2019-01-18T14:38:00-08:00
Is the Torah a book?
I believe that the search for the answer to this question does not exist in history, because it is linked to a purely religious doctrinal aspect. Therefore, we cannot reach a correct answer except from within basic religious reference texts.
Is researching the subject of the Torah a Muslim’s faith and his specialty, and how can a Muslim search for the meaning of the Torah?
The presence of the name of the Torah in the Holy Qur’an makes the Torah a religious belief in the Muslim’s consciousness, and this means that the Muslim must understand the meaning of the Torah as part of his faith.
It is logical that when a Muslim wants to understand the meaning of the Torah, he must rely on the text of the Qur’an only, because it is the first reference that spoke about the Torah and established his belief. Therefore, we will try to search for the answer to this question from the Qur’an as it is a basic reference text that talks about the Torah.
But before getting into the topic, I find it necessary to repeat some parts of a previous article in which we tried to answer the question: Was the Torah revealed to Musa and did it exist before Musa?
Did the Torah exist before Musa?
As long as the Holy Qur’an is the first, basic, correct and divine text that was revealed to the Muslim, it is assumed that any other text other than this text came and appeared after this Qur’anic text… In other words, the Qur’an is the first and previous text, and other than this text it is not It expresses the truth, because the Qur’an is the original text.
Therefore, a Muslim is required to make the Qur’an his first reference for understanding the story of Musa and understanding the meaning of the Torah. Otherwise, it is not true, but rather forgery and distortion, no matter how much you like it.
Now let us go to the Qur’an and do research and reflect on its verses
If we search in all the verses of the Qur’an, we will find in them great praise and a positive view towards the Torah, and there is no condemnation or slander towards it. Rather, it makes it a light and guidance for people, and even makes it the primary source of judgement.
While the reality is different, the Muslim views the Jewish book as a distorted book.
■ {Indeed, We sent down the Torah, in which is guidance and light. The prophets who submitted to those who were Al-Yahoud and the Rabbis and the Rabbis judged by it because they guarded themselves from the Book of Allah and were witnesses to it. So do not fear people, but fear Me, and do not exchange My verses for a small price. And whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed – those are the disbelievers.}
The verse is clear… The Qur’an says: We revealed the Torah in general, not specifically, and that it is a book of guidance and light. Rather, it makes the Torah a book of judgment for all the prophets.
The verse is clear…. it talks about a general rule in every place and time, that is, it does not have a special occasion, a specific time, or a specific place….. The verse is a general rule….. We sent down the Torah for the prophets to judge by it (and there is no prophet appointed as Muhammad).
The verse explains to us…. that Allah sent down the Torah in general and did not specify any person, that is, He sent it down to be a reference for the prophets to rule by it, and this means that there were many prophets, and the Torah was a source of arbitration for them, and the Torah was not revealed to Musa.
The verse explains to us… that the Torah was revealed from the beginning and is guidance and light, and it was revealed from the beginning to be a source of arbitration for the prophets, and it was revealed while there were Muslims. This means that the Torah was created in order for the prophets to rule by it, among those who submitted to Islam in the forefront, for those who They became Al-Yahoud, priests and monks in the end.
■ {And We gave Musa the Book that they might be guided.}
If we search all the verses of the Qur’an, we will find that there is not a single verse that says, “We sent down the Book to Musa,” and the word associated with Musa and the Book is always “We gave Musa the Book,” even with Issa, “We gave him the Enjil .”
Why the constant emphasis and care in the Qur’an on the word “We came” and not the word “We sent down”?
This means that there is a difference between the words (we descended and we came).
The word (we descended) is related to something from the beginning, that is, to the beginning of the existence or appearance of the thing. As for the word (we came), it is related to something that already exists, meaning that a person obtains something that already exists.
But notice the verse… Allah gave Musa the Book, not the Torah.
Musa always says in verses of the Qur’an: “The Book is given” and “The Torah is not given,” and there is a definite difference between the Torah and the Book. Because if there had been a difference, the word “Book of the Torah” would have been mentioned in the Qur’an, or the Qur’an would have dispensed with the word “Book” with the word “Torah,” especially since other verses in the Qur’an combine the Book, the Torah, and the Enjil in one sentence.
