This verse moves the argument from the existence of the previous scriptures to the content and integrity of those scriptures. It introduces the concept of a "testimony from Allah" that was physically held by the people of the 7th century.
Surah 2:140:
"Or say ye that Abraham, and Ishmael, and Isaac, and Jacob, and the tribes were Jews or Christians? Say: Do ye know best, or doth Allah? And who is more unjust than he who concealeth a testimony which he hath from Allah? Allah is not unaware of what ye do."
The Quran accuses the Jews and Christians of concealing (katama) a testimony.
Can you hide something that is already gone? In a court of law, if you are accused of hiding evidence, it is assumed the evidence exists and is in your possession.
If the Torah and Gospel were "corrupted" or "lost" centuries before Muhammad, the People of the Book could not be accused of "concealing" them. By making this accusation, the Quran admits that the authentic testimony from Allah was present and accessible in the 7th century.
The testimony is described as being "min Allah" ("from Allah").
If the book held by the Jews and Christians was a "corrupted fabrication," the Quran would call it a "testimony from men" or a "lie." Instead, it calls it a testimony they have from Allah.
If the Bible held in the 7th century was a testimony from Allah, it must be true. If it is true, the Quran is false (because the Bible denies the Quran’s version of Jesus).
If the Bible was already false/corrupted, the Quran is false for calling a "corrupted book" a testimony from Allah.
The verse calls those who conceal this testimony the "most unjust" of people.
The rebuke is for hiding the truth, NOT for changing the text. This agrees with the multitude of other verses in the Quran.
If the People of the Book were changing the words (textual corruption), the Quran would likely use a word like tahrif (distortion) here. By using katama (concealment), it suggests the text was intact, but the people were simply refusing to share or admit what it clearly said (e.g., the prophecies of a coming prophet).
While not directly part of the "Dilemma" of the Bible, polemicists often use this specific verse to challenge the preservation of the Quran itself.
In the HAFS version, the verse says Taquuluuna ("Do YOU say"), referring to the Jews/Christians.
In the WARSH version, it says Yaquuluuna ("Do THEY say"), referring to them indirectly.
If the Quran is perfectly preserved to every letter and dot, why is there a disagreement on whether Allah is speaking to the people or about the people? This shifts the "corruption" argument back onto the Quranic manuscripts!
This is proof that the "Testimony of Allah" was a physical reality in the 7th century.
If the Jews/Christians were 'concealing a testimony' they had 'from Allah,' then that testimony must have been in their hands. We have the manuscripts from that time—they are our Bible.
If the Bible is the 'Testimony from Allah,' then why does the Quran contradict it?
If the Bible is NOT a "Testimony from Allah", then the Quran is wrong for saying we were concealing one."