A Critique of the Book "Is the Qur'an Infallible?" by 'Abdullah 'Abdal-Fadi

 A Critique of the Book "Is the Qur'an Infallible?" by 'Abdullah 'Abdal-Fadi

Mufti Syed Shah Rafi Uddin Hamdani

Introduction

‘Is the Qur’an Infallible’ is a book written by Abdullah Abd al-Fadi’. In this book, the author alleges that the Holy Quran is full of Geographical, Historical, Ethical, Theological, Grammatical, Legal, Social, Scientific and Lexical errors and the Prophet ﷺ on whom this book was revealed, some aspects of his life were questionable. Hence, he fabricated various questions, which were mostly based on the commentary of the Holy Quran and not its original text and claimed that the verses of the Holy Quran were faulty. Amusingly, even most of the questions raised on the commentary of the Quran are baseless and are based on dis-honest translations of the commentary and misrepresentations of the meanings present in it, which depict the Author’s biasness, dishonesty, and most importantly, exposes the fact that the Author has superficial knowledge on Islam, the Holy Quran, and ironically, Arabic Grammar.

So, by the Grace of Allah Almighty, I considered it my responsibility to answer all 242 questions raised by Abdullah Abd al-Fadi on the Holy Quran and Prophet Muhammadﷺ in a rational, research based and academic manner so that the people of the world can differentiate the truth from Falsehood. May Allah Almighty accept this work. Ameen.

Biography of Abdullah Abd al-Fadi (The Alleger)

Abdullah Abd al-Fadi was born in a place near Makkah. He got his primary, high school and college education from Saudi Arabia where he graduated with specialization in Engineering. For further studies, he moved to the west, and in order to improve his English language, he started living with a ‘born again’ Christian family. While living with them, he used to invite the Christian family towards Islam, but when that family countered his invitation and presented questions regarding Islam, he could not answer them properly due to his limited knowledge on the matter. Secondly, he was inspired by their arguments and his perception regarding Christianity began to change and he willed to learn more about it. After studying Christianity for about 12 years while staying away from Islam and its teachings, he started to doubt Islam. He believed that either Islam was a complete lie or he knew nothing about this religion (the latter being the truth). Hence, after some time, he converted to Christianity, severed his ties with his family back home, became a minister of Christ and founded CIRA International. Now, he is working as a Christian missionary and aims to bring more naïve Muslims in to the fold of Christianity via deception and disinformation. He wrote ‘Is the Qur’an Infallible’ for this purpose so that normal Muslims would doubt the Holy Quran, Islam, and Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and ultimately part ways with it.

 

Mr. Fadi’s Book and the Reality

He divided this book in to 10 chapters. Their detail is given below:

·         Chapter-1, Geographical errors: 12 questions

·         Chapter-2, Historical errors: 55 questions

·         Chapter-3, Ethical errors: 9 questions

·         Chapter-4, Theological errors: 29 questions

·         Chapter-5, Grammatical errors: 24 questions

·         Chapter-6, Legal errors: 26 questions

·         Chapter-7, Social errors: 21 questions

·         Chapter-8, Scientific errors: 22 questions

·         Chapter-9, Lexical errors: 11 questions

·         Chapter-10, Questionable Aspects of Muhammad’s (ﷺ)Life: 33 questions

By the grace of Almighty Allah, the questions will be answered under the same headings and in the same arrangement. Firstly, the complete allegation would be copied (as it is, except for the fact that we will provide the Quranic text first and give the translation beneath it) and then its answer would be provided underneath.

One of the major reasons to undertake this quest is to provide the truth to Mr. Fadi and many people like him (considering that they have mis-interpreted and misunderstood some things regarding, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, Islam and the Holy Quran). In this regard, I will try to provide maximum number of rational, scriptural, logical, scientific and other types of evidences in a research based and honest manner so that these people are able to clarify their conundrums regarding Islam. All questions will be dealt honestly and in an unbiased and academic manner so that the right message is conveyed smoothly. Furthermore, the aim of this work is not to taunt, scorn or slander any individual or religion, but to address the questions regarding Islam and the Holy Quran.

