How Is the Torah Said to Be Corrupted, According to Islam?
Judaism
"Corruption is a reference to a matter of licentiousness... And corruption is also a reference to idol worship, as it is written: 'Lest you deal corruptly, and make you a graven image'" — Sanhedrin 57a Sanhedrin 57a:1
Not applicable in the sense that Judaism does not accept the Islamic doctrine of Tahrif as a valid description of its own scriptures. The Torah is considered by Jewish tradition to have been faithfully transmitted through meticulous scribal practice (mesorah). The Talmudic discussions of the word 'corruption' (shachat) deal with moral and ritual categories—sexual immorality and idol worship—not with textual tampering of scripture itself Temurah 28b:17Sanhedrin 57a:1. Rabbi Yishmael's school, cited in the Babylonian Talmud, explicitly limits the semantic range of 'corruption' to licentiousness and idolatry, not to scribal falsification Sanhedrin 57a:1. Judaism's own internal tradition offers no acknowledgment that the Torah text has been deliberately falsified.
Christianity
"For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ." — 2 Corinthians 2:17 2 Corinthians 2:17
Christianity is not the primary subject of the Islamic Tahrif claim regarding the Torah, though the New Testament does acknowledge that some individuals 'corrupt the word of God.' Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 2:17 that many 'corrupt' or 'deal deceitfully with' God's word, though this refers to false teachers mishandling scripture in preaching, not to a systematic textual falsification of the Torah itself 2 Corinthians 2:17. Mainstream Christian scholarship—figures like F.F. Bruce and Bruce Metzger in the 20th century—has consistently argued for the textual reliability of the Old Testament through manuscript evidence, including the Dead Sea Scrolls. Christianity does not endorse the Islamic claim that the Torah as a text has been corrupted.
Islam
"And indeed, there is among them a party who alter the Scripture with their tongues so you may think it is from the Scripture, but it is not from the Scripture. And they say, 'This is from Allāh,' but it is not from Allāh. And they speak untruth about Allāh while they know." — Quran 3:78 Quran 3:78
This question is fundamentally about Islamic theology, specifically the doctrine of Tahrif (تحريف), meaning distortion or falsification. Classical Muslim scholars—including Ibn Hazm (d. 1064 CE) and later Ibn Khaldun (d. 1406 CE)—debated whether the corruption was textual (tahrif al-nass) or interpretive (tahrif al-ma'na), and the Quran itself seems to point to both.
The Quran's primary accusation in Surah Al-Baqarah 2:75 is that a party among the People of the Book 'used to hear the words of Allah and then distort it after they had understood it while they were knowing' Quran 2:75. This implies deliberate, knowing falsification—not innocent scribal error. The Arabic verb used here, yuharrifunahu, carries the sense of twisting or displacing something from its proper position.
Surah Al-Imran 3:78 adds a second mechanism: oral misrepresentation. The Quran charges that some 'alter the Scripture with their tongues so you may think it is from the Scripture, but it is not from the Scripture' Quran 3:78. Pickthall's translation renders this as those who 'distort the Scripture with their tongues' Quran 3:78. This suggests that beyond any written alteration, there was a practice of reciting fabricated material as if it were divine revelation.
It's worth noting there's genuine scholarly disagreement within Islam on the scope of Tahrif. Some classical scholars like al-Tabari (d. 923 CE) argued the corruption was primarily interpretive, while Ibn Hazm argued for wholesale textual falsification. Modern Muslim scholars such as Ismail al-Faruqi have nuanced this further, distinguishing between the original revealed Torah (which Islam honors) and the present Masoretic text. The Quran doesn't claim every word of the Torah is false—it claims specific parties introduced distortions—making this a targeted rather than blanket accusation.
Where they agree
All three traditions agree that human beings are capable of misrepresenting or misusing divine words—whether through false teaching, oral distortion, or moral corruption. Paul's warning in 2 Corinthians 2:17 2 Corinthians 2:17 and the Quran's charge in 3:78 Quran 3:78 both acknowledge that some people knowingly mishandle sacred text for personal or communal gain. The Talmud's concern with moral corruption Temurah 28b:17Sanhedrin 57a:1, while not about textual falsification, reflects a shared awareness that human beings distort what is holy. However, the agreement ends there—the traditions diverge sharply on whether the Torah's actual text has been corrupted.
