Replies to the claims of contradictions in the Quran
By: A. Mohamed
PART 4
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71 Do bad things come from God or from us? In 4:78: "All things come from God", but in 4:79: "Anything bad that happens to you is from you"!
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71 False claim
Wrong understanding of the words in 4:79.
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72 Who to prostrate to? In 41:37, God says do not prostrate to the sun or the moon, but to prostrate to Him only.
But in 2:34, God commanded the angels to prostrate to Adam. This is a clear contradiction.
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72 False claim
Incorrect understanding of the act of worship. |
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73 Does the sun sink in the water! The words in 18:86 say that the sun set in a spring! Yet another totally un-scientific verse in the Quran.
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73 False claim
The words in 18:86 do not say that the sun set in a spring. |
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74 Inheritance numbers do not add up In the case of a deceased man, with both parents alive, 3 daughters and a wife. The Quran says the 3 sisters get 2/3 of his estate. The parents get 1/6 each, and his wife gets 1/8. When these ratios are added, the total is greater than 1, which prevents these proportions from being given.
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74 False claim
The total of the ratios do not have to add to a perfect 1 in order to be distributed correctly and in the prescribed ratios. |
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75 God will not speak to the disbeliever? In 2:174, God will not speak to the disbelievers on Judgment Day, however in 66:7, God speaks to them!
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75 False claim
Incorrect understanding of 66:7 |
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76 "Only God knows what is in the wombs"(31:34) is no longer correct. Now we know the sex of the fetus in the womb.
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76 False claim
Incorrect interpretation of 31:34 |
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77 In 42:52 God tells the prophet to guide the people to a straight path, yet in 2:272 God tells the prophet that he is not responsible for guiding the people.
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76 False claim
Inadequate understanding of key words. |
THE DETAILS
61
In order to demonstrate that these verses contain no contradiction, it is best to present the complete Quranic account of Abraham's call for monotheism and how his people rejected his monotheistic preaching.
It must be stressed that the Quran is not written in the same manner as any historical reference would be written. The order of verses does not necessarily correspond with the chronological sequence of events for any particular story. Some verses would be speaking of the ending of a certain story, whilst verses in a subsequent Sura would be speaking of the beginning of the same story. The correct method to attain the correct understanding, is to group all such verses together whereby the correct chronological picture will emerge and will not contain any contradiction.
The story of Abraham goes as such:
1- In the beginning Abraham rejected the practices of his people in worshipping statues.
His rejection of this idolatry led him to search for the real God. His genuine search was rewarded by God and he was blessed with the knowledge of the existence of the One Almighty God who is the Creator of the whole universe. This is described in the following verses:
Then when the night covered him (Abraham), he saw a planet. He said, "This is my Lord." Then when it set, he said, "I do not like that which disappears."
Then when he saw the moon rising, he said, "This is my Lord." Then when it set, he said, "Unless my Lord guides me, I will be among the misguided people."
Then when he saw the sun rising, he said, "This is my Lord. This is larger." Then when it set, he said, "O my people, I am innocent of the shirk you are committing.
I have turned my face towards the One who initiated the heavens and the earth; a monotheist. I am not one of the mushrikeen."6:76-79
2- As a result, Abraham tried to guide his father to denounce the idols and worship the One God, but his father rejected the call:
He (Abraham) said to his father, "O my father, why do you worship what does not hear nor see, nor can avail you in any way?
O my father, I have received knowledge that you did not receive, so follow me and I will guide you to an even path.
O my father, do not worship the devil. The devil is disobedient to the Almighty.
O my father, I fear that you will be touched by a punishment from the Almighty and that you would be an ally of the devil."
He said, "Are you rejecting my gods, O Abraham? If you do not stop, I will stone you, so better go away from me for a long time."
He said, "Peace be upon you. I will ask my Lord to forgive you; He has been Most Kind to me. 19:42-47
3- Abraham then decided to confront both his father and his people, and he tried to get them to abandon their idols:
When he said to his father and his people, "What are these statues to which you are devoted?"
they said, "We found our fathers worshipping them."
He said, "You and your fathers have been in clear misguidance."
They said, "Have you come to us with the truth, or are you among the playful?"
He said, "No, your Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth, the One who initiated them, and to that, I am one of the witnesses. 21:52-56
4- His people argued with him and refused to accept his call:
His people argued with him. He said, "Do you argue with me about God when He has guided me? I have no cause to fear what you associate with Him unless my Lord wills something to happen. My Lord encompasses all things in knowledge. Will you not be reminded? 6:80
5- When Abraham realized that there was no hope of them changing their ways, he worked out a plan in his mind and he walked away from them saying:
"By God, I will devise some scheme against your stone idols after you have turned your backs and gone away." 21:57
6- After they left, Abraham smashed all the statues except the big one:
He reduced them to fragments except for a large one among them so that they may turn to it. 21:58
7- Upon their return, they found the statues smashed and they got enraged:
They said, "Who has done this to our gods? He is surely one of the transgressors."
They said, "We heard a young man mentioning them. He is called Abraham."
They said, "Then bring him before the people's eyes so that they may witness."
They said, "Have you done this to our gods, O Abraham?"
He said, "No, it was this biggest one of them who did it. So ask them, if they can speak."
They turned to one another and said, "You yourselves are the transgressors."
Then they reverted back to their original mindset: "You have already known that these do not speak."
He said, "Then do you worship besides God what does not benefit you in any way nor harm you?
Uff to you and to what you worship besides God! Will you not reason?"21:59-67
8- In their rage, they decided to throw Abraham in the fire, but God saved Abraham:
They said, "Burn him and support your gods if you will."
We said, "O fire, be coolness and peace upon Abraham."
