StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

Quranic and Biblical Depictions of Sulayman - Research Paper Example

Cite this document
Summary
This paper will argue that the portrayal of Sulayman in the Holy Koran is more generous and reverential when compared to that of the Holy Bible.  Though the characters of Sulayman and Solomon are essentially the same, although there are a few factual inconsistencies between the two accounts…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER96.1% of users find it useful
Quranic and Biblical Depictions of Sulayman
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Quranic and Biblical Depictions of Sulayman"

Comparative Paper: Qur’anic and Biblical Depictions of Sulayman (Solomon) The Judeo-Christian religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam have several common characteristics. All three of them originate from what is presently referred to as the Middle East and thus share a common cultural and geographic heritage. Islam being the most modern of the religions has derived some of its precepts from its immediate predecessor Christianity. The evidence for this assertion could be found in respective holy books The Koran and The Bible. It is in this context that we will be comparing the characters of Sulayman (Koran) and Solomon (Bible). Though the characters of Sulayman and Solomon are essentially the same, although there are a few factual inconsistencies between the two accounts. This paper will argue that the portrayal of Sulayman in the Holy Koran is more generous and reverential when compared to that of Holy Bible. Before moving to the central points that support the thesis, a brief overview of the basic differences and similarities is warranted. When comparing the two texts, some key differences in the depiction of Sulayman/Solomon is revealed. Firstly, in the Holy Koran, the emphasis was laid on Sulayman's role as a Prophet, where as in the Holy Bible he is portrayed as a King. And to go with the notion of a prophet, Sulaiman was endowed with supernatural powers such as the power to move wind. The following select quotations from Abdul Haleem's translation of the Holy Koran illustrates this point: “And (We made) the wind subservient to Sulaiman whereof the morning course was a month's journey and the course a month's journey." (54:12) "So We subjected the wind to his power, setting fair by his command withersoever he intended" (38:36) "And unto Sulaiman We subdued the wind in its raging. It flows by his order towards the land which We had blessed And of every thing We are aware." (21:81)” Seen from an Islamic point of view, one need not see any contradition in designations such as a Prophet or a King, for in the Islamic tradition, most Prophets happen to be Kings and viceversa, including Prophet Muhammad himself. Secondly, in the Holy Koran, Sulayman is said to have lived only 53 years; whereas The Bible suggests that he lived longer than that. Other minor differences in the two versions pertain to minor linguistic differences such as King David (the father of Solomon) being referred as Prophet Daud in the Holy Koran. As for similarities, the historical/religious character in question is said to have gathered knowledge from his illustrious father. And Allah, upon noticing the wisdom of the young sire is said to have conferred upon him mythic powers to rule over his kingdom. The kingdom, rich and sprawling as it was, stretched till Yemen in the South. And his loyal subjects were in turn thankful for Sulayman's wisdom and righteousness. A similar description of Solomon's powers and riches is found in the Holy Bible as well. For example, the New International Version of Bible notes that “King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth. The whole world sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart. Year after year, everyone who came brought a gift—articles of silver and gold, robes, weapons and spices, and horses and mules”. (1 Kings 10:23-25) The most noticeable discrepancy between the two versions lay in the way Sulayman/Solomon's last days were written about. Several editions of the Bible hold that Solomon deviated from the righteous path and indulged in practices of idolatory toward the end of his life. And as a result of this, he fell in disfavor of God and his once prosperous and powerful kingdom ultimately disintegrated under the reign of his heir Rehoboam. But in the Holy Koran there is no identification of Sulayman with idolatory and sinfulness. It shows him as an exemplar follower of the preachings of Allah all through his life. This difference in the account of twilight years of Solomon's life is what accounts for the persisting legacy of Prophet Sulayman in Islamic discourse of today, as opposed to the lesser stature accorded to King Solomon when compared to other Christian saints and apostles. There is also ambiguity in the Christian conception of Solomon, as the geneology of Jesus given by Matthew mentions Solomon whereas that given by Luke does not mention it. In the same vein, we see that certain denominations of the Christian faith such as the Eastern Orthodox Church hold Solomon in higher esteem than other denominations. The evidence for this comes from the fact the Eastern Orthodox Church confers the title of 'Righteous King and Prophet' on Solomon and dedicates a special Sunday as a feast day. Further supporting the thesis is the fact that in the Islamic conception of Sulayman, we notice that he possessed mystical powers that enabled him to rule over the Jinns, decipher the language of animals, birds and insects, and was able to grasp that which is beyond sensory perception. He possessed these special powers apart from his ability to move wind. As Abdul Haleem's translation of the Holy Koran notes, “And to Solomon (We made) the Wind (obedient): Its early morning (stride) was a month's (journey), and its evening (stride) was a month's (journey); and We made a Font of molten brass to flow for him; and there were Jinns that worked in front of him, by the leave of his Lord, and if any of them turned aside from our command, We made him taste of the Penalty of the Blazing Fire. (034.012) They worked for him as he desired, (making) arches, images, basons as large as reservoirs, and (cooking) cauldrons fixed (in their places): "Work ye, sons of David, with thanks! but few of My servants are grateful!"(034.013)” On a broader view, what is also evident from the relevant passages is the fundamental thrust of the two great religions. Although both Christianity and Islam are monotheistic, the latter is not rooted on individual personalities. For example, while Jesus Christ was the Son of God, Prophet Mohammad was only the messenger carrying God's words to the faithful. And the two texts in question show their different stances on the veneration of the individual. This fact is a contributing factor to the importance each associate to the story of Solomon/Sulayman. In the case of the Bible, King Solomon is shown to be an example of the consequences of God's wrath upon deviants and digressors. And it strongly resonates with the concept of Hell, as purported by Christianity. This is probably the reason why emphasis has been laid on the historicity of King Solomon and his kingdom – the supporting proof of which can translate into authenticity for the religion as a whole. In Christian theological journals and magazines of recent times, sections are dedicated to covering topics of historicity. What we could deduce from the varying treatment of the story of Solomon is the originating period of the two religions. Christianity precedes Islam by thirteen centuries and as time has gone by the Holy Bible has acquired elaboration and lyrical ornamentation not usually seen in the latter. The story of King Solomon is a good example of this point. And all these minor and major differences in the depiction of Sulayman/Solomon go on to strenghthen the stated thesis that “ the portrayal of Sulayman in the Holy Koran is more generous and reverential when compared to that of Holy Bible”. Works Cited: Abdel Haleem's translatin of the Holy Qu'ran, published by Oxford University Press. The New International Version of the Holy Bible, retrieved from http://www.biblegateway.com/ on 16th September, 2010 Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“Quranic and Biblical Depictions of Sulayman Research Paper”, n.d.)
Quranic and Biblical Depictions of Sulayman Research Paper. Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/religion-and-theology/1742011-quranic-and-biblical-depictions-of-sulayman
(Quranic and Biblical Depictions of Sulayman Research Paper)
Quranic and Biblical Depictions of Sulayman Research Paper. https://studentshare.org/religion-and-theology/1742011-quranic-and-biblical-depictions-of-sulayman.
“Quranic and Biblical Depictions of Sulayman Research Paper”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/religion-and-theology/1742011-quranic-and-biblical-depictions-of-sulayman.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Quranic and Biblical Depictions of Sulayman

