaʿb said that he was Muhammad ibn Abdullah, born in Makkah, migrating to Tabah, with dominion in al Sham. He described his manners, his forgiving nature, and the worship of his ummah. He said they praise Allah, say takbir upon raised places, wash their limbs in wudu, line up in salah as they line up in battle, and that their caller is heard in the open sky. (al Durr al Manthur, 6/613. Ibn Saʿd, 1/360. al Darimi, 6/1. Ibn Asakir, 1/185–186)
The report of Friday also shows Kaʿb reading the Tawrah and then affirming the truth of what the Messenger ﷺ said about Friday. The Prophet ﷺ said that Adam عليه السلام was created on Friday, expelled on Friday, forgiven on Friday, and that the Final Hour will occur on Friday. He also said that Friday contains a time in which no Muslim prays and asks Allah for anything except that Allah gives it to him. Kaʿb first thought this was once every year, then he read the Tawrah and said that the Messenger ﷺ had spoken the truth. (Sunan Abu Dawud, 1046, sahih)
These reports show that Kaʿb affirmed descriptions and signs connected to the Prophet ﷺ and his ummah from the Tawrah. Since many of these details are not present in today’s Bible, they serve as an indirect proof for tahrif (alteration), especially the loss or removal of descriptions that earlier Muslims believed were present in the scriptures of the People of the Book.
Abu al Aliyah and the Concealment of Truth
Abu al Aliyah (d. 90AH) explained the statement of Allah: “Do not exchange My verses for a small price.” He said that it means not taking payment for teaching the Book. He also said that it was written with them in the first Book: “O son of Adam, teach freely, just as you were taught freely.” (Tafsir al Tabari, 1/603–504. Ibn Abi Hatim, Tafsir, 1/97, no. 449. al Khatib, al Kifayah, p. 153. Ibn Adi, 3/1023. Ibn Asakir, Tarikh, 18/179. Abu Nuaym, al Hilyah, 2/220. Abu Khaythamah, al Ilm, no. 68)
Abu al Aliyah also explained the mixing of truth with falsehood. He said that the Jews admitted that Muhammad ﷺ had been sent, but claimed that he had not been sent to them. Their admission that he was sent was truth, while their denial that he was sent to them was falsehood. This shows a form of kitman (concealment) and talbis (covering truth with falsehood), where a true matter is admitted in one way but denied in another. (Tafsir al Qurtubi, 2/21)
Muqatil ibn Sulayman and the Erasure of the Prophet’s Description
Muqatil ibn Sulayman (d. 150AH) gave a very direct explanation of the verse: “So woe to those who write the Book with their own hands.” He said that the leaders of the Jews in Madinah erased the description of Muhammad ﷺ from the Tawrah and wrote something else in its place. Then they told the lower ranks of the Jews: “This description is from Allah”, so that they could receive a small worldly gain from what the people gave them every year from crops and fruits. (Tafsir Muqatil ibn Sulayman, 1/118–119)
This is a clear statement of tahrif (alteration) in the wording itself. Muqatil did not limit the matter to wrong interpretation. He spoke of mahw (erasure), tabdil (substitution), and writing new content into the Tawrah. The reason he gave was worldly benefit and fear of losing status and income if the people followed Muhammad ﷺ.
Caliph al Mahdi and the Removal of Prophecies
Muhammad ibn Mansur al Mahdi (d. 169AH), during his debate with the Nestorian patriarch Timothy, said that the Bible had contained many prophecies about Muhammad ﷺ. He argued that the People of the Book had corrupted their scripture and removed those prophecies. (An Arabic to English Translation of the Religious Debate between the Nestorian Patriarch Timothy I and the Abbasid Caliph al Mahdi, p. 144)
This shows that the belief in textual corruption was not only found among mufassirun (imams of tafsir), but was also used in formal debate with Christian religious leaders. The argument was that earlier scripture originally contained signs of the Prophet ﷺ, but those signs were removed through tahrif (alteration).
The Debate Gathering of al Mamun and the Preservation of the Qur’an
During the time of Abu Jafar al Mamun ibn Harun (d. 218AH), a Jewish man entered a debate gathering. He had fine clothing, a good appearance, and spoke with excellent wording. Al Mamun invited him to Islam and promised him good treatment, but he refused, saying that his religion was the religion of his forefathers.
