The Revealed Books In Islam
Tonja Witcraft
Islamic holy books are certain religious scriptures that are viewed by Muslims as having valid divine significance, in that they were authored by God (Allah) through a variety of prophets and messengers, including those who predate the Quran. Among the group of religious texts considered to be valid revelations, the three that are mentioned by name in the Quran are the Tawrat (Arabic for Torah), received by prophets and messengers amongst the Children of Israel; the Zabur (Psalms), received by David; and the (Injeel) Arabic for the Gospel, received by Jesus. Additionally, the Quran mentions God's revealing of the Scrolls of Abraham and the Scrolls of Moses.
Muslims hold the Quran, as it was revealed to Muhammad, to be God's final revelation to mankind, and therefore a completion and confirmation of previous scriptures, such as the Bible.[1] Despite the primacy that Muslims place upon the Quran in this context, belief in the validity of earlier Abrahamic scriptures is one of the six Islamic articles of faith. However, for most self-identified Muslims, the level of this belief is restricted by the concept of tahrif.
The Islamic methodology of tafsir al-Qur'an bi-l-Kitab (Arabic: تفسير القرآن بالكتاب) refers to interpreting the Qur'an with/through the Bible.[2] This approach adopts canonical Arabic versions of the Bible, including the Tawrat and the Injil, both to illuminate and to add exegetical depth to the reading of the Qur'an. Notable Muslim mufassirun (commentators) of the Bible and Qur'an who weaved biblical texts together with Qur'anic ones include Abu al-Hakam Abd al-Salam bin al-Isbili of al-Andalus and Ibrahim bin Umar bin Hasan al-Biqa'i.[2]
The Quran is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims believe to be a revelation from God (Arabic: الله, Allah).[3] The Quran is divided into chapters (surah), which are then divided into verses (ayah). Muslims believe the Quran was verbally revealed by Allah to Muhammad through the angel Gabriel (Jibril),[4][5] gradually over a period of approximately 23 years, starting in late 609, when Muhammad was 39, and concluding in 632, the year of his death.[3][6][7] Muslims regard the Quran as the most important miracle of Muhammad, a proof of his prophethood,[8] and the culmination of a series of divine messages that started with the messages revealed to Adam and ended with Muhammad. It is widely regarded as the finest work in classical Arabic literature.[9][10][11][12]
The Quran mentions the Zabur, interpreted as being the Book of Psalms,[14] as being the holy scripture revealed to King David (Dawud). Scholars have often understood the Psalms to have been holy songs of praise, and not a book administering law.[15] The current Psalms are still praised by many Muslim scholars.[16] Quran 21:105 and Psalm 37:29 are direct counterparts.[17]
The Injil was the holy book revealed to Jesus (Isa), according to the Quran. Most scholars and Muslims believe that it refers not to the New Testament but to an original Gospel given to Jesus as the word of Allah.[18]
The Scrolls of Moses (Arabic: صُحُفِ مُوسَىٰ, Ṣuḥuf Mūsā) are an ancient body of scripture mentioned twice in the Quran. They are part of the religious scriptures of Islam. Jordanian scholar and professor of philosophy Ghazi bin Muhammad mentions that the "Scrolls of Moses" are identical to the Torah of Moses.[23] Others have stated that they could possibly refer to the Book of the Wars of the Lord,[21] a lost text spoken of in the Old Testament or Tanakh in the Book of Numbers.[24] The verse mentioning the "Scriptures" is in Quran 87:18-19 where they are referred to, alongside the Scrolls of Abraham, to have been "Books of Earlier Revelation".
Each book was revealed by God to these messengers who then passed His words onto their people. While the Book of Abraham has been entirely lost, the Psalms, the Torah, and the Gospel, according to Islam, are no longer in their original state. They have been added to, cannot be traced directly to their prophets, or were simply altered. Only the Quran has been preserved in its original state, exactly as it was revealed to Prophet Muhammad. (Learn more, Quran: A Brief Overview)
The Quran affirms the core message present in the former books. It verifies that each contained divine guidance and elaborates upon their beliefs. At the same time, it points out the modifications and reinforces the correct message. Hence, the Quran, the final revelation for all of humankind until Judgment Day, was sent to confirm, explain, and to an extent, correct the books that already existed.
