al-Jawab al-Sahih liman Baddala Din al-Masih li-Ibn Taymiyya

al-Jawab al-Sahih liman Baddala Din al-Masih (The Correct Answer to Those Who Changed the Religion of Christ) is a polemical and theological work by the Hanbali scholar Ibn Taymiyya (661–728 AH / 1263–1328 CE), dedicated to refuting Christian doctrines and defending the validity and universality of Islam Kashf al-Zunun an Asami a…+1.

Occasion and Purpose

Ibn Taymiyya wrote the treatise in response to a polemical letter penned by Paul of Antioch (Bulus al-Rahib), the Melkite Bishop of Sidon al-Zubad al-Malih min Kit…+1. Paul had addressed this letter to some of his acquaintances, and it was widely relied upon by Christian scholars of the period as a defense of their faith against Islam Kashf al-Zunun an Asami a…. The text begins with the two testimonies of faith (shahadatayn) and proceeds to address and refute each of the bishop's arguments systematically al-Zubad al-Malih min Kit…+1.

Structure and Content

The core structure of the book corresponds to the six main arguments presented in Paul of Antioch's letter Kashf al-Zunun an Asami a…+1:

1. The Universal Scope of the Prophet's Mission: Refuting the claim that Muhammad was sent exclusively to the pagan Arabs of the pre-Islamic era (Jahiliyya) rather than to all humanity, and addressing the scriptural and rational interpretations brought forward in support of that claim Kashf al-Zunun an Asami a…+1.
2. Quranic Assessment of Christianity: Refuting the contention that the Quran praises historical Christian doctrine in a manner requiring Christians to remain upon their existing beliefs Kashf al-Zunun an Asami a…+1.
3. Prophetic Predictions: Answering the claim that earlier scriptures—including the Torah, the Psalms, and the Gospel—affirm Christian theological tenets such as the Trinity (tathlith), hypostases (aqanim), and the Incarnation (ittihad) Kashf al-Zunun an Asami a…+1.
4. Rational Proofs of the Trinity: Dismantling the rational arguments advanced to justify the doctrine of the Trinity alongside scriptural proofs Kashf al-Zunun an Asami a…+1.
5. Monotheism and Terminology: Refuting the claim that Christian formulations are purely monotheistic (tawhid) and rejecting their defense of plural terminology by comparing it to anthropomorphic expressions in Islamic texts Kashf al-Zunun an Asami a…+1.
6. Finality of Religious Law: Refuting the argument that Jesus brought the ultimate perfection of religious law after Moses, leaving no need for any subsequent revealed law Kashf al-Zunun an Asami a…+1.

Method and Scope

Ibn Taymiyya combines rational demonstration (al-ma'qul) with scriptural evidence (al-manqul) Kashf al-Zunun an Asami a…+1. Beyond responding directly to Paul's letter, he examines biblical texts, pointing out internal variations and discrepancies among different manuscript traditions, including differences between the Samaritan and Rabbinic versions of the Torah, as well as discrepancies across copies of the Psalms and the Gospels Durus lil-Shaykh Safar al….

The work is characterized by lengthy digressions and detailed discussions on broader theological subjects, such as establishing the proof of prophethood, detailed Quranic exegesis (tafsir), and clarifying matters of Islamic theology, which significantly expanded the volume of the work al-Zubad al-Malih min Kit…+1.

Reception and Transmission

The book was described by Ibn Taymiyya's student Ibn Abd al-Hadi (d. 744 AH) as one of his greatest and most beneficial compositions, noting that early manuscript copies circulated in two, three, or more volumes al-Uqud al-Durriyya fi Ma…+1. Modern print editions have commonly been published in four volumes Min Alam al-Mujaddidin+1.

Owing to its extensive length and numerous digressions, the work has also been abridged; one such summary is al-Zubad al-Malih min Kitab al-Jawab al-Sahih by Abd al-Ilah ibn Abd Allah ibn Ali Jabir, which reorganizes the core arguments concerning Christianity into a condensed presentation al-Zubad al-Malih min Kit…+1.