CONCEPT OF HEREAFTER IN ISLAM AND SOME ALLEGATIONS

“And Allah has taught you what you did not know”.



If he went to learn from anyone, certainly his contemporaries would have protested and exposed him. However, there are no reports of this. Without doubt there were people who rejected Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)’s message, just like the message of other Prophets were rejected, but none denied it for the above mentioned reason.



It is also interesting to note that even though the Glorious Quran is not poetry, the Arabs were much less inclined to poetry after it was revealed. It can be said that Magnificent Quran is the piece of Arabic literature par excellence – and Prophet Muhammad’s (peace be upon him) enemies, realized that as much as they tried they could not outdo or even equal it.



Some Christians critics of Islam claim that Muhammad (peace be upon him) was not himself the author of the Holy Quran but that he learned and copied (plagiarism) or adapted it from Jewish and Christian scriptures. In reality, however, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)’s contact with the Jewish and Christian scholars was extremely limited. Historical records available show that he made only three trips outside Makkah before announcing his Prophethood. At the tender age of nine he accompanied his Blessed Mother, Lady Aamina (may Allah’s mercy be upon her) to Madinah. Before the age of twelve, he accompanied his uncle Abu Talib on a business trip to Syria. And before his marriage, at the age of 25, he led the honorable Lady Khadijah’s (may Allah’s mercy upon her) caravan to Syria.



The most prominent Christian known to him was an old blind man named Waraqah Bin Nawfal, who was a relative of his honorable wife, Lady Khadijah (radi allahu anha). He was a convert to Christianity and well versed in the gospels. The Beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) only met him twice; the first time was briefly before his Prophetic mission and the second occasion was when the Beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) went to meet Waraqah after receiving the first revelation from Almighty Allah. Waraqah (radi Allahu anho) accepted Islam and was in fact the first Christian scholar to enter into the fold of Islam; he passed away three years later. The revelation of the Glorious Quran, however, continued for 23 years.



Some of Prophet Muhammad’s (peace be upon him) pagan opponents accused him for learning the Majestic Quran from a Roman blacksmith, a Christian who was staying on the outskirts of Makkah. A revelation of the Grand Quran was sufficient to refute this charge.



Allah Almighty Said:


“And indeed We know that they say, “This Quran is being taught by some other man”; the one they refer to speaks a foreign language, whereas this is clear ARABIC!.” (Nahl 16:103)



Muhammad’s (peace be upon him) enemies kept a close watch on him, with the hope of uncovering a shred of evidence to support their claim that he was a liar. But they could not point to a single instance when the Beloved Prophet (peace be upon him) might have had a secret meeting with any particular Jew or Christian.



It is true that the Prophet (alehisalam) did have religious discussion with Jews and Christians, but they took place openly in Madinah, and the revelation of the Glorious Quran had been going on for more than 13 years before that. The allegation that these Jews and Christians were its source is groundless, especially since the role of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was of teacher; he openly invited them to embrace Islam, pointing out how they had deviated from Exalted Allah’s true teachings of monotheism. Numerous Jew and Christians embraced Islam themselves upon hearing Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)’s message.



In addition, it was known that Prophet (alehisalam0 was unlettered. In His divine wisdom, Allah the Most Wise, chose His final messenger to be an unlettered man, so no one would have the slightest justification to doubt him or accuse him of writing or copying the Holy Quran. Moreover, there was no Arabic version of the Bible in existenc at the time of the Beloved Prophet (alehisalam).



It is true that there are some similarities between the Majestic Quran and the Bible, but this is not sufficient grounds to accuse the Prophet Muhammad (alehisalam) of compiling or copying from Bible. The similarities between two do not indicate that later Prophets copied from previous ones, but merely point to a common source, who is the one True God, and to the continuation of the basic message of Tawheed (Monotheism).



Q: How does Quran differ from other scriptures?



It is an article of faith for every Muslim to believe in all Prophets and Messengers (alehumasallam) of Almighty Allah and all unadulterated revelations of God. Some of these scriptures still exist today but not in their pure and pristine form as a result of human alterations. The Majestic Quran is the only divine scripture which has stood the test of time because Allah the Most Wise has taken the responsibility upon Himself in preserving it. He the Exalted says:


“Indeed We have sent down Quran, and indeed We Ourselves surely are its Guardians.” (Hijr: 15:9)



Other revealed scriptures before the advent of Prophet Muhammad (alehisalam) such as the Old Testament and the Gospel, were recorded long after the demise of the Prophets to whom they had been revealed. In contrast, the entire Glorious Quran was written down in its complete form during the lifetime of Prophet Muhammad (alehisalam) on pieces of palm bark, leather parchment and bone, and arranged in the order designated by the Prophet’s Blessed Companions, who committed it to memory and recited it in its original Arabic text, furthermore it continues to be taught and learned by millions of people the world over. In fact, with every succeeding generation of Muslims, the number of those who commit the whole Holy Quran to memory has incredibly increased. There is no other book, religious or otherwise, which has been given this unparalleled care in recorded history. It in itself a miracle.



The Glorious Quran presents all the Prophets of Allah Almighty as belonging to one single brotherhood; all had a similar Prophetic mission and conveyed the same basic message, namely, the invitation to the worshop of Allah alone. The source of their message was one: Allah (Almighty God). Even if the other scriptures agree with the Magnificent Quran in the fundamental aspects of the religion, they address a specific people. Due to this, its ruling and regulations are particular to them.



On the other hand, the Glorious Quran was revealed to humanity at large and not to any specific nation. Almighty Allah says:


“And O dear Prophet, We have not sent you except with a Prophethood that covers the entire mankind, heralding glad tidings and warnings, but most people do not know.” (Saba: 34:28)



Q: Explain in detail that Islam does not take wholesum from Christianity or any Judaic Scriptures:



Creation of the Universe



Dr. Maurice Bucaille, in “The Bible, The Qur’ân and Science”, says:


“From an examination of creation as described in the Qur’ân, an extremely important general concept emerges: The Qur’ânic narration is quite different from the Biblical narration. This idea contradicts the parallels which are often wrongly drawn by Western authors to emphasize the resemblance between the two texts.”



