HOW THE QURAN CONTRADICTS ITSELF
Since God is perfect and his Word is therefore perfect, the Quran is not the perfect Word of God as many Muslims attest. The Bible on the other hand does not contain a single contradiction although readers with alterior motives would attempt to discredit it on that basis. A simple reading of the scriptures is not enough but a thorough study will absolve any perceived discrepancies. Just from a surface level, the Quran is full of inconsistencies even in structure because the beginning of it is at the end where as the Bible chronology is remarkably consistent.
There are three basic categories of contradictions in the Qur’an:
Internal contradictions: Verses contradicting each other or the laws of logic
External errors: Verses contradicting the facts of history or science
Verses contradicting the earlier revelations
Further: Contradictions between Muslim Traditions and the Quran.
Below are just some examples for each category:
Internal Contradictions
1. And it just doesn’t add up: Sura 4:11-12 and 4:176 state the Qur’anic inheritance law. When a man dies, and is leaving behind three daughters, his two parents and his wife, they will receive the respective shares of 2/3 for the 3 daughters together, 1/3 for the parents together [both according to verse 4:11] and 1/8 for the wife [4:12] which adds up to more than the available estate. A second example: A man leaves only his mother, his wife and two sisters, then they receive 1/3 [mother, 4:11], 1/4 [wife, 4:12] and 2/3 [the two sisters, 4:176], which again adds up to 15/12 of the available property.2. How many angels were talking to Mary? When the Qur’an speaks about the announciation of the birth of Jesus to the virgin Mary, Sura 3:42,45 speaks about (several) angels while it is only one in Sura 19:17-21.
3. Further numerical discrepancies Does Allah’s day equal to 1,000 human years (Sura 22:47, 32:5) or 50,000 human years (Sura 70:4)? — 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]? — 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. — 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]
Angels have 2, 3, or 4 pairs of wings [35:1]. But Gabriel had 600 wings. [Sahih Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 54, Number 455]4. How many days did Allah need to destroy the people of Aad? One day [54:19] or several days [41:16; 69:6,7]
5. 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.
External Errors
Science
1. Solomon listening to ants? In Sura 27:18-19 Solomon overhears a conversation of ants. Fact is that ants do not use sound but smell to communicate.
2. The stars and the moon The Qur’an teaches that there are seven heavens one above the other [67:3, 71:15], and that the stars are in the lower heaven [67:5, 37:6, 41:12], but the moon is depicted as being in/inside the seven heavens [71:16], even though in reality the stars are much further away from the earth than the moon.
Time Compression
In Sura 7:155-157 we find a prayer by Moses and then Allah’s response to him (Yusuf Ali’s translation):
[7:155] And Moses chose seventy of his people for Our place of meeting: when they were seized with violent quaking, he prayed: “O my Lord! if it had been Thy will Thou couldst have destroyed, long before, both them and me: wouldst Thou destroy us for the deeds of the foolish ones among us? this is no more than Thy trial: by it Thou causest whom Thou wilt to stray, and Thou leadest whom Thou wilt into the right path. Thou art our Protector: so forgive us and give us Thy mercy; for Thou art the best of those who forgive.
[7:156] And ordain for us that which is good, in this life and in the Hereafter: for we have turned unto Thee.” He said: “With My punishment I visit whom I will; but My mercy extendeth to all things. That (mercy) I shall ordain for those who do right, and practise regular charity, and those who believe in Our signs;-
[7.157] those who follow the messenger, the unlettered Prophet, whom they find mentioned in their own (scriptures),- in the law and the Gospel;- for he commands them what is just and forbids them what is evil; he allows them as lawful what is good (and pure) and prohibits them from what is bad (and impure); He releases them from their heavy burdens and from the yokes that are upon them. So it is those who believe in him, honour him, help him, and follow the light which is sent down with him,- it is they who will prosper.”
[7.158] Say: “O men! I am sent unto you all, as the Messenger of Allah, to Whom belongeth the dominion of the heavens and the earth: there is no god but He: it is He That giveth both life and death. So believe in Allah and His Messenger, the Unlettered Prophet, who believeth in Allah and His words: follow him that (so) ye may be guided.”
The structure of the text is clear. 155-156a is Moses praying to Allah for mercy and forgiveness. Then, in 156b (second part of verse 156) Allah’s response to Moses begins and it continues through to the end of 157. Allah gives criteria for the people whom he will be merciful with, introducing each criterion with “those, who …” (1) do right, (2) believe, (3) follow the messenger.
