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Historical Errors in the Quran: Difference between revisions
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'''Pharaoh (for this was the Egyptian tyrant's name)''' attempted to counter the divine signs performed by Moses and Aaron with magical tricks performed by his sorcerers. 47 When Moses again turned his own rod into an animal before the eyes of the Egyptians, they thought that the sorcery of the magicians could equally work miracles with their rods. This deceit was exposed when the serpent produced from the staff of Moses ate the sticks of sorcery—the snakes no less! The rods of the sorcerers had no means of defense nor any power of life, only the appearance which cleverly devised sorcery showed to the eyes of those easily deceived.</ref> It is also sometimes written this way in the Syriac bible (the Peshitta - believed to be published 2nd century CE.)<ref>Peshitta verse [https://dukhrana.com/peshitta/analyze_verse.php?verse=Acts+7:13&font=Estrangelo+Edessa Acts 7:13]</ref> such as in Acts 7:13 so Muhammad would not be the first to make a huge mistake, but rather could have simply heard it this way to begin with. | '''Pharaoh (for this was the Egyptian tyrant's name)''' attempted to counter the divine signs performed by Moses and Aaron with magical tricks performed by his sorcerers. 47 When Moses again turned his own rod into an animal before the eyes of the Egyptians, they thought that the sorcery of the magicians could equally work miracles with their rods. This deceit was exposed when the serpent produced from the staff of Moses ate the sticks of sorcery—the snakes no less! The rods of the sorcerers had no means of defense nor any power of life, only the appearance which cleverly devised sorcery showed to the eyes of those easily deceived.</ref> It is also sometimes written this way in the Syriac bible (the Peshitta - believed to be published 2nd century CE.)<ref>Peshitta verse [https://dukhrana.com/peshitta/analyze_verse.php?verse=Acts+7:13&font=Estrangelo+Edessa Acts 7:13]</ref> such as in Acts 7:13 so Muhammad would not be the first to make a huge mistake, but rather could have simply heard it this way to begin with. | ||
===Nabatean rock tombs at al-Hijr as homes and palaces from before the time of Pharaoh=== | ===Nabatean rock tombs at al-Hijr as homes and palaces from before the time of Pharaoh=== | ||
The Qur'anic narrative concerning Thamūd contains several major historical inaccuracies: | |||
The Qur'an | # The structures at al-Hijr were tombs, not homes or palaces, as described in the Qur'an. | ||
# These tombs were built by the Nabateans, not the Thamūd. | |||
# The timeline of Thamūd's existence does not align with the Qur'anic claim that they predated Moses. | |||
# There is no evidence of a sudden mass extinction event for the people as described in the Qur'an. | |||
==== Calling the Tombs Homes and Palaces ==== | |||
The Qur'an frequently lists destroyed peoples of the past, particularly the peoples of Noah, Lot, Pharaoh's army, Midian, 'Ad, and its successor, Thamūd. The destruction of Thamūd after they disbelieved their prophet Salih is mentioned multiple times, either by an earthquake ({{Quran|7|78}}) or a thunderous blast ({{Quran|54|31}}). When describing this tale, a key error in the Qur'an is the description of Thamud's structures as homes and palaces. Thamud were a real ancient but extinct people in Arabia centuries before Muhammad that feature in foreign accounts<ref name=":02">Hoyland, Robert G.. Arabia and the Arabs: From the Bronze Age to the Coming of Islam (Peoples of the Ancient World) (p. 68). Taylor & Francis. Kindle Edition. | |||
''..Sargon II (721–705 BC) boasts of having defeated them along with other tribes, ‘the distant desert-dwelling Arabs’, and of having resettled the survivors in Samaria (AR 2.17, 118). In classical times we find them recorded in texts such as Pliny’s Natural history and Ptolemy’s Geography, and some groups of them enrolled in the Roman army. One such group constructed a temple at Rawwafa in northwest Arabia and commemorated it with a bilingual Greek–Nabataean inscription..''</ref> and pre-Islamic poetry including their destruction legend<ref>See: Bulletin of SOAS, 74, 3 (2011), 397–416. © School of Oriental and African Studies, 2011. doi:10.1017/S0041977X11000309 ''Religious poetry from the Quranic milieu: Umayya b. Abī l-Salt on the fate of the Thamūd'' Nicolai Sinai S0041977X11000309jra 397..416 | |||
