25/12/2025
The Bible is connected to Islam through a shared Abrahamic heritage, recognizing the same lineage of prophets and divine revelations. Islam views the Bible not as a single book, but as a collection of earlier revelations from God that have been altered over time.
Shared Divine Revelations
Islam recognizes three specific parts of the Bible as original divine revelations from God (Allah):
Tawrat (Torah): The revelation given to Moses (Musa).
Zabur (Psalms): The revelation given to David (Dawud).
Injil (Gospel): The original message given to Jesus (Isa), which Muslims believe is distinct from the four canonical Gospels found in the New Testament today.
Biblical Figures in the Quran
The Quran mentions more than 50 people and events also found in the Bible. Major shared figures include:
Prophets: Adam, Noah (Nuh), Abraham (Ibrahim), Lot (Lut), Isaac (Ishaq), Ishmael (Isma'il), Jacob (Ya'qub), Joseph (Yusuf), Moses (Musa), Aaron (Harun), David (Dawud), Solomon (Sulayman), Jonah (Yunus), and John the Baptist (Yahya).
Jesus and Mary: Jesus (Isa) is revered as a mighty prophet, not the Son of God, and Mary (Maryam) is highly honored with an entire chapter (Surah Maryam) named after her.
The Doctrine of Tahrif (Corruption)
While Islam affirms the divine origin of the earlier scriptures, it teaches that the current Bible has undergone Tahrif (textual or interpretive corruption).
Textual Alterations: Muslims believe that over centuries, humans altered, omitted, or added to the original texts.
Correction: The Quran is viewed as the "Criterion" (Al-Furqan) that corrects these perceived errors and restores the original monotheistic message.
Prophecies of Muhammad
Muslim scholars argue that the Bible contains prophecies foretelling the coming of Muhammad. Commonly cited passages include:
Deuteronomy 18:18: A "prophet like Moses" from among the "brethren" of the Israelites (interpreted as the Ishmaelites/Arabs).
John 14:16: The mention of a "Paraclete" (Comforter), which many Muslim scholars believe originally referred to Muhammad (Ahmad).
Key Theological Differences
Despite the connections, Islam fundamentally rejects certain core Biblical doctrines:
The Trinity: Islam insists on Tawhid (absolute oneness of God) and rejects the idea of God having a son or being a Trinity.
Crucifixion: The Quran states that Jesus was not crucified or killed, but was raised to heaven by God.
Original Sin: Islam does not accept the doctrine of inherited sin from Adam, believing instead that every human is born pure and is responsible for their own deeds.