Evidence of Approach
The scriptural approach to the evidences contained on this website are as follows:
تَبَارَكَ ٱلَّذِى نَزَّلَ ٱلۡفُرۡقَانَ عَلَىٰ عَبۡدِهِۦ لِيَكُونَ لِلۡعَـٰلَمِينَ نَذِيرًا
Blessed be He Who sent down the criterion (of right and wrong, i.e. this Quran) to His slave (Muhammad SAW) that he may be a warner to the ‘Alamin (mankind and jinns)
Surah Furqan:1
The Qur’an is the criteria over all things, men and other books.
Thus anything that contradicts the Qur’an or goes against it is rejected. It is our chief source of guidance.
Next in priority of guidance are the authentic hadith of Muhammed sulla Allah alayhi wa salaam.
Anything that actually conflicts with these two sources is rejected and left.
يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْ أَطِيعُواْ ٱللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُواْ ٱلرَّسُولَ وَأُوْلِى ٱلۡأَمۡرِ مِنكُمۡۖ فَإِن تَنَـٰزَعۡتُمۡ فِى شَىۡءٍ۬ فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ وَٱلرَّسُولِ إِن كُنتُمۡ تُؤۡمِنُونَ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلۡيَوۡمِ ٱلۡأَخِرِۚ ذَٲلِكَ خَيۡرٌ۬ وَأَحۡسَنُ تَأۡوِيلاً
O you who believe! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger (Muhammad sulla Allah alayhi wa salaam), and those of you (Muslims) who are in authority. (And) if you differ in anything amongst yourselves, refer it to Allah and His Messenger (sulla Allah alayhi wa salaam), if you believe in Allah and in the Last Day. That is better and more suitable for final determination.
Nisa: 59
وَمَآ ءَاتَٮٰكُمُ ٱلرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوهُ وَمَا نَہَٮٰكُمۡ عَنۡهُ فَٱنتَهُواْۚ وَٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ شَدِيدُ ٱلۡعِقَابِ
And whatsoever the Messenger (Muhammad sulla Allah alayhi wa salaam) gives you, take it, and whatsoever he forbids you, abstain (from it), and fear Allah. Verily, Allah is Severe in punishment
Surah Hashr:7
Thus the Sharia as given to Muhammed sulla Allah alayhi wa salaam is the only Sharia we recognise and follow.
So, in regards to rulings and the Sharia there is no other source that is recognised other than the Qur’an and the authentic Sunnah.
There is no confusion in the mind of the Child of Israel about the way he must follow to be in submission to Allah in this time.
In regards to our history and other details that are not mentioned in the Qur’an and authentic Hadith, the Torah and other books will be referred to as a source which can help to give extra detail and further understanding of issues.
Again where a narrative conflicts with the Qur’an or authentic hadith it is rejected in favour of the Qur’anic text or authentic hadith.
We take as evidence the priority of books from the Qur’an itself.
Allah states that:
إِذۡ قَالَ ٱللَّهُ يَـٰعِيسَى ٱبۡنَ مَرۡيَمَ ٱذۡڪُرۡ نِعۡمَتِى عَلَيۡكَ وَعَلَىٰ وَٲلِدَتِكَ إِذۡ أَيَّدتُّكَ بِرُوحِ ٱلۡقُدُسِ تُكَلِّمُ ٱلنَّاسَ فِى ٱلۡمَهۡدِ وَڪَهۡلاً۬ۖ وَإِذۡ عَلَّمۡتُكَ ٱلۡڪِتَـٰبَ وَٱلۡحِكۡمَةَ وَٱلتَّوۡرَٮٰةَ وَٱلۡإِنجِيلَۖ وَإِذۡ تَخۡلُقُ مِنَ ٱلطِّينِ كَهَيۡـَٔةِ ٱلطَّيۡرِ بِإِذۡنِى فَتَنفُخُ فِيہَا فَتَكُونُ طَيۡرَۢا بِإِذۡنِىۖ وَتُبۡرِئُ ٱلۡأَڪۡمَهَ وَٱلۡأَبۡرَصَ بِإِذۡنِىۖ وَإِذۡ تُخۡرِجُ ٱلۡمَوۡتَىٰ بِإِذۡنِىۖ وَإِذۡ ڪَفَفۡتُ بَنِىٓ إِسۡرَٲٓءِيلَ عَنكَ إِذۡ جِئۡتَهُم بِٱلۡبَيِّنَـٰتِ فَقَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ مِنۡہُمۡ إِنۡ هَـٰذَآ إِلَّا سِحۡرٌ۬ مُّبِينٌ۬
(Remember) when Allah will say (on the Day of Resurrection). “O ‘Iesa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary)! Remember My Favour to you and to your mother when I supported you with Ruh-ul-Qudus [Jibrael (Gabriel)] so that you spoke to the people in the cradle and in maturity; and when I taught you writing, Al-Hikmah (the power of understanding), the Taurat (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel); and when you made out of the clay, as it were, the figure of a bird, by My Permission, and you breathed into it, and it became a bird by My Permission, and you healed those born blind, and the lepers by My Permission, and when you brought forth the dead by My Permission; and when I restrained the Children of Israel from you (when they resolved to kill you) since you came unto them with clear proofs, and the disbelievers among them said: ‘This is nothing but evident magic.’ “
The priority of the books are mentioned.
The Qur’an purifies the Hadith, the Qur’an and Hadith purify the Torah and all three purify the Injeel.
That which is found to be false through this process is rejected.
O Children of Israel! Remember My Favour which I bestowed upon you, and fulfill (your obligations to) My Covenant (with you) so that I fulfill (My Obligations to) your covenant (with Me), and fear none but Me. And believe in what I have sent down (this Qur’ân), confirming that which is with you, [the Taurât (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel)], and be not the first to disbelieve therein, and buy not with My Verses [the Taurât (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel)] a small price (i.e. getting a small gain by selling My Verses), and fear Me and Me Alone.
Baqarah 40-41
It is our understanding that Allah subhaanahu wa ta’ala indeed confirmed the covenants found in the Torah as being still intact and therefore can be used to flesh out and bring extra details about the covenant as referred to in the Qur’an itself.
Also from this Ayah it is made very clear that the covenants remain and are to be fulfilled.
As the covenants are mentioned but not detailed in the Qur’an, it makes complete sense that Allah subhaanahu wa ta’ala would preserve the covenants in wherever they could be found. Those who were subject to the covenants would be able to find and read them.
It would be absurd that Allah subhaanahu wa ta’ala would indeed command that you fulfil a term of a Covenant but the detail of it no longer existed.
Allah does state in Baqarah:40 بِمَآ أَنزَلۡتُ مُصَدِّقً۬ا لِّمَا مَعَكُمۡ “ confirming that which is with you”.
So even as we cannot claim the Torah in its entirety is preserved from error;
Allah does confirm the covenants which it contains regarding Banu Israel