As Holy Quran was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) ), Books had been revealed to the messengers, we should not think Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was the first Prophet to receive a Book from Allah. Each Prophet who had been sent before him was revealed with a Book in his own vernacular language.
A few Muslims say, ”only four Books, namely Taurath, Zabur, Injeel and Quran are revealed upon mankind by Allah. But this view is incorrect. It is true that the names of only these four Books have been in the Quran. But in fact the Quran itself assures that all the (Anbia) Prophets (pbut) were revealed with Books.
(Refer Quranic verses 2:213, 14:4, 19:12, 57:25, 87:18, 18)
All the Anbia Prophets (pbut) were given Books. Yet, their names are not mentioned in the Quran.
Some people have identified the Book into two types. They are ‘Kitab’ which they assume as big volumes, and Suhoof which they assume as booklets.
They also say that the four Books (Quran, Taurath, Injeel and Zabur) revealed to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), Prophet Musa, Prophet Isa, and Prophet Dawud only are considered ‘Kitab’ (big volumes) and all other Anbia Prophets (pbut) had received only ‘Suhuf’ (booklet).
But there is no evidence found either in Quran or in true Hadith to prove this. They would also say that the Book known as Kitab only was revealed to Prophet and not Suhuf.
This is also incorrect because it is stated in the Quranic verse 98:2 that Prophet would recite from the Suhuf.
So it is understood that the words, Kitab and Suhuf, have the same meaning and not words which have different meanings.
Believing in the previous Books does not mean that we must follow them. It clearly means that we have to believe that Muhammad (pbuh) alone was not revealed with the Book but other Prophets (pbut) were also given Books.
The Quran which insists on having belief on the previous Books also mentions in many places, ”In those books human ideas have been added, changed, concealed and amended.” (Refer Quranic verses, 2:75, 79, 3:78, 4:46, 5:13, 41)
In addition we must also believe that nowhere in this world we can find any Book except Quran, which has not suffered any change.
