A Comparison Of Moses In The Quran And The Bible

1632 Words4 Pages

Abdullah Alshahrani
Heidi Wendt
REL 2040
May 12, 2014
Moses in the Quran and the bible
The following paper examines a close reading of the figure of Moses in Exodus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy with respect to the issue of why he is barred from entering the Promised Land of Canaan as well as in the Quran. Moreover, after considering the stories and character of Moses in these respective texts, I will then analyze the two accounts in order to examine their similarities and differences.
Moses is a great figure in both the Quran and the Bible. Both holy books have a similar account of most aspects of Moses, and view him as a great man who was protected by God even before his birth. In addition, God allowed Moses be raised in the palace and getting the best education to prepare him for greatness and leadership.
His role in the future was leadership. He was destined to save a nation that had been oppressed by the leadership of Pharoah (Hebrew Bible) / Firaun (Quran). For this reason, God protected him from all the many challenges that came his way in order for him to become a great prophet and leader he turned out to be (Exodus 2).
According to the book of Exodus in the Bible, Israel's future leader, Moses, was born at a very risky time. It was a time when the Jews in Egypt had increased in number and prospered so much that the Egyptian pharaoh decreed that every male Jew who was born at that time was to be killed. Moses was born a Jew. However, when his mother realized that, the time came for him to be born; she decided not to let him be killed and was eager to hide him. It was not possible though to keep him with her, for she would be found. Consequently, she decided to hide him among the reeds in the River Nile (Exodus 1-2 and QB VI...

... middle of paper ...

... people. It also shows the dependence of people on God. Moses was a man of courage who sought to see the face of the God. He received the laws of the lord and made sacrifices for them when they sinned. Moses acted as a mediator between Yahweh and his people (Woolfe).
However, there are few differences in the accounts of his life between the Quran and the Bible. One is the adoption of Moses into the palace. In the biblical account, pharaoh’s daughter adopted Moses but in the Quran, the wife of the pharaoh adopted him. Similarly, the order of plagues and the nature of plagues that afflicted the people of pharaoh in the Quran and the Bible differ. In conclusion, despite these minor differences, the Quran and biblical accounts of the role, life, purpose, and figure of Moses are similar with several lessons, which can help us become better people in our society.

Show More
Related

  • Old Testament Connections from Grapes of Wrath

    411 Words  | 1 Pages

    Not only does the book relate to the movement of the Israelites, but also to the legendary man who lead them: Moses. Christians, Jews, and Muslims consider Moses a great prophet. One reference to Moses comes when Uncle John puts Rose of Sharon’s baby in the river. This is much like the life of Moses, when he is sent down the Nile River as a child.

    Read More

  • The Known World Edward P Jones Analysis

    577 Words  | 2 Pages

    Jones uses imagery to develop the character of Moses by allowing the reader to picture how hard he works. By the time Moses finally stopped working, “all that was left of the sun was a five-inch-long memory of red orange” (line 11-12) because Moses had worked until almost sundown. This classifies Moses as a hard-working man because he let all of the other workers go, but he stayed until he almost could not see anymore. The imagery in the passage also characterizes Moses person with a strong connection to nature. Moses “was the only man… who ate dirt” (line 23-24) and he could tell what month and the status of the crops by tasting the soil. The reader is able to tell that

    Read More

  • Comparing The Journey To The Book Of Exodus And Virgil's The Aeneas

    1212 Words  | 3 Pages

    Moses spends forty years following the instructions of God throughout Exodus. However, in Numbers, God tells him to speak to the rock and it will bring them water. Instead of speaking to the rock, he strikes it with his staff, like he did previously in Exodus. When he does not directly follow the instructions he was given, God responds by saying, “‘Because you were not faithful to me in showing forth my sanctity before the Israelites, you shall not lead this community into the land I will give them,’” (Numbers 20:12). Moses ends up being able to see the Promised Land, but never being able to set foot inside

    Read More

  • Moses and Campbell's Journey of a Spiritual Hero

    1327 Words  | 3 Pages

    Moses' journey begins in Egypt. This is a land where the Pharaoh has ultimate control and power over the people. Campbell refers to this greedy, egocentric, possessive leader as the tyrant. At this time, Egypt is noticing a huge increase in the number of Hebrew slaves (Exodus 1:9). In order to maintain possession of the land, Pharaoh must stifle the future threat that the increasing population of Israelites represent. To do this he orders the first born son of every Hebrew to be thrown into the Nile. However, baby Moses floats to the Pharaoh's daughter and Moses is raised as an Egyptian prince. He grows up different than any other Hebrew. He learns how to become soldier for his Pharaoh, but something is always troubling him. One day Moses sees an Egyptian striking a Hebrew slave and Moses intervenes and kills the Egyptian (Exodus 2:12). The next day he sees two Hebrews struggling, and tries to intervene, but he discovers that his murder of yesterday is known. This conflict symbolizes what Campbell says is the "call t...

