Quote:I think Mohammed crafted the Quran and the religion of Islam for his own selfish purposes. There is no miracle to the Quran. Any truth to it was stolen and hijacked from the Bible. The rest of it is largely nonsense and long winded praise to Allah. Other instances in the Quran say that Mohammed was given 'permission" to do this and that. If he was a prophet of God then he would be after God's own heart and he would know and operate within the guidelines given to man from God.
The biggest stumbling block to my or any other free thinking persons acceptence to Islam is Mohammed himself. The historical facts of Mohammed reveal that he wasn't the saint that Islam holds him up to be. He was after riches and pleasure.
Bismillah
The prophet copied it
One historical fact that the prophet was illiterate is sufficient to prove this wrong. But Qur’an also says in Surah Araf, Ch. No. 7, Verse No. 157, that they follow the prophet. They follow the messenger, the unlettered prophet which is mentioned in their scriptures, the law and the Gospels. And today, if you read the Bible, it is mentioned in the book of the Isaiah, Ch. No. 29, Verse No. 12, ‘the book is given to a prophet who is not learned’. Qur’an says it is mentioned in the scripture and if you open the Bible, it is there in Isiah, Ch. No. 29, Verse No. 12, those orientalists who claim that the prophet copied from the Bible, Nauzubillah, they fail to realize that there was no Arabic version of the Bible when the prophet was present. The first, the earliest Old Testament in Arabic that we have was by R. Sadias Gaon in the year 900 C. E. that is Common Era. More than 200 years after the death of the prophet. And the earliest New Testament – Arabic that we have was published by Erpenius in 1616 about a thousand years after the death of the Prophet (may peace be upon him). I do agree that there are some similarities between the Bible and the Qur’an. That does not indicate that the latter had been copied from the former. It can also mean that they both have a common third source. All the revelations of Allah (SWT) have the common message of ‘monotheism’. They have the common message. All the previous revelations since they were time bound, as I mentioned, they have not been maintained in their original form and have been interpolated. And there are several concoctions, which have been done by the human beings. But there are bound to be a few points, which are common. Just because of these similarities, it would be wrong to say that prophet Muhammad (May peace be upon him) copied from the Bible. Then it would also mean that Jesus (May peace be upon him) Nauzubillah copied the New Testament from the Old Testament because there are many things common in the old and the New Testament. Both of them had a common source. And suppose some one copies in an examination, I will not write in the answer paper, I have copied from my neighbor. I will not write I have copied from Mr. XYZ. Muhammad (May peace be upon him) and Allah (SWT) clearly indicate that Jesus (May peace be upon him), Moses (May peace be upon him), all the other prophets were prophets of God Almighty. It gives them due credit and due respect. If he would have copied, he would not have mentioned, that Jesus and Moses (May peace be upon them) were prophets of God. This proves he did not copy. Only based on historical facts it is difficult for a person to say which of the two is correct Bible or the Qur’an. But let us put it to test using our scientific knowledge. On the face of it, if you glance, many stories, many points mentioned in the Qur’an and the Bible are exactly the same. But if you analyze, there is a difference of chalk and cheese. Bible for example mentions in the first book, in the book of Genesis, Ch. No. 1, ‘the creation of the universe, heavens and the earth, it was created in 6 days and the day is described as a 24-hour period’. Qur’an too speaks at several places in Surah Araf, Ch. No. 7, Verse No. 54, in Surah Yunus, Ch. No. 10, Verse No. 3, several places that… ‘The heavens and the earth were created in 6 ayyaam’. The Arabic word ‘ayyaam’ is the plural of ‘yaum’ which means day. Yaum means day. It also means a very very long period or an epoch. So here when the Qur’an says the heavens and the earth were created in 6 epochs, very very long period, the scientists have got no objection to description of the Qur’an. But to say that the world was created in 6-twenty four-hour days is unscientific. The Bible says in Genesis, Ch. No. 1, Verse No. 3 and 