Comparison of the Bible and the Holy Book of Another Religion - Essay Example

COMPARISON OF THE BIBLE AND THE HOLY BOOK OF ANOTHER RELIGION Christianity and Islam are indisputably the two leading religions in the world today. The holy books of these religions – the Bible and the Koran – are conscientiously followed by the two biggest religious groups in the world (Totten). 48 different men of different background wrote the Bible over a period of 16 decades. Angel Gabriel revealed the contents of the Koran verbally to Prophet Mohammed over a period of 23 years; he in turn recited the revelations that were written down by scribes. The Bible was written much earlier than the Koran and contains no reference of the latter. But the Koran does refer to the Bible. Sura (Chapter) 2 states “The Bible is not to be doubted,” and Sura 5 states that the Bible was ordained and revealed by God (Lyons). Both Christians and Muslims refer to their holy books as ‘scripture,’ claiming they originated supernaturally and miraculously from God (Totten). While many similarities do exist between both holy books, there are many differences as well. Both holy books accept the existence of one Supreme Being. The Bible calls him God whereas the Koran calls him Allah. God/Allah is revered as the omnipotent, all-knowing and immanent Supreme Being. The Lord’s Prayer contained in the opening chapter of the Bible {Mathew: 9-13}, and the Sura al-Fateha, or opening chapter of the Koran {Koran 1:1-7} are simple yet solemn, universal prayers. A close analysis of both prayers’ contents reveals that they contain similar meanings and are steeped with similar spirits of adoration, submission and supplication (Gaudet et al.). The second similarity is that both books contain the same explanation about creation of the world in 6 days {Biblical Genesis 2:1-3 and Koran 50:38}; creation of night and day {Genesis 1:14 and 1:35 [Bible] and 35:13 and 41:37 [Koran]}; heaven and earth {Biblical Genesis 1:1,2 and Koran 13:2}; land and water {Biblical Genesis 1:9-12 and Koran 13:3,4}; and creation of man {from dust – Biblical Genesis 2:7 and from clay – Koran 15:28,29} (Gaudet et al.). The third similarity is about certain basic concepts. Both books are in agreement that the relationship between God/Allah and man is similar to that between a man and his servant; that Jesus Christ was born of the Virgin Mary (Gaudet et al.); that Jesus Christ never sinned {Hebrews 4:15 and 1 Peter 2:22 [Bible], Koran CRI-47ff}; that Jesus Christ performed many miracles (Pratte); that angels are messengers and servants of God/Allah; that Prophets are the harbinger of divine instructions; that human beings possess souls that are eternal in nature; that Satan, king of evil, will be subdued at the end of the world; that Jesus will come again at the end of the world; and that the last Judgment will elevate humans to heaven or condemn them to hell (Gaudet et al.). The fourth similarity is the treatment of the Ten Commandments {Exodus 24:12 and Deuteronomy 4:13 [Bible] and 2:53 and 7:145 [Koran]}. Both holy books identify Moses as the one to whom God/Allah handed down the tablets on which the Ten Commandments were inscribed. The detailed explanation of each of the Ten Commandments in both books is very similar (Gaudet et al.). The fifth similarity is about moral codes. Both holy books confirm that family is very important and sex is meant to be enjoyed within the periphery of marriage (Esposito, 15); that fornication, indecent behavior, adultery, homosexuality are forbidden; that sexual relations between father/daughter, mother/son, nephew/aunt, uncle/niece, father-in-law/daughter-in-law, son-in-law/mother-in-law and brother-in-law/sister-in-law are forbidden; that suicide is prohibited; that all human beings possess rights; and that laws of society must be strictly followed (Gaudet et al.). The sixth similarity concerns practices. While both holy books proclaim that prayer is a way of conversing with God/Allah (Gaudet et al.), the Koran states prayer is “a duty incumbent on the faithful” (Lippman, 11); that once-a-week congregational worship at a church {Bible} or mosque {Koran} is mandatory; that hymns are considered part of worship services; that pilgrimage to holy sites {to Jerusalem for Christians and for Muslims to Mecca which houses the ‘Kaaba,’ Islam’s most revered site} (Esposito, 6) is recommended, by not mandatory; and that divine reward is obtainable by fasting {especially during the season of Lent for Christians and during the month of Ramadan for Muslims} (Esposito, 19), alleviating the sufferings of others (Gaudet et al.) and giving charity {the Koran calls it ‘zakat,’ meaning according reverence and thanksgiving to Allah by helping the poor} (Esposito, 19). The first difference between the two holy books is the Koran’s non-acceptance of the Bible’s explanation of several basic concepts. The Bible declares human beings are born with original sin – the legacy of their original parents, Adam and Eve – that can be removed by baptism. The Koran maintains that humans are born pure; they are answerable for sins caused by themselves, but not for the sins caused by others (Gaudet et al.). Secondly, the Bible declares that, by being part of the Holy Trinity, Jesus Christ is himself divine (Pratte). Angel Gabriel ends his announcement of Jesus’ impending birth to Mary with the words: “He would be called the Son of God” {Luke 1:35, Mathew 1:23}, meaning Jesus would possess the same divine characteristics as God (Openheimer). The Koran ridicules the doctrine of the Holy Trinity as a type of polytheism that portrays belief in 3 Gods instead of just one (Esposito, 32). Thirdly, the Koran declares human beings cannot understand even a general concept of Allah’s infinite character. The Bible proclaims human beings have a greater understanding