Comparative Study of Moses in the Qur’an and the Bible: Narrative Differences, Theological Construction, and Historical Context
Abstract
This article compares the narratives of Moses in the Qur'an and the Bible and explores ‘thinking beyond the narratives.’ Existing comparative studies often focus only on identifying similarities and differences. This research aims to address this gap by asking why such variations and similarities exist and what their theological implications are. Using a qualitative, critical-comparative analysis method that combines narratological, comparative theological, and historical-critical approaches, this study examines key episodes, such as the Golden Calf incident and the drowning of Pharaoh. The results indicate that narrative differences are not random variations but rather theological constructions with significant implications. These differences stem from two fundamental factors: (1) the theological foundations of each sacred text, particularly the concept of prophethood (such as ‘Iṣmat al-Anbiyā’ in Islam) and the concept of revelation; and (2) the historical context and intended audience, where the Bible serves as a formative national narrative for the Israelite people, while the Qur'an conveys universal moral messages ('ibrah) to a broader audience of the Late Antiquity era.
References
Affani, Syukron. “Rekonstruksi Kisah Nabi Musa dalam al-Quran: Studi Perbandingan dengan Perjanjian Lama.” Al-Ihkam: Jurnal Hukum & Pranata Sosial 12, no. 1 (August 2017): 170. https://doi.org/10.19105/al-ihkam.v12i1.1259.
Ansari, Mahsheed. Modern Debates on Prophecy and Prophethood in Islam: Muhammad Iqbal & Said Nursi. Routledge Studies in Religion. New York: Routledge, 2023. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003275848.
Avcı, Betül. “The Qur’ānic View of History, Revelation, and Prophethood: An Exercise in Comparative Theology.” Journal of Ecumenical Studies 56, no. 4 (2021): 535–61. https://doi.org/10.1353/ecu.2021.0039.
Barton, John. A History of the Bible: The Story of the World’s Most Influential Book. New York: Viking, 2019. Google.
Brill, Alan. “Islam: Scripture, Prophecy, and Piety.” In Judaism and World Religions, by Alan Brill, 145–75. New York: Palgrave Macmillan US, 2012. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137013187_6.
Bucaille, Maurice. Moses and Pharaoh in the Bible, Quran and History. Malaysian ed. Kuala Lumpur: Islamic Book Trust, 2008. Google.
Christian Standard Bible. The Holy Bible. Nashville, Tennessee.: Holman Bible Publishers, 2017. Google.
DeJong, David. A Prophet like Moses (Deut 18:15, 18): The Origin, History, and Influence of the Mosaic Prophetic Succession. BRILL, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004522022.
Frevel, Christian. History of Ancient Israel. Archaeology and Biblical Studies, number 32. Atlanta: SBL Press, 2023. Google.
Genette, Gérard. Narrative Discourse: An Essay in Method. 1. publ., 4. print. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1990. Google.
Hasanov, Eldar. “Yahudilikte Peygamberlik ve Peygamberler.” İnsan ve Toplum Bilimleri Araştırmaları Dergisi 3, no. 4 (November 2014): 676–95. https://doi.org/10.15869/itobiad.79806.
Kaltner, John, and Younus Y. Mirza. The Bible and the Qur’an: Biblical Figures in the Islamic Tradition. 1st ed. London: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, 2017. https://doi.org/10.5040/9780567666048.
Lemche, Niels. Israelites in History and Tradition. Westminster John Knox Press, 1998. Google.
Levenson, Jon D. Sinai & Zion: An Entry into the Jewish Bible. New York: Harper Collins, 2013. Google.
Narinskaya, Elena. The Life of One Chosen by God: A Study of the Stories of Moses in Jewish, Christian and Muslim Sources. New Jersey: Gorgias Press, 2022. https://doi.org/10.31826/9781463244262.
Neuwirth, Angelika. “Qur’an and History – a Disputed Relationship. Some Reflections on Qur’anic History and History in the Qur’an.” Journal of Qur’anic Studies 5, no. 1 (April 2003): 1–18. https://doi.org/10.3366/jqs.2003.5.1.1.
Raza, Abbas Ali, Ahmad Fuzail Ibn Saeed, and Khadija tul Kubra. “Prophethood in the Abrahamic Faiths: A Comparative Study of the Divine Missions and Moral Teachings of Moses (AS), Jesus (AS), and Muhammad (PBUH).” Islamic Research Journal 2, no. 04 (December 2024): 126–33. https://www.al-qudwah.com/index.php/aqrj/article/view/62
Reynolds, Gabriel Said. The Emergence of Islam: Classical Traditions in Contemporary Perspective. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2012. Google.
———. The Qur’an and the Bible: Text and Commentary. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2018. Google.
———. The Qurʾān in Its Historical Context. Routledge Studies in the Qurʾān. London New York: Routledge, 2008. Google.
Schreiber, Mordecai. “Rethinking Prophecy.” Tikkun 28, no. 3 (August 2013): 13–17. https://doi.org/10.1215/08879982-2307121.
Smolar, Leivy, and Moses Aberbach. “The Golden Calf Episode In Postbiblical Literature.” Hebrew Union College Annual 39 (1968): 91. https://ixtheo.de/Record/1766783570
Sukhiashvili, Teona. “Moses in the Qur’an.” Journal of Religious & Theological Information 20, no. 1 (January 2021): 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1080/10477845.2020.1832361.
Tottoli, Roberto. Biblical Prophets in the Qur’an and Muslim Literature. Routledge Studies in the Qur’an. Hoboken: Taylor and Francis, 2013. Google.
West, Cornel. Prophesy Deliverance! An Afro-American Revolutionary Christianity. 1st ed. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1982. Google.
Wheeler, Brannon M. Moses in the Quran and Islamic Exegesis. New York: Psychology Press, 2002. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203037454.
Wolf, C. Umhau. “Moses in Christian and Islamic Tradition.” Journal of the American Academy of Religion XXVII, no. 2 (1959): 102–8. https://doi.org/10.1093/jaarel/XXVII.2.102.
Copyright (c) 2026 Muhammad Najib, Rofiqoh Nurul Ashfiya, Ali Ja'far
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
