“One of the most striking differences between a cat and a lie is that a cat has only nine lives.” -- Mark Twain
Quran corrupted:
- Muhammad couldn't read or write, so he recited the Koran to people who then wrote it down. There is no evidence at all that the Koran was written down in its entirety in Muhammad's lifetime and compiled as a unit. So how could he have verified its truth?
- Shortly after Muhammad's death, the Muslim Uthman ordered all sets of the Koran manuscripts to be destroyed except the codex of Zaid. Why? Is it because Zaid's copy was better? If so, how do we know? Did differences in the copies arise so quickly that discrepancies were evident and Uthman recognized the need for a standardized copy lest Islam suffer division? It raises doubt on the Koran's supposed incorruptibility.
- Muslims claim that Allah said the Koran would be preserved. But, the mere claim is not enough. That means that one assumes the validity of the thing that he is trying to prove. The Muslim assumes the validity of the Koran and because it contradicts the Bible, therefore the Bible is wrong. Well, the Christian can just as easily state that the Koran is wrong because it contradicts the Bible. But the Muslims would not accept that. Therefore, why should we accept their argument?
- Topkapi Manuscipt: Muslims authorities refuse to release photographs of the ancient Topkapi manuscript in Istanbul, one of the three oldest Korans in existence. My question is: do you have any idea why Muslim authorities refuse to release documentary photographs of the Topkapi manuscript in Istanbul and what they are afraid for the world to see?
- Yemeni Sciptures: "Some of the parchment pages in the Yemeni hoard seemed to date back to the seventh and eighth centuries A.D., or Islam’s first two centuries – they were fragments, in other words, of perhaps the oldest Korans in existence. What’s more, some of these fragments revealed small but intriguing aberrations from the stand Koranic text. Such aberrations, though not surprising to textual historians, are troublingly at odds with the orthodox Muslim belief that the Koran as it has reached us today is quite simply the perfect, timeless, and unchanging Word of God. . . . What the Yemeni Korans seems to suggest, Puin began to feel, was an evolving text rather than simply the Word of God as revealed in its entirety to the Prophet Muhammad in the seventh century A.D. " -- Toby Lester
"The emphasis on the need for copies of the Qur'an to be exact has resulted in the destruction of any copies which differ from the original. Some textual critics argue that this makes an objective and scientific study on the authenticity of Qur'anic codexes virtually impossible, suggesting that this practice simply destroyed variations that had been original to the text." -- Wikipedia, Quran
Fabricated:
- The story of the palm tree is found in an apocryphal document called 'The Lost Books of the Bible' (Sura 19:22-26).
- The story of the pigeons comes from 'Thomas' Gospel of the infancy of Jesus Christ'. (Sura 3:49 and 5:11)
- The story of baby Jesus talking is remarkably similar to that found in an Arabic apocryphal fable from Egypt named 'The First Gospel in the Infancy of Jesus Christ' (19:29-33)
- The story of Zachariah, father of John the Baptist, is based upon a second-century Christian fable.
- And the false belief about God, Mary and Jesus making up the trinity was also peddled by a heretical sect called the Choloridians which had been banished to Arabia at the time. (Sura 5:116).
- In the book Pirke Rabbi Eleazer, we find the Source of the burying of Abel as described in the Koran [5]
- In the Qur'aan it talks about Abraham's father worshipping idols and God giving Abraham wisdom, this same story you can find in the Midrash Rabba and the book of Jubilee which is apart of the Jewish writings. [Midrash Rabbah paragraph 38]
- The Prophet Mani of the Manichean religion was the first to exalt himself as "The Last Prophet and Seal of The Prophets, finalizing a succession of men guided by God", this is repeated in Islam
Other borrowing:
Islam & Judaism:
Mishnan Sanhedrin: "We find it said in the case of Cain who murdered his brother, 'The voice of thy brother's bloods crieth' (Gen. 4:10). It is not said here blood in the singular, but bloods in the plural, that is, his own blood and the blood of his seed. Man was created single in order to show that to him who kills a single individual it shall be reckoned that he has slain the whole race, but to him who preserves the life of a single individual it is counted that he hath preserved the whole race." Mishnah Sanhedrin, 4:5 (499/500 AD)
Quran: "That is why we laid it down for the Israelites that whoever killed a human being, except as punishment for murder or other villainy in the land, shall be deemed as though he had killed all mankind; and that whoever saved a human life shall be deemed as though he had saved all mankind."
