Scrolls of Moses
Encyclopedia
The Scrolls of Moses are an ancient body of scripture mentioned twice in the Qur'an
. They are part of the religious scriptures of Islam
, although now they are believed to have been corrupted or lost. These scriptures are understood by Muslims to refer not to the Torah
, the main Book of Law which Moses
was given, but to an ancient text, which contained some of the inspired revelations which Moses
received over his years of prophecy, which were then written down by Moses himself as well as his followers.
s, which are dated from the first Mecca
n period, there is a reference to the 'Leaves, Scrolls, Journals' (Suhuf) of Abraham (and of Moses), by which certain divinely inspired texts handwritten by the patriarch
s are meant. These passages refer to the fact that the truth of God's message was present in the earliest revelations, Given to Abraham and Moses. Although Suhuf is generally understood to mean 'Scrolls', many translators - including Abdullah Yusuf Ali
and Marmaduke Pickthall
- have translated the verse as "The Books of Abraham and Moses".
, being a righteous prophet of God, received many revelations over his lifetime - the contents of which could be contained in this Book of Moses.
As God says in the Qur'an
, in two sections:
or other scripures of Moses
. But the Islamic belief that the Torah
was, in its original form, a single scripture of Law, the plural emphasis on Books and not Book leads many to believe that these Books are different. Qur'anic commentator Abdullah Yusuf Ali
mentions that it could be a possible reference to a lost book of the Israelites, suggesting the Book of the Wars of the Lord
, an apocryphal book referred to in the Bible, in Numbers 21:14.
Qur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
. They are part of the religious scriptures of Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
, although now they are believed to have been corrupted or lost. These scriptures are understood by Muslims to refer not to the Torah
Tawrat
Tawrat is the Arabic word for the Torah. Muslims believe it was a holy book of Islam given by Allah to Musa . The Hebrew word for their scripture, the Torah means instructions, that is why Tawrat does not refer to the entire Tanakh or Old Testament...
, the main Book of Law which Moses
Moses
Moses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
was given, but to an ancient text, which contained some of the inspired revelations which Moses
Moses
Moses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
received over his years of prophecy, which were then written down by Moses himself as well as his followers.
Background
In two ChapterSura
A sura is a division of the Qur'an, often referred to as a chapter. The term chapter is sometimes avoided, as the suras are of unequal length; the shortest sura has only three ayat while the longest contains 286 ayat...
s, which are dated from the first Mecca
Mecca
Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...
n period, there is a reference to the 'Leaves, Scrolls, Journals' (Suhuf) of Abraham (and of Moses), by which certain divinely inspired texts handwritten by the patriarch
Patriarch
Originally a patriarch was a man who exercised autocratic authority as a pater familias over an extended family. The system of such rule of families by senior males is called patriarchy. This is a Greek word, a compound of πατριά , "lineage, descent", esp...
s are meant. These passages refer to the fact that the truth of God's message was present in the earliest revelations, Given to Abraham and Moses. Although Suhuf is generally understood to mean 'Scrolls', many translators - including Abdullah Yusuf Ali
Abdullah Yusuf Ali
Hafiz Abdullah Yusuf Ali, CBE, FRSL was an Indian Islamic scholar who translated the Qur'an into English. His translation of the Qur'an is one of the most widely-known and used in the English-speaking world....
and Marmaduke Pickthall
Marmaduke Pickthall
Marmaduke Pickthall was a Western Islamic scholar, noted as an English translator of the Qur'an into English. A convert from Christianity, Pickthall was a novelist, esteemed by D. H. Lawrence, H. G. Wells, and E. M. Forster, as well as a journalist, headmaster, and political and religious leader...
- have translated the verse as "The Books of Abraham and Moses".
Qur'anic mention
MosesMoses
Moses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
, being a righteous prophet of God, received many revelations over his lifetime - the contents of which could be contained in this Book of Moses.
As God says in the Qur'an
Qur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
, in two sections:
- And this is in the Books of the earliest (Revelation).
The Books of Abraham and Moses.
- Or, has he not been informed of what is in the scriptures of Moses?
And (of) Abraham who fulfilled (the commandments):
Identification
Many scholars have speculated whether the "Books of Moses" refer to the TorahTorah
Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...
or other scripures of Moses
Moses
Moses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
. But the Islamic belief that the Torah
Torah
Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...
was, in its original form, a single scripture of Law, the plural emphasis on Books and not Book leads many to believe that these Books are different. Qur'anic commentator Abdullah Yusuf Ali
Abdullah Yusuf Ali
Hafiz Abdullah Yusuf Ali, CBE, FRSL was an Indian Islamic scholar who translated the Qur'an into English. His translation of the Qur'an is one of the most widely-known and used in the English-speaking world....
mentions that it could be a possible reference to a lost book of the Israelites, suggesting the Book of the Wars of the Lord
Book of the Wars of the Lord
The Book of the Wars of the is one of several non-canonical books referenced in the Bible which have now been completely lost. It is mentioned in , which reads: "From there they set out and camped on the other side of the Arnon, which is in the desert and bounding the Amorite territory. For Arnon...
, an apocryphal book referred to in the Bible, in Numbers 21:14.