The question then becomes, if the Torah was corrupted, when was it corrupted?

Was the Torah Corrupted Before or During the Time of Muhammad?

This is a problem.  Because Muhammad held the Torah in his hands, he put it on a judgment seat which is a place of authority, he proclaimed he believed in it, and the Quran affirms it over and over.

This Torah that Islam’s prophet was speaking about Muhammad himself held in his hands.  Not only that, he puts it in the place of authority, and he says, “I believe in thee.”

Was the Torah Corrupted After the Time of Muhammad?

The Torah in existence today matches the Torah from before the time of Muhammad.

• Dead Sea Scrolls — hundreds of Torah manuscripts/fragments
  • Roughly 200+ biblical manuscripts are generally identified among the Dead Sea Scrolls, with numerous copies/fragments of the five books of the Torah.
  • They date primarily from roughly 250 BC–70 AD.
  • These are therefore 7-8 centuries before Muhammad.
• Nash Papyrus — c. 2nd–1st century BC
  • Contains portions of Deuteronomy, including the Ten Commandments and the Shema.
  • More than 600 years before Muhammad.
• Septuagint manuscripts — centuries before Muhammad
  • The Greek translation of the Torah was produced beginning around the 3rd century BC.
  • We have pre-Islamic manuscript witnesses to the Greek Pentateuch.
  • Important because they provide an independent textual witness to the Torah centuries before Islam.
• Samaritan Pentateuch manuscripts
  • The Samaritan textual tradition of the Pentateuch is ancient and existed long before Muhammad.
  • Surviving physical manuscripts are generally much later, but the textual tradition itself predates Islam by centuries.
• Chester Beatty biblical papyri — 2nd–4th century AD
  • Include portions of the Old Testament, including Pentateuchal material.
  • These are several centuries before Muhammad.
• Codex Vaticanus — c. 300–350 AD
  • Contains much of the Greek Old Testament, including the Pentateuch.
  • About 250–300 years before Muhammad.
• Codex Sinaiticus — c. 330–360 AD
  • One of the oldest substantial Christian biblical manuscripts.
  • Contains substantial portions of the Greek Old Testament, including the Pentateuch.
  • Again, roughly 250 years before Muhammad.
• Codex Alexandrinus — 5th century AD
  • Contains the Greek Old Testament, including the Torah.
  • Predates Muhammad by roughly 150 years.
• Cairo Geniza manuscripts — some material is early, but most surviving Torah manuscripts are later
  • The Geniza contains thousands of Jewish manuscript fragments.
  • It is important for textual history, but it shouldn’t simply be counted as thousands of complete pre-Muhammad Torah manuscripts.

Was the Torah Partly Corrupted Before/After the Time of Muhammad?

The Quran is clear.  If you only take part of the Torah and not all of it, then you are to receive the harshest punishment on Judgment Day.

“Do you believe in some of the Scripture and reject the rest? Is there any reward for those who do so among you other than disgrace in this worldly life and being subjected to the harshest punishment on the Day of Judgment? For Allah is never unaware of what you do” (Quran 2:85).

It is not a pick and choose.  According to the Quran, you must take all of it as from Allah.  Or else the harshest of judgment on Judgment Day is meant for you.

What is the Significance if the Torah is True as the Quran affirms?

If the Torah is true, as the Quran affirms, then the Quran is false.  Why?  Because the Torah and the Quran are in direct conflict with one another.  They cannot both be true.

Where are the Torah and Quran in direct conflict?

1. Deut 18:18 – The Torah says the prophet to come will be an Israelite.  Muhammad claims he is the prophet to come (more here).

2. Every Bible story the Quran tells is a twist and does not align with the Bible stories.  They both can’t be true.

• The Haman in Esther’s time (5th century BC) is found with Pharaoh in Egypt during Moses’ time (15th century BC). (Qur’an 28:38; 40:36–37; Esther 3:1; 7:9)
• The Passover account is missing the death of Egypt’s firstborn, which is central to the biblical Passover account. (Qur’an 7:141; 20:38–40; Exodus 12:1–32)
• Mary, the mother of Jesus, is called the daughter of Imran and the “sister of Aaron,” while the Bible identifies Amram (Imran) as the father of Moses and Aaron. (Qur’an 3:35–36; 19:27–28; 66:12; 7:142; Exodus 6:20; Numbers 26:59)

3.  The theology differs

• Sin and atonement: Torah provides a sacrificial system involving blood for atonement. (Leviticus 17:11) Qur’an rejects substitutionary atonement (Qur’an 6:164; 17:15; 35:18; 39:7)
• God as Father: God’s covenant with Israel: Torah — Israel is God’s chosen covenant people. (Exodus 19:5–6; Deuteronomy 7:6–8) Qur’an — the Muslim community is described as the best nation raised for humanity. (Qur’an 3:110)
• Original sin / inherited guilt – Genesis 3 presents humanity’s fall into sin through Adam, resulting in death, suffering, and expulsion from Eden. (Genesis 2:16–17; 3:1–24).  In the Quran, Adam sins but repents and is forgiven; the Qur’an does not teach that Adam’s guilt spreads to his descendants. (Qur’an 2:36–37; 7:23; 20:121–122)

Conclusion

The Torah and the Quran cannot both be true.  Since the Quran affirms that the Torah is true, then the Quran is false because they are in direct contradiction.