Hal al-Ahd al-Jadid Kalimat Allah

Hal al-Ahd al-Jadid Kalimat Allah (Is the New Testament the Word of God?) is a polemical work of comparative religion authored by the contemporary Saudi scholar Munqidh al-Saqqar, completed in Dhu al-Hijjah 1423 AH (February 2003 CE) in Mecca Hal al-Ahd al-Jadid Kalim…. The book evaluates the authenticity, textual transmission, and canonical status of the New Testament through textual, historical, and Christian theological sources Hal al-Ahd al-Jadid Kalim….

Background and Context

The book forms the second installment of al-Saqqar's comparative religion series, Silsilat al-Huda wa-al-Nur (The Guidance and Light Series), following his critique of the Hebrew Bible, Hal al-Ahd al-Qadim Kalimat Allah (Is the Old Testament the Word of God?) Hal al-Ahd al-Jadid Kalim…. It was published in print by Dar al-Islam in Saudi Arabia (1428 AH / 2007 CE) al-Tansir abr al-Khadamat….

Al-Saqqar frames his inquiry around the Islamic theological distinction between the revealed Gospel (al-Inyil) granted to Jesus and the canonical texts compiled in the Christian New Testament Hal al-Ahd al-Jadid Kalim…+1. He examines whether historical and biblical scholarship aligns with the Quranic stance regarding textual alteration (tahrif) or supports Christian claims of divine preservation Hal al-Ahd al-Jadid Kalim…+1.

Content and Themes

The book addresses several historical, literary, and theological dimensions of the New Testament:

• Composition and Canon: The author traces the formation of the twenty-seven books of the New Testament, their traditional attributions to eight early Christian writers, and the history of the term "New Testament" attributed to Tertullian in 225 CE Hal al-Ahd al-Jadid Kalim…. He highlights that while Jesus spoke Aramaic, the surviving New Testament texts were transmitted in Greek, with church tradition holding that the Gospel of Matthew was originally written in Hebrew Hal al-Ahd al-Jadid Kalim…. He also notes the division into chapters by Cardinal Hugh of Saint-Cher in the thirteenth century and the introduction of verse numbers in 1551 CE Hal al-Ahd al-Jadid Kalim….
• Inspiration vs. Revelation: Al-Saqqar contrasts the Islamic concept of verbatim verbal revelation (wahy) with the Christian doctrine of divine inspiration (ilham), referencing ecclesiastical declarations from the First Vatican Council (1869–1870) and the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965), as well as writings of Christian apologists like Karl Gottlieb Pfander Hal al-Ahd al-Jadid Kalim…+1.
• Manuscripts and Textual Criticism: The author surveys the surviving manuscript tradition, pointing out the absence of original autographs and examining early papyrus fragments, such as fragments from the Gospel of John and the Gospel of Matthew Hal al-Ahd al-Jadid Kalim….
• Gospel Sources and the Synoptic Problem: He examines the literary dependencies among the Gospels, discussing traditional views dating back to Augustine of Hippo alongside modern historical-critical source theories Hal al-Ahd al-Jadid Kalim….
• Internal Contradictions and Historical Discrepancies: The text catalogues perceived discrepancies across the Gospels, such as the conflicting genealogies of Jesus recorded in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, differences in narrating events surrounding the crucifixion, and internal textual variations Hal al-Ahd al-Jadid Kalim…+1.

Method

Al-Saqqar bases his critique predominantly on Christian commentaries, ecclesiastical histories, textual critical scholarship, and internal biblical evidence, aiming to engage Christian scripture on scholarly and textual grounds Hal al-Ahd al-Jadid Kalim….