The Qur'an and the Bible in the light of history and science

354 Pages·2016·19.83 MB·English

by  Dr William Campbell

THE QURAN AND THE BIBLE
IN THE LIGHT OF HISTORY AND
SCIENCE

There is no God apart fiom me, a righteous God
and a savior.
“There ix none but mei
Turn to me and be saved alf you ends of the earth;
for f cin dod artd there ix no other.
By myself L hare sworn,
My mouth has uttered in alt integrity
a word that will nat be revoked.
Before me every knee will bos;
by me every tongue will swear.
They will say of me,
‘In the LORD ave rightewsness and strength

Isaiah 45:20-24a,

by William F, Campbell M.D.
Copyright 1986 by Arab World Ministries

All rights reserved, including the right of
reproduction in whole or in pat in any forme,

ISBN 1-881885-00.7

Middle Bast Resources
PO Box 96
Upper Darby PA. 19082
BLE OF CO!

PENTS

th

IL.

UL

Preface y

SECTION ONE
Prologue

Some Basic Assumptions About. Words

Basic Assumptions Peculiar to Dr. Bucaille’s Book 15

SKCHION TWO.

The Bible as scen by the Qur'an and the Muslim Tealiien
Wht the Qur'an says About the Bible al
The Hadith and the Sunna aM

SECTION THREE,

‘The Bible and the Que:
Effects of Criticism and Similarities in Their Development

‘The Documentary Hypothesis
Its Elect on the Torab and the Qui’an n

New Testament Form Criticism
ts Bifoct on the Gospel and the Qur'an 88

Historica) Development of dre Qur'an and the Gospet Compared

A. The Beginning Development of the Quran and the Gospel 96

1B. The Final Collection of the Qur'an and the Gospel 110
C. Variant Readings in the Qur'an and the Bible Ey
D, Struggle an¢ Contlict in arly Christianity

pared vith Struggle end Conflics in Karly Isla 136
“The Second Hucdred Years af the Guspel 148

F, Summing up of the Development of the
Qur'an and che Gospel
tt.

i.

TION FOUR
ence and Revelation

‘Modern Science, The Qur’au and the Rible:
Fornelling Modern Scones

‘No Scientific Problems (Errors?) io the Qur'an
A. The Earth, the Heavens, and the 6 or 8 days of Creation,

No Problems
, Anatomy, Hmbryology and Geneties

No Problems:
©. Fables, Allegories and History

SECTION FIVE
Methods of Proof in Revelation

‘Gods Creative Power as Prof and
How to Test a Revelation according lo the Que'sn

How to Test a Revelation According to the Torah

SECTION SIX,
Josus end Muhammad, Two Propheis for a Lest World?

Muharmad's Prophethood

Prophethood and Messiahship of Jesus

Propbethood and Messiahsbip of Jesus ~ Continaed

A Messiah to Suffer

The Power of Intercession

Jesus as a Righteous Servant and Intervessor

Bach in His Owa Languege

Appendices
Estimation of the Number of Witnesses
who saw fesus! Miracles

Prophecies of the Details of Christ's Death
and Their Foiftiment

ier

i)

181

199

au

ag

pad
254
263
27,
279
300
306
PHOTOGRAPHS OF MANUSCRIPTS

Photo t

Photo 2.

Photo 3.

Photo 4,

Photo 5.

Photo 6.

Photo 7.

Photo 8.

Photo 9.

Papyrus (46, I Corinthians 15. 200 AD

Qur'an, Sars ALNiir 24:34-36, 150 AH

Codex Vaticanus, John 8-9, 350 AD

Fapyrus pS2, John 18:3

3, hefore 150 AD

Papyrus p75, Luke 2431-50, 200 AD

Codex Sinaiticus, John 1, 350 AD.

Papycus p75. John 14:9-26, 200 AID

Dead Sea Seroil, Isaiah 53, 100 BC

Papyrus p66, John 10:43-17, 200 AD

109

132

158
PREFACE

WHY A BOOK TO ANSWER A BOOK?

‘What is this hook which still needs to be “revisited” even though it was
published 19 years age?

‘What is this book which would cake a doctor away from his medicine for
three years in ofder to write an answer?