“(God) who created the earth and heavens above.” Holy Qur’ân 20:4 (interpretation of the meaning)



“Do the disbelievers not see that the heavens and the earth were joined together, and then We split them apart? …” Holy Qur’ân 21:30 (interpretation of the meaning)



“God is the one who created the heavens, the earth and what is between them…” Holy Qur’ân 25:59 (interpretation of the meaning)



“God then rose turning towards the heaven when it was smoke” Holy Qur’ân 41:11 (interpretation of the meaning)



There is a strong tendency in the West to claim that Muhammad copied the general outlines mentioned in the Qur’ân from the Bible.


Dr. Maurice Bucaille, in “The Bible, The Qur’ân and Science”, says:


“Brief survey of Qur’ânic references to creation clearly shows us how modern scientific data and statements in the Qur’ân consistently agree on a large number of points. In contrast, the successive phases of creation mentioned in the Biblical text are totally unacceptable. For example, in Genesis 1:9-19 the creation of the earth (on the 3rd day) is placed before that of the heavens (on the 4th day). It is a well known fact that our planet came from its own star, the sun. In such circumstances, how could anyone claim that Muhammad, the supposed author of the Qur’ân, drew his inspiration from the Bible. Such a claim would mean that, of his own accord, he corrected the Biblical text to arrive at the correct concept concerning the formation of the Universe. Yet the correct concept was reached by scientists many centuries after his death.” (Emphasis mine)


The Origins of Life


“… And We made from water every living thing. Will they not then believe?” Holy Qur’ân 21:30 (interpretation of the meaning)



The building blocks of all living things are called cells. They are the basic units of life.



Protoplasm (cytoplasm + nucleus) is the substance of all living things. Cytoplasm is a jelly-like material consisting of water and dissolved substances. The constitution of protoplasm is about 80-85% water. Without water life is not possible.



None of the myths on the origins of life that abounded at the time of the Qur’ân are present in the text. Furthermore, the fact that all life originated from water would not have been a very easy thing to convince people of 1400 years ago, especially in the desert!



The Sun and Moon



Whereas the Bible talks of the sun and the moon as two lights differing only in size, the Qur’ân distinguishes between them by the use of different terms: light (noor) for the moon, and lamp (siraaj) for the sun (interpretation of the meaning):



“Did you see how Allah created seven heavens, one above the other, and made in them the moon a light and the sun a lamp?” Holy Qur’ân 78:12-13



The moon is an inert body which reflects light, whereas the sun is a celestial body in a state of permanent combustion producing both light and heat.





Stars and Planets



The word ‘star’ (najm) in the Qur’ân ( 86:3 ) is accompanied by the adjective ‘thaaqib’ which indicates that it burns and consumes itself as it pierces through the shadows of the night. It was much later discovered that stars are heavenly bodies producing their own light like the sun.



In the Qur’ân, a different word, ‘kawkab’, is used to refer to the planets which are celestial bodies that reflect light and do not produce their own light like the sun (interpretation of the meaning):



“We have adorned the lowest heaven with ornaments, the planets.” Holy Qur’ân 37:6


Orbits



In chapter al-Ambiyaa we find (interpretation of the meaning):



“(God is) the one who created the night, the day, the sun and the moon. Each one is traveling in an orbit with its own motion.” Holy Qur’an 21:33



The Arabic word which expresses this movement is the verb ‘yasbahoon’ which implies the idea of motion produced by a moving body, whether it is the movement of one’s legs running on the ground, or the action of swimming in water. In the case of a celestial body, one is forced to translate it, according to its original meaning, as ‘to travel with its own motion.’







The Day and Night



The Qur’ânic description of the sequence of day and night would, in itself, be rather commonplace were it not for the fact that it is expressed in terms that are today highly appropriate. The Qur’ân uses the verb ‘kawwara’ in chapter az-Zumar to describe the way the night ‘winds’ or ‘coils’ itself around the day and the day around the night (interpretation of the meaning):



“He coils the night upon the day and the day upon the night.” Holy Qur’ân 39:5



Commenting upon this fact Dr. Maurice Bucaille, in “The Qur’ân and Modern Science”, says:







“Original meaning of the verb ‘kis’, to coil a turban around the head. This is a totally valid comparison; yet at the time the Qur’ân was revealed, the astronomical data necessary to make this comparison were unknown. It is not until man landed on the moon and observed the earth spinning on its axis, that the dark half of the globe appeared to wind itself around the light and the light half appeared to wind itself around the dark.”











The Solar Apex



The notion of a settled place for the sun is vividly described in chapter Yaa Seen of the Qur’ân (interpretation of the meaning):



“The sun runs its coarse to a settled place That is the decree of the Almighty, the All Knowing.” Holy Qur’ân 36:38



“Settled place” is the translation of the word ‘mustaqarr’, which indicates an exact appointed place and time. Modern astronomy confirms that the solar system is indeed moving in space at a rate of 12 miles per second towards a point situated in the constellation of Hercules (alpha lyrae) whose exact location has been precisely calculated. Astronomers have even given it a name, ‘the solar apex.’







Expansion of the Universe



Chapter ath-Thaariyaat of the Qur’ân also seems to allude to one of the most imposing discoveries of modern science, the expansion of the Universe (interpretation of the meaning):



“I built the heaven with power and it is I, who am expanding it.” Holy Qur’ân 51:47



The expansion of the universe was first suggested by the general theory of relativity and is supported by the calculations of astrophysics. The regular movement of the galactic light towards the red section of the spectrum is explained by the distancing of one galaxy from another. Thus, the size of the universe appears to be progressively increasing.







This was first confirmed by an American Astronomer Edwin Hubble in the year 1925. Qur’ân talks about it in the time of Prophet Muhammad – peace and blessings of Almighty Allah be upon him (570-632).