of God’s infinite character because of Jesus Christ’s revelations {“We can know what the Father is like because Jesus and His Father are perfectly united. To know what Jesus is like is to know what the Father is like” [John 14: 9, 10]} (Pratte). Fourthly, the Biblical statement that Jesus Christ’s birth took place in a stable {Luke 2:1-20}, is disputed by the Koran, which claims Mary gave birth to Jesus under a palm tree {Koran 19: 21-26} (Openheimer). Fifthly, the Koran considers all Prophets as pure and infallible, whereas the Bible considers them as fallible (Gaudet et al.). Moses is recorded by the Koran as being adopted by the Egyptian Pharaoh’s wife {Koran 28: 8-9}, whereas the Bible states he was adopted by the Pharaoh’ daughter {Exodus 2:5} (Openheimer). About Abraham, the Koran states his father was Azar (Koran 6:74) and not Terah as mentioned in the Bible {Genesis 11:26}, and it was Abraham who constructed the Kaaba {Koran 2:125-127} whereas there is no mention of this at all in the Bible (Al Araby). Sixthly, the Koran states that when Abel was killed by his brother Cain, Allah dispatched a raven who “scratched the ground to show him [Cain] how to hide the shame of his brother” {Koran 5: 31} (Al Araby). Seventhly, the Bible states that Jesus was put to death by the Jews by crucifixion, and was later resurrected {Mathew 27: 34, 50 and Luke 23: 33, 46}. The Koran states there never was any crucifixion or death on the cross {Koran: 4: 157} (Lyons), and any claim to the contrary is a ‘slander’ against Jesus Christ’s mother Mary {Koran 4:157} (Lippman, 121). Eighthly, while the Bible states Noah’s Ark finally ended up on top of Mount Arafat, and that all his 3 sons were saved from the flood {Genesis 7:7 and 8:4}, the Koran maintains that it was Mount Judi and that one of Noah’s 3 sons died in the flood {Koran 11: 42-244}(Al Araby). Lastly, the Koran totally disagrees with the Biblical proclamation that Purgatory exists as a transitory place for atonement of sins of humans, cleansing and making them fit to enter heaven (Gaudet et al.). The second difference is in moral codes. The Koran prohibits the consumption of alcohol (Lippman 32) and pork (Lippman 101) whereas the Bible allows consumption of both. Secondly, the Bible proclaims that morality cannot be identified with secular laws. Laws may change from time to time, but morality remains unchanged. For example, although Canada has been amended to allow abortion, morality prohibits Catholics from practicing it (Gaudet et al). Taking a stance that Islamic law governs all morality issues the Koran proclaims secular law and morality are inexorably connected. Anything permissible by law is moral, and anything prohibited by law is immoral (Lippman, 86). The third difference concerns practices. While the Bible permits nations to be governed by secular governments, the Koran does not condone secularism, stating that the state is always subject to religion (Gaudet et al.). Secondly, the Koran requires Muslims to pray 5 times a day – at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset and evening (Esposito, 18); the Bible considers prayer as an impromptu communication with God, and therefore not constrained by time or number. Thirdly, the Koran forbids men from wearing gold ornaments, while the Bible does not do so. Lastly, the Koran prohibits Muslims from pressurizing non-believers to convert to Islam, while the Bible encourages missionary work (Gaudet et al.). The fourth, and most important, difference is that the Bible contains predictions from Prophets that have come true whereas the same has not happened even once in case of the Koran. A prediction has to abide by 4 mandatory qualifications. It must take place earlier than the even foretold, it must be fulfilled by people or events beyond the periphery of the predictor’s influence, it must be made in reasonable detail and it must correctly take place at a later date. For example, Prophet Jeremiah predicted in 626 B.C that, as a punishment to the sinners in Judah, God would arrange for King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon to attack Judah, subdue it and take the vanquished Jews as captives to Babylon; the Jews would remain in captivity for 7 decades, after which Babylon would be defeated and God would arrange for the return of most of the Jewish captives to Judah {Jeremiah 25: 8-14 and 29: 10, 11}. The fulfillment of the prediction was confirmed by history. Two decades after Jeremiah’s prophecy, King Nebuchadnezzar’s forces attacked Judah in 606 B.C, defeated it, and took nearly all the people as captives to Babylon. Exactly 7 decades after that, Babylon was defeated by King Cyrus of Persia. Cyrus decreed that the captive Jews were free to return to Judah. Most of them did so (Totten). In conclusion, it must be conceded that while many similarities and differences exist between the two holy books, the vital prediction factor is the litmus test that puts the Bible ahead of the Koran in terms of ultimate authenticity. References: Al Araby, Abdullah. “The Bible vs. the Quran.” Islam Review. (N.d). 26 Nov. 2007. Esposito, John L. “What Everyone Needs to Know about Islam.” USA: Oxford, 2002. Gaudet James A.R., Mills Rabia and Ali Syed M. “Islam & Christianity: Similarities & Differences.” Muslim-Canada.org. (N.d). 26 Nov. 2007. Lippman, Thomas W. “Understanding Islam: An Introduction to the Muslim World (Second Edition).” USA: Plume, 1995. Lyons, Eric. “The Bible vs. the Koran.” Scripturessay.com. 2007. 26 Nov. 2007. Pratte, David E. “Islam or Christianity?” The Gospel Way. 2000. 26 Nov. 2007. Openheimer, Mike. “Islam – Faith in the Bible?” Christian-Witness Ministries. 1998. 26 Nov. 2007. Totten, R. “The Koran (Quran) vs. the Bible: Prophets’ Predictions show which one is truly from God.” Geocities.com. 2002. 26 Nov. 2007. Read More

