Iqbal 1

Aftab Iqbal

Professor Muhammad Saeed

Research method and term paper writing

16 December 2021

Comparative analysis of parables in bible and Quran with special reference to Joseph

(PBUH)

Introduction

Our research mainly focuses on the comparative study of Joseph (PBUH) in Bible and

Quran. Firstly, in the introduction we will discuss the world religions and specially the religion

of Islam and Christianity. The classification of world religion is highly problematic because of

its arbitrariness. There are a lot of religions around the world and the study of a particular

religion for their followers is an important thing to know about their religion’s laws. In addition,

most of the people around the world following different religion and every follower of the

particular religion believe that their religions are the true one.

Islam

Islam is one of the three major world religions, along with Judaism and Christianity that profess

monotheism, or the belief in a single God. In the Arabic language, the word Islam means “surrender” or

“submission”—submission to the will of God. A follower of Islam is called a Muslim, which in Arabic

means “one who surrenders to God.” The Arabic name for God, Allah, refers to the same God worshiped

by Jews and Christians. Islam’s central teaching is that there is only one all-powerful, all-knowing God,

and this God created the universe. This rigorous monotheism, as well as the Islamic teaching that all
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Muslims are equal before God, provides the basis for a collective sense of loyalty to God that transcends

class, race, nationality, and even differences in religious practice. Thus, all Muslims belong to one

community, the umma, irrespective of their ethnic or national background. (unknown)

Now we come to the religion of Islam. As we believe that the only true religion

throughout the world is Islam. It is actually arrogant to think that “all the religions of the world

are true”. Every religion had their own founder for whom they were suffered in somewhere to

spread them throughout the world. The founder of Islam is Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH). He

spent all his life to spread Allah’s message throughout the world.

The origin of Islam is placed around 610 CE when the highly spiritual and religious man

prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was born in Mecca in 571 A.D. he spent his early 9 years of his life

as a merchant. At the age of forty he began to have revelation from Allah that became the basis

for Quran, and the foundation of Islam. The religion of Islam mainly focuses on “There is no god

but Allah and Muhammad (PBUH) as the last prophet of Allah”. The followers of Islam consider

the Quran not the work of Muhammad (PBUH) but as direct revelations from Allah. Muslim

believes that Islam is the only true religion in the world. But as we mention above that all

religions are true according to their believers.

Christianity

Christianity, the most widely distributed of the world religions, having substantial

representation in all the populated continents of the globe. Its total membership may exceed 2.38

billion people. Christianity is a major religion steaming from the life, teaching and death of Jesus

Christ. Christian believes that there is only one God, whom they call Father as Jesus Christ

taught.
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Christians recognize Jesus as the son of God who was sent to save mankind from death

and sin. Christian believe that Jesus Christ taught that he was son of God his teachings can be

summarized Jesus said that he had come to fulfill God’s law rather than teach.

Differences between Bible and Quran

Quran is written by one [report] author and on the other hand bible is written around 500

years after from its revelation. Therefore, bible is not present in original form unlike Quran.

Furthermore, Quran is reveled in Arabic language on prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and Bible is

reveled in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek on many prophets. Bible is the collection of writings

from many authors. It is a set of teaching that supposedly came from God, and passed on to his

prophets to be spread all across humanity and all over time. It is the book that has two versions

(holy bible with old and New Testament). While Quran is the finest piece of literature in Arabic

language. Quran is the direct revelation from Allah through Angel Gabriel to the prophet

Muhammad (PBUH).

The teachings inside Quran are mankind’s guidance or verbal direction towards the path

of morality, and righteousness. Consequently, Bible and Quran are both reveled from Allah.

Therefore, Muslims believes on both holy books (Bible and Quran) but the contradiction

between Muslims and Christians is that bible is composed by many authors including many

versions while Quran is still present in original form. So it may be possible that the difference

between these holy books is due to its compilation. Secondly the Muslims are not agree with the

New Testament, because Christians consider that Jesus (PBUH) is the son of God, in contrast in

Quran it is very clear that he is one of the prophet of God. God is the creator of all, so it is

impossible that a God born after his creatures “Say: He is Allah, the One and Only; Allah, the
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Eternal, Absolute; He begetteth not, nor is He begotten; and there is none like unto Him” (Quran

112:1-4).

