Rebuttal to Matt Slick's Article "Contradictions In The Quran"

By

Bassam Zawadi

 

This article is in response to Matt Slick's article here

The answers mostly are not of my own. I just provide them.

 

Matt Slick said:

 What was man created from, blood, clay, dust, or nothing?
  1. "Created man, out of a (mere) clot of congealed blood," (96:2).
  2. "We created man from sounding clay, from mud moulded into shape, (15:26).
  3. "The similitude of Jesus before Allah is as that of Adam; He created him from dust, then said to him: "Be". And he was," (3:59).
  4. "But does not man call to mind that We created him before out of nothing?" (19:67, Yusuf Ali). Also, 52:35).
  5. "He has created man from a sperm-drop; and behold this same (man) becomes an open disputer! (16:4).

My Response:

http://www.allaahuakbar.net/misconceptions/index.htm (look at answer to question no.34)

http://www.understanding-islam.org/related/text.asp?type=article&aid=102

http://www.answering-christianity.com/quran/ma_man_created.htm

Matt Slick said:

Is there or is there not compulsion in religion according to the Qur'an? 
  1. "Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from Error: whoever rejects evil and believes in Allah hath grasped the most trustworthy hand-hold, that never breaks. And Allah heareth and knoweth all things," (2:256).
  2. "And an announcement from Allah and His Messenger, to the people (assembled) on the day of the Great Pilgrimage,- that Allah and His Messenger dissolve (treaty) obligations with the Pagans. If then, ye repent, it were best for you; but if ye turn away, know ye that ye cannot frustrate Allah. And proclaim a grievous penalty to those who reject Faith," (9:3).
  3. "But when the forbidden months are past, then fight and slay the Pagans wherever ye find them, and seize them, beleaguer them, and lie in wait for them in every stratagem (of war); but if they repent, and establish regular prayers and practice regular charity, then open the way for them: for Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful," (9:5).
  4. Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the religion of Truth, (even if they are) of the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued," (9:29).

My Response:

Taken from http://www.muhaddith.org/Islam_Answers/Terrorism.html

Islam's answer (adopted from our original e-mail answer):
The person you heard, reading this passage from the Quran, seems to have so much hatred against Islam, whereby he did not allow himself to examine the rest of the passage (let alone other passages of the Quran, explicitly prohibiting violence against nations that did NOT transgress, as will be quoted below the current discussion).
In other words, you heard something taken completely out of context, which contradicts the truth as well as what you know (according to your words).
This is if we give him the benefit of the doubt (that he did not read the remainder because of his hatred), which is extremely far fetched and presumes enormous irresponsibility for a person in his position:

The passage quoted is a disavowal of a specific peace treaty, because of its PREVIOUS breach by the enemies of the Prophet.
Indeed the passage mentions the declaration of disavowal, and the order to fight, then clearly specifies the exception of those WHO DID NOT VIOLATE THEIR SPECIFIC TREATY:
<<(But the treaties are) not dissolved with those pagans with whom ye have entered into alliance and who have not subsequently failed you in aught, nor aided any one against you.>>
The treaty was NOT dissolved with those who have NOT violated it, nor aided...
So with whom was it dissolved? With those who violated it. This does not need a lawyer or a PHD in logic to decipher.

This is similar to the case of the verse: 
<>
We use it as a good example when somebody intentionally takes something out of context by truncating it: 
<>
The person you heard, just dropped the "but" from the end. One needs to ponder why?
I presume the jist of his words were to prove that Islam is not peaceful, etc.
Yet to me, his distortion of the truth indicates so much about him, his "peacefulness" as well as his truthfulness.
Why did he omit the remainder, immediately following his quotation:
<<(But the treaties are) not dissolved with those pagans with whom ye have entered into alliance and who have not subsequently failed you in aught,>>

