Answering "answering-islam.org"
Part 2
Contradictions
Critic:-
This article tries to refute Islam by citing what they consider to be contradictions in the Quran. This is to retaliate against Muslims who cite contradictions in the Bible.
Answer:-
But they themselves tell us:-
"We do not reject the Qur'an because of this list of contradictions. There are many reasons of much more substantial nature why we do not believe the Quran to be from the one true God. You will find those discussed on other pages of this web site (e.g. [1], [2]). This page is not intended as an attack on the Quran. Sadly, many Muslims have become unnecessarily aggravated because they did not understand the purpose of this collection."
"Debates about contradictions are rarely fruitful because people tend to insist on reading the texts of the opponent in the most rigid and literal manner to make it look bad, while being very lenient with their own book, allowing extra assumptions, metaphorical interpretations and other means to somehow explain how this can be understood without being a contradiction. "
"If you are able to resolve to your own satisfaction the Qur'an problems presented here, then probably you will be able to understand that Christians can with a similar effort explain to their own satisfaction most of the difficulties in the Bible. Try to be fair and evaluate the Bible with an equal standard as the Qur'an. Don't judge it with harsher criteria than you are ready to use when reading the Qur'an. Even better, read the Bible to understand its meaning and message and not to find fault with it on such superficial levels."
We can reverse this and ask Christians to be fair in evaluating the Quran.
It must be admitted, however, that some of the criticisms made by Muslims against the Old and New Testament are naïve, though some are certainly valid. These criticisms are made, the critics think, because Muslims believe that the Quran states that the Old and New Testament have been corrupted. But this corruption refers mainly to the interpretation rather than the written text, though there have been known additions and mistranslation also. The Old and New Testaments are not records of direct revelations, but reports about them by others, which were orally transmitted for years before they were recorded. It is, however, necessary to note that the Prophet Muhammad (saw) did judge the Jews and Christians according to their own scriptures.
Most of the contradictions this anti-Islamic site mentions can be seen to have been created by deliberate or naive misinterpretation and this does them no credit whatever. Nor are they any defense for some real discrepancies between the Gospels - that is, if they are to be interpreted as literally as the critics wish to interpret the Quran.
The fact remains that it is people who interpret things according to their capacities for understanding, desires and prejudices. The contradictions exist in the minds of those who are looking for them. The Quran states that there are no contradictions in it. It is, therefore, for the reader to interpret it in the manner where no contradictions exist. It is hardly possible that the Prophet (saw) would have allowed them to stay if he thought they were contradictions and not from God. Most of these criticism are trivial, naive and frivolous as can be seen from the supposed contradictions below:-
Critic:-
4:11-12,176 gives Inheritance Laws which the critics tell us gives the various parties portions that combine to more than the amount to be inherited.
Answer:-
They did not find it strange that what they have discovered went unnoticed by the Prophet and by all Muslim lawyers ever since! An example is when a man dies leaving three daughters, two parents and a wife. 2/3 they say goes to the daughters, 1/3 to the parents and 1/8 goes to the wife, which makes a total of 1 and 1/8. It does not occur to them that the problem can be resolved by giving the wife 1/8 and the dividing the rest to the others. In the other example a man dies leaving his mother (who gets 1/3), a wife (who gets 1/4) and two sisters (who get 2/3). This adds up to 1 and 1/4. But the wife can be given 1/4 and rest can be divided. Another way of calculating things is to add up all portions as follows 1/3=4/12, 1/4=3/12 and 2/3=8/12 which gives us 15/12. The estate is divided into 15 portions and the claimants are given 4, 3 and 8 portions.
Critic:-
They tell us that there is a contradiction between verses 3:42-45 and 19:17-21 about the number of angels who spoke to Mary. It is plural in one and singular in the other.
Answer:-
But one angel can speak for the others.
Critic:-
Allah's day equal to 1,000 human years (Sura 22:47, 32:5) or 50,000 human years (Sura 70:4)?
Answer:-
This refers to the relativity of Time. Quran 70:4 does not say "human years" but "a Day the measure of which is fifty thousand years". The critic is confused by his own invention. The Day refers to a period of time and depends on what process we are speaking about. It is a day for us if we speak about the rotation of the earth. But it could also refer to the revolution of the earth round the sun (which is a year) and so on. There are processes that take 1000 years and others take 50,000 years.
