Written and collected by Zia H Shah MD

Summary

The Injīl (Arabic for “Gospel”) is presented in the Qur’an as the holy scripture revealed to Jesus (ʿĪsā) – a single, divinely inspired Gospel containing guidance and light en.wikipedia.org. This concept of the Injil differs from the four canonical Gospels of the New Testament (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) that were written down by Jesus’s followers decades after him. Classical Muslim commentators (and modern scholars alike) emphasize that the Quranic Injil is not identical to these later biographies, but rather refers to the original message and teachings given to Jesus en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org. Fragments of that true Gospel’s teachings are believed to survive within the New Testament, albeit mixed with other material en.wikipedia.org. In recent times, some have drawn parallels between the Quranic Injil and scholarly theories like the hypothetical “Q” source – an early collection of Jesus’s sayings – since both focus on Jesus’s teachings rather than narratives of his death islamforwest.orgislamforwest.org. In the discussion that follows, we will examine all Quranic verses that mention “Injil”, exploring their historical, philosophical, and theological contexts, and relate them to each of the four New Testament Gospels individually. A brief thematic epilogue will then highlight how this understanding can speak to both Muslim and Christian audiences.

The Quranic Concept of Injil

In Islamic understanding, the Injil is one of the four holy books revealed by God – alongside the Torah (Tawrat) of Moses, the Psalms (Zabur) of David, and the Quran revealed to Muhammad en.wikipedia.org. The Arabic term Injīl itself is derived from the Syriac awangeliyoun, which in turn comes from the Greek euangelion, meaning “good news” or gospel en.wikipedia.org. The word Injil appears twelve times in the Quran en.wikipedia.org, always in the singular, and generally denotes the revelation given to Jesus by God. This scripture is described as containing “guidance and light” and as confirming the Torah that came before it islamforwest.org. In essence, the Quran portrays the Injil as a continuation of God’s message – a Gospel that Jesus taught to his followers, centered on faith in one God and righteous living.

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