Islam and Christianity are among the most popular religions in our history. Their Holy Scriptures, the Bible and the Qur'an, have many similarities as well as differences. This written assignment will analyze each text and compare and contrast interaction of power and religion. However, before one can do this, they must first obtain a general understanding of each text.
The Bible and Qur'an are Holy Scriptures containing a collection of narratives and parables. The narratives teach about the origin of mankind and a belief in one all-powerful God, also known as Monotheism. The books also lay out a moral code for everyone to live by. They want people to live a happy, sin free life, not being swayed by the sinful nature of mankind. The main difference between the two texts is how they are interpreted. The Qur'an was written by Muhammad after the Angel Gabriel appeared to him and revealed what was to be written and recorded. Because the Qur'an is the written record of the revelations Muhammad received, it is seen as the actual word of God and therefore viewed by its followers as perfect in every way. The Bible is seen as ultimate truth as well, but unlike the Qur'an, the bible was recorded by multiple men of the Jewish religion through the teachings of Jesus and the revelations given by Angels. Because Jesus and the Jewish men were human, it is not seen as the literal word of God, rather the human word written through divine inspiration.
The bible and Qur'an share many of the same figures, often times in similar narratives. Take Noah for example, a righteous man who was told by God to build an Ark for a flood that would wipe out all the sinners of the Earth. In the Qur'an, Noah is fearful and constantly asks God for more power during the narrative. In this book, Noah is the one who is disgusted by the actions of the people around him. He constantly tries to warn them of the dangers they may face if they don't believe, but none of the people wanted to hear what he had to say.