Critic:-
How many gardens are there in paradise? ONE [as stated in 39:73, 41:30, 57:21, 79:41] or MANY [18:31, 22:23, 35:33, 78:32]?
Answer:-
There are many degrees of Paradise. How else can everyone be rewarded justly according to his deeds. The Garden has many parts, each of which is a Garden. Do the critics not know that Jesus also taught that were many mansions in the Father's House (John 14:12)?
Critic:-
According to Sura 56:7 there will be THREE distinct groups of people at the Last Judgement, but 90:18-19, 99:6-8, etc. mention only TWO groups.
Answer:-
This is a strange argument. If you recognize three classes, then if you mention two of them, it is to be counted as a contradiction!
The class of persons not mentioned in these latter verses are the Foremost, those near Allah and are distinct from those who do both good and evil.
Critic:-
There are conflicting views on who takes the souls at death: THE Angel of Death [32:11], THE angels (plural) [47:27] but also "It is Allah that takes the souls (of men) at death." [39:42]
Answer:-
When a house is built is it the Architect who builds it, or the person who commissions it, or the workers or the foremen? Is it a contradiction to say that one of these built it and also that the others built it. The angel of death works on behalf of Allah AND has assistants.
Critic:-
How many days did Allah need to destroy the people of Aad? One day [54:19] or several days [41:16; 69:6,7].
Answer:-
The Day refers to a period of time in which a phenomena takes place. It may be one day or many days or years.
Critic:-
Six or eight days of creation? Sura 7:54, 10:3, 11:7, and 25:59 clearly state that God created "the heavens and the earth" in six days. But in 41:9-12 the detailed description of the creation procedure adds up to eight days.
Answer:-
It is not difficult to see that according to 41:9-12 there were two periods, one of two days and the other of four days. The total is 6 days.
Critic:-
Quick or Slow Creation? Allah creates the heavens and the earth in six days [7:54] and many Muslims want to be modern and scientific, and make that six eons, but then again, He creates instantaneously [2:117], "Be! And it is".
Answer:-
Creation, from the point of view of God, is instantaneous. Not only is it the case that an instant for God might be millions of years as seen by man, but after the command the unfolding might take a long time. This is just as from the scientific point of the Universe arose from a Big Bang which was instantaneous but it is still expanding and changing after thousands of millions of years.
"Allah is He Who created seven heavens, and of the earth the like of them. The Commandment continues to descend among them slowly, that you may know that Allah has power over all things and that Allah indeed encompasses all things in knowledge. " 65:12
Critic:-
Heavens or Earth? Which was created first? First earth and then heaven [2:29], heaven and after that earth [79:27-30]
Answer:-
Any unprejudiced reader can see that Quran 2:29 does not say that the earth was created first, but that all things on earth were created by God for man and that the heavens were also created and fashioned by Him.
Critic:-
In the process of creation heaven and earth were first apart and are called to come together [41:11], while 21:30 states that they were originally one piece and then ripped apart.
Answer:-
Quran 41:11. reads: "He directed Himself to the heaven when it was smoke (or gas), so He said unto it and unto the earth: Come ye together (or both), willingly or unwillingly. They both said: We come in willing obedience."
It is not therefore difficult to see that if it was Gas then coming together means condensing. This accords with Astronomical Theory. It is wonder that the critic does not take the words literally and object to the heaven and earth replying in Arabic. Willingness in the above implies that they obeyed their own nature rather than having an external coercive force acting on them.
Critic:-
What was man created from? A blood clot [96:1-2], water [21:30, 24:45, 25:54], "sounding" (i.e. burned) clay [15:26], dust [3:59, 30:20, 35:11], nothing [19:67] and this is then denied in 52:35, earth [11:61], a drop of thickened fluid [16:4, 75:37]
Answer:-
Man did not exist at one time. So he was nothing. He was created out of earth, clay or dust which refer to the same thing looked at from different points of view. He came out of water in several senses:- (a) that life arose in the sea and evolved from there, (b) that a person is conceived from the sperm fluid, (c) that the baby arises from a sack of fluid in the womb, (d) that we all need water to live, (e) that water is also symbolic for the ground state of existence.
Critic:-
Where is Allah and his throne? Allah is nearer than the jugular vein [50:16], but he is also on the throne [57:4] which is upon the water [11:7], and at the same time so far away, that it takes between 1,000 and 50,000 years to reach him [32:5, 70:4].