Here is the translation for your review, I just copy-pasted:
The Meaning of the Holy Quran. By Yusuf `Ali
SURAH 9: AL TAWBAH (The Repentance) or BARA'AH (The Disavowal).
p 187.
1- A (declaration) of immunity from Allah and His Messenger, to those of the Pagans with whom ye have contracted mutual alliances-
-2- Go ye, then, for four months, backwards and forwards, (as ye will), throughout the land, but know ye that ye cannot frustrate Allah (by your falsehood) but that Allah will cover with shame those who reject Him.
-3- And an announcement from Allah and His Messenger, to the people (assembled) on the day of the Great Pilgrimage- that Allah and His Messenger dissolve (treaty) obligations with the Pagans. If, then, ye repent, it were best for you; but if ye turn away, know ye that ye cannot frustrate Allah. And proclaim a grievous penalty to those who reject Faith.
-4- (But the treaties are) not dissolved with those pagans with whom ye have entered into alliance and who have not subsequently failed you in aught, nor aided any one against you. So fulfil your engagements with them to the end of their term: for Allah loveth the righteous.
-5- But when the forbidden months are past, then fight and slay the pagans wherever ye find them, and seize them, beleaguer them, and lie in wait for them in every stratagem (of war); but if they repent, and establish regular Prayers and practise regular Charity, then open the way for them: for Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
-6- If one amongst the Pagans ask thee for asylum, grant it to him, so that he may hear the word of Allah; and then escort him to where he can be secure. That is because they are men without knowledge.

This is further elucidated by Surah 2, Aayah 193:
And fight them on until there is no more tumult or oppression, and there prevail justice and Faith in Allah; but if they cease, let there be no hostility except to those who transgress.

Question from the above e-mails:
But does the Quran really teach that killing is justifiable against those who don't believe as the Quran teaches and that it teaches to kill those who don't agree with it?)

Islam's answer is from its own scriptures, as well as from the practice of its nations across 1400 years of history:

  • - Islamic Scriptures:
    Verse 6 of Surah 9 is the guideline prohibiting war against any party that allows the word of Allah to be heard (the equivalent of "free speech"):
    If one amongst the Pagans ask thee for asylum, grant it to him, so that he may hear the word of Allah; and then escort him to where he can be secure. That is because they are men without knowledge.

  • - Islamic History:
    If any Islamic nation misunderstood the above verse, or misunderstood the interdiction to force people concerning religion, there would have been no Christian nor Jew in any Muslim country today.
    This is further witnessed to by two facts:
    - We are talking about various nations across fourteen centuries, which inherently includes the possibility of extremism and misunderstanding. Yet the Islamic scriptures and the way they have been applied, guaranteed that no transgressions occur to non-Muslims.
    - The opposite proves this point: 
    Each time Christianity "invaded" any Muslim country, Muslims have simply been slaughtered, by the hundreds of thousands:
    When Jerusalem was captured (twice) by the crusaders (when the Muslims recaptured the city, Christian inhabitants were not harmed), and when all of Muslims in Spain were forced to enter Christianity under the most tenebrous ages of the inquisition.
    When Khalid Ibn Al Walid, Companion of the Prophet, had to retreat from the city of Hums (upon the advance of the Roman army in Syria), he sent an emissary to the Christian inhabitants of the city, returning their taxes with the message: "These taxes were in return for your protection; now that we have to retreat, we cannot protect you any more").
    If Khalid's perception of the scriptures were as twisted as Mr. Robertson's, he would have slaughtered the Christians upon his initial capture of Homs. Why didn't he do it? 
    Why didn't the "religion of the sword" preaching "violence" and oppression not influence him to do that, as the ill-intentioned falsifications try to insinuate today (nor influence the Muslims capturing Jerusalem twice after that)? After all, the peaceful and loving religion of Christianity can be accused of somehow influencing its adherents to massacre Muslims as well as prosecute the Jews across history.
    And why were the Jew and Christian minorities not slaughtered by later Muslim generations, less "pious" than Khalid? 
    If Islam is so "inferior" to Christianity on the issue of violence and prosecution, there surely would have been some evil people or evil rulers to "exploit" or "distort" Islamic texts and regulations.
    Many apologetic denials have been expressed by sincere Christians, the fact remains that the slaughters were adopted by whole nations in the name of their religion; the attack should be against them, not against the religion that succeeded to prevent such "official" massacres".
    Is this how     "the Quran teaches that killing is justifiable against those who don't believe as the Quran teaches, and teaches to kill those who don't agree with it"?
    We repeat that we are citing the undeniable facts of history, and how the Islamic nation applied its own scriptures (in response to ill-intentioned outsiders distorting our own texts).

