The Holy Books and Angels
Five books and three named angels are usually revised as two separate lists. They are one idea: Muslims believe revelation reaches humanity through an angel, which is why belief in Malaikah and belief in the Kutub hold each other up.
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Not two lists, one idea 📖
This part of the specification is usually revised as two things to memorise: five holy books, and three named angels. Learn it that way and it stays inert. **They are one idea.** Muslims believe that Allah does not leave humanity to work things out alone, and that revelation is sent - through **an angel**, to **a prophet**, and set down as **a book**. Take the angel out and the books have no way of arriving. You have already met Risalah, prophethood, in the module before this one. This one supplies the other two links in the same chain: **Malaikah**, the angels, and the **Kutub**, the holy books.
The names you need 🗂️
Six terms. Spelling matters here, and so does knowing which prophet goes with which book:
Match each book to the prophet it was revealed to
- Tawrat
- Zabur
- Injil
- Qur'an
- Musa
- Dawud
- Isa
- Muhammad
Why the Qur'an comes first ⭐
Get this sentence right and you have the hardest mark in the topic. **Muslims believe that all of these books were genuine revelations from Allah.** The Tawrat, the Zabur, the Injil and the Sahifah are not regarded as false books, and a Muslim would not describe them that way. **The Qur'an holds the highest authority because Muslims believe it alone has been preserved unchanged** since it was revealed to Muhammad, in the language in which it was revealed. The earlier books, on this belief, are not available today in the form in which they were originally given. **So the difference is about preservation, not about which book was true.** An answer that says Muslims reject the earlier books has got the belief wrong, not just imprecisely stated - and it is the most common error on this question.
What do Muslims believe about the earlier books? ❓
A question asks why the Qur'an holds the greatest authority for Muslims. Which answer is both accurate and complete?
- All the books were revealed by Allah, but Muslims believe only the Qur'an has been preserved unchanged since it was revealed
- Muslims reject the Tawrat, Zabur and Injil as false books written by people
- The Qur'an is the longest and most detailed of the revealed books
- The Qur'an is the only book Muslims believe Allah has ever revealed
What Muslims believe about angels 👼
Belief in Malaikah is one of the Six Beliefs, and it is held in common across Sunni and Shi'a Islam. The right-hand column matters as much as the left, because it is where answers go wrong.
Which TWO are accurate? ✅
Select the TWO statements that accurately describe Muslim belief about angels.
- Angels have no free will and carry out Allah's will exactly
- Jibril is believed to have brought the revelation of the Qur'an to Muhammad
- Angels are worshipped alongside Allah as lesser divine beings
- Belief in angels is held by Shi'a Muslims but not by Sunni Muslims
Which sentence is written like an RS answer? 🔍
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Now find the one that is simply wrong 🪶
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The chain of revelation 🪜
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Say it back, with the references 📝
The holy books are called the _____. Muslims believe the Tawrat was revealed to Musa, the Zabur to _____, and the Injil to Isa, and that all of them came from Allah. The Qur'an holds the highest authority because Muslims believe it alone has been _____ unchanged. Belief in the angels, or _____, is one of the Six Beliefs, and the angel _____ is believed to have brought revelation to the prophets.
Three decisions in an answer 🧭
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Your turn ✍️
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