Surah 2 79 Analysis

Does Surah Al-Baqara 2:79 Deny the Torah and Injil?

For centuries, some Islamic scholars have claimed that Surah Al-Baqara 2:79 proves that the Torah and Injil were corrupted. However, a closer examination of the text, historical context, and linguistic nuances reveals a major misunderstanding of this verse. This document lays out a logical analysis to demonstrate that Surah 2:79 does not support the claim that the Torah and Injil were changed.

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1. What Does Surah 2:79 Actually Say?

"Woe to those who write something with their hands and then say, 'This is from Allah,' in order to purchase a small gain with it. Woe to them for what their hands have written, and woe to them for what they earn."

Key Observations:

• The verse does not mention rewriting or altering scripture.

• It condemns those who write something new and falsely claim it is from Allah.

• It does not accuse Jews and Christians of changing their scriptures.

• It warns about fabricating religious texts for profit.

This does not align with the traditional claim that the Torah and Injil were changed. Instead, it suggests that some people wrote their own texts and falsely labeled them divine revelation.

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2. This is NOT the Islamic Doctrine of "Tahrif" (Corruption)

Islamic scholars have long argued that the Jews and Christians corrupted their scriptures through "tahrif" (textual alteration). However, Surah 2:79 does not support this claim.

Why?

1. Tahrif is not mentioned in this verse.

2. This verse speaks about writing something new, not modifying existing scripture.

3. There is no claim that the Torah and Injil were corrupted—only that some people fabricated texts.

The real doctrine of tahrif in the Quran refers to misinterpretation, not textual corruption. Surah 2:79 does not fit the claim that the Torah and Injil were altered.

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3. The Accused Group is a Specific Subset of People

• The Quran says a "party within the Jewish community" was involved.

• It refers to them as "ummiyyun" (illiterate men).

• Illiterate people cannot write books, so this must refer to something else.

• "Ummiyyun" can also mean Gentiles or non-Jews—suggesting that this verse refers to fraudulent religious leaders outside of the Jewish faith.

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4. Historical Evidence Supports This Interpretation

Throughout history, many false prophets and religious figures in the Middle East created fake scriptures for personal gain.

Examples include:

• Nadr ibn Harith (A pre-Islamic poet who challenged Muhammad).

• Musaylima (A false prophet in Arabia).

• Al-Ansi of Yemen (Another false prophet).

• Mani and Mazdak (Leaders of religious movements in Persia).

• Al-Muqanna and Baha'ullah (Who claimed to receive divine revelations).

These fit the Quran’s description of people who wrote false scriptures for profit.

Conclusion:

The Quran is not accusing Jews and Christians of corrupting the Torah and Injil—it is condemning fraudulent religious leaders who invented fake revelations.

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5. Quranic Consistency Proves God’s Word is Preserved

• Surah Yunus 10:64 – "No change is there in the words of Allah. That is the supreme triumph."

• Surah Al-An’am 6:115 – "And the word of your Lord has been fulfilled in truth and in justice. None can alter His words."

If the Quran is consistent, then the Torah and Injil must have remained unchanged.

Thus, Surah 2:79 cannot contradict these verses, which confirm the preservation of God’s word.

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6. What Does This Mean for Islam?

• Muslims cannot claim Surah 2:79 proves the Torah and Injil were corrupted.

• The Quran itself affirms that God’s word cannot be changed.

• The claim that the previous scriptures were corrupted is based on a misinterpretation.

• Islamic scholars have distorted the meaning of this verse for 1400 years.

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7. Final Thought

This verse actually supports the reliability of the Torah and Injil, and it exposes a major Islamic misunderstanding that has been falsely used to attack the Bible. If Muslims accept the proper meaning of Surah 2:79, then they must abandon the claim that the previous scriptures were changed—which destroys the foundation of Islamic theology.

The only way out is to reject the Quran’s affirmation of the Torah and Injil, but that would contradict multiple Quranic verses.

Thus, Islam faces an inescapable dilemma: Either accept that the Torah and Injil were never changed, or admit that the Quran contradicts itself.

No matter what, Islam cannot escape this contradiction without collapsing.

 

The Inescapable Contradiction in the Quran’s Preservation Claim

Logical Breakdown

1. Premise 1: The Quran states that God’s word cannot be changed or corrupted (Surah 6:115, Surah 15:9).

2. Premise 2: The Torah, Psalms, and Gospel were originally God's word (Surah 3:3-4, Surah 5:44-47).

3. Premise 3: The Quran also states that some people wrote a book with their own hands and falsely claimed it was from God (Surah 2:79), but this does not refer to the Torah, Psalms, or Gospel.

