Jon Topping – Islam and the Quran

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Origins of Islam and the Quran

Muhammad born in 570ad.

Travelled with his uncle for many years as a merchant.

Through travel, Muhammad was exposed to many cultures, histories, and religions.

              This ends up being important when we look at the content and sources of the Quran.

Looks like he created the Quran as an amalgamation of different stories he had heard.

Muhammad marries a widow (Khadija) who was 15 years older than him.

 

Muhammad receiving the Quran from the angel Gabriel, found in Hadith: Sahih al-Bukhari, Revelation, 3

Muhammad would go off to caves in the area to pray for long periods of time.

Angel Gabriel appears, tells him to read the Quran, but he couldn’t because he was illiterate.

The angel then strangled Muhammad until he thought he would die, and told him to read again.

This happened three times, and Muhammad feared for his life.

Muhammad then, instead of saying he couldn’t read, asked what passage to read.

The angel then read out a passage for Muhammad about humans being made of congealed blood.

Muhammad went to his wife, terrified, “what’s wrong with me?” “I fear something may happen to me.”

She convinced Muhammad it was a good angel, and that Muhammad should spread his religion.

 

People tolerated him, but not many followers. Once his uncle and wife died, he had to leave.

Moves to Medina, gains a large following, and military power. Begins conquering.

Once he has power, his Quranic passages start looking more violent.

(Sura 5:51) "Believers, take neither the Jews nor the Christians for your friends."

              (Sura 5:17) "Infidels are those who declare: "God is the Christ, the son of Mary.""

              (Sura 5:73) "Infidels are those that say "God is one of three in a Trinity"."

(Sura 4:101) "The infidels are your sworn enemies."

(Sura 9:123) "Make war on the infidels who dwell around you."

(Sura 2:191) "Kill the disbelievers where we find them."

 

Problems from an oral tradition

Surah 2:249 = Saul tests troops by seeing how they drink water (you mean Gideon?).

Surah 28:27 = Jacob worked eight years for Laban to get Rachel (you mean 7 years?).

Surah 3:40-41 = Zachariah couldn’t speak three days (you mean until John the Baptist was born?).

Surah 7:123-124 = Pharaoh threatened crucifixion for converting to Islam (crucifixion didn’t exist yet).

Surah 27:12 = Nine plagues in Egypt, including leprous hand (Bible has 10, and the hand isn’t one).

Surah 28:38; 40:36-37 = Pharaoh gets Haman to build tower to heavens (mixing up Esther, Exodus, Babel).

Surah 19:27-28; 66:12 = Looks like Mary, mother of Jesus, is treated as Aaron’s sister.

 

Strange sources for the Quran

Surah 2:30-34; 7:11-18; 38:71-85 = Lucifer won’t bow to humans = Like 2 Enoch, Vita Adae et Evae.

Surah 18:926 = Youths trapped in cave for 300 years = “Seven Sleepers” fable, Greek/Roman/Syriac.

Surah 5:116 = Mary as part of the Trinity. Eutychian and Jacobite zeal interpreted as worship.

Surah 27:17-19 = King Solomon can understand animals. Just like Buddhist/Indic/Annamese sources.

Surah 19:29-31 = Jesus speaks as a baby. Just like the Arabic gospel of the infancy (which is apocryphal).

Surah 5:110 = Child Jesus brings clay birds to life. Just like the Infancy Gospel of Thomas (apocryphal).

 

Convenient Quranic passages

Muhammad would have new “revelations” of the Quran, that conveniently met his current needs.

              Ex. Everyone else can have four wives, the prophet is allowed 12 (including 6yr old Aisha).

              Ex. The prophet’s wives are not allowed to remarry when he dies.

              Ex. If a wife fears her husband will leave, she can beg and make a deal (which happened to him).

              Ex. Allah tells Muhammad he’s allowed to break his oath.

              Ex. Allah says it’s okay to marry the ex-wife of your adopted son, exactly when Muhammad does.

              Ex. When they’re battling a lot, lots of passages about war, and how to divide the spoils.

 

Destruction of the Quran

Different versions of the Quran were circulating, during the time after Muhammad’s death.

Uthman ibn Affan ordered a standardized Quran, and all others to be burned (Sahih al-Bukhari 4987).

Muhammad said there were four people who were trustworthy for reciting the Quran.

              Out of the four of them, we have three variations of the Quran.

              This includes spelling, pronunciation, and phrasing differences.

              However, it ALSO includes some chapters added, or some chapters omitted.

Sana’a manuscript = 76 pages of Quran, but about 15 pages have scraped off alternate version.

Other parts of the Quran have been lost forever = Ex. Sunan ibn Majah 1944, sheep ate parts.

              Ex. Quran memorizers killed in battle, Muslims get scared they’ll lose the Quran. (Bukhari 4987)

              Ex. Sahih Muslim 2286 says they used to recite it, but now they’ve forgotten it.

 

Islamic Dilemma

The Quran says the Torah of the Jews and the Gospel of the Christians are good.

The Quran also disagrees with these texts.

So, if the Quran is true, then the Bible is good. But if the Bible is good, then the Quran is false.

So, if the Quran is true, then it’s false. This is obviously a problem.

 

Muslims say the Bible is corrupted = Why then did Allah affirm it?

Also = We have manuscripts from before Muhammad’s time. We know what Bible they had.

Also = Quran doesn’t say the Bible is corrupt. It says some READ it incorrectly, so as to lie (Surah 3:78).

 

Quran says the Bible is good

Surah 5:66-69 = Refers to the Torah and Gospel (Injeel) as revelation that was sent from the Lord.

Surah 5:46-48 = Jesus confirmed the Old Testament prophecies, Jesus gave the Gospel.

Surah 10:94 = Asks those who have been reading the Bible for years for help.

 

Who is Jesus in Islam?

Messiah, Virgin birth, Holy Spirit in Him, Curses because they rejected the faith given by Jesus.

Brought the Gospel, raised up to heaven (NOT resurrection), coming back?

BUT

Blasphemy to say Allah is Christ son of Mary = Misunderstanding of word “Christ”.

Jesus is not God, Trinity is a heresy, Jesus is no more than a messenger, gave word of Allah, message.

Jesus didn’t die (disguised Himself as gardener (John 20:15), another on the cross)

 

Atonement

The concept of salvation in the Bible is built upon the sacrificial system and atonement.

Atonement is the entire point = It is the method of salvation made available to us.

Islam has absolutely nothing in it regarding atonement = Salvation is purely through works.

 

1 Cor 15 = “Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures.”

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John 8:24, 58 = “I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am (he), you will indeed die in your sins.” “Before Abraham was born I am!”

 

Romans 5:8 = “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”