Contradictions in the Quran: Difference between revisions

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Critics hold that at least some of these contradictions are irresolvable through any reasonable interpretation and that, to resolve them, exegetes must resort to incredible interpretations. While some of the proposed contradictions, critics admit, may be resolved through the doctrine of [[Naskh (Abrogation)|abrogation]], whereby Allah is said to override his previous instructions (through, for instance, permitting [[alcohol]] at one point and prohibiting at another), many other contradictions are not resolvable in this manner. Indeed, the Islamic tradition holds that the doctrine of abrogation is only applicable in cases of law and not theology - what Allah says at any point with regards to the divine, the hereafter, history, the day of judgement, or other such non-legal matters, must (and, the tradition holds, does) always hold true. Critics, however, have stated that many, including some of the most problematic, of the proposed contradictions are precisely of the theological, and not legal, variety.  

Many stories in the Quran are repeated in other surahs. This risks ample opportunity for a human author or editor to unwittingly introduce contradictions between the parallel narratives. Indeed this is the case. Most of the examples in this section are from the [https://quranvariants.wordpress.com/narrative-contradictions-in-the-quran/ Quran Variants] website where they are discussed in more depth, with further insights and examples.<BR />

[https://quranvariants.files.wordpress.com/2022/04/narrative-contradictions-quran.pdf Narrative Contradictions in the Quran (pdf)]  

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3) In 51:28 (and 15:53) Abraham is only given tidings of a learned boy (singular), which his wife overhears, whereas in 11:71 his wife is directly given tidings both of Isaac and of Jacob. Again, it is notable that her same immediate reaction is given in 51:29 and 11:72, so these are portraying the same moment.

===Lot and the angels===

In a remarkably careless mistake, 41:13 warns that not only Thamud, but both Aad and Thamud were destroyed by a thunderbolt. The next few verses mention a screaming wind sent to Aad over a number of days as a punishment (though without stating that this wind ultimately destroyed them), and goes on to mention the thunderbolt which seized the people of Thamud.

In an attempt to rescue the contradiction, Al-Tabari in his tafsir for 41:13 claims that sa'iqatan (thunderbolt) is a catch all term for anything that destroys something, while al-Qurtubi claims that the wind was the sa'iqatan.

|41:13 But if they turn away, then say, "'''I have warned you of a thunderbolt like the thunderbolt [that struck] 'Aad and Thamud.'''<BR />

41:14 [That occurred] when the messengers had come to them before them and after them, [saying], "Worship not except Allah." They said, "If our Lord had willed, He would have sent down the angels, so indeed we, in that with which you have been sent, are disbelievers."<BR />

41:16 '''So We sent upon them a screaming wind during days of misfortune to make them taste the punishment of disgrace in the worldly life'''; but the punishment of the Hereafter is more disgracing, and they will not be helped.<BR />

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|51:41 '''And in 'Aad [was a sign], when We sent against them the barren wind.'''<BR />

51:42 '''It left nothing of what it came upon but that it made it like disintegrated ruins.'''<BR />

51:45 And they were unable to arise, nor could they defend themselves.

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|69:4 Thamud and 'Aad denied the Striking Calamity.<BR />

69:6 '''And as for 'Aad, they were destroyed by a screaming, violent wind'''<BR />

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Lane's Lexicon has some discussion of the word mus'tamirrin ("continuous") as it is used in this verse and in Q. 54:2 where it is used in the phrase (“passing magic”) in the same grammatical form.<ref>mus'tamirrin - [http://www.studyquran.org/LaneLexicon/Volume7/00000230.pdf Lane's Lexicon p. 2702]</ref>

==Allah==

{{Quote|{{Quran|2|1}}|

Alif. Lam. Mim. }}

==Miscellaneous==

To solve the contradictions, Imam Malik in {{Muwatta|27||7}} is narrated as saying that the generally agreed way of doing things in his experience was to interpret verse 12 as relating to half-siblings by the mother of the deceased, whereas verse 176 was interpreted as relating to siblings by the same father as the deceased. There is no support for these interpretations whatsoever in the verses, which simply refer to brothers and sisters. Al-Tabari in his commentary for verse 12 includes a narration that Sa'd bin Waqas used to add the words "from the mother's side" in his recitation of that verse. It is not obvious why such additional words would not be included in the accepted text or readings of the Quran if they were authentic. Critics further point out that it would be very odd for the situation of half-siblings to be addressed early in Surah al-Nisa and that of full-siblings only in a verse appended to the very end of the surah.

==See Also==