Editing Gospel of Barnabas (section)

==== Acceptance ====
Some have identified it as the [[Gospel in Islam|Injil]], one of four [[Islamic holy books]] sent by God.<ref name="issues">{{Cite journal |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/43251232 |title=Theological Issues in Christian–Muslim Dialogue |date=May 2008 |issue=1021 |volume=89 |pages=311–323 |last=Hewer |first=Chris |doi=10.1111/j.1741-2005.2008.00223.x |journal=[[New Blackfriars]] |jstor=43251232 }}</ref>{{efn|Nothing is known about the characteristics of the Injil.<ref name="issues" /> While Muslim scholars in general consider it referring to the four canonical gospels,<ref name="value" />{{rp|1–2}} some think that it should be a single gospel revealed by God to Jesus—not written by human authors—and fragments of it survive in these canonical gospels.<ref name="answer" />{{rp|215–216}} Cases have been made by several Muslim scholars, including [[Ahmed Deedat]], for connecting the Injil with the Gospel of Barnabas.<ref name="issues" />}} About the gospel's generally-positive reception in the Muslim world, Scottish orientalist [[W. Montgomery Watt]] said that it is not uncommon for Muslims to be persuaded to believe in it without question; some are unaware of the scholarly consensus that it is a forgery.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Muslim–Christian Encounters: Perceptions and Misperceptions |date=1991 |last=Watt |first=W. Montgomery |author-link=W. Montgomery Watt |publisher=[[Routledge]] |url=https://archive.org/details/muslimchristiane0000watt |url-access=registration |isbn=0-415-05410-9 }}</ref>{{rp|117–118}} According to German scholar [[Christine Schirrmacher]], Muslim positivity about the gospel is based on its claim of being written by an eyewitness and disagreement (favoured by Islam) with mainstream Christian doctrines.<ref name="true">{{Cite web |url=https://www.islaminstitut.de/english/publications/Gospel_of_barnabas.htm |title=The 'Gospel of Barnabas' – Has the True Gospel of Jesus Been Found? |last=Schirrmacher |first=Christine |author-link=Christine Schirrmacher |website=IslamInstitut.de |access-date=27 May 2022 |archive-date=4 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304192247/http://www.islaminstitut.de/english/publications/Gospel_of_barnabas.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

Among Muslims, the gospel was first cited by Indian scholar [[Rahmatullah Kairanawi]] in his {{transliteration|ar|Ijaz-i Isawi}} (1853).<ref name="influence" /> It became more popular after the 1908 publication of [[Rashid Rida]]'s Arabic translation.<ref name="Rida" />{{rp|214}} According to Pakistani scholar [[Abul A'la Maududi]], the Gospel of Barnabas is "more genuine than the four canonical gospels".<ref name="de" /> Rida agreed that it was "superior" to the canonical gospels in its "divine knowledge, glorification of the Creator, and knowledge of ethics, manners and values".<ref name="Rida" />{{rp|235}} During a 1940 course at [[Al-Azhar University]], Egyptian intellectual [[Muhammad Abu Zahra]] challenged Christians to study and refute the gospel: "The most significant service to the religions and to humanity would be that the church take the trouble to study the gospel according to Barnabas and refute it and to bring us the proofs on which this refutation is based."<ref name="value" />{{rp|2}}

At a 1976 Christian–Muslim dialogue in Libya, each Muslim delegate first received copies of the Gospel of Barnabas and the Quran; the gospel was withdrawn after a protest by the Vatican.<ref name="Sox" />{{rp|11}}<ref name="sura" />{{rp|100}} Rahim published ''Jesus: A Prophet of Islam'', defending the gospel, in 1979.<ref name="Sox" />{{rp|12}} M. A. Yusseff wrote in ''The Dead Sea Scrolls, The Gospel of Barnabas, and the New Testament'' (1985) that no other gospels can equal its authenticity.<ref name="answer">{{Cite book |title=Answering Islam: The Crescent in Light of the Cross |last1=Geisler |first1=Norman |author-link1=Norman Geisler |last2=Saleeb |first2=Abdul |date=1993 |isbn=0-8010-3859-6 |publisher=[[Baker Books]] }}</ref>{{rp|295}} A 2007 Iranian film, ''[[The Messiah (2007 film)|The Messiah]]'', was apparently based on the gospel and was the first film to depict Jesus from Christian and Islamic perspectives.<ref name="mixed" /> It had a mixed critical response, praised for "generating interfaith dialogue"<ref name="mixed">{{Cite news |url=https://www.christianpost.com/news/muslim-s-cross-less-jesus-film-draws-mixed-reactions.html |title=Muslim's Cross-Less Jesus Film Draws Mixed Reactions |last=Vu |first=Michelle A. |date=21 March 2008 |work=[[The Christian Post]] |access-date=27 May 2022 |archive-date=27 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220527121052/https://www.christianpost.com/news/muslim-s-cross-less-jesus-film-draws-mixed-reactions.html |url-status=live }}</ref> but criticised for its controversial account of the crucifixion.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://latimesblogs.latimes.com/babylonbeyond/2010/08/lebanon-iranian-director-calls-controversy-over-jesus-serial-political.html |title=Lebanon: Iranian director's Jesus film pulled |last1=Gallagher |first1=Patrick |last2=Lutz |first2=Meris |work=Los Angeles Times |access-date=27 May 2022 |date=16 August 2010 |archive-date=6 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210506134714/https://latimesblogs.latimes.com/babylonbeyond/2010/08/lebanon-iranian-director-calls-controversy-over-jesus-serial-political.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Director [[Nader Talebzadeh]] said, "I pray for Christians. They've been misled. They will realize one day the true story."<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2008-apr-29-fg-jesus29-story.html |title=Jesus through the lens of Islam |date=29 April 2008 |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |last=Fleishman |first=Jeffrey |access-date=27 May 2022 |archive-date=21 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210721105954/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2008-apr-29-fg-jesus29-story.html |url-status=live }}</ref>