Can All Three Claims Be True?
Affirmation, Preservation, and Contradiction Brought Together
Introduction
We have now walked carefully through the pieces of the argument.
We examined:
The Qur’an’s affirmation of the Torah and the Gospel.
The claim that God’s words cannot be changed.
The historical preservation of the Bible before Islam.
The compilation and transmission history of the Qur’an.
The contradiction between the two texts concerning the crucifixion.
The radically different portraits of Jesus.
Now we must gather the strands together.
The Islamic Dilemma rests on three claims:
The Qur’an affirms the Torah and the Gospel.
God’s words cannot be changed.
The Qur’an contradicts key teachings found in the Torah and the Gospel.
Can all three be true at the same time?
Claim One: The Qur’an Affirms the Torah and the Gospel
The Qur’an repeatedly speaks positively about previous Scripture.
It describes the Torah and Gospel as:
Guidance.
Light.
Revelation from Allah.
Surah 5:46 says:
وَآتَيْنَاهُ الْإِنجِيلَ فِيهِ هُدًى وَنُورٌ
“And We gave him the Gospel, in which was guidance and light.”
Surah 5:47 commands:
وَلْيَحْكُمْ أَهْلُ الْإِنجِيلِ بِمَا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ فِيهِ
“Let the People of the Gospel judge by what Allah has revealed therein.”
The language is not dismissive.
It is affirming.
Claim Two: God’s Words Cannot Be Changed
The Qur’an also declares:
لَا تَبْدِيلَ لِكَلِمَاتِ اللَّهِ
“There is no changing the words of Allah.” (Surah 10:64)
And:
لَا مُبَدِّلَ لِكَلِمَاتِهِ
“None can change His words.” (Surah 6:34)
If these statements apply broadly to divine revelation, then God’s revealed word stands secure.
That principle is clear.
Claim Three: The Qur’an Contradicts the Gospel
Yet when we compare the texts, we find clear contradictions.
On the crucifixion:
The Gospel says Jesus was crucified.
The Qur’an says he was not.
On identity:
The Gospel presents Jesus as the eternal Word made flesh.
The Qur’an presents him as a created prophet.
On atonement:
The Gospel centers salvation on the cross.
The Qur’an rejects a sacrificial death for sin.
These are not minor differences.
They are central claims.
The Logical Tension
If:
The Qur’an affirms the Gospel,
And God’s words cannot be changed,
But the Qur’an contradicts the Gospel,
Then at least one of the three claims must give.
There are only a few possibilities.
Option One: The Bible Was Corrupted
This is the most common modern Muslim response.
But as we examined earlier:
There is no historical evidence of a global textual disappearance.
There is no manuscript trail of a different “original Injil.”
Early Islamic sources themselves interact with recognizable Gospel material.
The Qur’an commands Christians to judge by what they possess.
The corruption claim raises serious historical questions.
Option Two: God’s Words Can Be Changed
This option conflicts directly with the Qur’an’s own repeated declarations.
If God’s words can be altered or erased, then:
The Torah was not secure.
The Gospel was not secure.
The Qur’an itself would not be secure.
This undermines the principle of divine preservation.
Option Three: The Qur’an’s Contradiction Is the Problem
The final possibility is that the Qur’an contradicts previously revealed Scripture.
If the Torah and Gospel were preserved…
And if God’s words cannot be changed…
Then a later revelation that denies core elements of earlier revelation would create tension within its own claims.
This is the heart of the Islamic Dilemma.
Why This Is Not Hostile
This argument is not about disrespect.
It is not about attacking Muslims.
It is about internal consistency.
If a book claims to:
Confirm previous revelation,
Declare that God’s words cannot be changed,
And yet deny central historical events contained in that revelation,
Then the tension must be addressed honestly.
Logical consistency matters.
The Crossroads
At this point, the reader stands at a crossroads.
If all three claims cannot stand together, then something must be reconsidered.
The Islamic Dilemma is not an emotional argument.
It is a logical one.
And it invites careful reflection.
In the next article, we will consider what a thoughtful Muslim might do with this tension.
Is there a way forward?
Is there a resolution?
That is where we turn next.