If we assume that 'scriptures' here means the Bible then:
Not the ones you have today in your possession.. the torah itself was an oral tradition for a good 800-1000 yrs before it was written down..
surely you have heard of chinese whispers?.. It isn't OK to substitute one word for a similar word in the Quran and claim it is from God obviously very unlike the OT/NT of which I may remind you to the Jews there is no such thing as an NT as it is completely at odds with monotheism!
a. Why is that Muslim don't study and accept the OT and NT as we have them now?
They are full of contradiction.. if you can't get christians to agree on content and not call each other heretics how can you expect that jews should believe it let alone Muslims?
b. If you don't accept them then what can this verse mean? I of course know the Muslim position that the scriptures have been corrupted but you are then in the totally illogical position of trusting in scriptures that do not now as far as we know exist and that is if I may say so an absurd stance.
The verse denotes that God has given previous messengers scriptures, but they weren't preserved, if you go on to read the Quran, you'd come across verses as such
2:75
Can ye (o ye men of Faith) entertain the hope that they will believe in you?- Seeing that a party of them heard the Word of God, and perverted it knowingly after they understood it.
يَسْمَعُونَ كَلَامَ اللَّهِ ثُمَّ يُحَرِّفُونَهُ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا عَقَلُوهُ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَيَقُول تَعَالَى " أَفَتَطْمَعُونَ " أَيّهَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ" أَنْ يُؤْمِنُوا لَكُمْ " أَيْ يَنْقَاد لَكُمْ بِالطَّاعَةِ هَؤُلَاءِ الْفِرْقَة الضَّالَّة مِنْ الْيَهُود الَّذِينَ شَاهَدَ آبَاؤُهُمْ مِنْ الْآيَات الْبَيِّنَات مَا شَاهَدُوهُ ثُمَّ قَسَتْ قُلُوبهمْ مِنْ بَعْد ذَلِكَ " وَقَدْ كَانَ فَرِيق مِنْهُمْ يَسْمَعُونَ كَلَام اللَّه ثُمَّ يُحَرِّفُونَهُ " أَيْ يَتَأَوَّلُونَهُ عَلَى غَيْر تَأْوِيله" مِنْ بَعْد مَا عَقَلُوهُ " أَيْ فَهِمُوهُ عَلَى الْجَلِيَّة وَمَعَ هَذَا يُخَالِفُونَهُ عَلَى بَصِيرَة " وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ " أَنَّهُمْ مُخْطِئُونَ فِيمَا ذَهَبُوا إِلَيْهِ مِنْ تَحْرِيفه وَتَأْوِيله وَهَذَا الْمَقَام شَبِيه بِقَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى " فَبِمَا نَقْضِهِمْ مِيثَاقهمْ لَعَنَّاهُمْ وَجَعَلْنَا قُلُوبهمْ قَاسِيَة يُحَرِّفُونَ الْكَلِمَ عَنْ مَوَاضِعه " قَالَ مُحَمَّد بْن إِسْحَاق حَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّد بْن أَبِي مُحَمَّد عَنْ عِكْرِمَة أَوْ سَعِيد بْن جُبَيْر عَنْ اِبْن عَبَّاس أَنَّهُ قَالَ ثُمَّ قَالَ اللَّه تَعَالَى لِنَبِيِّهِ - صَلَّى اللَّه عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - وَلِمَنْ مَعَهُ مِنْ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ يُؤَيِّسهُمْ مِنْهُمْ " أَفَتَطْمَعُونَ أَنْ يُؤْمِنُوا لَكُمْ وَقَدْ كَانَ فَرِيق مِنْهُمْ يَسْمَعُونَ كَلَام اللَّه " وَلَيْسَ قَوْله لَيَسْمَعُونَ التَّوْرَاة كُلّهمْ قَدْ سَمِعَهَا وَلَكِنْ هُمْ الَّذِينَ سَأَلُوا مُوسَى رُؤْيَة رَبّهمْ فَأَخَذَتْهُمْ الصَّاعِقَة فِيهَا . وَقَالَ مُحَمَّد بْن إِسْحَاق فِيمَا حَدَّثَنِي بَعْض أَهْل الْعِلْم أَنَّهُمْ قَالُوا لِمُوسَى يَا مُوسَى قَدْ حِيلَ بَيْننَا وَبَيْن رُؤْيَة