  • We understand and support the total repulsion of oppression in the name of religion. 
    It is just that Islam has always been on the "receiving" end.

  • The above only compares Islamic countries' official behavior across history, with the official behavior of Christian countries.
    Yet if the "official" behavior of other countries is also considered (not for the declared sake of Christianity), Muslims and other nations have also seen two and a half million Algerians die in struggle for their independence from France, hundreds of thousands of people wiped out in Hiroshima and Nagasaki (in a "formally" declared war), as well as one and a half million Iraqi children die because of sanctions approved and enforced by a nation.

  • The impartial and sincere person can judge for himself if Islam should be the accused party or the opposite.

You can also refer to the following links

http://www.bismikaallahuma.org/archives/2005/insights-into-sura-at-tauba/

http://www.call-to-monotheism.com/is_the_jizya_tax_oppressive__

http://www.whyislam.org/877/FAQ/q12.asp

http://www.understanding-islam.com/related/text.asp?type=question&qid=427

http://www.muslimaccess.com/quraan/tafseer/tauba.htm

http://www.islamonline.net/livedialogue/english/Browse.asp?hGuestID=aqz3c9

http://www.muslimaccess.com/discussions/forum/display_topic_threads.asp?ForumID=17&TopicID=1551&PagePosition=1

 

Matt Slick said:

The first Muslim was Muhammad?  Abraham?  Jacob? Moses?
  1. "And I [Muhammad] am commanded to be the first of those who bow to Allah in Islam," (39:12).
  2. "When Moses came to the place appointed by Us, and his Lord addressed him, He said: "O my Lord! show (Thyself) to me, that I may look upon thee." Allah said: "By no means canst thou see Me (direct); But look upon the mount; if it abide in its place, then shalt thou see Me." When his Lord manifested His glory on the Mount, He made it as dust. And Moses fell down in a swoon. When he recovered his senses he said: "Glory be to Thee! to Thee I turn in repentance, and I am the first to believe." (7:143).
  3. "And this was the legacy that Abraham left to his sons, and so did Jacob; "Oh my sons! Allah hath chosen the Faith for you; then die not except in the Faith of Islam," (2:132).

My Response:

http://muslim-responses.com/Who_was_the_first_Muslim/Who_was_the_first_Muslim_ 

Matt Slick said:

Does Allah forgive or not forgive those who worship false gods? 
  1. Allah forgiveth not that partners should be set up with Him; but He forgiveth anything else, to whom He pleaseth; to set up partners with Allah is to devise a sin Most heinous indeed," (4:48).  Also 4:116
  2. The people of the Book ask thee to cause a book to descend to them from heaven: Indeed they asked Moses for an even greater (miracle), for they said: "Show us Allah in public," but they were dazed for their presumption, with thunder and lightning. Yet they worshipped the calf even after clear signs had come to them; even so we forgave them; and gave Moses manifest proofs of authority," (4:153).

