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Contradictions in the Quran: Difference between revisions
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{{QualityScore|Lead=3|Structure=4|Content=4|Language=3|References=4}}A recurring [[:Category:Criticism of Islam|criticism]] of the [[Qur'an|Quran]] is that it contains contradictory pronouncements, as is argued of many other religious scriptures. The occurrence of these contradictions, critics argue, is particularly problematic in the case of the Quran because the Islamic tradition holds it to be the direct, unmediated word of [[Allah]], or God. Indeed, {{Quran|4|82}} makes the confident assertion: "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." | {{#seo: | ||
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[[File:Are_There_Contradictions_in_The_Quran.jpg |thumb|275px|Video thumbnail for a Youtube vide by Dr Shabir Ally]]{{QualityScore|Lead=3|Structure=4|Content=4|Language=3|References=4}}A recurring [[:Category:Criticism of Islam|criticism]] of the [[Qur'an|Quran]] is that it contains contradictory pronouncements, as is argued of many other religious scriptures. The occurrence of these contradictions, critics argue, is particularly problematic in the case of the Quran because the Islamic tradition holds it to be the direct, unmediated word of [[Allah]], or God. Indeed, {{Quran|4|82}} makes the confident assertion: "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." | |||
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. | 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. | ||
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20:124 <span style="color:#800080">And whoever turns away from My remembrance - indeed, he will have a depressed life, and We will gather him on the Day of Resurrection blind."</span> | 20:124 <span style="color:#800080">And whoever turns away from My remembrance - indeed, he will have a depressed life, and We will gather him on the Day of Resurrection blind."</span> | ||
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Durie (2018)<ref>Durie, Mark. 2018. ''The Qur’an and Its Biblical Reflexes: Investigations into the Genesis of a Religion'' (p. 408 - 415 Kindle Edition). Lexington Books. ''pp. 219 - 223''</ref> notes that scholars like Witztum and others have proposed an editorial process for the Qur'an, where earlier texts were reworked into later versions, with this contradiction being the result of combining the versions together. However, an alternative "oral-formulaic" approach, advocated by Bannister,<ref>Andrew Bannister, ''An Oral-Formulaic Study of the Qurʾan'', Lanham: Lexington Books, 2014, <nowiki>ISBN 978-0-7391-8357-1</nowiki>.</ref> suggests the Qur'an's narratives were shaped by oral performance rather than editing. Variations in the Fall stories reflect performance differences rather than textual dependence, with the performer adapting the story for different audiences. From the perspective of an oral-formulaic explanation, we can say that Q2 is an ill-formed performance, and its appearance of dependence upon Q7 and Q20 is simply because those other two recorded performances went more smoothly.<ref>Durie, Mark. 2018. ''The Qur’an and Its Biblical Reflexes: Investigations into the Genesis of a Religion'' (p. 410 Kindle Edition). Lexington Books. ''pp. 220''</ref> | |||
===Timing of Allah's instructions to Noah=== | ===Timing of Allah's instructions to Noah=== | ||
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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> | 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> | ||
=== Was Jonah cast onto the shore? === | |||
Yes - Allah casts him onto the shore. | |||
{{Quote|{{Quran|37|139-145}}|“Indeed, Jonah was one of the messengers,” | |||
“When he ran away to a ship completely laden,” | |||
“And then drew lots and was of those who are rejected.” | |||
“And the fish swallowed him while he was blameworthy,” | |||
“Had he not been one of those who glorify (Allah)” | |||
“He would certainly have remained inside the Fish till the Day of Resurrection.” | |||
<i>“So We cast him onto the shore, while he was sick.”</i>}} | |||
No - he wasn't cast onto the shore due to Allah’s favour reaching him. | |||
{{Quote|{{Quran|68|48-49}}|“So wait with patience for the Command of thy Lord, and be not like the Companion of the Fish, when he cried out in despair.” | |||
