The Common Examples between the Quran and the Gospel

From: http://www.balagh.net/english/index.htm

Now, we refer to the common examples between two texts of the Quran and the Gospel and will see the similarities between them in the following verses:
1- "Is he therefore better who hath laid his foundation on fear of God and (His) good-will, or he who layeth his foundation on the brink of a crumbling hollowed bank, so it crumbled down with him into the fire of Hell; and God guideth not people (who are) unjust. "(Al-Bara’at, 109)
"Everyone, then, who listens to these sayings of Mine and puts them into practice will be like a thoughtful man who built his house on the rock. The rains came down, the floods rose, the winds blew and beat upon that house, but it never collapsed, for it was based on the rock. And
every one who hears these sayings of Mine and fails to practice them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rains came down, the floods rose, the winds blew and beat upon that house and it collapsed. And the wreck of it was complete." (Matt. 7:24-27)
2- "Verily those who belie Our signs and in pride turn away from them, shall not open for them the gates of heaven nor shall they enter the Garden (of Paradise) until the camel passeth through the eye of the needle; thus do We recompense the guilty." (Al-A’raf, 40)
"... I say to you again, it is easier for a camel to pass through a needle's eye than for a wealthy person to enter the kingdom of God." (Matt. 19:24)
3- "O' ye people! A parable is set forth (unto you) so listen ye unto it! Verily, those whom ye call upon besides God can never creat (even) a fly, even though they all gather (themselves) together for it." (Al-Hajj, 73)
"... For all creatures united together could not create a single new fly from nothing, and this it is to create." (Barnabas 63:14)


The Prophets in the Quran and the Gospel
Comparing with the Gospel, the Holy Quran has allocated many verses to the prophets and has elucidated the biography of some of them such as Adam(A.S), Noah(A.S), Ibrahim(A.S), Lot(A.S),
Moses(A.S), Jesus(A.S) and Muhammad(S).
But the Gospels have just mentioned the biography of some of the Prophets as Jesus(A.S), John(A.S) and other prophets either have not been referred at all or only their names have been referred much briefly.
But the New Testament includes more issues in this regard (of course not as the Quran) and we will see how the prophets are introduced in both the Quran and the New Testament:


Adam (A.S)
The following verses are from the New Testament:
" ... For Adam was first formed,the Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman, since she was deceived, experienced the transgression." (The First Epistle of Paul to Timothy 2:13-14)
"... Only I am afraid that, just as the serpent beguiled Eve with his craftiness, so your thoughts may be corrupted from a sincere and pure devotion of Christ)." (The Second Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians 11:3)
"... and not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And for what reason did he murder him? Because his own deeds were wicked and those of his brother were
righteous." (The First General Epistle of John 3:12)
According to the Quran, the following verses are about Adam(A.S):
"... O' men! take shelter in your Lord Who has created you from a single self and created from it, its pair...” (An-Nisa, 1)
" Then whispered Satan evil suggestions unto the two (Adam and Eve)...Then he instigated them both by deceit...” (Al-A’raf, 20 and 22)
"And recite unto them the story of the two sons of Adam with truth, when they both offered an offering but it was accepted from one of them and was not accepted from the other; Said he, ‘I shall certainly slay thee' (the other one) said, ‘Verily, Verily, God doth accept (an offering only) from those who guard (themselves against evil)'." (Al-Maidah, 30)


Noah (A.S)
The New Testament includes the following verses regarding Noah(A.S):
"By faith Noah, when he was divinely instructed about things that were not yet in sight, devoutly constructed the ark for the saving of his family, through which he condemned the world, while he fell heir to the righteousness that springs from faith." (The Epistle of Paul to the Hebrews 11:7)

" ...When God's patience was waiting while Noah was constructing an ark in which a few, in fact eight souls, were brought safely through the water." (The First General Epistle of Peter 3:20)
The following verse about Noah(A.S) is included in the Quran:
"... said We, ‘carry (thou O' Noah) in it two of each kind, a pair, and thy family, except him on whom the sentence hath already been passed, and those who believe;’ And there believed not with him but a few." (Hud, 40)
It is necessary to note that the Holy Quran has mentioned Noah(A.S) much more than the New Testament.


