Belief in the Revealed Books – Basic 4 Islamic Studies Lesson Note (First Term)

Definition of Revealed Books

What are Revealed Books?

• Revealed books are holy books sent by Allah to His prophets
• They contain Allah’s guidance for mankind
• They teach people how to worship Allah correctly
• They show the difference between right and wrong

What “Revealed” Means

• Revealed means Allah sent down these books from heaven
• Allah gave these books to chosen prophets
• The prophets received these books through Angel Jibril (Gabriel)
• These books contain Allah’s direct words and teachings

Purpose of Revealed Books

• To guide people to the right path
• To teach people about Allah and His attributes
• To explain how to live a good life
• To prepare people for the Day of Judgment
• To show people the way to Paradise

Quranic verse: “Indeed, We sent down the Torah, in which was guidance and light” (Quran 5:44)

Characteristics of True Revealed Books

• They come from Allah, not from human beings
• They teach about worshipping one God (Tawheed)
• They contain moral and ethical guidance
• They tell people about prophets and their messages
• They warn about the consequences of good and bad actions

Why Allah Sent Different Books

• Different books were sent to different nations
• Each book was suitable for its time and people
• The final book (Quran) is for all humanity until the Day of Judgment
• All books originally taught the same basic message: worship Allah alone

List of the Main Revealed Books

The Four Main Revealed Books

1. Suhuf (Scrolls) – صحف

Given to: Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) – peace be upon him 

Language: Ancient Arabic/Aramaic 

Time Period: Around 2000 BCE

What it contained:

• Basic teachings about worshipping one God
• Moral guidance for living a righteous life
• Instructions about good character
• Warnings about the consequences of evil deeds

Current Status:

• The original scrolls are no longer available
• They were not preserved in their original form
• Some teachings may be found in other religious traditions
• Muslims believe in them as originally revealed by Allah

2. Tawrat (Torah) – توراة

Given to: Prophet Musa (Moses) – peace be upon him 

Language: Hebrew 

Time Period: Around 1300 BCE 

People: Children of Israel (Bani Israel)

What it contained:

• The Ten Commandments
• Laws for the Jewish community
• Stories of earlier prophets
• Guidance about worship and social life
• Instructions about halal (lawful) and haram (forbidden) things

Current Status:

• Muslims believe the original Torah was from Allah
• The current Torah has been changed over time
• Some original teachings remain, but others have been altered
• Muslims respect the original message but believe it has been modified

3. Zabur (Psalms) – زبور

Given to: Prophet Dawud (David) – peace be upon him 

Language: Hebrew 

Time Period: Around 1000 BCE 

People: Children of Israel

What it contained:

• Beautiful prayers and hymns to Allah
• Praise and glorification of Allah
• Wisdom and moral teachings
• Comfort for believers in times of difficulty
• Prophecies about future events

Current Status:

• Like other previous books, the original Zabur is no longer in its pure form
• The current Book of Psalms contains some original teachings
• Muslims believe in the original Zabur as revealed by Allah
• Many of the beautiful prayers and praises are still meaningful

4. Injil (Gospel) – إنجيل

Given to: Prophet Isa (Jesus) – peace be upon him 

Language: Aramaic 

Time Period: Around 1st century CE 

People: Children of Israel and others

What it contained:

• The message of love, mercy, and forgiveness
• Teachings about worshipping Allah alone
• Moral and ethical guidance
• Parables and stories with spiritual lessons
• Preparation for the coming of the final prophet

Current Status:

• Muslims believe the original Injil was from Allah
• The current New Testament Gospels are not the same as the original Injil
• Muslims respect Prophet Isa but believe his original message has been changed
• The original taught worshipping Allah alone, not the Trinity

5. Al-Quran (The Quran) – القرآن

Given to: Prophet Muhammad – peace be upon him 

Language: Arabic 

Time Period: 610-632 CE 

People: All of humanity until the Day of Judgment

What it contains:

• Complete guidance for all aspects of life
• Stories of all previous prophets
• Laws and regulations for individuals and society
• Scientific facts and historical information
• Beautiful language and perfect Arabic

Special Features:

• It is the final revelation from Allah
• It has been perfectly preserved in its original form
• It confirms and corrects previous scriptures
• It is for all people, not just one nation
• Allah has promised to protect it forever