5, that… ‘The day and the night were created on the first day and science tells us that the lights were creating in the universe is due to a reaction of the stars’. And the Bible says that the Sun, Genesis, Ch. No. 1, Verse No. 14 to 19, says that… ‘The sun was created on the fourth day’. How is it possible that the result, that is the light was created 3 days before the sun? Illogical, it is unscientific and the earth, which is required for the presence of day and night, was created on the third day. Qur’an too speaks about the creation of the light and the sun but it does not give this impossible unscientific sequence. Do you think Prophet Muhammad (May peace be upon him), he copied from the Bible and he made corrections in the sequence? No one knew 1400 years ago. Bible says in Genesis, Ch. No. 1, Verse No. 9 to 13, that… ‘The earth was created on the 3rd day’ and Verse No. 14 to 19, says that… ‘The sun and the moon were created on the 4th day’. Today science tells us that the earth and the moon are parts of the original star, the sun. It is impossible that the earth was created before the sun. It is unscientific, Bible says that the vegetable kingdom in Genesis, Ch. No. 1, Verse No. 11 and 13, ‘the vegetable kingdom, along with the seed, seed bearing plants, herbs, trees, etc. were created on the 3rd day and the sun’, Verses 14 to 19 says was created on the 4th day. How can the vegetation come into existence without the sun? Bible says in Genesis, Ch. No. 1, Verse No. 16, that God Almighty created two great lights – the sun, the greater light to rule the day and the moon the lesser light to rule the night. Bible says that the sun and the moon have its own light. And as I mentioned earlier, Qur’an clarifies in Surah Furqaan, Ch. No. 25, Verse No. 61, that the light of the moon is its reflected light. How is it possible that our beloved prophet Muhammad (May peace be upon him) copied and corrected all the scientific facts. It is not possible. If you analyze the several stories that is mentioned in the Qur’an and the Bible, if you analyze it closely, there is a difference of chalk and cheese. Bible mentions the story of Adam (May peace be upon him) that the first man to be created on the face of the earth was Adam and the Bible gives the date approximately 5800 years ago. Science today according to the archeological evidence and the anthropological evidence says that the first human being was present tens of thousands of years ago. Qur’an too speaks about Adam (May peace be upon him) as the first man but does not give this unscientific date. Bible speaks about the story of Noah Alaisalaam, Noah (May peace be upon him) that there was a flood there was a universal flood, in Genesis, Ch. No. 6, 7, 8. There was a universal flood in which all living creatures on the earth were submerged and were killed in this flood except those people that were there in the Arc of Noah (May peace be upon him). The date according to the Bible is approximately in the 21st or 22nd century. Today archeological evidence show us that the 11th dynasty of Egypt and the 3rd dynasty of Babylonian existed without any interruption in their continuation in the 21st century BC. Qur’an too speaks about Noah, may peace be upon him and the flood but does not give a date and the flood which Qur’an speaks about is localized flood. It does not speak about a universal cataclysm. It says that the flood was localized to the people of Noah only, may peace be upon him which scientists today have got no objection. So you yourself can decipher whether the Qur’an has been copied or not from the Bible.
The Qur’an is unlike any other religious scriptures which has a typical human type of narration like a storybook. How does the storybook begin? It begins with once upon a time, foxes and grapes, wolf and the lamb. Similarly, if you read other scriptures, it says, in the beginning was God, he made the heavens and the earth. In the beginning was the word. It may say now it came to pass as though so it happened. The Qur’an does not have such human narration in the beginning was so and so and if you read the other religious scriptures, they have a typical sequence of the human narration’s. It talks about a particular person, talks about his family, about the children and the sequence runs in order - Chapter 1, Chapter 2, it is in order. Qur’an too speaks about people and their family lives but it speaks not in a particular sequence like the human story book. The Qur’an has its own unique style. It is a unique book.