Another major aim of this work is to invite all those people who parted ways with Islam after reading ‘Is the Qur’an infallible’ and those people who are in search of Guidance and have some questions regarding Islam, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and the Holy Quran, so that they are able to educate themselves and reconsider their choices. These answers would also be extremely beneficial for those students who would be going for higher studies in the west since they would arm the Muslim youth against fabricated allegations against Muslim faith.

 

 

 

Geographical Allegations

Allegation No. 1: The Sun sets in a spring

We read in sura al-Kahf 18:83-86:

وَيَسْـــَٔـلُوْنَكَ عَنْ ذِي الْقَرْنَيْن قُلْ سَاَتْلُوْا عَلَيْكُمْ مِّنْہُ ذِكْرًااِنَّا مَكَّنَّا لَہٗ فِي الْاَرْضِ وَاٰتَيْنٰہُ مِنْ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ سَبَبًافَاَتْبَعَ سَبَبًاحَتّٰٓي اِذَا بَلَغَ مَغْرِبَ الشَّمْسِ وَجَدَہَا تَغْرُبُ فِيْ عَيْنٍ حَمِئَۃٍ وَّوَجَدَ عِنْدَہَا قَوْمًا

(Holy Quran, Al-Kahf 18: 83-86)

Translation: They will question thee concerning Dhu al-Qarnain. Say: ‘I will recite to you a mention of him. ‘We established him in the land, and we gave him a way to everything; and he followed a way until, when he reached the setting of the sun, he found it setting in a muddy spring, and he found nearby a people.’

Al-Baidawi in his commentary Anwar al-Tanzil wa Asrar al-Ta’wil says the following with regard to these verses:

The Jews asked Muhammad about Dhu al-Qarnain, and he said to them that God established him in the land so that he could reach the place where the sun sets. He found that it set in a muddy spring, and all around the spring were the sun rises and discovered that people lived there who went about naked, with no homes to shelter them from the sets, which he found to be between two mountains.  He poured on these two mountains a mixture of iron and molten brass, thereby setting up an impassable barrier which only God can reach on the Day of Resurrection.

Al-Baidawi added that “Ibn ‘Abbas heard Mu’awiya read ‘aynin hamiya [‘hot spring’], so he told him it was hami’ a [‘Muddy’]. Therefore, Mu’awiya sent to ka’b al-Ahbar, asking, ‘where do you think the sun sets?’ He said to him, ‘In water and mud.”

We ask: As the sun is many times larger than the earth, how then could Dhu al-Qarnain see it set in a spring filled with water and mud, surrounded by people?

Answer: This allegation focuses on verses 83-86 of the 18^th chapter ‘Al-Kahf’ of the Holy Quran. In these verses, Dhu al-Qarnain travels in the direction of the setting sun – towards the west – and upon reaching the farthest point on the western hemisphere, he ‘finds’ the sun setting in muddy water, with people nearby.

The author of the allegation has taken the literal meaning of the  verse even though classical and modern commentators of the Quran including Ibn-e-Kathir, [1] Imam Raazi, [2] even Baidawi [3] (whose commentary was used as a proof for the allegation) and commentaries from many famous Islamic scholars clearly show that تَغْرُبُ فِي عَيْنٍ حَمِئَةٍ  (sun setting in dark and muddy water) is simply a figure of speech used as a parable to signify a lesson. Furthermore, if we go through Baidawi’s commentary on the verse, it becomes clear that this allegation is nothing more than a lie because his commentary clearly states ولذلك قال وَجَدَها تَغْرُبُ ولم يقل كانت تغرب (This is why he said ‘found the sun to be setting’ and not ‘the sun was setting in the water’) which clearly depicts that he in no way meant that the sun was setting inside the muddy water, but rather, he saw it set as we do every day.

Secondly, seeing a sun set in the sea or ocean is a normal phenomenon. Anyone can go to the sea in the evening and experience it:

 

 

This is something which everyone who goes to the coast can see: it looks as if the sun is setting in to the sea but in fact it is not, it is simply disappearing as it moves on its predestined path. The phrase ‘sun sets every day’ is a literal lie itself because in reality, the sun never sets, but it is still used as a figure of speech by normal people. Hence, the Holy Quran has not made any false claims as alleged by Mr. Abdullah Abd Al-Fadi.