After one year, the same man returned as a Muslim. When al Mamun asked him about the reason for his Islam, he explained that he wanted to test the religions. He had fine handwriting, so he wrote three copies of the Tawrah (Torah), adding and removing parts. He took them to the Jewish place of worship, and they were bought from him. He then wrote three copies of the Injil (Gospel), again adding and removing parts. He took them to the church, and they were also bought from him.
Then he wrote three copies of the Qur’an and added and removed parts. When he took them to the booksellers, they examined them, found the additions and omissions, threw them away, and refused to buy them. He said that he then knew the Qur’an was a preserved Book, and this became the reason for his Islam. (Tafsir al Qurtubi, 12/180–181)
This account shows the difference between the earlier scriptures and the Qur’an in preservation. The Tawrah and Injil were shown as vulnerable to ziyadah (addition) and nuqsan (omission), while the Qur’an was recognised, checked, and protected from such changes.
Sahl the Freedman of Utaybah and the Hidden Sheet in the Gospel
Sahl, the freedman of Utaybah, had been a Christian from the people of Maris. He was an orphan under the care of his mother and paternal uncle, and he used to read the Injil (Gospel). He said that he once took a copy belonging to his uncle and read it until he found a sheet whose writing looked strange. When he touched it, he found that the folds had been stuck together with glue. He opened it and found the description of Muhammad ﷺ.
The description said that the Prophet ﷺ was neither short nor tall, fair skinned, with two locks of hair, and that between his shoulders was a seal. It also said that he did not accept charity, rode the donkey and the camel, milked sheep, wore a patched shirt, was free of pride, came from the descendants of Ismail عليه السلام, and that his name was Ahmad. (al Tabaqat al Kubra, Ibn Saʿd, 1/272)
When Sahl’s uncle saw the sheet, he struck him and asked why he had opened it. Sahl replied that it contained the description of Ahmad ﷺ. His uncle answered: “He has not come yet.” This account points to kitman (concealment), because the sheet was hidden and sealed away. It also shows that some among the People of the Book knew of descriptions of the Prophet ﷺ that are not found openly in today’s Bible.
al Jahiz and the Reliability of the Gospel Writers
Abu Uthman al Jahiz (d. 255AH) criticised the Christian reliance on four Gospel writers. He said that Christians received their religion from John, Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Two of them, according to Christian claims, were from the disciples, while the other two accepted later.
Al Jahiz argued that these four were not beyond error, forgetfulness, deliberate lying, mutual agreement upon certain matters, or arranged leadership. If Christians claimed that they were too virtuous to lie, too strong in memory to forget, and too noble to make mistakes in the religion of Allah, then the differences between their Gospel narrations, the contradictions in their books, their disagreement about Christ عليه السلام, and the differences in their laws all showed otherwise. (Kitab al Rasail lil Jahiz, 3/328–329)
His argument focuses on the human transmission of the Gospels. He presents the differences between the Gospel accounts as evidence that their preservation cannot be treated like the preservation of revelation. This supports the wider Islamic view that the Injil known among Christians was affected by tahrif (alteration), disagreement, and unreliable transmission.
al Qadi Ismail ibn Ishaq and the Difference Between the Tawrah and the Qur’an
Al Qadi Ismail ibn Ishaq (d. 282AH) was asked why substitution was possible among the people of the Tawrah but not among the people of the Qur’an. He answered by quoting the meaning of the verse about the earlier scripture: “Because they were entrusted with the Book of Allah.” He explained that Allah entrusted preservation to them, so substitution became possible among them.
He then contrasted this with the Qur’an, quoting the meaning: “Indeed, it is We who sent down the Reminder, and indeed, We will surely preserve it.” Because Allah Himself guaranteed the preservation of the Qur’an, substitution was not possible in it. (Ghayat al Nihayah fi Tabaqat al Qurra, Ibn al Jazari, 1/147)
This is an important distinction. The earlier communities were entrusted with preservation, while Allah directly guaranteed the preservation of the Qur’an. This explains why tabdil (substitution) could occur in the earlier scriptures but not in the final revelation.