Conquest of Space



Among the achievements of modern science is the “conquest” of space which has resulted in mans journey to the moon. The prediction of this event surely springs to mind when we read the chapter ar-Rahmân in the Qur’ân (interpretation of the meaning):



“O assembly of Jinns and men, if you can penetrate the regions of the heavens and the earth, then penetrate them! You will not penetrate them except with authority.”Holy Qur’ân 55:33



Authority to travel in space can only come from the Creator of the laws which govern movement and space. The whole of this Qur’ânic chapter invites humankind to recognize God’s beneficence.











Rain







Qur’ân says (interpretation of the meaning):







“Have you not seen that Allah sent rain down from the sky and caused it to penetrate the ground and come forth as springs, then He caused crops of different colors to grow…” Holy Qur’ân 39:21







Such notions seem quite natural to us today, but we should not forget that, not so long ago, they were not prevalent. It was not until the sixteenth century, with Bernard Palissy, that we gained the first coherent description of the water cycle. Prior to this, people believed that the waters of the oceans, under the effect of winds, were thrust towards the interior of the continents. They then returned to the oceans via the great abyss, which, since Plato’s time was called the Tartarus .In the seventeenth century, great thinkers such as Descartes still believed in this myth. Even in the nineteenth century there were still those who believed in Aristotle’s theory that water was condensed in cool mountain caverns and formed underground lakes that fed springs. Today, we know that it is the infiltration of rain water into the ground that is responsible for this. If one compares the facts of modern hydrology with the data found in numerous verses of the Qur’ân on this subject, one cannot fail to notice the remarkable degree of agreement between the two.







In another place Qur’ân says (interpretation of the meaning):







“Seest thou not that God makes the clouds move gently, then joins them together, then makes them into a heap? – then will thou see rain issue forth from their midst. And He sends down from the sky mountain masses (of clouds) wherein is hail: He strikes therewith whom He pleases and He turns it away from whom He pleases. The vivid flash of His lightning well-nigh blinds the sight.” Holy Qur’ân 24:43











Mountains



Qur’ân, 1400 years before foretold those things, which we come to know now. Let us now compare modern ideas with one verse among many in the Qur’ân, that deals with subject of ‘Mountains’. It is taken from chapter an-Naba’ (interpretation of the meaning):



“Have We not made the earth an expanse and the mountains stakes?” Holy Qur’ân 78:6-7



Stakes (awtaad), which are driven into the ground like those used to anchor a tent, are the deep foundations of geological folds.



The idea of ‘Mountains’ acting like ‘Stakes’ was first given by Sir George Airy in 1865. Today this theory is known as ‘Plate Tectonics’. Frank Press confirms this theory and confirms that, the mountains really have deep roots inside the earth.











Botany



Progress in botany at the time of Muhammad – peace and blessings of Almighty Allah be upon him – was not advanced enough in any country for scientists to know that plants have both male and female parts. Nevertheless, we may read the following in the chapter Taa Haa (interpretation of the meaning):



“(God is the One who) sent down rain from the sky and with it brought forth a variety of plants in pairs.” Holy Qur’ân 20:53



Today we know that fruit comes from plants that have sexual characteristics even when they come from unfertilized flowers, like bananas. In the chapter ar-Ra`d we read the following (interpretation of the meaning):



“… and of all fruits (God) placed (on the earth) two pairs.” Holy Qur’ân 13:3







Physiology







Qur’ân says (interpretation of the meaning):







“Verily, in cattle there is a lesson for yon. I give you drink from their insides, coming from a conjunction between the digested contents (of the intestines) and the blood, milk pure and pleasant for those who drink it.” Holy Qur’ân 16:66







Commenting upon this fact Dr. Maurice Bucaille, in “The Qur’ân and Modern Science“, says:







“In the field of physiology, there is one verse which appears extremely significant to me. One thousand years before the discovery of the blood circulatory system, and roughly thirteen centuries before it was determined that the internal organs were nourished by the process of digestive , a verse in the Qur’ân described the source of the constituents of milk, in conformity with scientific facts.”







This very precise concept is the result of the discoveries made in the chemistry and physiology of the digestive system over one thousand years after the time of Prophet Muhammad – peace and blessings of Almighty Allah be upon him.











Fertilization



Let us now analyze, precise ideas concerning the complexity of the semen and the fact that an infinitely small quantity is required to ensure fertilization. In chapter al-Insaan the Qur’ân states (interpretation of the meaning):



“Verily, I created humankind from a small quantity of mingled fluids.” Holy Qur’ân 76:2



The Arabic word ‘nutfah’ has been translated as “small quantity”. It comes from the verb meaning ‘to dribble, to trickle’ and is used to describe what remains in the bottom of a bucket which has been emptied. The verse correctly implies that fertilization is performed by only a very small volume of liquid.



The Qur’ân talks of a fertilizing fluid composed of different components, it also informs us that human progeny will be formed from something extracted from this liquid. This is the meaning of the following verse in chapter as-Sajdah (interpretation of the meaning):



“Then He made [man's] offspring from the essence of a despised fluid.” Holy Qur’ân 32:8



The Arabic word translated by the term ‘essence’ is ‘sulaalah’ which means ‘something extracted, the best part of a thing’. In whatever way it is translated, it refers to part of a whole. Under normal conditions, only one single cell, spermatozoon, out of over 50 million ejaculated by a man during sexual intercourse will actually penetrate the ovule.











Implantation



Once the egg has been fertilized in the fallopian tube, it descends to lodge itself inside the uterus. This process is called the ‘implantation of the egg’. Implantation is a result of the development of vellosities, which, like roots in the soil, draw nourishment from the wall of the uterus and make the egg literally cling to the womb. The process of implantation is appropriately described in several verses by the word ‘alaq, which is also the title of the chapter in which one of the verses appears (interpretation of the meaning):



“God fashioned humans from a clinging entity.” Holy Qur’ân 96:2











Embryo



The evolution of the embryo inside the maternal uterus is only briefly described, but the description is accurate, because the simple words referring to it correspond exactly to fundamental stages in its growth. This is what we read in a verse from the chapter al-Mu’minoon (interpretation of the meaning):



“I fashioned the clinging entity into a chewed lump of flesh and I fashioned the chewed flesh into bones and I clothed the bones with intact flesh.” Holy Qur’ân 23:14



The term ‘chewed flesh’ (mudghah) corresponds exactly to the appearance of the embryo at a certain stage in its development.



