The Qurʾān as the Fulfillment of Earlier Revelation

“Musaddiqan” and the Logic of Completion, Not Mere Affirmation

1. Introduction

The Qurʾān frequently describes itself as musaddiqan limā bayna yadayhi (مُصَدِّقًا لِمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ) — “confirming what came before it.”
At first glance, many interpret musaddiqan to mean that the Qurʾān “believes in” or “verifies” previous scriptures like the Torah (Tawrāt – التوراة) and the Gospel (Injīl – الإنجيل).

However, as raised in a recent discussion between two thinkers — one proposing the insight (Nicolai), the other engaging it (Sakura) — there is a deeper reading:
the word musaddiqan may signify fulfillment, not merely belief.

This interpretation reshapes how we understand continuity between divine revelations. Just as Jesus said, “I have not come to abolish the Law but to fulfill it” (Matthew 5:17), so too the Qurʾān’s taṣdīq may represent the completion of divine narrative, not just confirmation of textual authenticity.

2. Linguistic Foundation of “Musaddiqan”

The root ṣ-d-q (ص-د-ق) in Arabic conveys meanings of truth, realization, and completion.

Ṣidq (صدق) means “truth” or “veracity.”
Taṣdīq (تصديق) can mean “to make true,” “to bring to reality,” or “to manifest as fulfilled.”

In Qurʾānic semantics, this root is performative, not just descriptive. It implies making something true in the world, not merely agreeing with it intellectually.

Hence, when the Qurʾān says it came musaddiqan limā bayna yadayhi (e.g., Qurʾān 5:48, 2:41, 3:3), it can be understood as:

“Bringing to realization what was promised or prefigured in the previous scriptures.”

This aligns with the sense of divine continuity — the idea that each revelation doesn’t nullify the former but rather unfolds its latent truth.

3. Parallels with Jesus’ Fulfillment of the Law

In the Gospel according to Matthew, Jesus says:

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” (Matthew 5:17)

This mirrors the Qurʾānic dynamic of fulfillment:

Jesus reinterprets and completes Mosaic Law.
The Qurʾān, in turn, reinterprets and completes the moral and spiritual trajectory of the previous revelations.

Thus, the Qurʾān’s relation to the Torah and Gospel is not one of cancellation but culmination — much as Christ’s message was not rebellion against Moses but realization of what Moses prepared.

This creates a chain:

Moses ➜ Jesus ➜ Muḥammad
Law ➜ Fulfillment ➜ Finality

Each prophet functions as both a seal to the past and a door to a higher horizon.

4. The Qurʾān’s Self-Understanding

In Sūrat al-Māʾidah (5:48), Allah says:

“And We have revealed to you the Book in truth, musaddiqan limā bayna yadayhi mina l-kitāb (confirming that which came before it of the Scripture) and as a guardian (muhayminan) over it.”

The dual description — musaddiqan and muhayminan — shows a two-fold function:

Musaddiqan → It brings earlier revelation to completion.
Muhayminan → It serves as the standard by which previous texts are re-evaluated and restored.

Thus, the Qurʾān acts both as the final seal and the living correction, fulfilling and rectifying the earlier messages in their pure form.

5. Implications for Inter-Scriptural Understanding

If musaddiqan means “fulfilling,” then:

The Qurʾān completes the theological architecture begun in earlier scriptures.
The prophets form one continuous conversation with humanity, not separate religions in conflict.
The Qurʾān’s revelation does not erase history but transfigures it, giving divine continuity a visible endpoint.

This harmonizes with the verse:

“He has prescribed for you the same religion which He enjoined upon Noah and that which We have revealed to you, and what We enjoined upon Abraham, Moses, and Jesus…” (Q 42:13)

Here, the divine message is a single river with multiple tributaries — the Qurʾān being its ocean.

6. Conclusion

Both the New Testament and the Qurʾān use fulfillment to describe their relation to prior revelation.
The difference is one of stage, not nature:

Jesus fulfills the Law and Prophets, embodying the spirit of mercy behind Mosaic justice.
The Qurʾān fulfills all prior revelation, uniting spiritual, moral, and legal dimensions under a universal message.

Hence, to call the Qurʾān musaddiqan is not to say it “believes” in earlier books as a student believes a teacher;
it is to say it brings their purpose to fruition — the way a flower fulfills the potential hidden in its seed.

Epilogue: The Abrahamic Echo of Fulfillment

As Nicolai insightfully observed, the Qurʾānic use of ṣaddaqa (صَدَّقَ) in Q 37:105 — describing Abraham’s obedience in the near-sacrifice of his son — carries the meaning of “fulfilling” rather than merely “confirming.” The verse reads:

قَدْ صَدَّقْتَ الرُّؤْيَا ۚ
“You have fulfilled the vision.” (Q 37:105)

This same verbal root underlies musaddiqan in passages like Q 2:41, 3:3, and 5:48, suggesting that taṣdīq conveys bringing something to realization — the way Abraham’s act brought his dream into truth.

Hence, when the Qurʾān calls itself musaddiqan limā bayna yadayhi, it implies not only affirmation but actualization: it fulfills the divine promise enshrined in earlier revelation, just as Abraham fulfilled his vision.

This linguistic and theological echo deepens the argument — the Qurʾān, like Abraham’s test, translates faith into completion. Revelation reaches its maturity not by denial of the past, but by realizing what the past anticipated.

References (Chicago-style)

Al-Qurʾān, Sūrat al-Māʾidah 5:48; Āl ʿImrān 3:3; al-Baqarah 2:41.
The Gospel According to Matthew, 5:17 (New Testament).
Izutsu, Toshihiko. God and Man in the Qurʾān: Semantics of the Qurʾānic Weltanschauung. Tokyo: Keio University Press, 1964.
Watt, W. Montgomery. Islam and the Integration of Society. London: Routledge, 1961.
Abdel Haleem, M. A. S. The Qurʾan: A New Translation. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004.