Muslims make vast claims concerning the accuracy of the Quran. Books have been written claiming that the Quran can always be trusted. But is this so? Let’s look at a few questions about Quranic claims.
Which Was Created First, Heaven or Earth?
Throughout the Quran, Allah is clearly the Creator of the heavens and the earth. But that is where the consistency ends. Qs 2:29 states, “It is He who created everything on earth for you. Then, directing His order towards the realm above, He turned it into seven heavens.” Qs 41:9-12 also states that God created the earth before the heavens. But Qs 79:27-30 says that God created the heavens first, then the earth. So which one did God create first?
How Do Mountains Stop Earthquakes?
Several verses in the Quran state that God created the mountains to prevent earthquakes from happening. Qs 21:31: “And He cast on the earth firm mountains lest it shake with you, and rivers and ways; so haply you will be guided.” Qs 16:15 and 31:10 say the same thing. If this is true, then why are there so many earthquakes in Indonesia, a very mountainous country?
How Many Earths Are There?
Another discrepancy between the Quran and science is the number of earths that God created. “It is God who has created the seven heavens and a like number of earths” (Qs 65:12). Several hadiths, including Ahmad numbers 41 and 1513, quote Muhammad teaching about seven earths. Apparently, this was an ancient belief of the people in Muhammad’s day. Muhammad took it as his own and taught it as truth.
We know today from science that this is not true. While there are other planets, none of them are like earth. While some have some similarities, such as water, volcanoes, and canyons, none of them have life as earth does. Earth is unique in that it has the perfect amount of light and dark, cold and heat, for life to exist. Clearly God created earth as a unique place for us to live.
Were Egyptians Crucified?
One will also find things in the Quran that don’t line up with what history teaches. Qs 7:124, 12:41, and 26:49 all mention crucifixion in Egypt during the time of the pharaohs. This would have been between 1450 and 1200 BC. But history tells us that crucifixion was not a form of punishment until much later in history. It was started by the Romans, not the Egyptians!
John the Baptist Was the First Man to be Named “John”?
Qs 19:7 states: “We answered his prayers with the glad news of the birth of a son by the name of John and told him, ‘We have never given such a name to anyone else.’” According to this surah, John the Baptist was the first person to have the name “John.” But the Bible records several men named John in the Old Testament, including 2 Kings 25:23, 1 Chronicles 3:15, and Ezra 8:12.
There are also recordings of men named John in history. Josephus talks about “John the Essene” who served as a general in the rebel force during a war in the intertestamental period [420 BC to 7 BC]. This man is also mentioned in I Maccabees. Therefore, John the Baptist could not have been the first man named John.
John’s name was a surprise because typically boys were named after their fathers, and God told Zechariah to give his son a different name (Injil, Luke 1:60-63). So it was not a surprise because it was a new name.
In Historical Matters the Quran is Not Always Reliable
Therefore, we cannot look to the Quran in scientific or historical matters. The Quran does say some things about science and history that are true. Yet these things tend to be very general. If they are specific, they are from the Bible, which Muhammad used as a source when he wrote the Quran.
According to History, Why Did Christ Die?
If you look to the Bible, which Muhammad partially understood, you find historical confirmation of the death of Christ. The oldest reference to the death of Christ that some scholars believe could have been written within three to five years of His death is I Corinthians 15:3-7. “Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised on the third day, just as the Scriptures said. He was seen by Peter and then by the Twelve. After that, he was seen by more than five hundred of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. Then he was seen by James, and later by all the apostles.”
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SOME QUESTIONS FOR THE COMMENT SECTION BELOW
We encourage our readers to comment on the article above. Comments that don’t directly relate to the topic will be removed. Please start a dialogue with us by focusing on one of the following questions:
1. Can we trust the Quran?
2. Why, according to this article, is the Quran unreliable?
3. What do you think about the contradictions in this article?
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The Quran doesn’t tell us that the mountains are to prevent earthquakes. Don’t explain as you like without any proof.
The Quran tells us that they are to stabilize the earth in space and to preserve it’s potion, which has been proven by science.
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Khalid,
If the mountains are to stabilize the earth in space, not to prevent earthquakes, then why does it say, “He cast firm mountains lest it shake you.” “Shaking” is an earthquake, is it not? So how can it not be referring to earthquakes?
