2.25 Al-Baqarah: How the Qur’an Confirms and Acts as Guardian over the Earlier Scriptures

السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته

Praise be to Allah, the Exalted and Most Great. Blessings be upon our Seal of the Prophets, Muhammad ﷺ, and may Allah be pleased with all of the Companions.

Today we will share a topic: understanding that the Qur’an is a confirmation and a guardian over the earlier scriptures. We will study it from two aspects: first, understanding how the Qur’an confirms the earlier scriptures; and second, how the Qur’an is a guardian over the earlier scriptures.

Foundational Verses

The 41st verse of Surat al-Baqarah was revealed by the Lord concerning the People of the Book, because the People of the Book possessed scripture. When the Qur’an was revealed, the Lord told them:

{وَآمِنُواْ بِمَا أَنزَلْتُ مُصَدِّقاً لِّمَا مَعَكُمْ وَلاَ تَكُونُواْ أَوَّلَ كَافِرٍ بِهِ وَلاَ تَشْتَرُواْ بِآيَاتِي ثَمَناً قَلِيلاً وَإِيَّايَ فَاتَّقُون}[البقرة:41]

2:41 Believe in My revelations which confirm your Scriptures. Do not be the first to deny them or trade them for a fleeting gain. And be mindful of Me. (Quran.com)

Of course, other verses also mention that the Qur’an confirms the scriptures they had before. In the most comprehensive verse on this subject—the 48th verse of Surat al-Ma’idah—our Lord explains fully that the Qur’an confirms all earlier scriptures and is also a guardian over them. Our Lord tells us:

{وَأَنزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ بِالْحَقِّ مُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ وَمُهَيْمِنًا عَلَيْهِ فَاحْكُم بَيْنَهُم بِمَا أَنزَلَ اللّهُ وَلاَ تَتَّبِعْ أَهْوَاءهُمْ عَمَّا جَاءكَ مِنَ الْحَقِّ لِكُلٍّ جَعَلْنَا مِنكُمْ شِرْعَةً وَمِنْهَاجًا وَلَوْ شَاء اللّهُ لَجَعَلَكُمْ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً وَلَـكِن لِّيَبْلُوَكُمْ فِي مَآ آتَاكُم فَاسْتَبِقُوا الخَيْرَاتِ إِلَى الله مَرْجِعُكُمْ جَمِيعًا فَيُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمْ فِيهِ تَخْتَلِفُون}[المائدة:48]

5:48 We have revealed to you ˹O Prophet˺ this Book with the truth, as a confirmation of previous Scriptures and a supreme authority on them. So judge between them by what Allah has revealed, and do not follow their desires over the truth that has come to you. To each of you We have ordained a code of law and a way of life. If Allah had willed, He would have made you one community, but His Will is to test you with what He has given ˹each of˺ you. So compete with one another in doing good. To Allah you will all return, then He will inform you ˹of the truth˺ regarding your differences. (Quran.com)

These two verses explain that the Qur’an is a confirmation and a guardian over the original scriptures. When exegetes and scholars explained that the Qur’an confirms the original scriptures, they explained it like this: the People of the Book are to believe in the Qur’an that the Lord sent down to our Seal of the Prophets, Muhammad ﷺ, because the Qur’an is a scripture like a shining lamp that gives glad tidings and warning, and it contains the truth from Allah. It can confirm the scriptures previously granted to the People of the Book—the Tawrah and the Injīl.

Some scholars also explained that the Qur’an is a confirmation because in the scriptures of the People of the Book—the Tawrah and the Injīl—there were descriptions concerning our Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. That is to say, there were descriptions of him, so when the Qur’an was sent down, it also confirmed these things.

As for the explanation that the Qur’an is a guardian, Ibn ʿAbbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said that it carries the meaning of “guaranteeing” and “being faithful.” Other scholars explained that the Qur’an is faithful to all the earlier scriptures: whatever agrees with the Qur’an is truth, and whatever contradicts it is falsehood.