Ibrahim(A.S)
We see the following verses in the New Testament about Ibrahim(A.S):
"... The God of glory appeared to our father Ibrahim when he was in Mesopotamia previous to his settling in Haran, and told him, ‘Get away from your country and your relations and come to the land I will show you.'
Then Ibrahim went out from the Chaldean country and settled in Haran, and from there, after his father's death, God transferred him to this land where you now live. He gave him no heritable property in it, no, not a foot of it, but promised to give it for a possession to him and his offspring after him, though at the time he had no child. But God spoke as follows:
‘Your offspring will be aliens in a foreign land and the people of that land will subject and ill-treat them 400 years.
And the nation whom they serve,’ God said, ‘I shall judge, and afterward they will come out and worship Me in this place.' He also gave him the covenant of circumcision, and he became the father of Isaac and circumcised him the eighth day; Isaac became the father of Jacob, and
Jacob became the father of the 12 patriarchs." (Acts 7:3-10)
"...'I have appointed you a father of many nations’ -all this in the presence of God, in whom he believed, who makes the dead live and calls into existence what has no being. For Ibrahim kept hoping in faith, when hope was gone, that he would be the father of many nations, just as he had been told, ‘So shall your offspring be.’ And there was no weakening of his faith, even when he recognized the impotence of his own body at the age of 100, as well as Sarah's inability to bear. He did not in unbelief hesitate about Gods' promise but, empowered by faith, he rendered praise to God in the complete conviction that He was able to make good His promise." (The Epistle of Paul to the Romans 4:17-21)
" By faith Ibrahim, when he was tested, brought Isaac as an offering. Yes, the recipient of the promises offered his only son, of whom it had been said, ‘Through Isaac you are to have your descendants'." (The Epistle of Paul to the Hebrews 11:17-18)
" Was not our father Ibrahim made righteous by his works when he offered up his son Isaac on the alter?" (The General Epistle of James 2:21)
" When every one had departed from the temple, the priests closed the temple and went away. Then Ibrahim took the axe and cut off the feet of all the idols, except the great god Baal. At its feet he placed the axe, amid the ruins which the statues made, for they, through being
old and composed of pieces, fell in pieces.
Thereupon, Ibrahim, going forth from the temple, was seen by certain men, who suspected him of having gone to thieve something from the temple. So they laid hold on him, and having arrived at the temple, when they saw their gods so broken in pieces, they cried out with lamentation:
‘Come quickly, O’ men, and let us slay him who hath slain our gods! ’There ran together there about ten thousand men, with the priests, andquestioned Ibrahim of the reason why he had destroyed their gods.
Ibrahim answered: ‘Ye are foolish! Shall then a man slay God? It is the great God that hath slain them. See you not that axe which he hath near his feet? Certain it is that the desireth no fellows.' Then arrived there the father of Ibrahim, who, mindful of the many discourses of Ibrahim against their gods, and recognizing the axe wherewith Ibrahim had broken in pieces the
idols, cried out: ‘It hath been this traitor of a son of mine, who hath slain our gods! for this axe is mine.' And he recounted to them all that had passed between him and his son. Accordingly the men collected a great quantity of wood, and having bound Ibrahim's hands and feet, put him upon the wood, and put fire underneath. ‘Lo! God, through his angel, commanded the fire that it should not burn Ibrahim his servant. The fire blazed up with great fury, and burned about two thousand men of those who had condemned Ibrahim to death (Barnabas 28)
"... It needs must be that there is a God who hath life and power more than man, since he maketh man, and man without God could not make man. Thereupon, looking round upon the stars, the moon, and the sun, he thought that they had been God. But after considering their variableness with their movements, he said: It needs must be that God move not, and that clouds hide him not: otherwise men would be brought to naught...” (Barnabas 29)
The following verses from the Quran are about Ibrahim(A.S):
" And when said Ibrahim: ‘My Lord! make this city secure, ..., ‘O' Our Lord! Verily I have housed a part of my offspring in a valley uncultivable, nigh unto Thy Holy House..." (Ibrahim, 35 and 37)
"... and gave they the glad tidings unto him of a son blessed with knowledge. Then came forward his wife in grief, she smote her face and said she (what! I) an old barren woman? Said they: ‘Thus sayeth thy Lord: Verily He is the All-Wise, the All-Knowing." (Az-Zariyat, 28-30)
" Then glanced he, casting glance at the stars, then said he: ‘Verily, sick I am (of your worshipping these)', So they turned away turning their backs. Then he turned unto their gods secretly and said: "What! eat ye not? What aileth you that ye speak not?" Then he attacked them in secret, striking with his right hand. Then came they (the worshippers) hastening unto him.
Said he, ‘What! worship ye what ye ( yourselves) hew out?’ And God hath created you and (also) what ye make (the idols). Said they:‘Erect for him a building (furnace) and fling him in the flaming fire!’ So they desired a plot against him, but We brought them low. And said he: ‘Verily, I am going unto my Lord, He will guide me;’ ‘O’ my Lord! Grant me a righteous (son)!’
So We gave him the glad tidings of a son extremely forbearing. And when (the son) reached (the age of) working with him, said he: ‘O' verily I saw in a dream that I sacrifice thee...” (As-Saffat, 88-102)
" The faith of your Father Ibrahim...” (Al-Hajj, 78)
" And of Ibrahim who fully discharged (his mission)?" (An-Najm ,37)

