The Quran Falls in its Own Bible Trap

This article examines how the Quran makes certain claims about the Bible and thereby lays a trap for itself proving itself wrong. Muslims often make the claim that the Torah (which belongs to the Old Testament of Bible) and the Gospel (which belongs to the New Testament of Bible) are corrupted. They make this claim because of two reasons:

1). The Quran confirms that the real Torah (referred to as Taurat in the Quran) and the real Gospel (referred to as Injeel in the Quran) are Allah's revelations.
2). Some of the things written in the Torah and the Gospel today are in conflict with the Quranic teachings.

Whether the Torah and the Gospel today are corrupted (ie; are different from their original versions) is difficult to know as it is hard to dig up their early history today. The point of this article is not to try and challenge this claim of corruption of the Torah or the Gospel. What we are going to see is how some of the claims the Quran makes about the Bible backfires against itself.

The Quran in the following verses very strongly insists that the Torah and the Gospel were not corrupted at the time of Muhammad. Allah even admonishes the Jews for coming to Muhammad asking for guidance, reasoning that the Jews already have the Torah in their hands (which was revealed by Allah as per the Quran).

Quran 5:43 to 5:48 - But how is it that they come to you for judgement while they have the Torah, in which is the judgement of Allah? Then they turn away, [even] after that; but those are not [in fact] believers. Indeed, We sent down the Torah, in which was guidance and light. The prophets who submitted [to Allah] judged by it for the Jews, as did the rabbis and scholars by that with which they were entrusted of the Scripture of Allah, and they were witnesses thereto. So do not fear the people but fear Me, and do not exchange My verses for a small price. And whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed – then it is those who are the disbelievers ... And We sent, following in their footsteps, Jesus, the son of Mary, confirming that which came before him in the Torah; and We gave him the Gospel, in which was guidance and light and confirming that which preceded it of the Torah as guidance and instruction for the righteous. And let the People of the Gospel judge by what Allah has revealed therein. And whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed – then it is those who are the defiantly disobedient. And We have revealed to you, [O Muhammad], the Book in truth, confirming that which preceded it of the Scripture and as a criterion over it. So judge between them by what Allah has revealed and do not follow their inclinations away from what has come to you of the truth.

These verses sharply condemn people who won't judge by what Allah has revealed in both the Torah and the Gospel (as well as the Quran itself). If the Torah and the Gospel were corrupted at the time, why would Allah admonish Jews who come to Muhammad for guidance in such a clear language and expect Jews and Christians to refer to their corrupted books for guidance? We can therefore safely say that the Quran dismisses any notion of corruption of the Torah or the Gospel AT THE TIME.

People who don't realise the gravity of this claim might think - why can't the Torah and the Gospel be corrupted after the time of Muhammad? The problem lies in the fact that hundreds of thousands of copies of the Bible would be already circulating around the world during Muhammad's time. Perhaps even a million copies of the Bible would be around at this point of time (the world population was around 200 million or more estimated in the 7th century). How does one corrupt a book after a million copies of it are already spread around the world? The sheer impossibility of this claim will become clear as we think about it through an example:

While making a variety of different claims about the Bible, the Quran makes one specific claim which literally digs its own grave. It claims that Muhammad is mentioned in BOTH the Torah and the Gospel!

Quran 7:157 - Those who follow the Messenger, the unlettered prophet, whom they find written in what they have of the Torah and the Gospel, who enjoins upon them what is right and forbids them what is wrong and makes lawful for them the good things and prohibits for them the evil and relieves them of their burden and the shackles which were upon them. So they who have believed in him, honored him, supported him and followed the light which was sent down with him - it is those who will be the successful.

This claim has troubled Muslim scholars so much since the Quran itself rubbishes the idea that either Torah or Gospel was corrupted at the time, they are forced to do the unimaginable: Find Muhammad's mention in the Torah and the Gospel. The trouble of course, is the simple fact that Muhammad is not mentioned in either the Torah or the Gospel by any means (even by description, let alone the name).

Muhsin Khan and Hilali (scholars and translators of the Quran) even make a futile attempt to mention the Bible verses referring to Muhammad:

The Hilali/Khan translation of verse 7:157 reads: "Those who follow the Messenger, the Prophet who can neither read nor write (i.e.Muhammad SAW) whom they find written with them in the Taurat (Torah) (Deut, xviii, 15) and the Injeel (Gospel) (John xiv, 16),..."