My Response:

http://www.answering-christianity.com/quran/ma_shirk.htm

http://www.answering-christianity.com/quran/1101.htm

http://www.understanding-islam.org/related/text.asp?type=article&aid=30

http://www.understanding-islam.org/related/text.asp?type=article&aid=31

http://www.understanding-islam.org/related/text.asp?type=discussion&did=23

 

Matt Slick said:

Are Allah's decrees changed or not?
  1. "Rejected were the messengers before thee: with patience and constancy they bore their rejection and their wrongs, until Our aid did reach them: there is none that can alter the words (and decrees) of Allah. Already hast thou received some account of those messengers," (6:34).
  2. "The word of thy Lord doth find its fulfillment in truth and in justice: None can change His words: for He is the one who heareth and knoweth all, (6:115).
  3. None of Our revelations do We abrogate or cause to be forgotten, but We substitute something better or similar: Knowest thou not that Allah Hath power over all things?" (2:106).
  4. When We substitute one revelation for another,- and Allah knows best what He reveals (in stages),- they say, "Thou art but a forger": but most of them understand not," (16:101).

My Response:

http://www.authenticsunnah.org/munir_munshey/quran_preserved_rebuttal.htm (explains what is meant by "none can change His words")

http://www.answering-christianity.com/quran/ma_abrogation.htm

http://www.answering-christianity.com/abrogation_in_bible.htm

 

Matt Slick said:

Was Pharaoh killed or not killed by drowning? 
  1. "We took the Children of Israel across the sea: Pharaoh and his hosts followed them in insolence and spite. At length, when overwhelmed with the flood, he said: "I believe that there is no god except Him Whom the Children of Israel believe in: I am of those who submit (to Allah in Islam). (It was said to him): "Ah now!- But a little while before, wast thou in rebellion!- and thou didst mischief (and violence)!  This day shall We save thee in the body, that thou mayest be a sign to those who come after thee! but verily, many among mankind are heedless of Our Signs!" (10:90-92).
  2. Moses said, "Thou knowest well that these things have been sent down by none but the Lord of the heavens and the earth as eye-opening evidence: and I consider thee indeed, O Pharaoh, to be one doomed to destruction!"  So he resolved to remove them from the face of the earth: but We did drown him and all who were with him," (17:102-103).

My Response:

http://www.islamic-awareness.org/Quran/Contrad/Internal/qi025.html

http://www.bismikaallahuma.org/Quran/Contra/Internal/qi025.htm

http://www.answering-christianity.com/quran/ma_drowned.htm

 

Matt Slick said:

Is wine consumption good or bad? 
  1. O ye who believe! Intoxicants and gambling, (dedication of) stones, and (divination by) arrows, are an abomination,- of Satan's handwork: eschew such (abomination), that ye may prosper," (5:90).
  2. (Here is) a Parable of the Garden which the righteous are promised: in it are rivers of water incorruptible; rivers of milk of which the taste never changes; rivers of wine, a joy to those who drink; and rivers of honey pure and clear. In it there are for them all kinds of fruits; and Grace from their Lord. (Can those in such Bliss) be compared to such as shall dwell for ever in the Fire, and be given, to drink, boiling water, so that it cuts up their bowels (to pieces)?" (47:15).
  3. Truly the Righteous will be in Bliss: On Thrones (of Dignity) will they command a sight (of all things): Thou wilt recognize in their faces the beaming brightness of Bliss. Their thirst will be slaked with Pure Wine sealed," (83:22-25).

My Response:

http://www.islamic-awareness.org/Quran/Contrad/Internal/qi028.html

http://www.bismikaallahuma.org/Quran/Contra/Internal/qi028.htm

http://www.answering-christianity.com/quran/ma_wine.htm

 

Conclusion

Obviously I in no way whatsoever deserve any credit for this article. Clearly, all the issues have already been addressed by other Muslims (may Allah greatly reward them). I just found that it might be useful to make a comprehensive article with the rebuttals in them to the so called contradictions that have been put forward.

There are no contradictions in the Quran. I really hope that people out there would be objective and search for the truth and if they think that there are contradictions in the Quran then they should go and search for the rebuttal to it. Then they judge for themselves.

 

However, if you feel that the links I have provided are not working or don't satisfactorily address the argument then feel free to contact me we can discuss the issue.

 

The debate continues.

 

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