Ibn Jarir al Tabari and the Written Alteration of the Book
Ibn Jarir al Tabari (d. 310AH) explained the verse: “So woe to those who write the Book with their own hands.” He said that this referred to Jews from Banu Israil who altered the Book of Allah. They wrote a book based on their own explanations, contrary to what Allah had sent down to Musa عليه السلام. Then they sold it to people who had no knowledge of the Tawrah or of what was in the Books of Allah, seeking a low worldly gain. (Tafsir al Tabari, 2/165)
Al Tabari also explained the statement: “They distort the words from their proper places.” He said that Allah removed success and iman from their hearts, so they distorted the words of their Lord that He had sent down to Musa عليه السلام, meaning the Tawrah. They changed it and wrote with their own hands something other than what Allah had sent down. Then they said to the ignorant people: “This is the speech of Allah that He sent down to His Prophet Musa, and this is the Tawrah that He revealed to him.” (Tafsir al Tabari, 8/251)
Al Tabari’s wording is very clear. He speaks of changing the Tawrah, writing something else by hand, and falsely claiming that it was from Allah. This is not merely wrong explanation. It is direct tahrif (alteration) of the written scripture.
al Zajjaj and the Erasure of the Description of Muhammad ﷺ
Al Zajjaj (d. 311AH), as quoted by Abu al Layth al Samarqandi, explained the verse about those who write the Book with their own hands. He said that the leaders of the Jews erased the description of Muhammad ﷺ, then wrote something else in place of his description. They then told the lower ranks among them: “This is from Allah”, so that they could sell it for a small worldly gain. (Tafsir al Samarqandi, also known as Bahr al Ulum, p. 67)
This agrees with the explanation given by Muqatil. The key point is that al Zajjaj spoke of erasure first, then new writing. That means both removal and replacement were involved. This is clear evidence of mahw (erasure), tabdil (substitution), and tahrif (alteration) in relation to the Tawrah.
Abu Jafar al Tahawi and the Accepted Muslim View
Abu Jafar al Tahawi (d. 321AH) recorded the report of Ibn Umar رضي الله عنهما that the Messenger ﷺ stoned a Jewish man and a Jewish woman after they brought their case to him for judgement. A question was then raised: how could the Prophet ﷺ refer to the Tawrah when Allah had informed him that its people had changed it and had written into it what was not from it?
The verse was then quoted: “So woe to those who write the Book with their own hands, then say, ‘This is from Allah,’ so that they may sell it for a small price. So woe to them for what their hands have written, and woe to them for what they earn.” (al Baqarah: 79) (Sharh Mushkil al Athar, al Tahawi, 15/94)
The footnote says that its chain is authentic, and that Ali ibn Mabad was narrated from by al Tirmidhi and al Nasai and is trustworthy, while those above him are narrators of al Bukhari and Muslim. The same report is also found in Sharh Maani al Athar. Other related routes are found in Ahmad, al Nasai, Ibn Abi Shaybah, and Muslim. (Sharh Maani al Athar, 4/141. Ahmad, 2/61–62. al Nasai, al Kubra, no. 7216. Ibn Abi Shaybah, 10/149 and 14/149. Ahmad, 2/17. Muslim, no. 1699)
This shows that al Tahawi was aware of the established Muslim position that the people of the Tawrah had changed it and written into it what was not from Allah. At the same time, the Prophet ﷺ judged them according to what remained of the ruling of stoning when it was brought forward and exposed. This means the Islamic position did not require saying that every single part of the Tawrah had disappeared. Rather, it affirmed that tahrif (alteration) had occurred, while some truth still remained.
Conclusion
From Kaʿb al Ahbar in the first century to al Tahawi in the fourth century, the early Islamic records presents a consistent understanding: the earlier scriptures contained truth, including descriptions and signs of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, but the People of the Book concealed, erased, altered, or replaced parts of their scriptures.
The reports from Kaʿb show missing descriptions of the Prophet ﷺ and his ummah. Abu al Aliyah points to concealment and mixing truth with falsehood. Muqatil and al Zajjaj explicitly speak of erasing the Prophet’s description from the Tawrah and writing something else in its place. Al Mahdi used the same argument in debate with a Christian patriarch.
The account from the time of al Mamun contrasts the vulnerability of the Tawrah and Injil with the preservation of the Qur’an. Sahl’s account points to hidden Gospel material about Ahmad ﷺ. Al Jahiz criticised the unreliable transmission of the Gospels. Al Qadi Ismail explained why substitution was possible in the earlier scriptures but not in the Qur’an. Al Tabari openly described written alteration, and al Tahawi treated the changing of the Tawrah as a known and accepted matter among Muslims.
End of Summary.
Full Article
Evidence from the statements of Ka’b Al-Ahbar (d. 14 A.H.)