■ {And He teaches him the Book and the Wisdom and the Torah and the Enjil }
Notice the verse…. How four things are mentioned in Issa’s teaching: the book, wisdom, the Torah, and the Enjil . This confirms that the Torah is one thing and the book is another, different thing.
Notice also….the verse did not say: We descended, nor did we come, but rather He knew it.
Does Allah send down a book to a prophet, then teach him how this book should be?
The word teach… means that there is something that already exists, or is known in advance, and there is someone who will learn this pre-existing thing.
Note…the connection of knowledge between the Torah and the Enjil , and this means that what applies to the Enjil that Allah taught Issa applies to the case of the Torah as well, and it requires knowledge in order for a person to obtain it, that is, until he becomes among those to whom Allah gave the Book, the Torah, and the Enjil . (That is, until this person is given the Torah or the Enjil )
Summary of the three verses
● The Torah was not revealed to a specific person according to the Qur’an, but rather Allah made it to be a reference.
● All the prophets had the Torah with them, and if Allah gave Musa the Torah, he would be a very ordinary case among all the prophets.
● The Torah is specific to Muslims and contains guidance, light, and reference.
● The Torah was not revealed to Musa, and the Book was not revealed to Musa, but rather Allah gave him the Book, that is, He taught Musa the Book until he obtained it (He gave him the Book).
● The Torah is not a book for legislation or establishing a new religion, but rather a reference for arbitration.
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This is the summary of our previous article about Musa and the Torah. We learned that the Qur’an never talks about the Torah with Musa, and the Qur’an never talks about revelation, and the word always associated with Musa is (We gave him the Book), and that the Torah is one thing and the Book is another thing.
So what is the Torah?
Let us go to the Qur’an and research the meaning of the Torah and study the verses in it.
If we search in all the verses and topics that talk about the Torah, we will find this statistic:
● The word Torah appears 17 times in only 16 verses in the Qur’an
● The word Torah appears separately in 8 verses in the Qur’an
● The word Torah appears linked to the word Enjil and in the formula (Torah and Enjil ) in 8 verses in the Qur’an.
● The word Torah is linked in the Qur’an to five verbs, which are: send down, teach, establish, rule, and confirm
1- We sent down the Torah
This verb was mentioned in the Torah in 4 verses
Get down – get down – get down – get down
2- Confirming the Torah
This word appears in the Torah in 3 verses
3- He teaches him the Torah
This verb was mentioned in the Torah in 3 verses
He teaches him – he teaches you
4- He establishes the Torah
This verb is associated with the Torah in 2 verses
Establish the Torah – Establish the Torah
5- He governs the Torah
This verb was mentioned in the Torah in 2 verses
They rule you – they rule you
● The word Torah appears in connection with (the Book and Wisdom) in 2 verses
● The word Torah is linked to the Qur’an in one verse
(The Torah, the Enjil , and the Qur’an)
● What is in the Torah?
1- It contains the rule of Allah
{And how can they judge you when with them is the Torah in which is the ruling of Allah? Then they turn away after that, and those are not believers.}
2- It contains guidance and light
{Indeed, We sent down the Torah, in which is guidance and light}
3- In it is written the illiterate prophet
{Those who follow the Messenger, the unlettered Prophet, whom they find written down with them in the Torah and the Enjil }
4- There is a parable of Muhammad and those with him
{Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah and those with him are hard against the disbelievers and merciful among themselves. You will see them bowing down and prostrating, seeking bounty from Allah and His pleasure. Their marks are on their faces from the effect of prostration. That is their likeness in the Torah.}
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If you search in all the verses in which the word Torah appears, you will find that the Qur’an always deals with this word in the feminine form.
This forces us to ask a question about why?
If we say that the reason is that the word is in the feminine form
but
We say: “Qutayba left the house,” and we do not say: “Qutayba left the house.” Because Qutaibah is a masculine noun, even if there is a feminine ta’ at the end of the noun (incorporeal feminine).
This means that there is no requirement for the presence of the feminine ta’ in the word in order for us to deal with it in the feminine form.
