Question on the Quran

[NoNameAtAll]

Asalaam Alaykum,

I have a question - I was reading the Quran this morning and I am up to Surah 21 where we see stories of many of the prophets of old (pbut). The question occured to me - where do we find the entire stories of the prophets lives? Are they in the Quran and I have not gotten to them yet or is it okay to read the OT of the Bible to learn these stories? It seems that the commentators know these stories but I dont know where they learned the Quranic version of the stories (which admittedly are usually the same as the Bible versions of same).

I KNOW the stories because I know the Bible very well (I was a Christian for 41 yrs and an an avid bible student).

I just want to be clear on where I am to go for authority on the lives of the prophets (pbut).

Subhanullah

[amatullah]

Wa alaikum salaam brother

may Allah let the light of the Qur'aan truly illiminate your life, ameen.

I am not a scholar so insha Allah a scholar can clarify this , but from what I know, except for Surah Yusuf , Allah Ta'ala only mentions parts of the lives of the Prophets, the parts that we need to know and no extras ...as the Qur'aan is a book of guidance and not a narrative 'storybook type' of book. Surah Yusuf is quite comprehensive on the life of Yusuf ('Alay salaam) and Allah describes the story of Yusuf as the 'best of stories'

More details of the lives of the Prophets were gained from the Ahadith of the Prophet (Sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam)

Can a scholar refer the brother to an aunthentic book or site on the Stories of the Prophets (A.S) ?

[amatullah]

Here's one resource :

http://www.weneedtounite.com/articles.htm#prophets

[Kareem]

:salam: Rasulullah peace and blessings be upon him, also related stories of the Propets peace be upon them in more detail. these are preserved in the Hadith.

theres a book by ibn Kathir on the prophets, i will try to find it on the internet or i will upload it myself

[Kareem]

http://s44.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=25TRM33W2KUW41WCTNIIYBA2IR

Stories of the Prophets by Ibn Kathir

[amatullah]

Not Tafsir n the Stories of the Prophets but beneficial anyway:

Extract from Ma'ariful Qur'an,Tafsir of Surah Al-Maidah

http://www.as-sidq.org/maidah/maidah-0.html

[NoNameAtAll]

Salaam,

Thank you all kindly for the research and links. I found one more that was very good, located http://www.islamawareness.net/Prophets.

I found several of the references given to me to be very useful.

Jazakallahu Khair

[amatullah]

JazakAllah Khair for the link!

[UmmTaaha]

Asalaam Alaykum,

I have a question - I was reading the Quran this morning and I am up to Surah 21 where we see stories of many of the prophets of old (pbut). The question occured to me - where do we find the entire stories of the prophets lives? Are they in the Quran and I have not gotten to them yet or is it okay to read the OT of the Bible to learn these stories? It seems that the commentators know these stories but I dont know where they learned the Quranic version of the stories (which admittedly are usually the same as the Bible versions of same).

I KNOW the stories because I know the Bible very well (I was a Christian for 41 yrs and an an avid bible student).

I just want to be clear on where I am to go for authority on the lives of the prophets (pbut).

Subhanullah

http://www.albalagh.net/_images/bismillah.gif

You may check the following link, insha allah there is much information.

http://www.anwary-islam.com/prophet-story/adam.htm



The tafsir scholars have dug up details on former prophets from the Holy Books revealed before the Quran, however I don't think it would be wise for a common person to form opinions reading these scriptures on his own.

I know of Dr. Israr Masood from Pakistan, who has done much research on the Quran alhamdulillah, and quotes history from former scriptures in his tafsir. I am not sure how much information is available in English, but his Urdu tafsir is very rich with stories on prophets. You can check his website www.tanzeem.org

[abuhajira]

:salam:

If you want a Tafsir in English which is complete in the way of gathering different opinion in a nice explainable manner I suggest Marif ul Quran by Mufti Shafee r.a

Mufti Shafee r.a the Mufti Azam of Pakistan was chosen as the "Mufti e Alam" when he attended the Council of Muftiyeen in Middle East.

:ws:

[salahuddin]

:salam:

:jazak: to everyone for the links!

In regard to the original question, we do have to be careful about where we take narrations about the lives of the Prophets from. There are some aspects of unacceptable narrations in the Bible, for example the Biblical account of Lut, from an Islamic perspective. I'm certainly no expert on this but would simply advise caution and restraint in taking from alternate sources.

