BELIEF IN DIVINE BOOKS

God Almighty revealed books to some of the Prophets He sent to mankind. In these books, God informed people of His commands and prohibitions; He taught them what is good and beautiful, and showed them the right path. These books are called Divine Books, meaning the books of God. They are also called heavenly books or holy books. Islam commands belief in all the Divine Books revealed by God. The essence of this belief is: Every Prophet received revelation. The revelations received by some Prophets were compiled and formed into independent books. Prophets who did not receive a book followed a previously revealed Divine Book and explained its rulings to the people to whom they were sent.

The Quran is the last Divine Book. It was revealed to the last Prophet, Muhammad (peace be upon him). Every Muslim should believe in these divine books mentioned in the Quran, just as they believe in the Quran itself. This belief holds a significant place among the tenets of Islam. Because the Quran, like the divine books revealed before it, is also a divine book. Believing in the divine books of the past necessitates believing in the Quran, just as believing in the Quran necessitates accepting the existence of the divine books of the past.

The divine books revealed before the Quran are divided into two categories: 1. Minor books, 2. Major books. Suhuf: The smaller books revealed before the Quran are called "Suhuf," meaning pages. These are small booklets or treatises of a few pages, totaling around 100 pages. The prophets to whom Suhuf were given are Adam (10), Seth (50), Idris (30), and Abraham (10).

The major books besides the Quran are three. Together with the Quran, the four major books are: * Torah: Revealed to Moses. * Psalms (Zebur): Revealed to David. * Gospel (Injl): Revealed to Jesus. * Quran: Revealed to Muhammad (peace be upon him).

The Torah comes from the Hebrew word "Tura," meaning law and covenant, and is the first of the four great books sent by God. According to Islam, it was revealed to Moses; however, in Jewish tradition, it refers to the entirety of the 39 books known today as the "Old Testament." Historians of religion divide this collection into three main sections: Torah (Book of the Law): This is the original part given to Moses and includes the first five books (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy). Prophets (Book of Prophets): Extends from Joshua to the Song of Songs. Writings (Book of Writings): This section covers the period from Isaiah to Malachi.

Jews believe that the first five books were written word for word by God (Yahweh) to Moses. However, 18th-century scholar Jean Astruc identified a confusion within the text between two different sources (Elohist and Yahvist) where God is referred to as "Elohim" and "Jehovah." This blending of two different narrative styles has led to numerous contradictions within the text. Historically, there are three main versions of the text: Hebrew (used by Jews and Protestants), Greek (used by the Roman and Eastern churches), and Samaritan.

The word Torah appears in 16 verses across 7 different surahs in the Quran. The Quran states that the Torah was revealed after Abraham, that it contains guidance and light, and that its authenticity is confirmed by both Jesus and the Quran. However, Islamic scholars and commentators clearly emphasize that the Israelites were unable to preserve the book in its original form, and therefore the Torah was corrupted (deteriorated and altered) over time. The contradictions in the existing books also confirm this situation.

Today, Jews prefer to use the term "Tanakh" for the entire Torah corpus and divide their religious teachings into two parts: Written (revealed to Moses) and Oral (explanations and additions). While the oldest known Hebrew manuscripts date back to the 7th and 10th centuries AD, the parchments found in the Qumran Valley near the Dead Sea in 1947 were a major discovery in the history of religions, pushing the text's history back to the 1st century BC.

For Jews, the Torah holds an undeniable place and is integrated into daily life with strict rules: In synagogues and temples, it is kept in special cabinets (altars), covered with silk cloths. One cannot enter the temple with an uncovered head, and it is absolutely mandatory to wear a head covering (kippa, etc.) while reading the Torah. Furthermore, one must be ritually clean (having performed ablution). Accidental dropping of the Torah is considered a great calamity; to atone for this, the rabbi and congregation must fast for 30 days (the congregational fast). On Torah Day, the book is carried ceremonially through the streets on shoulders. Both military and civilian oaths are sworn on the Torah, and no discussion or criticism of the book is permitted.

It is the second divine book sent by God to Prophet David. It is also known as "Psalms" or "Mezâmir" (a hymn sung with a flute, a written book). Islamic scholars have stated that it is derived from the root word "Zebr," meaning "to forbid" (because it prevents people from evil), and that it also means "a book of wisdom."

It is mentioned in three different surahs (Nisa, Isra, Anbiya) in the Holy Quran. The verses emphasize that the book was given to Prophet David, that it was revealed after the Torah, and that "only the righteous servants will inherit the earth." For a Muslim, believing in the Psalms is a condition of faith; however, Islam definitively states that the existing copies of the Psalms today have been corrupted (lost their originality).

