The Psalms

Proclaim, "Believe in it, or do not believe in it." Those who possess knowledge from the previous scriptures, when it is recited to them, they fall down to their chins, prostrating. (17:107)

We have revealed to you this scripture, and those whom we blessed with the previous scripture will be-lieve in it. Also, some of your people will believe in it. Indeed, those who disregard our revelations are the real disbelievers. (29:47)

Did they not make a covenant to uphold the scripture, and not to say about GOD except the truth? Did they not study the scripture?… (7:169)

We are told in many places in the Quran that we should study the previous scriptures. We cannot have knowledge of something unless we read it and study it. We know absolutely that the Quran is the final scripture, that it is complete and fully detailed, and that it supercedes all previous scripture.

What we revealed to you in this scripture is the truth, consummating all previous scriptures. God is fully Cognizant of His servants, Seer. (35:31)

Therefore, if any discrepancies occur between the Bible and the Quran we know that the Quran is the truth. But we also know that the Bible is based on the truth, that it contains God’s word, and that it is full of beautiful passages. None more beautiful than the Psalms.

God truly blessed David when he gave him the Psalms, and He tells us that in the Quran.

Your Lord is the best knower of everyone in the heavens and the earth. In accordance with this knowledge, we preferred some prophets over others. For example, we gave David the Psalms. (17:55) (also 4:163)

Most of the Psalms are short, 5-20 verses, but a few are quite long. All are beautiful in their praise of God. Some are very well known, such as the 23rd Psalm:

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul; he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

Cont’d on page 2