In class, we had a discussion about the Qur’an and how it is similar to or different from the Bible. I think it can be argued either way, because there are definitely some similarities and differences. Of course, the Qur’an uses mostly Arabic names in some cases, such as Allah for God, Yusef for Joseph, and so on. In other cases, such as Noah, the name is the same in both. This may also have to do with how “Americanized” the Qur’an we are reading is compared to other versions or copies, but overall the concepts seem to be the same. Like the Bible, the Qur’an has many stories. I know that obviously we did not read the entire thing, but from previous experience I do know that there are a number of stories and portions of the Qur’an in general that are very similar, if not the same, as the stories found in the Bible.
Another thing that we talked about in the class was the concept of God. I know that a common misconception about Islam is that Muslims do not believe in the same God as Jews or Christians do. While I have never taken a class that is specifically on Islam, I have learned in numerous classes that Allah is simply just the Arabic name for God, and that even Arabic speaking Christians and Jews use the word Allah. It is the same as how God in German is Gott, or how it might be different in other languages (I would have to look this up though to find specific words used, as German is the only language that I speak, aside from English). Sometimes I wish this was more known, because I have noticed that the whole concept of no god but God (shoutout to Aslan) is a reason why the Abrahamic religions seem to clash, simply because some of these people do not do their research before making their arguments. I know there are a lot of other factors that play into religious controversy and disagreement, but I think making this more known could potentially help some of the disagreement. I hope.