It`s important to understand the common objections raised by non-Muslims regarding Islam and the Quran. These objections often stem from theological, historical, moral, and philosophical perspectives that differ from Islamic teachings.
Category 3: Historical and Textual Objections
7. Objection: Origins and Sources of the Quran.
Critique: Some secular historians and Christian apologists argue that the Quran is not a divine revelation but a product of its time, influenced by pre-existing Judeo-Christian traditions, Syriac Christian liturgy, and Arabian polytheism. They point to alleged parallels between Quran`s stories and Jewish Midrash or Christian apocrypha. Stories of Prophets (Noah, Moses and Jesus) are too similar to Torah/Bible.
Islamic Response:
Islamic Narrative: The Islamic position is that the Quran is the verbatim word of God, revealed to an unlettered Prophet (ummi) who could not have composed it himself or had access to such sources.
Inimitability (I'jaz): The Quran's literary excellence, scientific allusions, and profound message are presented as proof of its divine origin. The challenge to produce a single chapter like it (2:23) remains unmet.
Confirmation, Not Copying: Muslims believe the Quran's similarities with previous scriptures confirm a common divine source, while its differences correct the human corruptions (tahrif) that had crept into earlier texts.
8. Objection: Scientific Miracles in the Quran.
Critique: Skeptics argue that the so-called "scientific miracles" (e.g., embryology, expansion of the universe) are vague, metaphorical, and only seem accurate through selective interpretation and modern translation. They argue that any apparent accuracy is a result of coincidence or the knowledge available in the 7th century.
Islamic Response:
Proponents' View: Many Muslim scholars and apologists argue that the precise language used (e.g., the stages of embryonic development in Surah 23:12-14) could not have been known in the 7th century and is a clear sign of divine knowledge.
A Test of Faith: Ultimately, for believers, these verses reinforce faith. They are seen as signs for people of understanding in every age, with their full meaning becoming clearer as human knowledge advances.
Summary
These objections represent a deep clash of worldviews:
Non-Muslim critics often apply modern secular, liberal, or historical-critical standards to evaluate a faith they see as a human construct.
Islamic scholarship responds from within its own theological framework, emphasizing context, the progressive nature of revelation, and the belief in the Quran as the literal, eternal, and perfect word of Allah Almighty.
Irfan Rashid
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