Torah's Portrayal in the Quran- An Ecumenical Understanding
By V.A. Mohamad Ashrof, New Age Islam
6 May 2025
Interreligious dialogue, particularly between the Abrahamic faiths of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, often navigates complex theological terrain marked by shared origins and divergent paths. Central to this landscape is the status and understanding of prior scriptures. This paper undertakes a hermeneutical exploration of the Quran's portrayal of the Torah (Tawrat), the foundational scripture revealed to Moses. By examining how the Quran engages with, describes, and positions the Torah, particularly the text understood to be extant during the time of the Quran's revelation, we can uncover significant resources for ecumenical understanding. The Quranic discourse, rather than presenting a simple supersession or dismissal, offers a nuanced perspective emphasizing confirmation, continuity, and shared divine origin. This perspective, especially when interpretations challenging the notion of widespread textual corruption are considered, holds profound potential for fostering mutual respect and deeper dialogue between Muslims, Jews, and Christians, recognizing the Torah as a shared element within the broader narrative of divine guidance. Our central thesis posits that the Quran predominantly presents the Torah available in the seventh century as a subsisting, authoritative source of divine guidance, confirming its essential truths while calling its adherents to fidelity, thereby laying a foundation for interreligious acknowledgement and concord.
The Torah as Divine Guidance: Light, Mercy, and Criterion
The Quran consistently depicts the revelation given to Moses in profoundly positive terms, establishing its divine origin and enduring value. It is referred to as a "Book" containing "light and guidance" for humanity (6:91), a status reiterated elsewhere where it is described as both "guidance and a light" (5:44) and simply "guidance and a mercy" (6:155). The text given to Moses is presented not merely as a historical artefact but as a continuing source of spiritual illumination and ethical direction.
Furthermore, the Quran identifies the Torah as a "model and a mercy" preceding its own revelation (46:12), suggesting a continuity of divine benevolent purpose. It is described as being "complete... explaining all things in detail, and a guide and a mercy," intended to foster belief in the ultimate encounter with God (6:154). This comprehensive nature points to the Torah's role as a foundational divine law and narrative.
Intriguingly, the Quran applies the term "Criterion" (al-Furqan) – often associated with the Quran itself as that which distinguishes right from wrong – to the revelation given to Moses and Aaron. It is called "the Criterion and a light and a Message for those who would do right" (21:48) and elsewhere simply "the Scripture and the Criterion" (2:53). As Muslim commentators like Mahmoud M. Ayoub note, the application of "Furqan" to the Torah complicates any simplistic notion that this term exclusively denotes the Quran's role in correcting prior, allegedly corrupted texts (Ayoub, 1992, pp. 101-102). If the Torah itself is a Furqan, it inherently possesses the capacity to distinguish truth from falsehood. Some scholars, like al-Razi, discuss interpretations where Furqan might refer to the Torah as a whole, its miracles, or its capacity to separate lawful from unlawful, with the view that it refers to all revealed scriptures distinguishing truth from error being common among tafsir masters (Ayoub, The Quran and Its Interpreters, p.17). This shared designation underscores a common function attributed by the Quran to both revelations: providing a divine standard for judgment and righteous living.
Confirmation and Continuity: The Quran as Musaddiq
A dominant theme in the Quran's engagement with previous scriptures is that of Tasdiq, or confirmation. The Quran repeatedly describes itself as "confirming" (Musaddiq) the revelations that came before it, specifically mentioning the Torah and the Gospel. It speaks of a "Book from God, confirming what is with them [the Jews]" (2:89) and urges belief in the revelation sent down "confirming the revelation that is with you [Children of Israel]" (2:41). This confirmation extends to the scripture "revealed after Moses, confirming that which was before it" (46:30).
This act of confirmation is explicitly linked to the scriptures possessed by the Jewish and Christian communities of the time. The Quran confirms "that which was (revealed) before it in the Torah" (5:46) and is presented as "a verification of that (the Torah and Gospel) which IS between his (its) hands" (10:37; cf. 35:31). The Arabic phrase often used, bayna yadayhi ("between his/its hands"), strongly implies the contemporary existence and accessibility of the scriptures being confirmed. The Quran is positioned as a "book confirming [the Book of Moses] in Arabic tongue" (46:12), suggesting its role was, in part, to make the essential divine message accessible to the Arab community who were previously "unacquainted with all that they [Jews and Christians] learned by assiduous study" (6:156-157).
