The Holy Books

Holy Books

Muslims believe that God revealed his Will to mankind at different times in history, but that the most perfect and final revelation was to Muhammad. However, they include the religious texts of Judaism and Christianity amongst their holy texts. Alongside the Qur'an itself, four other books are mentioned in the Qur'an:

Torah (Tawrat)

Muslims believe the Torah was given by God to Moses known as Musa.
However, they believe that the text has been changed or corrupted so it doesn't represent the perfect revelation.

Psalms (Zabur)

The book of Psalms is attributed to King David. Muslims believe they are similar to the ones in the Bible.

The Gospel (Injil)

This book was given to Isa by Allah.
The exact text is thought to have been lost over time. However, the book refers to the teachings of Jesus, and some think it contains the same ideas as in the Christian New Testament.
Muslims believe this text prophecies the coming of Muhammad.

The scrolls of Abraham (Ṣuḥuf)

This text is believed to have the teachings God gave to Abraham (Ibrahim).

Qu'ran

Each holy book has authority, but the Qur’an has the ultimate authority. All others have been corrupted in some way.
The Qur’an is the final revelation from God.

The Qur’an: Revelation and Authority

The Qur’an (or Koran) is the record of Allah’s revelation to Muhammad.

Meaning of 'Qur'an'

The word ‘Qur'an’ means recital as the teachings were originally said by heart by Muhammad to his followers.
The teachings were committed to memory and only later written down.

Original text

Muslims believe the original text of the Qur'an is now in heaven. After Muhammad’s death Abu Bakr, the first Caliph, organised the official copy.
This authentic text copy is what all others texts are now based on, which ensures their authenticity.

Structure

Like the Bible, the Qur'an is a mixture of history and legal texts.
The Qur'an is comprised of 114 surahs (chapters). The chapters are organised in order of length with the longest first (except the first surah).
Believers are encouraged to learn the text by heart. Some children attend lessons after school to practice reading the Qur'an and to learn the text by heart.

Interpreting the Qur'an

It is the literal word of God - but that does not mean it has to be interpreted literally.
This must be taken into account when interpreting the Qur'an and applying its meaning from the 7th century to a modern context.

1Buddhism

2Christianity

2.1Key Beliefs

2.1.1The Nature of God

2.1.2The Problem of Evil

2.1.3Monotheism

2.1.4Creation

2.1.5Bible Accounts of Creation

2.1.6The Trinity and Creation

2.1.7Afterlife

2.1.8Heaven and Hell

2.1.9The Influence of Afterlife on Life

2.1.10End of Topic Test - Christianity Key Beliefs

2.1.11Exam-Style Questions - Christian Beliefs

2.2Jesus Christ & Salvation

2.2.1The Incarnation

2.2.2Jesus - Divine & Human

2.2.3The Crucifixion

2.2.4Jesus' Betrayal

2.2.5Resurrection & Ascension

2.2.6Sin

2.2.7Original Sin

2.2.8Punishment

2.2.9The Means of Salvation

2.2.10Achieving Salvation

2.2.11Disagreements About Salvation

2.2.12The Role of Christ in Salvation

2.2.13Theories of Salvation

2.2.14End of Topic Test - Jesus Christ & Salvation

2.3Worship & Festivals

2.3.1Different Forms of Worship

2.3.2Prayer

2.3.3Sacrament

2.3.4Baptism

2.3.5Other Sacraments

2.3.6Eucharist

2.3.7Pilgrimage & Celebrations

2.3.8Christmas & Easter

2.3.9End of Topic Test - Worship and Festivals

2.4Community

2.4.1Local Community

2.4.2Mission, Evangelism & Church Growth

2.4.3Worldwide Church

2.4.4Reconciliation

2.4.5Persecution

2.4.6Caring for Those in Need

2.4.7End of Topic Test - Community

2.4.8Exam-Style Questions - Christian Practices

3Catholicism (Christianity)

4Islam

5Judaism

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