They intended to scheme against him, but We made them the greatest losers. 21:68-70
9- Abraham escaped death and abandoned his people to another land. He was thus rewarded by God:
"I will abandon you and what you call upon besides God, and I shall call upon my Lord. Perhaps by calling upon my Lord, I will no longer be miserable."19:48
So when he abandoned them and what they worshipped besides God, We granted him Isaac and Jacob, and each of them We made a prophet.19:49
We saved him (Abraham) and Lot to the land that We blessed for all the people. 21:71
This is the sequence of the story of Abraham in the Quran. Whichever verses the author referred to do not contradict with this sequence of events.
Verse 19:49 which speaks of Abraham after he abandoned his people, speaks about the end of the story, and that is after he smashed the idols, and after he escaped death and left his people (21:58-67).
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To analyse this claim we need to read both verses:
He proceeded to build the ship, and whenever some leaders from among his people passed by him, they ridiculed him. He said, "If you are ridiculing us, we are also ridiculing you just as you ridicule. 11:38
The people of Noah denied before them. They denied Our servant and said, "A madman," and he was jeered away. 54:9
The correct translation of the last word in 54:9 (izdugir) is "jeered away" and not 'driven out'. By using the correct translation of this last word in 54:9, it becomes clear that there is no contradiction between 54:9 and 11:38.
63
The words in 51:56 say:
I have not created the jinn and the humans except to worship Me. 51:56
The prime reason all jinn and human beings are created into this world is to worship God alone. However, the Quran confirms that the majority of people choose willingly to disbelieve, and even among the minority who believe in God, most of them are guilty of committing shirk (idol worship):
The majority of people, no matter how eager you may be, are not believers. 12:103
The majority of those who believe in God do not do so without committing shirk.12:106
In the second verse referred to by the author (7:179), we read that it is due to the people's own choice to reject the guidance that was sent to them from God, instead they commit idolatry, that is why God has committed them to Hell:
We have committed to Hell multitudes of the jinn and the humans. They have hearts with which they do not understand, and they have eyes with which they do not see, and they have ears with which they do not hear. They are like cattle, in fact, they are further astray. These are the oblivious ones. 7:179
The words used by the author for 7:179 (many of them made for Hell) is clearly a poor translation. The correct translation is "committed to Hell". As explained, they are committed to Hell due to their rejection of God. Once again the claim of contradiction is non-existent.
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And Noah, when he called out before that, We responded to him and saved him and his family from the great affliction. 21:76
Noah called upon Us, and how excellent We are in responding!
We saved him and his family from the great affliction,
and We decreed for his offspring to be the survivors. 37:75-77
and We decreed for his offspring to be the survivors. 37:75-77
The verses above do not say 'all his family' nor 'all his breed'. It only takes one of Noah's sons to survive for Noah's seed to survive, but in fact, all of Noah's children were saved except one son.
Furthermore, verses 11:42-43 give more details about one of Noah's sons who was a disbeliever and drowned with the disbelievers.
It sailed with them through waves like mountains, and Noah called his son who was isolated: "O my son, come on board with us and do not be with the disbelievers."
He said, "I will take refuge on a mountain which will protect me from the water." He said, "There is no protector today from God's command except those whom He has granted mercy." The waves surged between them and he was one of the drowned.11:42-43
The claim of the author would have been valid if the verses said 'all Noah's family' or 'all Noah's seed', which is not the case (see 11:45-46).
65
In 20:38-39 we read about how God inspired the mother of Moses to throw him in the river so that he would not be killed by Pharaoh. This is in confirmation of Pharaoh's command for the slaughter of all male born (28:4 and 28:7). This happened at the time Moses was born.
In 40:25 we are told how Pharaoh, in anger of the fact that the Israelites had believed with Moses and followed him, ordered the killing of their sons. This took place a long time after the event in 28:4, it was when he was a grown up man and prophet.
The fact that Pharaoh commanded the killing of the sons more than once, and at different times, does not constitute a contradiction.
66
Before dealing with this claim, let us first read the verses referred to:
The adulteress and the adulterer, you shall lash each of them a hundred lashes. Do not let pity for them overcome you in applying God's religion if you believe in God and the Last Day, and let a group of believers witness their punishment. 24:2
For the ones who commit an immorality among your women, call to witness four from among you against them. If they do bear witness, then you shall confine them to the homes until death takes them, or until God devises for them a way out. 4:15
And you shall punish the male couple among you who commit it. Then if they repent and reform, you shall leave them alone. God is Redeemer, Merciful. 4:16
1- The punishment for adultery for men is the same as that for women. It is prescribed in 24:2, and it is 100 lashes.
2- The words in 4:15 and 4:16 do not speak about adultery but about homosexual activities. In 4:15 the subject is two women and in 4:16 the subject is two men.
3- In 4:15, God set a punishment for women who commit lesbian activities, however in 4:16 God left the punishment to be decided by the community "you shall punish the male couple among you who commit it".
4- The words "Then if they repent and reform, you shall leave them alone" in 4:16 do not cancel the punishment which is due to the male couple. The words "Then if" at the beginning of the sentence mean that if they repent and reform after they receive the punishment, that they are not to be harassed or degraded by anyone.
67
Had God willed to have a son, He would have hand-picked from what He creates what He willed. Glory to Him! He is God, the One, the All-Conquering. 39:4
According to this verse we read that if God wanted to have a son He could, for God is able to do anything. The words in 39:4 do not mean that God has a son nor that He is considering having a son! It only means that God is able to do anything if it be His wish.