<i>“Had it not been that favour from his Lord had reached him, he would indeed have been cast off onto the shore in disgrace.”</i>}} | |||
==Allah== | ==Allah== | ||
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Allah chooses messengers from angels and from men for Allah is He Who hears and sees (all things). }} | Allah chooses messengers from angels and from men for Allah is He Who hears and sees (all things). }} | ||
=== Was Iblīs an angel or a jinn? === | |||
While the following example might be considered to be an example of poor writing rather than an irreconcilable contradiction, it is worth noting as it is contradictory on a plain reading; which has caused confusion and led to differing opinions on whether Iblīs was an angel or a jinn in traditional Islamic scholarship.<ref>[https://www.britannica.com/topic/Iblis Iblis] | Islam | Britannica </ref> | |||
As Sinai 2023<ref>Sinai, Nicolai. Key Terms of the Qur'an: A Critical Dictionary (p. 453 - 457). Princeton University Press.</ref> notes, the Arabic phrase qulnā li-l-malāʾikati sjudū li-ādama fa-sajadū illā iblīsa (Q 2:34, 7:11, 17:61, 18:50, 20:116; see also 15:30–31 and 38:73–74) is naturally rendered, “We said to the angels, ‘Prostrate yourselves to Adam,’ and they prostrated themselves, except for Iblīs.” This reading would be in line, for instance, with the view of Jacob of Sarug, who unequivocally declares Satan to have been an angel (Mathews 2020, 88–89, l. 2515; see in more detail below).<ref>Ibid. pp. 455.</ref> (Hence this is seen in virtually all official English translations of the verses). | |||
{{Quote|{{Quran|17|61}}|And when We said to the Angels, "Prostrate to Adam." So they prostrated except Iblis. He said, "Shall I prostrate to (one) whom You created (from) clay?"}}{{Quote|{{Quran|20|116}}|When We said to the angels, ‘Prostrate before Adam,’ they prostrated, but not Iblis: he refused.}}{{Quote|{{Quran|15|31-32}}|Thereat the angels prostrated, all of them together, but not Iblis: he refused to be among those who prostrated.}} | |||
See also {{Quran|2|34}}, {{Quran|7|11}} and {{Quran|38|73-74}}. | |||
However, the Qur'an explicitly states that Iblīs was one of the jinn (straight after this in Q 18:50), distinguishing him from angels, who are described as a separate, species ({{Quran|34|40-41}}) that are totally obedient to God and not judged by him in the afterlife (unlike the jinn), but rather even carry out punishments {{Quran|66|6}} and hold his throne judgement day {{Quran|69|17}}. This distinction is supported by Q 38:76 and Q 7:12, where Iblīs refuses to prostrate to Adam, citing his creation from fire, in contrast to Adam's creation from clay. Additionally, premodern Muslim scholars noted that angels are always obedient to God, reinforcing the idea that Iblīs could not have been an angel.<ref>Ibid.</ref> This is the current mainstream view.<ref>[https://islamqa.info/en/answers/8976/was-iblis-an-angel Was Iblis an Angel?] IslamQA. 2000.</ref> | |||
{{Quote|{{Quran|18|50}}|When We said to the angels, ‘Prostrate before Adam,’ they prostrated, but not Iblis. He was one of the jinn, so he transgressed against his Lord’s command. Will you then take him and his offspring for guardians in My stead, though they are your enemies? How evil a substitute for the wrongdoers!}} | |||
He also notes that despite the considerable grammatical ingenuity displayed by later Muslim exegetes to make the prostration be exclusive of Iblīs (such as Al-Zamakhshari), the most straightforward and uncontrived reading of fa-sajadū illā iblīsa and its variants would surely be “they prostrated themselves, except for Iblīs,” including the implication that Iblīs was indeed one of the angels.<ref>Ibid. pp. 456.</ref> | |||
El-Zein 2017<ref>El-Zein, Amira. Islam, Arabs, and the Intelligent World of the Jinn (Contemporary Issues in the Middle East) (p. 43-46). Syracuse University Press.</ref> notes that seemingly based off this verse, various Islamic sources have conceived of Iblis as an angel, for example the Sufi scholar Ibn 'Arabi in one writing describes him as a four-winged angel, and the Sunni jurist Al-Damari claimed “Iblis was the chief of the angels of heaven and their ruler, as well as ruler over the earth. He was one of the most studious angels and the most knowledgeable. He ruled between heaven and earth. He took great pride and honor in it. But he became arrogant and haughty. He rebelled and was ungrateful to God who transformed him into a cursed devil, shaytan.”<ref>Ibid. pp. 44.</ref> The Mu‘tazilah school of theology and Islamic thought (8th–10th century) also tended to view Iblis as depicted in Qur’an 18:50 as an angel rather than a jinn.<ref>Ibid.</ref> | |||
