Muslim Holy Books (Edexcel GCSE Religious Studies B)

The Nature & Significance of the Qur'an

What are the Muslim Holy Books and why are They Important?

• Muslims believe that over the centuries, prophets have received messages from Allah

• Many of these messages are recorded in holy books or scriptures

• These are called ‘revealed’ books or kutub or kutubullah

• Muslims accept five ‘revealed’ holy books:

  • Tawrat

  • Sahifah

  • Zabur

  • Injil

  • Qur’an

• The Qur’an is the most important of these

What is the Qur’an?

• The word Qur’an means recitation

• The Qur’an is the most important holy book for Muslims

• It contains the messages recited to the prophet Muhammad (pbuh) by Allah. These were in spoken word, as Muhammad (pbuh) was illiterate

• Muslims believe that Allah revealed the Qur’an to Muhammad (pbuh) over a period of 23 years

• The Qur’an is written in Arabic

  • It is divided into 114 surahs (chapters) and each chapter is made up of ayats (verses)

• The Qur’an confirms the revealed books that had come before it: the Tawrat, the Sahifah, the Zabur and the Injil

  • However, all of these previous texts had become unreliable and therefore God’s truth in the Qur’an takes priority over all of these

Why is the Qur’an Significant for Muslims?

• Because the Qur’an was revealed directly by Allah to Muhammad (pbuh), it is the most important of the holy books for Muslims

• It is believed to be a complete and accurate record of Allah’s exact words to Muhammad (pbuh), as the Qur’an describes: 

• The Qur’an is the final revelation of God and is meant for all times, all people and all places

  • This is because Muhammad (pbuh) was a universal messenger who was sent by Allah at a time when he decided the world was ready to receive his message

• Muslims believe that the Qur’an contains information that could only have come from Allah

• Therefore the Qur’an is different from any other book for Muslims

• It is the direct and final revealed words of Allah

• Muslims show the significance of the Qur’an in the way they treat it:

  • Many Muslims study the Qur’an and learn it by heart

  • They learn Arabic to be able to read and understand the original language of the revealed words

  • They keep the Qur’an wrapped up to keep it clean

  • They wash their hands before touching it

  • They keep it on a higher shelf than any other book

  • They place it on a special stand to read from it

The Nature & Significance of the Tawrat

• The Tawrat is the holy book revealed by Allah to Musa

• The Tawrat are known as the ‘scriptures of Musa’

• These are also known as the Torah by Jews

• Tawrat means ‘instruction’ and the book is full of instructions including the Ten Commandments

• Muslims recognise that the Tawrat contains many valuable teachings and laws

• They believe it was meant for Jewish people and that its teachings were valid for a limited time

• Muslims also believe that the Tawrat contains a prophecy about Muhammad (pbuh) appearing in the future

The Nature & Significance of Zabur

• The Zabur is the Psalms

• Psalms are songs of praise and prayer

• There are around 150 Psalms in total

• Muslims believe the Zabur was revealed to the prophet Dawud (David) by Allah

• The Psalms are also holy texts for both Jews and Christians, and many Muslims also believe that the Zabur is still relevant today

 The Nature & Significance of Injil

• The Injil (Gospel) is the original gospel taught by Isa (Jesus)

• It is not the same as the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John in the Christian New Testament, although those books do contain parts of the Injil

• The Injil is the revealed truths that Allah gave to Isa

  • The four gospels were written by Isa’s followers to record his life and teaching

• The original revelation has become altered and parts have been lost

• What has been preserved contains many valuable teachings about how to live, for example, teachings about forgiveness and love

• Muslims do not believe that Isa (Jesus) was the son of God as Christians do

• Instead, they believe that the Injil reveals the coming of the prophet Muhammad
  

The Nature & Significance of Sahifah

• Sahifah means scrolls

• The Sahifah are the scrolls of Ibrahim (Abraham) and Musa (Moses)

• These are some of the earliest texts

• The scrolls have been lost over time and little is known about them

• Some parts have been preserved by being quoted in the Qur’an

• These verses show Muslims some of Ibrahim and Musa’s teachings in the Sahifah: