Shabir Ally Caught Red Handed. What does the Quran say on Gospel?

This debate took place between James White and Shabir Ally back in 2007

Shabir Ally tried to pull a fast one here.

Shabir ally mentions two verses in the Qur'an. 1) The Injeel (gospel) being revealed to Issa(Jesus)  2) The Christians being commanded to judge the Injeel by what Allah has revealed 'therein' in the time of Mohammed.

However what he didn't tell his audience regarding the two verses he mentions is that he forcibly gave the appearance as if the Quran is referencing two different Injeels, in two different historical contexts. If however the audience were to read the passages in question, one could see something very important:

And in their footsteps We sent Jesus the son of Mary, confirming the Law that had come before him: We sent him the Gospel: therein was guidance and light, and confirmation of the Law that had come before him: a guidance and an admonition to those who fear God. Let the people of the Gospel judge by what God hath revealed therein. If any do fail to judge by (the light of) what God hath revealed, they are (no better than) those who rebel. 5:46-47 Yusof Ali

As you can see, what Shabir Ally has not told his audience is that these passages are actually side by side and referencing the same Injeel in the context, the Injeel of the past given to Jesus is the same Injeel the Christians are to judge by in Mohammeds time, the verses make no distinction between the two. God mentions what he gave to Jesus and then tells the Christians to judge by this very Gospel that he has given Jesus. 

In fact it would be a huge blunder in the Quran if what Ally is suggesting is true. The Quran had just said that the Gospel contained guidance and light, and the Quran instructs Christians to judge by what Allah has revealed in this Gospel. Yet if God is telling the Christians to judge by a Gospel that is not identical to the one given to Jesus then the Gospel they are using and judging by is the Gospel without guidance and light from God. 

The other problem is clearly if Ally's interpretation is correct then the Quran does a very poor job of distinguishing between the so called Gospel given to Jesus and the one possessed by the Christians, as all through out the passage the text assumes the same Gospel is in view. Mr Ally may come back and say, well verse chapter 5:47 resolves this confusion:

To thee We sent the Scripture in truth, confirming the scripture that came before it, and guarding it in safety: so judge between them by what God hath revealed, and follow not their vain desires, diverging from the Truth that hath come to thee. To each among you have we prescribed a law and an open way. If God had so willed, He would have made you a single people, but (His plan is) to test you in what He hath given you: so strive as in a race in all virtues. The goal of you all is to God; it is He that will show you the truth of the matters in which ye dispute;

Mr Ally in other debates has rightfully noted that one possible translation and interpretation of "and guarding it in saftey" (in arabic: wamuhayminan) is "quality control/ safe guard". Mr Ally not only suggests that this term implies the Quran supersedes the Gospel and is the final revelation and authority but that it also detects the falsehood and the truth in the Gospel. Whatever agrees with the Quran is true, whatever is contradicted is false. More on this in a minute.

Unfortunately Mr Ally there are four reasons to disagree with you. The first two I've already stated. The context already establishes that the Gospel in 5:46 is the gospel in 5:47. In fact God is referencing the gospel in 5:46 attributed to Jesus in order to establish it's foundation and validity to the Christians so that God could tell them to judge by it in 5:47, otherwise it would be obsolete to even mention it. Secondly the other problem is one can simply not judge by a gospel that doesn't have the light and guidance talked about in verse 5:46.

Third. It should also be noted that context determines the correct meaning of "Muhayminan". One might say: and guarding it in safety: so judge between them by what God hath revealed" provides a context in which God is telling the Christians to use the current scriptures sent down (the Quran) to judge what God has or has not revealed in the Gospel. That would make complete sense and if that were the case "Muhayminan" should certainly be translated as "safe guard/quality control". However unfortunately for Mr Ally this is not the case, all anyone has to do is read the context:

Let the people of the Gospel judge by what God hath revealed therein. If any do fail to judge by (the light of) what God hath revealed, they are (no better than) those who rebel. To thee We sent the Scripture in truth, confirming the scripture that came before it, and guarding it in safety: so judge between THEM by what God hath revealed, and follow not THEIR vain desires, diverging from the Truth that hath come to thee. To each among you have we prescribed a law and an open way. If God had so willed, He would have made you a single people, but (His plan is) to test you in what He hath given you: so strive as in a race in all virtues. The goal of you all is to God; it is He that will show you the truth of the matters in which ye dispute; 5:46-47 Yusof Ali

Unfortunately for Mr Ally the judgement between "them" is not referring to the previous scriptures (the gospel) and the current scriptures (the Quran), rather it is referring to the people with vain desires. God is commanding Mohammed to judge between the people of the Gospel, and not follow their vain desires, not judgment between the two books but rather people Therefore it is abundantly clear that Mr Ally's suggested translation of Muhayminan is ruled out as the judgment and discerning is between people giving falsehoods about what was revealed by Allah, not the gospel itself. We should then be using another meaning for this word in this context, and all of those possible meanings are provided here and here thanks to Sam Shamoun. There is one other point to mention. The fact that God is cautioning Mohammed to be weary of Christian believers and don't accept everything they state as revelation of God as being revelation since they follow vain desires is direct evidence against Mr Ally's view. Here God could have easily said the exact opposite. It wasn't the believers who shouldn't be trusted. But it was the Gospel itself! So God is rebuking the believers, and not the Gospel they possess, this is death blowing to Mr Ally's position!

Finally, after coming to understand the Quran does not say to judge by what Allah revealed in the gospel by the Quran but then why doesn't the Quran just tell the Christians the truth of the matter? Why doesn't the Quran just say. Judge the Gospel by using the Quran, use the Quran to determine what is false and true. I mean that is a primary function of the Quran according to Mr Ally, but God in his cosmic intelligence thought the better way would be to let the Christians judge by partially corrupt scriptures when they have the final uncorrupted authentic revelation right in front of them? That's insulting to the big guy upstairs no doubt. So much for the "best of planners".