Ka’b Al Ahbar was a prominent Rabbi who converted to Islam some years after the Prophet’s death
Zayd ibn Awf informed us. He said: Abu Awanah narrated to us, from Abd al Malik ibn Umayr, from Dhakwan Abu Salih, from Kab:
In the first line:
“Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, My chosen servant. He is not harsh, rough, or loud in the markets. He does not repay evil with evil. Rather, he pardons and forgives. His birthplace is Makkah, his place of migration is Taybah, and his dominion is in al Sham.”
In the second line:
“Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. His ummah are those who praise much. They praise Allah in ease and hardship. They praise Allah at every stop, and they say takbir upon every high place. They watch over the sun and pray the salah when its time comes, even if they are on top of a heap of refuse. They wrap their garments around their waists, wash their limbs in wudu, and their voices at night, in the open sky, are like the sound of bees.”
Sunan al Dārimī by al Dārimī, ʿAbd Allāh ibn ʿAbd al Raḥmān al Dārimī al Samarqandī 1/17
Here, we see that Ka’b ibn Al-Ahbar gives descriptions of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ from the Torah, which we cannot find in today’s Bibles. Some might argue that this narration alludes to Isaiah 42; however, if one compares the narration with the passage in Isaiah, one would see that many traits are missing. (e.g., Ka’b mentions that the Prophets community will know how to pray by looking at the sun, yet this is not found in the Bible).
In another narration:
Amr ibn Asim narrated to us. Hammad ibn Salamah narrated to us, from Asim ibn Bahdalah, from Mughith, from Kab, who said: “Hold firmly to the Qur’an, for it is the understanding of the mind, the light of wisdom, the springs of knowledge, and the most recent of the Books in covenant with the Most Merciful.”
He also said: “In the Torah, it says: O Muhammad, I am sending down upon you a new Torah, through which blind eyes, deaf ears, and covered hearts will be opened.”
Sunan al Dārimī 2/525–526
In another narration
Ibn Saʿd, al Darimi, and Ibn Asakir reported from Abu Farwah, from Ibn Abbas رضي الله عنهما, that he asked Kab al Ahbar:
“How do you find the description of the Messenger ﷺ in the Torah?”
Kab said:
“We find him described as Muhammad ibn Abdullah. He will be born in Makkah, migrate to Tabah, and his dominion will be in al Sham. He is not obscene, nor loud and quarrelsome in the markets. He does not repay evil with evil. Rather, he pardons and forgives. His ummah are those who praise much. They praise Allah in every time of ease. They say takbir to Allah upon every raised place. They wash their limbs in wudu. They wrap their garments around their waists. They line up in their salah as they line up in battle. The sound of them in their masjids is like the humming of bees. Their caller is heard in the open sky.”
Footnote: Ibn Saʿd, 1/360, al Darimi, 6/1, and Ibn Asakir, 1/185–186.
al Durr al Manthūr by al Suyūṭī 6/613
Ka’b says that all the above things are in the Torah, yet we don’t find most of them in today’s Bible.
Here is a conversation that occurred between Ka’b and the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
AbuHurayrah said: I asked him to tell me about it.
I said: Yes, it is so. (Sunan Abu Dawud 1046 – Sahih)
Notice, how Ka’b read the Torah and affirms that what the Prophet (peace be upon him) stated was true. Notice that the Prophet (peace be upon him) states that Adam was created on a Friday. This is true for if one reads the creation account in Genesis he will see that Adam was created on the sixth day (being Friday). However, where in the Bible today do we find the following:
“and it contains a time at which no Muslim prays and asks anything from Allah but He will give it to him.”
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said this regarding Friday. Where is this in the Bible?
Ka’b has stated several things about the Prophet (peace be upon him) that was or should have been in the Torah during their time and it is not in the Bible today. This is an indirect proof that the Bible has been textually corrupted.
Evidence from the statement of Abul-`Aaliyah (d. 90 A.H.)
Abu Jafar narrated to us, from al Rabi, from Abu al Aliyah, regarding the statement of Allah:
“Do not exchange My verses for a small price.”
He said:
“Meaning: Do not take payment for it.”
He said:
“It is written with them in the first Book: O son of Adam, teach freely, just as taught freely.”