Islam & Zoroastrism:
The bridge over Hell:
Zoroastrism: O Ahura Mazda (I who am thy) Singer of praises always worship (or invoke) thee with righteousness (i.e.--with sincere heart ), with the best thought, and with best steadfastness, so that (I) might stand in the path of Chinvat Bridge and hear openly hymns of adoration in the Garothman (heaven) (Ref Spentomad Gatha Ha 50.4)
Quran: “Crossing of the Separator’ becomes a bridge (Chinvat Bridge in Avesta, Sarat Bridge in Quran) with one end resting on the mountain peak of Hara, the other on the road to heaven. Only those worthy of paradise would cross, the rest would fall off and end in the subterranean kingdom of the dead."
Azazil:
Zoroastrism: Ahriman (Azazil) remained in the abyss, there to commit hurt and injury, and mischief and darkness. Ormazd (God) knew of his existence and plans. It went on like this for 3000 years. The evil spirit was ignorant of Ormazd's existence, but eventually rising out of the pit, saw Ormazd's light. Then Ahriman was filled with hostility and envy, he set out to destroy.
Quran: Muslims believe that God created Azazil, who worshipped God for a 1000 years while he was in the 7th hell. Then he ascended a stage at a time, all the while worshipping God. Finally, he reached the earth. Elsewhere, Muslim tradition says he stayed 3000 years by the gate of paradise, with hostile intentions against Adam and Eve. He was very jealous of them.
Faries = Houris:
Zoroastrism: Zoroastrians speak of Fairies, "Paries" (Pairikan) - spirits in bright array and beautiful, to captivate the heart of man. The name Hourytoo is derived from an Avesta or Pehlavi Source
Quran: Surely those who guard (against evil) are in a secure place, In gardens and springs; They shall wear of fine and thick silk, (sitting) face to face; Thus (shall it be), and We will wed them with Houris pure, beautiful ones. --The Qu'ran(44.51-54)
Miraj(Ascension to heaven):
Zoroastrism: Mazda / Hormuz). This is from a Pahlavi book Arta-i Viraf Namak, dated 400 BH before Hijra. Our first advance upwards was to the Lower heaven;..... and there we saw the Angel of those Holy Ones, giving forth a flaming, light, brilliant and lofty. And I asked Sarosh the holy and Azar the angel:--"What is this place; and these, who are they?" ..... We are then told that Arta these, who are they?" ..... We are then told that Arta ascended similarly to the Second and Third heavens, and to many others beyond. 1 Rising from a gold-covered throne, Bahman the Archangel led me on, till he and I met Ormazd with a company of angels and heavenly leaders, all adorned so brightly that I had never seen the like before. My leader said: This is Ormazd. I sought to salaam to him, and he said he was glad to welcome me from the passing world to that bright and undefiled place. Then he bade Sarosh and the Fire-angel to shew me the blessed place prepared for the holy, and that also for the punishment of the wicked. After which they carried me along till I beheld the Archangels and the other Angels. At the last, says Arta, my Guide and the Fire-angel having shewed me Paradise, took me down to Hell; and from that dark and dreadful place, carried me upward to a beautiful spot where were Ormazd and his company of angels. I desired to salute him, on which he graciously said:-- "Arta Viraf, go thou to the material world; thou hast seen and now knowest Ormazd, for I am he; whosoever is true and righteous, him I know." When Ormazd began thus to speak, I became confused in mind, because I saw a brilliant light but no appearance of a body, and forthwith I perceived the unseen must be Ormazd himself.
Hadith: Anas bin Malik, one of the Prophet's Companions narrated a Hadithin Sahih Bukhari which details what the Prophet encountered during the Miraj. With Gabriel, the Prophet traveled from the nearest heaven, where he met Prophet Adam, then to the second one, where he met Prophets John and Jesus. From there, he preceded to the third heaven, where he met Joseph, then the fourth heaven, where he met Prophet Idris. In the fifth heaven, he met Prophet Harun (Aaron), in the sixth heaven, Moses, and in the seventh heaven, Ibrahim. Peace be upon on all of these Prophets.
Islam & Christianity:
Christian: Islamic Companions of the cave is Christianity's The Seven Sleepers of Ephesus: Decius (249-251) once came to Ephesus to enforce his laws against Christians-- a gruesome description of the horrors he made them suffer follows -- here he found seven noble young men, named Maximillian, Jamblichos, Martin, John, Dionysios, Exakostodianos, and Antoninos (so Metaphrastes; the names vary considerably; Gregory of Tourshas Achillides, Diomedes, Diogenus, Probatus, Stephanus, Sambatus, and Quiriacus), who were Christians. The emperor tried them and then gave them a short time for consideration, till he came back again to Ephesus. They gave their property to the poor, took a few coins only with them and went into a cave on Mount Anchilos to pray and prepare for death. Decius came back after a journey and inquired after these seven men. They heard of his return and then, as they said their last prayer in the cave before giving themselves up, fell asleep. The emperor told his soldiers to find them, and when found asleep in the cave he ordered it to be closed up with huge stones and sealed; thus they were buried alive. But a Christiancame and wrote on the outside the names of the martyrs and their story.