Today, the Psalms, located in the Old Testament of the Bible, consist of a total of 150 Psalms. The first psalm begins by praising those on the right path, and the last psalm ends with a call to praise the Lord. The book, whose original text is in verse (poetic) form, fundamentally contains the belief in monotheism and includes the prayers and hymns of King David to God.

The Psalms were revealed to guide the Jewish people, who had abandoned moral rules and were living in sin, back to the right path. This also refuted the Jewish thesis that "no book will come after the Torah." The Psalms did not bring a new and independent sharia (a body of legal rules); therefore, King David acted according to the sharia of Moses. The hymns in the book were recited by the Prophet with a very beautiful, powerful, and effective voice. This characteristic of David is also the source of the modern expression "Davidian voice."

Originally written in Hebrew using the Hebrew-Aramaic alphabet, the Psalms were translated into Latin with the spread of Christianity, and today into almost all world languages. It has been a source of inspiration for Western painters, sculptors, and poets. Today, there is no separate nation that exclusively adheres to the Psalms, and no original/uncorrupted copy exists. However, Jews and Christians continue to read excerpts from the Psalms, especially during Sunday services and worship, as prayers.

The Bible is one of the four great books sent by God to Jesus, confirming the Torah and also affirmed by the Quran. It comes from the Greek word "Evangelion" (good news, glad tidings). Its main purpose is to convey the life of Jesus, his miracles, wise sayings, and the law he preached. Jesus himself defined his preaching as "proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of God." Early Christians used this word to mean Jesus' promise to save people from evil and bring them to salvation.

The Bible was not written down during Jesus' lifetime. The main reason for this is the brevity of the preaching period and the difficulty of the conditions at that time. The earliest known Gospel texts were written in the 70s after Jesus. The people who wrote the texts were not eyewitnesses to the events; They are the spokespeople of communities that passed down lost oral and written traditions from generation to generation. Because truths could not be recorded immediately, human words were mixed into the texts, and the original Gospel was corrupted. The Quran confirms that only one Gospel was given to Jesus, but it points out that the existing Gospels have been altered and that Christians have deviated from the original divine decrees (in Surah al-Ma'idah and al-Hadid).

Today, there are four Gospels officially accepted by the church and believed to have come from the apostles or their disciples. The first three are called "Synoptic Gospels" because they approach events from the same perspective. The fourth Gospel (John) was written later: The Gospel of Mark: This is the oldest Gospel. It consists of 16 chapters. It was written by Mark, a disciple of Peter, the chief of the apostles, and is believed to have been revealed to Jesus. It focuses on the life of Jesus (Mark died in Egypt in 62 AD while spreading Christianity). Matthew's Gospel: 28 chapters. Written by Matthew, one of the apostles. It primarily focuses on the "Messiahship" of Jesus (Matthew died in Ethiopia in 70 AD). Luke's Gospel: 24 chapters. Written around 60 AD by Luke (said to be a doctor/painter), a student of Paul who was not an apostle. It is believed that both Matthew and Luke based their writings on Mark and a now-lost source called "Q". John's Gospel: 24 chapters. Written much later by a student of John. This gospel, which has a strong mystical aspect, insists on the thesis that Jesus is the "Son of God".

According to Islamic belief, the Gospel revealed by God to Jesus is one; however, the Christian corpus available today consists of 27 books in total, including these 4 official Gospels as well as 23 other texts. The Holy Quran (in the Surahs of Al-Imran and Al-Maidah) refers to the Gospel as a guide showing people the right path. The verses detail the miracles of Jesus (speaking in the cradle, creating and raising a bird from clay, healing the blind and those with leprosy, raising the dead), emphasizing that all of these occurred miraculously but absolutely and solely "with the permission of God."

The Qur'an is the holy book of Islam, the last revealed religion. According to the preferred view, the word "Qur'an" is a noun derived from the verb "karae," and it has become the specific name for God's final book. Its root meaning is to read, to gather, to bring together. This meaning can be seen in the verses: "O Muhammad! Do not move your tongue along with the Qur'an when Gabriel recites it to you. Indeed, it is Our work to gather it and to recite it. So follow the recitation of Gabriel when We have recited it to him" (Al-Qiyamah, 75:16-18). A concise definition of the Qur'an is: It is the word of God, revealed by Almighty God to the Prophet Muhammad in Arabic, transmitted to us through continuous transmission, written in the manuscripts, beginning with Surah Al-Fatiha and ending with Surah An-Nas.

