Is the Qur'an an Inferior Copy of the Bible?

[Sha'irullah]

Oh. Well for literary value I'd say the Bible is good for some people but only parts of it are for everybody, because its so old. Its like reading Canterbury Tales only older, so that the 1st time reading is not all that great. Genesis is very cool, but there's no Narrator. There's no category for it either. Is it fiction? Is it science? What is it? The Psalms are nearly impenetrable. Ecclesiastes is clever but depressing. Proverbs is very nice, yet parts of it are quite alien. Extensive commentaries are available for all of the books. Extensive. Multiple. Commentaries. No wonder NFL football games are so popular on Sundays.

I find Psalms to be entirely poetic and beautiful in nature. I even recite from it on occasion. It is quite meditative but if you read it in such a dull and bleak manner obviously you will find it boring.

 

[InvestigateTruth]

For Baha'is both Quran and Bible are Holy Books that were revealed from God for old Ages.
In this Age however, many of the Laws and teachings of those Books are superseded by Baha'i Scriptures.
Those Books were meant for people of the past. Every Age has its own Book. When the Time comes for end of an older religion God does not wait. He reveals a new Book.

For example, the Law of slavery in Bible and Quran although gives right to slaves, but does not prohibit slavery. Or, the right of women in Quran, in some cases is half of men. In Bible also, it is written, women must keep quite in churches. Only men talk. Men are the leaders. Both Bible and Quran allow polygamy even though they tend to limit it.
In today's society however, none of these Laws are not suitable anymore.

 

[LuisDantas]

They are both odd in my view. I find myself constantly surprised to rediscover that people take either book as important scripture.

Of course, taking scripture as something religiously important is somewhat anathema to me in the best of days. Commentaries are usually far more useful, largely because they are also far less authoritative.

Religion can only exist outside of scripture IMO.

 

[Brickjectivity]

I find Psalms to be entirely poetic and beautiful in nature. I even recite from it on occasion. It is quite meditative but if you read it in such a dull and bleak manner obviously you will find it boring.

Reading it meditatively you will find it meditative. Reading it quantitatively you will find the word 'Enemies' about seventy times and the word 'Forever' about 106 times.

 

[Cordoba]

A good book comparing The Bible and the Qur'an is by a French medical doctor called Maurice Bucaille.

The title is (The Bible, The Qur'an and Science: The Holy Scriptures Examined in the Light of Modern Knowledge)

The Bible, the Quran, and Science

 

[Sha'irullah]

Reading it meditatively you will find it meditative. Reading it quantitatively you will find the word 'Enemies' about seventy times and the word 'Forever' about 106 times.

I find it naturally meditative . I was not even a Bible fan when I realized this. I use to have a separate book with just Psalms in it. I try reading them for their worth and if viewing it one way does not work I exhaust my resources of comprehension before I find it drivel. I have never found any of the Bible as useless but the Pauline Epistles.

 

[Sha'irullah]

A good book comparing The Bible and the Qur'an is by a French medical doctor called Maurice Bucaille.

The title is (The Bible, The Qur'an and Science: The Holy Scriptures Examined in the Light of Modern Knowledge)

The Bible, the Quran, and Science

I guess it has never occurred to you that the Qur'an was composed at a much later time then the Tanakh right?
It is only natural that the Qur'an is more accurate but even I have studied these claims and find that intellectually dishonest considering the fact I have basic Arabic skills.

Truthfully I do not look for science in a holy book. There are piles of information and texts for this. I look for metaphysical insight in holy books

 

[Cordoba]

If you want to compare the Bible and the Qur'an, one objective way of doing that is comparing how they stand vis-a-vis scientific knowledge

The book of Dr. Bucaille does an excellent job in this comparison, and was awarded a prize in history by The French Academy in 1988

Maurice Bucaille

 

[sojourner]

True, but as human beings we will hold certain expectations of these books.
You are viewing this as a clash of ideologies while I am viewing this as a clash between literary value.