Deductions and Losses:Certain Itemized Deductions

Deductions and Losses: Certain Itemized Deductions Institution Affiliation Deductions and Losses: Certain Itemized Deductions Medical expenditures, mortgage and investment interest as well as benevolent contributions are normally considered as itemized subtractions.... hellip; Normally, deductions made on the medical expenses tend to be restricted to the total by which they are in excess of 7....
3 Pages (750 words) Essay

Biblical Authority

Indeed, the author's major strength was for him to have attributed all his arguments to biblical relations and paying homage to other people on the other side of his position.... This paper stresses that the authority of the scripture or bible may be looked at from a point of view where the bible or scripture is seen as God Himself and not just pieces of words and sentences to be obeyed authoritatively....
3 Pages (750 words) Article

How art embodies cultural identity (Aztec Vs.New nations of the US)

Aztec art, however, was primarily created for religious… xpression and aspects of the creation story, various gods and their interactions and depictions of the afterlife can be found in almost every piece of known Aztec art.... Aztec art, however, was primarily created for religious expression and aspects of the creation story, various gods and their interactions and depictions of the afterlife can be found in almost every piece of known Aztec art.... Religion in the United States, which is predominantly Christianity, at times forbids artistic expression of the religion (Hollingsworth, 2004, p341) and at others is often limited to Renaissance-style depictions of Bible stories with a heavy focus on the central character, Jesus Christ....
2 Pages (500 words) Essay

The World and Its Origin

The world and its origin has piqued the curiosity of every individual the world; before the theory of evolution was brought forward every culture had their own take on the creation of the world.... Besides cultural, there is a strong religious connotations attached to the creation… f the world; out of all the tales the Judeo-Christian version highlighted in the book of Genesis, the first book of the Bible has become synonymous with everyone and has established the framework for sexual identities and gender roles in the society. The substance of this prose will not only discuss the Christian version of the origin of this world but will also highlight Islamic version that closely follows the same Christian version but with some stark differences in its depiction....
5 Pages (1250 words) Essay

The rise of biblical tradition

Rings represent the trinity though there are numerous depictions of the same used by Christians.... Ancient and modern symbols Most of the ancient Christian iconography depictions were similar to that of paganism culture, for instance, the Latin cross and varied emergent meanings attributed to motifs still used in Christianity (Thomas & Newton, 2012).... Christian iconography began… wo years after Christ's demise whereby during then images had a representation of biblical episodes to stress on deliverance (Gwynn, Bangert & Lavan, 2010)....
2 Pages (500 words) Essay

What Is the Quran about according to Fazlur Rahmans Book Major Themes of the Quran

Unlike the other produced commentaries which often take the form of verse to verse approach, or topical arrangement of the Qur'anic… rses which basically can serve as a source or an index, they however are of no help to students who seek to acquit themselves with Qur'anic position on God, man, or society (Rahman 5)....
6 Pages (1500 words) Essay

Adam and Eve as Commonly Used Motifs in Medieval Art and Architecture

These depictions of Adam and Eve have several significant similarities, including subject matter, moment within the narrative of the fall of Adam and Eve, and facial expressions especially, though they differ greatly in expressions of character, mostly along gendered lines, with the Adam statue expressing a much more holy and thoughtful nature, while the Eve sculpture expresses a more physically bound, primal nature.... In most popular depictions, Eve is seen as having succumbed first, and tempted Adam into eating the fruit after she had already fallen....
7 Pages (1750 words) Essay

Biblical Perspectives

This literature review "biblical Perspectives" discusses the Bible which is considered as God's message for life and encouragement.... rom a biblical perspective, the covenant is an agreement between God and his followers that is based more on loyalty and allegiance....
6 Pages (1500 words) Literature review
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us