Each holy book is greatly significant to its people, and every Muslim must believe in them. After all, they were sent down by the One God, with one purpose: to guide people to His worship which enables them to lead righteous lives. And, although all four books are, by now, very different, they are still bound, as one, by the same message: that God is eternally, infinitely one.
The document discusses divinely revealed books in Islam. It mentions that Muslims believe in all books revealed by God, including the Torah given to Moses, Psalms given to David, and the Gospel. It provides details on some of the main messages and values contained in these prior scriptures, such as justice and reciprocity in the Torah. The document also discusses lost books like the Scrolls of Abraham and states that while the texts may have been corrupted over time, they originally contained guidance from God.Read less
I am asking this question from a Muslim perspective. We are told that Zubur and Injeel (Old Testament and New Testament) were revealed to Moses and Jesus just like Quran was revealed to Muhammad (PBUH). From what I understand The Bible (and lets talk about new testament only), was not revelation to Jesus but rather a collection of stories and event of Jesus time which were collected later after his death. Most importantly Bible is not a divine book and was NEVER a divine book. There is no such thing as a book revealed to Jesus. Is my understanding correct. If not in what shape or form Bible was revealed to Jesus.
Although many Western scholars[who?] believe that the Injil, in Muslim belief, was a scripture authored by Jesus, the author of the Injil was (in Muslim belief) ultimately God, in a manner similar to the way the Quran was revealed to Muhammad: that God inspired Jesus with the verbatim words of the text which were then written by Jesus' hand.[3] Muslims believe that Jesus, who had memorized the revelation, then taught it to all his disciples (al-Hawāriyūn).
Please clarify the point above. My argument is, there was no such book as Injil or new testament that was revealed to Jesus. Basically this was made up in Islam (probably because of lack of understanding) which Muslim believe to this day that the writer of Bible is God. From muslim perspective, it means only God himself revealed this directly to Jesus.
You are correct when you write that the New Testament was written ABOUT Jesus. It was not written by him, at least not in the sense that he put pen to paper, or dictated the words. Your quote from Wikipedia, while it may correctly describe Muslim belief, certainly does not describe Christian belief on the subject. Many parts of the New Testament were clearly not written until many years after Jesus died and ascended to heaven. If you read the New Testament you will find that many of the author's names are given in the text - for example the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark Luke and John) were written by people of that name who either knew Jesus or collected stories about him or teachings he had given, and wrote them down so they would not be forgotten. Many of the later books were in fact letters, written mainly the Apostle Paul. The letters themselves state that they are authored by Paul, and could not have been truthfully dictated by Jesus.
Where you are incorrect is in saying the the Bible is not a divine book - at least as far as Christians are concerned. Christian belief is that God caused the Bible to be written in exactly the way he wanted it, but did so through the knowledge and minds of the people who wrote it down. Christians believe that it is inspired by God and therefore infallible.
There is another sense in which you are not quite correct. Christians believe that Jesus is in fact God, at least in some sense (if you are not familiar with Christian belief in this area it's not simple enough to go into here). Because of this it is correct to say that at least in some way Jesus is the author of both the Old and New Testaments.
By the way the Zabur is attributed to David in the Quran, not to Moses. The Tawrat is the message attributed to Moses. Neither can be equated to the whole Old Testament, but only to parts of it. Much of the Old Testament was written after the deaths of both Moses and David. Also the Islam term Injeel refers not to the entire New Testament but to the Gospel (supposedly the original Gospel of Jesus).
So he foretells (and reveals his intention) that his story would be told and most likely preserved through writing. Because the best way to preserve a story was in writing. If God knew this, and if he could do it, then this is how he would have done it.
Jesus was very fluent in reading/writing scripture, yet, He in His own wisdom, thought it fit that his followers write these Gospels after his death. As such Bible through the inspiration of Holy Spirit is the revealed truth from God Himself and it includes the teachings of Jesus(who Himself is God) during His ministry which later on, inspired by Holy Spirit, were written down in four Gospels, acts and epistles by His followers. As such it is tantamount to the Word of God.
Miracles like multiplying of bread and fish, telling Peter to get the coin from the first fish that he gets to pay for their taxes, ensuring that a colt and an ass is present at a designated place for His journey to Jerusalem, ensuring that a large room is ready for His last Supper, are but few which showed that Jesus was capable of doing everything and anything.
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