The second claim states that that Baidawi added: “Ibn Abbas heard Muawiya read aynin hamiya (hot spring), so he told him that it was hami’a (muddy). Therefore, Muawiya sent to Ka’b al-Ahbar, asking, where do you think the sun sets? He said to him, in water and mud.” Mr. Fadi has clearly narrated the following account in an incomplete and dishonest manner. The end of this narration is as follows: كذلك نجده في التوراة (As we found it in the Torah). [4] So, the complete narration is ‘the sun sets in water and mud as we found it in the Torah’ and since it is clearly stated that it is mentioned in the Torah, Islam or the Holy Quran has nothing to do with it.

Allegation No. 2: The Earth Is Stationary

We read the following in the Qur’an:

خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ بِغَيْرِ عَمَدٍ تَرَوْنَهَا ۖ وَأَلْقَىٰ فِي الْأَرْضِ رَوَاسِيَ أَن تَمِيدَ بِكُمْ

(Holy Quran, Luqman 31:10)

Translation: “He created the heavens without pillars you can see, and He cast on the earth firm mountains, lest it shake with you”

وَهُوَ الَّذِي مَدَّ الْأَرْضَ وَجَعَلَ فِيهَا رَوَاسِيَ

(Holy Quran, Al-Ra’d 13:3)

Translation: “It is He Who Stretched out the earth and set therein firm mountains”

وَالْأَرْضَ مَدَدْنَاهَا وَأَلْقَيْنَا فِيهَا رَوَاسِيَ وَأَنبَتْنَا فِيهَا مِن كُلِّ شَيْءٍ مَّوْزُونٍ

(Holy Quran, Al-Hijr 15:19)

Translation: “And the earth_ We stretched it forth, and cast on it firm mountains, and we caused to grow therein everything justly weighed”

وَأَلْقَىٰ فِي الْأَرْضِ رَوَاسِيَ أَن تَمِيدَ بِكُمْ وَأَنْهَارًا وَسُبُلًا لَّعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ

(Holy Quran, Al-Nahl 16:15)

Translation: “And He Cast on the earth firm mountains lest it shake with you, and rivers and ways; so happy you will be guided”

وَجَعَلْنَا فِي الْأَرْضِ رَوَاسِيَ أَن تَمِيدَ بِهِمْ وَجَعَلْنَا فِيهَا فِجَاجًا سُبُلًا لَّعَلَّهُمْ يَهْتَدُونَ

(Holy Quran, Al-Anbiya: 21:31)

Translation: “And We set in the earth firm mountains lest it should shake with them”

 

Al-Baidawi explains the verse in sura al-Ra’d as follows: “‘Stretched out the earth’ means it was flattened in width and length so that feet may be steady on it and animals may roll on it.” He explained these verses in his commentary on Sura al-Nahl 16:15 as follows:

“And He cast on the earth firm mountains lest it should shake with you, or lest it should turn aside and be thrown out of balance. For before the mountains were created on it, the earth had been a light –weight sphere of simple substance. It floated about freely in orbit like the planets, and would advance with the mountains were created on its surface, and they centered it, thus serving as wedges to keep it from moving. It was also said that, when God created the earth it started to sway and swing, so that the angles said, “None can have a resting place on its surface.” So, it was made stationary by the mountains.

We ask how could the earth be stretched out, flattened and motionless? How can anyone say that the mountains keep the earth from moving when it is evident that it rotates on its axis once every 24 hours, causing the cycle of day and night? It also revolves around the sun once a year, effecting the changing of the seasons.

