What Is The Ruling On Saying The Qur'an Is Shifa` And Injeel Is Shifa` And Torah Is Shifa`?
Question: what Is the ruling on one who says the Qur'an Is shifa` And Injeel is shifa` and Torah Is shifa`?.
Summary:
It is not permissible to say without qualification, "The Quran is a Shifa` (healing), the Gospel is a healing, and the Torah is a healing," because the Book that Allah described as a healing is the Quran that He revealed to Muhammad ﷺ. As for the Torah and the Gospel that exist today, they have been altered and corrupted, so they cannot be described absolutely as a healing. Yes, the original Torah and Gospel that Allah revealed to Musa and Isa عليهما السلام were guidance and light, but they were abrogated by the Quran, and they are no longer to be followed after the sending of the Prophet ﷺ.
Answer:
Firstly: The Evidence from the Quran
From the Qur'an:
- [Surah Al-Isra: 82]
{And We send down of the Quran that which is a healing and a mercy for the believers.}
- [Surah Fussilat: 44]
{Say: It is, for those who believe, guidance and healing.}
- [Surah Yunus: 57]
{O mankind, there has come to you an admonition from your Lord, and a healing for what is in the hearts.}
These verses clearly establish that the Quran is a healing for hearts from doubts and desires, and also a healing for bodies, by Allah's permission. As for the Torah and the Gospel, Allah says regarding them:
From the Qur'an:
- [Surah Al-Ma'idah: 44]
{Indeed, We sent down the Torah, in which was guidance and light.}
- [Surah Al-Ma'idah: 46]
{And We gave him the Gospel, in which was guidance and light.}
However, Allah did not describe them as a Shifa` (healing) as He described the Quran. Rather, He informed us that the People of the Book altered and distorted their scriptures, saying:
From the Qur'an:
- [Surah Al-Ma'idah: 13]
{They distort words from their proper places.}
- [Surah Al-Baqarah: 79]
{So woe to those who write the Scripture with their own hands and then say, "This is from Allah."}
Secondly: The Evidence from the Sunnah
From the Sunnah:
- Narrated by Muslim (153).It is narrated from Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه that the Prophet ﷺ said:
"By the One in Whose Hand is the soul of Muhammad, no one from this nation, whether Jew or Christian, hears of me and then dies without believing in that with which I was sent, except that he will be among the inhabitants of the Fire."
This demonstrates that the message of Muhammad ﷺ has abrogated the previous revelations, and that it is obligatory to follow the Quran and the Sunnah, not the Torah or the Gospel. Thirdly: Statements of the Scholars
From the Scholars:
- Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله said:
"The Salaf are unanimously agreed that the Quran is the guardian (muhaymin), the trustee, and the witness over the previous scriptures. It is well known that that which serves as the guardian over something occupies a higher rank than it."
See: Majmu Al-Fatawa (17/43).
- Ibn Kathir رحمه الله, commenting on Allah's statement: {And as a guardian over it (muhayminan alayhi)} said:
"That is, a trustee, a witness, and a judge over all the scriptures that came before it." He then said: "All of these explanations are close in meaning, for the name 'muhaymin' encompasses all of them. It is a trustee, a witness, and a judge over every previous scripture."
See: Tafsir Ibn Kathir (3/128).
- Abdur Rahman bin Nasir As-Sa'di رحمه الله, commenting on Allah's statement: {And We send down of the Quran that which is a healing and a mercy for the believers, but it does not increase the wrongdoers except in loss.}
He said: "The Quran contains healing and mercy, but not for everyone. Rather, it is for those who believe in it, affirm its verses, and act upon them. As for the wrongdoers, because of their failure to believe in it or act upon it, its verses only increase them in loss, for by them the proof is established against them. The healing contained in the Quran is comprehensive. It heals the hearts from doubts, ignorance, corrupt beliefs, deviant ideas, and evil intentions. It contains certain knowledge by which every doubt and ignorance is removed, and it contains admonition and reminder by which every desire that opposes Allah's command is eliminated. It is also a healing for the body from its pains and illnesses. As for mercy, the Quran contains the causes and means that lead to it. Whenever a servant acts upon them, he attains mercy, everlasting happiness, and reward in both this world and the Hereafter."
See: Tafsir As-Sa'di, commentary on Surah Al-Isra, verse 82.
Conclusion If someone says, "The Quran is a healing, the Gospel is a healing, and the Torah is a healing," without qualification, then this statement is incorrect, because Allah specifically described the Quran as a healing, and because the Torah and the Gospel that are in the hands of people today have been altered. Therefore, it is not permissible to describe them in this unrestricted manner. However, if a person means the original Torah and Gospel before they were altered, when Allah revealed them, then they were indeed guidance and light, containing that by which hearts were healed through faith and acting upon them in their own time. This is correct in principle, but such an expression should not be used today because it may give the impression that the existing scriptures are authentic or equal to the Quran, and that is false. The Quran is the preserved Book. It has abrogated all previous scriptures, and it is the complete healing to which Allah has commanded this nation to return. The Quran is a healing by the explicit text of the Noble Quran. It is not permissible to describe the Torah and the Gospel that exist today as a healing. The Torah and the Gospel that Allah originally revealed were guidance and light for their people before they were altered and abrogated. After the sending of the Prophet ﷺ, it is obligatory upon all people to follow the Quran and the Sunnah, and the Quran is not to be equated with any other revealed scripture.
And Allah knows best.
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Assalamu Alaikum Sheikh. I want to know one thing. Many years ago when I was 14 years old, I made a mistake. I knew that something was written in the Quran but I thought and i believe that the opposite of what was written in the Quran would happen in the future. I did not realize that my idea and believe was completely wrong. Is this my ignorance? I did not know what kufr was at that time. Do I have to be held accountable and are my salah and supplications at that time valid and accepted? Another question is if someone is ignorant of the ruling that knowingly denying or disbelieving in something in Islam is kufr, and he knowingly denies or disbelieving in something in Islam, will he be guilty of kufr and will he be held accountable? jazakallah khair