Answer:-
This question looks as if it was asked by a person of very low intelligence. The Quran tells us that Allah surrounds all things and that He is the first and the last, the inner and the outer, and that His Spirit is in man.. Water symbolizes the ground state of existence and the throne symbolizes authority and control.
Critic:-
The origin of calamity? Is the evil in our life from Satan [38:41], Ourselves [4:79], or Allah [4:78]?
Answer:-
This is similar to the question about who is the builder, the owner who commissions the work, the architect, the engineers or the workers. All power comes originally from Allah, even that used by Satan and ourselves. But there are levels of it - spiritual, psychological, biological, electromagnetic, chemical, mechanical. One can operate at any of these levels.
Critic:-
How merciful is Allah's mercy? He has prescribed mercy for himself [6:12], yet he does not guide some, even though he could [6:35, 14:4].
Answer:-
God has given man a certain amount of freedom and tests him. Man is to act as an agent of God.
Critic:-
Will there be inquiry in Paradise? "neither will they question one another" [23:101] but nevertheless they will be "engaging in mutual inquiry" [52:25], "and they will ... question one another" [37:27].
Answer:-
These verses should not be taken out of context but read with respect to the surrounding verses. Quran 23:101 speaks about the Day of Judgment and tells us that people will feel no kinship - they will be concerned only with themselves. 37:27 tells us that there are mutual accusations that they were misled by others. But 52:25 is speaking about after the judgment.
Critic:-
Are angels protectors? "NO protector besides Allah" [2:107, 29:22]. But in Sura 41:31 the angels themselves say: "We are your protectors in this life and the Hereafter." And also in other suras is their role described as guarding [13:11, 50:17-18] and protecting [82:10].
Answer:-
Ultimately there is no protector but God. The angels only obey God. They are agents through whom God works.
Critic:-
Is everything devoutly obedient to Allah? That is the claim in 30:26, but dozens of verses speak of the proud disobedience of Satan [7:11, 15:28-31, 17:61, 20:116, 38:71-74, 18:50] as well of many different human beings who reject His commands and His revelations.
Answer:-
All power comes from Allah. Nothing happens except by command, ordinance or permission of Allah. The purposes and plans of Allah cannot be flouted. But we have to recognize different levels of existence. What is appropriate at one level is not appropriate at another. Satan was permitted to tempt man and this is still within the Divine plan e.g. to test man. Man was allowed to stray but this merely means a drop in the level of functioning.
Critic:-
Does Allah forgive shirk (associating partners with God)? Shirk is considered the worst of all sins, but the author of the Quran seems unable to decide if Allah will ever forgive it or not. No [4:48, 116], Yes [4:153, 25:68-71]. Abraham committed this sin of polytheism as he takes moon, sun, stars to be his Lord [6:76-78], yet Muslims believe that all prophets are without any sin.
Answer:-
Shirk, associating partners with Allah, is unforgivable. But people can repent and cease to make shirk and are then forgiven. Prophets are human beings and can make errors. But they repent and are forgiven their sins, which makes them sinless.
Critic:-
Was Jonah cast on the desert shore or was he not? "Then We cast him on a desert shore while he was sick" [37:145] "Had not Grace from his Lord reached him, he would indeed have been cast off on the naked shore while he was reprobate (or blameworthy)." [68:49]
Answer:-
The quotation explains itself by the qualification "while he was reprobate."
Critic:-
Moses and the Injil? Jesus is born more than 1,000 years after Moses, but in 7:157 Allah speaks to Moses about what is written in the Injil [the book given to Jesus].
Answer:-
This appears to be a complete misreading. However, some of the same ideas which exist in the Old Testament also exist in the New Testament and it can also contain predictions about what will happen and that would be recorded in the New Testament.
Critic:-
Can slander of chaste women be forgiven? Yes [24:5], No [24:23].
Answer:-
Quran 24:5 tells us that they will be forgiven if they repent.
Critic:-
How do we receive the record on Judgment Day? On Judgement day the lost people are given the Record (of their bad deeds): Behind their back [84:10], or in their left hand [69:25].
Answer:-
Those who do not have a wholly literal understanding of language will understand that the significance of both these statements is the same. Does the critic really think that the "Record" will be a literal book in which the account of their deeds is written?