Deuteronomy 18:15 - "The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers — it is to him you shall listen"

Gospel of John 14:16 - "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever"

These are probably the best attempts to find Muhammad's mention in the Bible. However if we read the Bible in context these claims boomerang because Deuteronomy 18:15 is clearly talking about a prophet to be raised from among the Israelites/Jews. And if we keep reading Gospel of John 14:16 till 14:26 we find that the "helper" or "comforter" mentioned in 14:16 is very clearly the Holy Spirit (the same comforter is mentioned again in chapter 15 and 16 as well), and not Muhammad. Islamic preachers like Zakir Naik mention these and other passages to fool people who don't bother to research these claims. However, every single claim of Muhammad being mentioned in the Bible is easily debunked by simply reading the Bible properly.

In light of the above, let us think about what it really means to claim that the Torah and the Gospel (which were uncorrupted at the time as per Quran) were later corrupted. This would involve burning of pretty much all the (one million) Bibles that are in circulation during 7th century to make sure that every single mention of Muhammad in both the books are gone and then replacing them all with copies that don't have Muhammad's name (and do the same with every single contradiction between the Quran and the Torah/Gospel). Such an event would most certainly be well-documented in history. In short, absolutely impossible! Any corruption of a book which would eventually be widely circulated has to happen in its earliest stages of history, near to its inception.

Despite how the Quran strongly implies that these Bible books were uncorrupted, Muslims try to find counter evidence using other verses of the Quran (despite that at best it would only imply that the Quran contradicts itself). The best argument for corruption of the Bible is probably Quran 2:79 which condemns "those who write the scripture with their own hands and claim that it is from Allah". Muslims claim that this implies that Quran recognises the Bible to be corrupted or was being massively corrupted at the time. Once again, this claim is debunked - by reading this verse in context:

Quran 2:78 to 2:79 - And among them are unlettered ones who do not know the Scripture except in wishful thinking, but they are only assuming. So woe to those who write the "scripture" with their own hands, then say, "This is from Allah ," in order to exchange it for a small price. Woe to them for what their hands have written and woe to them for what they earn.

Clearly we can see that it doesn't give any credence to the idea that the Bible was corrupted already. Neither does it suggest that the Bible was being corrupted on a large scale. It simply admonishes people who don't know what is in the scripture and then mislead people by writing/attributing wrong teachings to the scripture. Let's not forget the literal impossibility of completely corrupting the Bible (or any book with a wide circulation for that matter) from a point where it was not significantly corrupted.

CONCLUSION: Given all the above facts, the only reasonable conclusion one can make is that the Quran simply traps itself by implying that the Torah and the Gospel were uncorrupted at the time - and thereby today as well - and by how it still contradicts these books. A good example being the claim of Muhammad being mentioned in these books.

Biological Blunders in the Quran

In this article I'm going to focus on two clear mistakes the Quran makes when it tries to explain aspects of biology.

(I) Origin of semen in man:

86:5 to 86:7 - So let man see from what he is created! He is created from a water gushing forth, Proceeding from between the backbone and the ribs.

The Quran claims that the semen originates from between the backbone (sulb) and the ribs (tara'ib). While most translators of the Quran translate sulb as "backbone", some translators translate it as "loins". Whether the word actually means loins or backbone, both are inescapable errors.

Anatomically, loins (also known as lumbus) refers to areas on both sides of the backbone between the lower ribs and the thigh bone. If we view anatomically there is absolutely no way seminal vesicles (which is where semen actually originates) can come between the loins and the ribs. The only other way loins could make sense here is if it is considered to be the "sexual areas" of the man which is vague and has no precise location. Anyhow, even if we take loins to be the sexual areas of man, saying that semen originates between the loins and the ribs is inexplicable - what are ribs even doing here? They are completely out of the picture.