Quran: 18:9.Or dost thou think that the Companions of the Cave and of the Inscription were wonders among Our Sign?
18:10.Behold, the youths betook themselves to the Cave: they said, "Our Lord! bestow on us Mercy from Thyself, and dispose of our affair for us in the right way!"
18:11.Then We draw (a veil) over their ears, for a number of years, in the Cave, (so that they heard not):
18:12.Then We roused them, in order to test which of the two parties was best at calculating the term of years they had tarried!
18:13.We relate to thee their story in truth: they were youths who believed in their Lord, and We advanced them in guidance:
18:14.We gave strength to their hearts: Behold, they stood up and said: "Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and of the earth: never shall we call upon any god other than Him: if we did, we should indeed have uttered an enormity!
Islam & Sabbeans:
Sabbeans: Comparing all the early writings on the Sabeans, we find that they inhabited Syria, and spread from there, they were definitely pagans, having a mixture of Babylonian and Helenic religion. The 'prophets' they professed to follow were Hermes and Agathodaemon, who they identified in Shahrastani's time with Seth and Idris (O.T. Enoch). Gods who were worshipped were the gods of the 7 week-days, the god of the Jinn, the lord of the Hour, the god who makes arrows fly, the god Tammuz (a variation of the one previously mentioned), Hamam the prince, the father of the gods, the god 'North', the lord 'Fortune', etc. They also kept the Eid of their own.Ibn Hazm, writing in 'Fisal wa-Milal', identifies the people then known as 'Harranians' as the 'Sabeans' mentioned in the Quran. Ibn Hazm writes that they honored the seven planets and the twelve constellations, they have 5 times of prayer, (the same times as the Muslims pray), they fast in Ramadan, they venerate and turn to the Kaba in prayer. Hazm also says they also worshipped the stars and idols.
Islam: So, did Islam get the 5 times a day prayer? --From the star worshipping Sabeans. What about fasting during Ramadan? - from the Sabeans. The Eid? - from the Sabeans. How did astral worshippers get included into the Quran as those that worship the true God? How could Muhammad's 'revelation' be in such error? Perhaps he learned a small portion about their religion, and believed it to be right. Little did he know that under that veneer of words, lay many theological differences.
It's not difficult to see how Muhammad heard various sacred religious stories, and incorporated them into Islam. Perhaps he thought that parts of those religions contained truth, so he adopted what he thought to be correct. But nevertheless, part of the foundation of Islam is paganism.
The Qibla:
Islam: Muslims pray 5 times a day and different periods of the day. Every Muslim in every country all pray at the same time. These Muslim pray towards Makkah depending on where you are in the world. The easiest way is to get an Islamic compass that always points toward Makkah. It is well known in the Bible that the Jews angled all the Synagogues toward Jerusalem.
Influences:
- Al Biruni in his Chronology of Ancient Nations, p331, "...Records having heard how the Harranians always turned to the south in prayer, while the Sabians, like the Manichaeans always turned toward the North." He also knows how Christians always turn toward the east (p. 249).
- In the book Relgion of the Cresent the author writes, "five ratus or stated times of prayer among the Zoroastrians with those fixed by Islam. The Sabaeans observed seven times of prayer daily, of which five corresponded with those of the Muslims, and the other two may possibly have given rise to the extra two timesof prayer optionally observed by pious Muhammadans."
Inch Allah:
One final problem with all this is that Muslims claim that every single word in the Quran was revealed directly by God to Muhammad through Gabriel. Based on this assumption Muslims further reason that one will not find Muhammad's words intermingled with the words of God. This being the case, how do Muslims explain the fact that S. 48:27 has Allah saying insha' Allah, i.e. "If Allah wills"? Does God not know what his will is? If so, is he uncertain whether his purpose shall come to pass necessitating him to then qualify his statement with the phrase, insha' Allah?
One can understand how fallible humans who are unaware of God's purpose can qualify their statements with the expression "If God wills" (Cf. James 4:13-15). But for God to make such a qualification is beyond reasoning.
Furthermore, if God is in fact speaking then whom is he referring to when he says "If Allah wills"? Is he addressing himself or someone else? If he is addressing someone else, than how many Gods are there? Or perhaps Allah is also a multi-personal Being seeing that there are more than one Person that make up the unity of Allah?
This leads us to conclude that Muhammad's prediction not only failed to materialize, but that his motives in concocting revelation were power, money and fame. This verse also proves that God cannot be the author of the Quran.
"These are nothing but tales of the ancients." 6:25
The critics who adressed Muhammed with this argument where right all along. The first thing Muhammed did in to cover up truth, is to denie it.