Since they're generally not the same types of literature, I'd have to say the exercise is moot. Is War and Peace better than the DSM IV? They're both books.

 

[YmirGF]

The book of Dr. Bucaille does an excellent job in this comparison, and was awarded a prize in history by The French Academy in 1988

Anything to back this up, Cordoba? I've read elsewhere some Muslims claiming Bucaille also received a Nobel Prize.

 

[Aamer]

I have read the Quran, Old Testament and New Testament and I would say Quran is superior in every way. I'm not saying this is the case because I'm a Quranist (Quran Alone monotheist). Rather I am a Quranist Monotheist BECAUSE this is the case. There is much wisdom in the previous scriptures as well but they have been corrupted. Proof of this is the contradictions therein. The Quran couldn't be corrupted but Muslims created additional man made books (Hadith books) to corrupt Gods religion to their liking. So why is Quran superior to other scriptures?

1) It's written in poetry.
2) It's complete. As in it contains every religious law as well as stories to take lessons from.
3) No contradictions. Do your own research on this. The Quran contains no contradictions while previous scriptures are full of contradictions.
4) Was completed before the death of Prophet Muhammad. No need for writers 100+ years to come and give their accounts of events as is the case with the New Testament.
5) Mathematical formulas that weren't discovered until over a thousand years after Muhammad died.
6) Word patterns. Check link below.
7) Scientifically accurate. Yes, the Quran supports the big bang theory. It speaks of an earth rotating on an axis on a calculated orbit. This from a book that was revealed in a time (1400 years ago) when people believed the Earth was flat. There are many other scientific points made in Quran that were way ahead of their time.

So if you think Muhammad lied and wrote the Quran himself. Then he was a poet, mastermind mathematician and scientist? And let's just say this was the case. Then why did he not take credit for his revolutionary mind? My guess is he didn't know. Because he was not the author. God was the author. There are many miracles which prove Quran is the word of God. Check the link below if you're genuinely interested. No disrespect to other scriptures. Like I said, they have much wisdom in them too. I'm just stating why I chose Quran as my vehicle to know my creator. Peace.

Miracles of the Qur'an - Modern Science Reveals New Miracles of the Qur'an

 

[Straw Dog]

I think they're both pretty weak as far as decent literature goes.

 

[Sha'irullah]

I have read the Quran, Old Testament and New Testament and I would say Quran is superior in every way. I'm not saying this is the case because I'm a Quranist (Quran Alone monotheist). Rather I am a Quranist Monotheist BECAUSE this is the case. There is much wisdom in the previous scriptures as well but they have been corrupted. Proof of this is the contradictions therein. The Quran couldn't be corrupted but Muslims created additional man made books (Hadith books) to corrupt Gods religion to their liking. So why is Quran superior to other scriptures?

1) It's written in poetry.
2) It's complete. As in it contains every religious law as well as stories to take lessons from.
3) No contradictions. Do your own research on this. The Quran contains no contradictions while previous scriptures are full of contradictions.
4) Was completed before the death of Prophet Muhammad. No need for writers 100+ years to come and give their accounts of events as is the case with the New Testament.
5) Mathematical formulas that weren't discovered until over a thousand years after Muhammad died.
6) Word patterns. Check link below.
7) Scientifically accurate. Yes, the Quran supports the big bang theory. It speaks of an earth rotating on an axis on a calculated orbit. This from a book that was revealed in a time (1400 years ago) when people believed the Earth was flat. There are many other scientific points made in Quran that were way ahead of their time.

So if you think Muhammad lied and wrote the Quran himself. Then he was a poet, mastermind mathematician and scientist? And let's just say this was the case. Then why did he not take credit for his revolutionary mind? My guess is he didn't know. Because he was not the author. God was the author. There are many miracles which prove Quran is the word of God. Check the link below if you're genuinely interested. No disrespect to other scriptures. Like I said, they have much wisdom in them too. I'm just stating why I chose Quran as my vehicle to know my creator. Peace.