Islamic apologists desperately try to defend this clear error mainly in two different ways:

1). By drawing a line between the bottom of the tailbone (coccyx) through the seminal vesicles they use deceptive drawings of the human body to claim that this line catches the bottom of the ribs. As weird as this explanation looks, an accurate check of the anatomy of human body reveals that a line drawn between the bottom of the tailbone through the seminal vesicles will not even come close to catching the ribs - as the following depiction clearly shows:

Imagine a straight line from the bottom of the tailbone to the top of the seminal vesicles and extend it. The ribs are not even in the picture! And hence the argument of semen originating from between backbone and ribs fails even if we consider the bottom-most tip of the tailbone.

2). By claiming that not only is "sulb" male sexual areas but also claiming that "tara'ib" means female sexual areas. Virtually every decent translator of the Quran has translated tara'ib as ribs. And so does every single dictionary of classical arabic there is. The Islamic apolgists cleverly pick out a part of the sentence in Lane's Lexicon (a dictionary of classical arabic) to make this laughable claim.

Quoted from Lane's Lexicon (page 301): "... most of the authors on strange words affirm decidedly that it (tara’ib) is peculiar to women." Now despite the fact that the very same Lane's Lexicon clearly refers to tara'ib as ribs (whether it is peculiar to man or woman) the apologists hide this fact to pretend that this somehow means the "sexual areas of women" by taking out that one portion where it says this word is often used particular to women and hiding the rest.

The result? A complete fail. All of the futile attempts at explaining away and whitewashing this clear error are simply destroyed.

(2) Origin of milk in cattle:

16:66 - And verily! In the cattle, there is a lesson for you. We give you to drink of that which is in their bellies, from between excretions and blood, pure milk; palatable to the drinkers.

Milk is produced from mammary glands (which are part of the "udder" in cattle - the equivalent of the breasts in humans). Neither are milk in the cattle at any point of time situated in their bellies, nor are they coming from between excretions/intestines and blood. A clear and indefensible error.

Although there are more poor biological explanations and errors in the Quran, I have just focused on two of these errors as they are easily and clearly proven and hence indefensible.

Barbaric Inhumane Punishments and Torture

Islam contains absolutely cruel, and unthinkably inhumane punishments for several crimes and even non-crimes. These punishments and teachings in Islam show how fundamentally unfit it is for the modern world.

(I) Theft - Amputation of the hand:

5:38 - As for the thief, both male and female, cut off their hands. It is the reward of their own deeds, an exemplary punishment from Allah. Allah is Mighty, Wise.

Sahih al Bukhari 6799 - Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah 's Apostle said, "Allah curses the thief who steals an egg (or a helmet) for which his hand is to be cut off, or steals a rope, for which his hand is to be cut off."

Sahih al Bukhari 6790 - Narrated Aisha: The Prophet said, "The hand of a thief should be cut off for stealing a quarter of a Dinar."

(II) Fornication and adultery - Hundred lashes in public (plus stoning to death for adultery):

24:2 - The woman and the man guilty of illegal sexual intercourse, flog each of them with a hundred stripes. Let not pity withhold you in their case, in a punishment prescribed by Allah, if you believe in Allah and the Last Day. And let a party of the believers witness their punishment. 

Sahih al Bukhari 7332 - Narrated Ibn `Umar: The Jews brought a man and a woman who had committed illegal sexual intercourse, to the Prophet and the Prophet ordered them to be stoned to death, and they were stoned to death near the mosque where the biers used to be placed.

Sahih al Bukhari 2695 - Narrated Abu Huraira and Zaid bin Khalid Al-Juhani: A bedouin came and said, "O Allah's Messenger! Judge between us according to Allah's Laws." His opponent got up and said, "He is right. Judge between us according to Allah's Laws." The bedouin said, "My son was a laborer working for this man, and he committed illegal sexual intercourse with his wife. The people told me that my son should be stoned to death; so, in lieu of that, I paid a ransom of one hundred sheep and a slave girl to save my son. Then I asked the learned scholars who said, "Your son has to be lashed one-hundred lashes and has to be exiled for one year." The Prophet said, "No doubt I will judge between you according to Allah's Laws. The slave-girl and the sheep are to go back to you, and your son will get a hundred lashes and one year exile." He then addressed somebody, "O Unais! go to the wife of this (man) and stone her to death" So, Unais went and stoned her to death.