It is a book wikied ome firely dr altriost every back store in Funixie and
Moroeco,

(Lis @ book whieh tung up in the United States in the hands of a young
Egyptian who wishes 10 usc it to influence the gist be is courting,

It is the first book on the book rack. just below the Qua"an and the
Hadith, in the Mosque at Regem’s Park. ot Lundont

Ttis.a book which is considercd so valuable by some that as of 1983 it had
been tanslated from the French orighial ito English, Arabic, indonesiar,
Persian, Serbo-Craatien, Turkish, Urdu, and Goujrath

4 first heard of this work, written by a French medical doctor, from a
young "Tunisian, Hie avid, “Have you read the book by Dr. Maurice Bucaille,
The Hible, The Qur'an, and Scfence! He has 3 hot to say about the Bible and
the Qur'an. He even says that the Qur'an has no scientific errors."

When Texamitted the book f found that the author did inderd huve much
lo say about the Bible and the Que'an, and he does suy

“Ht was only when # examtined the text very closely in
Azubiv that..1 bud to acknowledge the evidence ix front of
te: the Qur'an did not contaia a single statement thar was
asszifuble from a moder scientific pout of view."

In contrast, when speaking of the Bible, he mentions only “contradictions
improbabilities and incompavibilities”. He claims that the Biblical specialists
usually ignere these, or, if they do mention them. they just, “Iry (o
‘camouflage ther with dialectical acrobatics."

Muslims are obviously thrilled with Dr. Bucaille's book because, if iis
teruc, it strengthens them in theit confidence in the Quc'an. Tl is @ type af
second witness,

Faually obvious, is the facl that we Christians are sud to soe the case with
which strong testimonics to ihe truth of the Bible have heca ignored,

Futifled prophecies are uot nientioned.

Dr, Bucuilie denios that any of the Gospel writings ore the work of es
witnesses

The eatliest copies of the Gospel are dismissed with a few words, teaving
the inspression that there is ag good testimony fo the validity of the text

1 The ie, Te Qur'an, Seton, Regih Ein, American Ts Publlesone, tansy, 1959, pu
OTe pi
which we now have.

Th the end, the Gospel is compured lo the Song of Roland (Chanson ée
Roland }. “which relates a real event in a fictitious ight.”

These ideas fi very well, Of course, with what most Muslims claim that
we Christians changed the Gaspel—that there is no valid wilness to Jesus
words and Wie.
sa vory serious and disturbing charge, bul having beard it
sory Mustim with whom ¥ spoke during long years in North Aftica, F
‘thought that { had gotten wsed to it, thot it na lenger bothered me. However &
vwaas mistaken.

In 2983 while passing Urough London, Twent to the British Museum to
sec the Codes Siniaticus, atc of the oldest complete copies of the New
Testament dating from about 350 AD. wanted to tuke the picture which can
be seen on page 155, ARter asking the guard lor chrectious, I went over ( Lne
ss covered case which he indicated, thinking aly abouc how 10 ake a
Pivtore through elas without yetling a veftecton.

Then I save the book in frozt of me,

Ttnok onc look at that Bible und it was
times | had beard “YOU CHANGHID YOUR BIBLE” vent throngh my
bread in one instant, 1 burst inte tears. Even now as f write these words icars
conte to my eyes. Twranted to touch it. Tt would he like souching my brothers
who wrote it L600 years ago. We would be one together event though they bad
died long ayo. 11 was tangible, touchable proof that the Gospal is as it always
has been.

| dicta’t get to touch it, Lasked bur they didn’t feel that Ley obuld allow it,
so Took my pictare und left

‘This book in your hands, then, is a response to these two evalnations of
Dr. Bucaills; bot, to fel, it 8 tmuch more, iis an atlempt to examine Ue Tea)
confrontation between Islam and Christianity at the deepest tevel, both
intellectual and emotional,

For cxampic Mustims elaine that Mohseninad will intercede for thom.
‘This is an emotionally comforting isles, heeanse no one wants to stand alone
in the white light of God's final judgment, Bux is there any evidence for this
idea in the Qur'an?

(Chnstions say’ that God has sent his comfort in Jesus, who died to pay for
the sins of the whole world and is now alive lo inlercede for those whe helicve
in bim 9s Savlout, Ts thore any evidence for this in the Gospel?

‘As mentioned above, Muslims claim that the Bible has been changed, Is
these any cvidense for this in she Qur’an” In tae Hadith? In history?

Tf the (wo bucks differ ia what they say, how sball we choose benween
thom? flew can we know a tre prophet!

Ane who am J that I should Iny fo discuss all these things?