See also: Hoyland, Robert G.. ''Arabia and the Arabs: From the Bronze Age to the Coming of Islam'' (Peoples of the Ancient World) (p. 224). Taylor & Francis. Kindle Edition.</ref> (though likely originally missing the monotheistic messenger aspect; with Muhammad being the one to bring these local tales into salvation history).<ref>Ibid pp.408. Sinai, 2011. [https://almuslih.org/wp-content/uploads/Library/Sinai,%20N%20-%20Religious%20poetry.pdf Religious poetry from the Quranic milieu: Umayya b. Abī l-Salt on the fate of the Thamūd]</ref> | |||
The Thamud are described as the builders of well-known palaces and homes, skillfully carved from the mountains, clarified in the Quran and hadith as a place in Arabia known as al-Hijr (the rocky tract), currently called 'madāʼin Ṣāliḥ; literally 'Cities of Salih' after this exact story. | |||
Al-Hijr is accepted as this location by Islamic scholars.<ref>E.g. see tafsirs/commentaries [https://quranx.com/tafsirs/15.80 on verse 15:80]</ref> It is also mentioned once by name in Quran 15:80-83 ("the companions of al-Hijr") and its description and destruction matches that for Thamud.{{Quote|1={{Quran-range|15|80|83}}|2=And certainly did the companions of al-Hijr [ al-Hijr ٱلْحِجْرِ ] deny the messengers. And We gave them Our signs, but from them they were turning away. And they used to carve from the mountains, houses [ buyūtan بُيُوتًا ], feeling secure. But the shriek seized them at early morning.}}Al-Hijr is also identified in hadiths as the "al Hijr, land of Thamud" (al-hijr ardi Thamudi الْحِجْرِ أَرْضِ ثَمُودَ):{{Quote|{{Bukhari|4|55|562}}|Narrated `Abdullah bin `Umar: | |||
The | The people landed at the land of Thamud called Al-Hijr along with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and they took water from its well for drinking and kneading the dough with it as well. (When Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) heard about it) he ordered them to pour out the water they had taken from its wells and feed the camels with the dough, and ordered them to take water from the well whence the she-camel (of Prophet Salih) used to drink.}}However, modern archaeology has confirmed that these were not homes or palaces but elaborately carved tombs. These tombs, over 100 in number, vary in size, with some being very large and others quite small. Even a 14th-century Arab traveller believed they contained the bones of the people of Thamud.<ref>[https://whc.unesco.org/document/168945 al-Hijr UNESCO nomination document] p.36 (includes detailed site description)</ref> | ||
{{Quote|{{Quran-range|7|73|74}}|And to the Thamud [We sent] their brother Salih. He said, "O my people, worship Allah; you have no deity other than Him. There has come to you clear evidence from your Lord. This is the she-camel of Allah [sent] to you as a sign. So leave her to eat within Allah 's land and do not touch her with harm, lest there seize you a painful punishment. And remember when He made you successors after the 'Aad and settled you in the land, [and] '''you take for yourselves palaces from its plains and carve from the mountains, homes [ buyūtan بُيُوتًا <ref>[http://www.studyquran.org/LaneLexicon/Volume1/00000317.pdf Lane's Lexicon p. 280 بيوت ]</ref>]'''. Then remember the favors of Allah and do not commit abuse on the earth, spreading corruption."