This emphasis on confirmation rather than abrogation or correction of the textual corpus itself suggests a relationship of continuity. The Quran sees itself as part of the same stream of divine revelation that produced the Torah. Jesus, too, is presented as "confirming that which was (revealed) before me in the Torah" (61:6; cf. 3:50). The Quran is thus framed not as a radical break invalidating the past, but as the culminating message affirming the perennial truths found in prior revelations, particularly the Torah, while providing updated guidance for a universal audience. God has ordained the same essential religion (din) through successive prophets (42:13), implying a foundational unity beneath the specific legal frameworks (Shir'ah Wa Minhaj) appointed for different communities (5:48).
The Presupposed Existence and Authority of the Torah
The Quranic text consistently operates on the assumption that the Torah, as a recognized scripture, was present and accessible within the Jewish community during the seventh century. It addresses the "Children of Israel" directly, reminding them of their covenant and urging them to believe in the new revelation which confirms "that which ye possess already (of the Scripture)" (2:40-41). It criticizes those who "enjoin ye righteousness upon mankind while ye yourselves forget (to practice it)? And ye are readers of the Scripture!" (2:44), clearly indicating that reading the Torah was an ongoing practice.
This assumption of availability is further underscored by direct challenges and commands. When disputes arose, the Quran rhetorically asks the Jews, "But why do they come to thee for decision, when they have the Torah in which IS the command of God?" (5:43). This implies the Torah contained discernible divine judgments relevant to their situation. In another instance, a direct challenge is issued: "Say: 'Bring you the Torah now and recite (or read) it, if you are men of truth'" (3:93). Such a challenge would be meaningless if the Torah were considered entirely lost or textually void.
Moreover, the Quran states that the Prophet Muhammad is mentioned "in the Torah and the Gospel THAT IS WITH THEM" (7:157). This direct reference to the scriptures currently in the possession of the People of the Book reinforces their perceived textual integrity and relevance at that time. Believers are urged not to doubt the revelation given to Moses reaching Muhammad (32:23), implying a connection and continuity facilitated by the existing text. Jews and Christians are described as people who "READ THE BOOK" (2:113) and are knowledgeable teachers who "TEACH the BOOK and you STUDY IT EARNESTLY" (3:79). The consistent reference is to al-Kitab (The Book), implying a recognized and respected corpus. Abdullah Saeed argues persuasively that since the scriptures available today are essentially the same as those from the seventh century, "it is difficult to argue that the Quranic references to Tawrat and Injıl were only to the ‘pure’ Tawrat and Injıl as existed at the time of Moses and Jesus, respectively” (Saeed, 2002, p. 434). The Quran engages with the scripture the People of the Book had.
Hermeneutics of Tahrif: Misinterpretation over Textual Corruption?
Perhaps the most sensitive issue in the interreligious interpretation of the Quran's view of the Torah revolves around the concept of Tahrif (alteration, distortion, corruption). While later Islamic tradition often interpreted Tahrif as signifying textual falsification of the Torah and Gospel, a careful hermeneutical reading of the relevant Quranic passages, supported by classical and modern commentators, suggests a more nuanced understanding primarily focused on misinterpretation, concealment, and oral distortion rather than wholesale textual change.
The Quran accuses a specific "party" (Fariq) among the People of the Book who "twist their tongues with the Book" while reading, making listeners think their distortions are part of the scripture when they are not (3:78). This points towards oral misrepresentation or mispronunciation intended to mislead. Another passage speaks of those who "change the words from their (right) places" (5:13; cf. 4:46), which can be interpreted as taking verses out of context or misapplying their meaning. This is coupled with the accusation that they "forgot a part of that whereby they were admonished" (5:13) and sometimes "conceal the truth wittingly" (2:42), particularly testimonies they possess from God (2:140).
Significantly, the Quran notes that some Jews engaged in similar distortion when hearing the Quran itself: "a party (Fariq) among them hear the Word of God, then they pervert it knowingly after they have understood it" (2:75). This parallel suggests Tahrif could refer to a pattern of interpretive dishonesty or rejection of clear meaning rather than solely the physical alteration of manuscripts.
