If these Christian (or Gnostic) legends are indeed divine revelations from Allah, as the Quran’s inclusion of them might imply, then their affirmation of Christ’s deity (e.g., in the Infancy Gospel’s portrayal of Jesus as a miraculous divine figure) contradicts the Quran’s rejection of Jesus as God (Surah An-Nisa, 4:171). This would mean Allah revealed conflicting messages, undermining the consistency of Islamic theology.
If these stories are not divine but merely tales Muhammad heard along caravan routes and incorporated into the Quran, then the Quran is not a pure revelation from Allah but a product of human compilation. This challenges Muhammad’s prophethood and the Quran’s claim to be an unadulterated word of God (Surah Al-Hijr, 15:9).
Either Allah endorsed contradictory revelations that affirm Christ’s deity (compromising the Quran’s denial of the Trinity and divinity of Jesus), or Muhammad was not receiving divine revelation but recycling human stories (undermining the Quran’s divine origin).
Quranic Parallel: Jesus fashioning birds from clay and breathing life into them (Surah 3:49, 5:110).
Apocryphal Source: In the Infancy Gospel of Thomas, the child Jesus molds birds from clay and, upon clapping his hands, they fly off.
Why It’s Cited: Christian critics point to the similarity of the miracles to argue the Quran is borrowing from Christian apocrypha.
Quranic Parallel: Jesus speaking from the cradle (Surah 19:29–34).
Apocryphal Source: A similar account appears in the so-called Arabic Infancy Gospel (an expansion of earlier infancy traditions), where the newborn Jesus utters mature words.
Why It’s Cited: This event does not appear in the canonical Gospels; apologists see it as evidence of reliance on non-canonical Christian lore.
Quranic Parallel: Various details about Mary’s upbringing, her miraculous pregnancy, and the circumstances around Jesus’ birth (e.g., Surah 3:35–37, 19:16–34).
Apocryphal Source: The Protoevangelium of James offers expanded accounts of Mary’s childhood and her role as the mother of Jesus, differing from canonical Gospel narratives.
Why It’s Cited: The Quran’s portrayal of Mary includes details absent in the New Testament but reminiscent of these apocryphal traditions.
Quranic Parallel: Surah 5:32 says: “Whoever kills a soul…it is as if he had slain mankind entirely. And whoever saves one…it is as if he had saved mankind entirely.”
Jewish Source: A related concept appears in Mishnah Sanhedrin 4:5 (and the Talmudic discussion of this passage), though the exact wording varies.
Why It’s Cited: Some argue the Quran is echoing the Talmudic principle, albeit not in a verbatim way.
Quranic Parallels: The Quran often includes extra-biblical details (e.g., Abraham breaking idols [Surah 21:57–58], or the story of Cain and Abel involving a raven showing Cain how to bury his brother [Surah 5:31]).
Jewish Source: Versions of these stories appear in Jewish Midrash (commentaries or expansions on biblical narratives).
Why It’s Cited: Christian and Jewish polemicists point to parallels as indicative of the Quran’s familiarity with Jewish oral lore or Midrashic traditions.
Quranic Parallel: The story of the “Companions of the Cave” (Surah 18:9–26).
Christian Legend: The legend of the Seven Sleepers of Ephesus—young Christian men who allegedly slept for centuries and awoke in a later time—was widely known in Eastern Christian tradition.
Why It’s Cited: Although not an apocryphal “Gospel,” it’s an extra-biblical Christian legend that appears in the Quran. Critics see this as another non-scriptural tale adapted into the Islamic text.
Quranic Parallel: The account of “Dhul-Qarnayn” (Surah 18:83–98).
Late Antique Source: The Syriac version of the Alexander Romance circulated widely, depicting Alexander the Great’s legendary travels and exploits.
Why It’s Cited: Some identify Dhul-Qarnayn with Alexander, noting similarities in narrative elements. While not a “Christian apocryphal gospel,” it’s another extra-biblical tradition that critics claim the Quran reworks.