Meaning of Perverting the Holy
Text
This is one of the instances that have been referred to. Verily by "perverting" the text is not meant that which these foolish and abject souls have fancied, even as some maintain that Jewish and Christian divines have effaced from the Book such verses as extol and magnify the countenance of Muhammad, and instead thereof have inserted the contrary. How utterly vain and false are these words! Can a man who believeth in a book, and deemeth it to be inspired by God, mutilate it? Moreover, the Pentateuch had been spread over the surface of the earth, and was not confined to Mecca and Medina, so that they could privily corrupt and pervert its text. Nay, rather, by corruption of the text is meant that in which all Muslim divines are engaged today, that is the interpretation of God's holy Book in accordance with their idle imaginings and vain desires. And as the Jews, in the time of Muhammad, interpreted those verses of the Pentateuch, that referred to His Manifestation, after their own fancy, and refused to be satisfied with His holy utterance, the charge of "perverting" the text was therefore pronounced against them. Likewise, it is clear, how in this day, the people of the Qur'án have perverted the text of God's holy Book, concerning the signs of the expected Manifestation, and interpreted it according to their inclination and desires.
(Baha'u'llah, The
Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 86)
Our purpose in relating these things
is to warn you that were they to maintain that those verses wherein the signs
referred to in the Gospel are mentioned have been perverted, were they to reject
them, and cling instead to other verses and traditions, you should know that
their words were utter falsehood and sheer calumny. Yea "corruption" of the text, in the sense We have
referred to, hath been actually effected in particular instances. A few of these
We have mentioned, that it may become manifest to every discerning observer that
unto a few untutored holy Men hath been given the mastery of human learning, so
that the malevolent opposer may cease to contend that a certain verse
doth indicate "corruption" of the
text, and insinuate that We, through lack of knowledge, have made mention of
such things. Moreover, most of the verses that indicate "corruption" of the text
have been revealed with reference to the Jewish people, were ye to explore the
isles of Qur'ánic Revelation.
(Baha'u'llah, The
Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 88)
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