Now, to respond to the author's reference to verse 6:101, it is necessary to read the verse that immediately precedes it:
They ascribed to God partners of the jinn whom He created! And they attributed to Him, without any knowledge, sons and daughters. Glory to Him and exalted is He, far above what they portray. 6:100
The Originator of the heavens and the earth: How can He have a son when He did not have a consort? He created all things and He is Knowledgeable of all things. 6:101
In the above verses from Sura 6 God is answering a certain rationale and exposing it.
The rationale which God is exposing in these verses is that which claims that every child must have a father and a mother. The follow up from that is that, by the same logic, it is necessary to say that for every father to have a child, he must mate with a 'mother', and for every mother to have a child she must mate with a 'father'. This 3 sided rationale must be accepted in its entirety or not at all.
The Church employs one side of the triangle to claim that since Jesus had no father, but had a mother, then his father must be God in Heaven.
If they insist on that rationale, they must also maintain that since God 'the father' had a son (Jesus), then God must have mated with the 'mother' of Jesus!
In reply, God says:"How can He have a son when He had no consort?"
With this simple but ingenious reply, God defeats the claim that Jesus Christ is the begotten son of God, unless of course the Church wishes to say that God had a wife!
68
O you enwrapped one, arise during the night, except a little, half of it, or reduce from it a little, or add to it a little, and recite the Quran as per its correct recitation. We will cast upon you a heavy Word.73:1-5
First, we note that these verses do not speak of Prayers. Second, these verses were directed specifically to prophet Muhammad when the revelation was in its early stages. Sura 73 was the third Sura to be revealed of the Quran. In these verses God commands Muhammad to stay up during the night, or half of it or less, in recitation of what has been revealed to him of the Quran and in preparation of the important assignment that God decreed for him.
Now lets us read 73:20:
Your Lord knows that you stay up a little less than two-thirds of the night, and half of it, and one-third of it, along with a group among those with you. And God determines the night and the day. He knows that you will not be able to keep its count, so He has redeemed you. So read what you can of the Quran. He knows there will be among you those who are ill, and others travelling the land seeking God's bounty, and others fighting in the cause of God. So read what you can of it, observe the Salat, give the Zakat, and lend God a good loan. Whatever good you put forward for yourselves, you will find it with God, better and greater in reward. And seek God's forgiveness. Indeed, God is Forgiver, Merciful. 73:20
In this verse, we read that the prophet was commanded not to stay for long hours in the night when he was accompanied by other believers and in long sessions of prayer. God decreed that the prophet should only do the prescribed prayers so as not to burden the believers with him. Some of them would be sick and others weary from travel. Thus the prophet was commanded to stick to the prescribed prayers and that whoever wishes to do more should read what they are able from the Quran.
Once again, the claimed contradiction is non-existent.
69
We have not sent any messenger except in the tongue of his people so that he would make things clear for them. God then sends astray whom He wills and guides whom He wills. He is the Dignified, the Wise. 14:4
We have in the verse immediately before 14:4 evidence that the ones who are led astray are those who choose by themselves to go astray (and not the ones whom God Himself leads astray):
The ones who prefer the worldly life over the Hereafter, repel from the path of God and seek to have it crooked; they are in extreme misguidance indeed. 14:3
Such people go astray out of their own choice. It follows that the correct meaning of verse 4 is that God leaves to go astray those who choose themselves to go astray.
With this confirmation there is no contradiction with the other verse referred to by the author:
Say, "Does any of your partners guide to the truth?" Say, "God guides to the truth. So is One who guides to the truth more worthy of being followed, or one who does not guide unless he is guided? What is the matter with you? How do you judge?" 10:35
70
Then, when the Hurum Months have peeled off, you may kill the mushrikeen wherever you find them. Seize them and besiege them, and lie in wait for them at every lookout position. But if they repent, observe the Salat, and give the Zakat, let them go their way. Indeed, God is Forgiver, Merciful.9:5
Due to the profound effect of the corrupt interpretation of this verse, which is referred to by some as 'Verse of the Sword', it will be presented in more detail. This verse has been largely used by the enemies of the Quran to claim that the Quran advocates the killing of all the infidels wherever and whenever they are encountered. Ultimately, they reduced Islam to being labeled 'the religion of the sword'!
In addition, some Muslim scholars have also misinterpreted the meaning of this verse. Their misunderstanding has also led some of them to claim that 9:5 has abrogated no less than 114 Quranic verses!
Yes, they claim with all audacity that no less than 114 Quranic verses have been abrogated by one single verse!
They commit this sinister crime despite God's clear confirmation that no words of the Quran are abrogated:
The Word of your Lord has been completed, in truth and justice. There is none to alter His Words. He is the Hearer, the Knowledgeable. 6:115
With this in mind, it becomes unclear who is the more sinister of the two parties, the enemies of the Quran who call it the "religion of the sword" or the corrupt Muslim scholars who are responsible for the invention of the lie of Quranic abrogation!
The corrupt Muslim scholars claim that 9:5 makes it the lawful duty of Muslims to kill the idol worshippers indiscriminately and at anytime as long as it is outside the sacred months, unless the idol worshippers do not repent, observe the Salat and give the Zakat.
They also claim that since Sura 9 was the penultimate Sura in the order of revelation, if any of its laws contradicts laws in previous Suras then the law in Sura 9 abrogates the law of the earlier Suras.
Abrogated:
They claim that specific words, found in 114 verses and often whole verses, have been abrogated! These 114 verses appear in 50 Suras.