رَبّنَا تَعَالَى فَأَسْمِعْنَا كَلَامه حِين يُكَلِّمك فَطَلَبَ ذَلِكَ مُوسَى إِلَى رَبّه تَعَالَى فَقَالَ نَعَمْ مُرْهُمْ فَلْيَتَطَهَّرُوا وَلْيُطَهِّرُوا ثِيَابهمْ وَيَصُومُوا فَفَعَلُوا ثُمَّ خَرَجَ بِهِمْ حَتَّى أَتَوْا الطُّور فَلَمَّا غَشِيَهُمْ الْغَمَام أَمَرَهُمْ مُوسَى أَنْ يَسْجُدُوا فَوَقَعُوا سُجُودًا وَكَلَّمَهُ رَبّه فَسَمِعُوا كَلَامه يَأْمُرهُمْ وَيَنْهَاهُمْ حَتَّى عَقَلُوا مِنْهُ مَا سَمِعُوا ثُمَّ اِنْصَرَفَ بِهِمْ إِلَى بَنِي إِسْرَائِيل فَلَمَّا جَاءَهُمْ حَرَّفَ فَرِيقٌ مِنْهُمْ مَا أَمَرَهُمْ بِهِ وَقَالُوا حِين قَالَ مُوسَى لِبَنِي إِسْرَائِيل إِنَّ اللَّه قَدْ أَمَرَكُمْ بِكَذَا وَكَذَا قَالَ ذَلِكَ الْفَرِيق الَّذِينَ ذَكَرَهُمْ اللَّه إِنَّمَا قَالَ كَذَا وَكَذَا خِلَافًا لِمَا قَالَ اللَّه عَزَّ وَجَلَّ لَهُمْ فَهُمْ الَّذِينَ عَنَى اللَّه لِرَسُولِهِ - صَلَّى اللَّه عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَقَالَ السُّدِّيّ" وَقَدْ كَانَ فَرِيق مِنْهُمْ يَسْمَعُونَ كَلَام اللَّه ثُمَّ يُحَرِّفُونَهُ" قَالَ هِيَ التَّوْرَاة حَرَّفُوهَا وَهَذَا الَّذِي ذَكَرَهُ السُّدِّيّ أَعَمّ مِمَّا ذَكَرَهُ اِبْن عَبَّاس وَابْن إِسْحَاق وَإِنْ كَانَ قَدْ اِخْتَارَهُ اِبْن جَرِير لِظَاهِرِ السِّيَاق فَإِنَّهُ لَيْسَ يَلْزَم مِنْ سَمَاع كَلَام اللَّه أَنْ يَكُون مِنْهُ كَمَا سَمِعَهُ الْكَلِيم مُوسَى بْن عِمْرَان عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاة وَالسَّلَام وَقَدْ قَالَ اللَّه تَعَالَى " وَإِنْ أَحَدٌ مِنْ الْمُشْرِكِينَ اِسْتَجَارَك فَأَجِرْهُ حَتَّى يَسْمَعَ كَلَامَ اللَّهِ " أَيْ مُبَلَّغًا إِلَيْهِ وَلِهَذَا قَالَ قَتَادَة فِي قَوْله ثُمَّ يُحَرِّفُونَهُ مِنْ بَعْد مَا عَقَلُوهُ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ " قَالَ هُمْ الْيَهُود كَانُوا يَسْمَعُونَ كَلَام اللَّه ثُمَّ يُحَرِّفُونَهُ مِنْ بَعْد مَا عَقَلُوهُ وَوَعَوْهُ وَقَالَ مُجَاهِد الَّذِينَ يُحَرِّفُونَهُ وَاَلَّذِينَ يَكْتُمُونَهُ هُمْ الْعُلَمَاء مِنْهُمْ وَقَالَ : أَبُو الْعَالِيَة عَمَدُوا إِلَى مَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّه فِي كِتَابهمْ مِنْ نَعْت مُحَمَّد - صَلَّى اللَّه عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - فَحَرَّفُوهُ عَنْ مَوَاضِعه وَقَالَ السُّدِّيّ" وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ " أَيْ أَنَّهُمْ أَذْنَبُوا وَقَالَ اِبْن وَهْب قَالَ : اِبْن زَيْد فِي قَوْله " يَسْمَعُونَ كَلَام اللَّه ثُمَّ يُحَرِّفُونَهُ" قَالَ : التَّوْرَاة الَّتِي أَنْزَلَهَا اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِمْ يُحَرِّفُونَهَا يَجْعَلُونَ الْحَلَال فِيهَا حَرَامًا وَالْحَرَام فِيهَا حَلَالًا وَالْحَقّ فِيهَا بَاطِلًا وَالْبَاطِل فِيهَا حَقًّا وَإِذَا جَاءَهُمْ الْمُحِقّ بِرِشْوَةٍ أَخْرَجُوا لَهُ كِتَاب اللَّه وَإِذَا جَاءَهُمْ الْمُبْطِل بِرِشْوَةٍ أَخْرَجُوا لَهُ ذَلِكَ الْكِتَاب فَهُوَ فِيهِ مُحِقّ وَإِذَا جَاءَهُمْ أَحَد يَسْأَلهُمْ شَيْئًا لَيْسَ فِيهِ حَقّ وَلَا رِشْوَة وَلَا شَيْء أَمَرُوهُ بِالْحَقِّ فَقَالَ اللَّه لَهُمْ" أَتَأْمُرُونَ النَّاس بِالْبِرِّ وَتَنْسَوْنَ أَنْفُسكُمْ وَأَنْتُمْ تَتْلُونَ الْكِتَاب أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ "
surely you can fool yourself into believing that the books are error free, even if they are incongruous but it is clear for us in the Quran and tafsir that your books have been tampered with.. it isn't a new definition or spin on the verses, that is how they were always understood!