This interpretation finds strong support among notable Muslim scholars. Mahmoud Ayoub observes, "Contrary to the general Islamic view, the Quran does not accuse Jews and Christians of altering the text of their scriptures, but rather of altering the truth which those scriptures contain... this refers more to interpretation than to actual addition or deletion of words from the sacred books" (Ayoub 1986, p. 5). He cites the esteemed early commentator Ibn Abbas (the Prophet's cousin), as recorded by Bukhari, stating that Tahrif "signifies to change a thing from its original nature; and that there is no man who could corrupt a single word of what proceeded from God, so that the Jews and Christians could corrupt only by misrepresenting the meaning of the words of God" (Hughes, p. 62, citing Bukhari). This view, giving priority to semantic distortion over textual corruption, was also supported by others like Shah Waliyu 'Illah (Hughes, p. 62). Al-Razi, while discussing possibilities regarding what might have been altered (perhaps prophecies concerning Muhammad), notes that the prevalence of Tawatur (unbroken, widespread transmission) makes alteration of the actual words unlikely and concedes that "The literal sense of the Quran does not indicate what they actually altered" (Ayoub, 1992, pp. 120-121).
While the Quran does critique certain behaviours and beliefs among the People of the Book, this hermeneutical approach to Tahrif significantly shifts the focus from an accusation of textual fraudulence to a critique of interpretive infidelity and concealment. This understanding aligns better with the numerous verses affirming the Torah "with them" and calling them to judge by it. It opens a crucial space for ecumenical dialogue, moving away from mutual accusations of textual corruption towards a discussion of interpretation and shared ethical-spiritual commitments.
The Interconnectedness of Revelation
The Quran doesn't merely affirm the Torah; it assigns a significant role to its adherents, the People of the Book. Their knowledge of previous scriptures is presented as a means by which the truth of the Quran itself can be recognized. The Quran states that its message "is in the Scriptures of the men of old" and asks rhetorically, "Is it not a token for them that the doctors of the Children of Israel know it?" (26:196-197). Those given the Scripture are said to "recognise (this Revelation) as they recognize their sons" (6:20; cf. 2:146). Doubters among the Arabs, or even the Prophet Muhammad himself if faced with doubt, are advised to "question those who read the Scripture (that was) before thee" (10:94-95; cf. 21:7, 16:43). This appeal implies that the earlier scriptures contained recognizable truths and that their faithful readers possessed a reliable understanding capable of verification.
Furthermore, the Quran explicitly acknowledges the piety and righteousness of segments within the People of the Book. "Not all of them are alike," it states, describing those who "recite the signs (or verses) of God in the night season," "believe in God and the last day," "command what is just, and forbid what is wrong," and are counted among "the righteous" (3:113-114). It also affirms that among them are those who "believe in God" and the revelations sent to them and to the Muslims, remaining humble and not trading divine signs for small gains (3:199). This recognition of faithful adherents within the Jewish and Christian communities counterbalances the critiques directed elsewhere.
The overarching framework is one of interconnectedness. Belief in all of God's messengers and scriptures is presented as integral to faith. Muslims are instructed to declare belief in God and what was revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, the Tribes, Moses, Jesus, and all the prophets, making "no distinction between any of them" (2:136; cf. 2:285, 3:84). Disbelief in any of God's scriptures or messengers is described as wandering far astray (4:136). This inclusive vision positions the Torah not as an alien or superseded text, but as a vital part of the unified tapestry of divine revelation that believers are called to acknowledge.
Ecumenical Implications: Towards Shared Understanding and Respect
The Quran's portrayal of the Torah, interpreted through a hermeneutical lens sensitive to its themes of confirmation, continuity, and nuanced critique, offers substantial ground for interreligious ecumenism.
1. Acknowledgement of Shared Heritage: The Quran's consistent affirmation of the Torah as divine guidance, light, and mercy establishes a fundamental point of shared reverence. Recognizing that the Quran itself holds the revelation to Moses in high esteem can foster mutual respect between Muslims and Jews (and Christians, who also revere the Hebrew Bible).
2. Focus on Confirmation, Not Just Supersession: Emphasizing the Quran's role as Musaddiq (confirmer) of the Torah "with them" shifts the narrative away from a simple model of abrogation towards one of culmination and verification. This allows for appreciating the enduring value of the Torah within its own context, even as Muslims believe the Quran offers the final and universal iteration of divine guidance.
