Introduction to Christian and Islamic Faith
Primary 4 · Social and Religious Studies
Introduction to Christian and Islamic Faith
Lesson 2 of 5
14 min
In Amina's home, the Qur'an is wrapped in a clean cloth and kept on the highest shelf. In Keza's home, the family Bible sits on a small table, with a coloured ribbon marking the page they read last night. Both families treat their holy book with great care. Why?
Christians believe the Bible is the Word of God. The word "Bible" comes from a Greek word meaning "books", because the Bible is a collection of many books, written by many writers over many centuries. It has two parts:
Protestant Bibles have 66 books, and Catholic Bibles have a few more. The Bible has been translated into Kinyarwanda and thousands of other languages.
"Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light for my path." (Psalm 119:105)
"Every Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness" (2 Timothy 3:16)
"God-breathed" means that Christians believe God guided the writers. "Profitable" means useful, and "reproof" means showing us when we are wrong.
Muslims believe the Qur'an is the Word of Allah. It was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad through the angel Jibril (Gabriel), little by little, over about 23 years. The first revelation came in a cave on Mount Hira, near Mecca, during the month of Ramadan. The first word was "Read!"
"Read: In the name of thy Lord who createth," (Qur'an 96:1)
"This is the Scripture whereof there is no doubt, a guidance unto those who ward off (evil)." (Qur'an 2:2)
"Whereof there is no doubt" means "about which there is no doubt", and "ward off evil" means keeping away from what is wrong.
The Qur'an has 114 chapters, called surahs, and each surah is made of verses called ayat. It was revealed in Arabic, so Muslims everywhere learn to recite it in Arabic. Translations in other languages help people understand its meaning. Some Muslims learn the whole Qur'an by heart.
| Bible | Qur'an | |
|---|---|---|
| Faith | Christianity | Islam |
| Parts | Old Testament and New Testament | 114 surahs |
| Written in first | Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek | Arabic |
| Where it is read | At home, in church, in Sunday school | At home, in the mosque, in Qur'an school (madrasa) |
Tip
B for Bible, and B for "Both Testaments": Old and New.
The Qur'an has 114 surahs. Say it like a rhyme: "One, one, four, surahs to explore!"
Answer: The Old Testament and the New Testament.
Answer: The Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John).
Answer: The angel Jibril (Gabriel).
Answer: 114.
Answer: Just as a lamp shows you where to walk at night, God's word shows believers the right way to live.
What you learned today
Sources and credits
The rest of the lesson, including the practice questions, is written by Ganzaa.
This lesson adapts CC BY-SA material and is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Quick check
Match each word to its meaning.
Tap one on the left, then its partner on the right.
