Examination of the Entry " Gospel" in Leiden's Encyclopaedia of the Quran

According to Sidney H. Griffith in the entry “Gospel” (injīl) in Leiden’s Encyclopaedia of the Qurān there are similar narratives and motifs in the Quran and various Gospels while some narratives about Jesus in the Quran have no comparable accounts in Christian texts (e.g. Jesus’ foretelling of the coming of the Prophet of Islam). Griffith states that the Quran uses the term injīl in the singular and does not give indication of multiple Gospels. Accordingly, such conceptual differences concerning the Gospel led Muslim exegetes to accuse Christians of distorting the original Gospel. Regardless, various passages in Christian texts verify the existence of news concerning the coming of the Prophet of Islam. In the extant Gospels and other books in the New Testament, the term Gospel is used in the singular many times without referring to the four Gospels or something on similar lines. Contrary to Christian belief, the Quran’s stance regarding the Gospel as revelation given to noble Jesus by God is verifiable. What has led to even greater misgivings on behalf of Muslims toward Christian texts and their validity is the opposition of the Quran with some of the main pillars of Christianity (e.g. Trinity, crucifixion, and Eucharist).