It is known that the bones develop inside this mass and that they are then covered with muscle. This is the meaning of the term ‘intact flesh’ (lahm).



The embryo passes through a stage where some parts are in proportion and others out of proportion with what is later to become the individual. This is the obvious meaning of a verse in the chapter al-Hajj, which reads as follows (interpretation of the meaning):



“I fashioned (humans) a clinging entity, then into a lump of flesh in proportion and out of proportion.” Holy Qur’ân 22:5



Next, we have a reference to the appearance of the senses and internal organs in the chapter as-Sajdah (interpretation of the meaning):



“… and (God) gave you ears, eyes and hearts.” Holy Qur’ân 32:9



Now if we analyze Soorah-al-Mu’minoon 23:12-14, we will come to know the whole procedure of ‘Human Development’ (interpretation of the meaning):







“And indeed We, did create human out of the essence from clay (water and earth). Then We placed it as a drop of mingled sperm in a place of rest, firmly fixed. Then We made mingled sperm into a clinging entity, then of that clinging entity We made a chewed lump, then We fashioned out of that chewed lump, Bones and We clothed the bones with intact flesh, then We developed it forth as another creation. So blessed is Allah, the Best of creators.” Holy Qur’ân 23:12-14







Nothing here contradicts today’s data and, furthermore, none of the mistaken ideas of the time have crept into the Qur’ân. Throughout the Middle Ages there were a variety of beliefs about human development based on myths and speculations which continued for several centuries after the period. The most fundamental stage in the history of embryology came in 1651 with Harvey’s statement that “all life initially comes from an egg”. At that time, when science had benefited greatly from the invention of the microscope, people were still arguing about the respective roles of the egg and spermatozoon. Buffon, the great naturalist, was one of those in favor of the egg theory. Bonnet, on the other hand, supported the theory of ‘the ovaries of Eve’, which stated that Eve, the mother of the human race, was-supposed to have had inside her the seeds of all human beings packed together one inside the other.











Oceanography







The Qur’ân mentions in Soorah-an-Noor, that the ocean is created in layers (interpretation of the meaning):







“Or (the disbeliever’s state) is like the darkness in a vast deep ocean, overwhelmed with waves topped by waves, topped by clouds: darkness over darkness: if a person stretches out his hand, can hardly see it! And he for whom Allah has not appointed light, for him there is no light.” Holy Qur’ân 24:40







In 1900, it was discovered by the marine scientists, that, ocean consists of layers. And every layer absorbs a particular light of the sun, due to which the depth of the sea becomes dark.







In another verse Qur’ân says (interpretation of the meaning):







“He has let free the two seas flowing together. Between them is a barrier which they do not transgress.” Holy Qur’ân 55:19-20







You can view this scene at Cape Town (South Africa). And the Mediterranean Sea flows with Atlantic Ocean for hundreds of kilometer having a depth of 1000 meter, yet they don’t transgress, and a person can have a clear notice of this phenomena of Almighty Allah.











Finger Prints







The Qur’ân mentions in Soorah-al-Qiyâmah (interpretation of the meaning):







“Indeed! We are able to put together in perfect order the very tips of his fingers.” Holy Qur’ân 75:4







In 1880, Sir Francis Gold discovered that, no two persons have similar finger prints. He said ‘No two finger prints, of two individuals are equal even in a million people’.











Honey







In Soorah-an-Nahl, Almighty Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):







“From the belly of the bee you get a drink of varying colors, in which there is healing for mankind.” Holy Qur’ân 16:68-69







It is recently we have come to know that the honey we have is derived from the bee. It is the bee which is responsible for the honey – We did not know about this before. And today we know honey has got high nutritive values. It is rich in vitamin K, and Fructose and it has got mild antiseptic properties. No wonder the Russian soldiers, they used honey to cover up their wounds which prevented the evaporation of moisture and left very little scar tissue. Any person suffering from an allergy of a particular plant – if honey produced from that plant is given, that person starts developing resistance to that allergy.







Ponder



Now, think with cool mind, that, how can a person in the middle of a desert tell you all such things, and mind it, that, he was not living in your today’s modern era. He told you all these things without the aid of your modern technology. The question is HOW???



Let me help you out. Because the ‘Creator’ was putting His words in his (Muhammad’s – peace and blessings of Almighty Allah be upon him –) mouth.



A man in 1840, understood this reality and cried out



“FORGER AND JUGGLER! NO, NO! THIS GREAT FIERY HEART, SEETHING, SIMMERING LIKE A GREAT FURNACE OF THOUGHTS, WAS NOT A JUGGLER’S.” (Emphasis mine)



Thomas Carlyle, page 88 in his book - “Heroes and Hero-worship”







Sickness



The skeptics have developed a sickness. They allege that Prophet Muhammad – peace and blessings of Almighty Allah be upon him – himself was not the author of the Qur’ân, but he learnt it and/or plagiarized (copied or adapted) it from other human sources or from previous scriptures or revelations. This is the thing for which Thomas Carlyle cried in his book“Heroes and Hero-Worship”.



