Biblical narratives and the Qur'an 1

Biblical narratives and the Qur'an

The Qur'an, the central religious text of Islam, contains references to over fifty people and events also found in the
Bible. While the stories told in each book are generally comparable in most respects, important differences
sometimes emerge.
While the Bible is held to have once reflected true revelation from God, Muslims argue that it became corrupted or
distorted (in Arabic: tahrif) over the centuries, both in its narrative and (more importantly) in its message; this
necessitated the giving of the Qur'an to Muhammad, to correct such deviations. Thus, Muslims generally hold that
the Qur'an is always more authoritative than the Bible. 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.
Often, stories related in the Qur'an tend to concentrate more on the moral or spiritual significance of the event rather
than the details (though significant details are often offered). The tales often assume that people already know the
basic details of the stories, and thus use the stories to make moral and religious points, rather than simply relating
history for its own sake.[1]
Western secular scholars have tended to analyze similarities between Biblical and Quranic accounts of the same
person or event as being evidence for the influence of pre-existing traditions on the composition of the Qur'an.[2]
This has been denied by Muslims. From a traditionalist Muslim perspective, such a discussion makes no sense;
Muslims believe that the Qur'an was sent from Allah (God) through the angel Jibrael (Gabriel) to the prophet
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 certain that 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 allegedly infallible revelation of the Qur'an.

Torah narratives

Adam and Eve (‫ مدآ‬Adam and ‫ ءاوح‬Hawwaa)

According to the Biblical creation story God initially created the first human, a man named Adam, from dust and the
life-force proceeding from God's own mouth; thereafter God created a woman named Eve from one of Adam's ribs.
God placed them in the paradisaical Garden of Eden, telling them to eat any food there they wished, except that from
a single tree, the "tree of the knowledge of good and evil".[3] According to this tale, a serpent tempted them to
partake of fruit from the tree, telling them that they would become like God by doing so; both then ate from it.
Immediately thereafter, they became ashamed and covered their nakedness with leaves.[4] God questioned them
concerning their actions, reminding them of His command to not to eat of the tree.[5] He next put enmity between the
woman and man, and between humans and the 'tempter',[6] then forced Adam and Eve to leave the garden, following
which these two humans then populated the earth.[7]
According to the Islamic creation story in the Qur'an, before creating Adam from clay by uttering the simple word
"Be",[8] Allah informed the Angels of His divine plan to "create a vicegerent on earth". When they asked him "will
You place therein one who will do harm and shed blood, while we, we hymn Your praise and sanctify You?" He
said: "Surely I know that which you know not."[9] After creating Adam, Allah taught him the names of all things as
well as those of the Angels, which Adam then repeated correctly after the Angels were unable to comply when Allah
asked them to do so from their own knowledge.[10] Allah next commanded all of the angels to prostrate before
Adam, to honour God's new creation and to display obedience to Allah.[11] [12] [13] All of them did except for Iblis
(thereafter known as Shaitaan), a jinn who was arrogant and rebelled against Allah and thus became a disbeliever.[14]
Biblical narratives and the Qur'an 2

Shaitaan subsequently swore to mislead mankind from the straight path of Allah,[15] and Allah responded to his
arrogance and disobedience by expelling him from Paradise.
The Qur'an says that Adam and his wife were misled by Shaitaan, who tempted them with immortality and a
kingdom that never decays,[16] saying: "Your Lord only forbade you this tree, lest ye should become angels or such
beings as live for ever".[17] Adam and Eve had been warned of Shaitaan's scheming against them,[18] and had been
commanded by Allah to avoid the tree Shaitaan referred to. Although Allah had reminded them that there was
enough provision for them to "not to go hungry nor to go naked, nor to suffer from thirst, nor from the sun's heat",[19]
they ultimately gave in to Shaitaan's temptation and partook of the tree anyway. Following this sin, their "nakedness
appeared to them: they began to sew together, for their covering, leaves from the Garden",[20] and were subsequently
sent down from Paradise onto the earth with "enmity one to another". However, Allah also gave them the assurance
that "when there come unto you from Me a guidance, then whoso followeth My guidance, he will not go astray nor
come to grief."[21]
Unlike Christianity, Islam believes that God thoroughly forgave Adam and Eve their transgression when they begged
His mercy; thus, there was no "original sin" (as in Christian teaching) that was passed down from Adam to his
descendants.[22]
Among the many significant differences between the stories are:
• In the Bible, God tells the man to name the animals.[23] In the Qur'an, Allah teaches Adam the names "of all
things" and Adam repeats them.[16]
• In the Bible, the woman is created from the rib of the man. In the Qur'an, Eve is not mentioned by name, but it
states that women were created from one soul (Adam).[24] [25]
• In the Bible, the forbidden tree named is the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (3:5), and while its fruit is
often depicted as an apple, the Bible does not describe the fruit.[26] In the Qur'an the forbidden tree is not named
but Shaitaan calls it The Tree of Eternity to deceive Adam and his wife.[16]
• In the Bible, God creates man in His own image.[27] In the Qur'an, Allah says "Surely the likeness of (Prophet) Isa
(Jesus in Islam) is with Allah as the likeness of Adam; He created him from dust, then said to him, Be, and he
was."[8]
• In the Qur'an, Allah tells the angels to prostrate before Adam (as a sign of respect and obedience), but Iblis
(thereafter referred to as Shaitaan) refuses.[28] In the Bible, no such account is given.
• According to the Bible, because of God's curse, serpents have to crawl and eat dust, women have to suffer in
childbirth, and men have to sweat for a living. According to the Qur'an, no such curse was issued. The difficulties
of life on earth are what makes it different from life in paradise.
(See Also: Bible: Book of Genesis:2:4,4:1, and Qur'an: Surah Al-Baqara:30-39,[29] Surah Al-A'raf:19-27,[30] and
Surah Ta-Ha:115.[31]

Cain and Abel (Qābīl and Hābīl)

See Genesis 4:1-16 and Al-Ma'ida 5:27–32.
According to the Bible, Adam and Eve had two sons: Cain, the eldest, and Abel, his brother. Each made sacrifices to
God, but God only accepted Abel's sacrifice, and not Cain's. The narrative does not specify why God accepted only
Abel's (Gen. 4:1-7; Al-Ma'ida 5:30–32). Although God attempted to remonstrate with Cain about his attitude, Cain
refused to listen and ultimately murdered his brother, Abel (Al-Ma'ida 5:30; Gen. 4:8). Cain was subsequently called
to account by God, who condemned him to a lifteime of wandering and fruitless toil, while promising to take
vengeance upon any who tried to avenge his brother's blood upon him. Abel, on the other hand was regarded by the
Bible as righteous.
The Qu'ran relates a slightly different version:
Biblical narratives and the Qur'an 3

Recite to them the truth of the story of the two sons of Adam. Behold! they each presented a sacrifice (to God): It was
accepted from one, but not from the other. Said the latter: "Be sure I will slay thee." "Surely," said the former, "God
doth accept of the sacrifice of those who are righteous.If thou dost stretch thy hand against me, to slay me, it is not
for me to stretch my hand against thee to slay thee: for I do fear God, the cherisher of the worlds. For me, I intend to
let thee draw on thyself my sin as well as thine, for thou wilt be among the companions of the fire, and that is the
reward of those who do wrong." The (selfish) soul of the other led him to the murder of his brother: he murdered
him, and became (himself) one of the lost ones.Then God sent a raven, who scratched the ground, to show him how
to hide the shame of his brother. "Woe is me!" said he; "Was I not even able to be as this raven, and to hide the
shame of my brother?" then he became full of regrets. On that account: We ordained for the Children of Israel that if
any one slew a person - unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land - it would be as if he slew the
whole mankind: and if any one saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole mankind. Then although
there came to them Our messengers with clear signs, yet, even after that, many of them continued to commit excesses
in the land.

