What Are the Divine Books Revealed to the Messengers?
ما هي الكتب السماوية التي أنزلت على الرسل؟
There are five Divine books: The Torah, the Gospel (Injil), the Zabur, the Scrolls of Ibrahim and Musa, and the holy Quran which was revealed to the last Messenger, Muhammad peace be upon him.
الكتب السماوية خمسة وهي: التوراة والإنجيل والزبور وصحف إبراهيم وموسى والقرآن الكريم المنزل على خاتم الأنبياء محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم.
1. Belief in All the Books, Without Distinction | والكتاب الذي أنزل من قبل
Allah commands the believers: Have faith in Allah, His Messenger, the Book He has revealed to His Messenger, and the Scriptures He revealed before (4:136). Ibn Kathir explains that the Scriptures revealed before is a general term covering all the earlier books, and on 2:136 that Allah guided the believers to believe in what was revealed to them through Muhammad in detail and in what was revealed to the earlier prophets in general, making no distinction between any of them. When the People of the Book read the Torah in Hebrew and explained it in Arabic, the Prophet said: Do not believe the People of the Book and do not reject them, but say: We believe in Allah and what has been revealed to us (Sahih al-Bukhari 4485). Belief in the books is one of the pillars of faith.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا آمِنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَالْكِتَابِ الَّذِي نَزَّلَ عَلَىٰ رَسُولِهِ وَالْكِتَابِ الَّذِي أَنزَلَ مِن قَبْلُ (سورة النساء: 136)
قال تعالى: (يا أيها الذين آمنوا آمنوا بالله ورسوله والكتاب الذي نزل على رسوله والكتاب الذي أنزل من قبل) (النساء 4: 136)، قال ابن كثير: وهذا جنس يشمل جميع الكتب المتقدمة، وقال في قوله تعالى: (قولوا آمنا بالله وما أنزل إلينا) (البقرة 2: 136): أرشد الله تعالى عباده المؤمنين إلى الإيمان بما أنزل إليهم بواسطة رسوله محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم مفصلا، وبما أنزل على الأنبياء المتقدمين مجملا، وأن لا يفرقوا بين أحد منهم، وقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: "لا تصدقوا أهل الكتاب ولا تكذبوهم، وقولوا: آمنا بالله وما أنزل إلينا" (صحيح البخاري 4485).
2. The Torah, the Gospel and the Zabur | التوراة والإنجيل والزبور
Allah says: He has revealed to you the Book in truth, confirming what came before it, as He revealed the Torah and the Gospel previously, as a guide for people (3:3-4). Ibn Kathir explains in 5:48 that Allah praised the Torah He revealed to Musa and the Gospel, and commanded its people to uphold it, before He turned to the Quran. Of the third book Allah says: And to David We gave the Psalms (4:163), and Ibn Kathir explains: the Zabur is the name of the book Allah revealed to Dawud. See to whom the Zabur was sent and which book was sent with Isa.
نَزَّلَ عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ بِالْحَقِّ مُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ وَأَنزَلَ التَّوْرَاةَ وَالْإِنجِيلَ (سورة آل عمران: 3)
قال تعالى: (نزل عليك الكتاب بالحق مصدقا لما بين يديه وأنزل التوراة والإنجيل من قبل هدى للناس) (آل عمران 3: 3-4)، وقال ابن كثير في سورة المائدة: لما ذكر تعالى التوراة التي أنزلها على موسى كليمه ومدحها، وذكر الإنجيل ومدحه وأمر أهله بإقامته، شرع في ذكر القرآن العظيم، وقال تعالى: (وآتينا داود زبورا) (النساء 4: 163)، قال ابن كثير: والزبور: اسم الكتاب الذي أوحاه الله إلى داود عليه السلام.
