Thank you for visiting. This article is one installment in a series that explains the “original texts” of the world’s myths and religions — an index page summarizing the original texts of “Islam.”
Islam is the world’s second most populous religion after Christianity, with a number said to reach about 1.9 billion. At the center of its faith is the scripture held to be the very word of God (Allah), the “Qur’an.”
The original texts of Islam, like the Christian Bible and the Hindu Vedas, are of the “scripture type,” in which a clear scripture is established. Because the content is very rich, this series divides the original texts into six articles and explains carefully what is written where.
You can view the complete index of the world’s myths and religions, including others besides Islam, from the page below.
The Big Picture of Islam’s Original Texts — Two Pillars
Islam’s teaching and practice are supported broadly by two original texts: the “Qur’an” and the “Hadith (Sunna).”
To put their relationship in a word: the Qur’an is the very word sent down from God Allah, and the Hadith is a record of the Prophet Muhammad’s words and deeds. The Qur’an is the absolute fundamental scripture, and the Hadith supplements how to put its content into concrete practice and conveys the Prophet’s example.
| Original text | Character | Content |
|---|---|---|
| The Qur’an | The very word of God Allah | 114 chapters. All of revelation — faith, ethics, law, story |
| The Hadith | A record of the Prophet Muhammad’s words and deeds | Conveys the Sunna (example), supplements the Qur’an, the source of law |
This series divides these two original texts into six articles and explains each deeply. What each article covers is as follows.
Now, let me introduce what each article explains.
The Origins of Religion: Why We Needed a ‘God’View on Amazon →
A Complete History of Philosophy and ReligionView on Amazon →
Article 1: The Composition and Structure of the Qur’an
The first part of the series explains Islam’s fundamental scripture, the “Qur’an,” itself.
It treats carefully: the Arabian Peninsula before the revelation, the first revelation the Prophet Muhammad received, the roughly 23 years of revelation and its compilation into a single book, the distinctive structure in which all 114 chapters (suras) are arranged from longest to shortest, the difference between the Meccan and Medinan revelations, famous chapters like the Opening and the Throne Verse, the linguistic miracle held to be inimitable, and the tradition of recitation and commentary.
Article 2: The Six Articles of Faith — the Six Pillars Muslims Believe
The second part of the series explains in detail, one by one, the pillars of faith Muslims must believe in their hearts, the “Six Articles of Faith.”
It covers the one God Allah and his 99 beautiful names and tawhid; the angels such as Gabriel; the four scriptures — the Law, Psalms, Gospel, and Qur’an; the 25 prophets from Adam to Muhammad; the afterlife after death; and the divine decree (qadar), which holds all to be God’s ordaining.
Article 3: The Five Pillars and Religious Life
The third part of the series explains in detail the pillars of practice that put faith into action, the “Five Pillars,” and Muslim daily life.
It covers the Five Pillars one by one — the profession of faith, the five daily prayers, almsgiving, the fast of Ramadan, and the pilgrimage to Mecca — and further introduces the dietary laws “halal and haram,” the Islamic calendar, the often-misunderstood true meaning of “jihad,” and the mosque and the community (umma).
Article 4: The Prophets and Stories the Qur’an Tells
The fourth part of the series explains the stories the Qur’an tells.
It covers the creation and the first human Adam, the devil Iblis, and the prophets — Noah of the great flood, Abraham who built the Kaaba, Joseph, praised as the most beautiful story, Moses who escaped Egypt, and Jesus, born of the virgin Mary. We look in detail at the points of commonality and difference with the Bible, such as taking Jesus as a prophet rather than the Son of God.
Article 5: The End Times and the Last Judgment
The fifth part of the series explains the “end times and the afterlife” that the Qur’an tells repeatedly and powerfully.
It covers the signs of the end and the final trumpet, the Day of Resurrection on which all the dead rise, the Last Judgment at which deeds are recorded and weighed, the bridge of fire Sirat, and heaven and hell — the paradise Jannah and the fire Jahannam — approaching the heart of the Islamic view of life and death.
Article 6: The Hadith, Sharia, and the Sects
The sixth part of the series (the finale) explains the second original text, ranking after the Qur’an, the “Hadith,” and Islamic law and the sects.
It covers what the Hadith is, the authentication of reliability by the chain of transmission (isnad), the “six great Hadith collections” including the two great authentic collections, the example (Sunna), the four sources of Islamic law “Sharia,” the four great schools of law such as the Hanafi, the circumstances by which Sunni and Shia divided, and the mysticism of Sufism.
To Learn More
Here are some related books. Reading them alongside this series lets you savor this world even more deeply.
An Illustrated Introduction to the World’s 5 Great MythologiesView on Amazon →
World Mythology for Beginners (illustrated)View on Amazon →
Conclusion
In this article, I introduced the big picture of Islam’s original texts and what the six articles of the series cover. How was it?
The original texts of Islam stand on two pillars: the Qur’an, the very word of God Allah, and the Hadith, which conveys the example of the Prophet Muhammad. From these two, all of a Muslim’s faith (the Six Articles), practice (the Five Pillars), and law (Sharia) are derived.
While believing in the same one God as Judaism and Christianity and revering common prophets like Abraham, Moses, and Jesus, it has built its own worldview — herein lies the fascination of the original text called Islam.
I also explain the original texts of other myths and religions. For the full list, see the complete index of the world’s myths and religions.
For the strength of the gods and heroes, please use this ranking article as a reference too.
I hope you’ll read the next article too.
📚 Series: The Original Texts of Islam (1/7)