Noah (‫ حون‬Nūḥ)
See Genesis 6:5-9:29 and mainly Hud 11:25–48 as well as Al-A'raf 7:59–64, Yunus 10:71–73, Al-Muminun
23:23–28, Ash-Shu'ara 26:105–121, Al-Qamar 54:9–16, and all of Nuh 71:1–28
Noah is described in the Bible as a righteous man who lived among a wicked people. God decided to kill all the
wicked through a vast flood, while saving the righteous; hence He commanded Noah to build an Ark, using God's
own instructions. (Gen. 6:9-16; Hud 11:39) Noah did so and he, a few others, and two of each animal species (a
female and a male) board the Ark (Gen. 6:19; Hud 11:42). Water gushes up from the ground and rains fall from the
sky, flooding the earth and killing all the wicked. (Gen. 7:11-12; Al-Qamar 54:11–13). All aboard the Ark are safe
until the waters retreat (Gen. 8:14 ; Hud 11:44). There is disagreement among Christians and Muslims concerning
whether the flood was local or global.
There are several differences between the Biblical and Quranic versions of Noah's story:
• The Qur'an focuses on a dialogue between Noah and the wicked (Hud 11:32–37), in which Noah unsuccessfully
attempts to remonstrate with his countrymen, who reject his message. Genesis mentions no such dialogue.
• In the Qur'an, Noah's wife and one of his sons reject him (Hud 11:43) and die in the flood, while some people
outside his family are faithful and join him (Hud 11:42). In Genesis, Noah's wife together with his three sons and
their wives all board the Ark, but no others.
• In the Qur'an, the Ark rests on the hills of Al-Joudi (Judaea) (Hud 11:44); in the Bible, it rests on the mountains of
Ararat (Gen. 8:4) The Al-Djoudi (Judaea) is a mount in the Biblical range Ararat. The Qur'an cites a particular
mount in The Ararat Range and the Bible mentions The Ararat Range. Judaea is still present in the Ararat range in
Turkey. Thus there is no conflict between the Bible and the Qur'an on this topic.

Abraham (Ibrāhīm ‫ )ميهاربا‬promised a son

See Genesis 18:1-15, 22:1-20 and Hud 11:69–74, Al-Hijr 15:51–56, As-Saaffat 37:102–109, and Adh-Dhariyat
51:24–30. Several messengers come to Abraham on their way to destroy the people of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Abraham welcomes them into his tent and provides them with food. They then promise their host that Isaac (ʾIsḥāq
‫ )قٰحسإ‬will soon be born to Abraham's wife, Sarah (Sārah ‫)ةراس‬. Sarah laughs at the idea because she is far too old to
bear children.
Genesis 18:12 "After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?"
Hud 11:72 (Yusuf Ali). “She said: "Alas for me! shall I bear a child, seeing I am an old woman, and my husband
here is an old man? That would indeed be a wonderful thing!"”
The angels rebuke her, telling her that by God's will she can bear a son. A conversation ensues in which Abraham
admits that he wished God to have mercy on the people of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Biblical narratives and the Qur'an 4

Abraham (Ibrāhīm ‫ )ميهاربا‬sacrifices his son

In another narrative, Abraham receives a command from God to sacrifice his son. Abraham agrees to this and
prepares to carry out the sacrifice. Before he can do so, however, God tells him to stop and gives him a replacement
sacrifice. Abraham is subsequently honored for his faithfulness to God. (As-Saaffat 37:102–108; Genesis 22:2-18)
However, there are several differences between the Biblical and Qur'anic accounts:
• In Genesis, the sacrificial son is clearly Isaac, but the Qur'an implies that it is Ishmael (Ismā'īl ‫)ليعامسإ‬, since it
first narrates this story, followed by the account (mentioned above) of Abraham receiving the tidings of a son,
Isaac (As-Saaffat 37:102–112. Therefore, Muslims believe the sacrificial son was Ishmael (Ismā'īl ‫ )ليعامسإ‬and
that this event happened prior to Isaac's birth.
• While God seems to speak directly to Abraham in Genesis, He speaks through a vision in the Qur'an.
• In the Qur'an, Abraham directly tells his son that he intends to sacrifice him. In Genesis, Abraham avoids telling
Isaac, saying instead that "God will provide the sacrifice."

Lot and Sodom and Gomorrah (Lūṭ ‫ طول‬and "The People of Lot")
According to the Bible, after visiting Abraham, two angels go to the city of Sodom in which Abraham's nephew Lot
is a foreigner. They tell him God will soon destroy the city because of the wickedness of the people. The men of the
city, upon hearing that Lot is entertaining male visitors, converge upon his house and demand that the men be
brought out so that they can have sex with them. Lot offers his daughters in their place, but the men insist upon
raping the angels instead. After blinding the city's inhabitants, the angels tell Lot and his family to flee by night and
to not look back. The following morning, God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah with a shower of fiery stones from
the sky. Lot's wife looked back to see the burning city and was turned into a pillar of salt.[32]
The story continues further after the destruction of the twin cities, with Lot leaving Zoar (where he had fled for
refuge) with his two daughters to live in a cave.[33] Fearing that all the men were dead, the daughters decided that in
order to 'preserve the seed of their father' and procreate, they must have sexual intercourse with him;[34] they decide
to get him into a drunken stupor so as to be able to 'lie with him' and obtain his seed.[35] And so they each sleep with
their father (one each on successive nights), having intoxicated him to a point wherein he could 'perceive not',[36] [37]
[38]
and thus get impregnated by him. The Bible then continues "And the firstborn bare a son, and called his name
Moab: the same is the father of the Moabites unto this day. And the younger, she also bare a son, and called his name
Ben-ammi: the same is the father of the children of Ammon unto this day".[39] [40] The Biblical story of Lot ends
here.
According to the Qur'an, Lot (or Lut, as he is called in the Qur'an) was a Prophet. He was also a nephew of Prophet
Ibrahim (Abhraham). A group of Angels visited Ibrahim as guests[41] and gave him glad tidings of a son "endowed
with wisdom";[42] [43] they told him that they had been sent by Allah to the "guilty people"[44] of Sodom,[45] to
destroy them[46] [47] with "a shower of stones of clay (brimstone)"[48] and deliver Lot and those who believed in him.
However, Lot's wife was specifically excluded, with the angels saying "she is of those who lag behind".[49] [50] The
Qur'an draws upon Lot's wife as an "example for the unbelievers", as she was married to a righteous man but refused
to believe in his words; hence, she was condemned to the Hellfire.[51]
According to the Qur'an, the people of Sodom and Gomorrah, to which Lot had been sent with Allah's message,
indulged in the abominable sin of homosexuality;[52] [53] upon Lot's exhorting them to abandon their transgression
against Allah, they ridiculed him,[54] threatening him with dire consequences.[53] [55] [56] Lot prayed to Allah to be
saved from doing as they did;[57] when the Angels came to him, he became distressed. Knowing well the character of
his people and feeling himself powerless to protect them, he said: "this is a distressful day."[58] When his
people—overjoyed at the news of new visitors in the village—came to snatch them away from Lot,[59] he tried to
convince them to refrain from practicing their lusts on the male visitors and offered his own daughters in marriage to
them in exchange for the visitors release.[60] [61] However, the men of Sodom were unrelenting and replied: "we have
no need of thy daughters: indeed you know quite well what we want!"[62] The Qur'an describes the peoples' state
Biblical narratives and the Qur'an 5

