How Muslims view the scriptures of the people of the book: Toward a reassessment?

Abstract

For many Muslims, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are linked together by their scriptures. The Qur’ān recognizes the "Torah" (Tawrat) and the Gospel (Injil) as revelations from God. However, the Qur’ān also views itself as the continuation and final validation of the ideas and beliefs expressed earlier in these scriptures. Thus, despite the formal differences between the Qur’ān, the Torah, and the Gospels, the Qur’ān seems to uphold the authenticity of the Jewish and Christian scriptures. Nonetheless, there are references within the Qur’ān to certain "distortions" of these texts. What these are, and in what sense parts of the Torah and Gospels were "distorted" is an issue that has been deba..