Footnote: Reported by Ibn Abi Hatim in his Tafsir, 1/97, no. 449, and by al Khatib in al Kifayah, p. 153, through the route of Adam with this wording. It was also reported by Ibn Adi, 3/1023, and through him by Ibn Asakir in his Tarikh, 18/179, and by Abu Nuaym in al Hilyah, 2/220, and by al Khatib, p. 154, through the route of Abu Jafar with similar wording. Abu Khaythamah also reported it in al Ilm, no. 68, from Ishaq ibn Sulayman al Razi, from Abu Jafar, from al Rabi, as his statement.
Tafsir At Tabari 1/603–504
The ulama of tafsir differed over what is meant by His statement:
“Truth with falsehood.”
It was reported from Ibn Abbas رضي الله عنهما and others:
“Do not mix the truth that you have in the Book with falsehood,” meaning alteration and substitution.
Abu al Aliyah said: “The Jews said: Muhammad ﷺ has been sent, but not to us. Their admission that he had been sent was truth, while their denial that he had been sent to them was falsehood.”
Tafsir Al Qurtubi 2/21
Muqatil bin Sulaymaan (d. 150 A.H.)
“So woe to those who write the Book with their own hands, writing something other than the description of Muhammad ﷺ.
That is because the leaders of the Jews in Madinah erased the description of Muhammad ﷺ from the Torah and wrote something other than his description. Then they said to the Jews, about that replacement of the description of Muhammad ﷺ: “This description is from Allah,” so that they could sell it for a small price, meaning a small worldly gain from what the lower ranks of the Jews would give them every year from their crops and fruits.
He says: So woe to them for what their hands have written, meaning what they wrote in the Torah by changing the description of Muhammad ﷺ. And woe to them for what they earn from those provisions through denying Muhammad ﷺ. If they had followed Muhammad ﷺ, those provisions would have been withheld from them.”
Tafsīr Muqātil ibn Sulaymān 1/118–119
Here, we have an early Muslim commentator of the Qur’an who clearly speaks about the textual corruption of the Torah. He states that the descriptions of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) were erased from the Torah. This clearly shows that he believed that the text from the Torah was removed. Then, he states that the Jews wrote other descriptions, which indicates that text has been added to the Torah.
Muhammad ibn Mansur al-Mahdi (d. 169 A.H.)
The Caliph Muhammad ibn Mansur al-Mahdi clearly told his critic, the patriarch Timothy, that the Bible had contained many prophecies about Muhammad but the People of the Book had corrupted their texts and they had removed the prophecies. (An Arabic to English Translation of the Religious Debate between the Nestorian Patriarch Timothy I and the Abbasid Caliph al Mahdī pg 144)
Evidence from the conversation of Abu Jafar al-Ma’mun ibn Harun (d. 218 A.H.)
Al-Qurtubi , in his commentary on Surah 15, Verse 9, relates a lengthy story of how a Jew became a Muslim. This took place during the reign of Abu Jafar al-Ma’mun ibn Harun sometime in the early 800’s (C.E.).
The Jew was asked about how he became a Muslim. He said that he once bought three copies of each of the scriptures: Torah, Gospel, and Qur’an.
He took each one of these books and began to remove and add some text to the books. He then stated that he went to the Jews and Christians and tried selling them the distorted books, and they bought them. He then stated that he went to the Muslims and attempted to sell them the distorted Qur’anic copies, but they discovered the additions and deletions and refused to buy them. He then stated that he was sure God had protected the Qur’an and concluded Islam was the true religion.
He told this story to the Muslim ruler al-Ma’mun, who then acknowledged and blessed his decision.
This shows that the early Muslims at that time believed that the scriptures of the Jews and Christians were textually corrupted and had not been appropriately preserved.
The Chain of Transmission
The jurist and imam, Abu al Qasim Abdullah, informed us from his father, the jurist, imam, and hadith scholar Abu al Hasan Ali ibn Khalaf ibn Mazuz al Kumi al Tilimsani, who said:
The following was read to the learned shaykhah, Fakhr al Nisa, Shahdah bint Abi Nasr Ahmad ibn al Faraj al Dinawari, in her home in Dar al Salam, at the end of Jumada al Akhirah in the year 564AH. It was said to her: The noble and active shaykh, the head of the chiefs, Abu al Fawaris Tirad ibn Muhammad al Zaynabi, informed you by reading before him while you were listening, in the year 490AH.
