Injil (Arabic: إنجيل, translit.: ʾInjÄ«l, alternative spelling: Ingil ) is the Arabic name for what Muslims believe to be the original Gospel of Jesus (Isa). This Injil is one of the four Islamic holy books the Quran records as revealed by God, the others being the Zabur (possibly the Psalms), the Tawrat (the Torah), and the Quran. The word Injil is derived from the Greek word Εá½Î±Î³Î³Îλιον (euangelion) or in Aramaic ÜܘܢÜ"Ü Üܘܢ (awongaleeyoon) which means "good news" (Old English gÅdspel; the term injil is also used by Christian Arabs for their gospels; e.g. Gospel of John, (Arabic: إنجيل يوØنا‎ ʾInǧīl YūḥannÄ >) as well as Indonesian Christians; e.g. Injil Yohanes). Muslims believe this original Gospel to have been altered over time, and the teachings of Jesus lost and replaced with false teachings, often believed to be at the instigation of Paul the Apostle. Muslims believe that the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John and lost Gospels, such as that of Peter, contain fragments of Jesus' message, but that the majority of the original teaching has been altered or lost.
Authorship
Although many Western scholars believe that the Injil, in Muslim belief, was a scripture authored by Jesus, the author of the Injil was (in Muslim belief) ultimately God, in a manner similar to the way the Quran was revealed to Muhammad: that God inspired Jesus with the verbatim words of the text which were then written by Jesus' hand. Muslims believe that Jesus, who had memorized the revelation, then taught it to all his disciples (al-HawÄriyÅ«n).
In the Quran
The word Injil occurs twelve times in the Quran and refers to the book given to Jesus. Muslim scholars generally agree that Injil refers to the true Gospel, bestowed upon Jesus by God. The word Injil is used in the Quran, the Hadith and early Muslim documents to refer specifically to the revelations made by God to Jesus. Muslims reject that Jesus or any other person wrote the Injil, instead crediting its authorship to God. Many Muslim scholars believe that the Gospel has undergone alteration, that the words and the meaning of the words have been distorted, with some passages suppressed and others added. The Islamic principle of the oneness (Tawhid) and wholeness of God's divinity means that in their view it is impossible for Jesus to be God incarnate or the Son of God, and that the worship of Jesus by Christians is due to later additions. The Quran says of the Gospel:
And in their footsteps We sent Jesus the son of Mary, confirming the Law that had come before him: We sent him the Gospel: therein was guidance and light, and confirmation of the Law that had come before him: a guidance and an admonition to those who fear Allah.
The Quran further describes the followers of the Gospel, that is the Christians, in a highly positive allegory, saying:
Muhammad is the messenger of Allah; and those who are with him are strong against Unbelievers, (but) compassionate amongst each other. Thou wilt see them bow and prostrate themselves (in prayer), seeking Grace from Allah and (His) Good Pleasure. On their faces are their marks, (being) the traces of their prostration. This is their similitude in the Taurat; and their similitude in the Gospel is: like a seed which sends forth its blade, then makes it strong; it then becomes thick, and it stands on its own stem, (filling) the sowers with wonder and delight. As a result, it fills the Unbelievers with rage at them. Allah has promised those among them who believe and do righteous deeds forgiveness, and a great Reward.
Arab-Christian Injil
Arab Christians use an Arabic Bible, that is the same Bible used by other Christians worldwide, but sometimes refer to it as Injil or more properly "Al-Anajeel" (plural of Injil). The first four books of the New Testament in Arabic are named Injil-Matta, Injil-Markus, Injil-Luka, and Injil-Yohannah. In addition, the canon of the book itself is called Al-Kitab-Ul-Muqaddas, which means "The Holy Book."
Indonesian-Christian and Malaysian-Christian Injil
Indonesian Christians and Malaysian Christians also derived the word from Arabic, thus also used the term for the Gospel. The four Gospels are: Injil Matius, Injil Markus, Injil Lukas, Injil Yohanes. The Bible itself is called as "Alkitab", another name derived from Arabic terms. Indonesian and Malaysian Muslims sometimes call the whole Bible as Injil, without distinction between the Gospels and the Epistles and the Book of Revelation.
See also
- Biblical narratives and the Quran
- Christianity and Islam
- Islamic view of the Christian Bible
- List of Christian terms in Arabic
- Scrolls of Abraham (Islam)
References
External links
- A discussion of the Injil and some other scriptures
