Too often we are tempted into thinking how wrong other people's religions and scriptures are, rather than focusing on what's right about our own. We act like some of our politicians during election campaigns rather than following the teachings of our own holy books. Breaking the trend, author Dr. Ejaz Naqvi provides an objective, topic-by-topic review of the two most read books in the world-the Holy Bible and the Holy Quran. The Quran: With or Against the Bible? addresses the key themes of the Quran and answers commonly asked questions in search of finding common ground: ¿ Who wrote the Quran? ¿ Who is the "God" of the Quran? ¿ What is the Quranic view of the prophets, especially Moses and Jesus? ¿ What does the Quran teach about interfaith relations? ¿ Does the Quran promote peace and harmony between Muslims and the People of the Book, or does it promote violence? ¿ How does the Quran compare to the Bible on important themes like worshipping God, the prophets, human rights, moral values, and fighting for justice and human dignity? ¿ Does the Quran render women as second-class citizens? Dispelling major myths, The Quran: With or Against the Bible? Systematically analyzes and compares the similarities in the paths of guidance the two scriptures have bestowed upon mankind.

The Quran: With or Against the Bible?

A Topic-by-Topic Review for the Investigative MindBy Ejaz Naqvi

iUniverse, Inc.

Copyright © 2012 Ejaz Naqvi, MD
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4759-0774-2

Contents

• Author's Note...........................................................................xvii• Before We Start.........................................................................xix• Introduction to the Quran...............................................................1• Section 1 God...........................................................................21Chapter 1 Allah = God..........................................................................23Chapter 2 The Nature of God....................................................................28Chapter 3 God Is Kind and Loving...............................................................38Chapter 4 God, the Creator.....................................................................43Chapter 5 Praise the Lord......................................................................51Chapter 6 Attributes of God....................................................................56• Section 2 The Quran on the Quran........................................................67Chapter 7 The Quran: God's Revelation..........................................................69Chapter 8 Why Was the Quran Revealed?..........................................................80Chapter 9 Recitation, Translation, and Interpretation of the Quran.............................86• Section 3 The Quran and Science.........................................................91Chapter 10 The Universe and Astronomy..........................................................93Chapter 11 The Earth, and Plant and Animal Kingdom.............................................112Chapter 12 Humans and Human Embryology.........................................................126• Section 4 The Quran on Prophets, scriptures, and People of the Book.....................135Chapter 13 The Prophets........................................................................137Chapter 14 Adam and Noah.......................................................................145Chapter 15 Abraham: The Father of Monotheistic Religions.......................................154Chapter 16 Moses (Musa, Moshe).................................................................179Chapter 17 Jesus (Isa) and Mary (Maryam).......................................................202Chapter 18 Muhammad............................................................................224Chapter 19 scriptures and People of the Book...................................................244• Section 5 The Quran and Eschatology.....................................................267Chapter 20 Life and Death......................................................................269Chapter 21 The Day of Judgment.................................................................276Chapter 22 The Hereafter: Paradise and Hell....................................................286• Section 6 The Quran and Daily Life......................................................301Chapter 23 Pillars of Islam....................................................................303Chapter 24 Jihad (To Strive)...................................................................322Chapter 25 Women and the Family................................................................332Chapter 26 Personal Behavior and Code of Conduct...............................................350• In Closing..............................................................................366• Bibliography............................................................................368

Chapter One

Allah = God

"Allah" is the Arabic word for "God." The word "Allah" is derived from two words: Al (the) and Ilah (deity), meaning "the deity" or simply, "God." Thus even though many people, including Muslims, may believe it is a proper name for God in Arabic, it literally means "the God," or "the sole God." The etymological origins of the word "Allah" are also found in other languages and appear in the Hebrew Bible (Elohim) and the Aramaic Bible (Elaha). Most English translations of the Bible have translated Elohim as God. Some in the West believe that Allah in the Quran is different than the "God" of the Bible. However, a close analysis of the Quran and the Bible and an examination of various cultural practices would argue against such a belief. According to Columbia Encyclopedia, Arabic speakers of all Abrahamic faiths, including Christians and Jews, use the word "Allah" to mean "God." These include Mizrahi Jews, Eastern Orthodox Christians, and Eastern Catholic Christians. Many others share this view. Whereas many communities in the biblical and Quranic stories took on many deities as their god/s, the Quran and the Bible emphasize, over and over, that there is no god but God (the singular deity). Allah was also used in pre-Quranic Mecca by pagans as a deity, but one who had associates and was not considered the sole divine power. This polytheistic view was thoroughly rejected by Prophet Muhammad and the Quran. Muslims believe that the Quran is the final word from Allah, who is the Lord of the Worlds, the Creator of the universe, All-Knowledgeable, All-Powerful, All-Compassionate, and All-Merciful—the attributes shared by both the Quran and the Bible in reference to God.

Arabic translations of the Bible use Allah as the translation for the Hebrew Elohim. Thus "God," "Allah," and "Elohim" refer to the same deity.

"Elohim" is derived from Eloah (singular form), which is an expanded form of the Northwest Semitic noun il. It refers to the one God of Israel. The word "elohim" (with a lowercase e), on the other hand, is generally used in the Hebrew Bible to indicate plural pagan gods. Elohim is the first name for God used in the Torah: "In the beginning, God (Elohim) created heavens and the earth." Genesis 1:1. According to Jewish scholars, "Elohim" is the name given to God, the Creator, and generally implies power and justice. There is some argument that the similarities of the words "Allah," "Elah," and "Elohim" do not necessarily mean that these words refer to the same deity. The word "Eloah" is most often used in the book of Job (in debates between Job and his friends), and less so in Deuteronomy (32:15) and Psalms (50:22, 114:7, and 139:19).

Another divine name used in the Hebrew Bible is "Yahweh," a proper name for the God of Israel. It is derived from a Hebrew word that's transcribed into Roman letters as YHVH. It is the most frequently used name of God in Tanakh, the Jewish Bible consisting of the Torah (teaching, or law), Nevi'im (Prophets), and Ketuvim (Writings). YHWH is considered to be an unutterable name of God of Israel and is often referred to as "tetragrammation" ("the four letters") since it's derived from four Hebrew letters: Yod, Hey, Vav, and Hey. The name YHVH implies God's mercy and the condescension of Almighty God. Bible describes Yahweh as the one true God who delivered Israel from Egypt and gave the Ten Commandments. Yahweh is also translated as Jehovah in English.

"I (am) Jehovah thy God, who hath brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of a house of servants." Exodus 20:2 (translation from Darby; the King James, New Living Translation, and other modern...