Wa salaam

[daisily]

Waalaikum Assalaam

I do hope that you like to read! There is so much for you to get into. Do keep reading Quran everday for it is a source of guidance. It is very eye opening when you start to read some commentary on it. Many revelations were in response to what the small community was facing in Makkah and later in Medinah. It will make more sense to you when you know this history. But there is so much in Quran that you can just read it by itself and learn much. A good start is by learning the stories of the Prophets. They are in Quran primarily to give us examples. The Quran will teach us how to conduct ourselves in a way that is pleasing to Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala. It is not exactly a history lesson. I have found a very good book that might fulfill this function. It is called 'A History of the Prophets of Islam; derived from the Quran, Ahadith and Commentaries'. The author wrote it because she found so little in English on the subject. It is in two volumes and you can find them here:
http://store.yahoo.com/islamicbookstore-com/b7901.html
http://store.yahoo.com/islamicbookstore-com/b7902.html

When you are ready to read a tafsir (commentary) then as another reply suggested, you can get the 8 volume Mariful Quran. May Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala increase you in knowlege.

[NoNameAtAll]

http://www.anwary-islam.com/prophet-story/adam.htm


I know of Dr. Israr Masood from Pakistan, who has done much research on the Quran alhamdulillah, and quotes history from former scriptures in his tafsir. I am not sure how much information is available in English, but his Urdu tafsir is very rich with stories on prophets. You can check his website www.tanzeem.org

Jazakallahu Khair for this link, very nice. Lots of information.

Here is another very nice link for those that have not seen it, this allows you to type in English and it gives you an Arabic output. It is called "Virtual Arabic Keyboard". It looks cool although I cant verify if it works or not, lol - cause I cant read Arabic :cry:

http://www.gawaher.com/index.php?showtopic=3767.html&

[fnaeem]

:salam:
Brother NNAA

This was explained to us by our local imam a graduate of dar-ul-uloom bury, after which he spent a couple of years at dar-ul-uloom karachi.

The stories mentioned in the bible fall are called israliyeeat ( stories of the childern of israel ( jews/christians) )

They are classified into three categories.

1) What has been verified by the Quran and Hadith and we hold them to be unequivocally true.e.g.

a) Noah (PBUH) had a flood.
b) Moses (PBUH) split the ocean/river.

2) What cannot be verified as true or false. We say Allah knows best.
e.g

a) The measurements for Noah's ark.

3) What is absolutely false. This includes attributing sins to the prophets and we hold them sinless.

a) Yunus (PBUH,Jonah) quit on his mission and left his town and people and was thrown into the fish. We do believe that Yunus (PBUH) was gulped by a fish, but its the aspect of his quitting his mission. A flagrant disobedience of Allah. We reject that Yunus (PBUH) disobyed Allah. There is a detailed explanation of the muslim viewpoint of this, but I dont want to ramble.

b) The accusation about Lot (PBUH) and his daughters ( I think its found in the modern day bible). This is an extreme sin for common muslims let alone prophets, hence we must reject.

So make sure when you read stories, you filter them. If you cant filter them ( like I cant) then refer to a good tafsir.

:jazak:

[NoNameAtAll]

:salam:
Brother NNAA

This was explained to us by our local imam a graduate of dar-ul-uloom bury, after which he spent a couple of years at dar-ul-uloom karachi.

The stories mentioned in the bible fall are called israliyeeat ( stories of the childern of israel ( jews/christians) )

They are classified into three categories.

1) What has been verified by the Quran and Hadith and we hold them to be unequivocally true.e.g.

a) Noah (PBUH) had a flood.
b) Moses (PBUH) split the ocean/river.

2) What cannot be verified as true or false. We say Allah knows best.
e.g

a) The measurements for Noah's ark.

3) What is absolutely false. This includes attributing sins to the prophets and we hold them sinless.

a) Yunus (PBUH,Jonah) quit on his mission and left his town and people and was thrown into the fish. We do believe that Yunus (PBUH) was gulped by a fish, but its the aspect of his quitting his mission. A flagrant disobedience of Allah. We reject that Yunus (PBUH) disobyed Allah. There is a detailed explanation of the muslim viewpoint of this, but I dont want to ramble.

b) The accusation about Lot (PBUH) and his daughters ( I think its found in the modern day bible). This is an extreme sin for common muslims let alone prophets, hence we must reject.