Some other scholars, in explaining guardianship, said that the Qur’an is the judge over the earlier scriptures. Broadly speaking, when scholars explain the Qur’an’s confirmation and guardianship, they do so because the Qur’an is the final scripture sent down by the Lord—the most perfect, the greatest, the most complete scripture. It gathers together all the excellences of the previous scriptures; in every respect it is incomparable. It is also the reliable scripture that bears witness over and judges the earlier scriptures. For Allah, exalted and magnificent, has Himself undertaken the protection of the Qur’an. In the 9th verse of Surat al-Hijr, our Lord tells us:

{إِنَّا نَحْنُ نَزَّلْنَا الذِّكْرَ وَإِنَّا لَهُ لَحَافِظُون}[الحجر:9]

15:9 It is certainly We Who have revealed the Reminder, and it is certainly We Who will preserve it. (Quran.com)

When scholars speak about the Qur’an as confirmation and guardian, they will generally introduce the Qur’an in this way.

The Earlier Scriptures in Overview

Now let us come to know the earlier scriptures. The verses clearly tell us that the scriptures possessed by the descendants of Israel, بني اسرائيل (Banī Isrā’īl — the Children of Israel), are called the Tawrah, the Injīl, and the Zabūr. The Qur’an also mentions that before this, Ibrahim was given a written scripture, the Suhuf. To recognize that the Qur’an is the most comprehensive and all-encompassing, and that it confirms and guards the other original scriptures, we must first gain some understanding of the other scriptures. Only then will we fully understand that the Qur’an contains what was in the earlier scriptures.

Ibrahim and the Suhuf

First, let us speak about Ibrahim (peace be upon him) receiving the Suhuf. Ibrahim was a person who affirmed the Lord’s oneness and worshipped the Lord alone. As guidance for later people and for the people of his own time, the صحف (ṣuḥuf — scriptures/pages) he received would certainly have contained an account of how he affirmed the Lord’s oneness and worshipped the Lord alone. We all know that the Prophet Ibrahim did not comply with the polytheists. He even destroyed those idols with his own hand and broke with those polytheists. He received the Lord’s guidance, and in his youth he began to observe the Lord’s many created things, to observe the signs of the dominion of the heavens and the earth. He bore witness that he worshipped only the One worthy of worship. He did not worship the idols worshipped by the idolaters. At that point he attained affirmation of the Lord’s oneness. He regarded all created things as signs of the Lord, bearing witness to the Lord’s reality, and that none of creation is worthy of worship. At that point, he attained an important testimony—affirmation of the Lord’s oneness.

Of course, the Lord tested him and commanded him to slaughter his own son, testing whether he truly had firm faith in worshipping the Lord alone. A person will obey Allah’s command only if he has firm faith in the unseen, firm faith in the reward of Paradise in the Hereafter, firm faith in meeting his Lord, and firm faith in seeing his Lord in the Hereafter. By slaughtering his son, he bore witness that he did not disobey the Lord’s command. He attained worship of the Lord alone and became a guide. From this we can clearly see that the Suhuf he received certainly taught people to affirm the Lord’s oneness and worship the Lord alone. And these are also the spirit contained in the Qur’an. The Qur’an aims to guide people to affirm the Lord’s oneness. Any idols worshipped by idolaters are not worthy of worship. The Qur’an also explains that the paths of those idolaters are all deviant. In particular, the Qur’an also explains that the Prophet Ibrahim is a guide, and that we later people must learn from him to obey the Lord’s command and not disobey it. Our pilgrimage rites are a remembrance of him and his son. So the Qur’an is of course a confirmation of the scripture of the Prophet Ibrahim before him.

Musa and the Tawrah

As for the Tawrah revealed by the Lord to the Prophet Musa, it would certainly explain how the descendants of Israel, بني اسرائيل (Banī Isrā’īl — the Children of Israel), received the Lord’s favor and were saved by Him, and how He delivered them from Pharaoh’s p

ersecution and harm. At that time the Israelites were Pharaoh’s slaves. They had no standing in society at all. They had no political system, no social life, nor the various regulations and laws that a people should have in order to possess standing in society and become guides. So the Tawrah would certainly explain how, on earth, they received the Lord’s guidance, became guides, and had the content of being guides. Anyone with even a slight sense of politics knows that when a slave nation turns itself around and becomes a people with standing on earth, it will certainly have a complete social organization, human relationships, and collective life, and especially some form of government, some simple form of government, showing the social advantage of a nation. For example, in Chinese feudal society, no matter which dynasty it was, once any minority people took power, they would formulate certain political institutions.