Then in 158 a new discourse begins. In Yusuf Ali’s Qur’an, it is set apart even more strongely by giving it the header “[Section 20]”. In verse 158 then the text continues with Allah’s command to Muhammad to recite (to his own people) that he is this messenger, the unlettered prophet that was mentioned to Moses in verse 157. As such, 157 is the preparation of 158, the authentication for Muhammad that he is indeed a/the true prophet from God because he has already been foretold in the Torah and the Gospel.
Isn’t that powerful proof for the prophethood of Muhammad?
It would be part of positive evidence if it were true. But there are two major problems with this claim.
Many verses in the Qur’an make clear that the Gospel is given to Jesus – but Jesus was born over a thousand years [about 1400] after Moses. For Allah to speak to Moses and say that the people can find the unlettered prophet mentioned in the Gospel is a strong anachronism since the Gospel is not available to Moses and will not be available for another 1400 years.
those who follow the messenger, the unlettered Prophet, whom they find mentioned in their own (scriptures),- in the Law and the Gospel;- … “
This is one of several time compressions which are found in the Quran, i.e. stories involving several persons (or items) who in historical reality are separated by hundreds of years.
This is part of a series of issues where the Quran seemingly has time compressions on its account of historical events.
In Sura 4:155-161 (in Pickthall’s translation) we find this account:
[155]
Then because of their breaking of their covenant, and their disbelieving in the revelations of Allah, and their slaying of the prophets wrongfully, and their saying: Our hearts are hardened – Nay, but Allah set a seal upon them for their disbelief, so that they believe not save a few[156]
And because of their disbelief and of their speaking against Mary a tremendous calumny;[157]
And because of their saying: We slew the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, Allah’s messenger— they slew him not nor crucified him, but it appeared so unto them; and lo! those who disagree concerning it are in doubt thereof; they have no knowledge thereof save pursuit of a conjecture; they slew him not for certain.
[158]
But Allah took him up unto Himself. Allah was ever Mighty, Wise.[159]
There is not one of the People of the Scripture but will believe in him before his death, and on the Day of Resurrection he will be a witness against them —[160]
Because of the wrongdoing of the Jews We forbade them good things which were (before) made lawful unto them,
and because of their much hindering from Allah’s way,[161]
And of their taking usury when they were forbidden it, and of their devouring people’s wealth by false pretences, We have prepared for those of them who disbelieve a painful doom.Yusuf Ali translates 4:160 as “For the iniquity of the Jews We made unlawful for them certain (foods) good and wholesome which had been lawful for them; …” and by this clarifying that the things forbidden pertain to dietary laws, i.e. they are certain kind of foods. This is in accordance with this yet another aya in the Qur’an, Sura 6:146, stating:
And to those who were Jews We made unlawful all of those who have claws, and of oxen and sheep We made unlawful to them the fat of both, except such as was on their backs or the entrails or what was mixed with bones: this was a punishment We gave them on account of their rebellion, and We are surely Truthful.
There are many errors in the above Qur’anic statements.
Fact 1: The nation of Israel only came into being at the time of Moses and this is the only time Israel received any law. It is also anachronistic to speak of “the Jews” for this time. It was the children of Israel. The name “Jews” only came into use nearly a thousand years after that. When the ten tribes from the northern kingdom had been deported from Israel by the Assyrians and only the tribe of Judah and some remnants from other tribes were left behind, the tribe of Judah came to represent all of them. But to speak of the Israelites as “the Jews” is something that only became reality after the return from the exile to Babylon by the tribe of Judah.
Fact 2: The later prophets speak out against Israel’s disobedience many times, but never does God add any further laws to those given through Moses in the Torah. All the dietary laws, the laws against usury and all other laws are in the Torah. No later additions are made at any time. Moses lived about 1,400 B.C.
Fact 3: The Jewish scriptures do report the slaying of various prophets but all of these are in the time after David, i.e. at least 500 years after Moses and the time the Torah was given.
Fact 4: The last part of the Jewish scriptures was written about 400 B.C. There was no prophet to the Jews between that time and the time of John the Baptist and Jesus. John the Baptist and Jesus lived and preached about A.D. 25-30. But they are not recognized as prophets by the Jews. It remains that the last recognized Jewish prophet dates about 400 B.C.