then as "... they moved blindly in the frenzy of approaching death".[63] Seeing that Lot was powerless to protect
them, the visitors revealed to him that they were angels sent by Allah to punish his people for their transgressions.
They advised Lot to leave the place during the night and not look back, informing him that his wife would be left
behind due to her sinful nature[64] and that they (the Angels) "...were about to bring down upon the folk of this
township a fury from the sky because they are evil-doers". Keeping his faith in Allah, Lot left his home and the cities
during the night with his family and others who believed in him;[65] only his wife stayed behind.[66]
When morning came,[67] [68] Allah "turned the cities upside down, and rained down on them Brimstones hard as
baked clay, spread, layer on layer",[69] [70] [71] putting an end to the lives of the people and exclaiming: "so taste ye
My Wrath and My Warning!" according to the Qur'an.[72] The Qur'an refers to the sites of Sodom and Gomorrah as
"signs for those who understand by example", for those who "care to understand" and those who "fear a grievous
penalty or a painful doom".[73] [74] [75] The story of Lot in the Qur'an ends after describing this event, and thereafter
is used by Allah as an example stating "and most surely you pass by them (Sodom and Gomorrah) by the day, and at
night; do you not then understand?"[76]
There are several differences between the Qur'an and Bible:
• In the Qur'an, Lot is described a prophet, like his uncle Abraham. In Genesis (Genesis 19:1-29), Lot is not
described as a prophet. In the New Testament, (2 Peter 2:7,8) Peter the Apostle describes Lot as a righteous man
who was daily tormented by the lawless deeds he saw in Sodom.
• In both the Bible and in the Qur'an, Abraham pleads for God to have mercy (Qur'an11:75; Gen. 18:24-33). In
Genesis, God agrees to spare Sodom if just ten righteous men can be found there (but they are not found). In the
Qur'an, God commands Abraham not to ask for mercy on them. 11:76
• In Genesis, Lot's wife leaves with Lot but turns around briefly and God turns her into a pillar of salt (Gen. 19:26).
In the Qur'an, there is no mention of her leaving; rather Lot and his followers were commanded by the angels not
to turn, but Lot is informed that his wife will turn and look behind (quran hud 11:123), and thus be destroyed with
the rest of the two cities. 11:81
• Following the destruction of Sodom, the Bible describes an incestous event between Lot and his two daughters, at
his daughters' behest, in Genesis 19:30-38. The Qur'an does not describe any such event, and Muslims
emphatically deny any such occurrence.
(See Also: Bible: Genesis 19:1-26 . Qur'an: Surah Al-Hijr 57-77, Surah Hud 74-83, Surah Al-A'raf 80-84, Surah
Ash-Shu'ara 160-174, Surah An-Naml 54-58, Surah Al-Ankabut 28-35, Surah As-Saaffat 133-138, Surah
Adh-Dhariyat 31-37, and Surah Al-Qamar 36-39.)

Joseph (Yusuf ‫)فسوي‬

The narratives of Joseph can be found in Genesis 37-50 and in the Qur'an 12.4-102.
In both the Bible and the Qur'an, Joseph has a vision of eleven stars and the sun and the moon all bowing to him
which he shares with his family.
(Genesis 37:9) And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, "Behold, I have dreamed a
dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me."
(Yusuf|12.4) Behold! Joseph said to his father: "O my father! I did see eleven stars and the sun and the moon: I saw
them prostrate themselves to me!"
Joseph's brothers became jealous that their father preferred Joseph over them, and so they form a plot to kill Joseph.
However, one brother convinces them not to kill him but throw him down a well while they are alone.
(Yusuf|12.8-10; Genesis 37:20-22) They agree. They subsequently lie to their father as to Joseph's whereabouts,
covering his clothing in blood and asserting that a wild animal had attacked him. A caravan passing the well inspires
the brothers to pull Joseph out of the well and to sell him as a slave to traders in the caravan. Later the traders sell
him to a wealthy Egyptian. (Genesis 37:27-36; Yusuf|12.20-22)
Biblical narratives and the Qur'an 6

Joseph grows up in the house of the Egyptian. When Joseph is a grown man, his master's wife tries to seduce him.
Joseph resists and runs away, but is caught by other servants and reported to his master. The wife lies to her husband,
saying that Joseph tried to rape her. (Yusuf|12.25; Gen. 39:12); At this point the two stories differ.
• In the Bible, Joseph's master (named as Potiphar) refuses to believe Joseph's denial and imprisons him.
• In the Qur'an, Joseph's master (who is only identified as "the Vizier") accepts the suggestion of another servant to
check Joseph's tunic. If it is torn from the front, the servant asserts, it will prove Joseph a liar; but if it is torn from
the back (as proves to be the case), Joseph will be vindicated and the master's wife proven a liar. The Vizier
reprimands his wife, and permits Joseph to remain in his household. However, during a subsequent dinner party
thrown by the Vizier's wife, Joseph is commanded to appear before the wife and her ladyfriends; they cut their
hands with knives out of lust for him, and although the Vizier again recognizes Joseph's innocence, he orders him
imprisoned nevertheless.
In prison, Joseph meets two men. One has a dream of making wine and the other dreams of carrying a stack of
breads that birds are eating. Joseph tells the first that he will serve the Pharaoh again and the second will be
executed. Both things happen, precisely as Joseph foretold. Although Joseph asks the first man to bring his name and
unjust imprisonment to the attention of the Pharaoh, the first man quickly forgets about him once restored to the
royal favor.
Sometime thereafter, Pharaoh had a dream:
(Genesis 41:17-19) And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, In my dream, behold, I stood upon the bank of the river; 18 And,
behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, fatfleshed and well favoured; and they fed in a meadow; And,
behold, seven other kine came up after them, poor and very ill favoured and leanfleshed, such as I never saw in all
the land of Egypt for badness:
(Yusuf|12.43) The king (of Egypt) said: "I do see (in a vision) seven fat kine, whom seven lean ones devour, and
seven green ears of corn, and seven (others) withered. O ye chiefs! Expound to me my vision if it be that ye can
interpret visions."
Pharaoh's cup-bearer, who had been previously imprisoned with Joseph, suddenly remembers his promise and tells
Pharaoh about the man who foretold his own restoration to favor. Pharaoh sent to the prison, asking Joseph to
interpret his dream. In the Qur'anic account, Joseph insists that the Vizier's wife vindicate him before Pharaoh before
Joseph will agree to do so (this is not mentioned in the Bible); Pharaoh summons the Vizier's wife, who admits her
lies about Joseph and proclaims his innocence. The Qur'an now rejoins the Biblical narrative, where Joseph reveals
the meaning of Pharaoh's dream: Egypt will have seven years of good crops followed by seven years of famine and
the famine will be worse than the abundance. Pharaoh rewarded Joseph by giving him charge over the store houses
and the entire land of Egypt.
During the famine, Joseph's brothers came to Egypt to buy food, but the youngest was left with their father. While
Joseph recognized them, they did not recognize him. He demanded that they return with the missing brother. The
brothers return home and find that Joseph had hidden in their packs more than they paid for. They asked their father
if they might return with the youngest brother. Reluctantly, their father allows this. They return, and after some
further incidents Joseph ultimately reveals himself to his brothers. (Genesis 45:1; Yusuf| 12.90).
In the Bible, the missing brother is Benjamin, Joseph's only full blood brother. The others are half-brothers.
Biblical narratives and the Qur'an 7