“THE LIES, WHICH WELL-MEANING ZEAL HAS HEAPED ROUND THIS MAN (Muhammad), ARE DISGRACEFUL TO OURSELVES ONLY.” (Emphasis mine)







1. MUHUMMAD LEARNT THE QUR’AN FROM A ROMAN BLACKSMITH WHO WAS A CHRISTIAN



Some accused the Prophet – peace and blessings of Almighty Allah be upon him – of learning the Qur’ân from a Roman Blacksmith, who was a Christian staying at the outskirts of Makkah. The Prophet – peace and blessings of Almighty Allah be upon him – very often used to go and watch him do his work. A revelation of the Qur’ân was sufficient to dismiss this charge – the Qur’ân says in Surah An-Nahl chapter 16 verse 103 (interpretation of the meaning):



“We know indeed that they say, ‘It is a man that teaches him,’ The tongue of him they wickedly point to is notably foreign, while this is Arabic, pure and clear.” Holy Qur’ân 16:103



How could a person whose mother tongue was foreign and could hardly speak little but of poor broken Arabic be the source of the Qur’ân which is pure, eloquent, fine Arabic? To believe that the blacksmith taught the Prophet the Qur’ân is some what similar to believing that a Chinese immigrant to England, who did not know proper English, taught Shakespeare.



2. MUHUMMAD – peace and blessings of Almighty Allah be upon him – LEARNT FROM WARAQA – THE RELATIVE OF KHADEEJAH – by whom Almighty Allah is pleased with –.



The most prominent Christian known to Muhammad’s – peace and blessings of Almighty Allah be upon him – was an old blind man called Waraqa ibn-Naufal who was a relative of the Prophet’s first wife Khadeejah – by whom Almighty Allah is pleased with –. Although of Arab descent, he was a convert to Christianity and was very well versed with the New Testament. The Prophet – peace and blessings of Almighty Allah be upon him –only met him twice, first when Waraqa was worshipping at the Ka`bah (before the Prophetic Mission) and he kissed the Prophet’s – peace and blessings of Almighty Allah be upon him – forehead affectionately; the second occasion was when the Prophet – peace and blessings of Almighty Allah be upon him – went to meet Waraqa after receiving the first revelation. Waraqa died three years later and the revelation continued for about 23 years. It is ridiculous to assume that Waraqa was the source of the contents of the Qur’ân.



3. PROPHET’S RELIGIOUS DISCUSSIONS WITH THE JEWS AND CHRISTIANS



It is true that the Prophet – peace and blessings of Almighty Allah be upon him – did have religious discussions with the Jews and Christians but they took place in Madeenah more than 13 years after the revelation of the Qur’ân had started. The allegation that these Jews and Christians were the source is perverse, since in these discussions Prophet Muhammad – peace and blessings of Almighty Allah be upon him – was performing the roles of a teacher and of a preacher while inviting them to embrace Islam and pointing out that they had deviated from their true teachings of Monotheism. Several of these Jews and Christians later embraced Islam.



4. THE PROPHET LEARNT THE QUR’AN FROM THOSE JEWS AND CHRISTIANS THAT HE MET OUTSIDE ARABIA



All historical records available show that Muhammad – peace and blessings of Almighty Allah be upon him – had made only three trips outside Makkah before his Prophethood:



1. At the age of 9 he accompanied his mother to Madeenah.



2. Between the age of 9 and 12, he accompanied his uncle Abu-Tâlib on a business trip to Syria.



3. At the age of 25 he led Khadeejah’s Caravan to Syria.



It is highly imaginary to assume that the Qur’ân resulted from the occasional chats and meetings with the Christians or Jews from any of the above three trips.



5. LOGICAL GROUNDS TO PROVE THAT THE PROPHET DID NOT LEARN THE QUR’AN FROM JEWS OR CHRISTIANS



i. The day-to-day life of the Prophet – peace and blessings of Almighty Allah be upon him – was an open book for all to see. In fact a revelation came asking people to give the Prophet – peace and blessings of Almighty Allah be upon him – privacy in his own home. If the Prophet had been meeting people who told him what to say as a revelation from God, this would not have been hidden for very long.



ii. The extremely prominent Quraysh nobles who followed the Prophet – peace and blessings of Almighty Allah be upon him – and accepted Islam were wise and intelligent men who would have easily noticed anything suspicious about the way in which the Prophet – peace and blessings of Almighty Allah be upon him – brought the revelations to them – more so since the Prophetic mission lasted 23 years.



iii. The enemies of the Prophet – peace and blessings of Almighty Allah be upon him – kept a close watch on him in order to find proof for their claim that he was a liar – they could not point out even a single instance when the Prophet – peace and blessings of Almighty Allah be upon him – may have had a secret rendezvous with particular Jews and Christians.



iv. It is inconceivable that any human author of the Qur’ân would have accepted a situation in which he received no credit whatsoever for originating the Qur’ân.



Thus, historically and logically it cannot be established that there was a human source for the Qur’ân.



6. MUHUMMAD – peace and blessings of Almighty Allah be upon him – WAS AN ILLITERATE



The theory that Muhammad – peace and blessings of Almighty Allah be upon him – authored the Qur’ân or copied from other sources can be disproved by the single historical fact that he was an illiterate.



Allah testifies Himself in the Qur’ân in Soorah Al-`Ankaboot (interpretation of the meaning):



“And thou was not (able) to recite a Book before this (Book came), nor art thou (able) to transcribe it with thy right hand: in that case, indeed, would the talkers of vanities have doubted.” Holy Qur’ân 29:48



Almighty Allah knew that many would doubt the authenticity of the Qur’ân and would ascribe it to Prophet Muhammad – peace and blessings of Almighty Allah be upon him –. Therefore Allah in His Divine Wisdom chose the last and final Messenger to be an ‘Ummi’, i.e. unlettered, so that the talkers of vanity would not then have the slightest justification to doubt the Prophet – peace and blessings of Almighty Allah be upon him –. The accusation of his enemies that he had copied the Qur’ân from other sources and rehashed it all in a beautiful language might have carried some weight, but even this flimsy pretence has been deprived to the unbeliever and the cynic.