As بني اسرائيل (Banī Isrā’īl — the Children of Israel), this people was saved by the Lord, and because on earth they were people who worshipped the Lord, the Lord would certainly send down to them a scripture containing standards of good and evil. A social order, a political body, cannot function without standards of good and evil. Within those standards are standards of what is lawful and unlawful: what is unlawful is evil, and what is lawful is good. These things would certainly be set forth.

So in their scripture there would not only be very detailed explanations of all kinds of human relationships, of what is good and what is evil, but it would also teach them how to worship the Lord. The reason they rose in status from slave society was because they worshipped the Lord, and only then did they receive an honored standing. So their scripture would certainly contain laws, standards of good and evil, and also those devotional acts showing how to worship the Lord.

Our Qur’an clearly explains how بني اسرائيل (Banī Isrā’īl — the Children of Israel) were persecuted by Pharaoh, and also explains how the Lord saved them. It also speaks of the tablets given to the Prophet Musa, and of the laws of human relations set out there—an ear for an ear, an eye for an eye, a hand for a hand, a foot for a foot, and other standards of good and evil concerning human relations. It also explains how the Lord instructed the Prophet Musa and his brother, in Egypt, to establish a place where they could pray. All of this is mentioned in the Qur’an. And our Seal of the Prophets, Muhammad ﷺ, was an unlettered Prophet. He did not read the scriptures of the People of the Book. How then did he know these things, and know them so clearly? How did he know how they were saved? How did he know what laws of human conduct and acts of worship they had? How did he know? Of course, the Lord revealed it to him. The Qur’an is the Lord’s scripture, so this too proves that the Qur’an confirms the earlier scriptures.

When our Seal of the Prophets, Muhammad ﷺ, came to Madinah, the Jewish scholar among them—Abdullah ibn Salam—heard our Prophet Muhammad ﷺ proclaiming, “Greet people with salām, offer peace, feed the poor, and pray at night.” Does this not contain the rules of human conduct, the rules of worship, and the path? Because he knew that such things were set forth in Musa’s scripture, the Old Testament, when he heard what this Prophet was saying, he immediately submitted, because he knew these were words that only prophets and messengers would speak. So he quickly submitted and also became an especially excellent Companion.

Dawud and the Zabūr

As for the الزبور (az-Zabūr — the Psalms) of the Prophet Dawud, we first know that after the Lord saved بني اسرائيل (Banī Isrā’īl — the Children of Israel) from Pharaoh, and after they also received the blessing of scripture on earth, they became people who worshipped the Lord. They continued to develop and raise their social standing, and on earth they acquired the characteristic of having an honored place. In the age of the Prophet Dawud, many among بني اسرائيل (Banī Isrā’īl — the Children of Israel) were proficient in manufacturing. The Prophet Dawud himself was especially skilled in ironwork and in making weapons. From the time of the Prophet Sulayman, we also know that many among بني اسرائيل (Banī Isrā’īl — the Children of Israel) were outstanding not only in manufacturing, but also in agriculture and military affairs. As human beings seeking the Lord’s favor, they displayed especially obvious blessings.