Answer: The earth is indeed spread out as stated by the Holy Quran in 13: 3 and 15:19 around 1400 years ago. The realities mentioned in these verses have been verified by scientific research as well. This spreading out of the earth has been proved by American geophysicist Harry H. Hess in 1960. The theory is known as Seafloor spreading, which states that oceanic crust forms along submarine mountain zones, known collectively as the mid-ocean ridge system, and spreads out laterally away from them. The seafloor spreading hypothesis was proposed by the American geophysicist Harry H. Hess in 1960. On the basis of Tharp’s efforts and other new discoveries about the deep-ocean floor, Hess postulated that molten material from Earth’s mantle continuously wells up along the crests of the mid-ocean ridges that wind for nearly 80,000 km (50,000 miles) through all the world’s oceans. As the magma cools, it is pushed away from the flanks of the ridges. This spreading creates a successively younger ocean floor, and the flow of material is thought to bring about the migration, or drifting apart, of the continents.[5]

From the above discovery, we now know that the Earth was, quite literally “spread out” and the Quran uses that term specifically so that people should pause and ponder upon it. The Quran therefore is speaking specifically about the spreading of the ocean floor.

As for the part that mountains keep the earth from orbiting, it is nothing more than mis-representation of the facts. The verses of the Holy Quran clearly state that the mountains stop the earth from shaking. Scientific research also states that Mountains, clench the plates in the Earth's crust together by extending above and beneath the Earth's surface at the conjunction points of the tectonic plates. In this way, they fix the Earth's crust, and prevent it from drifting over the magma stratum or among its plates. Briefly, we may liken mountains to nails that keep pieces of wood together. This fixing function of the mountains is described in scientific literature by the term "isostasy". Isostasy is the general equilibrium in the Earth's crust maintained by a yielding flow of rock material beneath the surface under gravitational stress. This vital role of mountains, that was discovered by modern geology and seismic research, was revealed in the Qur'an centuries ago as an example of the supreme wisdom in God's creation. [6]

Hence the verses of the Holy Quran or the commentary of Baidawi (although misrepresented by Al-Fadi in his book) does not refute that the orbital motion of the earth. These verses only state that the mountains clench the plates in the earth’s crust so that it does not shake un-controllably. Furthermore, if one goes through the commentary on 36:40 (وَكُلٌّ فِي فَلَكٍ يَسْبَحُونَ, each in an orbit is floating) of the Holy Quran, then the following things become clear:

The word falak in Arabic is used for the orbit of the planets, and it gives a different meaning from the word sama (sky). The sentence, “Each in an orbit is floating” points to four realities:

 1) That not only the sun and the moon but all the stars and planets and celestial bodies are moving.

 2) The falak, or orbit, of each one of them is separate.

 3) That the orbits are not moving with the stars in them, but the stars are moving in the orbits.

4)That the movement of the stars in their orbits is similar to the floating of something in a fluid. [7] So, the Holy Quran does not negate the movement of the earth on its axis, on the contrary, it endorses it.

 

 

 

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[1] Abul Fida Ismael bin Kathir Al-Damishqi (1999), Tafsir Quran Al-Azeem, Dar-e-Taiba Lil Nashar wa Tawzi, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Vol. 5, Pg. 191.

[2] Abu Abdullah Muhammad bin Umer Fakheruddin Al-Raazi (1420 A.H.), Mafatih Al-Ghaib, Dar-e-Ihya Al-Turath Al-Arabi, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 21, Pg. 496.

[3] Nasir Uddin Bin Umer Al-Sheerazi Al-Baidawi (1418 A.H.), Anwar Al-Tanzeel wa Israr Al-Taweel, Dar-e-Ihya Al-Turath Al-Arabi, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 3, Pg. 291.

[4] Nasir Uddin Bin Umer Al-Sheerazi Al-Baidawi (1418 A.H.), Anwar Al-Tanzeel wa Israr Al-Taweel, Dar-e-Ihya Al-Turath Al-Arabi, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 3, Pg. 291.

[5] Encyclopedia Britannica (Online Version): https://www.britannica.com/science/seafloor-spreading: Retrieved: 06-11-2020

[6] Harun Yahya (2001), Miracles of the Quran, Al-Attique Publishers, Toronto, Canada, Pg. 33.

[7] Syed Abul Ala Mawdudi (2008), Tafheem al Quran, Idara Tarjuman al Quran, Lahore, Pakistan, Vol. 4, Pg. 261.