Allah reconfirms in the Qur’ân in Soorah Al A`raf (interpretation of the meaning):



“Those who follow the Messenger, the unlettered Prophet, whom they find mentioned in their own (Scriptures) in the Law and the Gospel” Holy Qur’ân 7:157



The Qur’ân testifies in no less than four different places that the Prophet – peace and blessings of Almighty Allah be upon him – was illiterate. It is also mentioned in Soorah A`raf chapter 7 verse 158 and in Soorah Al-Jumu’a chapter 62 verse 2.



7. ARABIC VERSION OF THE BIBLE WAS NOT PRESENT



The Arabic version of the Bible was not present at the time of Prophet Muhammad – peace and blessings of Almighty Allah be upon him –. The earliest Arabic version of the Old Testament is that of R. Saadias Gaon of 900 C.E. – more than 250 years after the death of our beloved Prophet – peace and blessings of Almighty Allah be upon him –. The oldest Arabic version of the New Testament was published by Erpenius in 1616 C.E. – about a thousand years after the demise of our Prophet.



From Mount Sinai, so claimed, oldest Arabic version of the Bible was also found, but it also belongs to 800 C.E – almost 200 years after Prophet’s – peace and blessings of Almighty Allah be upon him – death.



8. SIMILARITIES IN THE QUR’AN AND THE BIBLE DUE TO COMMON SOURCE



Similarities between the Qur’ân and the Bible does not necessarily mean that the former has been copied from the latter. In fact it gives evidence that both of them are based on a common third source; all divine revelations came from the same source – the one universal God. No matter what human changes were introduced into some of these Judeo-Christian and other older religious scriptures that had distorted their originality, there are some areas that have remained free from distortion and thus are common to many religions.



It is true that there are some similar parallels between the Qur’ân and the Bible but this is not sufficient to accuse Muhammad – peace and blessings of Almighty Allah be upon him –of compiling or copying from the Bible. The same logic would then also be applicable to teachings of Christianity and Judaism and thus one could wrongly claim that Jesus – peace and blessings of Almighty Allah be upon him – was not a genuine Prophet (Allah forbid) and that he simply copied from the Old Testament.



The similarities between the two signify a common source that is one true God and the continuation of the basic message of monotheism and not that the later Prophets – peace and blessings of Almighty Allah be upon him – have plagiarized from the previous prophets.



If someone copies during an examination he will surely not write in the answer sheet that he has copied from his neighbor or Mr. XYZ. Prophet Muhammad – peace and blessings of Almighty Allah be upon him – gave due respect and credit to all the previous Prophets – peace and blessings of Almighty Allah be upon him –. The Qur’ân also mentions the various revelations given by Almighty Allah to different prophets.



9. MUSLIMS BELIEVE IN THE TAURAH, ZABOOR, INJEEL AND QUR’AN



Four revelations of Allah are mentioned by name in the Qur’ân: the Taurah, the Zaboor, the Injeel and the Qur’ân.



Taurah, the revelation i.e. the Wahi given to Moosa i.e. Moses – peace and blessings of Almighty Allah be upon him –.

Zaboor, the revelation i.e. the Wahi given to Dawood i.e. David – peace and blessings of Almighty Allah be upon him –.

Injeel, the revelation i.e. the Wahi given to Esa i.e. Jesus – peace and blessings of Almighty Allah be upon him –.

‘Al-Qur’ân’, the last and final Wahi i.e. revelation given to the last and final Messenger Muhammad – peace and blessings of Almighty Allah be upon him –.



It is an article of faith for every Muslim to believe in all the Prophets of God and all revelations of God. However, the present day Bible has the first five books of the Old Testament attributed to Moses and the Psalms attributed to David. Moreover the New Testament or the four Gospels of the New Testament are not the Taurah, the Zaboor or the Injeel, which the Qur’ân refers to. These books of the present day Bible may partly contain the word of God but these books are certainly not the exact, accurate and complete revelations given to the prophets.



The Qur’ân presents all the different prophets of Allah as belonging to one single brotherhood; all had a similar Prophetic mission and the same basic message. Because of this, the fundamental teachings of the major faiths cannot be contradictory, even if there has been a considerable passage of time between the different Prophetic missions, because the source of these missions was one: Almighty God, Allah. This is why the Qur’ân says that the differences which exist between various religions are not the responsibility of the Prophets, but of the followers of these Prophets who forgot part of what they had been taught, and furthermore, misinterpreted and changed the scriptures. The Qur’ân cannot therefore be seen as a scripture which competes with the teachings of Moses, Jesus and the other Prophets – peace and blessings of Almighty Allah be upon them –. On the contrary, it confirms, completes and perfects the messages that they brought to their people.



Another name for the Qur’ân is the ‘The Furqân’ which means the criteria to judge the right from the wrong, and it is on the basis of the Qur’ân that we can decipher which part of the previous scriptures can be considered to be the word of God.



10. SCIENTIFIC COMPARISON BETWEEN QUR’AN AND BIBLE



If you glance through the Bible and the Qur’ân you may find several points which appear to be exactly the same in both of them, but when you analyze them closely, you realize that there is a difference of ‘chalk and cheese’ between them. Only based on historical details it is difficult for someone who is neither conversant with Christianity or Islam to come to a firm decision as to which of the scriptures is true; however if you verify the relevant passages of both the scriptures against scientific knowledge, you will yourself realize the truth.



a. Creation of the Universe in Six Days

As per the Bible, in the first book of Genesis One, the universe was created in six days and each day is defined as a twenty-four hours period. Even though the Qur’ân mentions that the universe was created in six ‘Ayyaams’, ‘Ayyaam’ is the plural of years; this word has two meanings: firstly, it means a standard twenty-four hours period i.e. a day, and secondly, it also means stage, period or epoch which is a very long period of time.