He said: Ali ibn Abdullah ibn Ibrahim informed us. Abu Ali Isa ibn Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Umar ibn Abd al Malik ibn Abd al Aziz ibn Jurayj, known as al Tumari, narrated to us. Al Husayn ibn Fahm narrated to us. He said: I heard Yahya ibn Aktham say:
The Debate Gathering of al Mamun
Al Mamun, while he was still a ruler at that time, had a gathering for debate. A Jewish man entered among the people. He had fine clothing, a handsome face, and a pleasant scent. The man spoke, and he spoke with excellent wording and expression.
When the gathering ended, al Mamun called him and said: “Are you an Israelite?”
He said: “Yes.”
Al Mamun said to him: “Accept Islam, and I will do good for you and treat you well.” He also promised him favour.
The man replied: “My religion is the religion of my forefathers.” Then he left.
His Return as a Muslim
After one year, he came to us as a Muslim. He spoke about fiqh, and he spoke very well. When the gathering ended, al Mamun called him and said: “Are you not our companion from before?”
He said: “Yes.”
Al Mamun said: “What was the reason for your Islam?”
The Reason He Became Muslim
He said: “I left your presence, and I wanted to test these religions. As you can see, I have fine handwriting. So I went to the Torah and wrote three copies. I added to them and removed from them. Then I took them into the place of worship, and they were bought from me.
Then I went to the Gospel and wrote three copies. I added to them and removed from them. Then I took them into the church, and they were bought from me.
Then I went to the Qur’an and made three copies. I added to them and removed from them. Then I took them to the booksellers, and they examined them. When they found additions and omissions in them, they threw them away and did not buy them.
So I knew that this is a Book that is preserved. That was the reason for my Islam.”
Tafsir Al Qurtubi 12/180–181
Evidence from the Statement of Sahl, the freedman of Utaybah (d. ? A.H.)
Muhammad ibn Ismail ibn Abi Fudayk al Madani informed us, from Musa ibn Yaqub al Zamii, from Sahl, the freedman of Utaybah, that he had been a Christian from the people of Maris. He was an orphan under the care of his mother and his paternal uncle, and he used to read the Gospel.
He said: “I took a copy belonging to my uncle and read it, until I came across a sheet. I found its writing strange when I passed over it, so I touched it with my hand. Then I looked, and the folds of the sheet had been stuck together with glue. So I opened it and found in it the description of Muhammad ﷺ:
He is neither short nor tall. He is fair skinned, with two locks of hair. Between his shoulders is a seal. He often sits with his legs drawn up. He does not accept charity. He rides the donkey and the camel. He milks the sheep. He wears a patched shirt. Whoever does that has become free of pride, and he does that. He is from the descendants of Ismail عليه السلام, and his name is Ahmad.”
Sahl said: “When I reached this mention of Muhammad ﷺ, my uncle came. When he saw the sheet, he struck me and said: “What made you open this sheet and read it?”
I said: “It contains the description of the Prophet ﷺ, Ahmad.”
He said: “He has not come yet.”
Al Tabaqat al Kubra, by Ibn Saʿd 1/272
Where are these descriptions to be found in the Bible?
Abu Uthman al-Jahiz (d. 255 A.H.)
They only received their religion from four people. Two of them, according to their claim, were from the disciples: John and Matthew. The other two were from those who accepted later: Mark and Luke. These four cannot be considered safe from error, forgetfulness, deliberate lying, agreeing together upon matters, arranging between themselves to divide leadership, and each one handing over to his companion the share that had been agreed for him.
If they say: “They were too virtuous to deliberately lie, too strong in memory to forget anything, and too elevated to make a mistake concerning the religion of Allah, or to neglect a covenant.”
We say: The differences in their narrations of the Gospel, the contradictions within their books, their disagreement about the very being of Christ, along with the differences in their laws, are proof that what we have said about them is correct, and that you have overlooked their condition.
What would prevent someone like Luke from saying falsehood, when he was not from the disciples, and had only been a Jew a few days before that? Among those whom you count as disciples, there were people better than Luke in the sight of Christ, based on apparent purity, noble character, and innocence.
Kitāb al Rasāʾil lil Jāḥiẓ by al Jāḥiẓ 3/328–329
Al-Qadi Ismail b. Ishaq (d. 282 A.H.)
Ghayat al Nihayah fi Tabaqat al Qurra, by Ibn al Jazari 1/147
Ibn Jarir al-Tabari (d. 310 A.H.)
