I. The Nature of Revelation
What defines a revelation? Across religious traditions, this question lies at the heart of faith. It is the measure by which authenticity is known and falsehood exposed. Revelation is not simply inspiration—it is the descent of divine speech into human language. In every authentic revelation, there is a balance between transcendence and communication; the infinite expressed through the finite.
“It is not for any human that Allah should speak to him except by revelation, or from behind a veil, or by sending a messenger to reveal, by His permission, what He wills. Indeed, He is Most High, Most Wise.”
By contrast, The Book of Mormon situates revelation in an indirect process—through angelic visitations, visions, and translation of unknown languages by divine aid. The Qur’an, however, was a direct verbal revelation, recited to a living audience over twenty-three years, preserved by both memorization and manuscript. The difference is not merely method—it is essence.
“Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets.”
The theological implication is clear: revelation, in Islam, culminates—not continues—after the Qur’an. The claim of new scripture, after completion, redefines revelation from divine act to human innovation.
II. The Bible and The Book of Mormon — Continuation or Contradiction?
Joseph Smith declared that The Book of Mormon was a “second witness” to the Bible, intended to restore the fullness of the gospel. Yet this restoration presupposes corruption. For Muslims, such reasoning echoes the Christian claim that the Mosaic law was incomplete until fulfilled in Christ. Both claims imply imperfection in prior revelation, and both collapse under the Qur’anic assertion of divine preservation.
“This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as your religion.”
Thus, when The Book of Mormon claims to restore what was lost, it contradicts the Qur’an’s declaration that revelation has already been perfected and sealed.
“He has sent down upon you the Book in truth, confirming what was before it and as a criterion over it.”
The Qur’an positions itself not as supplement or correction, but as verification—a guardian over prior scripture, preserving truth and exposing distortion.
III. The Qur’an and the Question of Preservation
One of the most striking contrasts among scriptures lies in preservation. The Bible was transmitted through centuries of copying, translation, and ecclesiastical debate. The Book of Mormon was dictated by one man and edited across editions. The Qur’an, however, was preserved word-for-word, sound-for-sound, through mass memorization and consensus. Its integrity is not theoretical—it is historical.
“Indeed, it is We who sent down the Reminder, and indeed, We will be its Guardian.”
This divine protection is not merely spiritual but practical. Every Qur’an today is identical, regardless of time or geography. No such textual uniformity exists in other revealed texts.
IV. The Question of Language and Style
Language is the mirror of revelation. Every scripture bears the mark of its divine source. The Qur’an’s Arabic is unmatched in rhythm, depth, and linguistic precision; its challenge to produce a chapter like it remains unmet to this day.
“And if you are in doubt about what We have sent down upon Our Servant, then produce a chapter like it, and call upon your witnesses other than Allah, if you should be truthful.”
No such challenge was ever issued—or met—by The Book of Mormon. Its language reflects 17th-century English phrasing patterned after the King James Bible. The Qur’an, in contrast, revealed its own linguistic category—neither poetry nor prose, but divine speech.
V. Revelation and Innovation
To innovate is human; to reveal is divine. The distinction separates theology from theology fiction. Islam recognizes divine innovation only within revelation’s framework; all other novelty in religion is deviation.
“Whoever innovates in this matter of ours that which is not from it—it will be rejected.”
— Sahih al-Bukhari 2697; Sahih Muslim 1718
“Whoever innovates in this matter of ours that which is not from it—it will be rejected.”
Thus, the Muslim scholar must view The Book of Mormon not as continuation but as construction—an inspired imagination built on borrowed language and theological fragments.
VI. Reflection
In comparing the Qur’an, Bible, and Book of Mormon, the question is not which inspires, but which endures. Inspiration may move the heart; revelation transforms the world. The Qur’an’s endurance—unaltered, unchallenged, unmatched—testifies to its divine source.
“Truth has come, and falsehood has vanished. Indeed, falsehood is bound to vanish.”