When I was still a non-Muslim... I have held to the verse where Essauh AS recomended to listen to the Pharisees - pick up the good things that they are saying and discard all the bad things... also not to follow the bad examples they are showing.
It became almost a habit... you may say second nature on me to be absorbing what is being presented, said, or written and if it has something wrong in it - my brain seems to go on automatik shut-off.
If God is omnipotent... then - I don't see any reason why God cannot use anything, anyone, or any event whatsoever to convey God's Message to humanity. If we are only pressing to validate who says who?... like finding credence on the narrators of the Bible... then, we will definitely fail to see many things in the light of (or at least what was left of it)... the original Injeel.
Sister, God himself has told us what is for us, we can argue God can use anyone or anything, and I agree, but the fact that God has told us the Qur'an and Sunnah are our guidance shows us that we don't need anything else.
Just as we need to find credence for the sayings of MUhammad we should then find credence for the sayings of Eesa? If not then why not?
As a side note, the Injeel was given to the Children of Isreal, not us, it's not for us and we don't need it, even if we had it. I know we love Eesa, and for us ex-Christians we feel we have a more closer reletionship to him, but we have to accept that he was not sent to us, and is not our immidiate prophet.
The Gospel is about the beatitudes... the parables... the way towards salvation. If the Bible is half false... it doesn't mean we cannot pick up some of the truth in it. Please - I am endorsing the adulterated Bible... but - if we Muslims would be prejudice about Christians in general.... (include the Atheists) ..... we are not really practicing Islam.
Even Essauh AS wouldn't do so. I am not defending them OK.... In fact, Essauh AS was sent not just for the believers and the pious... he was sent for all humanity as a sign and a way.... as a matter of fact, all prophets are.... and the last of the prophets Muhammad SAW was sent as a mercy and comfort for mankind. Mankind includes (Jews, Christians and Others)....
Now, it is clear that - Muslims should share the message to all.
How can we share something if we don't really like the very people we are going to share with?...
I am not saying I like them... but - I used to be one of them. And I really find it very hard to accept something from someone who shows prejudice to me.
It's like telling your son or commanding your son to share his toy to his neighbor peer. His neighbor might enjoy the toy, but your son might not enjoy the experience. Your son would enjoy the experience if he is made to understand the reason why he needs to share his toy to his neighbor.
Unless we see the non-muslims as - not part of the humanity referred to in the Holy Books... we are not going to be setting the right examples.
We know we have the Truth in our hands... we have nothing to prove... but We need to be living proofs of this truth. Sharing the Message is not just lip service.... infact the Qur'an prescribed talking in a good manner with the non-muslims...
The point is... we don't have the luxury of time to do forensics investigation as to who wrote or who said what. - but we have sufficient time to investigate ourselves. Are we following the right way?...
and Allah knows best.
Sis I was a Christian too, and I spent most of my life reading the Bible for guidance. I also agree that we should not be harsh and dislike every non muslim, because from my personal experience it would have been hard for me to listen to a person who spoke down at me.
But this is a seperate issue from whether we can take the words in the Bible and try see truth in them. I would not take a hadith with no chain of narrators and try to pick the truth in it and then attribute it to Muhammad, and out of respect to Jesus or Moses or David or Solomon I refuse to attribute anything to them, incase I am wrong.
The point is... we don't have the luxury of time to do forensics investigation as to who wrote or who said what. - but we have sufficient time to investigate ourselves. Are we following the right way?...
I think the above, dear sister, is missing the point exactly. For us to know if we are following the right way we need to check who said what. Scholars of Islam have mentioned endlessly, that the isnaad is an amazing part of the religion, without it people would have said what they want when they want, but with the help of Allah and the isnaad we can distinguish truth from falsehood and so check if we are following the right way.