Nulify the gospels?

Question

I am a christian but it was presented to me that Islam has a contradictory view of the gospels and I wondered how you view them. I was told some Muslims view them as corrupted because they clearly (especially the gospel according to John) call Jesus the Son of God and the Word and God himself yet the Qu'ran says that Allah has no sons.

The Qu'ran, you believe to be the direct word of God to your prophet, states the Injil (Gospels) are the Word of God and that they cannot be corrupted. So if this is true, why then does the Qu'ran deny the Sonship and deity of Christ?

These are the verses from the Qu'ran which I was given to support the validity of the gospels.

Surah Al-Imran 3:3,4 "...He revealed the Torah and the Gospel [Injil] aforetime, for a guidance to mankind...".

Surah Al-Maidah 5:46 "...We bestowed on him [Isa] the Gospel wherein is guidance and a light, confirming that which was (revealed) before it in the Torah--a guidance and an admonition unto those who ward off (evil)."

Surah Al-Maidah 5:110 "When Allah saith: O Jesus, son of Mary! Remember My favour unto thee and unto thy mother; how I strengthened thee with the holy Spirit, so that thou spakest unto mankind in the cradle as in maturity; and how I taught thee the Scripture and Wisdom and the Torah and the Gospel...".

Surah Al-Anam 6:34 "No man can change the words of Allah".

Surah Yunus 10:95 "And if thou (Muhammad) art in doubt concerning that which We reveal unto thee, then question those who read the Scripture (that was) before thee."

Answer 1

At a very basic level, you are working with a different definition of the term "Incil" than a Muslim would. To a Christian the term is used in one of two senses: a very general sense of "good news" referring to the story of Jesus and the salvitic work he accomplished here on earth and a much more specific sense of one or more of the the physical texts passed down from eyewitness that are testimonies to Jesus life and work.

Neither of these are the sense in which Islam uses the term. To a Muslim, the term "Incil" is typically used to refer to a specific revealed text and it's specific message. They believe that the gospel books that we have in the Christian New Testament are not this text: that they may include parts of it but that the original was not preserved.

As such, it is unclear what would be nullified because they don't believe we know what the content of the original was.

Answer 2

O People of the Scripture, do not commit excess in your religion or say about Allah except the truth. The Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary, was but a messenger of Allah and His word which He directed to Mary and a soul [created at a command] from Him. So believe in Allah and His messengers. And do not say, "Three"; desist - it is better for you. Indeed, Allah is but one God. Exalted is He above having a son. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. And sufficient is Allah as Disposer of affairs.
^{[An-Nisa' 171]}

They have certainly disbelieved who say, " Allah is the Messiah, the son of Mary" while the Messiah has said, "O Children of Israel, worship Allah , my Lord and your Lord." Indeed, he who associates others with Allah - Allah has forbidden him Paradise, and his refuge is the Fire. And there are not for the wrongdoers any helpers.
^{[Al-Ma'idah 72]}

First, I'll tackle the easiest part of your question, namely "Why then does the Qu'ran deny the Sonship and deity of Christ?" The answer is simple; the Qur'an is from God, the All-Seeing, the All-Knowing. He, above any mortal knowledge, knows who best is (or is not) a God or a son of God.

So, given that He says so quite clearly, we obviously don't believe that Christ Jesus was God, nor was he the Son of God. At least not literally.

Regarding the "Son of God" issue, I do know that the same or similar terms have been used throughout the bible, and these are not (to my knowledge) taken in any literal sense. For example, according to Moses Israel is God's first-born son, which is commonly understood to mean that the Israelites were held dearly to Him (as a first-born son is held dearly to his father). It does not, however, mean that Israel was somehow begotten from the Almighty.

And according to Paul, all Christians are "children of God".

O you who were given the Scripture, believe in what We have sent down, confirming that which is with you, before We obliterate faces and turn them toward their backs or curse them as We cursed the sabbath-breakers. And ever is the decree of Allah accomplished.
^{[An-Nisa 47]}

The Qur'an confirms the previous messengers and divine revelations; this includes the Torah of Moses and the Injil of Jesus. However, it does not (necessarily) confirm the centuries of doctrine — and especially not the conjecture of fallible man — that developed therefrom.