When the Qur’ân mentions that the universe was created in six ‘Ayyaams’, it refers to the creation of the heavens and the earth in six long periods or epochs; scientists have no objection to this statement. The creation of the universe has taken billions of years, which proves false or contradicts the concept of the Bible which states that the creation of the Universe took six days of twenty-four hour durations each.



b. Sun Created After the Day

The Bible says in Genesis 1:3-5 that the phenomenon of day and night was created on the first day of creation of the Universe by God. The light circulating in the universe is the result of a complex reaction in the stars; these stars were created according to the Bible (Genesis chapter 1 verse 14 to 19) on the fourth day. It is illogical to mention the result that is the light (the phenomenon of day and night) was created on the first day of Creation when the cause or source of the light was created three days later. Moreover the existence of evening and morning as elements of a single day is only conceivable after the creation of the earth and its rotation around the sun. In contrast with the contents of the Bible on this issue, the Qur’ân does not give any unscientific sequence of Creation.



Hence it is absolutely absurd to say that Prophet Muhammad – peace and blessings of Almighty Allah be upon him – copied the passages pertaining to the creation of the universe from the Bible but missed out this illogical and fantastic sequence of the Bible.







If, for the sack of argument, if we agree with the skeptics, that Muhammad – peace and blessings of Almighty Allah be upon him –copied the Qur’ân from Bible, then they should notice that, this man Muhammad is correcting the error, which is present in their book – The Bible.



c. Creation of the Sun, The Earth and the Moon

According to the Bible, Book of Genesis 1:9-13, the earth was created on the third day, and as per verses 14 to 19, the sun and the moon were created on the fourth day. The earth and the moon emanated, as we know, from their original star, the Sun. Hence to place the creation of the sun and the moon after the creation of the earth is contrary to the established idea about the formation of the solar system.



d. Vegetation Created on the third day and Sun on the fourth day

According to the Bible, Book of Genesis 1:11-13, vegetation was created on the third day along with seed-bearing grasses, plants and trees; and further on as per verses 14-19, the sun was created on the fourth day. How is it scientifically possible for the vegetation to have appeared without the presence of the sun, as has been stated in the Bible?



If Prophet Muhammad – peace and blessings of Almighty Allah be upon him – was indeed the author of the Qur’ân and had copied its contents from the Bible, how did he manage to avoid the factual errors that the Bible contains? The Qur’ân does not contain any statements which are incompatible with scientific facts.



e. The Sun and the Moon both Emit light

According to the Bible both the sun and the moon emit their own light. In the Book of Genesis 1:16, it says, “And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night”.



Science tells us today that the moon does not have its own light. This confirms the Qur’ânic concept that the light of the moon is a reflected light. To think that 1400 years ago, Prophet Muhammad – peace and blessings of Almighty Allah be upon him – corrected these scientific errors in the Bible and then copied such corrected passages in the Qur’ân is to think of something impossible.



f. Adam – peace and blessings of Almighty Allah be upon him –, The First man on Earth, Lived 5,800 years ago







As per the genealogy of Jesus Christ given in the Bible, from Jesus through Abraham – peace and blessings of Almighty Allah be upon them – to the first man on earth i.e. Adam, Adam appeared on the earth approximately 5800 years ago:



i. 1948 years between Adam and Abraham – peace and blessings of Almighty Allah be upon them –



ii. Approximately 1800 years between Abraham and Jesus – peace and blessings of Almighty Allah be upon them –



iii. 2000 years from Jesus – peace and blessings of Almighty Allah be upon him – till today



These figures are further confused by the fact that the Jewish calendar is currently on or about 5800 years old.



There is sufficient evidence from archaeological and anthropological sources to suggest that the first human being on earth was present tens of thousands of years ago and not merely 5,800 years ago as is suggested by the Bible.

The Qur’ân too speaks about Adam – peace and blessings of Almighty Allah be upon him – as the first man on earth but it does not suggest any date or period of his life on earth, unlike the Bible – what the Bible says in this regard is totally incompatible with science.



11. QUR’AN IS A BOOK FROM ALLAH



These evidences are just a glance, but sufficient enough to conclude that the Qur’ân was not copied from the Bible, but that the Qur’ân is the Furqân – ‘the Criteria’ to judge right from wrong and it should be used to decipher which portion of the Bible may be considered as the Word of God.



The Qur’ân itself testifies in Soorah Sajdah 32:1-3 (interpretation of the meaning)



Alif Laam Meem. (This is) the revelation of the Book in which there is no doubt – from the Lord of the Worlds. Or do they say, ‘He has forged it’? Nay, it is the Truth from thy Lord, that thou mayest admonish a people to whom no warner has come before thee: in order that they may receive guidance.” Holy Qur’ân 32:1-3



‘…….and I WILL PUT MY WORDS INTO HIS MOUTH …….’ Holy Bible Deuteronomy 18:18







Another Sickness







As I said earlier, there is no cure for enmity. Enmity just closes your logical doors of mind.







It is alleged by the skeptics of Islam that, ‘Qur’ân is the handiwork of Satan’. In reply to a similar allegation put forward by the pagans of Makkah, that the Prophet – peace and blessings of Almighty Allah be upon him – received the revelations from Satan, the following verses were revealed (interpretation of the meaning):







“That this is indeed A Qur’ân most honorable, In a Book well-guarded, Which none shall touch But those who are clean: A Revelation from the Lord Of the Worlds.”Holy Qur’ân 56:77-80 (Emphasis mine)







Kitabim Maknoon means a book well guarded or a protected book; referring to Lauh-e-Mahfooz in the heaven, which none shall touch except the Mutahhareen i.e. those who do not have any uncleanliness or impurity or evil like sin. This refers to the angels. The Satan is absolutely prohibited.







Thus since it is impossible for Satan to come anywhere close to it or touch it, the question of him writing the verses of the Glorious Qur’ân does not arise.







It is further mentioned in another Soorah (interpretation of the meaning):







“No evil ones have brought down this (Revelation): It would neither suit them Nor would they be able (To produce it). Indeed they have been removed Far from even (a chance of) Hearing it.” Holy Qur’ân 26:210-212 (Emphasis mine)







Many people have a wrong concept of Satan. They think that Satan can probably do everything, except a couple of things that God can do. According to them, Satan is slightly below God in power. Since the people do not want to accept that the Qur’ân is a miraculous revelation, they say that it is Satan’s handiwork.







