Dr. Cynthia Summarizes the Bible and the Qur’an. This video clip summarizes the material Dr. C presents in the two more detailed clips on the Bible and the Qur’an. Here the focus is not on which book is true, but the different ways that Christians and Muslims approach the Bible and the Qur’an as their respective holy books. For example, to touch the Qur’an, one must be ritually pure, which is not necessary with the Bible. Non-Muslims, known as “infidels, or “kafir” are considered unworthy to touch a Qur’an in Arabic; whereas Christians are glad to have everyone read the Bible!
Another significant difference between the Bible and the Qur’an is that the actual Arabic words of the Qur’an are believed to have supernatural power in themselves. For Christians, it is the message of the Bible that holds the power, not the words specifically in the original Greek, Hebrew, or Aramaic. So, the Bible has the same power in any language. Not so with the Qur’an! It must be read and memorized in Arabic to count.
These are some, but not all, of the important differences between the Bible and the Qur’an. By understanding these approaches to the Bible and the Qur’an, we can better understand each others’ religions.