c. One presumes that Prophet Mohammed understood this verse but could not as far as we know have had access to the supposed uncorrupted versions so he must have understood it as being the versions we know about.
That is what the Quran did, also called the Furqan
مِن قَبْلُ هُدًى لِّلنَّاسِ وَأَنزَلَ الْفُرْقَانَ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ بِآيَاتِ اللّهِ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ شَدِيدٌ وَاللّهُ عَزِيزٌ ذُو انتِقَامٍ {4}
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[Pickthal 3:4] Aforetime, for a guidance to mankind; and hath
revealed the Criterion (of right and wrong). Lo! those who disbelieve the revelations of Allah, theirs will be a heavy doom. Allah is Mighty, Able to Requite (the wrong).
clearly understood to be the decider between where you lie in error and where the truth is
so point to be made
1- How could prophet mohammed copy your scriptures when firstly he was illiterate, secondly he was an Arabic speaker, and secondly when the content is clearly telling you, that your scribes have perverted the message
and again
[/SIZE] تَبَارَكَ الَّذِي نَزَّلَ الْفُرْقَانَ عَلَى عَبْدِهِ لِيَكُونَ لِلْعَالَمِينَ نَذِيرًا {1}
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[Pickthal 25:1] Blessed is He Who hath revealed unto His slave the Criterion (of right and wrong), that he may be a warner to the peoples.
The Quran is known as the criterion to teach where the folks of old have perverted and [/SIZE][SIZE=-1]erred.
I have no idea why this is a point many of you bring up, because it is actually a non-point, if a Muslim believes in the Quran, he believes in all that there is therein, and clearly the Quran has established that the scribes of old have lied and perverted the message..
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Now I challenge you to bring me a chapter in the bible that speaks of Ahel Al kahf (early monotheistic Christians)
since you can't have it both ways.. you can't say he copied in one stance, then he didn't know in another stance.. the only logical conclusion after an exhaustive search is to conclude the book is from none other than Allah swt
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Muhsin Khan
: All the praises and thanks be to Allah, Who has sent down to His slave (Muhammad SAW) the Book (the Quran), and has not placed therein any crookedness.
18:2 to top
Muhsin Khan
: (He has made it) Straight to give warning (to the disbelievers) of a severe punishment from Him, and to give glad tidings to the believers (in the Oneness of Allah Islamic Monotheism), who work righteous deeds, that they shall have a fair reward (i.e. Paradise).
18:3 to top
Muhsin Khan
: They shall abide therein forever.
18:4 to top
Muhsin Khan
: And to warn those (Jews, Christians, and pagans) who say, "Allah has begotten a son (or offspring or children)."
18:5 to top
Muhsin Khan
: No knowledge have they of such a thing, nor had their fathers. Mighty is the word that comes out of their mouths [i.e. He begot (took) sons and daughters]. They utter nothing but a lie.
18:6 to top
Muhsin Khan
: Perhaps, you, would kill yourself (O Muhammad SAW) in grief, over their footsteps (for their turning away from you), because they believe not in this narration (the Quran).
18:7 to top
Muhsin Khan
: Verily! We have made that which is on earth as an adornment for it, in order that We may test them (mankind) as to which of them are best in deeds. [i.e.those who do good deeds in the most perfect manner, that means to do them (deeds) totally for Allah's sake and in accordance to the legal ways of the Prophet SAW ].
18:8 to top
Muhsin Khan
: And verily! We shall make all that is on it (the earth) a bare dry soil (without any vegetation or trees, etc.).
18:9 to top
Muhsin Khan
: Do you think that the people of the Cave and the Inscription (the news or the names of the people of the Cave) were a wonder among Our Signs?
