Stories as told in the Bible and the Qur'an

Finding the common ground in our religious writings

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We have found our discussions of the stories from the Bible and the Qur'an to be the most fascinating and educational part of our meetings. We all have been surprised at some of the differences in the ancient stories and also in the interpretations made by each religion. But most importantly, we have seen how common the core values of each story have been when expressed in the words of each religion. It's a bit like unwrapping three packages, each wrapped in different paper, that contain the same gift inside. We think most people concentrate on how the package looks instead of taking the time and effort to find what's inside. By understanding each others religious background we have found much common ground and new respect for the other's point of view. It is our hope that children of all faiths and beliefs will read and discuss these stories with their families, their teachers, and with each other.

Before reading the stories, it may be useful to review some background about the Hebrew Bible, the Christian Bible, and the Qur'an (Koran).

The Torah is the Hebrew term for the first five books of The Hebrew Bible. It is sometimes called The Five Books of Moses or The Pentateuch. It includes The Books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. The entire Hebrew Bible is called The Tanakh or The Holy Scriptures and includes The Torah, The Prophets, and The Writings. There is a difference between The Hebrew Bible and The Christian Bible. The Christian Bible is divided into two sections, usually referred to as “The Old Testament” and “The New Testament.” Jews do not accept the term “Old Testament” as it implies a “New Testament.” (Plaut, pg. 18*) Therefore, when necessary, we will specify Torah, Hebrew Bible, or Christian Bible as appropriate for clarification and understanding.
An Orthodox or fundamentalist view of Judaism holds that The Torah is the word of God, given by God to Moses. A more liberal view maintains that The Torah was written by man in Biblical times and is “a book about humanity’s understanding of and experience with God.” (Plaut, pg. 18*)
Torah also means instruction or teaching. Therefore, in its broadest sense; Torah encompasses the entire body of Jewish learning. It teaches Jews history, laws, morals, values, and standards of behavior. It is meant to be taught and studied, discussed and debated by all Jews.

The Christian Bible is made up of two main sections, the “Old Testament” and the “New Testament.” The Old Testament contains the same books as The Hebrew Bible. The New Testament documents the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. The New Testament contains four main sections, The Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, The Epistles, and The Book of Revelation. The Gospels tell the story of the life, teachings and resurrection of Jesus. The Acts of the Apostles tells how Jesus’ disciples acted as missionaries, spreading the teachings of Christ. The Epistles contains letters written by Jesus’ disciples as they traveled to foreign lands. The book of Revelation foretells the Day of Judgment and Jesus’ return to Earth.

The Qur’an (Koran) is the Holy Book of Islam. It is considered by Muslims worldwide to be the unaltered word of God. Literally, the Qur’an means “the Reading” or “the Recitation”. It was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) by God through the Angel Gabriel over a period of 23 years beginning in 610 AD. The Qur’an is divided into 114 Surahs (chapters) and includes stories/passages about Prophets Adam, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Joseph and many others. Muslims recite various parts of the Qur’an every day as a part of the five daily prayers. Children as young as 6 or 7 memorize the entire Arabic text.

*Plaut, W.G., The Torah, A Modern Commentary, N.Y.: Union of American Hebrew Congregaions, 1981
Click the links below to see our Bible and Qur'an stories. At the end of each story is a "Printer Friendly" link if you would like to print copies for use in your own discussions.
The story of Creation The Story of Joseph Home Page
The story of Noah The Story of Moses
The story of Abraham