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i enjoy reading interesting facts about islam. I also like to hear about the stories of the prophets.
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In a nutshell: Yes, Muslims believe the Zabur (psalms of Dawud) have been corrupted.
The Zabur (Psalms) is the message revealed to Dawud (pbuh). In my research, I have found that the Zabur has been tampered with by Jewish "holy men", from rabbis to scribes copying manuscripts (stated by Jewish scholars Berlin and Brettler)


What is the Zabur (psalms)?

The Zabur (psalms) was revelation revealed to the Prophet Dawud (King David), and it was one of the three recognised holy messages revealed to previous prophets before the Quran., the three messages being:

  • The Tawrah (torah) revealed to Musa as (moses)
  • The Zabur (psalms) revealed to Dawud as (King david)
  • The Injil (bible) revealed to Isa as (Jesus christ)

All of the messages have been mentioned multiple times in the quran so we are sure that the revelations came from Allah. But because we are focusing on the Zabur for now there are three quotes in the quran referring to the Zabur. One verse would be:

وَرَبُّكَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَن فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ ۗ وَلَقَدْ فَضَّلْنَا بَعْضَ النَّبِيِّينَ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ ۖ وَآتَيْنَا دَاوُودَ زَبُورًا - 17:55

"And your Lord is most knowing of whoever is in the heavens and the earth. And We have made some of the prophets exceed others [in various ways], and to David We gave the book [of Psalms]."

The word "Zabur" in Arabic means "book", "inscription", "writing". The alternative, less accepted, meaning of "Zabur" would be "zimrah" which means "songs".

Prophet Dawud would not recite but rather sing the verses from the Zabur.

Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet said:

"The reciting of the Zabur (i.e. Psalms) was made easy for David. He used to order that his riding animals be saddled and would finish reciting the Zabur before they were saddled. And he would never eat except from the earnings of his manual work."

The Zabur is constructed of 150 chapters (songs) and is broken down to 5 sections.

  • First section - chapters 1 to 41
  • Second section - chapters 42 to 72
  • Third section - chapters 73 to 89
  • Fourth section - chapters 90 to 106
  • Fifth section - chapters 107 to 150


Has the Zabur been corrupted?

In Islam, there is a concept known as "Tahrif," which means alteration or corruption. This refers to the belief that previous scriptures, before the Quran, have been altered either in text or interpretation. The Zabur, like the Torah (Tawrat) and the Gospel (Injil), is believed by some Muslims to have been subject to corruption or distortion, either textually or in interpretation. However, the extent and nature of this alleged corruption are debated among Islamic scholars.

This question is difficult to answer. I have searched the entire web to find Quranic verses, hadiths, articles on the Zabur. But, as it turns out, not much is known about the Zabur. Allah (swt) mentions in the Quran.

وَلَقَدْ كَتَبْنَا فِي الزَّبُورِ مِن بَعْدِ الذِّكْرِ أَنَّ الْأَرْضَ يَرِثُهَا عِبَادِيَ الصَّالِحُونَ - 21:105

And We have already written in the book [of Psalms] after the [previous] mention that the land [of Paradise] is inherited by My righteous servants.

In this verse Allah tells us that he has already given us a book which mentions that the land of paradise is inherited by his righteous servants. The only other book known to man with that verse is the book of psalms. It contains the following verse:

"The righteous shall inherit the land, And live in it forever." [37:29]

The Psalms is the book used by Jews and traditional western and eastern Christians. Their scholars (Berlin and Brettler) have stated that Dawud (King David) is not the only author of the Psalms. They have claimed that numerous other "holy men" have added and edited versus in the Psalms. Which would mean that the Psalms is no longer the message revealed to Dawud in the first instance.


Misconceptions about the Zabur in Islam

Complete Corruption

A common misconception is that Muslims universally believe the Zabur to be entirely corrupted. In reality, opinions vary, with some scholars arguing for partial corruption or distortion primarily in interpretation.

Rejection of Zabur's Teachings

Contrary to some beliefs, Muslims do not outright reject the teachings of the Zabur. Instead, they believe that its original message was in harmony with Islamic monotheism.

Equivalence to Psalms

While commonly equated with the Psalms, some Islamic scholars argue that the Zabur could contain revelations distinct from what is found in the current Psalms.



FAQ on Zabur in Islam

Do Muslims believe the Zabur has been corrupted?

The belief varies among Muslims. Some hold that the Zabur, like other pre-Quranic scriptures, has undergone corruption or alteration, while others believe the corruption is mainly interpretative, not textual.

What is the Zabur in Islamic tradition?

In Islam, the Zabur refers to the divine scripture revealed to Prophet David (Dawud). It is often associated with the Biblical Psalms.

How do Muslims view the Zabur today? Muslims respect the Zabur as a holy scripture originally revealed by God. However, they believe its pure message might have been altered or misinterpreted over time.

Is the Zabur considered equivalent to the Psalms in the Bible?

While often equated with the Psalms, some Islamic scholars believe the Zabur might include revelations distinct from the current Biblical Psalms.

What is the Islamic stance on scriptures prior to the Quran?

Islam acknowledges earlier scriptures like the Zabur, Torah, and Gospel as originally divine revelations. However, it holds that their pure messages were distorted or altered, necessitating the revelation of the Quran as the final, uncorrupted scripture.



Conclusion

Even though there was no point of corrupting the Zabur, it became corrupted none the less. Words got changed and versus have been added. They did to it what they have done to the Tawrah and Injil.


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