Moses (Mūsā ‫)ىسوم‬

In the Bible, the narratives of Moses are in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. The narratives here are
mostly in Exodus 1-14 and 32. In the Qur'an, the Moses narratives are in the following passages: 2.49-61, 7.103-160,
10.75-93, 17.101-104, 20.9-97, 26.10-66, 27.7-14, 28.3-46, 40.23-30, 43.46-55, 44.17-31, and 79.15-25.
Pharaoh slew the young male children of the Israelites (II:46). Moses' mother cast Moses as an infant into a small
ark. God protected him. Moses was found by the household of Pharaoh. They adopted him. Moses' sister, Miriam,
had followed Moses. When he was found, she recommended that his own mother serve as nurse to him. When
Moses became an adult, he saw an Egyptian fighting with an Israelite. Moses interceded and killed the Egyptian. The
next day Moses saw the Israelite whom he saved. "Do you intend to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?" he asks.
Pharaoh tried to have Moses killed and Moses fled. He went to a watering place in Midian. He met some sisters and
watered their herd. When the women's father, Jethro, learned of Moses, he invited him to stay and gave him a
daughter, Zipporah, to marry.
In Midian, Moses saw a fire and approached it. God spoke to him, and told him to remove his shoes. God said that he
had chosen Moses. God said to throw down his staff and to stretch out his arm as signs. His staff turned into a
serpent and then returned to the form of a staff. His arm became white although he was not sick. God commanded
him to go to Pharaoh to deliver a message. Moses said that he could not speak well. So God provided Aaron, his
brother, to help Moses speak.
God sent Moses to the court of Pharaoh. Pharaoh refused to listen to Moses. Moses threw down his staff. It became a
serpent. He extended his hand, and it turned white. Pharaoh's magicians performed a magic feat also but the feat was
swallowed by Moses' serpent. God caused a famine. God sent plagues of locusts, frogs, blood, and death. God sent at
least nine signs to Pharaoh. Each time the Egyptians agreed to let the Hebrews leave and God stopped the plague.
When they broke their word. God told Moses to lead the Israelites across a sea. Moses struck the sea with his staff
and the sea dried up. Pharaoh's army pursued them but the water returned and they are drowned. (Exodus 14:7, II:47)
Moses left the Hebrews for forty nights. He put his brother Aaron in charge of the people (Al-Baqara|2.48) On a
mountain, God gave Moses a revelation of precepts for Israel to follow. God made tablets with writing on them
which Moses carried back to Israel.
Moses asked to see God. The people saw the fire and lightning and the mountain and are afraid. While Moses is
gone, the Israelites demanded to worship an idol. They used the gold from their ornaments to construct a golden calf
whom they said was the god who rescued them from Egypt. Aaron does not stop them. Then Moses returned and
chastised them and Aaron. Many were killed for their action. God sent down manna and quail to eat but the Hebrews
still rebelled against God, and complained about the food. Moses asked God for water and God answered him.
Moses struck a stone with his staff and water came forth. The Israelites were divided into twelve tribes.
God gave the Israelites a bountiful land, but this occurred at different times in the two scriptures. Besides that and
the many additional details in the Torah, there are other differences:
• In the Bible, Moses' message is to free the Israelites from slavery under Pharaoh. In the Qur'an, Moses initially
focuses on Pharaoh to convert toward one God. Pharaoh assumed himself as god and was worshiped by
Egyptians.
• The Biblical Moses is reluctant to become a prophet and makes excuses. He eventually agrees and Aaron speaks
and performs miracles at first until Moses is ready and takes over. In Quran, Aaron was made Allah's messenger
on Moses' request to back him up in the difficult task. Moses asked Allah to give him human support from
Family, then ask for Aaron (his brother) praising Aaron by saying that he (Aaron) is better speaker than him
(Moses).
• The sorcerers, in the Quranic story, repent after seeing Moses' signs and submit to Allah at the anger of Pharaoh.
• In the Quran, Pharaoh didn't repent but tried to deceive Moses and Allah by saying that now he believes in one
God, God of Moses and Aaron (while drowning). But all knowing Allah didn't accept this because he sought
repentance at the time of death after seeing the angels.
Biblical narratives and the Qur'an 8

• In the Bible, Moses first goes to Pharaoh without showing any signs.
• In Exodus, Aaron helps make the golden calf. In the Quran, Aaron himself was a messenger of Allah and was
representing Moses in his absences. He opposed that idea with all his might and warned the Israelites that God
will be angry with them.
• Pharaoh drowns in Exodus. In the Quran, Pharaoh drowned as well, and Allah said in the Qur'an that he kept
pharaoh's body as an example for generations to come (or made an example for coming generations)
See also Aaron, Islamic view of Aaron, and Islamic view of Pharaoh.

Destruction of Korah (Qarun)

The story of the destruction of Korah appears in Numbers 16:1-50 in the Torah and in Al-Qasas 76-82. Korah was an
Israelite living during the time of Moses. Because of his wickedness, God caused him to die by opening the ground
and swallowing him and his home (Numbers 16:31-33; Al-Qasas|28.81). In the Qur'an, Karon is simply a rich man
who is too arrogant. In the Torah, he leads a minor rebellion against Moses. God also kills the others who rebel with
him and their homes.