Current Status:

• The Quran exists today exactly as it was revealed
• Not a single letter has been changed in over 1400 years
• Millions of people have memorized it completely
• It is available in its original Arabic worldwide

Quranic verse: “Indeed, it is We who sent down the Quran and indeed, We will be its guardian” (Quran 15:9)

Reasons Why Muslims Must Believe in Revealed Books

It is One of the Six Pillars of Faith

• Belief in revealed books is the third pillar of Iman (faith)
• The six pillars are: Allah, Angels, Books, Prophets, Day of Judgment, Divine Decree
• A person cannot be a complete Muslim without believing in all revealed books
• This belief is fundamental to Islamic faith

Quranic verse: “The Messenger has believed in what was revealed to him from his Lord, and [so have] the believers. All of them have believed in Allah and His angels and His books and His messengers” (Quran 2:285)

Because Allah Commands It

• Allah clearly orders Muslims to believe in all revealed books
• The Quran mentions these books by name
• Rejecting any revealed book means rejecting Allah’s command
• Obedience to Allah includes accepting all His revelations

To Show Respect for All Prophets

• Each book was given to a respected prophet
• Believing in the books honors the prophets who received them
• All prophets came with the same basic message
• Muslims must respect all prophets and their original messages

To Understand the Complete Message

• Each book was a step in Allah’s complete guidance
• The Quran is the final and complete revelation
• Understanding previous books helps us appreciate the Quran
• It shows how Allah’s guidance developed over time

To Recognize Allah’s Mercy

• Allah sent guidance to different people at different times
• No nation was left without divine guidance
• This shows Allah’s love and care for all humanity
• It demonstrates Allah’s justice and fairness

To Learn from History

• The books contain stories of previous nations
• We can learn from their successes and failures
• They teach us about the consequences of following or rejecting guidance
• These stories provide important moral lessons

To Appreciate the Quran’s Special Status

• Believing in previous books helps us understand why the Quran is special
• It shows how the Quran confirms and completes earlier revelations
• It helps us see how the Quran corrects changes made to previous books
• It increases our gratitude for having the perfectly preserved Quran

To Promote Unity Among Believers

• Recognizing previous revelations creates respect for other “People of the Book”
• It helps Muslims understand Christians and Jews who follow earlier scriptures
• It promotes dialogue and peaceful relations
• It shows that all true religions originally came from the same source

To Strengthen Faith in Allah

• Seeing how Allah sent guidance throughout history strengthens our belief
• It shows Allah’s consistency in caring for humanity
• It demonstrates Allah’s power to communicate with people
• It increases our trust in Allah’s wisdom and planning

To Prepare for the Day of Judgment

• On Judgment Day, people will be asked about how they responded to divine guidance
• Those who received books will be held accountable for following them
• Believing in all books shows our complete submission to Allah
• It prepares us to answer Allah’s questions about our faith

To Avoid Discrimination

• Believing in all revealed books prevents religious prejudice
• It stops Muslims from thinking they are better than others
• It promotes respect for all sincere seekers of truth
• It encourages fair treatment of people from other religious backgrounds

Practical Benefits of This Belief

Better Understanding of Islam:

• Knowing about previous books helps explain many Quranic verses
• It provides context for Islamic teachings
• It shows the continuity of Allah’s message
• It helps in discussions with people of other faiths

Increased Gratitude:

• We appreciate having the complete and preserved Quran
• We feel thankful for being Muslims in the final community
• We recognize the blessing of clear and uncorrupted guidance
• We value the Arabic language that preserves Allah’s final message

Stronger Faith:

• Learning about how Allah guided previous nations increases our trust
• It shows that Allah never abandons those who seek Him
• It demonstrates the power of divine revelation
• It confirms that Islam is the completion of Allah’s guidance

Exercises

Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks

1. Revealed books are holy books sent by _______ to His prophets.
2. The _______ was given to Prophet Musa (Moses).
3. The _______ is the final revealed book given to Prophet Muhammad.
4. Belief in revealed books is one of the _______ pillars of faith.

Exercise 2: True or False

1. Allah sent different books to different nations. _____
2. The Quran is the only book Muslims need to believe in. _____
3. All revealed books originally taught people to worship one God. _____
4. The original revealed books have all been perfectly preserved. _____