Refuting Islam

Part 2 – Historical Evidence for the Preservation of the Bible

From Ancient Scrolls to Modern Texts: Why the Corruption Claim Fails

Introduction: Why This Matters to the Islamic Dilemma

The Islamic Dilemma hinges on the Quran’s affirmation of the Torah and Gospel as inspired, preserved, and authoritative (Surah 3:3, 5:47, 6:115). The standard Muslim counterclaim is that these texts have been corrupted over time and no longer exist in their original form.

But here’s the problem: if history and textual evidence prove that the Torah and Gospel have been reliably preserved, then the Quran’s contradiction with these preserved texts directly undermines Islam’s truth claims. On the other hand, if the texts were truly lost or corrupted before Muhammad’s time, then the Quran is wrong for affirming their ongoing authority — creating an unresolvable contradiction within Islamic theology.

This chapter dismantles the “corruption” claim using hard historical and manuscript evidence. We’ll show that the Bible we have today is substantially the same as the one Muhammad’s contemporaries possessed — and that the Islamic narrative of wholesale textual corruption has no historical foundation.

Section 1 – What the Quran Claims About the Torah and Gospel

Before examining history, we must clearly understand what the Quran actually says:

Surah 3:3 – “He has sent down upon you, [O Muhammad], the Book in truth, confirming what was before it. And He revealed the Torah and the Gospel.”
Surah 5:47 – “Let the people of the Gospel judge by what Allah has revealed therein. And whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed – then it is those who are the defiantly disobedient.”
Surah 6:115 – “And the word of your Lord has been fulfilled in truth and in justice. None can alter His words, and He is the Hearing, the Knowing.”

The Quran not only affirms these books’ divine origin but commands Jews and Christians to follow them. There is no textual hint that these scriptures were considered lost or corrupted at the time of Muhammad.

Section 2 – Defining “Corruption” and Why It Matters

Islamic apologists often use the Arabic term tahrif (corruption) ambiguously. It can mean:

Tahrif al-lafz – textual corruption: actual changes to the written text.
Tahrif al-ma‘na – interpretive corruption: misreading or misapplying the text.

The problem for Muslims is that historical evidence overwhelmingly refutes tahrif al-lafz for the Torah and Gospel. If they retreat to tahrif al-ma‘na, they’re conceding the text itself is intact — and thus forced to face the doctrinal contradictions between the Bible and Quran.

Section 3 – Archaeological and Manuscript Evidence for the Torah

3.1 The Dead Sea Scrolls (150 BC – 70 AD)

Discovered in 1947, these scrolls contain portions of every Old Testament book except Esther.
They predate Muhammad by over 600 years.
When compared with the Masoretic Text (the basis of most modern Old Testaments), they show over 95% word-for-word consistency. The remaining differences are mostly spelling variations or scribal slips that do not affect meaning.

Example: Isaiah Scroll – a virtually complete manuscript from around 125 BC matches our modern Isaiah with only minor, non-doctrinal differences.

Implication for Islam: The Torah’s core text existed in stable form centuries before Muhammad — destroying the idea that it was lost or altered before the Quran affirmed it.

3.2 The Septuagint (LXX) – 3rd to 2nd Century BC

A Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures made in Alexandria.
Quoted extensively by New Testament authors.
Confirms the content and message of the Old Testament centuries before Islam.

3.3 Samaritan Pentateuch

Preserved by the Samaritan community for over 2,000 years.
Despite doctrinal differences with Judaism, it matches the Torah’s core text.
Proves the Pentateuch was in stable form long before Muhammad.

Section 4 – Archaeological and Manuscript Evidence for the New Testament

4.1 Early Papyrus Fragments (2nd–3rd Century AD)

Rylands Library Papyrus P52 (~125 AD) – fragment of John’s Gospel, written less than 40 years after John’s death.
Chester Beatty Papyri (~200 AD) – major portions of Gospels, Acts, Paul’s letters, Revelation.
Bodmer Papyri (~200 AD) – near-complete copies of Luke and John.

4.2 Major Codices (4th–5th Century AD)

Codex Sinaiticus (~325–360 AD) – entire New Testament + much of Old Testament.
Codex Vaticanus (~325–350 AD) – nearly complete Bible.
Codex Alexandrinus (~400–440 AD) – full Bible with minimal textual variation from modern editions.

These codices predate Muhammad by centuries and match the New Testament used today in 99% of content.

4.3 Patristic Citations

Early Christian writers (2nd–4th centuries) quoted the New Testament so extensively that we could reconstruct almost the entire text from their writings alone. This provides an independent check on manuscript transmission.

Section 5 – Addressing Muslim Counterclaims

5.1 “But the Bible Has Thousands of Variants!”

True — but the vast majority are minor spelling differences, word order changes, or synonyms. Less than 1% of variants affect meaning, and none alter core doctrines like the deity of Christ or the crucifixion.

5.2 “The Council of Nicaea Chose the Bible Books”

False — the canon was recognized, not invented, by councils.
By 150 AD, church fathers were already listing the same four Gospels we have today.

5.3 “Paul Corrupted Christianity”

Historically baseless — Paul’s letters are among the earliest Christian writings (40s–60s AD) and align with the Gospels. No evidence exists for a pre-Paul “Islamic” Christianity.

Section 6 – Why This Destroys the Corruption Claim

The preservation of the Torah and Gospel means:

If preserved → The Quran contradicts them → Islam is false.
If corrupted → The Quran is wrong to affirm them → Islam is false.

Manuscript evidence closes the door on the corruption claim. The Bible we have today is materially the same as the one in Muhammad’s day.

Section 7 – Implications for the Islamic Dilemma

This historical reality forces Muslims into a no-win situation:

Option 1: Admit the Torah and Gospel are preserved → Direct contradiction with Quranic theology.
Option 2: Claim corruption → Accuse the Quran of affirming a non-existent or false scripture.

Either way, the integrity of Islam collapses under its own claims.

Conclusion: The Historical Record is Unambiguous

From the Dead Sea Scrolls to the great codices, the Bible’s preservation is a matter of public, archaeological, and manuscript record. The Islamic claim of wholesale textual corruption is historically indefensible.

The Quran’s affirmation of these preserved texts — combined with its doctrinal contradiction of them — is the very heart of the Quran’s Fatal Dilemma.