Sura 4:156-157 in particular state that the Jews received harsher laws because they rejected Jesus and insulted Mary, his mother. Seemingly, the dietary laws are in view. But these laws and all other laws were given 1,400 years before the birth of Jesus. How could these acts of disobedience be the reason for the dietary laws in the Torah?
This is a clear error of timing in the Qur’an. As this and the other historical compressions show, the Qur’an has little comprehension of historical sequence and exibits several such blunders.
Jesus Old Age
The ministry of Jesus lasted until he was about 33. This is even admitted by Yusuf Ali in his comment no. 388 on Sura 3:46.But Sura 5:110 says he taught the people in (up to his) old age. Can 33 years considered “old age” by any stretch of imagination?
So now the issue of history and consistency should be resolved. None of the “ideas” of the Qu’ran add up to the truth. While we Christians are being asked to “figure it out”, I submit the same question to our Muslim friends. Figure out these issues and explain [please]…if you can.More on the Deity of Christ
We have examined the one side of the Quran that squares with the Bible; and to all concerned, it fits in with Christian concepts and beliefs, especially pointing to the Deity of Jesus. Let us now turn to other aspects of the very Quran which extol Muhammad and play down Jesus to the role of not only a messenger, but one who is even inferior to Muhammad.
Part XXVIII, Chapter 61, verse 6 (Muhammad Ali’s edition) states:
“And when Jesus, son of Mary, said: O Children of Israel, surely I am the messenger of Allah to you, verifying that which is before me of the Torah and giving the good news of a Messenger who will come after me, his name being Ahmed (Muhammad). But when he came to them with clear arguments, they said: This is clear enchantment.”
Ahmed is the other name for Muhammad. In the explanatory note the writer says the word used is “paraclete” or “comforter,” and says Muhammad is referred to as “The promised one,” — “one to deliver the message” — “one who draws nearer and nearer to God.” And the prophet to come would be after Christ’s death. This is all in the teeth of other pronouncements in the Quran which point NOT to the Divinity of Muhammad, but the Divinity of Jesus.
Let us look directly at how the Deity of Jesus is treated as the Son of God. Vide Part VI, Chapter 4, Verse 171, 172:
“O People of the Book, exceed not the limits in your religion nor speak anything about Allah, but the truth. The Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, is only a messenger of Allah….Allah is only one God. Far be it from His glory to have a son.” (Muhammad Ali’s version)
Passages are then set out denying Jesus’ claim to the Godhead. Vide Chapter 5, Verse 116.
Is the Quran the Word of God?
In short, as followers of the Muslim Religion will say: “Jesus is only a prophet; but the greatest of all prophets is Muhammad, who came as the ‘promised one’ to deliver to the world the message of the Quran, which is the Word of God.”
The question must be faced squarely. Is the Quran the Word of God? Not whether it is a good book. Not whether the moral ideals are exemplary. But is it the Word of God?
Jesus’ teachings are well to the fore of Christianity. Maybe we, as Christians, often fail to follow them, to carry them out strictly, or to walk as Jesus walked. Still His Gospel of love resounds throughout a world of conflict. At all stages He cries, “Love!” Yet, in Part VI, Chapter 5, Section 8, Verse 51 (Muhammad Ali version), we find this in the Quran:
“O you who believe, take not the Jews and the Christians for friends, They are friends of each other. And whoever amongst you takes them for friends he is indeed one of them. Surely Allah guides not the unjust people.”
So, in concise form, we have the Quran asserting: God has no son. The Christian replies: “Yes, there is one God made up of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit; like water–a liquid, ice–a solid, and a steam–a vapour; yet all are, in one term, water.
The Quran further states that God tells you not to love the Christian or the Jew as friends! God is love. We must love and be friendly to each other. Anything to the contrary cannot be the Word of God.
The Contradiction
Now the Quran specifically states Jesus is merely a prophet; and that provides us with the other side of the Quran. The Quran, which had affirmed the Deity of Jesus, now denies that Deity. As a lawyer, one can state emphatically that the Quran is guilty of approbating and reprobating. It says one thing with one breath, and in the very same context says that which is diametrically opposite. Can this Quran be the Word of God? With every respect and deference I say NO!! God is truth. His Word must be truth. It must be one thing only. Truth is indivisible.
