The shorter verses are called the Meccan surahs because it is believed that Mohammed received them in the holy city Mecca. The longer chapters are called the Medinian chapters because it is believed that Mohammad received them in Medina. The Koran contains the Islamic law: the Five Pillars of Islam. The Five Pillars of Islam state guidelines on prayer, confession, faith, charity, fasting, and re-enacting the pilgrimage to Mecca. Each Muslim, unless prevented by some handicap, is expected to make a hajj, or pilgrimage, to the holy city of Mecca. The hajj is made two months and ten days after Ramadan, a month of fasting remembering Muhammad's first revelation. The Koran teaches Muslims how to live life everyday and has the final say over any dispute.
The Christian Bible consists of two books: the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament, which is the Jewish holy book called the Torah, is made up of twenty-four different books. The first five books are called the Five Books of Moses, which tells the origin of the Jewish people and the set of beliefs the Jews hold. Moses was one of the first Jewish prophets and possibly the most famous. He led the Hebrew people, as ordered by God, out of Egypt, freed them from slavery, and led them to the Promised Land. The Old Testament was first told in oral tradition and was later collected and written down over centuries primarily in Hebrew. The second book of the Christian Bible is the New Testament. Similarly to the Old Testament, the New Testament contains twenty-seven books. The first four are called the Gospels, which are parallel to the Five Books of Moses in that they explain the origin of the Christians and the set of beliefs Christians hold. The Christian Bible was first written in Greek because all of its authors were Greek, but the culture and perspective was that of a Hebrew. The Christian Bible tells stories of both the Hebrew and Christian people, stories of the prophets and revelations each prophet experienced, and rules each Christian should abide.