By that, He, exalted is His praise, means those among the Jews of Banu Israil who altered the Book of Allah. They wrote a book according to their own explanations, contrary to what Allah, Mighty and Majestic, had sent down to His Prophet Musa عليه السلام. Then they sold it to people who had no knowledge of it, nor of what was in the Torah. They were ignorant of what was in the Books of Allah, and they did this seeking a low worldly gain.
So Allah, exalted is His mention, said about them:
“So woe to them for what their hands have written, and woe to them for what they earn.”
Tafsir At Tabari 2/165
Imam At Tabari also says
The explanation of His statement:
“They distort the words from their proper places.”
He, exalted is His remembrance, says: We made the hearts of those from the Children of Israil who broke Our covenants hard. Good was removed from them, and success was lifted from them, so they do not believe and are not guided.
Because Allah, Mighty and Majestic, removed success and belief from their hearts, they distort the words of their Lord that He sent down to His Prophet Musa عليه السلام, namely the Torah. They change it and write with their own hands something other than what Allah, Majestic and Mighty, sent down to their Prophet. Then they say to the ignorant among the people: “This is the speech of Allah that He sent down to His Prophet Musa, and this is the Torah that He revealed to him.”
This is from the condition of the Jewish generations who came after Musa عليه السلام, some of whom lived during the time of our Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. However, Allah, Mighty is His remembrance, included them among those about whom the report first began, namely those from among them who lived during the time of Musa عليه السلام. This is because they were their descendants and followed their way in lying against Allah, fabricating against Him, and breaking the covenants that He had taken from them in the Torah.
Tafsir At Tabari 8/251
Az-Zajjaj (d. 311 A.H.)
Abu al-Layth al-Samarqandi (d. 373 A.H.), the well known Hanafi scholar in his commentary of the Qur’an known as Bahr al-‘Ulum on Surah 2, verse 79 quotes Az-Zajjaj as saying:
https://shamela.ws/book/23594/61
Al Zajjaj said: If this were outside the Qur’an, it would have been grammatically permissible to read it as “waylan,” meaning: “May Allah appoint woe for those who write the Book.” However, it has not been recited that way.
That is because the leaders of the Jews erased the description of Muhammad ﷺ, then wrote something other than his description. Then they said to the lower ranks among them: “This is from Allah,” so that they could sell it for a small price, meaning a small amount of worldly wealth.
Kitab Tafsir al Samarqandi, also known as Bahr al Ulum pg 67
Notice how the word ‘erased’ is used and then the same people ‘wrote’ different descriptions of the Prophet to come. Az-Zajjaj clearly believed in the textual corruption of the Torah.
Abu Ja’far at-Tahawi (d. 321 A.H)
Yunus narrated to us. Ali ibn Mabad narrated to us, from Ubaydullah ibn Umar, from Abd al Karim ibn Malik, from Nafi, from Ibn Umar رضي الله عنهما:
The Messenger ﷺ stoned a Jewish man and a Jewish woman when they brought their case to him for judgement.
Someone then said:
“How can this be accepted from the Messenger ﷺ, regarding his return to the Torah, when Allah, Mighty and Majestic, had informed him that its people had changed it and had written into it what was not from it, as He, Mighty and Majestic, said:
“So woe to those who write the Book with their own hands, then say, ‘This is from Allah,’ so that they may sell it for a small price. So woe to them for what their hands have written, and woe to them for what they earn.” (al Baqarah: 79)”
Footnote: Its chain is authentic. Ali ibn Mabad was narrated from by al Tirmidhi and al Nasai, and he is trustworthy. Those above him are from the narrators of al Bukhari and Muslim.
It is also found with al Tahawi in Sharh Maani al Athar, 4/141, with its chain and wording.
Ahmad, 2/61–62, and al Nasai in al Kubra, no. 7216, reported it through the route of Abd al Rahman ibn Mahdi, from Sufyan al Thawri, from Abd al Karim ibn Malik, with this chain, with the wording: “The Messenger ﷺ stoned a Jewish man and a Jewish woman at al Balat.”
Ibn Abi Shaybah, 10/149 and 14/149, Ahmad, 2/17, and Muslim, no. 1699, also reported it.
Sharḥ Mushkil al Āthār by al Ṭaḥāwī 15/94
This is very interesting as it shows that al-Tahawi is fully aware that textual corruption is the accepted stance among the Muslims of his time toward the Torah