When the Prophet Dawud was chosen as a messenger and Prophet, the Lord not only gave him the الزبور (the Psalms), the Zabūr, but also made him a vicegerent on earth. At the same time, He favored him with the miracles belonging to him as a Prophet, making the mountains and the birds praise the Lord together. This was a miracle given to him and made him a guide. He was not to use his rule to pursue this world’s false splendor, and then have no reward in the Hereafter. So his Zabūr spoke fully of praising the Lord: when one receives all these blessings, one must raise praise to the Lord. Because at that time the people of بني اسرائيل (Banī Isrā’īl — the Children of Israel) also knew nature well, and also worshipped the Lord, and had gained power on earth, they had to offer gratitude and praise to the Lord. When faced with knowledge of the natural world, one should say سبحان الله (subḥān Allāh — glory be to Allah), praising the Lord as utterly pure and exalted above imperfection. Then, when faced with the blessings one has received, one should say الحمد لله (al-ḥamdu lillāh — praise be to Allah), praising the Lord for the blessings He has given them. So الزبور (the Psalms), the Zabūr, is like psalms, containing endless praise of the Lord.

The Prophet Dawud was also especially skilled in rhetoric. In الزبور(the Psalms), the Zabūr, there is also much literary expression expounding the Lord’s scripture. And we know that precisely because one has gained power on earth, one must not do evil. Precisely because one has gained power on earth, one must not commit corruption. Precisely because one has gained power on earth, one must use the authority one has received to guide others to the straight path, and not think that because one is noble, one can do whatever one wants on earth. The Prophet Dawud and his son both used their authority on earth to guide people, making others submit and become people who worshipped the Lord, uttering those praises that remember the Lord.

But many people still followed their own desires, thinking that their own group was noble, and did not guide others. Those who truly followed and obeyed the الزبور (the Psalms), the Zabūr, would certainly use the blessings they had received on earth not only to praise the Lord morning and evening, but also not to do wrong, and to guide others to walk the straight path. So we know that the Qur’an not only speaks of the stories of Dawud and Sulayman, but also lets us know that the Qur’an is a confirmation of the earlier scriptures.

Our Qur’an also speaks of the Emigrants and the Helpers, and of those who strive in the Lord’s path. Because when the Lord perfected His religion for humankind, our Companions at that time held power on earth. They followed the Qur’an meticulously, did good on earth, did not commit corruption, and became beautiful vicegerents on earth. So we can read that these are people brought forth by the Qur’an. In this respect, we can bear witness that the Qur’an is a confirmation of the previous scriptures, and specifically of the الزبور (the Psalms), the Zabūr.

ʿIsa and the Injīl

As for the Prophet ʿIsa receiving the الإنجيل (al-Injīl — the Gospel), to understand the الإنجيل (the Gospel), the Injīl, one must of course understand the whole family of ʿImran. Whether Zakariyya and his wife or ʿImran and his wife, they were all people detached from this world. As for the child of the couple of ʿImran—Maryam, this virgin girl—because of her detachment from this world, the Lord gave her the highest station among the women of humankind. For the Lord’s path she offered up and sacrificed the life of this world. For example, as human beings, married life between man and woman is part of worldly life, but at that time, for the Lord’s path, her mother dedicated her to the Lord’s path, making her a most excellent female servant. For the Lord’s path she gave up all the enjoyments of worldly life. At the same time she did good in the Lord’s path, and when she suffered slander from others she endured humiliation and burden. Therefore she received the grace that Allah, exalted and magnificent, gave her.

Precisely because they were detached from this world, and believed those unseen matters to be real, and believed that what the Lord would give them in the Hereafter was the greatest reward, they were certain of the unseen. Precisely because people like this are detached from the world, their souls are pure. Then such people can see the unseen angelic world, something the ordinary naked eye cannot see, and they can receive a blessing—seeing angels, and angels speaking with them. At the same time, because these people are spiritually pure, as pure as angels, they can often also see those unseen worlds, such as the blessings of Paradise. The greatest blessing of such people is that because their spirituality is pure, their human النفس (an-nafs — the self/soul) is in a state of calm, in a state of tranquil soul, so all their prayers are answered. Whatever they ask, the Lord accepts their prayers. So when Maryam’s mother wanted to dedicate her child to the Lord’s path, the Lord said that He accepted her prayer. We ordinary people pray that the Lord make our children excellent, but that child is not necessarily an obedient child and may not follow the will of the parents. But why was Maryam so submissive? Why, when her mother dedicated her to the Lord’s path, did she accept it? Was she really that obedient? The truth is that the Lord accepted her mother’s prayer.