1. If Satan would have written the Qur’ân, he would not have mentioned in the same Qur’ân in Soorah Nahl (interpretation of the meaning):







“When thou does read The Qur’ân, seek Allah’s protection from Satan the Rejected One.” Holy Qur’ân 16:98 (Emphasis mine)







Is this how you feel Satan would write a book? Does he tell you; “Before you read my book ask God to save you from me???”







2. There are several verses in the Qur’ân which will give enough evidence that Satan is not the author of the Qur’ân.







In Soorah Al Aaraf (interpretation of the meaning):







“If a suggestion from Satan assail your (mind), seek refuge with Allah; for He hears and knows (all things).” Holy Qur’ân 7:200 (Emphasis mine)







Why would Satan tell his followers, that whenever he gives any suggestions to them, they should seek refuge in Almighty Allah to whom he is an avowed enemy?







3. In Soorah Baqarah (interpretation of the meaning):







“O ye people! Eat of what is on earth, lawful and good; and do not follow the footsteps of the Evil one, For he is to you an avowed enemy.” Holy Qur’ân 2:168 (Emphasis mine)







4. In Soorah Yâseen (interpretation of the meaning):







“Did I not enjoin on you, O ye children of Adam, that ye should not worship Satan; for that he was to you an enemy avowed?” Holy Qur’ân 36:60 (Emphasis mine)







Satan is intelligent, no wonder that he can put this idea into the minds of people that he himself wrote the Qur’ân. Compared to Almighty God, Satan is insignificant, and Almighty Allah is far more intelligent. He knows Satan’s evil intentions and hence no wonder that He has given the reader of the Qur’ân several proofs to show that Qur’ân is God’s word, and not Satan’s word.







The Bible mentions in the Gospel of Mark,







“And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end.” Mark 3:24-26 (Emphasis mine)







“THE LIES, WHICH WELL-MEANING ZEAL HAS HEAPED ROUND THIS MAN (Muhammad), ARE DISGRACEFUL TO OURSELVES ONLY.” Thomas Carlyle in”Heroes and Hero-Worship” (Emphasis mine)







“A SILENT GREAT SOUL, HE WAS ONE OF THOSE WHO CANNOT BUT BE IN EARNEST, WHOM NATURE HERSELF HAS APPOINTED TO BE SINCERE. WHILE OTHERS WALK IN FORMULAS AND HEARSAYS, CONTENTED ENOUGH TO DWELL THERE, THIS MAN COULD NOT SCREEN HIMSELF IN FORMULAS; HE WAS ALONE WITH HIS OWN SOUL AND THE REALITY OF THINGS . . . SUCH SINCERITY, AS WE NAMED IT, HAS IN VERY TRUTH SOMETHING OF DIVINE. THE WORD OF SUCH A MAN IS A VOICE DIRECT FROM NATURE’S OWN HEART. MEN DO AND MUST LISTEN TO THAT AS TO NOTHING ELSE, – - - ALL ELSE IS WIND IN COMPARISON.” Thomas Carlyle in “Heroes and Hero-Worship” (Emphasis mine)











3rd Acid Test



“In My Name”



Miracle of Miracles! In the verse 19 of Deuteronomy chapter 18, we have a further fulfillment of the prophecy in Muhammad!



“And it shall come to pass that whosoever will not hearken unto My words which He shall speak in My name, I will require it of him.” Deuteronomy 18:19 (Emphasis mine)



Note the words - “…..MY WORDS WHICH HE SHALL SPEAK IN MY NAME,”



Open the Holy Qur’ân, and see for yourself this formula being at the head of chapter # 1:















And the meaning: “IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, THE MOST GRACIOUS, THE MOST MERCIFUL.” And the heading of chapter # 2:















And the meaning: “IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, THE MOST GRACIOUS, THE MOST MERCIFUL”. And every chapter downwards 3, 4, 5…with the same formula and the same meaning on every page.







“And what did the prophecy demand?’ …WHICH HE SHALL SPEAK IN MY NAME and in whose name does Muhammad – peace and blessings of Almighty Allah be upon him – speak? ‘IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, THE MOST GRACIOUS, THE MOST MERCIFUL.’ The Prophecy is being fulfilled in Muhammad – peace and blessings of Almighty Allah be upon him – to the letter.







Every chapter of the Holy Qur’ân except the 9th begin with the formula:















‘IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, THE MOST GRACIOUS, THE MOST MERCIFUL.’ The Muslim begins his every lawful act with this Holy formula. But the Christian begins: “In the name of the Father, son and Holy Ghost.” The Christian theologians are ignorant of even the “name of God.” Because “God” is not a name and “Father” is also not a name.







Some Christians insist that GOD Almighty’s original Holy Name is “Yahweh”. They say:







“His specific, personal name is ‘Yahweh’ or ‘Jehovah’, depending on which transliteration is used for ‘YHWH’ (Hebrew). Its occurrence is with 6823 times by far the most. In Deuteronomy 18:21-22 ‘Yahweh’ is used to identify the name of God in whom a prophet was to speak! Since this name was never used in the Qur’ân and has no equivalent in Arabic one has to come to the conclusion that Muhammad did not fulfil this requirement of a true prophet!”







Now, let us tackle with this Christian claim.







Originally, both Hebrew and Arabic were written without the vowel signs. The native of each language was able to read if even without those vowels. Not so the outsiders, for whose benefit the vowels were invented.







Let us add the vowels. YHWH becomes YeHoWaH, YaHoWaH. Juggle as you like but you can never materialize JeHoVaH! Ask Christian brethrens, from which hat he drew his”J” and “V” (because original letters are “YHWH” and not “JHVH”). He will tell you that “this (pronunciation with ‘J’) is the ‘popular’ pronunciation from the 16th century.” Imagine! Original letter from the so-called real name of Almighty God is replaced with the ‘Popular’ letter.







The European Christians have developed a fondness for the letter “J” They add J’s where there are no Jays. Look!