How does Islam view the Christian New Testament?

Sources

• ✓ 5:68 · Al-Maaida

  5:68 · Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall

  قُلْ يَٰٓأَهْلَ ٱلْكِتَٰبِ لَسْتُمْ عَلَىٰ شَىْءٍ حَتَّىٰ تُقِيمُوا۟ ٱلتَّوْرَىٰةَ وَٱلْإِنجِيلَ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكُم مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ ۗ وَلَيَزِيدَنَّ كَثِيرًۭا مِّنْهُم مَّآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِن رَّبِّكَ طُغْيَٰنًۭا وَكُفْرًۭا ۖ فَلَا تَأْسَ عَلَى ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلْكَٰفِرِينَ

  Say O People of the Scripture! Ye have naught (of guidance) till ye observe the Torah and the Gospel and that which was revealed unto you from your Lord. That which is revealed unto thee (Muhammad) from thy Lord is certain to increase the contumacy and disbelief of many of them. But grieve not for the disbelieving folk.

• ✓ 2:113 · Al-Baqara

  2:113 · Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall

  وَقَالَتِ ٱلْيَهُودُ لَيْسَتِ ٱلنَّصَٰرَىٰ عَلَىٰ شَىْءٍۢ وَقَالَتِ ٱلنَّصَٰرَىٰ لَيْسَتِ ٱلْيَهُودُ عَلَىٰ شَىْءٍۢ وَهُمْ يَتْلُونَ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ ۗ كَذَٰلِكَ قَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ مِثْلَ قَوْلِهِمْ ۚ فَٱللَّهُ يَحْكُمُ بَيْنَهُمْ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَٰمَةِ فِيمَا كَانُوا۟ فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ

  And the Jews say the Christians follow nothing (true), and the Christians say the Jews follow nothing (true); yet both are readers of the Scripture. Even thus speak those who know not. Allah will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection concerning that wherein they differ.

• ✓ Tafsir Ibn Kathir on 5:68

  Sunni

  Tafsir Ibn Kathir · 5:68

  Allah commands the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) to say: "O People of the Scripture, you are not rightly guided or truly adhering to the religion until you establish the Torah and the Gospel as they were sent down." This means you must believe in the entirety of the revealed scriptures that Allah sent to His prophets, embrace their message, and act according to them. Specifically, this includes following the Prophet Muhammad and accepting his mission, leadership, and legislation. As explained by al-Layth ibn Abi Sulaym, quoting Mujahid, the phrase "and what has been revealed to you from your Lord" refers specifically to the Qur'an itself—the great revelation given to Muhammad. Regarding the next phrase, "And many among them will increase in transgression and disbelief because of what has been revealed to you from your Lord," Ibn Kathir points out that its interpretation has already been addressed in connection with similar expressions in this surah and need not be repeated here. He then explains the following verse which says, "Indeed, those who have believed, those who are Jews, and the Sabians..." Here, the term "Sabians" refers to a group distinct from Jews and Christians, occupying a position between them and perhaps other groups such as the Magians. There is scholarly variation on who exactly the Sabians are: Mujahid suggests they are a group between Christians and Magians or Jews and Magians; Sa'id ibn Jubayr places them between Jews and Christians; al-Hasan and al-Hakam compare them to Magians; Qatadah says they are people who worship angels, face a direction other than the qiblah when praying, and recite the Psalms; Wahb ibn Munabbih describes them as monotheists without a formal law or creed, who have not been guilty of disbelief. Ibn Wahb narrates from Ibn Abi al-Zinad that the Sabians live near the area of Al-Kutha in Iraq, fast thirty days each year, pray five times daily facing Yemen, and believe in all the prophets. Other descriptions are also mentioned. The Christians (Nazarenes) are well known as the bearers of the Gospel. The overarching meaning here is that whoever among these varied groups believes in Allah and the Last Day (here the Day of Resurrection and Judgment), and does righteous deeds, will not have success unless their faith and deeds align with the final Islamic law brought by the Prophet Muhammad to all mankind. Whoever fulfills this condition will have no fear about their future or regret for their past deeds. Ibn Kathir notes that this theme was previously treated extensively in Surah Al-Baqarah, and thus there is no need to repeat it here.