Lot (A.S)
The New Testament includes the following verses regarding the prophet Lot(A.S):
" It was similar, too, in Lot's days- they ate and drank, they bought and sold, they planted and built; but on the day when Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all." (Luke 17:28-29)
"... for day after day as that righteous man lived among them, his upright soul was tortured at seeing and hearing their lawless doings..." (The Second General Epistle of Peter 2:8)
The following Quranic verses are also about Lot(A.S):
"So the (violent) blast seized them (while) entering upon the dawn, Thus did We turn it upside down and rained down on them stones of baked clay..." (Al-Hijr, 73-74)
" And when our messengers (the angels) came unto Lot, he was grieved for them and felt his arm straitened to protect them and said: ‘This is a distressful day.' And came his people rushing unto him; for aforetime they did evil deeds...” (Hud, 77-78)


Jonah (A.S)
The Gospel attributed to Matthew includes the following verse about Jonah(A.S):
"... For as Jonah was for three days and three nights in the belly of the sea-monster...” (Matt. 12:40)
"... Remember that God determined to destroy Nineveh because he did not find one who feared
God in that city; the which was so wicked that God, having called Jonah the prophet to send
him to that city, he would fain for fear of the people have fled to Tarsus, wherefore God caused him to be cast into the sea, and received by a fish and cast up nigh to Nineveh. And
he preaching there, that people was converted to repentance, so that God had mercy on them." (Barnabas 63:5-9)
" And verily Jonah was (one) of the apostles. When he fled unto a ship fully laden, And they drew lots, and he was of those who were cast off. And the fish swallowed him while he was blamed. So if it were not that he was of those who glorify Us, He would certainly have been detained in its belly to the Day (of Resurrection) when they shall be raised; And We cast him
forth on the naked shore and he was sick. And caused We to grow (to give shade) over him, a plant of gourd. And We sent him unto a hundred thousand (people) or (even) more were they. And believed they, so We gave them provision till a time." (As-Saffat, 140-148)