And Zakariyya (peace be upon him) had his prayer accepted by the Lord as well. He and his wife were given the glad tidings of having Yahya, and when Yahya was born, he was given glad tidings that he had a mission, that he possessed the grace of prophethood and messengership. With people detached from this world, like the family of ʿImran, the Lord not only unveils to them the unseen mysteries of decree, but whenever they make supplication, the Lord accepts their supplication. There is also one most important reward: the more detached from this world they are, the more the Lord causes their legacy to be inherited. For example, the couple of ʿImran had this daughter who inherited from them. Not only did they have an inheriting daughter, but the Prophet ʿIsa, as their descendant, also inherited their work. The more detached they are from this world, the more the Lord causes their blessings and goodness in this world to be inherited.

The Lord called the Prophet ʿIsa spirit, روح (rūḥ — spirit), because his human النفس (an-nafs — the self/soul) was under the Lord’s protection. He would not incline toward the material desires sought by human nature, satisfying himself according to his lower nature. He would absolutely not commit ugly acts, absolutely not do wrong. His human النفس (an-nafs — the self/soul) would also not follow its own private mental interests and seek temporary satisfaction. Because he had the Lord’s protection, his human النفس (an-nafs — the self/soul) would remain constantly in a state of tranquil soul, and so روح (rūḥ — spirit) would be manifested—that attribute the Lord has given human beings, by which through knowing the Lord and worshipping the Lord one attains a holy state and remains in that state.

Precisely because the Prophet ʿIsa possessed these attributes and directly became روح (rūḥ — spirit), such a person’s heart is pure, his soul is sound, and his body is pure. Because he was in this state of روح (rūḥ — spirit), when the Lord wanted him to be a guide on earth, guiding others to the straight path, He manifested through him those miracles belonging to the attribute of روح (rūḥ — spirit). Whoever had bodily disease, he healed bodily disease. Whoever had disease of the heart, he healed disease of heart. Whoever had disease of soul, he healed disease of soul. Because he was sound in these three respects, the Lord displayed this sign in him as a miracle, and he could heal all kinds of illness in others. Because many people at that time had these illnesses, the Lord made him a guide to heal them and lead them to the straight path. Precisely because when a human being, as a created being, can become one marked by the attribute of روح (rūḥ — spirit), he is a sound human being, the Lord showed miracles through him, enabling him to heal those who were unsound and to restore sight so that the blind could see. Precisely because of the blessing of روح (rūḥ — spirit), he could bear witness to the reward of resurrection in the Hereafter, eternal and without end. Since the Lord has granted us روح (rūḥ — spirit), spirit, and we worship Him, He gives us that reward in the Hereafter. The Lord let the Prophet ʿIsa display miracles in this world, enabling him to raise the dead, and by means of this miracle to guide others.

Because these people had become detached from this world, the Lord could let them see those states of the unseen, and they could also know many of the mysteries of decree. So he could see what others had hidden in their homes. Because the Prophet ʿIsa possessed this state of tranquil soul granted by the Lord, dwelling directly in a spiritual state of روح (rūḥ — spirit), a holy state, the Lord made him, as a created being, display those signs in order to guide others. So the الأنجيل (the Gospel), the Injīl, would certainly set forth these matters.

People often did not come to a full understanding of this spirit of the Prophet ʿIsa. They even deified the spiritual attributes he possessed. They did not come to a full understanding of the unseen world, could not correctly understand the hidden scripture, and had deviant thoughts. This caused some People of the Book to go astray, simply because they did not fully understand the Prophet ʿIsa and his family.

Now let us look at the blessings granted to Muhammad ﷺ. Which of his prayers did the Lord not accept? He saw angels. He saw the Archangel Jibril twice in his original form. The mysteries of the unseen world were unveiled for him. During prayer he saw the grapes of Paradise. And how many extraordinary phenomena and miracles beyond the ordinary course of decree occurred around him—things of which the Companions all bore witness. He chose detachment from this world and became the Prophet of the poor. When Islam gained power on earth, he resolutely chose not to be a king. He wanted to be a poor prophet and messenger. All of these are signs of detachment from this world. Among the Companions who followed him, some were given glad tidings, and many also saw angels. For example, in the Battle of Badr, angels took part in the fighting. And when Jibril came down with the revealed scripture, many Companions bore witness and saw him.