Where they disagree
| Issue | Judaism | Christianity | Islam |
|---|---|---|---|
| Has the Torah text been corrupted? | No; the Masoretic text is faithfully transmitted via mesorah | No; manuscript evidence (Dead Sea Scrolls) supports textual reliability | Yes, in part; certain parties introduced deliberate distortions Quran 2:75Quran 3:78 |
| Nature of 'corruption' | Moral/ritual categories (licentiousness, idolatry) Sanhedrin 57a:1 | Mishandling of scripture in preaching 2 Corinthians 2:17 | Both textual alteration and oral misrepresentation Quran 3:78Quran 3:78 |
| Who is responsible? | Not applicable; no corruption acknowledged | False teachers, not scribes | A specific party among the People of the Book Quran 2:75 |
| Scope of the claim | Rejected entirely | Limited to false teaching, not the Torah itself | Targeted parties, not necessarily every word of the Torah Quran 3:78 |
Key takeaways
- Islam's doctrine of Tahrif holds that specific parties deliberately distorted the Torah, both in writing and through oral misrepresentation (Quran 2:75, 3:78).
- Classical Muslim scholars like Ibn Hazm and al-Tabari disagreed on whether the corruption was textual or merely interpretive—this debate continues today.
- Judaism firmly rejects any claim of Torah corruption; Talmudic use of 'corruption' refers to moral categories, not scribal falsification.
- Christianity acknowledges that false teachers can mishandle scripture (2 Corinthians 2:17) but does not endorse the Islamic claim that the Torah text itself was corrupted.
- The Quran's accusation is targeted—'a party' among the People of the Book—not a blanket condemnation of every word in the Torah.
FAQs
What is the Arabic term for the Islamic doctrine of Torah corruption?
Does the Quran say the entire Torah is corrupted?
How does the Quran describe the method of corruption?
Do Jewish sources use the word 'corruption' about their own scriptures?
Did early Christian writers worry about people corrupting scripture?
Judaism
Not applicable. Concerns Islamic scripture/practice; no direct counterpart.
Christianity
Not applicable. Concerns Islamic scripture/practice; no direct counterpart.
Islam
“And indeed, there is among them a party who alter the Scripture with their tongues so you may think it is from the Scripture, but it is not from the Scripture. And they say, ‘This is from Allāh,’ but it is not from Allāh. And they speak untruth about Allāh while they know.” Quran 3:78
In the Qur’an, the charge of distortion (taḥrīf) is described in two complementary ways:
- Post-reception distortion: a group is said to have heard “the words of Allah” and then distorted them after understanding—an intentional act attributed to “a party” rather than all. Quran 2:75
- Performative/linguistic distortion: a group “alter the Scripture with their tongues” so listeners think what is recited or proclaimed is from Scripture when it is not; they claim, “This is from Allah,” though it isn’t. This points to misquotation, misrecitation, or public misrepresentation. Quran 3:78Quran 3:78
The emphasis in these verses is on culpable alteration by some individuals and on the mode of distortion (what they say and how they say it), not on a universal erasure of the Torah’s textual witness. Both passages stress agency, knowledge, and intent (“while they were knowing”), underscoring moral responsibility for misleading others. Quran 2:75Quran 3:78
Where they agree
Within Islam, both cited verses agree that (1) distortion was perpetrated by “a party” among the People of the Book, and (2) the act involved knowing misrepresentation of God’s words. Quran 2:75Quran 3:78
Where they disagree
| View | Emphasis | Basis in text |
|---|---|---|
| Performative/linguistic distortion | Public recitation or paraphrase that makes listeners think something is Scripture when it is not | “alter the Scripture with their tongues … you may think it is from the Scripture, but it is not” Quran 3:78Quran 3:78 |
| Post-reception alteration | Distortion after hearing and understanding God’s words | “a party of them used to hear the words of Allāh and then distort it after they had understood it” Quran 2:75 |
Key takeaways
- The Qur’an accuses “a party” of distorting God’s words, not the entirety of a community. Quran 2:75Quran 3:78
- One mode is oral/performance-based: altering with the tongue so statements seem scriptural when they’re not. Quran 3:78Quran 3:78
- Another mode is post-hearing distortion: altering after understanding divine speech. Quran 2:75
- The texts stress intentional, knowing misrepresentation rather than an indiscriminate claim of total textual erasure. Quran 2:75Quran 3:78
FAQs
Does the Qur’an claim the entire Torah was universally corrupted?
Is the alleged corruption about changing written text or about misrepresenting it orally?
Who is accused of distortion according to these verses?
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