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Contradictions in the Quran: Difference between revisions
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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 /> | 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)] | [https://quranvariants.files.wordpress.com/2022/04/narrative-contradictions-quran.pdf Narrative Contradictions in the Quran (pdf)] | ||
This section is much more detailed than the others on this page, so some readers may prefer to skip this section and first take a quick run through the contradictions on various other topics. | |||
Due to the columns, if viewing on a mobile phone this section is best viewed by clicking desktop mode at the bottom of the page. | Due to the columns, if viewing on a mobile phone this section is best viewed by clicking desktop mode at the bottom of the page. | ||
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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. | 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. | ||
4) | 4) The 2nd contradiction noted above is a casualty of the author's desire in surah 11 to have Abraham later argue with the angels about the people of Lot. So in 11:70 the angels first calm Abraham's fear by telling him that they have been sent to the people of Lot (qawmi lūṭin) instead of giving him the good tidings as in 15:53 and 51:28. Then since they still have to deliver the good news, it is given directly to his wife in surah 11. | ||
Later, in verse 74, he argues with them on behalf of the people of Lot (qawmi lūṭin, again). In the other two surahs, the topic only comes up for the first time in 15:57 and 51:31 when Abraham asks what is their next business (“Then what” famā). | |||
===Lot and the angels=== | ===Lot and the angels=== | ||
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{{Quote|{{Quran|2|1}}| | {{Quote|{{Quran|2|1}}| | ||
Alif. Lam. Mim. }} | Alif. Lam. Mim. }} | ||
==Miscellaneous== | ==Miscellaneous== | ||
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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. | 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. | ||
==Quran Variants== | |||
{{Main|Textual History of the Qur'an}} | |||
Besides the contradictions in the agreed text of the Quran as set out above, we also find another type of Qur'anic contradiction; contradictions between different accepted versions of the Qur'an. The rasm text of the Quran standardised by Uthman around 650 CE lacked almost any dotting to distinguish various consonants, had no short vowels, and had inconsistent use of word-internal alifs. Thus, oral tradition was needed to read it. | |||
While the oral tradition was mostly strong and agreed upon, there was disagreement on how to recite many words, ultimately resulting in the ten canonical readings (qira'at), each of which have two canonical transmitters. These disagree on how to read around 1400 words. The vast majority of printed Qurans since Ottoman times have used the reading transmitted by Hafs from the reader 'Asim, but all of these readings are accepted and appear in print, supposedly containing the words and variants thereof recited by Muhammad. Yet these variants sometimes contradict each other. | |||
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 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 a list of further resources [https://quranvariants.wordpress.com/resources/ here]. | |||
An example involves the canonical reader al-Kisa'i: | |||
{{Quote|{{Quran|17|102}}|قَالَ لَقَدْ '''عَلِمْتَ''' مَآ أَنزَلَ هَٰٓؤُلَآءِ إِلَّا رَبُّ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ بَصَآئِرَ وَإِنِّى لَأَظُنُّكَ يَٰفِرْعَوْنُ مَثْبُورًا | |||
<BR />Majority reading: [Moses] said, "'''You have already known''' [alimta] that none has sent down these [signs] except the Lord of the heavens and the earth as evidence, and indeed I think, O Pharaoh, that you are destroyed."}} | |||
{{Quote|{{Quran|17|102}}|قَالَ لَقَدْ '''عَلِمْتُ''' مَآ أَنزَلَ هَٰٓؤُلَآءِ إِلَّا رَبُّ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ بَصَآئِرَ وَإِنِّى لَأَظُنُّكَ يَٰفِرْعَوْنُ مَثْبُورًا | |||
<BR />Reading of al-Kisai': [Moses] said, "'''I have already known''' [alimtu] that none has sent down these [signs] except the Lord of the heavens and the earth as evidence, and indeed I think, O Pharaoh, that you are destroyed."}} | |||
For verification of this example, see [[:File:Bridges 17 102.jpg|Bridges translation]] - [https://corpuscoranicum.org/en/verse-navigator/sura/17/verse/102/variants Corpus Coranicum] - [https://www.nquran.com/ar/index.php?group=ayacompare&sora=17&aya=102 nquran.com]. | |||
==See Also== | ==See Also== | ||