First of all 1, ton, am & medical doctor. Sevondly 1, too, have learned
Amibic the Arabic of Norlh Attica. Thindly £, tuo, have studied the Qur'an

though all the bundseds of
and the Bible

Even 50, some of the areas touched in this hook are outside of my
competence. Therefore, T have asked advice from specialists in several fields:
asttonomy, geology, and even etbryology of the human, and have thus tried
to avoid errors of Rect, in ge Jar as pontible, IF the rocket-probes sent $9
investigate Halley's comel muke the informetion about meteors in Chapter F
‘of Section 5 out of date, T ask the reader's pationce.

1 have asked men whose native language is Arabic to evaluate my word
sindies in thu language. Other frends, including my wis
timme (o read and comment on the enlire manus
the fia! analysis, chouel, | accept full restons
‘written on these pages:

, have given of their
t, and F thank each ane. In.
y for the choice of what is

BASIC ASSUMPTIONS

‘The Grst and second Chapters speak of basic assumptions and bias on
the perf of any and cvery eethor. My basic assumption and bias is that the
Bible isa valid bisioricat document and that the good news of the Gospel is
teue. In discussing the meaning of the Qur'an and the Gospel, I have tried to
understand and stick to the ebvions meaning of the text---the menoing that
would have been understood by those listening ‘when the versos were sven
and avnid the teroptation af making verse say what T went it ¢o sty. How
snecessful J have been in curbing ty own bias, each reader will decide,

Before dosing I wou'd like to explain why J deviéed to use, simost
exvlasively, tbe term "basic assumption”. One of my friends sbggested that
this word was not the best word to express what I wished (o say—especially
Jn the chapters on science. He proposed “presupposition”, “postulate”, "a
rrios?", or “ius”. To his could be adéed “conjectarc™ exd Chypathesis"

it is true chat “basic assumption” usually refers to the very important
assumptions which serve as a foundation for one’s life, or the formation of a
hypothesis in science, Therefore, in many places “conjecture” might be a
better term, but in the end I have decided to keep basic assumption.

T prefer to keep the term because it follows dhe idea of a great Ragtish
Philosopher of the 1200's named Wifliem of Qucam, He said,

“Bssentia non sunt mulliplicanda praeter necessitatem”,
which means,

“Basic assumptions (about the essential mature of things )
‘must not be multiplied beyond necessity."

‘This phrase came fo be known as Occam's razor. We must cul out, as
with a razor or a knife, of at least recognize, all the extra basic assumptions.
Scvondly, it keeps before us the idea that each time we make a basic
assumption, cven a small ong, it is a new beginning, We were stuck in our
reasoning and we had to think up a NEW possible explanation.
‘We all mie these NEW busic assuenptioris to fry and reconcile problems,
In Chapter I of Section 3 we will soe that the “higher crities” made a basic
assmingtion that Moses couldn't aite,

In Chapter TI of Section ¢, Dr. Bucaitte’s basic ussusuption that the word
“smoke” as used! it the Qur'an can tefer to the primordial gases ig compared
with che basic assumption of some Christen men of scieave that the word
“water” as used in the Torah can be used in the same way.

Th Chapter I of the 4th Section we wil see that Dr. Tiorki makes severat
basic assuraptions in his discussion of the seven heavens.

‘There is nothing wrong with this activity, It ip nol i sin. That is what
thinking i all abont, but we moust reatize that we do it and try to keep it tu a

minimus,

, a few remarks about the usage of Archic words.
The Eoglish nnsaes of the Suras are those proposed by Abdullah Yusur
Ali in bis English (ansation of the Qur'an.

Snternationel phonetic symnbois have been used tor the transerfptinm of (he
Anibic names of Sutas and for Arabic words discussed in the tast, except for
four exceptions such as “th” and “sh” where there are good English
egrivatents for the sounds,

There arc, however, some gray areas, Personal names of Arab authors
writing in French or Sngtish have been left as they themselves spell their names
in Latin characters.

Arabic personal names as given in English translations of Hadith ace not
aniform, Therefore, | have usually (ell thet 43 the Cngtish author stsote
hom, since have not seen thom in. Arahic.

Most Arabic words which huve entered into English in former years and
have a “correct” English form, such as Hejira and Shiite, have been left in
their English form. However, « Gow, suck as Muslim, Mubomned aed
Qur'an, have been used in their new modified English form. With these
choughty iv tind let us now revisit and reexamine The Qus’an and ‘the Bible
in the Light of history and science,

William F. Campbell M.D.