Sahih Muslim 4191 - 'Ubada b. as-Samit reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: "Receive (teaching) from me, receive (teaching) from me. Allah has ordained a way for those (women). When an unmarried male commits adultery with an unmarried female (they should receive) one hundred lashes and banishment for one year. And in case of married male committing adultery with a married female, they shall receive one hundred lashes and be stoned to death."

(III) Homosexuality - death; and transgenders - forcing them out of their homes:

Quran 7:80 to 7:84 - And (remember) Loot (Lot), when he said to his people: ‘Do you commit the worst sin such as none preceding you has committed in the ‘Aalameen (mankind and jinn)? Verily, you practise your lusts on men instead of women. Nay, but you are a people transgressing beyond bounds (by committing great sins).’ And the answer of his people was only that they said: ‘Drive them out of your town, these are indeed men who want to be pure (from sins)!’ Then We saved him and his family, except his wife; she was of those who remained behind (in the torment). And We rained down on them a rain (of stones). Then see what was the end of the Mujrimoon (criminals, polytheists and sinners)”

Sunan Abu-Dawud 4462 - Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas: The Prophet said: If you find anyone doing as Lot's people did, kill the one who does it, and the one to whom it is done.

Sahih al Bukhari 5886 - Narrated Ibn `Abbas: The Prophet cursed effeminate men (those men who are in the similitude (assume the manners of women) and those women who assume the manners of men, and he said, "Turn them out of your houses." 

(IV) House arrest for life for women committing "sexual immorality/lewdness":

4:15 - If any of your women are guilty of lewdness, Take the evidence of four (Reliable) witnesses from amongst you against them; and if they testify, confine them to houses until death do claim them, or Allah ordain for them some (other) way.

(V) Beating people who consumed alcohol:

Sahih al Bukhari 6777 - Narrated Abu Salama: Abu Huraira said, "A man who drank wine was brought to the Prophet. The Prophet said, 'Beat him!" Abu Huraira added, "So some of us beat him with our hands, and some with their shoes, and some with their garments (by twisting it) like a lash, and then when we finished, someone said to him, 'May Allah disgrace you!' On that the Prophet said, 'Do not say so, for you are helping Satan to overpower him.' "

(VI) Crucifixion, chopping off hands and feet and other forms of torture:

5:33 - The only reward of those who make war upon Allah and His messenger and strive after corruption in the land will be that they will be killed or crucified, or have their hands and feet on alternate sides cut off, or will be expelled out of the land. Such will be their degradation in the world, and in the Hereafter theirs will be an awful doom.

Sahih al Bukhari 3018 - Narrated Anas bin Malik: A group of eight men from the tribe of 'Ukil came to the Prophet and then they found the climate of Medina unsuitable for them. So, they said, "O Allah's Messenger! Provide us with some milk." Allah's Apostle said, "I recommend that you should join the herd of camels." So they went and drank the urine and the milk of the camels (as a medicine) till they became healthy and fat. Then they killed the shepherd and drove away the camels, and they became unbelievers after whey were Muslims. When the Prophet was informed by a shouter for help, he sent some men in their pursuit, and before the sun rose high, they were brought, and he had their hands and feet cut off. Then he ordered for nails which were heated and passed over their eyes, and whey were left in the Harra (i.e. rocky land in Medina). They asked for water, and nobody provided them with water till they died (Abu Qilaba, a sub-narrator said, "They committed murder and theft and fought against Allah and His Apostle, and spread evil in the land.")

CONCLUSION: We can all argue if some of these actions are moral or immoral, but the fact is that the level of punishment is disproportionate and inhumane. Chopping off hands for theft condemns the thief with a punishment that he or she can never recover from. Publicly humiliating people with 100 lashes or stoning to death are absolutely savage. If you ever watched a video of a person being stoned to death anyone with a heart would see how utterly devoid of humanity such a punishment is for any crime. The LGBT are clearly going to suffer, whether by being put to death or being rendered homeless. Apart from that, no civil society should recognize torture as a valid punishment for any crime. These aspects of Islam should make any believing Muslim rethink whether Islam is a great religion, to say the very least.

