The divine books (heavenly books) are the scriptures Allah revealed to His messengers to guide people. The Quran names five of them: the Scrolls of Abraham, the Torah, the Psalms (Zabur), the Gospel (Injil) and the Holy Quran. Believing in them is one of the pillars of faith in Islam.
"The Messenger has believed in what was revealed to him from his Lord, and so have the believers. All of them have believed in Allah and His angels and His books and His messengers." Al-Baqarah: 285
The Divine Books and Their Prophets
- 1Scrolls of AbrahamProphet Abraham (pbuh)Called his people to believe in Allah, worship Him and hold to good character.
- 2Torah (Tawrat)Prophet Moses (pbuh)Revealed to guide the Children of Israel.
- 3Psalms (Zabur)Prophet David (pbuh)Admonitions and guidance for the Children of Israel.
- 4Gospel (Injil)Prophet Jesus (pbuh)Guided the Children of Israel and confirmed what Moses brought.
- 5The Holy QuranProphet Muhammad (pbuh)Calls all people to worship Allah. The last of the divine books.
How Many Divine Books Are There?
The Quran mentions four books by name: the Torah, the Psalms, the Gospel and the Quran. It also mentions the Scrolls of Abraham and Moses:
"Indeed, this is in the former scriptures, the scriptures of Abraham and Moses." Al-A'la: 18–19
This is why some people say there are four divine books, while others count five or six by adding the scrolls.
What about "seven books"? Lists that give seven books or more are not supported by an authentic text. The well-known narration that the revealed books number "one hundred and four" has been judged by scholars as not authentic. A Muslim believes in the books Allah has named specifically, and in those not named in general.
The Order of the Divine Books
The divine books follow the order of the prophets they were revealed to:
- Scrolls of AbrahamAbraham
- TorahMoses
- PsalmsDavid
- GospelJesus
- QuranMuhammad
What Is the Last Divine Book?
The Holy Quran is the last and final divine book. It came confirming what preceded it and as a criterion over it:
"And We have revealed to you the Book in truth, confirming that which preceded it of the Scripture and as a criterion over it." Al-Ma'idah: 48
Allah has promised to preserve it from change and distortion:
"Indeed, it is We who sent down the Reminder, and indeed, We will be its guardian." Al-Hijr: 9
Among the names of the Quran:
- Al-Dhikr — the Reminder
- Al-Tanzil — the Revelation
- Al-Furqan — the Criterion
"Blessed is He who sent down the Criterion upon His Servant." Al-Furqan: 1
In Which Languages Were the Divine Books Revealed?
Allah sent every messenger in the language of his people:
"And We did not send any messenger except in the language of his people." Ibrahim: 4
According to scholars:
- TorahRevealed in Hebrew.
- PsalmsIts language is not known with certainty; most likely the language of the Children of Israel.
- GospelRevealed in Syriac.
- QuranRevealed in Arabic: "Indeed, We have sent it down as an Arabic Quran that you might understand." (Yusuf: 2)
Followers of the Heavenly Religions
- JewsBelieve in what came in the Torah and the Psalms.
- ChristiansBelieve in what came in the Torah, the Psalms and the Gospel.
- MuslimsBelieve in all the divine books and follow the Holy Quran.
The Divine Books Wall Chart for Kids
To teach this lesson to children in the classroom or at home, the Divine Books wall chart brings the five books, their prophets and the names of the Quran together on one colourful page.
Laminated card, writable with water-based markers and wipes clean — plus a code to listen to its content.
View the Wall Chart
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