The Old Testament have been fulfilled in the New, because Jesus promised to return — and return He will! I feel that His return is imminent, and except you accept Him as the Son of God, indeed He be your Master and Lord, you can not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.
My readers, my friends, I implore you to get a copy of the Holy Bible and read, in particular, the New Testament. Read it carefully and slowly, and I pray God, that He will open the doorway of your hearts of Jesus, who is knocking and calling you to Himself that He may enter your life and transform you and make you a new creation (as He has done to so many of us sinners), that you may enjoy that peace and joy which passeth all understanding. For when Jesus touches your hearts, you will become dearer to Him, Heaven will become nearer, and to God’s Word will become clearer. He did it to me. He will do it to you.
The bones of Muhammad are in Medina, the bones of Confucious are in Shantung, the cremated bones of Buddha are in Nepal. Thousands pay pilgrimages to worship at their tombs which contain their bones. But in Jerusalem there is a cave cut into the rock. This is the tomb of Jesus. It is empty! Yes, empty! Because He has risen! He died, physically and historically. He arose from the dead, and now sits at the right hand of God.
So, in the final analysis, the situation may be presented in this way:
1. Christianity does not belong to one particular set of persons. The belief in Christ as the Son of God belongs to all mankind.
2. The religion of Islam, which asserts that Jesus is merely a prophet, denies itself; for the writings of Muhammad assert the Divinity of Jesus (as the quotations are simple and straightforward, with the words being given their natural meanings) and these quotations identify the Deity of Jesus and come into collision with other parts of the Quran which state that Jesus was only a Prophet.
THE FINAL CONCLUSION
We are now left to deduce the final conclusion. God is perfect. His Word must therefore be perfect. The Quran denies itself. It asserts the Deity of Jesus and yet denies it. So the Quran is imperfect. The Quran therefore cannot be the Word of God. The Quran states (S.26.192) that it is a revelation from the Lord of the worlds….from Allah to the prophet Muhammad (S.47.2). In the light of the foregoing, can we accept this?
Let us analyze in a simple-to-read manner what we seek to bring to your attention; and I pray to God, that you, my friends who read this, will accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Saviour.
The Quran Says:
l. There is only one God
2. Jesus’ Coming confirms the law that had come before Him
3. Jesus’ conception is supernatural.
4. Jesus is sinless. Miracles accompany Him
5. Jesus conquered death.
6. The Quran says Jesus is a messenger or prophet.
7. The Quran commands not to take the Christians and Jews as friends.The Bible says:
1. Agreed-but like water in form of a liquid, solid and gas, there is the Father, the Son Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Three in one.
2. Agreed — Prophecy is fulfilled.
3. Agreed –conception is supernatural
4. Agreed–Jesus is sinless. Miracles accompany Him
5. Agreed–Jesus conquered death.
6. The Bible disagrees and firmly points to the acceptance of Jesus as the Son of God.
7. The Bible says, “God is Love,” and commands us, “Love ye one another.” We are expected to love the Muslim, the Jew, the Gentile.Again, you are requested to remember that God is truth–God is perfect. So His Word must be unerringly truthful and perfect. It must not deviate! It must not be devious! It must not approbate and reprobate! The Christian Bible stands up to this test. The Quran does not come to any firm conclusion; therefore, the Quran is not the Word of God. And the one and only conclusion, based on the facts adducted, that could logically be reached from the Quran, is that: Jesus is God.
Jesus said that only those who believe and accept Him as the Son of God will enjoy Eternal Life. If you do accept Him and obey Him as your personal Lord and Saviour, He will transform your life. You will serve with Him in Heaven forever and ever.
To reject Jesus or treat Him merely as a prophet would be for you to determine your Eternal Life is in the Lake of Fire, separated from God forever and ever and ever.
For this reason I implore you friends of the Muslim Faith, that from your very own Quran you have no option–you must accept the Deity of Jesus; and conclude that in so far as the Quran first asserts that Jesus is the Son of God and at the same time seeks to assert, with reason, that Jesus is merely a prophet — the Quran is NOT the Word of God.
The Facts are the Muslim era is dated from the first day (July 16, 622 CE or AD, in the Western calendar) of the lunar year in which the Hegira took place, and the abbreviation A.H. is used with that year (A.H. 1) and subsequent years.