As numerous claimed words are repeated in more than one verse, the following are the unrepeated cases of such claimed abrogations, which cover 100 verses:
2:256 / 3:20 / 3:159 / 4:63 / 4:80 / 4:81 / 4:84 / 4:88 / 4:90 / 4:91 / 5:3 / 5:13 / 5:99 / 6:91 / 6:106 / 6:107/ 6:108 / 6:112 / 6:135 / 6:137 / 6:159 / 7:180 / 7:199 / 8:38 / 8:61 / 10:41 / 10:99 / 10:102 / 10:108 / 11:121 / 11:122 / 13:40 / 15:3 / 15:85 / 15:88 / 15:94 / 16:82 / 16:106 / 16:127 / 17:15 /17:54 / 18:29 / 19:39 / 19:75 / 19:84 / 20:130 / 20:135 / 21:56 / 23:54 / 23:96 / 24:54 / 25:63 / 27:92 / 28:55 / 29:46 / 32:30 / 33:48 / 34:25 / 35:23 / 37:174 / 37:175 / 37:178 / 37:179 / 38:70 / 38:88 / 39:3 / 39:15 / 39:22 / 39:36 / 39:39 / 39:46 / 40:55 / 40:77 / 41:34 / 42:6 / 42:15 / 42:48 / 43:83 / 43:89 / 44:59 / 45:14 / 46:35 / 50:39 / 52:48 / 53:29 / 60:11 / 68:44 / 68:48 / 70:42 / 73:10 / 73:11 / 73:19 / 74:11 / 76:24 / 76:29 / 86:17 / 88:21 / 88:22/ 95:8 / 109:6 /
Each one of these Quranic revelations is a testimony to the magnitude of this horrendous crime. Each one of these verses utters the same truth that nothing shall abrogate God's Words.
Any unbiased reader will immediately wonder how can God reveal 114 Quranic revelations, then change His mind and invalidate all of them with one single verse! That horrendous claim conveys the magnitude of the insult that has been directed at Almighty God.
The truth is that none of these verses have ever been abrogated. This abrogation invention is utterly and categorically false.
To demonstrate the truth of this matter, it is essential to present the genuine meaning of 9:5. To do so, it is important to read the first 6 verses of Sura 9 and not just verse 5.
SURA 9
Verse 1
This is a declaration of disassociation from God and His messenger to the mushrikeen with whom you have entered into a treaty.
Verse 1
So roam the land for four months, and know that you cannot thwart God and that God disgraces the disbelievers.
Verse 1
A proclamation from God and His messenger to the people on the great day of Hajj, that God is disassociated from the mushrikeen and so is His messenger. So if you repent, it would be better for you, but if you turn away, then know that you cannot thwart God. Give news of a painful punishment to those who have disbelieved.
Verse 1
However, with regards to the mushrikeen with whom you have entered into a treaty, then they did not fall short on any of its terms, nor banded with anyone against you; you shall fulfil your treaty with them to its full term. God loves the reverent.
Verse 1
Then, when the Hurum Months have peeled off, you may kill the mushrikeen wherever you find them. Seize them and besiege them, and lie in wait for them at every lookout position. But if they repent, observe the Salat, and give the Zakat, let them go their way. Indeed, God is Forgiver, Merciful.
Verse 1
If any of the mushrikeen seeks your protection, you shall protect him so that he would hear the Words of God, then escort him to his place of safety. This is because they are a people who do not know.
By reading the 6 verses, the following becomes apparent:
1- Verse 5 speaks of the idol worshippers (mushrikeen)who are at war with the believers and not any idol worshippers. The words:"the mushrikeen with whom you entered into a treaty" and the words, "You shall fulfil your treaty with them to its full term." and also the words, "Then when the Hurum Months have peeled off, you may kill the mushrikeen wherever you find them.", they all confirm that a treaty was in place for the duration of the Hurum Months with idol worshippers who were in a state of war with the believers, and that after the end of the treaty, fighting may be resumed.
2- In verse 2 God address's the idol worshippers and tells them that they may roam freely during the four sacred months. That is because the believers are prohibited from fighting in the "hurum" months (2:217), but that at the end they will not escape from God.
3- In verse 4 it is once again confirmed that the believers are not to attack the idol worshippers who have signed a treaty with them and who do not violate it.
4- Following that, in verse 5 God says that when the sacred months have passed the believers are to resume fighting the idol worshippers.
5- The content of verse 4 (that believers are not to fight idol worshippers who uphold the terms of a treaty) confirms the real meaning of verse 5; the believers are commanded to fight the idol worshippers (outside the sacred months) only at times of war, or when the idol worshippers violate the terms of a treaty (also in a state of war).
This meaning is again confirmed in verse 7 with the words:
How can the mushrikeen have an oath with God and with His messenger, except for those with whom you have entered into a treaty at the Masjid Al-Haram? If they are straight with you, be straight with them. God loves the reverent.
In spite of all these indications in the first seven verses of Sura 9 that assert that fighting may only be in a state of war, and with those who violate the terms of a peace treaty, the abrogation preachers have ignored the mention of the word 'treaty' in these verses and its significance.
They made it lawful for any Muslim to kill idol worshippers at any time (war or no war) as long as it is outside the sacred months!
No wonder the enemies of the Quran call Islam the religion of the sword! Can they really be blamed?
6- In the same way the distorters of verse 9:5 skip the significance of the first 4 verses of the Sura, they also skip the content of verse 6. The reason will be apparent once we read verse 6:
If any of the mushrikeen seeks your protection, you shall protect him so that he would hear the Words of God, then escort him to his place of safety. This is because they are a people who do not know. 9:6
A mushrik who seeks protection from the believers is no longer hostile nor is in a state of war with the believers. So even though he remains a mushrik, yet the believers are commanded to "protect him" and to escort him to safety. This once again confirms that fighting should be against others for being aggressors and not for being mushrikeen.
