Scientific Errors in the Quran: Difference between revisions

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More concise intro for this important page
(More concise intro for this important page)
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{{page_title|Scientific Errors in the Qur'an}}
{{page_title|Scientific Errors in the Qur'an}}
Muslims believe that the [[Qur'an]] contains a message from an all-powerful, all-knowing, infallible being. If this is true then it should not contain any [[Contradictions and Errors|errors, mistakes]], or information that contradicts known facts about the universe. If even one error exists in the text of [[Islam]]'s holy book then the claims of divine authorship and infallibility are not true. An objective evaluation of the Qur’an shows that it contains numerous [[Islam and Science|scientific]] and historical errors and it reflects a pre-scientific, 7<sup>th</sup> century view of the natural world.
A message from an all-knowing being should not contain any [[Contradictions and Errors|errors, mistakes]], or information that contradicts known facts about the universe. If even one error exists in the text of [[Islam]]'s holy book then the claims of divine authorship and infallibility are not true. An objective evaluation of the [[Qur’an]] shows that it contains numerous [[Islam and Science|scientific]] and historical errors and reflects a pre-scientific, 7<sup>th</sup> century view of the natural world.
    
    
Some will contest these numerous scientific errors in the Qur'an by appealing to metaphor, alternative meanings, or [[w:Phenomenology (philosophy)|phenomenological]] interpretations of the text. Even if we suppose that alternative explanations were possible in every case, the wording and content of the Qur'anic verses often mimic the popular mythology and unscientific misconceptions of the time in which they were recorded. The author of the Qur’an makes no obvious statements that differentiate his understanding of the natural world from the common folklore of the people living in the 7<sup>th</sup> century. If the Qur’an was delivered by an all-powerful, all-knowing being then he would have been able to foresee how such ambiguous and misleading statements would be understood by future generations and the doubts and confusions they would cause. This alone should be reason enough to reject any claims to its divine authorship.
Some will contest these numerous errors in the Qur'an by appealing to metaphor, alternative meanings, or [[w:Phenomenology (philosophy)|phenomenological]] interpretations of the text. Even supposing alternative explanations were possible in every case, the problem would remain that the Qur’an contains no obvious attempts to differentiate its understanding of the natural world and historical events from the common folklore and unscientific misconceptions of the people living in 7<sup>th</sup> century Arabia. An all-powerful, all-knowing, perfect communicator would have been able to foresee how such misleading statements would be understood by future generations and the doubts and confusions they would cause. Such overwhelming weakness in the Qur'an when we should expect perfection is already reason enough to reject any claims to its divine authorship.


==Astronomy==
==Astronomy==
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===Coat of Mail was Invented during the Reign of David===
===Coat of Mail was Invented during the Reign of David===


There is no evidence that Coats of mail existed during the time of David (10th century BCE). The earliest example of a coat of mail was Celtic and its invention is commonly credited to the Celts in the 3rd century BCE.<ref name="books.google.com">[http://books.google.com/books?id=HscIwvtkq2UC&pg=PA79 ''The ancient world'', Richard A. Gabriel, Greenwood Publishing Group, 2007 P.79]</ref>. Mail has also been found in a 5th century BCE Scythian grave, and there is a cumbersome Etruscan pattern mail artifact from the 4th century BCE.<ref>Robinson, H. R., [Oriental Armour https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=BaDMDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA10], New York:Dover Publications, 1995, pp.10-12</ref> Such artifacts would have been easily preserved and found by archeologists if they had existed much earlier.
There is no evidence that Coats of mail existed during the time of David (10th century BCE). The earliest example of a coat of mail was Celtic and its invention is commonly credited to the Celts in the 3rd century BCE.<ref name="books.google.com">Richard A. Gabriel, [http://books.google.com/books?id=HscIwvtkq2UC&pg=PA79 ''The ancient world''], Greenwood Publishing Group, 2007 P.79</ref>. Mail has also been found in a 5th century BCE Scythian grave, and there is a cumbersome Etruscan pattern mail artifact from the 4th century BCE.<ref>Robinson, H. R., [https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=BaDMDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA10 ''Oriental Armour''], New York:Dover Publications, 1995, pp.10-12</ref> Such artifacts would have been easily preserved and found by archeologists if they had existed much earlier.


In the Qur'an, David is taught by Allah how to make coats of iron chainmail ([http://www.studyquran.org/LaneLexicon/Volume4/00000022.pdf sabighatin] سَٰبِغَٰتٍ) and to measure the chainmail links ([http://www.studyquran.org/LaneLexicon/Volume4/00000071.pdf as-sardi] ٱلسَّرْدِ) thereof. It says people should be thankful for this knowledge which has been passed down from him.   
In the Qur'an, David is taught by Allah how to make coats of iron chainmail ([http://www.studyquran.org/LaneLexicon/Volume4/00000022.pdf sabighatin] سَٰبِغَٰتٍ) and to measure the chainmail links ([http://www.studyquran.org/LaneLexicon/Volume4/00000071.pdf as-sardi] ٱلسَّرْدِ) thereof. It says people should be thankful for this knowledge which has been passed down from him.   
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