Later Hebrew Bible narratives

Gideon
In the Bible, both Gideon and Saul are military leaders of Israel between the Exodus and Exile. In the Book of
Judges in the Bible, Gideon is hesitant about leading the Hebrews to battle. To demonstrate God's power, God tells
Gideon to observe when the troops reach a river and whoever drinks without his hands Gideon must send home. The
Hebrews later have victory.
In the Qur'an, the same event happens to Saul on the way to meet Goliath. In the Biblical account of Saul and
Goliath, Saul is also hesitant about the battle with Goliath's army but David wins the battle for Israel.

Saul, David and Goliath (Tālūt ‫تولاط‬, Dāwūd ‫ دواد‬and ‫ تولاج‬Galut)

The story appears in 1 Samuel 8-12 and 17:1-58 and in Surah 2 246-248 and Surah 2 249-251.
A prophet of Israel appoints Saul as king after the Israelites petition the prophet for a king (Samuel 9:17;
Al-Baqarah|2.247). At least a few people are not happy with Samuel's choice. Saul is going into battle with his army
and is unsure about his victory. David kills Goliath, a significant warrior in the opposing army (Samuel 17:50;
Al-Baqarah|2.251). In the Bible, Goliath is the champion of the Philistine army. In the Qur'an, he is the leader. The
account also bears similarity to when Gideon led an army. See Mixed Similarities.

The Queen of Sheba

The story appears in 1 Kings 10:1-13 and 2 Chronicles 9: 1-13 and in verses Surah 27 20-44. The two stories have
almost nothing in common. In each, the Queen of Sheba comes to visit Solomon and is impressed by his wisdom and
riches. In the Bible, the visit is only diplomatic. In the Qur'an, the Queen becomes monotheist and peace is
established in the kingdoms. Although not part of the Qur'an, Islamic tradition holds that the name of the Queen of
Sheba is Bilqis or Balqis.
Biblical narratives and the Qur'an 9

Jonah (Yunus ‫ )سنوي‬and the "whale"

In both the Bible and the Qur'an, Jonah is swallowed by a "big fish", usually inferred to be a whale. The Book of
Jonah in the Bible consists of four chapters about Jonah's mission to Nineveh. The story is referenced three times in
the Qur'an: in verses 139-148 of Sura 37 (As-Saaffat) (Those who set the ranks), verses 87-88 of Sura 21: al-Anbiya'
(The Prophets) and verses 48-50 of Sura 68: al-Qalam (The Pen) /Nun. It is mentioned in verse 98 of Sura 10: Yunus
(Jonah) and verse 86 of Sura 6: al-An'am (The Cattle).
In the Qur'an, Jonah gets frustrated by his own people and abandons them to God's mercy, however without asking
permission from God and thus going against his given responsibility. In the Quran, it is also mentioned that if Jonah
had not prayed inside the belly of the fish he would have stayed in there until the Judgement day. In the Bible, Jonah
pays a fare to sail to Tarshish. In both stories, he boards the ship loaded with passengers, lots are cast and Jonah is
thrown overboard and swallowed by a large fish (Jonah 1:17, As-Saaffat 37|142). After praying, he is cast out of the
fish and washed ashore, and God causes a gourd to grow (37|146) or weeds (2:5). In the Bible, Jonah continues into
Nineveh, and the city is spared by God. In both Bible and Quran, God causes the gourd to grow to comfort Jonah
after he lays on the shore in a sickly state, Jonah (4:6), (As-Saaffat 37|145). According to an Islamic tradition
however, the big fish gets frightened at first, fearing it might have swallowed a holy person as it heard prayers and
supplications read in a wonderful voice from her stomach, hearing which numerous sea creatures had surrounded it.
But she comforts herself later since it was God's order to swallow Jonah. After 2 days the fish casts him out the
beach of an island and he is very weak. The gastric juices with the hot sunlight burned his skin till the point he was
about to scream of pain. God causes a vine to grow over him and provide him fruit and shade. He recovers and goes
back to his people who had become good after he left. According to the Quran, the number of the people he was sent
towards as a Prophet exceeded a hundred thousand. They believed in his message and God granted them prosperity
for a long time. (As-Saaffat 37|147-148).

Haman
In the Bible, Haman was a Persian noble and vizier of the empire under Persian King Ahasuerus who desires to
persecute the Jews. In the Qur'an, Haman is an adviser and builder under a Firaun(Pharaoh) of ancient Egypt whose
narrative relationship with Moses is recounted in the Qur'an.
The structure which Firaun commands Haman to build is similar to the Tower of Babel in Genesis, unrelated to the
narrative of Haman in the Bible. Both structures are made from burnt bricks for the purpose of ascending to the
heavens.

New Testament narratives

Zechariah and John (Zakariya (‫ )ايركز‬and Yahya (‫))ىيحي‬

The story of Zechariah is told in the Gospel of Luke 1:5-80 and Luke 3:1-22 and in the Qur'an 19.2-15. Zechariah
and his wife reached an old age without bearing children. God spoke to Zechariah and told him his wife would
conceive, despite her barrenness, and his name would be John. As a sign that this would happen, God struck
Zechariah mute until John was born though he communicated using signs. John became a great and righteous
prophet and came to confirm God's Word. Both accounts mention John's death.
The two accounts never directly disagree, but each have unique elements: In the Bible Zechariah is a priest. God
speaks to him on Yom Kippur in the Holy of Holies. He doubts that God will act and his muteness is a sign and
punishment. Muslims regard Zechariah as a Prophet and therefore claim he would never doubt God's omnipotence
although in the Quranic narrative he does question how would it come about since he is an old man and his wife long
barren. Upon which he is told that for God it is indeed very easy and that haven't God created you already while you
were naught. In the Quranic narrative Zechariah is also reminded that the sign he should seek for would be a
muteness for three nights although without being restrained from speech, implying, he simply would not find an
Biblical narratives and the Qur'an 10