If we say that the reason for the word being an addition to the word book (is known but not mentioned)
but
We say: “We opened the reading book and it contains a beautiful article,” and we do not say: “We opened the reading book and it contains a beautiful article.” When we summarize the words, we say: “We opened the reading and there is a beautiful article in it.” Because the word “reading” is added to something masculine, even if the word is actually feminine.
So
If the Torah referred to a book, it would be correct to say (the book of the Torah), meaning that the word Torah is added to the word book, and then it becomes logical to shorten the phrase (the book of the Torah) to the word (the Torah) only, because of the popularity of the name of the Torah and that it is a name. book .
It would have been a Quranic verse
{Indeed, We sent down the Torah, in it is guidance and light by which the prophets judge.}
And it’s not
{Indeed, We sent down the Torah, in which is guidance and light, by which the prophets judge.}
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Why is the Torah not a book but rather written lines?
1- Look at the association of the word Torah with writing in the Qur’an
{Those who follow the Messenger, the unlettered Prophet, whom they find written down with them in the Torah and the Enjil }
Written in the Torah
She used to say: It is written in the copy and the patch
2- See how the word “Book” is always linked to the Torah in the Qur’an.
He teaches him the book, wisdom, the Torah, and the Enjil
3- Look at the general meaning of the following verse
{Indeed, We sent down the Torah, in which is guidance and light. The prophets who submitted to it judged for those who were Al-Yahoud, and the Rabbis and the Rabbis, because they preserved the Book of Allah and were witnesses to it.}
Would the meaning of the verse be correct if we said:
Indeed, We sent down the Book, in which is guidance and light, by which the prophets who submitted judged those who were Al-Yahoud, and the divines and the rabbis, because they preserved the Book of Allah and were witnesses to it.
The verse talks about something whose identity is unknown and about the Book of Allah, and this unknown thing is linked to a relationship with the Book of Allah, because it will be a source of arbitration. Through this unknown thing, the prophets who surrendered to those who were Jewish and the rabbis will be judged for what they preserved and disregarded from the Book of Allah.
What is related to the book and can make the book appear?
Written fonts
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There are some responses that we received. There are those who say that the Torah is books, and then the meaning will be correct when we say (the books of the Torah), and the verse {Indeed, We have sent down the Torah, in which is guidance and light; the prophets judge by it} will be correct because the word (in it) will refer to (the books of the Torah). .
A collection of books called the Torah
We say: books of interpretations and books of hadiths, but we do not say books of interpretation.
This means that the word Torah is plural. So, what is the singular word for Torah?
There are those who say that the Torah is added to the word “travels,” and then the meaning will be correct when we say (the books of the Torah), and the verse {Indeed, We have sent down the Torah, in which is guidance and light; the prophets judge by it} will be correct in pronunciation because the word (therein) will refer to (the books of the Torah). .
This is the trick we fell for
What is the meaning of the word Asfar?
Asfar is the plural of travel, which is the burden of travel. In colloquial terms, travel means something that combines many materials.
The name travel or travel is not given to anything related to a book. This is an illusion and a lie. The verse talks about another topic, and it only makes a simile.
{The example of those who carried the Torah and then did not carry it is like the example of a donkey carrying books. Miserable is the example of the people who denied the verses of Allah. Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people.}
The meaning of the verse in brief
The Qur’an is like someone who carried the Torah in the past and then abandoned it, like a donkey that always carries books, that is, a donkey that carries a travel load, because the donkey carries and abandons its load to then carry another new load.
In short
This verse refers to the original companions of the Torah. Those who carried the Torah in the past, for a period of time, abandoned it and then moved on to carry something else.
A
Those who wrote in the past in the script of the Torah, then abandoned it and then moved on to write in another script…. and these people…. are like a donkey that always carries books, because it always abandons its load.
in another meaning
Like those who understood the meaning of the Torah in the past and then do not understand the meaning of the Torah now, their likeness is like the donkey that carries the scrolls.
In a more precise and clearer sense
Believe me…… If the Qur’anic verse had said, “Their likeness is like that of a donkey carrying stirrups,” then today you would read that the book of the Old Testament is composed of five stirrups and not five books.
We were really deceived
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