Blasphemy Killings and their Islamic Roots

Anyone who listens to the world news attentively knows how uniquely intolerant Islamic world is on the topic of blasphemy or a perceived insult of Islam. The conviction that a person has committed blasphemy can turn a mob dedicated with all their anger and might towards publicly murdering a person. Let us take a moment to examine the straightforward connection between blasphemy killings and the Islamic doctrine and scripture.

The Quran contains a lot of hate speech and threat of violence against people who abuse the prophet or mock Islam. Let's take a look at a few of these verses:

Quran 33:57 to 33:61 - Indeed, those who abuse Allah and His Messenger - Allah has cursed them in this world and the Hereafter and prepared for them a humiliating punishment. And those who harm believing men and believing women for [something] other than what they have earned have certainly born upon themselves a slander and manifest sin. O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves [part] of their outer garments. That is more suitable that they will be known and not be abused. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful. If the hypocrites and those in whose hearts is disease and those who spread rumors in al-Madinah do not cease, We will surely incite you against them; then they will not remain your neighbors therein except for a little. Accursed wherever they are found, [being] seized and massacred completely.

The Tafsirs show that the context applies to anyone who persistently mocks Allah and Muhammad.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir (33:57-61) - (Verily, those who annoy Allah and His Messenger,) was revealed about those who slandered the Prophet over his marriage to Safiyyah bint Huyay bin Akhtab. The Ayah appears to be general in meaning and to apply to all those who annoy him in any way, because whoever annoys him annoys Allah, just as whoever obeys him obeys Allah. ... Then Allah issues a warning to the hypocrites, those who make an outward display of faith while concealing their disbelief.

Quran 9:61 to 9:66 - And among them are those who abuse the Prophet and say, "He is an ear." Say, "[It is] an ear of goodness for you that believes in Allah and believes the believers and [is] a mercy to those who believe among you." And those who abuse the Messenger of Allah - for them is a painful punishment. They swear by Allah to you [Muslims] to satisfy you. But Allah and His Messenger are more worthy for them to satisfy, if they should be believers. Do they not know that whoever opposes Allah and His Messenger - that for him is the fire of Hell, wherein he will abide eternally? That is the great disgrace. They hypocrites are apprehensive lest a surah be revealed about them, informing them of what is in their hearts. Say, "Mock [as you wish]; indeed, Allah will expose that which you fear." And if you ask them, they will surely say, "We were only conversing and playing." Say, "Is it Allah and His verses and His Messenger that you were mocking?" Make no excuse; you have disbelieved after your belief. If We pardon one faction of you - We will punish another faction because they were criminals.

From the Tafsirs it appears that the verses were revealed in context of punishing a man with stoning for mocking Islam.

Tafsir Ibn Kathir (9:65) - `Abdullah bin `Umar said, "During the battle of Tabuk, a man was sitting in a gathering and said, `I have never seen like these reciters of ours! They have the hungriest stomachs, the most lying tongues and are the most cowardice in battle.' A man in the Masjid said, `You lie. You are a hypocrite, and I will surely inform the Messenger of Allah. ' This statement was conveyed to the Messenger of Allah and also a part of the Qur'an was revealed about it.''' `Abdullah bin `Umar said, "I have seen that man afterwards holding onto the shoulders of the Messenger's camel while stones were falling on him, declaring, `O Allah's Messenger! We were only engaged in idle talk and jesting,' while the Messenger of Allah was reciting,

Let us see this concept in action from the hadiths. In the below story, a blind man stabs his wife to death for repeatedly slandering Muhammad. When Muhammad heard the news he ordered the man to turn himself in. When he did, Muhammad let him away with no punishment.

Sunan an-Nasai 4070 - Ibn 'Abbas narrated that: There was a blind man during the time of the Messenger of Allah [SAW] who had an Umm Walad by whom he had two sons. She used to slander and defame the Messenger of Allah [SAW] a great deal, and he would rebuke her, but she would not pay heed, and he would forbid her to do that, but she ignored him. (The blind man said) One night I mentioned the Prophet [SAW], and she slandered him. I could not bear it so I went and got a dagger which I thrust into her stomach and leaned upon it, and killed her. In the morning she was found slain. Mention of that was made to the Prophet [SAW] and he gathered the people and said: "I adjure by Allah; a man over whom I have the right, that he should obey me, and he did what he did, to stand up." The blind man started to tremble and said: "O Messenger of Allah [SAW], I am the one who killed her. She was my Umm Walad and she was kind and gentle toward me, and I have two sons like pearls from her, but she used to slander and defame you a great deal. I forbade her, but she did not stop, and I rebuked her, but she did not pay heed. Finally, I mentioned your name and she slandered you, so I went and got a dagger which I thrust into her stomach, and leaned on it until I killed her. The Messenger of Allah [SAW] said: "I bear witness that her blood is permissible."