So make sure when you read stories, you filter them. If you cant filter them ( like I cant) then refer to a good tafsir.

:jazak:


Shukran for the answer. Subhan'Allah

[Jamroll]

Salam,

This is a very useful thread. Lots of good links. NoNameAtAll, may Allah reward you for making this thread, and to everyone who has posted in it. :)

I would just like to make a few general points if I may on ths topic.

We have to be careful when studying stories of the Prophets (pbut) to try and ensure we try and get as true a picture as possible. This is made difficult for a number of reasons: they lived so long ago, some of them had very little recorded about them, some of them had things recorded about them which are untrue, or misleading.

How can we tell which bits are untrue or dubious? Our first guidance should be the Qur'an. The Qur'an as you have already mentioned makes many many references to the Prophets (as). It also corrects several incorrect notions about the Prophets which were held to be true for many centuries before the Prophet Muhammad (saw) and the Quran came along. e.g. Jesus being son of God.

Also, as someone has already mentioned Prophet Muhammad (saw) himself related bits of stories about the previous Prophets(as), and these are contained within the Sahih Hadith.

As for the Bible, the Prophet (saw) once said (forgive me for paraphrasing, I don't have the reference to hand) something to the effect of that some of the rabbis of old, and other corrupt religious leaders, had tampered with the word of God (referring to the Bible (Jewish and Christian)), so that it contained some of which God had revealed, and some of which had been corrupted by the hands of men, and hence "we can neither confirm it nor deny it". There is a similar message in the Qur'an.

I have looked at the Bible a little and found many things which confirm or go in greater detail of stories related in the Qur'an. I also found several things which to my dismay, painted the Holy Prophets of God as people who engaged in the most depraved and blasphemous situations, e.g. one prophet getting drunk and engaging in incestous relations with his two daughters (naudobillah).

Remember these men were chosen as guides to humanity, as an example and a shining light to their people, and yet they are portrayed as engaging in the worst kind of behaviour. This can never be accepted by a follower of Islam.

This aside, the Bible contains a lot of useful information, and I think it serves us well if we have time, capacity and willingness to study some of it.

Also, relating more directly to your question, brother, a lot of the stories of the Prophets which are narrated in the islamic tradition utilise the Quranic version, but also what are called Israeeliyat hadiths (in Arabic). You can probably recognise from that, the word "Israel", referring of course to Bani Israel, the Children of Israel. They recorded many hadiths themselves about the lives of the Prophets, and a lot of the Islamic narrations utilise them to fill in the "gaps" as it were in the Quranic ayats.

Let me qualify that by saying that when we talk about "gaps", the nature of the Qur'an as you have no doubt noticed, is very different from the Bible. The Bible is very historical and detailed in its style of narration. The Qur'an also makes historical references, but its main focus is the message, or the moral, or the teaching, or lesson to be gained from the particular story or incident about an individual Prophet's life.

[SeekerOfGuidance]

Brother NoNameAtAll,

Assalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh,
May the peace, mercy of Allah and His blessings be upon you

I cannot express in words the joy I've felt in learning of your conversion to Islam.

You've probably come across it already in your search for the truth, but I just wanted to present to you the greatest Du'a (prayer) that I have ever come across. A prayer that gives me strength everytime I read it, often turning me to tears.

It is the one of the main pillars of Salaat and the first Surah of the Qur'an. I personally recommend you learn this Du'aa and the meaning with it:

Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem
(In the name of Allah the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful)

Al-hamdulillahi Rabbil Alameen
(Praise be to Allah, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the Worlds)

Ar-Rahmanur Raheem
(The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful)

Maaliki yawmiddeen
(Master of the Day of Judgment)

Iyyaakana'budu Wa Iyyaakanasta'een
(You alone do we worship, and You alone do we beseech help from)

Ihdinassiraatal Mustaqeem
Guide us along the straight path

Siratallazeena an'amta alaihim
(The path of those whom You have granted your favours upon)

Ghairil Maghdoobi alayhim
(Not the path of those who have earned Your anger)

Wa laddaaalleen
(Nor of those who have gone astray)

Ameen
(Amen)


I pray to Allah that He continues to increase you in guidance, that He keeps you steadfast on the Deen, and that He makes you amongst his pious righteous servants both in this life and in the hereafter.

Wassalamu alaikum