4. Premise 4: Many Islamic scholars and apologists claim that Surah 2:79 supports the idea that the Torah, Psalms, and Gospel were textually altered, but this is based on a misinterpretation of the verse.

Why Surah 2:79 Does Not Support the Corruption Argument

Surah 2:79 states:

"So woe to those who write the scripture with their own hands and then say, ‘This is from Allah,’ to exchange it for a small price. Woe to them for what their hands have written, and woe to them for what they earn."

This verse does not say that the Torah, Psalms, or Gospel were textually changed. Instead, it criticizes certain individuals for writing a separate book and falsely attributing it to God. The verse does not target the original divine revelations but rather highlights the act of creating a man-made religious text and falsely claiming divine authority for it.

What Book is Surah 2:79 Referring To?

Historical and religious context suggests that this verse may be referring to extra-biblical writings, such as:

• The Talmud – A collection of rabbinic commentaries and laws that, while highly respected in Judaism, is not the Torah itself.

• Midrashic Literature – Interpretative expansions on biblical stories and laws.

• Legal Writings and Commentaries – Later Jewish or other religious writings that may have been given undue authority.

These were human writings, not the original revelation from God, and they were treated as authoritative by some, despite not being divine scripture.

The Quran’s Contradiction

• If the Torah, Psalms, and Gospel were truly God's word, then according to the Quran (Surah 6:115), they cannot be corrupted.

• Yet, many Muslims claim these scriptures were changed, which contradicts the Quran’s assertion that God's word is unchangeable.

• Since Surah 2:79 does not refer to the textual corruption of previous scriptures, the argument for biblical corruption has no direct Quranic foundation.

Thus, this contradiction remains inescapable: Either the Torah, Psalms, and Gospel were God’s word and remain uncorrupted, or the Quran’s claim that God’s word cannot be changed is false. Both statements cannot be true simultaneously.

 

Faith Vs Logic

Why Do People Think That Applying Faith and Interpretations Change the Only Logical Conclusion?

When applying logical reasoning to religious texts, particularly the Quran, contradictions can become evident. However, many believers refuse to accept these contradictions as proof that the text is not divine. Here are the key reasons why some reject the inescapable logical conclusion and instead attempt to explain it away:

1. Faith Overrides Logic

Faith operates independently of reason and evidence. Many religious individuals believe faith is a higher form of knowledge than logic. When contradictions arise, they default to faith rather than critically examining the text.

Example:

• “God’s ways are beyond human logic.”

• “You must have faith that the Quran is perfect, even if it seems contradictory.”

Thus, logic is dismissed in favor of faith.

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2. Cognitive Dissonance – Avoiding Psychological Discomfort

When a religious person encounters a clear contradiction that challenges their deeply held beliefs, it creates cognitive dissonance (a psychological conflict between belief and reality).

To resolve this internal discomfort, people often:

✅ Ignore the contradiction (“There must be an explanation I don’t know.”).
✅ Reinterpret the text (“It’s metaphorical, not literal.”).
✅ Attack the questioner (“You’re just trying to mislead believers!”).

Rather than accepting the only rational conclusion, they choose mental comfort over truth.

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3. Theological Indoctrination – Taught Not to Question

Many religious people are raised from birth being taught:

• “The Quran is perfect and free from error.”

• “Never question Allah’s words.”

• “Any contradiction you see is a test of faith.”

When people are trained to believe something is perfect, they are psychologically conditioned to reject any evidence to the contrary—even when it is logically undeniable.

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4. Special Pleading – One Standard for Everything Except Their Religion

If contradictions existed in any other book, these same people would immediately reject it. But when it comes to their scripture, they allow excuses and reinterpretations that they would never accept elsewhere.

Example:

• If a history book says Napoleon was born in 1769 but another chapter says he was born in 1750, no historian would say, “Maybe we should have faith in the book anyway.” They would reject the book as unreliable.

• But when the Quran contradicts itself? “It must be our misunderstanding, not an error.”

This is special pleading—applying a different standard to religious texts than anything else.

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5. The Fear of Consequences – Social & Emotional Pressures

For many Muslims, questioning the Quran has serious consequences:
⚠ Excommunication – They may be rejected by family and friends.
⚠ Legal Punishment – In some countries, questioning Islam can lead to imprisonment or execution.
⚠ Emotional Distress – The idea that their entire life was built on a contradiction is too painful to accept.