Critic:-
Can angels disobey? No angel is arrogant, they all obey Allah [16:49-50], but: "And behold, we said to the ANGELS: 'Bow down to Adam'. And THEY bowed down, EXCEPT Iblis. He refused and was haughty." [2:34].
Answer:-
Iblis is said to be a Jinn who had been an arch-angel. He was a creation of Allah and also obeyed his own nature.
Critic:-
Three contradictions in 2:97 and 16:101-103 Who brings the revelation from Allah to Muhammad? The ANGEL Gabriel [2:97], or the Holy Spirit [16:102]?
Answer:-
The angel Gabriel is said to be an arch-angel made of Spirit. The Spirit can be said to manifest to the Messenger in the form of Gabriel.
Critic:-
The new revelation confirms the old [2:97] or substitutes it [16:101]?
Answer:-
The new revelation confirms the old but has more in it than the previous and is formulated differently. It is suitable for the new age. Therefore, it supersedes the old.
Critic:-
The Qur'an is PURE Arabic [16:103] but there are numerous foreign, non-Arabic words in it.
Answer:-
If foreign words are incorporated into a language then those words become naturalized. The words have different sense in Arabic and the grammar remains Arabic. It could also be that Arabic words have been exported into other languages and appear to be foreign.
Critic:-
The infinite loop problem Sura 26:192,195,196: "It (the Qur'an) is indeed a revelation from the Lord of the Worlds, ... in clear Arabic speech and indeed IT (the Qur'an) is in the writings of the earlier (prophets)." Now, the 'earlier writings' are the Torah and the Injil for example, written in Hebrew and Greek. HOW can an ARABIC Qur'an be contained in books of other languages? Furthermore, it would have to contain this very passage of the Qur'an since the Qur'an is properly contained in them. Hence these earlier writings have to be contained in yet other earlier writings and we are in an infinite loop, which is absurd.
Answer:-
This argument is nonsense, and the writers must know it. If superficial interpretations make no sense then intelligent interpretation is required. These statements are not about physical books or particular languages. The Quran, understood as its meaning, is contained in previous scriptures also understood as their meaning or truth, particularly the awareness of the spiritual dimension. That is why it is a confirmation of them.
Critic:-
Re: Lot's wife - "So we delivered him and his family, - all except an old woman who lingered behind." [Sura 26:170-171] And again: "But we saved him and his family, except his wife: she was of those who lagged behind. [Sura 7:83]. Either this is a contradiction or if indeed Lot's wife is derogatorily called "an old woman" then this does not show much respect for her as a wife of a prophet.
Answer:-
Yes the Old Woman was Lot's wife. But why does the critic think that "old woman" is derogatory? It should, however, be noted that the title "wife" has been deliberately avoided here because she was one "who looked back", perhaps with longing or regret unlike the Prophet and was not, therefore, to be associated with Lot and counted among the righteous.
Critic:-
"And his (Lot's) people gave NO answer but this: They said: Drive them out of your city: these are indeed men who want to be clean and pure!" [Sura 7:82 & 27:56]. Yet: "But his people gave NO answer but this: They said: Bring us the Wrath of Allah if thou tellest the truth." [Sura 29:29]. Obviously these answers are different.
Answer:-
This concerns the difficulties of translation. This does not give the exact words they said, but gives us their attitude. It should read something like this: "They had no answer to this, but..."
Critic:-
The "pleasure" of Allah? Is God's action of punishment or mercy and guidance or misguidance arbitrary?
Answer:-
No. What makes the critic think that the "pleasure" of Allah is not sufficient reason. The Quran makes clear that Allah acts with Justice and Benevolence and guides those who seek guidance and obey His instructions. These things please Him.
Critic:-
Did Abraham smash the idols? The accounts of Abraham, Suras 19:41-49, 6:74-83 differ quite a bit from Sura 21:51-59. While in Sura 21 Abraham confronts his people strongly, and even destroys the idols, in Sura 19 Abraham shuts up after his father threatens him to stone him for speaking out against the idols. And he seems not only to become silent, but even to leave the area ("turning away from them all").
Answer:-
An event can be seen and described in more than one way depending on which features of it are selected. How the event is described depends on the intention and context for which it is described. A more comprehensive picture is obtained when the event is described from several angles.
Critic:-
What about Noah's son? According to Sura 21:76, Noah and his family is saved from the flood, and Sura 37:77 confirms that his seed survived. But Sura 11:42-43 reports that Noah's son drowns.