Joseph (A.S)
"... Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob became the father of the 12 patriarchs. The patriarchs, jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt, but God was with him. He rescued him out of all his troubles and granted him favour and wisdom in the presence of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who appointed him governor over Egypt and over his entire household. Then a famine and great distress came over all Egypt and Canaan, so that our fathers failed to find nourishment; but when Jacob learned that there was wheat in Egypt, he sent our fathers there on the first trip. And on their second trip Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and Joseph’s family was made known to Pharaoh. Joseph then sent and invited his father Jacob and the whole family, comprising 75 souls. So Jacob came down to Egypt, where he and our fathers died." (Acts 7:8-15)
The Holy Quran has a Surah entitled "Joseph" (Yusuf) that some of its verses about Joseph himself come below:
"Said he (Jacob): O' my (dear) son! (Beware!) Relate thou not thy dream unto thy brothers, lest they plot against thee a plot...” ( Yusuf, 5)
" When said they: ‘Surely Joseph and his (own) brother are dearer to our father than we...” (Yusuf, 8)
" And he of Egypt who purchased him said unto his wife, ‘Give him an honorable place, maybe he may profit us...” (Yusuf, 21)
"And when he (Joseph) attained his prime (maturity) We gave him authority (apostleship) and knowledge...” (Yusuf, 22)
" Said he: ‘Set me (in authority) over the treasuries of the land; Verily I am a (faithful) keeper, knowing well (its management). Thus we did establish Joseph in the land...” (Yusuf, 55-56)
"Then shall come aftet that seven years of hardship (famine)...” (Yusuf, 48)
" And came the brothers of Joseph and entered they unto him, and he knew them but they knew him not." (Yusuf, 58)
"They said: ‘Art thou indeed Joseph?’ Said he: ‘I am Joseph and this is my Brother...” (Yusuf, 90)

"And come ye unto me with all your family." (Yusuf, 93)


Moses (A.S)
"In that period Moses was born, beautiful in God's sight, and was nurtured in his parental home three months. And when he was exposed, the daughter of Pharaoh adopted him and brought him up to be her own son.So Moses was educated in all the science and learning of the Egyptians, and
had ability in speech and in deeds. When he was 40 years old he resolved to look after his brothers, the Israelites and, seeing one treated unfairly, he defended him and avenged the wronged person by slaying the Egyptian; for he supposed his brothers would understand that God would grant them deliverance through him; but they failed to understand. The next day he
appeared to them as they were fighting, and tried to reconcile them, saying, ‘Men, you are brothers; why are you mistreating each other?'
But the one who was mistreating his neighbor pushed him away with the words, ‘Who appointed you ruler and judge over us? You want to kill me, perhaps, in the way you killed the Egyptian yesterday? At this remark Moses fled and became an alien in the land of Median, where he became the father of two sons. And at the completion of 40 years there appeared to him in the mount Sinai wilderness an angel in the flame of a burning thorn bush. When Moses saw it he marveled at the sight and as he approached to look at it closely, the Lord's voice came saying, ‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Ibrahim, Isaac, and Jacob.’ Moses was so frightened that he didnot dare to look. The Lord said to him, ‘Unite the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground. I have certainly observed the ill-treatment of My people in Egypt, and I have heard their groaning and have come down to deliver them. So come now, I will send you into Egypt.’ This Moses whom they disowned by saying, ‘Who has appointed you a ruler and Judge?' him God sent both to be a ruler and to be a redeemer with the help of the angle who appeared to him in the bush.
It was he who led them out, performing wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, at the Red Sea, and in the wilderness 40 years. This is the same Moses who told the Israelites, ‘God will raise up from your brothers a prophet like me.’ This is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fore fathers; he
received the living messages to impart to us. To him our fathers did not want to submit; they pushed him aside and in their hearts turned back to Egypt, saying to Aaron, ‘Make us gods that will go before us; for this Moses who led us out of Egypt, we do not know what has befallen him.’ They made a calf in those days and brought sacrifice to the image, and rejoiced in the works of their hands. But God turned and abandoned them to worship the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets,‘ O’ house of Israel, did you offer Me victims and sacrifices for 40 years in the wilderness? You carried Moloch's tent and your god Romp Han’s star-idol, figures you made to worship them. So I shall deport you beyond Babylon.’ (Acts 7:20-44)
The name of Moses (A.S) has been repeated for 136 times in the Quranic verses that some of them are as follows:
" And revealed We unto the mother of Moses, saying: ‘Give him suck; and if thou fearest for
him, launch him on the River ... And took him up Pharaoh’s people." (Al-Qasas, 8)
" And when he reached the (age of) strength and was full-grown, We granted him wisdom and knowledge; Thus do we recompense those who do good. And he entered the city at a time when unvigilant were its people, and found he therein two men fighting: the one, of his own party; and the other of his enemies; And the one of his own party sought his help against the one who was of his enemies, and Moses smote him with his fist and passed (death) on him; Said (Moses): ‘This is of the Satan's doing; verily, he is an enemy, an open misleader ... And in the morn he, in the city, passed full of fear apprehending when lo! he who sought his help the day before, (again) crying out unto him for help. Said unto him Moses: ‘Verily thou art an open hot-head.’ And when he intended to seize him who was the enemy of them both, said he: ‘O' Moses! Dost thou intend to kill me as didst thou kill one the day before?" (Al-Qasas, 15-19)
" And when he turned his face towards (The land of) Midian ... . "(Al-Qasas, 22)
" Said he: ‘Verily, I intend to wed to thee one of these two daughters of mine...” (Al-Qasas, 27)
"... perceived he on the side of the mount "Tur" a fire ... When came he unto it, (he) was called (by a voice) from the right side of the valley, in the blessed spot, from the Tree, saying: ‘O' Moses! Verily I, am God, the Lord of the worlds." (Al-Qasas, 29-30)
" So when he came unto it (the fire) a voice called: ‘O' Moses! Verily I; I (alone) am thy Lord! So take off thy shoes! Verily thou art in the sacred valley of ‘Tuba’." (Ta Ha, 11-12)
" Then he brought forth (from the fire) for them (the image of) a calf, a (mere) body; which (also) gave out the lowing sound; Then they said: ‘This is your god...” (Ta Ha, 88)

