A
Partial List of Problems and Contradictions in the Quran
This
is a partial list of problems found in the Quran, which to the
best of our knowledge remain unanswered. Your thoughts, comments,
or explanations of any of the below are welcomed.
1.
Creation: The biblical Genesis account says God
created all in six days (see Genesis 1:1 - 2:2). The Quran, however,
has a real problem here as Surah 41:9, 10, 12 have a total of
eight days of creation (4+2+2=8) Meanwhile, Surah 10:3 gives the
total number of days of creation as six. This is a problem of
self-contradiction.
2.
Pharaoh: According to the Quran (Surah 7:120-125)
Pharaoh used crucifixion in dealing with the sorcerers - a practice
which historical evidence gives no precedent to before the Babylonian
Empire. This is once again a problem of historical compression.
3.
The Golden Calf: According to the Quran (Surah
20:90-100)a Samaritan helped the Israelites build the golden calf,
and it mooed after coming out of the fire. In reality, Samaritans
did not exist as a people until at least 1000 years after the
time of the Moses and the Israelite exodus from Egypt. Again a
problem of historical compression.
4.
Judaism: According to the Quran (Surah 9:30)
the Jews believe that Ezra is the Son of God - the Messiah. This
never has been a tenet of Judaism. This is a clear problem of
distorted knowledge of other religions and historical fact.
5.
Alexander the Great: According to the Quran (Surah
18:89-98) Alexander the Great was a devout Muslim and lived to
a ripe old age. Historical records however show that Alexander
the Great died young at 33 years of age (b. 356 B.C. - d. 323
B.C.), and believed he was divine, forcing others to recognize
him as such. In India on the Hyphasis River (now Beas) Alexander
erected twelve altars to twelve Olympian gods. Once again the
Quran shows errors in historical and religious fact.
6.
The Trinity: According to the Quran (Surah 5:116,
5:73-75) the Christians believe in "three Gods" - Father, Mother,
and Son. This shows the influence of heretical 'Christian' sects
in central Arabia at the time of Muhammad. In contrast, Christianity
has always distinctly stated that the Trinity
is the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The teaching of the Quran
on the Trinity has undoubtedly led to confusion among many Muslims
on what the Bible (and thus Christianity) teaches about
the Triune God.
7.
Mary: According to the Quran (Surah 19:28, 3:33-36),
Mary, the mother of Jesus, was the daughter of Imran or Amram,
the father of Moses and Aaron. Mary is also said to be the sister
of Moses and Aaron. Clearly Muhammad confused Mary with Miriam.
A second interesting point about Mary is the story of the date
palm speaking and offering its fruit to her (Surah 19:23). This
legend is easily traced to similar legends found in the apocryphal
"Protoevangelium of James" the "Pseudo-Matthew" and "the Gospel
of the Nativity of Mary" all of which have been dated to the fourth
to sixth centuries, and were again believed by the sects found
in Arabia. (More indepth information on Quranic sources may be
found in Rev. W. St. Clair Tisdall's The Religion of the Crescent).
8.
Textual
Variants in the Quran: Many Muslims claim that the
Quran today is identical to the revelations received by Muhammad.
However, there is overwhelming unanswered evidence to the contrary.
This includes evidence of variations both prior to, and after
Uthman.
How
do we view and respond to these unresolved problems of logic,
history and religious knowledge? While they do not serve as the
basis for our belief that the Quran is not the revelation of God
(as there are issues of far greater consequence between the message
of the Bible and the message of the Quran), they do show us that
there are legitimate problems with the belief that the Quran is
God's revelation to man, as God who is all knowing and infallible
could not give statements of error, and then claim them as His
Truth. As Christians we find the answer in the Bible. Numbers
23 tells us,
God
is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man that He should
repent. Has He said, and He will not do? Or has He spoken, and
He will not make it good? (vs.19)
God,
who is all knowing and all powerful, cannot be errant in His revelation
to man. The problems in the Quran and differences between the
Bible and Quran are numerous, leaving an unresolved difficulty
for Islam which claims to be a fulfillment of the Bible. The following
link provides further, more indepth discussion of the above and
other problems
in the Quran.
