In this continuation of Dr. C’s discussion on the Bible and the Qur’an, the focus again is not on which book is true, but the different ways that Christians and Muslims approach their holy books (see also “Why Believe the Bible” and “Has the Bible Been Corrupted?”).
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 themselvres. 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. This is a reason that reading and writing in Arabic is so important in Muslim lands, regardless of the national language.
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.