While the above are more direct examples for blasphemy, there is a lot of hate speech in the Quran that is written against those who spread "corruption" in the land. If we examine within the Quran itself, we can see how easily it is possible to use the excuse of spreading corruption against blasphemers.

Quran 5:32 to 5:33 - Because of that, We decreed upon the Children of Israel that whoever kills a soul unless for a soul or for corruption [done] in the land – it is as if he had slain mankind entirely ... Indeed, the penalty for those who wage war against Allah and His Messenger and strive upon earth [to cause] corruption is none but that they be killed or crucified or that their hands and feet be cut off from opposite sides or that they be exiled from the land. That is for them a disgrace in this world; and for them in the Hereafter is a great punishment.

Obviously Allah is invisible if he exists and Muhammad not alive today so any war that can be waged against Allah and his messenger today is a war of ideas. Besides, one big problem with this is that when the system itself is Islam, anything that challenges and tries to reform Islam can be classified as corruption. Quran in chapter 2 supports this notion.

Quran 2:8 to 2:12 - And of the people are some who say, "We believe in Allah and the Last Day," but they are not believers. They [think to] deceive Allah and those who believe, but they deceive not except themselves and perceive [it] not. In their hearts is disease, so Allah has increased their disease; and for them is a painful punishment because they [habitually] used to lie. And when it is said to them, "Do not cause corruption on the earth," they say, "We are but reformers." Unquestionably, it is they who are the corrupters, but they perceive [it] not.

Reforms and innovations are absolutely scorned upon in Islam. Before concluding, let's look at another hadith:

Sahih Muslim 1852 - It has been narrated on the authority of 'Arfaja who said: I have heard the Messenger of Allah say: Different evils will make their appearance in the near future. Anyone who tries to disrupt the affairs of this Umma while they are united you should strike him with the sword whoever he be.

CONCLUSION: Although what I did is a scriptural analysis on blasphemy within Islam, these don't present a complete picture of the existing problem. Lots and lots of Muslims who barely know the scripture in detail still support blasphemy punishments. Considering a medieval warlord as the perfect example for mankind by itself is extremely troublesome. When pointed out troublesome facts about Muhammad in the Islamic scripture, this can make people extremely defensive and angry as there is some truth in the accusations. Another part of the problem is in the belief that Quran is perfectly preserved, to the letter. This leads to people being extremely allergic to change and being intolerant of reform. The result of all this is that Islam creates a cult centred around the Quran as a book and Muhammad as a person, resisting even small amounts of criticism or reform, leading to an extreme intolerance to blasphemy.

Quran's Most Misquoted Verse 5:32

Quranic verses are often misquoted - purposefully or due to ignorance - to the easily fooled common man who doesn't know much about the actual scripture. Here are some quick facts about Quran's most misquoted verse - Verse 5:32 - which shows its dark side that doesn't get much public attention:

Misquoted verse: "Whoever kills an innocent human being, it is as if he has killed all mankind."

Actual verse: "Because of that, We decreed upon the Children of Israel that whoever kills a soul unless for a soul or for corruption done in the land it is as if he had killed all mankind."

(1) The common misquote of the verse leaves out two important things. First, that "corruption done in the land" could be used an excuse to kill a person. Now, from an Islamic point of view, what is the ultimate corruption that can be done in the land? Driving people away from or corrupting Islam. The following verse clearly shows that Muslims who claim to reform Islam are called out as corrupters.

Quran 2:8 to 2:12 - And of the people are some who say, "We believe in Allah and the Last Day," but they are not believers. They [think to] deceive Allah and those who believe, but they deceive not except themselves and perceive [it] not. In their hearts is disease, so Allah has increased their disease; and for them is a painful punishment because they [habitually] used to lie. And when it is said to them, "Do not cause corruption on the earth," they say, "We are but reformers." Unquestionably, it is they who are the corrupters, but they perceive [it] not.

