Step 4 of 7
His Books
Allah did not leave people without guidance. He sent down books to His messengers, as light and guidance for their peoples. A Muslim believes that these books truly came from Allah, and believes in the ones Allah has named: the Torah given to Musa, the Zabur (Psalms) given to Dawud, the Injil (Gospel) given to 'Isa (3:3, 4:163), and the scrolls of Ibrahim and Musa (87:18-19). We believe in any others He sent in general, even if we do not know their names.
The Qur'an is the last of these books, sent down to Muhammad ﷺ. It confirms the truth that came before it and stands as a guardian over it (5:48). Unlike the earlier scriptures, which were entrusted to their peoples and changed over time, Allah Himself promised to preserve the Qur'an: ﴿إِنَّا نَحْنُ نَزَّلْنَا ٱلذِّكْرَ وَإِنَّا لَهُۥ لَحَـٰفِظُونَ﴾ (“It is We who sent down the Reminder, and We will surely guard it”) (15:9). It has been recited, memorised and written, word for word, from the Prophet's ﷺ time until today.
For what the People of the Book relate from their scriptures, the Prophet ﷺ taught a careful middle way: neither believe them nor call them liars, but say, "We believe in Allah and what has been sent down to us" (Sahih al-Bukhari 4485). What agrees with the Qur'an we accept, and what contradicts it we do not. Belief in the Books leads a Muslim to honour the Qur'an: to recite it, understand it, and make it the guide of daily life.
- Qur'an 3:3-4
- Qur'an 4:163
- Qur'an 87:18-19
- Qur'an 5:48
- Qur'an 15:9
- Sahih al-Bukhari 4485 Sahih · in the two Sahihs
What the hadith grades mean
- Sahih (authentic): an unbroken chain of trustworthy, precise narrators, free of hidden flaws or contradiction. It is acted upon.
- Hasan (good): like sahih, but a narrator's precision is slightly lighter. It is also accepted and acted upon. "Hasan sahih" means it reaches sahih by its routes.
- Da'if (weak): a break in the chain or a narrator who is not reliable enough. It is not used to establish beliefs or rulings.
- Very weak (munkar, matruk): a seriously flawed chain or a narrator accused of lying. It is not relied on at all.
- Mawdu' (fabricated): falsely attributed to the Prophet ﷺ. It may not be narrated as his words except to warn against it.
- The two Sahihs: every hadith with a full chain in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim is accepted as sahih by the scholars of hadith.
- Historical report: biographies and histories (Ibn Ishaq, Ibn Sa'd, al-Tabari) record events with chains that are often incomplete. They are used for the story, not for rulings.
- Hadith scholars grade a narration; the four madhhabs do not. Where a hadith carries a ruling, the page shows which schools act on it.
Create a free account to keep your place as you go. Create a free account · Sign in