To resolve the incoherence between the two interpretations on the nature of Iblis, Muslim scholarship came up with some ingenious ideas. Al-Tabari, for example, argued it is possible God created one part of his angels from light and another part from fire; Iblis possibly could belong to that group of angels who were created from the scorching winds.<ref>Ibid. pp. 46.</ref> Al-Baydawi (d. 1286), meanwhile, had a more plausible explanation. He argued Iblis, a jinni made out of fire, was carried off as a captive by the angels during one of the combats between jinn and angels that took place on Earth. Because Iblis was still a child, he grew up among angels. When God ordered the angels to bow before Adam, Iblis refused, and thus revealed his true jinni nature.<ref>Ibid.</ref> | |||
Sinai 2023 notes a potential reason for this repeated seemingly contradictory statement. In the Qur'an, nine out of eleven mentions of Iblīs occur in the context of the angels prostrating to Adam, with Iblīs refusing (Q 2:34, 7:11, 17:61, 18:50, 20:116, 15:30–31, 38:73–74), or in the immediate divine address to Iblīs (Q 15:32, 38:75). The other two occurrences (Q 26:95, 34:20) refer to Iblīs’s followers and those who follow Iblīs, respectively. He suggests a more satisfactory resolution to the issue is therefore the formula "fa-sajadū illā iblīsa" might have originated from pre-Qur’anic Arab traditions on this story, where the formula fa-sajadū illā iblīsa reached the Qur’anic milieu as a set phrase that had been coined in prior Arabophone narrative traditions. This idea is supported by similar pre-Qur’anic narrative phrases in the Qur'an, like God blowing His spirit into Adam or Mary (e.g. Q 15:29, 21:91).<ref>Sinai, Nicolai. Key Terms of the Qur'an: A Critical Dictionary (pp. 453-454 & 456). Princeton University Press. </ref> | |||
==Creation== | ==Creation== | ||
===Which was created first; the Heaven or Earth?=== | ===Which was created first; the Heaven or Earth?=== | ||
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== Quran Variants == | == Quran Variants == | ||
{{Main|Textual History of the Qur'an}} | {{Main|Textual History of the Qur'an}} | ||
Among contradictions in narrative, meaning and instructions for the majority use Hafs Qur'an used today, we also find another type of Qur'anic contradiction; contradictions between different accepted versions of the Qur'an, furthering these issues. There are too many to list on this page, but some are discussed in the [[:en:Textual_History_of_the_Qur'an|main article]], with many more listed for those exploring further can be found on the [https://quranvariants.wordpress.com/ Quran Variants] website, for example '[https://quranvariants.wordpress.com/dialogue-quran-variants/ ''Dialogue variants in the canonical Qira’at readings of the Quran'']', '''[https://quranvariants.wordpress.com/superfluous-quran-variants/ Superfluous variants in the readings of the Quran]''<nowiki/>' and further resources listed [https://quranvariants.wordpress.com/resources/ here]. | Among contradictions in narrative, meaning and instructions for the majority use Hafs Qur'an used today, we also find another type of Qur'anic contradiction; contradictions between different accepted versions of the Qur'an, furthering these issues. There are too many to list on this page, but some are discussed in the [[:en:Textual_History_of_the_Qur'an|main article]], with many more listed for those exploring further can be found on the [https://quranvariants.wordpress.com/ Quran Variants] website, for example '[https://quranvariants.wordpress.com/dialogue-quran-variants/ ''Dialogue variants in the canonical Qira’at readings of the Quran'']', '''[https://quranvariants.wordpress.com/superfluous-quran-variants/ Superfluous variants in the readings of the Quran]''<nowiki/>' and further resources listed [https://quranvariants.wordpress.com/resources/ here]. | ||
==Miscellaneous== | ==Miscellaneous== | ||