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“Which Was Created First, Heaven or Earth?”
Qs 2:29 says, “It is He who created for you all of that which is on the earth. Then He directed Himself to the heaven, [His being above all creation], and made them seven heavens, and He is Knowing of all things.”
This is the actual translation from quran.com. People with an objective and scientific mind cannot have any problem with this statement. The Lord God created everything on earth. Then He created seven heavens, which can mean seven layers of our atmosphere, which is very crucial for life on earth. So why do you have a problem with this?
If you want a miracle in the Quran then look at Qs 21:31: “Do not the unbelievers see that the heavens and the earth were a closed-up mass(ratqan),then We clove them asunder (fataqna)?” This is the Big Bang theory explained 1500 years ago. Please show us a verse like this in the Bible regarding the Big Bang.
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I think you misunderstood what we said about Qs 2:29. We didn’t disagree with what it said, per say. The problem with this verse is that it disagrees with Qs 79:27. This means that there are inconsistencies in the Quran.
To answer your second question, the Big Bang theory is not mentioned in the Bible. The Taurat says “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). God created matter out of nothing. Thus, everything is made through His words.
The Bible also tells more about His creation, of human beings and how they sinned. This sin keeps us from God. If you would like to learn more about that, please go to: https://www.isaandislam.com/the-bible/why-are-there-indecent-stories-in-the-bible.html.
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How do Qs 2:29 and Qs 79:27-30 contradict each other? Qs 79:30 says “He spread the earth.” That does not mean he created it. There is no contradiction. The Holy Quran explains without any error how this universe came into existence and will be destroyed, hence it is the true path. Looking forward to hearong from you.
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Saifur,
Let us make this clear. Here is the complete verse of Qs 2:29, “It is He who created for you all of that which is on the earth. Then He directed Himself to the heaven, [His being above all creation], and made them seven heavens, and He is Knowing of all things.”
Then Qs 79:30 says, “And after that He spread the earth.”
Did you see the contradiction? The first verse tells us that God created the Earth first then the heavens, but the second first tells us that God created the earth after the heaven.
You will see clearer if you look at the verses before and after Qs 79:30.
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Dear Aila,
Where does it say Allah created the earth after the heavens in Qs 79:30?
Qs 79:29 “And He darkened its night and extracted its brightness.”
79:30 “And after that He spread the earth.”
79:31 “He extracted from it its water and its pasture,”
I don’t understand, why are you getting confused? No where does it say the earth was created after the heavens. It is using the word “spread” not creating. Besides, there is no heaven-earth creation sequence in this verse as it is in Qs 2:29.
Spreading the earth can have many meanings, including making it further habitable. It does not mean the earth is being created.
I hope this has cleared your confusion. Or I will try again.
Thanks.
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Dear Saifur,
Please look at the verses carefully, especially at the term “and after that.” Doesn’t that phrase give a sequence of creation contextually? Do you have another argument for this?
The verse in Qs 79:29 also tells us about heaven’s creation. If you read verse 27, it says, “… Allah constructed it.” It here refers to heaven. This becomes clearer that it talks about heaven when we read verse 28. It says, “He raised its ceiling and proportioned it.”
As you said, spreading can have many meanings, and one of them could also mean creating. Contextually, I would say that the word “spreading” here means “creating.”
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Your question about the “Mountains” and their functions:
Modern theory of the plate tectonics holds that mountains work as stabilizers
for the earth. It stabilizes the crust of the earth. Mountains do not prevent earth quakes.
Hence the Quranic verse: “And He has set firm mountains in the earth so that it would not shake with you” – Q:16:15
Earth quakes release pent-up pressures inside the earth to prevent its crust from exploding.
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It’s true that the mountains can’t prevent the earthquake. Yet, they can’t also prevent the shakes happening.
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The Quran does not explicitly state that mountains prevent earthquake, rather talks about shake. It might also interest you to note that some seafloor mountain are capable of halting subduction earthquake in its track and also trigger it.
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Dare,
Thank you for your comment. It’s always interesting to know how God creates the world incredibly. Yes, I believe that some seafloor mountains are capable to prevent the earthquake’s subduction and also trigger it.