The fourth similarity is the treatment of the Ten Commandments {Exodus 24:12 and Deuteronomy 4:13 [Bible] and 2:53 and 7:145 [Koran]}. Both holy books identify Moses as the one to whom God/Allah handed down the tablets on which the Ten Commandments were inscribed. The detailed explanation of each of the Ten Commandments in both books is very similar (Gaudet et al.). The fifth similarity is about moral codes. Both holy books confirm that family is very important and sex is meant to be enjoyed within the periphery of marriage (Esposito, 15); that fornication, indecent behavior, adultery, homosexuality are forbidden; that sexual relations between father/daughter, mother/son, nephew/aunt, uncle/niece, father-in-law/daughter-in-law, son-in-law/mother-in-law and brother-in-law/sister-in-law are forbidden; that suicide is prohibited; that all human beings possess rights; and that laws of society must be strictly followed (Gaudet et al.). The sixth similarity concerns practices.

While both holy books proclaim that prayer is a way of conversing with God/Allah (Gaudet et al.), the Koran states prayer is “a duty incumbent on the faithful” (Lippman, 11); that once-a-week congregational worship at a church {Bible} or mosque {Koran} is mandatory; that hymns are considered part of worship services; that pilgrimage to holy sites {to Jerusalem for Christians and for Muslims to Mecca which houses the ‘Kaaba,’ Islam’s most revered site} (Esposito, 6) is recommended, by not mandatory; and that divine reward is obtainable by fasting {especially during the season of Lent for Christians and during the month of Ramadan for Muslims} (Esposito, 19), alleviating the sufferings of others (Gaudet et al.) and giving charity {the Koran calls it ‘zakat,’ meaning according reverence and thanksgiving to Allah by helping the poor} (Esposito, 19).

The first difference between the two holy books is the Koran’s non-acceptance of the Bible’s explanation of several basic concepts. The Bible declares human beings are born with original sin – the legacy of their original parents, Adam and Eve – that can be removed by baptism. The Koran maintains that humans are born pure; they are answerable for sins caused by themselves, but not for the sins caused by others (Gaudet et al.). Secondly, the Bible declares that, by being part of the Holy Trinity, Jesus Christ is himself divine (Pratte).

Angel Gabriel ends his announcement of Jesus’ impending birth to Mary with the words: “He would be called the Son of God” {Luke 1:35, Mathew 1:23}, meaning Jesus would possess the same divine characteristics as God (Openheimer). The Koran ridicules the doctrine of the Holy Trinity as a type of polytheism that portrays belief in 3 Gods instead of just one (Esposito, 32). Thirdly, the Koran declares human beings cannot understand even a general concept of Allah’s infinite character. The Bible proclaims human beings have a greater understanding of God’s infinite character because of Jesus Christ’s revelations {“We can know what the Father is like because Jesus and His Father are perfectly united.

To know what Jesus is like is to know what the Father is like” [John 14: 9, 10]} (Pratte). Fourthly, the Biblical statement that Jesus Christ’s birth took place in a stable {Luke 2:1-20}, is disputed by the Koran, which claims Mary gave birth to Jesus under a palm tree {Koran 19: 21-26} (Openheimer). Fifthly, the Koran considers all Prophets as pure and infallible, whereas the Bible considers them as fallible (Gaudet et al.). Moses is recorded by the Koran as being adopted by the Egyptian Pharaoh’s wife {Koran 28: 8-9}, whereas the Bible states he was adopted by the Pharaoh’ daughter {Exodus 2:5} (Openheimer).

About Abraham, the Koran states his father was Azar (Koran 6:74) and not Terah as mentioned in the Bible {Genesis 11:26}, and it was Abraham who constructed the Kaaba {Koran 2:125-127} whereas there is no mention of this at all in the Bible (Al Araby).

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