The Quranic Stance Towards the Torah and the Bible Motivates Co-Existence; Alma’ida Chapter As a model; A Descriptive, Critical and Analytical Study

Abstract

The current study seeks to find an answer to the Quranic stance towards the New and Old Testaments as a motivation for co-existence. This objective is fulfilled through an analytical review of the interpretations of the verses in Surah Alma'ida. The study addresses the main issues related to the credibility of the Bible and the reliability of its divine source and its argumentation besides Islam. It also investigates the Quranic critical view of the Bible in comparison to the modern western critiques. The main findings suggest that the Quran subscribes to the validity of the Torah and the Bible as sacred books revealed to his respected prophets Moses and Jesus (peace be upon them) respectively. The Quran also endorses a number of rulings that allow the Christians and the Jews to refer to their books as reliable divine revelations in one hand, and encourages the Muslims to co-exist with these non-Muslims on the other hand. It also shows that the Qur’an shares the same critical view with the right views in the modern western critiques of the Bible.