Can Allah's Words Be Changed?
- philhoraia
- Jun 13, 2022
- 3 min read
Updated: Jul 8, 2024
The Quran says No, Muslims say Yes.
S 6:34 And messengers were called liars before you but they were patient concerning what they were accused of lying and they were harmed until our help came to them. And none changes Allah’s words and some news of the commissaries has come to you.
S 6:115 And your lord’s word was fulfilled in truth and justice. None changes his words and he is the hearer, the learned.
S 10:64 Theirs is the good news in the dunya life and in the hereafter. There is no change to Allah’s words. That is the great win.
S 18:27 And read what you have been inspired with of your lord’s book. None changes his words and you will not find a refuge instead of him.
From an Answering Islam article:
For starters, notice how Ibn Kathir interpreted Q. 18:27:
The Command to recite the Qur’an and to patiently keep Company with the Believers
Commanding his Messenger to recite his Holy Book and convey it to mankind, Allah says,
<None can change His Words,> meaning, no one can alter them, distort them or misinterpret them. (Tafsir Ibn Kathir, (Abridged) (Surat Al-Isra’, verse 39 To the end of Surat Al-Mu’minun), abridged by a group of scholars under the supervision of Shaykh Safiur-Rahman Al-Mubarakpuri, [Darussalam Publishers & Distributors, Riyadh, Houston, New York, Lahore; First Edition, July 2000], Volume 6, p. 142, *; underline emphasis ours)...
Moving along, the following commentary is attributed to Muhammad’s first cousin, Ibn Abbas, considered to be one of Islam’s greatest scholars:
(Perfected is the Word of thy Lord) the Qur'an, detailing the commands and prohibitions (in truth) in His speech (and justice) from Him. (There is naught that can change His words) the Qur'an; it is also said that this means: the Word of your Lord has prescribed that His friends shall triumph. He is truthful in His speech and just in that which shall come. Nothing can change His words about His giving help to His friend. It is also said that this means: the religion of your Lord is now manifest, people truthfully believe that it is Allah's religion. Allah's command is just and nothing will ever change His religion. (He is the Hearer) of their speech, (the Knower) of them and their works. (Tanwîr al-Miqbâs min Tafsîr Ibn ‘Abbâs, Q. 6:115; bold and underline emphasis ours)
And here is al-Tabari’s explanation of the same verse:
The word of God meant in this verse is the Quran. This word is complete in truth and justice. Nothing can change Allah’s word which he revealed in his BOOKS. The liars cannot add or delete from Allah’s BOOKS. This is referring without a doubt to the Jews and Christians because they are the people of the books which were revealed to their prophets. Allah is revealing that the words they (the people of the book) are corrupting were not revealed by Allah, since Allah’s word cannot be changed or substituted. (Tafsir al-Tabari, Q. 6:115; bold and capital emphasis ours)...
[Al-Razi:]
There is a difference of opinions regarding this matter among some of the respectable scholars. Some of these scholars said: the manuscript copies of the Torah were distributed everywhere and no one knows the exact number of these copies except Allah. It is impossible to have a conspiracy to change or alter the word of God in all of these copies without missing any copy. Such a conspiracy will not be logical or possible. And when Allah told his messenger (Muhammad) to ask the Jews to bring their Torah and read it concerning the stoning command they were not able to change this command from their copies, that is why they covered up the stoning verse while they were reading it to the prophet. It was then when Abdullah Ibn Salam requested that they remove their hand so that the verse became clear. If they have changed or altered the Torah then this verse would have been one of the important verses to be altered by the Jews.
Also, whenever the prophet would ask them (the Jews) concerning the prophecies about him in the Torah they were not able to remove them either, and they would respond by stating that they are not about him and they are still waiting for the prophet in their Torah. God's Words Can Never Be Changed
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