occasion to talk to anyone. Zechariah, therefore, is found emerging from his chamber and reminding his people to
celebrate the praises of the Lord through an inspirational gesture (Surah Maryam 19|1-11).
According to an article published on the Prophet Yahya[77] ,[78] the Quran mentions the prophets as having special
names and qualities. For example, Prophet Muhammad is called the Seal of the Prophets (33:40) and a mercy for the
worlds (21:107). Abraham is called Imam (2:124), the friend of God (4:125), a model to the world (16:120), one who
is forbearing and repentant (11:74), a monotheist (16:123). Isaac is also given the quality of an Imam (21:73) who
has power of vision (38:45). Aaron is called a minister (20:29); he is blessed with eloquence (28:34) and he is sent
with signs and manifest authority (23:45). David is called a vicegerent on the earth (38:26) who has power and
wisdom (2:251); a man of strength (38:17). Solomon is a king (38:35); he is taught the speech of birds and is
bestowed with all things (27:16). Joseph is a ruler (12:88) and one who interprets dreams and visions (12:21), a man
of truth (12:46), concealed as a treasure (12:19). Jacob is also called Imam (21:73). He is given the power of vision
(38:45). Jesus is called the Messiah (3:45). He spoke in the cradle (3:46) and is a sign to humanity and a mercy from
God (19:21).
These are all prophets whose lives are familiar to us. What about the Prophet Yahya? What have we been taught
about this prophet who has been overlooked and misrepresented. One reason he has been overlooked is because there
are five words used in the Quran to describe Prophet Yahya that have been misinterpreted in translations of the
Quran.
The first is the word hasur which is usually translated "chaste." Research by Belica shows that the Arabic word hasur
does not mean "chaste" with regard to Yahya; rather, it means "a concealer of secrets." Why the mistake in
translation and commentary? As there was no extensive information given in the Quran about the life of Prophet
Yahya nor in the hadith, the commentators then turned to Christian tradition and simply repeated what they found
there.
Nonetheless, the commentators of the Quran have placed considerable emphasis on this word. Al-Tabari interprets
the word hasur to mean one who abstains from sexual intercourse with women. He then reports a hadith on the
authority of Said ibn al-Musayyab which has Prophet Muhammad saying the following: "Everyone of the sons of
Adam shall come on the Day of Resurrection with a sin (of sexual impropriety) except Yahya bin Zechariah.' Then,
picking up a tiny straw, he continued, 'this is because his generative organ was no bigger than this straw (implying
that he was impotent).'"
Does this mean that even the prophets outside of Yahya will be raised up with this sin of sexual impropriety? How
can we accept that this was said by such a modest human being, comparing a straw to another prophet's generative
organ? Was Yahya impotent? One commentator, Ibn Kathir, a renowned Islamic scholar, rejects this view and adds,
"This would be a defect and a blemish unworthy of prophets." He then mentions that it was not that he had no sexual
relations with women, but that he had no illegal sexual relations with them. Indeed, the whole discussion is
unseemly. It is known that prophets of God are immune from major sins, so this statement makes no sense at all
when interpreting the word, hasur. In his commentary, ibn Kathir says he (Yahya) probably married and had
children. He said this on the basis of what was related in the Quran of the prayer of Zachariah.
There are at least three reasons why interpreting hasur in this context as "chaste" is a misinterpretation: First of all,
there is another word in the Quran for "chaste" and that is muhasanah. As God used a different word with hasur, it
must mean something different. Secondly, God says in the Quran that Islam did not bring monasticism but that it was
something that they (the Christians) invented. Therefore, God would not have sent a Prophet who was celibate. In
addition, it is contrary the exhortation in the Torah to "go forth and multiply." Thirdly, Yahya's father, Zechariah
prayed for a protector who would provide descendants (dhuriyyat) for his family. "There Zachariah called to his
Lord; he said: My Lord! Bestow on me good offspring from Thy presence; truly Thou art hearing supplication."
(3:38) God gave him Yahya. God would not have sent a son to Zechariah who would not carry on the line of Jacob's
descendants because then God would not have answered the prayer of Zechariah.
Biblical narratives and the Qur'an 11

The word hasur is used only one time in the Quran and that is in regard to the Prophet Yahya. A major
Arabic-English lexicon, that of Edward William Lane (Taj al-Arus) states that when hasur is used alone, it means
"concealer of secrets." In his translation of Ibn al- Arabi's Book of the Fabulous Gryphon, Elmore also translates the
Arabic hasur as "consealer of secrets." In the referenced passage, "chaste" would not have been appropriate. (Gerald
T. Elmore, Islamic Sainthood in the Fullness of Time, Brill 1999, P. 482)
The second word that has been misinterpreted is waliy (19:5) which in this verse and many others in the Quran
means "protector" not "heir or successor." In this specific case, Zechariah prays to his Lord: "And truly I have feared
my defenders after me and my wife has been a barren woman. So bestow on me from that which proceeds from Thy
Presence a protector (waliy)."
The third word that is misinterpreted is that of fard in (21:89): "And mention Zechariah when he cried out to his
Lord: My Lord! Forsake me not unassisted (fard) and Thou art the Best of the ones who inherit." It is usually
translated as "heir," but the same reasoning applies as above. The word "unassisted" refers to the fact that Zechariah
did not want to be left alone without any protector. He feared for those who would defend him and his honor after he
died, that they would be left without a protector and thereby could not defend his honor.
The fourth misinterpreted word in relation to Prophet Yahya is sayyid. Prophet Yahya is referred to as a sayyid, chief
in the Quran. The commentators have interpreted this to mean that he was a scholar of religious law, a wise man, a
noble wise and pious man, and so forth. This was a prophet of God. Knowledge and wisdom were given to him by
his Lord. The title given to Yahya by his Lord shows that Prophet Yahya is one who has authority over his people
and not "noble" or "honorable" as this word is usually translated. Honor and nobility are good qualities but they fail
to indicate that Prophet Yahya is given a role of leadership by his Lord.
The fifth word is hanan which means "mercy," which is part of the compound name Yu'hanan (in English "John"),
meaning "God is Merciful." The word hanan is used once in the Quran and that is in reference to Prophet Yahya:
"And continuous mercy from Us and purity ..." This is singularly appropriate to the circumstances of the Prophet
Yahya.
The names Yahya and Yuhanan are not the same as many assume. They have two entirely different roots. Hanan and
hanna both derive from the Semitic root h n n. While the word hanna means "mercy or tenderness," the root word for
Yahya is h y y. It means "life" or "he lives."
In addition, this name and attribute given to Prophet Yahya can also be found in Sabean literature. The Sabians are
mentioned in the Quran in verses (2:62), (5:69) and (22:17). In their canonical prayer book we find Yahya Yuhanna.
It has been known that it is the practice of the Sabians to have two names, a real name and a special name. According
to the Sabians, this prophet's real name was Yahya (he lives) and his lay name was Yuhanna (John).
Prophet Yahya is the only one given this name as the Quran clearly states: "O Zechariah! Truly We give thee the
good tidings of a boy; his name will be Yahya (he who lives) and We assign it not as a namesake (samiyya) for
anyone before."
Again, another word that we need to pay attention to is samiya. It is used twice in the Quran, once in reference to
Yahya (19:7) "O Zechariah! Truly We give thee the good tidings of a boy; his name will be Yahya and We assign it
not as a namesake (samiya) for anyone before." The other time it is used is in reference to God. "... Knowest thou
any namesake (samiya) for Him [God]?" (19:65) In the famous Arabic lexicon Lisan al-Arab the root word s m w
means elevation or highness.[79]
Biblical narratives and the Qur'an 12