The first verses of the Quran revealed at the beginning of the prophethood of Prophet Muhammad are: "Read in the name of your Lord who created. He created man from a clot of blood. Read! Your Lord is the Most Generous, who teaches by means of the pen, and teaches man what he did not know" (Al-Alaq, 96:1-5). The fact that these first verses encourage believers to read, learn, write, and research carries a great message of encouragement for knowledge. The last verse of the Quran to be revealed is: "This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have chosen for you Islam as your religion" (Al-Ma'idah, 5:3).

The word Quran, the special name of Islam's holy book, is used by God Almighty in approximately sixty-eight verses. A few examples: "Indeed, We have sent down this Book as an Arabic Qur'an so that you may read and understand it" (Yusuf, 12:2). "O Prophet! When you intend to recite the Qur'an, seek refuge in Allah from the evil of Satan, the accursed one" (An-Nahl, 16:98). "When the Qur'an is recited, listen to it and be silent so that you may receive mercy" (Al-A'raf, 7:204). "Indeed, this Qur'an guides mankind to the most correct path. It gives glad tidings to the believers who do righteous deeds that they will receive a great reward, and to those who disbelieve that We have prepared for them a painful punishment" (Al-Isra, 17:9-10). "We send down the Qur'an as a healing and a mercy for those who believe. The Qur'an only increases the harm of the wrongdoers" (al-Isra, 17:82).

In Islamic law, the term "Book" is more commonly used for the Qur'an. In many verses, the word "al-Kitab" is used to mean the Holy Qur'an: "Alif. Lam. Mim. This is the Book in which there is no doubt (that it was sent by Allah)" (Al-Baqara, 2:1). In addition, various other names are used for the Qur'an: Al-Furqan (Al-Furqan, 25:1), Az-Dhikr (Al-Hijr, 15:9), An-Nur (An-Nisa, 4:174), Ar-Ruh (As-Shura, 42:52), Al-Huda (Al-Baqara, 2:2), Ash-Shifa (Al-Isra, 17:82), Al-Majid (Al-Buruj, 85:21-22), Al-Mathani (As-Zumar, 39:23), Umm al-Kitab (As-Zuhruf, 43:1-4).

The Quran was revealed in parts over twenty-three years. The verses and chapters revealed during the 13-year Meccan period mainly cover topics related to Islamic beliefs and ethics (oneness of God, angels, prophets, scriptures, and the Day of Judgment). The belief in monotheism is discussed, and instructive stories from past nations are recounted. God Almighty also clarifies that the Holy Quran is a continuation of the chain of revelation starting from Noah: "Indeed, We have revealed to you as We revealed to Noah..." (An-Nisa, 4/163). The verses revealed in Medina contained mostly legal rules (regulation of family and state, contracts, peace, and war).

Allah Almighty sent down rulings gradually from light to heavy. For example, prayer was initially twice a day, then became five. Alcohol was prohibited in stages (See Al-Baqara, 2/219; An-Nisa, 4/43; Al-Ma'idah, 5/90-91). Rulings in the Quran are limited to what people are capable of: "Allah does not burden any soul beyond its capacity" (Al-Baqara, 2:286). Another characteristic is the principle of ease: "Allah desires ease for you, not hardship for you" (Al-Baqara, 2:185). The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) refrained from imposing harsh rulings on matters not explicitly mentioned.

The gradual revelation of the Quran made its application easier, and fostered memorization and establishment in the hearts. Allah responded to the polytheists: "Those who disbelieve say, 'The Quran should not have been revealed to him all at once.' But We send it down gradually and recite it slowly so that We may implant it in your heart" (Al-Furqan, 25:32). The revelation of the verses in response to specific events (at the right time) helped them have a necessary impact on society, forming an important foundation in Quranic exegesis (asbab-u nuzul).

Muslims believe that the Torah, Psalms, and Gospel were sent and were true. However, these books were not preserved later, and their originals were lost. It is a fact that superstitions and false beliefs are mixed into the books currently held by Jews and Christians. Therefore, we are cautious, accept rulings aligned with the Quran, and assume contradictions were added later. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: "Do not affirm or deny the words of the People of the Book. Rather, say: 'We believe in Allah and in the Qur'an... sent down to all the prophets'" (Al-Baqara, 136).

The Quran was revealed over 23 years, written by scribes and memorized by companions. During the caliphate of Abu Bakr, it was compiled into a single book (Mushaf) by a commission led by Zayd ibn Thabit, and later duplicated under Uthman. It has been preserved for 1400 years without any change. This is due to its ease of memorization, unique literary nature (conciseness and miracle), uniqueness compared to any human speech, and the extreme care taken in its preservation.