Further confirmation that fighting should only be against the aggressors is repeated in a number of other Quranic verses:
Therefore, if they leave you alone, refrain from fighting you, and offer you peace, then God gives you no claim against them. 4:90
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To analyse the effect of this inaccurate interpretation and how it obliterated the glorious meaning of Quranic revelations found in 114 Quranic verses, a number of these verses are examined. Those verses are classified into five groups:
1- Revelations that confirm that there is no compulsion in religion. The messenger (and all believers) are to warn with the Quran, but never to forcefully enforce the faith on anyone.
2- Revelations that prohibit fighting those who offer peace.
3- Revelations that advocate the call to Islam through sound advice, good reasoning and with the wisdom of the Quran, and not through chopping heads off!
4- Revelations that advocate mercy and forgiveness towards the disbelievers and hypocrites.
5- Revelations that assert that the punishment for idol worshippers and atheists lies with God and not with man.
FIRST-
Revelations that confirm that there is no compulsion in religion:
The messenger (and all believers) are to warn with the Quran, but never to forcefully enforce Islam:
1- If they argue with you, say, "I have submitted my face to God, and so do the ones who follow me." And say to those who were given the Scripture and the ummiyeen, "Have you submitted?" If they have submitted, then they have been guided, but if they turn away, then your sole duty is the delivery, and God is Seer of the servants. 3:20
We read a clear message in this verse that the messenger's duty is only to deliver the message he receive from God and to invite people to submit to God. If they submit then they have been guided and if they choose to reject the call, then the messenger is to leave them alone.
Yet, according to the some scholars, the verse of the sword abrogates these Quranic words and dictates that if they reject the message their heads should be struck off!
2- The same message is confirmed in the following verses:
The sole duty of the messenger is the delivery, and God knows what you reveal and what you conceal. 5:99
3- There shall be no compulsion in religion. Correctness has been clearly distinguished from error, so whoever rejects false gods and believes in God has grasped the most secure handhold that will never break. And God is Hearer, Knowledgeable. 2:256
According to the notorious claim of the verse of the sword, the abrogation proponents granted Muslims the right to force the 'infidels' (by means of the sword) to accept Islam! This is a crime against the wisdom and truth of the Quran.
4- Follow what has been revealed to you from your Lord. There is no god except Him, and keep away from the mushrikeen. Had God willed, they would not have committed shirk. We did not appoint you a guardian over them, nor are you a trustee over them. 6:106-107
Once again the command from God to the prophet is very clear, that he is to disregard the idol worshipers. God asserts that the prophet is only to report and warn. The prophet is not appointed as their guardian, nor their advocate.
5- The same message is given to disregard those who distort God's image or His beautiful Names:
To God belong the Beautiful Names, so call Him by them and keep away from those who distort His Names. They will be repaid for what they used to do. 7:180
It is important here to note that God asserts that the punishment for those who distort God's Names with God. They are not to be punished by people. To commit a crime against God is far greater than to commit a crime against humans, yet once again, the believers are not given the authority to aggress against such criminals.
6- Say, "O people, the truth has come to you from your Lord. Whoever is guided is guided for himself, and whoever goes astray does so to his own detriment. I am not a trustee over you." 10:108
7- Therefore, proclaim what you have been commanded and turn away from the mushrikeen. 15:94
8- Had your Lord willed, all the people in the earth, in their entirety, would have believed. Are you to force the people into becoming believers? 10:99
9- Say, "The truth is from your Lord, so whoever wills shall believe and whoever wills shall disbelieve. 18:29
10- So remind, for you are but a reminder. You are not a controller over them. 88:21-22
11- Say, "Obey God and obey the messenger." If they turn away, then he is responsible for his obligations, and you are responsible for your obligations. If you obey him, you will be guided. The sole duty of the messenger is the clear delivery. 24:54
12- Say, "God is the One I worship, devoting my religion purely to Him, so go on worshipping what you please besides Him." Say, "The losers are those who lose themselves and their families on the Day of Resurrection." Unquestionably, that is the clear loss. 39:14-15
Once again the command here is to leave the idol worshippers to worship whoever or whatever they wish, and that their punishment is not in the hands of the believers, but with God on the Day of Judgment. Once again, these Quranic words are a sharp contrast to the corrupt notion of chopping heads off!
13- For you is your religion, and for me is my religion. 109:6
This verse outlines words that the messenger (and all believers) should direct to the disbelievers who reject Islam. The believers are simply to say to the disbelievers "For you is your religion, and for me is my religion." Once again, confirmation that there is no compulsion in religion.
The message of no compulsion in religion is once again emphasised in these Quranic words.
SECOND
Revelations that prohibit fighting those who offer peace:
1- If they should incline to peace, so shall you be inclined, and put your trust in God. He is the Hearer, the Knowledgeable. 8:61
The prohibition to fight those who offer peace is clear.
2- Had God willed, He could have charged them against you, and then they would have fought you. Therefore, if they leave you alone, refrain from fighting you, and offer you peace, then God gives you no claim against them. 4:90
The command here is loud and clear, the believers have no right to fight those who offer them peace, in other words there is no excuse to fight anyone who is not an aggressor, whatever their conviction may be.
3- [9:7] How can the mushrikeen have an oath with God and with His messenger, except for those with whom you have entered into a treaty at the Masjid Al-Haram? If they are straight with you, be straight with them. God loves the reverent.9:7
Once again, the command is clear that the believers may not fight those who uphold a peace treaty.
4- You shall fight in the cause of God those who fight you, but do not aggress. Indeed, God does not like the aggressors. 2:190
Once again, clear words that prohibit all aggression. The words in 2:190 confirm that self-defence is the only case for a lawful war, and that all aggression is prohibited.