Mary ("Maryam" ‫)ميرم‬,

Mary's story is told in the Gospel of Luke 1:26-37, 2:1-21, and Qur'an 19.16-35. In the Bible, in the sixth month after
the conception of John the Baptist by Elizabeth, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to the Virgin Mary, at
Nazareth. Mary was of the house of David, and was betrothed to Joseph, of the same royal family. And the angel
having taken the figure and the form of man, came into the house and said to her: 'Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with
thee.' Mary having heard the greeting words did not speak; she was troubled in spirit, since she knew not the angel,
nor the cause of his coming, nor the meaning of the salutation. And the angel continued and said: 'Fear not, Mary, for
thou hast found grace with God. Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shalt bring forth a son; and thou shalt
call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God shall give unto
him the throne of David his father; and he shall reign in the house of Jacob forever. And of his kingdom there shall
be no end.' Not doubting the word of Godlike Zachary, but filled with fear and astonishment, she said: "How shall
this be done, because I know not man?' The angel to remove Mary's anxiety and to assure her that her virginity
would be spared, answered: 'The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the Most High shall overshadow
thee. And therefore also the Holy which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.' In token of the truth of
his word he made known to her the conception of John, the miraculous pregnancy of her relative now old and sterile:
'And behold, thy cousin Elizabeth; she also has conceived a son in herold age, and this is the sixth month with her
that is called barren: because no word shall be impossible with God.' Mary may not yet have fully understood the
meaning of the heavenly message and how the maternity might be reconciled with her vow of virginity, but clinging
to the first words of the angel and trusting to the Omnipotence of God she said: 'Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be
it done to me according to thy word.'
In Luke, Mary is betrothed to Joseph but the Qur'an never mentions any man. In the Qur'an, 'her people' have a
conversation with Mary accusing her of fornication. In the Bible, no such conversation happens but Joseph knows
that people are thinking this.
The Quran states in the chapter named after Mary, verse 16-37: And make mention of Mary in the Scripture, when
she had withdrawn from her people to a chamber looking East, And had chosen seclusion from them. Then We sent
unto her Our Spirit and it assumed for her the likeness of a perfect man. He said: I am only a messenger of thy Lord,
that I may bestow on thee a faultless son. She said: How can I have a son when no mortal hath touched me, neither
have I been unchaste? He said: So (it will be). Thy Lord saith: It is easy for Me. And (it will be) that We may make
of him a revelation for mankind and a mercy from Us, and it is a thing ordained. And she conceived him, and she
withdrew with him to a far place. And the pangs of childbirth drove her unto the trunk of the palm-tree. She said: Oh,
would that I had died ere this and had become a thing of naught, forgotten! Then (one) cried unto her from below
her, saying: Grieve not! Thy Lord hath placed a rivulet beneath thee, And shake the trunk of the palm-tree toward
thee, thou wilt cause ripe dates to fall upon thee. So eat and drink and be consoled. And if thou meetest any mortal,
say: Lo! I have vowed a fast unto the Beneficent, and may not speak this day to any mortal. Then she brought him to
her own folk, carrying him. They said: O Mary! Thou hast come with an amazing thing. O sister of Aaron! Thy
father was not a wicked man nor was thy mother a harlot. Then she pointed to him. They said: How can we talk to
one who is in the cradle, a young boy? He spake: Lo! I am the servant of God. He hath given me the Scripture and
hath appointed me the Messiah, And hath made me blessed wheresoever I may be, and hath enjoined upon me prayer
and alms giving so long as I remain alive, And (hath made me) dutiful toward her who bore me, and hath not made
me arrogant, unblest. Peace on me the day I was born, and the day I die, and the day I shall be raised alive! Such was
Jesus, son of Mary: (this is) a statement of the truth concerning which they doubt. It befitteth not (the Majesty of)
God that He should take unto Himself a son. Glory be to Him! When He decreeth a thing, He saith unto it only: Be!
and it is. And lo! God is my Lord and your Lord. So serve Him. That is the right path. The sects among them differ:
but woe unto the disbelievers from the meeting of an awful Day. (translation: Pickthal)
Biblical narratives and the Qur'an 13

Jesus (Isa ‫)ىسيع‬

Jesus takes up the whole of the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) in the Bible, as well as being the focus
of the subsequent books of the New Testament. He appears several times in the Qur'an: in verses 35-59 of Sura 3:
al-Imran (The Family of Imran), verses 156-158 of Sura 4: an Nisa' (The Women), verses 109-120 of Sura 5:
al-Ma'idah (The Repast), verses 16-35 of Sura 19: Maryam (Mary), verse 50 of Sura 23: al-Mu'minun (The
Believers) verses 57-65 of Sura 43: az-Zukhruf (The Gold Adornments) and in verses 6 and 14 of Sura 61: as-Saff
(The Battle Array). Reference is made to him several more times.
The Qur'an contains few narratives from Jesus' life, but does include many brief descriptions in common with the
Bible:
• Made the dead to live[80]
• Is the Messiah (the Christ)[81]
• Had disciples[82]
• His disciples were successful over disbelievers[83]
• Healed the blind and lepers[80]
• Filled with the Holy Spirit[84]
• Is alive in heaven now[85]
-In the Qur'an Jesus is said to have created a bird out of clay and blown life into it; and he is also said to have spoken
as an infant in the cradle to defend his mother from the false accusations of fornication. These two narratives are not
found in the Bible, but are in the Infancy Gospels (Non-Canonical Gospels).
The Qur'an rejects the Christian view of Jesus, specifically his divinity. According to the Qur'an, Jesus did not ask to
be worshipped and Jesus asked people to worship God. Also, according to the Qur'an, God "has no partners" and
believing that God took physical form is in of itself a sin.

Other figures
The Qur'an and Bible have over 50 people in common, typically in the same narratives. The Qur'an identifies Enoch
and Ishmael as prophets, but they are never given a story. In the Bible, all these men are identified as righteous
people but not prophets — except Ishmael who is not written of favorably.
There is also one person mentioned in the Qur'an, Dhul-Qarnayn, who is not mentioned in the Bible by that name but
whose story is similar to stories about Alexander the Great as mentioned in other Jewish and Christian writings (see
Alexander the Great in the Qur'an). However Dhul-Qarnayn may also be Cyrus the Great who is mentioned in the
Bible (see Cyrus (Bible) and Cyrus the Great in the Qur'an).

Mixed similarities
In several cases, the Qur'an and the Bible have common events but occur in different narrations.

Idol calf and Samaritan

In the Bible, in Moses' absence certain people who went out of Egypt with the Hebrews worship a golden calf saying
"This is your God, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt." Hundreds of years later, Samaria was founded and
became the capital of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. King Jeroboam, its first king, also made two golden calves
and said, "These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt." Later, around 700 BC, another people
group occupies Samaria called the Samaritans.
The Qur'an tells the story of a calf while Moses is gone. A man called "the Samari" Yusuf Ali or "the Samaritan"
(Arberry) is blamed for protagonizing their idolatry.
Biblical narratives and the Qur'an 14

A verse in Hosea 8:5-6 contains the same content as Ta-Ha|20.97 where Hosea refers to the Jeroboam calf and the
Qur'an refers to the earlier calf. Both feature a prophet speaking to the Samaritan/Samaria promising to destroy the
calf.

“
Throw out your calf-idol, O Samaria! My anger burns against them. How long will they be incapable of purity? They are from Israel! This
calf - a craftsman has made it; it is not God. It will be broken in pieces, that calf of Samaria.
”
“ ”
(Moses) said: "Get thee gone! but thy (punishment) in this life will be that thou wilt say, 'touch me not'; ... Now look at thy god, of whom thou
hast become a devoted worshipper: We will certainly (melt) it in a blazing fire and scatter it broadcast in the sea!"(Yusuf Ali [Qur'an 20:97])

In the Qur'an, Moses' punishment that the Samari cannot be touched is the same as the modern Samaritan's
punishment where no Jew was allowed to touch them because of their idolatry. In his commentary, Yusuf Ali claims
that the Samari is not a Samaritan.