Besides, Quran 4:48 and 4:116 makes it clear that "shirk", or associating partners with Allah is the ONLY unforgivable crime in the eyes of Allah. If anyone thinks that Christianity and Judaism are exempt from this, they should read 9:29 of the Quran which calls out Jews and Christians for shirk.

(2) The second important thing that is left out in the misquote has to do with what is conveniently omitted before the verse. "It was ordained to the children of Israel" - notice that the Quran is not making a new teaching here but referring to an old teaching that was already there - which as the Quran admits was given to the Jews (just like the Quran often refers to the Bible teachings throughout the book). Could it just be that this verse was found in another scripture?

Jewish Talmud, Mishnah Sanhedrin 37a - "For this reason was man created alone, to teach thee that whosoever destroys a single soul of israel, scripture imputes to him as though he had destroyed a complete world"

Notice how unlike the Quranic verse, the Talmud teaching doesn't give the dangerous exception for corruption done in the land as a green light to murder people.

(3) The last important point we need to know is the verse that comes immediately after the "peaceful" verse 5:32.

Quran 5:33 - "Indeed, the penalty for those who wage war against Allah and His Messenger and strive upon earth [to cause] corruption is none but that they be killed or crucified or that their hands and feet be cut off from opposite sides or that they be exiled from the land."

Let's just think about this verse in today's context for a moment. Allah is invisible if he exists and Muhammad a long dead man. So how does someone wage a war against Allah and his messenger today and promote corruption in the land? By waging a war against Islam - the ideology. When the system itself is Islam, the ultimate corruption would be something that undermines the very system of Islam. With that in mind, the above verse can be very easily used against anyone who preaches against Islam or promotes any kind of deviation from the so-called "true" Islam (The Quran itself calls out people who deviate and try to reform Islam as corrupters). I'm pretty much waging a war against Allah and his messenger right now according to the Quran. I can be killed, crucified, mutilated or exiled depending on the level of criticism that I offer.

Quran's Failed Challenges and Appeal to Ignorance

The aim of this article is to expose some ridiculous claims and failed challenges made by the Quran, and its constant appeal to human ignorance of science and worldly facts.

(I) Quran's self defeating challenge to find contradictions in it:

4:82 - Then do they not reflect upon the Qur'an? If it had been from [any] other than Allah , they would have found within it much contradiction.

The most interesting thing about this challenge is that one only needs to go back four verses to see how it fails miserably. Here we have back to back verses contradicting each other:

4:78 - Wherever you may be, death will overtake you, even if you should be within towers of lofty construction. But if good comes to them, they say, "This is from Allah "; and if evil befalls them, they say, "This is from you." Say, "All [things] are from Allah." So what is [the matter] with those people that they can hardly understand any statement?

In the above verse, Allah criticizes people for accepting that good is from Allah while blaming others for evil. Allah affirms that all things (good and evil) are from himself. However in the very next verse Allah contradicts this, claiming that any evil that befalls a person is from the person himself.

4:79 - What comes to you of good is from Allah, but what comes to you of evil, [O man], is from yourself. And We have sent you, [O Muhammad], to the people as a messenger, and sufficient is Allah as Witness.

Now let's go to another clear contradiction - whether intercession (the act of a person requesting forgiveness for the sins of another person to save the latter from hell fire) will be acceptable on the day of judgement.

The following three verses clearly say NO to ANY sort of intercession being acceptable on the judgement day:

2:48 - And fear a Day when no soul will suffice for another soul at all, nor will intercession be accepted from it, nor will compensation be taken from it, nor will they be aided.

2:123 - And fear a Day when no soul will suffice for another soul at all, and no compensation will be accepted from it, nor will any intercession benefit it, nor will they be aided.

6:51 - And warn by the Qur'an those who fear that they will be gathered before their Lord - for them besides Him will be no protector and no intercessor - that they might become righteous.

The following three verses however say YES to the idea that intercession is acceptable - to those whom Allah permits:

20:109 - That Day, no intercession will benefit except [that of] one to whom the Most Merciful has given permission and has accepted his word.