3. The Scrolls of Ibrahim and Musa | صحف إبراهيم وموسى
The Quran names earlier scriptures: This is certainly mentioned in the earlier Scriptures, the Scriptures of Abraham and Moses (87:18-19), and asks: Or have they not been informed of what is in the Scriptures of Moses, and Abraham, who fulfilled his duty? (53:36-37). Ibn Kathir reports from Ibn Abbas that Ibrahim fulfilled the conveying of the message for Allah, and from Qatadah that he fulfilled the obedience of Allah and delivered His message to His creation, which is the view Ibn Jarir chose. Surah Al-A’la closes with these two names, as explained in which surah ends with the names of two messengers.
صُحُفِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَمُوسَىٰ (سورة الأعلى: 19)
قال تعالى: (إن هذا لفي الصحف الأولى صحف إبراهيم وموسى) (الأعلى 87: 18-19)، وقال سبحانه: (أم لم ينبأ بما في صحف موسى وإبراهيم الذي وفى) (النجم 53: 36-37)، قال ابن كثير: قال ابن عباس: (وفى) لله بالبلاغ، وقال قتادة: (وفى) طاعة الله وأدى رسالته إلى خلقه، وهذا القول هو اختيار ابن جرير.
4. The Quran: Witness Over the Books, and Preserved | ومهيمنا عليه
Allah says: We have revealed to you this Book with the truth, as a confirmation of previous Scriptures and a supreme authority on them (5:48). Ibn Kathir reports from Ibn Abbas that muhaymin means trustworthy over it, and also witness and judge over the books before it, and explains that the meanings are close: Allah made this great Book, the last and seal of the books, a trustworthy witness and judge over all of them, and He took its preservation upon Himself. On It is certainly We Who have revealed the Reminder, and it is certainly We Who will preserve it (15:9), he explains: He is the One who preserves it from change and alteration. Why we need the Quran is explained in why we need the Quran.
وَأَنزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ بِالْحَقِّ مُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ وَمُهَيْمِنًا عَلَيْهِ (سورة المائدة: 48)
قال تعالى: (وأنزلنا إليك الكتاب بالحق مصدقا لما بين يديه من الكتاب ومهيمنا عليه) (المائدة 5: 48)، قال ابن كثير: قال ابن عباس: (ومهيمنا) أي: مؤتمنا عليه، وعنه: شهيدا، وعنه: حاكما على ما قبله من الكتب، وهذه الأقوال كلها متقاربة المعنى، فهو أمين وشاهد وحاكم على كل كتاب قبله، جعل الله هذا الكتاب العظيم الذي أنزله آخر الكتب وخاتمها أشملها وأعظمها وأحكمها، وتكفل تعالى بحفظه، وقال في قوله تعالى: (إنا نحن نزلنا الذكر وإنا له لحافظون) (الحجر 15: 9): وهو الحافظ له من التغيير والتبديل.
Scholarly Insight: Five divine books are named in the Quran; Ibn Kathir explains that Muslims believe in what was revealed to the earlier prophets in general and in the Quran in detail (2:136), and that the Quran, the last and seal of the books, is a trustworthy witness and judge over all of them (5:48). Read more in the tafsir of Surah Al-Ma’idah.
Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة
Which five divine books are named in the Quran?
The Torah, the Gospel (Injil), the Zabur, the Scrolls of Ibrahim and Musa, and the Noble Quran revealed to Muhammad (PBUH).
To whom was the Zabur revealed?
To Dawud: And to David We gave the Psalms (4:163); Ibn Kathir explains that the Zabur is the name of the book revealed to Dawud.
What does muhaymin mean in 5:48?
Ibn Kathir reports from Ibn Abbas that it means trustworthy over the earlier books, and also witness and judge over them.
Who preserves the Quran?
Allah: It is certainly We Who have revealed the Reminder, and it is certainly We Who will preserve it (15:9); Ibn Kathir explains that He preserves it from change and alteration.
Prepared by Eng. Ghada Homad, founder of IslamFAQ, researched and written in consultation with qualified scholars, reviewed by Professor Khaled Jassem Al-Houli, Associate Professor of Comparative Jurisprudence and Islamic Politics, Faculty of Sharia and Islamic Studies, University of Kuwait. Read more about the authors and this project →