Differences between the Quran and the Bible: According to the unanimous Muslim belief, Allah SWT sent down 124,000 messengers to humanity. Out of all these messengers, some were given a higher rank by Allah SWT than others and were called ’Rasools’.
Many messengers of Allah SWT received revelations from the Almighty through angels. However, only a few chosen messengers had books revealed to them.
How Different Are the Quran and the Bible?
The followers of Allah’s books are known as Ahl-ul-Kitab (People of the Book). The two most commonly followed books revealed to the messengers of Allah are the Quran and the Bible. Allah SWT always sent the same message of monotheism through all the books He sent down.
SCRIPTURES REVEALED TO VARIOUS PROPHETS
The four major books that were revealed to the Prophets of Allah are as follows:
- Tawrat: The Tawrat (or Torah) was revealed to Prophet Musa AS and is often recognized as the main holy scripture followed by the Jews. The Torah and Prophet Musa AS are extensively mentioned in the Quran
- Zabur: The Zabur (or Psalms) was revealed to Prophet Dawood AS.
- Injeel: The Injeel was revealed to Prophet Isa AS (Jesus). It is often referred to as the Gospel and is more commonly referred to as the Bible nowadays.
- Quran: Revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) as the last perfected word of Allah SWT to mankind. The previous revelations had all been altered by the people. Allah SWT promised to guard the Quran against any such actions by the people and He has done so. To read more about the four Holy books, read another one of our articles here.
We will discuss some of the key differences between the Quran and the Bible:
1 – Original Form
The Bible was revealed much before the Quran. Over time, the Bible’s content is said to have been altered over 30,000 times. In today’s day and age, nobody knows what the original form of the Bible was or if it still exists. To conclude, the word of Allah sent to Jesus has long been lost.
On the contrary, the Quran was sent by Allah as the final book of guidance to humanity. It can be thought that the Quran encapsulates all the teachings sent by Allah SWT in the previous books. If something in the previous books opposes the Quran, it may be probable that it is an alteration. Allah’s message has always been consistent and it is the existence of one true God.
2 – The Quran is in First Person
Allah SWT sent down the entirety of the Quran to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) thus the Quran is in the first-person mode of speech. It can be thought that Allah SWT is speaking to the reader of the Quran through the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). The Quran was compiled as it was revealed to the Prophet (PBUH), without the change of even a single letter or tense.
The Bible, however, is a compilation of around 66 books. Christian belief states that the Bible was written by men who were incredibly close to God. Islamic belief is the opposite and states that the Bible (Injeel) was sent down to the Prophet Isa AS during his time. Similarly, Islamic belief also states that books were sent down by Allah to his messengers without any human intervention.
3 – Jesus as the Prophet of Allah SWT
Perhaps the greatest difference between Bible and the Quran is the fact that Jesus is said to be the son of God in the Bible. The Quranic and Muslim belief is in total rejection of this claim. One of Allah’s SWT intrinsic qualities is the fact that He is the offspring of none and He has no offspring. Associating human attributes to Allah is unacceptable in Islam.
The birth of Prophet Isa AS is one of Allah’s SWT’s most beautiful miracles. The mother of Prophet Isa AS, Hazrat Maryam AS, conceived him without a father. This has been manipulated into saying that Prophet Isa AS is the son of God, however, this claim has been rejected by Allah SWT in the Quran:
4 – View on the crucifixion of Jesus
The non-Muslim belief about the death of Jesus is that he was killed and crucified by the Jews. The Quran, however, denies the above claim. According to Muslim belief, the Prophet Isa AS was raised to the heavens by Allah SWT and it only appeared to the people that they had succeeded in killing him. Prophet Isa AS will remain alive till the Day of Judgement and the false claims of the people will then be unmasked.
The Quran says:
5 – Quran is the word of Allah SWT
As mentioned previously, the current day Bible is a compilation of books written by men inspired by God. Thus the reader is open to interpreting it whichever way he likes. This has led to discrepancies in belief systems and has made the Bible a book that has infinite possible meanings.
On the other hand, the Quran is an absolute word. The meaning of the Quran is the same for everyone. There are many different translations of the Quran which may be interpreted slightly differently from each other, however, the core teachings in all these translations are the same. This satisfies the purpose the Quran was revealed for, to act as the one perfect means of guidance for all of humanity.
6 – The nature of man
According to the Bible, humans are considered to be sinners. The Quran, however, says the opposite. Quran considers every human being to be good and soft on the inside. Allah SWT directs man to follow His commands and that is what helps maintain a person’s good that lies within him.
As an example, Quran mentions that stealing is a sin. A person’s instincts also dictate that occupying someone’s belongings is indeed wrong. As long as a person follows his inner conscience and the teachings of Allah SWT, he will always be a ‘good’ man.
Allah mentions many times in the Quran that humans are granted the margin for error. Allah promises forgiveness for the sins of man. Similarly, the Quran also encourages humans to be forgiving towards other humans. All of this is aimed at creating general well-being in society and bringing out the internal good within humans. Here are some of the Best Islamic Quotes on Forgiveness.
The Quran says :
Conclusion
In light of the above discussion, we can conclude that there are many differences between the modern-day versions of the Bible and the Quran. The core message of both books preaches monotheism, however, alterations have led to the Bible’s original form being lost.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What is the sacred book of Islam called?
Ans. The sacred and Holy Book of Islam is called The Holy Quran.
Q. What is the meaning of Zaboor in English?
Ans. The Holy book Zaboor means a book, an inscription, or writing. It was revealed to Hazrat Dawood AS.
Q. Who wrote the Quran?
Ans. The words of the Holy Quran were revealed by Allah SWT to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) through Angel Gabriel. The text is purely the words of Allah SWT only.
Q. Is the Torah in the Quran?
Ans. Yes, the mention of the Torah with other previous scriptures (Zabur and Injeel) which were sent to other messengers is in the Quran.
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I am stronger than Allah. My messengers shall smite all false gods.
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