What Are the Holy Books in Islam? Their Prophets, Revelations, and Teachings
Islam is a unique religion which puts great stock on revelation and encouragement from Allah through his prophets. These holy books, as the Islamic doctrines, are claimed to be helpful for spiritual and practical purpose of humanity. Each book was brought forth in its time and for the people and inversely reminded of the monotheistic faith. In this article, the holy books in Islam, the personalities to whom these books were granted, and their role with the support of references to Quran will be described.
The Quran: The last message of Allah to the Prophet Muhammad PBUH
The Quran is the last word from Allah and the holiest book whose revelation was made on Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) for a period of two decades and 300 nights. The Quran is in Arabic language and is divided into 114 surahs containing together more than 6000 Ayahs. It is unaltered and is the key reference and authority by which Muslim’s lead their lives.
Allah describes the Quran as a comprehensive guide for humanity:
“This is the Book about which there is no doubt, a guidance for those conscious of Allah.” (Surah Al-Baqarah: 2)
From the Quran examples of instructions for personal conduct, social justice, worship, and spirituality can be drawn. It re-emphasises the doctrines of earlier scriptures. The Quran believe in the sovereignty of Allah, his unity, the reason for existence, and reckoning in the here after.
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is referred to as the “Seal of the Prophets” and the Quran confirms his role as the final messenger:
“Muhammad is not the father of any one of your men, but he is the Messenger of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets.” (Surah Al-Ahzab: 40)
The Torah (Tawrat): to Prophet Musa (Moses)
The Torah is of Israel and sent through Prophet Musa (Moses). In it, they were given rules and regulation, as well as prohibition that will assist them in the way they worship Allah, as well as the manner they deal with injustice within society. The Torah is one of the earliest divine books mentioned in the Quran:
‘“Indeed, We sent down the Torah, in which was guidance and light. The prophets who submitted [to Allah] judged by it for the Jews, as did the rabbis and scholars…” (Surah Al-Ma’idah: 44)
The Torah focused on one God and God’s commandments and spill out legalism in all spheres of human activity. The central exemplar for an effective leader and successful messenger, who is also referred to numerous times in the Quran, is Prophet Musa.
Muslims in particular maintain that while the Torah originally is one of the revelations from God, its content has however been interpolated. The Quran also recognizes the importance of the Torah but also emerges as the latter on the prophet Mohammed as the last word from God.
The Zabur: to Prophet Dawud (David).
The Book Zabur was revealed to our prophet Dawood alayhis salam. It has been given the title of a book of prayers, psalms, and proverbs. And generally the Zabur was devoted to the praise of Allah, thanksgiving and remembrance of the righteous. The Quran affirms the revelation of the Zabur:
“And to Dawud A.S We gave the book [of Zabur].” (Surah Al-Isra: 55)
In Islam, Prophet Dawud is revered not only as a prophet but also as a Rasool – fearing of Allah. Some people referred to Solomon as the reciter of the beautiful praise to Allah and this Zabur is said to have revealed his devotion.
The Zabur as it exists today has been lost over the centuries but Islam regards it as a revelation from Allah which was given to the people through Dawud.
The Injil: to Prophet Isa (Jesus)
The Injil like the other holy books is also a continuation of a revelation that was given to the Prophet Isa (Jesus). The Injil invited people to prayers and commanded them to bear witness for Allah; to be righteous individuals. The Quran references the Injil and its purpose:
“And We sent, following in their footsteps, Eesa, the son of Maryam, confirming that which came before him in the Torah; and We gave him the Injil, in which was guidance and light…” (Surah Al-Ma’idah: 46)
However, Prophet Isa is remembered in the Islamic tradition more as the servant of Allah and as the prophet. His birth from the virgin Maryam and his doctrines of the Oneness of God are mentioned in the Quran as well as the signs which alleys were given by Allah.
Saying that Isa was a prophet and not the divine son of God, the Quran denies Christianity’s Trinity. As with previous prophets, his message is as one God, referring to the Islamic God named Allah.
The Scrolls of Ibrahim (Suhuf Ibrahim)
The Suhuf Ibrahim are counted among the earliest sources of revelation. They were given to Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham), one of the immensely revered prophets of Allah in Islam. Although the Quran provides little detail about the content of these scrolls, it mentions their existence:
“Indeed, this is in the former scriptures, the scriptures of Abraham and Moses.” (Surah Al-A’la: 18-19)
It is easy to deduce that Suhuf Ibrahim must have covered on monotheism, morality and complete submission to God. Ibrahim is incontestably a devout Muslim and he was ready to demonstrate his devotion to Allah. The title of “Father of Prophets” supports that the Suhuf Ibrahim occupies a special place in the history of revelation.
As we have noticed earlier the belief in the Holy Books are very crucial when it comes to interpreting sacred scriptures.
Places and holy books are one of the six obligations of faith or the pillars of belief in Islam. Muslims are required to believe in all the scriptures revealed by Allah, as they form a cohesive chain of divine guidance:
“Say, [O believers], “We believe in Allah and what has been revealed to us and what was revealed to Ibrahim, Ishmael, Ishaac, Yaqoob, and the Descendants, and what was given to Mosa and Eesa, and what was given to the prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and we are Muslims [in submission] to Him.”” (Surah Al-Baqarah: 136)
The Quran is the final and perfect revelation as it tends to rectify the distortions which have crept into other revelations and gives Man the code of conduct for the entire world. Muslims pay their respect to the Torah, Zabur, Injil and Suhuf Ibrahim but the last one is the Quran..
Why does Islam believe the previous scriptures were changed?
Muslims believe that while the original revelations were true, human alterations, translations, and interpretations over centuries led to changes. The Quran was revealed to confirm the original truth and serve as the preserved final message
What makes the Quran different from the other holy books?
The Quran is the only scripture that has been perfectly preserved in its original Arabic language without any change. It was revealed for all humanity until the Day of Judgment, while previous books were for specific nations and periods.
Are there any other books revealed to prophets?
The Quran mentions that Allah sent guidance to many prophets, but only these four major books are specifically named. Some scholars also mention the Suhuf (Scrolls) of Ibrahim (Abraham) and Musa, though they are not counted among the four primary books.