Answer:-
Noah had more than one off springs and even if one of his sons drowned he might also have had a wife and children who survived.
Critic:-
Was Noah driven out? "Before them *the people of Noah* rejected (their messenger): They rejected Our servant and said, 'Here is One possessed!' And he was driven out." [Sura 54:9] Now, if he is driven out [expelled from their country] how come they can scoff at him while he is building the ark since we read "Forthwith he (starts) constructing the Ark: Every time that the Chiefs of *his people* passed by him, they threw ridicule on him." [Sura 11:38] He cannot be both: Driven out and near enough that they can regularly pass by.
Answer:-
The verse 54:9 signifies rejection rather than driven out. It might mean ostracized, not recognized as belonging to their community. But even if banished to some place outside their town they might still pass him in their travels. They might even go to see what he was doing and to jeer.
Critic:-
Pharaoh's repentance in the face of death? According to Sura 10:90-92, Pharaoh repented "in the sight of death" and was saved. But Sura 4:18 says that such a thing can't happen.
Answer:-
Quran 10:90-92 does not say that Pharaoh's repentance was accepted. It merely tells us that his body was saved.
Critic:-
Abrogation? "The words of the Lord are perfect in truth and justice; there is NONE who can change His words." [Sura 6:115] Also see 6:34 and 10:65. But then Allah (Muhammad?) sees the need to exchange some of them for "better ones" [Sura 2:106, 16:101]. And it is not for ignorant people to question Allah because of such practices!
Answer:-
Quran 2:106 and 16:101 do not state that Muhammad could change the words of Allah. We are told that Allah has power over all things and replace one revelation for another. As revelation also refers to the phenomena of nature where changes do take place and one set of conditions is replaced by another then there should be nothing surprising that the instructions which enable us to adjust to changing conditions should also change. But the fundamental Laws that regulate the changes remain always the same. Intelligence requires that the distinction between what is constant and what is temporary and conditional should be understood. We humans are required not to change the Words of God. But the very Christians who object to the idea of change in the Word of God have and continue to alter their religion. They have, for instance abandoned the Mosaic Law, and constantly bring reforms to the Church in conformity with changing worldly fashions.
Critic:-
Guiding to truth? "Say: 'God - He guides to the truth; and which is worthier to be followed ...?" [Sura 10:35] But how much is left over of this worthiness when we also read: "Allah leads astray whom he pleases, and he guides whom He pleases, ..." [Sura 14:4]. And how do we know in which of Allah's categories of pleasure we fall? How sure can a Muslim be that he is one of those guided right and not one of those led astray?
Answer:-
If these questions were sincere then the critic would seek the answers by studying the Quran and he would find what pleases or displeases Allah and that "Allah guides not miscreants".
Critic:-
What is the punishment for adultery? Flogging with a 100 stripes (men and women) [24:2], "confine them to houses until death do claim them (lifelong house arrest - for the women) [4:15]. For men: "If they repent and amend, leave them alone" [4:16]. 24:2 contradicts both the procedure for women and men in Sura 4. And why is the punishment for women and men equal in Sura 24 but different in Sura 4?
Answer:-
How is it that Muslims are not confused by these issues? Why has the critic not bothered finding out the answer? And why does he quote only part of the verse? Verse 4:15 does not merely speak about adultery but lewdness which might mean any sexual perversion and has in addition "or Allah ordain for them some other way." This other way is given in 24:2, which also applies to the men. Verse 4:16 also speaks about Lewdness and refers also to homosexual behaviour.
Critic:-
Will Christians enter Paradise or go to Hell? Sura 2:62 and 5:69 say "Yes", Sura 5:72 (just 3 verses later) and 3:85 say "No".
Answer:-
Quran 2:62 and 5:69 says: "those who are Jews or Christians or Sabaeans, whosoever believes in Allah and the Last Day and acts aright, they have their reward with their Lord." Quran 5:72 says: "Verily, he who associates ought with Allah, Allah hath forbidden him Paradise, and his resort is the Fire, and the unjust shall have none to help them." So if Christians are polytheist or worship something else as a co-god then there is no paradise for them. Quran 3:85 tells us that anyone who craves a religion other than "Surrender to Allah", this will not be accepted by him. This does not refer exclusively to the religion brought by the Prophet Muhammad, but to any genuine religion brought by a genuine Messenger from God.
(Continued in next article)
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