So after receiving these blessings, and with this Qur’an, it is not only the miracles that were manifested while our Prophet was alive—the Qur’an itself, in itself, is a miracle. Many secrets of knowledge uncovered by modern science were already stated in the Qur’an back in the Prophet’s time. This shows that the scripture received by our Prophet Muhammad ﷺ can confirm the scripture of the Prophet ʿIsa. Because the Qur’an not only speaks of the unseen world after resurrection in the Hereafter, it also speaks of the world of souls—for example, it speaks of jinn, angels, heavenly youths and heavenly maidens, these created beings of the unseen world—and it also speaks of the secrets in humanity’s material world that would later be unveiled, such as the human womb and the changing states of the fetus during a woman’s pregnancy. Modern science discovered this secret only little by little through development and advance, yet our Prophet Muhammad ﷺ spoke of it in his own age more than fourteen hundred years ago. The Qur’an had already set forth that unseen as well. The Qur’an also contains hidden content that knows the unseen, and it bears witness in confirmation of the الإنجيل (the Gospel), the Injīl. It is a confirmer.

At the same time, the Qur’an speaks of spirit. It speaks of the human النفس (an-nafs — the self/soul) . It speaks of the human being as possessing الفطر (al-fiṭr — innate nature). It speaks of how, within a person, he must restrain his own النفس (an-nafs — the self/soul) , not follow his own الشهوات (ash-shahawāt — material desires), not تابع الهوى (tābiʿ al-hawā — follow personal inclination), but use his life to seek the eternal reward. The Qur’an speaks of all these things contained within the human being: how a person receives guidance, reaches a state of tranquil soul, النفس المطمئنة (an-nafs al-muṭmaʾinnah — the tranquil soul), becomes marked by the holy attribute of روح (rūḥ — spirit), and worships and knows the Lord. The Qur’an explains all of these things.

So the people whom the Qur’an guides forth, those who according to the Qur’an truly know the Lord and worship the Lord and pursue life in both worlds, will certainly attain a blessing: their prayers are accepted by the Lord, and there will also appear in them the things spoken of in the الإنجيل (the Gospel), the Injīl. These are the blessings that the followers of the Injīl could obtain at that time if they truly followed the unaltered Injīl scripture: some mysteries of the unseen unveiled, glad tidings of Paradise in both worlds, prayers accepted. Then the followers and practitioners of the Qur’an also have these blessings manifested in their lives. For example, among the people of the first three generations, the Lord granted some of them knowledge, some beautiful character, and some comparative perfection in conduct. Then many also showed that when they made supplication, the Lord accepted it, giving them glad tidings in both worlds. Followers of the Qur’an can receive these blessings as well. This shows that the Qur’an confirms the earlier scriptures.

Conclusion

We will now summarize and conclude the lesson. Precisely because the Qur’an is a confirmation of the scriptures that came before it, it is also a guardian over the earlier original scriptures. Therefore, its standard of what is lawful is the standard, its standard of good and evil is the standard, its standard of truth and falsehood is the standard, and its standard of beauty and ugliness is the standard. Anything that does not conflict with it is truth and must be accepted. Anything that conflicts with it—whether in knowing the Lord, worshipping the Lord, or understanding the unseen world—must be abandoned so long as it conflicts. Because our Lord says, “It is certainly We Who have revealed the Reminder, and it is certainly We Who will preserve it.” The Qur’an is a witness to the grace of the Lord’s mercy to all worlds. (Quran.com)

We will stop here for today’s sharing. If there were slips of the tongue, or places where the explanation was unclear, I ask Allah, exalted and magnificent, to forgive me. Dear readers, please excuse me. Thank you all for sharing.

السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته

Qur’an translation source: The Clear Qur’an — Dr. Mustafa Khattab.

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