34:23 - And intercession does not benefit with Him except for one whom He permits.

53:26 - And how many angels there are in the heavens whose intercession will not avail at all except [only] after Allah has permitted [it] to whom He wills and approves.

(II) The challenge to bring a Surah (chapter) like one in the Quran:

2:23 to 2:24 - And if you are in doubt about what We have sent down upon Our Servant [Muhammad], then produce a Surah the like thereof and call upon your witnesses other than Allah, if you should be truthful. But if you do not - and you will never be able to - then fear the Fire, whose fuel is men and stones, prepared for the disbelievers.

10:38 - Or do they say [about the Prophet], "He invented it?" Say, "Then bring forth a surah like it and call upon [for assistance] whomever you can besides Allah , if you should be truthful."

Notice that Allah challenges those who doubt the Quran to produce a chapter like one in the book, claiming that this challenge cannot be ever met. Let's put aside all the magnificent poetries, philosophical writings, and delightful novels and stories that people have produced over the ages from time immemorial. The sheer stupidity of this challenge can be shown by simply looking at certain chapters in the Quran. Let's take a look at one of them - chapter 111 of the Quran:

111:1 to 111:5 - May the hands of Abu Lahab be ruined, and ruined is he. His wealth will not avail him or that which he gained. He will [enter to] burn in a Fire of [blazing] flame. And his wife [as well] - the carrier of firewood. Around her neck is a rope of [twisted] fiber.

And that's it - the whole chapter. How beautiful! A whole chapter dedicated just to condemn some guy and his wife into hellfire and torture. Anyone can easily produce a much more valuable chapter than this. Nothing more needs to be added here.

(III) How the Quran tries to validate itself, appealing to human ignorance:

13:2 - It is Allah who erected the heavens without pillars that you [can] see; then He established Himself above the Throne and made subject the sun and the moon, each running [its course] for a specified term. He arranges [each] matter; He details the signs that you may, of the meeting with your Lord, be certain.

Implies that the "heavens" or objects that we can see in the atmosphere or beyond like planets or stars (depending on how people translate the word heavens) have invisible pillars supporting them from Earth. For those who argue that it implies no pillars at all, then the verse conveys that the atmosphere or celestial objects just being there is something miraculous. Either way this verse directly appeals to human ignorance of the basics of how gravity works.

16:15 - And He has cast into the earth firmly set mountains, lest it shift with you, and [made] rivers and roads, that you may be guided.

Mountains are in fact formed in the least stable parts of the Earth, and such regions are more prone to earthquakes or landslides. The claim of mountains holding the Earth firm is hence a laughable one. Also notice how Allah claims that rivers and roads were made so that humans would be guided. This is a strange enough claim with rivers, but I'll let you figure this out. Allah made paths or roads so that humans may be guided? Or... humans made paths or roads for their own guidance and travel.

16:79 - Do they not see the birds controlled in the atmosphere of the sky? None holds them up except Allah. Indeed in that are signs for a people who believe.

Back then, people really didn't know the basics of aerodynamics. Hence the idea that it is God who holds the birds up in the sky from falling down would seem credible and wonderful to those who hear it. This is projected as a sign for people to validate the Quran.

31:31 - Do you not see that ships sail through the sea by the favor of Allah that He may show you of His signs? Indeed in that are signs for everyone patient and grateful.

Again, claiming that ships sailing through the sea and not sinking is by the favor of Allah. We can see one of the repeated attempts at self-validation over here. Of course, the ignorance of basic hydrodynamics can make this feel wonderful.

(IV) Some dubious claims that any believer should think about:

15:26 - And We did certainly create man out of clay from an altered black mud.

Claims that humans were created from clay by shaping black mud.

16:8 - And [He created] the horses, mules and donkeys for you to ride and [as] adornment. 

Claims that horses, mules and donkeys were created by God for humans to ride and decoration or show.

CONCLUSION: I'm not stressing on proving any scientific or factual errors here, but rather the ridiculous nature of these claims made by the Quran. I invite anyone who believes in the divine nature of the Quran to ponder over these claims and the failed attempts at self-validation. It should be pretty clear to anyone who reads over this article with an unbiased mind that the Quran cannot possibly be from a divine being, if at all a divine being exists.