John (A.S)
" ... there was a certain priest named Zechariah, of the week of the priestly service named after Abuja and his wife Elizabeth, of Aaron's daughters. Both lived uprightly before God, blamelessly walking in accordance with all the commandments and injunctions of the Lord. They had no child because Elizabeth was barren, and both were getting up in years.
Administering his priestly service before the Lord in the sequence of his series, as customary among the priests, it fell to him by lot to enter the Lord’s temple for the burning of incense. And at the hour of incense the whole concourse of people were praying outside. But an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense, and when Zechariah saw him, he was troubled and fear got hold of him. But the angel said to him, ‘Have no fear, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, whom you will call John. He will afford you joy and happiness and many will be glad at his birth, for he will be great before the Lord. He will drink no wine or liquor at all, and from his birth he will be filled with the Holy spirit. Many of the sons of Israel will be turn to the Lord their God, before whom he shall go forth in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the obstinate to the wisdom of the righteous, to prepare a people who are ready for the Lord.' Then Zechariah said to the angel, ‘In what way can I be assured of this, for I am an old man and my wife is advanced in years? Then angel answered him, ‘I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to announce these glad tidings to you. Behold! You will be silent and unable to speak
until the day when these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at the proper time.’ After those days his wife Elizabeth conceived...” (Luke 1:5-24)
" ...Then they motioned to his father, what he wanted him to be called and he, requesting a writing tablet, wrote, ‘His name is john.’ This surprised them all. And instantly his mouth was opened and his tongue was loosed, and he spoke in praise of God." (Luke 1:62-64)
The following Quranic verses are also about John A.S):
" There did Zachariah pray to his Lord; said he, ‘Lord! grant me from unto thee a goof offspring; Verily, Thou art the Hearer of Prayer." (Al-e-Imran, 38)
" Then called unto him the angels while he stood praying in the sanctuary; ‘Verily, God giveth thee the glad tidings of (a son) Yahya (John)(who shall be) the confirmer of a Word from God ... . "(Al-e-Imran, 39)
"Said he, ‘O' My Lord! How can there be a son (born) to me, when indeed old age hath affected me and my wife is barren?" Said he, ‘Even so God doeth whatsoever He liketh’." (Al-e-Imran, 40)
" Said he, ‘My Lord! appoint thou a sign for me;’ Said He, ‘The Sign for Thee shall be that thou shalt not speak unto men for three days except by signs." (Al-e-Imran, 41)
" Then he went out (of the sanctuary) unto his people and made signs unto them (with hid hands) that they should glorify (God) morning and evening. (The Lord said unto Zachariah's son) ‘O’ Yahya! Hold thou the Book fast!’ and We granted him wisdom (apostleship) while yet a
child." (Maryam, 11-12)