    Read More

  • April Morning Character Analysis

    418 Words  | 1 Pages

    Moses was a major character in the fact that he was the reason his son, Adam, became the man that he had become. “If just once in all my born days you’d say a good thing to me” (Fast 3), Moses stated. Moses wanted Adam to be raised the way that Moses was raised and respect it. Adam did not like how strict his father was to him and did not want to be raised like he was. “Maybe it’s time I just went and did something without my father”

    Read More

  • Exegesis Paper Outline: Exodus 3: 14-17

    818 Words  | 2 Pages

    Following the creation story of the book of Genesis is the book of Exodus. In Genesis, God promised Abraham a “great nation from which all nations of the earth will be blessed (Gen 12:1-3)” and in Exodus God completes this promise through the creation of the holy nation, Israel. Exodus tells the story of the God who rescued his people out of Egypt because of the promise he had made to Abraham. God calls to Moses to complete his promise. God’s call to Moses is not only important because he liberates the Israelites but also because God reveals His name(s) along with His true Nature. God calls upon Moses and tells him that He’s back to help the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt and that Moses is to lead them. God then gives him full instructions on what to tell the Pharaoh and, more importantly, the Israelites, who are promised, land “flowing with milk and honey”.

    Read More

  • Comparing the Qur’an and the Torah

    6727 Words  | 14 Pages

    Contained in the many intricate and poetic Surahs of the Qur’an are retellings of a number of famous stories of the Hebrew Bible, known to Jews as the Torah, Prophets, and Writings. However, the Qur’an’s account of the lives of certain biblical characters often differs in significant ways from the Jewish version. While a believer in the divine nature of the Qur’an may claim that differences in facts stem from distortions of G-d’s message as recorded in Jewish holy books, both Muslims and non-Muslims might agree that the differences in emphasis are intentional. A more cynical observer might claim that the Qur’an changed the known Bible stories to suit its purposes. By choosing to include certain parts of a famous story and leaving out others, the story itself takes on a very different significance. Occasionally, the Qur’an will also discuss parts of the story which are entirely left out of the Torah, in which case a Muslim may claim the Torah did not deem those facts important for its own reasons. A cynical observer would claim the Qur’an made these additions to make its own message clearer.

    Read More

  • The Significance Of Redemption In Richter's The Epic Of Eden

    893 Words  | 2 Pages

    Moses appears at a burdensome time for the Israelites: slavery in Egypt. God uses him in the miraculous exodus of the Israelites. It is during the time of Moses that the Israelites finally become a nation.

    Read More

  • Moses Maimonides

    865 Words  | 2 Pages

    Regardless of what religion one chooses to follow, there is a high probability that it stems partially from the work of Moses.

    Read More

  • Jesus and Moses

    2248 Words  | 5 Pages

    Moses never truly achieved his goals to free his people from persecution and establish a safe and secure homeland, but he did appoint people to lead after him and left them with the Book of Deuteronomy. In these sermons, Moses recalls the trials and tribulations of 40 years in the wilderness to show the struggles his people have made so far. He also demands that they follow his teachings and, more importantly, the Ten Commandments. He leaves them by telling them to observe one and only one God, his God. Shortly thereafter, Moses died at the age of 120 and paved the foundation for the creation of Israel.

    Read More

  • Comparing Plato's Allegory Of The Cave And The Bible

    1305 Words  | 3 Pages

    Before relationships begin to develop, each of the protagonists are in different positions. Moses is born a Hebrew, but growing up he is considered an Egyptian. When Moses flees to Midian and saves the

    Read More

  • Comparing Odyssey And Moses Of Exodus

    1110 Words  | 3 Pages

    a divine purpose in life.  Moses was on a "mission from god" so to speak to

    Read More

  • Differences Between the Story of Joseph in the Bible and Intricacies in Sura 12 of the Qur’an

    1171 Words  | 3 Pages

    The two stories follow the same general plot, but the different interpretations give varying underlying meanings, assumingly stemming from the differences in authorship. This difference in content is the major divide between the Qur’an and the Bible. Islamic believers claim that the Qur’an was divinely inspired and physically written by the prophet Muhammad in its entirety and the Bible contains many historical manipulations due to its varied authorship. Assuming the common belief in divine inspiration is true, the single author of the Qur’an would provide less room for error than the compilation style of the Bible. However, according to biblical tradition, the Torah was completed around 1500 BCE, and the Qur’an was written during the lifetime of Muhammad from 609 to 632 CE, meaning that the Qur’an was written many centuries after the events it chronicled and leave...

    Read More

  • Moses VS Abraham

    1283 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the Old Testament, Abraham and Moses were two very prominent leaders chosen by God to do his will. Throughout Genesis and Exodus, both men play important roles in fulfilling God’s will. They are put to many tests, given covenants, and communicate constantly with God. Although they have many similarities such as being leaders and men of God, there are also many differences between the two.

    Read More

  • Exodus: Movement of Jah People

    1009 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the Biblical Book of Exodus, Moses was not originally supposed to be born under the Pharaoh’s rule because he was an Israelite male. Pharaoh decreed all Hebrew boys born were to be killed in the Nile River. Moses survived because Pharaoh’s servants feared God more. This law was one of Pharaoh’s ways to oppress the Hebrew people. It was a tactic to keep the majority of the population from growing as well as implementing slavery. However, that did not stop the Israelites from multiplying in size: “’And now indeed the cry of the Israelites has come to me, and I have also seen how severely the Egyptians oppress them. So now go, and I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt’” (New English Translation, Exodus 3:9-10). In this passage, God is speaking to Moses in the form of a burning bush that he has seen the hardships Pharaoh put the Israelites through, and that he will deliver them from their sufferings. M...

    Read More

More about A Comparison Of Moses In The Quran And The Bible

Open Document