THIRD
Revelations that advocate the call to Islam through sound advice:
1- Those are the ones whom God knows what is in their hearts, so keep away from them. Just advise them and say to them convincing words about themselves.4:63
Sadly, the corrupt interpreters obliterated the wisdom in these verses by claiming that the words in this verse have been abrogated by the verse of the sword. In other words, they say (about the disbelievers) that if they do not believe, do not enlighten them, and do not give them sound advice but instead kill them all!
2- Invite to the path of your Lord with wisdom and advice, and debate with them in the best possible manner. 16:125
The wisdom of this Quranic verse is a far cry from the corrupt advocate of chopping the heads of the infidels off!
3- The servants of the Almighty are those who walk on the earth humbly, and when the ignorant speak to them, they say, "Peace." 25:63
The Quran advocates the most civilized manner when addressing people, even the ignorant, and that is with the word 'Peace'.
4- Whoever is guided is guided for his own good, and to the one who goes astray, say, "I am only one of the warners." 27:92
Here the command is to guide with the wisdom of the Quran, and that the ones who go astray after that are to be left alone.
5- A good deed and a bad deed are not the same. Repel with the good deed, and as a result, the one with whom you had animosity would become as though he was an intimate friend. 41:34
Once again, the believers are commanded here to use the best possible manner and attitude in preaching the path to God.
FOURTH
Revelations that advocate mercy and forgiveness towards the disbelievers and hypocrites.
1- Due to their breaking of their covenant, We cursed them and turned their hearts hard. They distort the words out of their context and have forgotten a portion of what they were reminded of. You will still observe betrayal from them, except for a few. Pardon them and overlook. God loves the good-doers. 5:13
The subject here is the Jews who violated God's commandments (see verse 12). Despite their gross sin of violating the commandments and also corrupting the meaning of the Scripture, God still commands the prophet (and all believers) to pardon them.
2- Take what is freely given, advocate what is right, and turn away from the ignorant. 7:199
Once again, the command here is to pardon, tolerate, and disregard all the ignorant idol worshipers, and never to forcefully impose Islam on them.
3- We did not create the heavens and the earth and what is between them except with truth. The Hour is surely coming, so overlook gracefully. 15:85
This is the heart of the Quran that the enemies of Islam tried to corrupt. In place of forgiveness, pardon and tolerance, they have presented a false image of the Quran that is based on savagery, aggression and intolerance!
4- Turn away from them and say, "Peace", for they will come to know. 43:89
"Peace" is the address that the Quran advocates towards the disbelievers. Sadly this message of peace has been obliterated by the ignorant interpreters who abused the Quran.
5- Tell those who believe to forgive those who do not seek the days of God. He will repay people for what they used to earn. 45:14
The call for forgiveness, even towards the enemies of God, is well pronounced throughout the Quran. Sadly the wicked have attempted to tarnish this image.
FIFTH
Revelations that assert that the punishment for idol worshippers and atheists lies with God and not with man.
1- Whether We show you some of what We have promised them, or We take you back, your sole duty is the delivery, and to Us is the reckoning.13:40
This verse is very significant because it is addressed to prophet Muhammad. It confirms that even the prophet of God was not given the authority to act against those who disbelieve, nor to impose any punishment on them. The punishment of disbelieving in God and for idolatry lies with God alone.
2- To God belong the Beautiful Names, so call Him by them and keep away from those who distort His names. They will be repaid for what they used to do. 7:180
Once again, it is important here to note that God asserts that the punishment for those who distort God's image lies with God. They are not to be punished by the people.
3- So do not hasten what is to come to them; We are counting for them a countdown. 19:84
This verse confirms that the punishment for the idol worshippers does not lie in the hands of the prophet or any believer, but it is a punishment prepared by God for them in the Hereafter.
This is also confirmed in the following verse:
So be patient in the face of what they say, and glorify your Lord with praise before the rising of the sun and before its setting, and during the night glorify, as well as at the ends of the day, so that you may be content. 20:130
4- Unquestionably, it is to God that the pure religion is due. Those who set up allies besides Him: "We only worship them so that they may bring us closer to God in proximity." God will judge between them regarding that over which they differ. God does not guide one who is a lying disbeliever. 39:3
Once again we read that it is God who will judge the idol worshippers.
5- Say, "The truth is from your Lord, so whoever wills shall believe and whoever wills shall disbelieve. We have prepared for the transgressors a Fire whose walls will surround them.18:29
The command here is to proclaim and warn, then leave each to his/her own choice. The words "We have prepared for the transgressors a Fire" confirm that the punishment for idolatry is with God alone.
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CONCLUSION
The above analysis shows the magnitude of the horrendous and sinister abrogation crime committed by the enemies of the Quran. With the corrupt interpretation of only one Quranic verse (9:5) they have obliterated the divine message contained in no less than 114 Quranic verses!
It is not certain who are the real enemies of Islam; is it the non-Muslims who distort the image of Islam and the Quran or the Muslim scholars who also distort the image of Islam and the Quran!
By doing so, both groups have presented Islam to be a religion of vengeance, aggression and brutal enforcement, when in fact the testimony of 114 verses proclaim Islam to be a religion of free choice, mercy, forgiveness, sound advice and good reasoning.
The above Quranic analysis confirms that no verses in the Quran advocate or allow aggression or unlawful fighting. The verses also remove all false interpretations connected to 9:5 in particular. The false accusations suggested by the enemies of Islam are a product of their blindness when it comes to attaining the correct meanings of God's revelations:
Who is more transgressing than one who was reminded of his Lord's revelations, but he turned away from them and forgot what his hands have put forth? We have placed veils over their hearts so that they would not understand it, and deafness in their ears. If you invite them to the guidance, they will not then be guided, ever. 18:57
71
The quoted words from the two verses speak of different matters.
