Key beliefs in IslamBooks (kutub)

Muslims believe that Allah revealed holy books to other prophets who came before Muhammad. These books are called ‘revealed’ books, or kutub, meaning that Muslims believe they originally contained the same message as the Qur’an.

The Qur’an

According to Islamic belief, the meaning of the books revealed by God prior to the Qur’an has become unclear, because Allah’s word has been mixed with texts created by people. Therefore, only the Qur’an is accepted as the true word of Allah. In Surah 5:48, Muslims find the following teachings about the revelation of the Qur’an:

• The Qur’an was revealed to Muhammad as God’s truth.
• The Qur’an confirms the revealed books that came before it but takes priority over all of them. Where any of the other scriptures appear to be contradictory to the Qur’an, the teaching in the Qur’an is correct.
• The Qur’an sets out how people should live, and other incorrect scriptures and teachings exist to test people’s faith.

The Qur’an is regarded as the final revelation from Allah to the Prophet Muhammad. It was revealed to him in Arabic. The Qur’an is therefore different from any other book for Muslims because it contains the direct and final revealed words of Allah.

Revealed books prior to the Qur’an

Sahifah

The Sahifah contains the scrolls of Ibrahim (Abraham), also known as ‘Suhuf’. These are part of the early religious scriptures of Islam. It is believed that they are now lost, but contained Allah’s revelations to the Prophet Ibrahim, which were written down by him and his followers.

The Tawrat

The Tawrat is known by Jews as the Torah. It is the holy book revealed directly by God to the Prophet Musa. This book contains the Ten Commandments and sets out the ‘judgement of Allah’ on non-believers.

Zabur

The Zabur contains psalms, or poetic prayers of praise and worship. They are mentioned in the Qur’an as being revealed to King Dawud and are similar to those found in the Christian Bible. The Qur’an states: We sent inspiration to Ibrahim [Abraham], Isma’il, Ishaq [Isaac], Ya’qub [Jacob] and the Tribes, to Isa [Jesus], Ayyub [Job], Yunus [Jonah], Harun [Aaron], and Sulayman [Solomon], and to Dawud [David] We gave the Psalms (Surah 4:163).

Injil

Injil is a book believed to have been given by God to the Prophet Isa (Jesus). It is sometimes referred to as the Gospel of Jesus in Islam. Muslims believe that the meaning of this book has been altered by people over time, like all of the holy books prior to the Qur’an. Rather than teaching that Isa was the son of God, as in Christianity, Muslims believe that the Injil reveals the coming of the Prophet Muhammad.

The Hadith and the Sunnah

The Hadith and the Sunnah are also important books in Islam. They are believed to contain the words and actions of Muhammad and give Muslims advice and guidance on how to live their lives.