Miriam and Mary

In Arabic, both the names Mary and Miriam are called Maryam. Mary, mother of Jesus, is one of the females who
has her name mentioned in the Quran. While speaking about Mary, the mother of Jesus, the Qur'an calls her the sister
of Aaron and the daughter of Imran.

“ "O sister of Aaron! Thy father was not a man of evil, nor thy mother a woman unchaste!" (Yusuf Ali [Qur'an 19:28])
”
However, in some traditions, the verse is translated: O daughter of Aaron!.

“ ”
And Mary the daughter of 'Imran ... ([Qur'an 66:12])

In Exodus in the Bible, Miriam is a prophetess who is the sister of Aaron and Moses and the daughter of Imram but
lived a thousands years before Mary mother of Jesus. Most Muslims believe she is called a spiritual sister, not a
literal sister. Some say that Mary's father's name was also Imran. The generally accepted view is that 'Imran refers to
the father of Moses, an ancestor of Mary, mother of Jesus.

Hannah and Hannah

In the Books of Samuel, Hannah is grateful that God gave her a son, Samuel. She dedicated him to God by letting
him live with Eli the prophet and priest.
In the Qur'an, Mary's mother is grateful to God for Mary and dedicates her to God. Mary then lives in the household
of Zechariah the prophet.
In the Bible, Zechariah is also a priest. Mary's mother has no name in the Qur'an. (This article is about narratives in
the Quran not traditions.)
Biblical narratives and the Qur'an 15

References
[1] eg Gerald Hawting, interviewed (http:/ / www. abc. net. au/ rn/ talks/ 8. 30/ relrpt/ stories/ s591483. htm) for The Religion Report, Radio
National (Australia), 26 June 2002. "... the Koran seems to assume that the readers know these stories [already], 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."
[2] The Orientalists,The Bible & The Qur'ân: A Brief Review Of The Bible Borrowing Theories (http:/ / www. islamic-awareness. org/ Quran/
Sources/ BBorientalist. html) (Islamic Awareness) - A Muslim review and critique of the notion that the Qur'an depends on earlier sources.
[3] Genesis 2:17
[4] Genesis 3:6-7
[5] Genesis 3:9-13
[6] Genesis 3:14-15
[7] Genesis 5:4
[8] [Qur'an 3:59]
[9] [Qur'an 2:30]
[10] [Qur'an 2:31-33]
[11] [Qur'an 38:71]
[12] [Qur'an 20:116]
[13] [Qur'an 18:50]
[14] [Qur'an 38:74]
[15] [Qur'an 7:16]
[16] [Qur'an 20:120]
[17] [Qur'an 7:20]

[18] [Qur'an 20:117]

[19] [Qur'an 20:118]

[20] [Qur'an 20:121]

[21] [Qur'an 20:123]

[22] Lawrence E. Brown, M.D., Original Sin (http:/ / www. islamreligion. com/ articles/ 1776/ ).
[23] Genesis 2:19
[24] [Qur'an 4:1]
[25] [Qur'an 7:189]
[26] Genesis 2:9
[27] Genesis 1:27
[28] [Qur'an 7:10]
[29] [Qur'an 2:30]
[30] [Qur'an 7:19]
[31] [Qur'an 20:115]
[32] (Genesis 19:5-26
[33] Genesis19:30
[34] Genesis19:31
[35] Genesis19:32
[36] Genesis19:33
[37] Genesis19:34
[38] Genesis19:35
[39] Genesis19:37
[40] Genesis19:38
[41] [Qur'an 15:51]

[42] [Qur'an 11:69]

[43] [Qur'an 15:53]

[44] [Qur'an 15:58]

[45] [Qur'an 11:70]

[46] [Qur'an 29:31]

[47] [Qur'an 29:34]

[48] [Qur'an 51:33]

[49] [Qur'an 29:32]

[50] [Qur'an 15:59]

[51] [Qur'an 66:10]

[52] [Qur'an 07:81]

[53] [Qur'an 26:165]
Biblical narratives and the Qur'an 16

[54] [Qur'an 29:29]

[55] [Qur'an 54:33]

[56] [Qur'an 7:80]

[57] [Qur'an 26:168]

[58] [Qur'an 11:77]

[59] [Qur'an 54:37]

[60] [Qur'an 11:78]

[61] [Qur'an 15:67]

[62] [Qur'an 11:79]

[63] [Qur'an 15:72]

[64] [Qur'an 11:81]

[65] [Qur'an 51:35]

[66] [Qur'an 7:83]

[67] [Qur'an 15:73]

[68] [Qur'an 54:38]

[69] [Qur'an 11:82]

[70] [Qur'an 7:84]

[71] [Qur'an 51:33]

[72] [Qur'an 54:39]

[73] [Qur'an 15:75]

[74] [Qur'an 26:174]

[75] [Qur'an 29:35]

[76] [Qur'an 37:137]

[77] http:/ / www. islamicmatters. org/ AGRON_BELICA. html

[78] http:/ / www. articlecity. com/ articles/ religion/ article_910. shtml
[79] "The Sublime Quran English Translation Pocket Size", translated by Laleh Bakhtiar (2009)
[80] Surah 5.110
[81] Surah 3.45
[82] Surah 3.52
[83] Surah 3.55
[84] Surah 2.87
[85] Surah 4.158
Article Sources and Contributors 17

Article Sources and Contributors

Biblical narratives and the Qur'an  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=417193862  Contributors: Aadesig, Abdullajh, Amatulic, Antique1967, BD2412, Bacteria, Bluerfn,
Carlaude, Closedmouth, Cobi, Codwiki, D0762, Darkwind, Dbachmann, DeadEyeArrow, DiiCinta, E Wing, Ecjmartin, Egyptianacademic, Elazeez, Eleven even, ElijahOmega, Fadesga, Fatepur,
Fayenatic london, Firham74, Fuzzbuzz, Gaius Cornelius, Hummad9, Imadjafar, Islamomt, JForget, Jake Wartenberg, Jheald, KCinDC, Kashif sayed, Keahapana, Koavf, Llcc, Logical2007,
Lskil09, Magician 60, Mandarax, Miquonranger03, Misiekuk, Mitchell Powell, Mlafta, Mlaterborg, Monster94, Nableezy, Nefariousski, Ngawuraje, Nick Number, OlEnglish, PGoldenberg,
Papashrimp911, Paul Lewison, Perumexican, Peter Karlsen, RekonDog, Rich Farmbrough, Scottsrs, Semaphoris, Signalhead, Skullketon, Someone65, Spinningspark, StAnselm, Stevertigo,
Student7, Sweetmoose6, Tomisti, Tuaniz, Und3rgr0und, Vassyana, Walton One, Wavelength, Wikitürkçe, 143 anonymous edits

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