✿ Introduction
Orientalist William St. Clair Tisdall raised several objections against the Qur’an in his book, particularly challenging the Islamic belief that the presence of Biblical teachings and stories in the Qur’an is a proof of its divine origin.
Tisdall claimed that the Qur’an’s narratives were not taken from the Torah and the Gospel directly, but rather from Jewish commentaries such as the Talmud and Midrash, which, according to him, are filled with superstitions and myths.
❖ Response to Tisdall’s Claims
Let us consider the matter by analyzing the following critical questions:
➊ Are the Qur’anic Accounts Identical to Those in the Bible?
No, they are not.
The Qur’anic accounts often differ significantly in wording, details, themes, and especially in moral integrity. The Qur’an offers a corrective narrative, purifying the original message from later distortions found in earlier scriptures.
➋ How Similar Are the Qur’an and the Bible?
Despite some overlap in content due to a shared divine source, the Qur’an and the Bible differ in:
✔ Consistency
✔ Moral clarity
✔ Absence of contradictions
✔ Scientific accuracy
This supports the Qur’an’s status as a final, preserved revelation, free from the corruptions and interpolations that afflicted earlier scriptures.
➌ Are Jewish Extra-Biblical Sources Purely Mythical?
Not necessarily.
While many Midrashic and Talmudic writings do contain fabricated or symbolic stories, not all content is false. However, to assert that the Qur’an simply copied from these texts is a baseless assumption. The Qur’an often corrects, refines, or rejects these narratives entirely.
➍ Do Jewish Scholars Consider Their Own Traditions to Be Superstitious?
Many Jewish scholars themselves acknowledge the symbolic or interpretive nature of Midrashic literature.
If such texts were divinely authoritative, they would have been included in the canonical Torah, but they were not.
So why are some stories missing from the Torah but present in the Talmud?
Because Talmudic writings are rabbinic interpretations, not revelations.
The Qur’an only endorses narratives which align with divine wisdom and moral truth.
❖ Key Distinctions Between the Qur’an and Earlier Scriptures
Despite a shared origin, the Qur’an maintains several unique qualities:
✔ Absence of Superstition in the Qur’an
The Qur’an is completely free from:
◈ Mythology
◈ Pagan beliefs
◈ Superstition
◈ Human exaggerations
Instead, it maintains rational clarity, moral uprightness, and spiritual depth throughout.
✔ Qur’an’s Pure Monotheism (Tawḥīd)
Unlike the Bible, which contains anthropomorphic descriptions of God, the Qur’an upholds a clear and exalted doctrine of monotheism, distinguishing the Creator from the creation at every point.
❖ Contradictory and Blasphemous Biblical Narratives
Here are some examples of problematic content in the Bible that the Qur’an firmly rejects:
① Jacob wrestles with God – Genesis 32:24–28
Jacob wrestles God and overpowers Him.
② God regrets His actions – Genesis 6:6, 1 Samuel 15:11, 35
God regrets creating mankind and appointing Saul.
③ Tower of Babel – Genesis 11
God descends to see what humans are building.
④ Punishment for curiosity – 1 Samuel 6:19
God kills over 50,000 people for looking into the Ark.
⑤ Generational punishment – Exodus 34:6–7
God punishes descendants for the sins of their forefathers.
⑥ Immorality attributed to prophets – Genesis 19:30–38
Prophet Lūṭ (Lot) is accused of incestuous acts with his daughters.
❖ Qur’anic Reverence for Prophets
The Qur’an affirms that:
✔ All Prophets were morally upright
✔ No Prophet committed any act of indecency or shirk
✔ Denying one Prophet equals denying all
The Qur’an corrects the false, degrading portrayals of Prophets found in other texts.
❖ Does the Qur’an Endorse the Talmud?
Tisdall claimed that the Qur’an validates even Jewish rabbinic literature, such as the Talmud and its subtexts Mishnah and Gemara.
This claim is false. In fact, the Qur’an rejects many of these fabrications.
Example:
The Talmud includes offensive content against ʿĪsā ibn Maryam (Jesus), found in:
◈ Kallah 1 (18b)
◈ Sanhedrin 67a
Yet, the Qur’an honors ʿĪsā (عليه السلام) and his mother Maryam with the highest praise:
❖ Qur’anic Verses Honoring ʿĪsā (Jesus) عليه السلام:
سورة آل عمران 45:
“When the angels said: O Mary! Allah gives you glad tidings of a Word from Him, whose name will be the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, held in honor in this world and the Hereafter, and among those nearest (to Allah).”
سورة النساء 171:
“The Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, was only a Messenger of Allah, and His Word which He conveyed unto Mary, and a Spirit from Him. So believe in Allah and His Messengers.”
❖ Final Analysis
✔ The Qur’an does not borrow from Jewish fables or the Talmud.
✔ It often refutes and corrects the falsehoods found in those texts.
✔ Its language, content, and theology reflect divine revelation, not literary imitation.
❖ Conclusion
The objections of Tisdall are based on assumptions, lack of scholarly rigor, and misrepresentation of Islamic belief. The Qur’an’s alignment with certain universal truths does not imply imitation — rather, it reflects the consistency of divine revelation throughout time.✦ The Qur’an does not confirm Jewish myths; it purifies divine history, honors Prophets, and elevates truth above fabrication.
وَالله أعلم