The key words in the 2 verses are:
All is from God. 4:78
Anything bad that happens to you is from your own self. 4:79
The words "All is from God" mean that anything that comes our way, good or bad, is God-given.
Children we are given are a God-given blessing. If we get a new lucrative job, or are given good health, they are all God-given blessings.
Equally, bad things that happen to us such as illness, accidents, loss of earnings, and so on, they too are all God-given.
The question that arises is: How can everything be from God, even the bad things, yet at the same time, the words in 4:79 say that bad things are from us?
What is seen as a contradiction can be easily eliminated if we understand the correct meaning of the words "Anything bad that happens to you is from yourself".
These words mean that we are the cause behind the bad things that happen to us, even though we are not the ones who execute the bad happenings that come to us.
For example, if we are driving our car and a car comes from nowhere and smashes into us, it is not us who got the other car and made it smash into us, but we are indeed, due to something we may have done in the past, who are the cause behind whatever damage that may be incurred in such an accident. Bad things that happen to us are a result of sins we previously committed.
Previous sins are not confined to what we commit here on earth but include our previous sin before birth when we failed to uphold God's absolute authority, even after we were given a second chance to do so (33:72).
For the details, see: Why we are here?
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Worshipping God is a multi-act process. For the details of the act of worshipping God, please check this page: Worship God
Obeying God is an integral part of worshipping Him.
FIRST-
In 41:37 God issued a command:
"Do not prostrate to the sun or to the moon. Prostrate to God who created them, if it is Him that you worship." 41:37
The words above include 2 acts:
- Not to prostrate to the sun and the moon (these are symbolic of any of God's creations).
- To prostrate to God.
The last words in the verse "if it is Him that you worship" mean that obeying both instructions demonstrates that the human worships God. Regarding religion, the one whose commands we obey is the one whom we worship.
SECOND-
Now let us look at 2:34:
And when We said to the angels, "Fall prostrate before Adam," they fell prostrate, except Satan; he refused, was arrogant and was among the disbelievers. 2:34
When the angels fell prostrate to Adam, who were they obeying? Were they obeying God or Adam? They were clearly obeying God and not Adam.
And since obedience is an integral act of worship, the angels were indeed worshipping God, even though they were prostrating to Adam.
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The error in this claim is that the author failed to acknowledge the significance of key words in 18:86. In order to reply to this claim of scientific inaccuracy of the Quran, we need to read the Quranic text of 18:86, then read a second sentence that is hypothetical:
Sentence 1 (Quranic words in 18:86)
When he reached the setting of the sun, he found it setting in a spring of dark mud.
Sentence 2 (hypothetical words)
When he reached the setting of the sun, the sun set in a spring of dark mud.
The subject of the 2 sentences is the same. The second (hypothetical) sentence states that the sun had actually set in a muddy spring. That would indeed be a scientific inaccuracy.
In contrast, the words in 18:86 portray the same event but from the perspective of what Zul-Qarnayn saw.
The all important words "he found it" in the Quranic text (sentence 1), tell us that Zul-Qarnayn saw the sun setting in a muddy spring.
What Zul-Qarnayn saw was an optical illusion that any of us would see if we were to stand by the sea or by a lake at sunset. We too would see the sun setting in the water.
The fact that we know that this is only an optical illusion, will not change the fact that to our eyes, the sun would have set in the water.
74
The total of the ratios do not have to add to a perfect 1 in order to be distributed correctly. The reply below applies to the distribution of the estate of the deceased according to the case proposed, and also to all other cases where the total exceeds one.
In the Quranic case proposed, we have the following ratios:
3 daughters = 2/3
Father = 1/6
Mother = 1/6
Wife = 1/8
To add the above ratios, we reduce them to a common denominator:
2/3 = 16/24
1/6 = 4/24
1/6 = 4/24
1/8 = 3/24
Total = 16 + 4 + 4 + 3 = 27/24
Indeed, 27/24 is greater than 1, but that should not be a problem because what matters is that the Quranic ratios between the inheritors is maintained.
To maintain the Quranic ratios the money of the dead man is divided into 27 equal shares, then distributed according to the above ratios.
Let us take the example of a man who has died and left $13,500. To determine the exact share of every inheritor, we divide the 13,500 by 27:
13500 / 27 = $500 per share
The 3 daughters get 16 out of the 27 shares = 16 x 500 = $8000
The father gets 4 shares = 4 x 500 = $2000
The mother gets 4 shares = 4 x 500 = $2000
The wife gets 3 shares = 3 x 500 = $1500
8000 + 2000 + 2000 + 1500 = $13,500
In such a way, the ratios between the receivers is maintained in accordance with the Quranic rules.
The 3 daughters get 2/3 of the estate, which is $8000. This is double the combined share of the 2 parents ($2000 + $2000). The same applies to the ratios between all inheritors.
75
Indeed, God will not speak to the disbelievers and the wicked on Judgment Day:
God will not speak to them on the Day of Resurrection nor will He purify them, and they shall have a painful punishment.2:174
The ones who will speak to the disbelievers on the Day of Resurrection (66:7) and tell them, "make no excuses today", and also usher them to Hell, are the angels and not God.