Miracles of the Qur'an - Modern Science Reveals New Miracles of the Qur'an

Truthful words. I continuously lump Islam with the Qur'an but there is a major difference in the Islam practiced and the Qur'an.
The Qur'an always makes me eat my words though (and they always taste bitter) .

 

[Sha'irullah]

I think they're both pretty weak as far as decent literature goes.

Rally? Compare The Iliad, Then the Bible then the Qur'an

 

[Aamer]

I think they're both pretty weak as far as decent literature goes.

It's hard to judge that unless you understand the original classical Arabic or Greek. I do agree that most translations of both the Quran and Bible are pretty weak though. The thee, thou crap is useless and makes it a difficult read. A good translation of the Quran is M.A.S. Abdel Haleem. It conveys the meaning well while also doing justice to the poetic, descriptive writing style of the Arabic Quran. Another thing many readers don't understand is why the Quran switches back and forth from first person to third person, etc. In English it appears to be poorly written. But in Arabic, this is a style of poetry called "Iltifat" which means turning from one thing to another. There is no such concept in the English language so it doesn't necessarily translate that well but in Arabic it sounds beautiful.

 

[Bismillah]

There is no such concept in the English language so it doesn't necessarily translate that well but in Arabic it sounds beautiful.

Reading about the ilitfat and its significance make it very powerful whether it's rendered in English or Arabic I think.

 

[Aamer]

Truthful words. I continuously lump Islam with the Qur'an but there is a major difference in the Islam practiced and the Qur'an.
The Qur'an always makes me eat my words though (and they always taste bitter) .

The Islam practiced today has little to do with the Quran. They follow the Hadith more and that's where all the nutty, illogical stuff comes in. Less than 1% of Muslims have read the Quran in a language they understand. They just blindly follow their scholars and clergy. There is no concept of clergy in Quran. The only mention of clergy in Quran speaks very negatively about them and those who follow them. But it's human nature to corrupt purity and mix truth with falsehood. What can you do? That's why I only follow Quran. No Hadith. No scholars. No clergy. God is enough for me.

 

[Sha'irullah]

The Islam practiced today has little to do with the Quran. They follow the Hadith more and that's where all the nutty, illogical stuff comes in. Less than 1% of Muslims have read the Quran in a language they understand. They just blindly follow their scholars and clergy. There is no concept of clergy in Quran. The only mention of clergy in Quran speaks very negatively about them and those who follow them. But it's human nature to corrupt purity and mix truth with falsehood. What can you do? That's why I only follow Quran. No Hadith. No scholars. No clergy. God is enough for me.

Funny, even ijtihad had to be officially acknowledged by a shaykh. Meaning you cannot independently reason or study without acquiring clerical approval.

Such an hypocritical act regardless. I do not need approval by a scholar to think and rationalize. Every action and belief taken is done under clergy. The clergy make their own opinions but nobody else has the right to make their own. There is a reason why so many ahadith and tafsir are not translated into English. It is a scam

 

[Aamer]

Funny, even ijtihad had to be officially acknowledged by a shaykh. Meaning you cannot independently reason or study without acquiring clerical approval.

Such an hypocritical act regardless. I do not need approval by a scholar to think and rationalize. Every action and belief taken is done under clergy. The clergy make their own opinions but nobody else has the right to make their own. There is a reason why so many ahadith and tafsir are not translated into English. It is a scam

I couldn't have said it better myself. What these ignorant Hadithers fail to recognize is that they won't be able to hide behind their scholars on the day of judgment. The reason they are so arrogant is because they don't truly believe in the day of judgment. When you die.. Poof! You're gone! Before you realize what happened, you'll be awakened from your sleep and BAM! Day of judgment! That will be the "Oh ****!" moment for all of them. And I don't envy the panic they feel at that moment. May God make that day easy for us monotheists! God bless!

 

[I.S.L.A.M617]

Rally? Compare The Iliad, Then the Bible then the Qur'an

The Aeneid's better than all of them.