Rather than facing the truth, they convince themselves that faith and interpretations can somehow make contradictions disappear.

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6. Circular Reasoning – The Book Must Be Perfect Because It Says So

Some argue:
🔁 “The Quran is from God, so it must be perfect.”
🔁 “If you see a contradiction, you just don’t understand it.”

But this is circular reasoning—assuming what they need to prove. If a book contains contradictions, then its own claim of perfection is false.

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Final Answer:

Applying faith and interpretation does NOT change the only logical conclusion.
Instead, it is a defense mechanism used to avoid the reality that the Quran contains contradictions and is therefore not divine. Logic is absolute—but many people choose belief over truth because it is easier, safer, and more comfortable than accepting reality.

 

Historical Interpretations of Surah 2:79

Surah 2:79 has been widely debated, and historical Islamic scholars did not interpret it as a claim that the entire Torah and Gospel were corrupted. Instead, they understood it as referring to specific forgeries, distortions in interpretation, or additional writings falsely attributed to divine revelation.

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1. Early Tafsir (Exegesis) Interpretations

A. Tafsir Ibn Kathir (14th Century)

Ibn Kathir, one of the most respected medieval Islamic scholars, interpreted 2:79 as referring to Jewish rabbis and religious leaders who fabricated rulings to justify personal gain. His tafsir states:

"This verse refers to some Jews who wrote falsehood and claimed it was from Allah. But the real Torah, as revealed to Moses, was not corrupted."

Thus, he never claimed that the entire Torah was changed. Instead, he focused on certain individuals creating false laws and misrepresenting the divine message.

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B. Tafsir Al-Tabari (9th Century)

Al-Tabari, an earlier scholar, also did not say the Torah was corrupted. Instead, he explained that some people fabricated a book, falsely claiming it was divine revelation:

“This refers to those who altered the meanings of their scriptures and wrote things with their own hands, then falsely claimed that it was from God.”

This is not an argument that the Torah itself was corrupted, but rather that some people misrepresented or misused divine guidance.

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2. Key Points from Classical Scholars

1. It does not say the Torah or Gospel were changed—it condemns a group of people who wrote a separate book and falsely claimed it was divine.

2. The verse speaks of individual dishonesty, not the corruption of the original revelations given to Moses, David, or Jesus.

3. The Quran itself affirms the authenticity of previous scriptures in multiple verses (e.g., Surah 5:47, 5:68, 10:94), making it contradictory to suggest that 2:79 claims full corruption.

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3. Alternative Theories About "The Book" Mentioned in 2:79

If "the book" in 2:79 does not refer to the Torah or Gospel, then what does it refer to? Here are three historical possibilities:

A. The Talmud

• Some scholars argue that this verse refers to the Jewish Talmud, an extensive collection of oral traditions and rabbinic teachings written down centuries after Moses.

• The Talmud contains legal opinions, folklore, and interpretations but is not the same as the Torah.

• This aligns with the accusation in 2:79: people wrote religious rulings and falsely claimed they were divine.

B. A False Book of Religious Laws

• Others argue that some religious leaders wrote a separate book of rulings and presented it as divine law, misleading the public.

• This fits the context of the verse, which describes people fabricating religious texts for personal gain.

C. Political or Social Manipulation of Scripture

• Some rulers and religious elites may have altered minor laws or interpretations to suit their needs.

• However, this does not mean the entire Torah or Gospel was corrupted—only that some people misrepresented divine teachings.

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4. Conclusion: Surah 2:79 Does Not Prove Corruption of the Torah or Gospel

✅ Surah 2:79 does not say the Torah or Gospel were changed—it only condemns a group of people who wrote something falsely claiming it was divine.
✅ Islamic scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari never argued that the Torah was corrupted based on this verse.
✅ The Quran repeatedly affirms that previous scriptures were still valid at the time of Muhammad (Surah 5:47, 5:68, 10:94).
✅ The "book" in 2:79 is likely the Talmud, a forged religious text, or political distortions—not the Torah or Gospel.

Final Thought

Many modern Muslim apologists who claim that Surah 2:79 refers to the corruption of the Torah and Gospel are contradicting their own scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari. In doing so, they effectively throw their own respected tafsir scholars under the bus, distorting scripture to fit a narrative that was never part of early Islamic thought.