Parables in Quran

“Indeed, we have offered in this Quran every evidence and lessons by way of parables

and examples for people so that they may think and take heed” (surah Az zumar 39:27).

So Allah propound parables for human beings, that they may reflect on them and infer

necessary lessons (Ibrahim 14:25).

Some scholars define parables to include other narratives. Such as stories of past prophets

and their people, and thus we find more than 40 parables in Quran with 26 or more prophets of

Allah. Parables help people to activate their imagination and also help to understand abstract

concepts by alluding to shared experiences and by allowing the readers to emphasize with

participants or to feel as they are direct observer in these experiences.

The story of prophet Yusuf named as “Ahsan ul qasas”, which means “the best story”. It

tells about governance of prophet Yusuf in a very peculiar way.

Comparison of Joseph (PBUH) in Bible and Quran

The Quran and Bible present almost similar narration of Joseph story. Like in his early

life he and his brother Benjamin were liked by his father all over the others. Joseph brothers

always jealous and hate him for it. Joseph saw a dream as mention in both bible and Quran.

When Joseph said to his father “O my dear father! Indeed, I dreamt of eleven stars, and

the sun, and the moon—I saw them prostrating to me!”

(Surah Yusuf 12: 4)

After the dream the brothers of Joseph plans to kill joseph. But the killing plan of bible

and Quran is different from one another in the aspect of narration. In Quran Joseph brothers plan

to get him with themselves to jungle with the permission of their father Jacob (PBUH) and then

they were killed him there, while in Bible the story had been told in a little different way that

Joseph (PBUH) was sent by Jacob (PBUH) after his brothers to follow them and then came back

to his father to tell him about what his brothers are doing, but when he went after them his

brothers plains there to kill him there.

Secondly in Bible Joseph (PBUH) sold by Midianites to Potiphar (the king’s officer) in

contrast Joseph (PBUH) in Quran was founded by the traveler and get him with themselves to

sell as a merchandise directly to the king Al-Aziz. He said to his wife (Zulaikha) to take care of

him, and we may adopt joseph as a son. The Joseph (PBUH) in Egypt has been rewarded from

Allah gave him a divine gift to interpret dreams.

“This is how we establish Joseph (PBUH) in the land, so that we might teach him the

interpretation of dreams” (Surah Yusuf 12/13:21).

Furthermore the desire of the women (Al-Aziz wife or Potiphar wife) is both narrated the

same in Bible and Quran, but a difference had been seen in the place when she shows her desires

and Joseph try to escape from her, and he succeed but in Bible Joseph never saw her husband at

that particular time while in Quran when Joseph escape he suddenly found her husband at the

door, so it is also the main difference in Bible and Quran.

After the above all discussion it is clear that all the story of Joseph (PBUH) is same in

both in bible and Quran. The rising of Joseph (PBUH) begins when he was sent to jail, and he
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meet the two prisoner and interpret their dreams which has become true and then after when

Joseph (PBUH) interpret the dream of king. So we found that all the story after the interpretation

of dreams is mostly similar in Bible and Quran.

Conclusion

So we conclude that the parable in Quran and Bible are mostly similar, and a little difference can

found in the narration, and the difference that found it may the result of compilation of the bible.

Because bible is compiled after a long time of revelation. As we mentioned above that how the

bible differ from Quran and the clear example is the comparison of our research of Joseph

(PBUH) in bible and Quran. The central focus of our this study is to explore the similarities

between these two Abrahamic religions that there is no such differences between them, but it is

all about the limitation of thoughts, which not allowed people to understand each other’s

religion. Finally, if we understood the similarities and deep meninges of every religion and

accept them then we will live with peace and prosperity.

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