What “Tools” are good for understanding the Bible? There are about a dozen or so different Bible Software packages on the market. While everyone has their favorites, I especially like two different packages. Which is the best for You?. . . it depends on your needs.
Biblical Software:
If you enjoy with (almost) strictly with the Biblical Texts (Greek and Hebrew) then “Bibleworks 8” is an excellent package. There are dozens of different English, Greek, Hebrew and foreign language Bible versions.
If you want a software package for Bible Study AND a “Library” of Christian Books, then “Libronix” Bible Software is great. I currently have more than 3000 different books, commentaries, Bible versions, theological journals…. and more! I remember years ago having to pull lots of “regular” books off of my bookshelf, and try to find information related to the topic I was researching. The research took a lot of time! Now I can search for a particular topic in 3000 different resources in much less time! (Libronix also includes the ability to integrate a Qur’an with it…).
Some other well know Bible software packages include Quickverse and Wordsearch.
Islamic Software:
Now many Christians, especially Pastors already have Bible study software. Many (Most?) Christians though who might be interested in learning more about Islam have no idea what software they can purchase or use to learn more about the teachings and beliefs of Islam. If as a Christian you don’t want to spend money on Islamic software… a free package produced by “DivineIslam” is available for free download. There are several different English translations of the Qur’an (sometimes transliterated as “Koran”). The Small download is about 5 megabytes. Another site offers individual English Translations and also a “Full” download (about 150 megs!). They also offer a download of the Hadith.
The best “commercial” Islamic software I have seen is called “The Alim.” This software includes several good English translations of the Qur’an, The Hadith, and the basic beliefs of Islam. One nice aspect of this software is the ability to see a comparison of the different English versions at the same time. If are a Christian, the cost is $24.95 (a cheaper, smaller download).
Conclusion:
First, as a Christian I believe it is important to understand those that we are trying to minister too. While I have many books written by Christians regarding Islam, I believe it is important to have a solid understanding of Islam from Islam’s “own” books: The Qur’an, Hadith, etc. Many of you will not want to spend money on Islamic software (because of a fear the money might be used to help the spread of Islam?), but there is free software (listed above) that can be downloaded. Most Public Library’s will also have a copy of the Qur’an available to check out (If they have it, I recommend the version “The Message of The Qur’an by Muhammad Asad.” His English translation seems to be the easiest to understand (the English is more natural and less antiquated).
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