3. Reframing the Tahrif Debate: Understanding Tahrif primarily as misinterpretation, concealment, or oral distortion, as supported by key Quranic verses and commentators like Ibn Abbas, defuses one of the most historically contentious points in interfaith relations. It moves the discussion from accusations of textual forgery to potentially more productive dialogues about interpretive methods, theological development, and the ethical responsibilities of safeguarding and accurately conveying sacred texts.
4. Basis for Common Action: The Quran's call for the People of the Book to "observe the Torah and the Gospel and that which was revealed unto them from their Lord" (5:68), and its description of righteous individuals among them who uphold justice and do good works (3:113-114), provides a basis for collaboration on shared ethical and social concerns rooted in common scriptural values.
5. Mutual Learning: The instruction for doubters to consult the People of the Book (10:94) implies a recognition of the knowledge and wisdom contained within their traditions and scriptures. This can encourage an attitude of mutual learning and appreciation for the diverse ways God's guidance has been understood and lived out. The report cited by Ayoub about Umar ibn al-Khattab frequenting Jewish schools to "marvel at how The Books Of God Confirm Each Other" exemplifies this potential (Ayoub, 1992, p. 127).
6. Vision of Harmony: The aspiration expressed by figures like Muhammad Abduh – anticipating the Torah, Gospel, and Quran becoming "harmonious, reconciled scrolls" studied and revered across communities (Taylor, p. 129) – captures the ecumenical potential inherent in focusing on the Quran's confirmatory and unifying messages.
Hermeneutical Insights for Interfaith Dialogue
A hermeneutical engagement with the Quran reveals a portrayal of the Torah that is far more complex and affirming than often assumed in polemical contexts. The Quran consistently presents the Torah known and available in the seventh century as a divinely revealed Book embodying guidance, light, mercy, and a criterion for judgment. Its primary relationship to this Torah is described as one of confirmation (Tasdiq), placing itself in continuity with the prophetic tradition of Moses. The Quran presupposes the Torah's existence and availability among the Jewish community, even calling upon them to judge by it. Critiques, particularly concerning Tahrif, can be hermeneutically understood as targeting interpretive infidelity, concealment, and oral distortion by specific groups, rather than a wholesale textual corruption of the scripture itself – an interpretation supported by significant classical commentators.
This Quranic perspective, centred on confirmation and the enduring validity of the Torah as divine scripture, offers a robust foundation for interreligious ecumenism. It allows Muslims, Jews, and Christians to approach dialogue not merely as adherents of separate and competing revelations, but as inheritors of an interconnected tradition of divine guidance, initiated powerfully through the revelation given to Moses. By focusing on the Quran's own testimony regarding the Torah "with them," adherents of all three faiths can find common ground, foster mutual respect, and work towards the harmonious vision articulated by reformers like Abduh, where the shared light of revelation illuminates a path toward greater understanding and peace. The enduring light of the Torah, as acknowledged and confirmed within the Quranic narrative itself, continues to offer guidance and a potential meeting point for the Children of Abraham.
Bibliography
Ayoub, Mahmoud M, "Uzayr in the Quran and Muslim Tradition" in Studies in Islamic & Judaic Traditions, ed. W.M. Brenner and S.D. Ricks, The University of Denver, 1986
Ayoub, Mahmoud M, The Quran and Its Interpreters, vol. II, Albany, N.Y.; State University of New York Press, 1992
Hughes, T. P. Dictionary of Islam, Chicago: Kazi Publications, Inc 1994
Saeed, Abdullah. 2002. The Charge of Distortion of Jewish and Christian Scriptures. Muslim World 92: 419–436
Taylor, Isaac, Leaves from an Egyptian Note-Book, London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner & Co., 1888
Unal, Ali, The Quran with Annotated Interpretation in Modern English, New Jersey: Tughra Books, 2006
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V.A. Mohamad Ashrof is an independent Indian scholar specializing in Islamic humanism. With a deep commitment to advancing Quranic hermeneutics that prioritize human well-being, peace, and progress, his work aims to foster a just society, encourage critical thinking, and promote inclusive discourse and peaceful coexistence. He is dedicated to creating pathways for meaningful social change and intellectual growth through his scholarship.
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