18:10 to top
Muhsin Khan
: (Remember) when the young men fled for refuge (from their disbelieving folk) to the Cave, they said: "Our Lord! Bestow on us mercy from Yourself, and facilitate for us our affair in the right way!"
18:11 to top
Muhsin Khan
: Therefore We covered up their (sense of) hearing (causing them, to go in deep sleep) in the Cave for a number of years.
18:12 to top
Muhsin Khan
: Then We raised them up (from their sleep), that We might test which of the two parties was best at calculating the time period that they had tarried.
18:13 to top
Muhsin Khan
: We narrate unto you (O Muhammad SAW) their story with truth: Truly! They were young men who believed in their Lord (Allah), and We increased them in guidance.
18:14 to top
Muhsin Khan
: And We made their hearts firm and strong (with the light of Faith in Allah and bestowed upon them patience to bear the separation of their kith and kin and dwellings, etc.) when they stood up and said: "Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth, never shall we call upon any ilah (god) other than Him; if we did, we should indeed have uttered an enormity in disbelief.
18:15 to top
Muhsin Khan
: "These our people have taken for worship aliha (gods) other than Him (Allah). Why do they not bring for them a clear authority? And who does more wrong than he who invents a lie against Allah.
18:16 to top
Muhsin Khan
: (The young men said to one another): "And when you withdraw from them, and that which they worship, except Allah, then seek refuge in the Cave, your Lord will open a way for you from His Mercy and will make easy for you your affair (i.e. will give you what you will need of provision, dwelling, etc.)."
18:17 to top
Muhsin Khan
: And you might have seen the sun, when it rose, declining to the right from their Cave, and when it set, turning away from them to the left, while they lay in the midst of the Cave. That is (one) of the Ayat (proofs, evidences, signs) of Allah. He whom Allah guides, is rightly guided; but he whom He sends astray, for him you will find no Wali (guiding friend) to lead him (to the right Path).
18:18 to top
Muhsin Khan
: And you would have thought them awake, while they were asleep. And We turned them on their right and on their left sides, and their dog stretching forth his two forelegs at the entrance [of the Cave or in the space near to the entrance of the Cave (as a guard at the gate)]. Had you looked at them, you would certainly have turned back from them in flight, and would certainly have been filled with awe of them.
18:19 to top
Muhsin Khan
: Likewise, We awakened them (from their long deep sleep) that they might question one another. A speaker from among them said: "How long have you stayed (here)?" They said: "We have stayed (perhaps) a day or part of a day." They said: "Your Lord (Alone) knows best how long you have stayed (here). So send one of you with this silver coin of yours to the town, and let him find out which is the good lawful food, and bring some of that to you. And let him be careful and let no man know of you.
18:20 to top
Muhsin Khan
: "For if they come to know of you, they will stone you (to death or abuse and harm you) or turn you back to their religion, and in that case you will never be successful."
18:21 to top
Muhsin Khan
: And thus We made their case known to the people, that they might know that the Promise of Allah is true, and that there can be no doubt about the Hour. (Remember) when they (the people of the city) disputed among themselves about their case, they said: "Construct a building over them, their Lord knows best about them," (then) those who won their point said (most probably the disbelievers): "We verily shall build a place of worship over them."
18:22 to top
Muhsin Khan
: (Some) say they were three, the dog being the fourth among them; (others) say they were five, the dog being the sixth, guessing at the unseen; (yet others) say they were seven, the dog being the eighth. Say (O Muhammad SAW): "My Lord knows best their number; none knows them but a few." So debate not (about their number, etc.) except with the clear proof (which We have revealed to you). And consult not any of them (people of the Scripture, Jews and Christians) about (the affair of) the people of the Cave.
18:23 to top
Muhsin Khan
: And never say of anything, "I shall do such and such thing tomorrow."
18:24 to top
Muhsin Khan
: Except (with the saying), "If Allah will!" And remember your Lord when you forget and say: "It may be that my Lord guides me unto a nearer way of truth than this."
18:25 to top
Muhsin Khan
: And they stayed in their Cave three hundred (solar) years, and add nine (for lunar years).
18:26 to top
Muhsin Khan
: Say: "Allah knows best how long they stayed. With Him is (the knowledge of) the unseen of the heavens and the earth. How clearly He sees, and hears (everything)! They have no Wali (Helper, Disposer of affairs, Protector, etc.) other than Him, and He makes none to share in His Decision and His Rule."
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another miracle here is that of the number of years they remained in the cave, not everyone walks around calculating lunar calendar in comparison with the regular one but that is a story for another!
all the best