| rdfs:comment | - The Qur'an, the central religious text of Islam, contains references to over fifty people also found in the Bible, typically in the same or similar narratives. Western secular scholars have tended to analyze such similarities as evidence for the influence of pre-existing traditions on the composition of the Qur'an. Lacking sufficient historical evidence, such scholars have relied mainly on a structuralist view point, now considered weak by mainstream scholarship within the western traditions. From a traditionalist Muslim perspective such a discussion can make no sense, as Muslims believe that the Qur'an was sent from Allah (God) through the angel Jibrael (Gabriel) to Muhammad in a series of revelations, and this perfect divinely-inspired text was then progressively dictated (word for word,
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| abstract | - The Qur'an, the central religious text of Islam, contains references to over fifty people also found in the Bible, typically in the same or similar narratives. Western secular scholars have tended to analyze such similarities as evidence for the influence of pre-existing traditions on the composition of the Qur'an. Lacking sufficient historical evidence, such scholars have relied mainly on a structuralist view point, now considered weak by mainstream scholarship within the western traditions. From a traditionalist Muslim perspective such a discussion can make no sense, as Muslims believe that the Qur'an was sent from Allah (God) through the angel Jibrael (Gabriel) to Muhammad in a series of revelations, and this perfect divinely-inspired text was then progressively dictated (word for word, and over and over again to make sure there were no mistakes) by Muhammad to the followers of Islam. Moreover, they believe that the Biblical tradition was corrupted over time, and hence it is futile to use it as a basis for any sort of comparison with the immaculate revelation of the Qur'an. On the other hand, the stories in the Qur'an tend to concentrate more on the moral or spiritual significance of the story rather than details as 'it doesn’t tell these stories as if it’s talking to people who are ignorant of them, it’s using these stories to make moral and religious points, and assuming that the people already know the details of the stories.' The Bible is also held to reflect true unfolding revelation from God; but revelation which had become corrupted or distorted (in Arabic: tahrif) in its handing down, both in its narrative and more importantly in its message; which necessitated the giving of the Qur'an to Mohammed, to correct this deviation. There are therefore guidelines set out in the way Muslims are to understand the Bible, the primary one being that the Qur'an is always more authoritative than the Bible. Therefore, anything in the Bible that agrees with the Qur`an is accepted, and anything in the Bible that disagrees with the Qur`an is rejected. Many stories in the Bible are not mentioned at all in the Qur`an; with regard to such passages, Muslims are instructed to neither believe nor disbelieve in them, but they are allowed to read them and pass them on if they wish to do so. It has been strongly argued that the similarities between the two texts are only superficial in nature. Interpretation of scripture brings with it the underlying message of the text, and it is there that the interpreter will find systemic differences.
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