A number of Quranic verses confirm that it will be the angels who speak to the disbelievers on that Day, such as:
Those who disbelieved were driven to Hell in throngs. When they got to it, its gates were opened and its custodians (angels) said to them, "Did messengers from among you not come to you reciting the revelations of your Lord to you and warning you about the meeting of this Day of yours?" They said, "Yes, but the decree of punishment was justified upon the disbelievers." 39:71
The claimed contradiction is non-existent. The ones who will speak to the disbelievers in 66:7 are the angels and not God. It is the "stern and powerful angels" mentioned in verse 66:6 who guard Hell who speak to the disbelievers on that Day:
O you who believe, safeguard yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is people and stones. Over it are stern and powerful angels who do not disobey God in what He commands them, and they do what they are commanded to do. 66:6
O you who disbelieved, make no excuses today. You are only repaid for what you used to do. 66:7
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The claim of contradiction in 31:34 is a result of a shallow reading of this verse:
Indeed, with God is the knowledge of the Hour. He brings down the rain and He knows what is in the wombs. No self knows what it will earn tomorrow and no self knows in which land it will die. Indeed, God is Knowledgeable, All-Aware. 31:34
We do not read in 31:34 any mention of the sex of the fetus. The words in the verse simply speak of "what is in the wombs".
The sex of the fetus can indeed be known nowadays through ultrasound equipment. However, the sex of the fetus is only one piece of information among millions of coded information that define what exactly is in the womb of the mother.
It is estimated that the DNA of the fetus is formed 5 to 7 weeks after conception. The DNA contains millions of pieces of information that together define the full description of the fetus in the womb and which one day will be a fully grown person. Apart for a number of physical features of the fetus (such as the gender), that can be known to us, we have no idea exactly what type of person "what is in the womb" will one day become. This knowledge is known to God alone.
We have no idea what will be the personality of the child, his temperament, his health record, whether the child will be a believer or not, nor any of his other defining attributes as a person.
The author of this claim of contradiction ignored all those millions of pieces of information, which are not known to us while the fetus is in the womb, and cited only one piece of information; the sex of the fetus in the womb!
77
We read in 42:52 that God told prophet Muhammad that he is to guide the people to a straight path:
You (Muhammad) are to guide to a straight path. 42:52
Yet, in Sura 2 God tells the prophet that it is not his responsibility to guide the people:
You are not responsible for guiding them, but it is God who guides whom He wills. 2:272
God also instructed His messenger to tell the people that he cannot guide them:
Say, "I possess no power to harm you, nor to guide you." 72:21
It is claimed that there is a clear contradiction between the two verses. However, when we study the relevant verses closely we find that they speak of two different types of guidance.
FIRST: The guidance of God
The Quranic verses below confirm that God is the only One who can guide the people:
Had God willed, He could have made you a single nation, but He sends astray whom He wills and He guides whom He wills. 16:93
As for those who believe and do good deeds, their Lord guides them by virtue of their faith. Rivers will flow beneath them in the Gardens of Bliss. 10:9
They said, "Praise be to God for guiding us to this. We would have never been guided had God not guided us." 7:43
You cannot guide the ones you love, but it is God who guides whom He wills. 28:56
Your Lord suffices as a Guide and a Supporter. 25:31
It is for Us to provide the guidance. 92:12
SECOND: The guidance of humans
The following Quranic verses speak of guidance that comes from a messenger of God, or from an ordinary man:
Guidance from prophet Muhammad
You (Muhammad) are to guide to a straight path. 42:52
Guidance from prophet Abraham
O my father, I have received knowledge that you did not receive, so follow me and I will guide you to an even path. 19:43
Guidance from prophet Moses
Go to Pharaoh, for he has transgressed and say, "Are you willing to purify yourself and let me guide you to your Lord so that you may fear Him?" 79:17-19
Guidance from a believer among the people of Moses
The one who believed said, "O my people, follow me and I will direct you to the path of guidance. 40:38
Guidance from any person who guides to the truth
Say, "Does any of your partners guide to the truth?" Say, "God guides to the truth. So is One who guides to the truth more worthy of being followed, or one who does not guide unless he is guided? What is the matter with you? How do you judge?"10:35
When we compare the two sets of verses; the guidance of God as compared to the guidance from humans, we notice a keyword that is of great significance to the meaning.
The verses that speak about the guidance of God say, "God guides."
That means that God has the power to guide any person whom He wills.
That means that God has the power to guide any person whom He wills.
In contrast, the verses that speak about the guidance from humans (messengers or otherwise) say, "guides to." The word "to", common to all such verses is of great significance.
The examples we have above about the guidance from the messengers use words like, "guide to a straight path," and, "guide to an even path," and, "guide to your Lord."
The messenger cannot guide anyone (2:272, 28:56, 72:21). What the messenger can do is point the people in the right direction, the direction of God and the straight path. The messenger can inform the people of the correct route to follow. He can show them the way, but he does not possess the ability to guide anyone.
Imagine yourself walking down the street then someone asks you for directions to a certain street. You point him in the correct direction to reach his destination. What you did is merely point him to the direction of his destination. Once the two of you part, you have no guarantee that he will follow your directions or not.
That is exactly what messengers do when they "guide to a straight path".
It is then up to the individual to follow the guidance or not. The messenger cannot guarantee that those who received the message will in fact follow it.
It is for that reason that we find the keyword "to" in all the verses that speak about the guidance assigned to the messengers.
The following verses also confirm that messengers have no power to guide the people:
If you invite them to the guidance, they do not follow you. It is the same for you whether you invite them or remain silent. 7:193
And if you invite them to the guidance, they do not hear, and you see them looking at you, yet they do not see. 7:198
Who is more transgressing than one who has been reminded of his Lord's revelations but he turned away from them and forgot what his hands have put forth? We have placed veils over their hearts so they do not understand it, and deafness in their ears. If you invite them to the guidance, they will not then be guided, ever. 18:57
It is for that reason that God tells the messenger:
You are not responsible for guiding them, but it is God who guides whom He wills. 2:272
It is for Us to provide the guidance. 92:12
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The Quran is Perfect and without Contradictions