History tells us that never has the prophet been ever reported of telling a lie till the prophethood that is till the age of 40. And all the people acclaimed him as a person who was honest, who was noble, who was chaste. No wonder they gave him the title Al-Ameen - the trustworthy. Friends and foes alike. Even those people who said that he was a liar, God forbid, after he claimed prophethood, even then, they kept their valuables with him for safe keeping. Then why should an honest person lie and say that the Qur’an is a word of God and that he was a prophet.
Some say that prophet Muhammad (May peace be upon him) he attributed the Qur’an and said he was a prophet for material gains, for worldly benefits, I do agree there are several people who falsely claim to be prophets, saints and preachers for wealth. And they acquire riches and lead a luxurious life. We have several throughout the world.Prophet Muhammad was financially better off before than after prophethood. He had married a rich business woman by the name of Khadijah (May Allah be pleased with her) at the age of 25. 15 years before prophethood and his life after he claimed he was a prophet was unenviable. According to the collection of Hadith by An-Nawawi in Riyadh as Saleheen, Hadith No. 492, it says, that Ayesha (May Allah be pleased with her) who was the wife of our beloved prophet Muhammad (May peace be upon him) said that there were times when one or two months would pass without having fire been lit in the house because they did not have any cooked food. They survived on water and dates and sometimes supplemented by the goat milk given by the people of Madinah. This was not just a temporary phase. It was a way of life for the prophet. According to Riyadh as Saleheen, Hadith No. 465 and 466, Hazrat Bilal (May Allah be pleased with him) he said that whenever the prophet received gifts and provision for the future he gave it to the poor and the needy and never kept it back for himself. Then why should you doubt that the prophet told a lie, Nauzubillah for material gains. And there is a verse in the Qur’an which negates this thing. It is from Surah Al-Baqarah, Ch. No. 2, Verse No. 79, which says ...Arabic... ‘Then vow to those who write the book with their own hands’...Arabic... ‘And then say, this is from Allah’...Arabic... ‘To traffic with it for a miserable price’...Arabic... ‘Then vow to those for what their hands do write’...Arabic... ‘Then vow to those for what they earn’. This Verse is talking about the people who wrote the book with their own hands and said it is from God Almighty or they changed the words of Allah (SWT). There were every possibility that if Prophet Muhammad (May peace be upon him) himself would have written the Qur’an and attributed it to Allah (SWT) in some point of his life, he would have been exposed. Then he would be called as the biggest hypocrite and would called as the biggest hypocrite and would be cursing himself in his own book some people say that prophet Muhammad (May peace be upon him) attributed the Qur’an to Allah (SWT) and called himself a prophet for status, for power, for glory, for leadership. What are the qualities of a person who wants power, status, leadership and glory. He wears fancy clothes. He eats very good food. He lives in mansions and in monumental buildings. He has guards etc., our beloved prophet Muhammad (May peace be upon him) he milked his own goat. He mend his own clothes, he repaired his own shoes, he even many a times did the household work. He was an amazing model of simplicity and humbleness. He sat on the floor, he went to shop in the market without any guards. Even when the poor people used to invite him, he used to dine with them and eat graciously whatever was given to him.So much so that, that it is mentioned in the Qur’an in Surah Tauba, Ch. No. 9, Verse No. 61, said… ‘Oh! He listens to everybody what kind of a person is this who listens to every Tom, Dick and Harry’. Once when the representative of the pagan Arab by the name of Udba. He came to the prophet and said… ‘If you give up this claim of prophethood, we will give you all the wealth in Arabia. We will make you the leader of Arabia and crown you the king. Only thing that we want is that you should give up this message that there is only one God’ and the prophet refused. By the revelation of the Qur’an from Surah Fussilat, Ch. No. 41. There were several attempts made once through his Uncle Abu Talib that you give up your message and we will make you the wealthiest man in Arabia. The prophet said… ‘Oh! My Uncle, even if they put the sun in my right hand and the moon in my left, I will not give up this mission until I die. Why should a person lead a life of such suffering and sacrifices when he was triumphant even with his advisories. And he was so humble and noble that, at all the times of victory, he always said, it is due to the help of Allah (SWT) and not my own genius.