}} | The Quran explicitly states that Thamud carved palaces from plains and homes from mountains:{{Quote|{{Quran-range|7|73|74}}|And to the Thamud [We sent] their brother Salih. He said, "O my people, worship Allah; you have no deity other than Him. There has come to you clear evidence from your Lord. This is the she-camel of Allah [sent] to you as a sign. So leave her to eat within Allah 's land and do not touch her with harm, lest there seize you a painful punishment. And remember when He made you successors after the 'Aad and settled you in the land, [and] '''you take for yourselves palaces from its plains and carve from the mountains, homes [ buyūtan بُيُوتًا <ref>[http://www.studyquran.org/LaneLexicon/Volume1/00000317.pdf Lane's Lexicon p. 280 بيوت ]</ref>]'''. Then remember the favors of Allah and do not commit abuse on the earth, spreading corruption."}}{{Quote|{{Quran|26|149}}|And you carve out of the mountains, homes [ buyūtan بُيُوتًا ], with skill.}}However, the structures identified at al-Hijr were in fact formal tombs, not homes, contradicting the Qur'anic descriptions.<ref name=":1">[https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1293 Hegra Archaeological Site (al-Hijr / Madā ͐ in Ṣāliḥ)] - unesco.org (includes many photographs of the tombs)</ref> | ||
==== Built by the Nabateans, not the people of Thamūd ==== | |||
Another key error is attributing these structures to the Thamūd. It is now known that these rock-cut tombs were built by the Nabateans, a separate group that lived much later than the Thamud, from the 2nd century BCE to the 2nd century CE.<ref name=":1" /> [https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/326/ Petra] in Jordan was the Nabateans' more famous city before al-Hijr which contains the same Nabatean structures. | |||
Nabatean inscriptions at the site forbid opening the tombs, reusing them, or moving the bodies. The actual town of "al-Hijr / Hegra", where the people lived, was built of mud-brick and stone some distance from the surrounding rock-cut tombs.<ref>[https://www.arabnews.com/node/350178 History and mystery of Al-Hijr, ancient capital of the Nabateans in Arabia] - Arabnews.com</ref> This confirms that the elaborate structures in the mountains were not homes but were burial sites made by a later civilization. | |||
{{Quote|{{Quran|29|38}}|And [We destroyed] 'Aad and Thamud, and it has become clear to you from their [ruined] dwellings [ masākinihim مَّسَٰكِنِهِمْ <ref>[http://www.studyquran.org/LaneLexicon/Volume4/00000118.pdf Lane's Lexicon p. 1394 مسكن]</ref>]. And Satan had made pleasing to them their deeds and averted them from the path, and they were endowed with perception.}} | Despite this, the Qur'an presents the Thamud as the builders of these mountain structures, again linking their story to visible ruins and emphasizing their destruction as a theological lesson who are told to reflect on them as signs of God;<ref name=":02" /> Allāh left them specifically for that purpose,<ref name=":02" /> so we can assume they were still there and known to the audience, at least at the time of preaching. These were well known to Muhammad's listeners:{{Quote|{{Quran|29|38}}|And [We destroyed] 'Aad and Thamud, and it has become clear to you from their [ruined] dwellings [ masākinihim مَّسَٰكِنِهِمْ <ref>[http://www.studyquran.org/LaneLexicon/Volume4/00000118.pdf Lane's Lexicon p. 1394 مسكن]</ref>]. And Satan had made pleasing to them their deeds and averted them from the path, and they were endowed with perception.}}{{Quote|{{Quran|89|9}}|And [with] Thamud, who carved out the rocks in the valley?}}The Nabateans are a distinct people from the Thamud, as evidenced in Arabic literature including the hadith which also distinguishes the [https://sunnah.com/search?q=nabatean Nabateans (al-Anbat)](e.g. {{Muslim|32|6330}}) from the [https://sunnah.com/search?q=thamud Thamud]. | ||
{{ | The companies / factions (l-aḥzābu) is a term used collectively for the list of destroyed cities also in {{Quran|38|12-14}}, with each people (umma) getting their own separate messenger (e.g. {{Quran|13|7}}).<ref>Durie, Mark. ''The Qur’an and Its Biblical Reflexes: Investigations into the Genesis of a Religion (pp. 127).'' Lexington Books.</ref> However given the similar locations of past Arab groups, it is easy to see how they were confused. | ||
==== Before the Time of Moses ==== | |||
The Qur'an references the Thamud as a people who lived before the time of Pharaoh, implying they existed long before Moses before being destroyed:{{Quote|{{Quran|40|28-37}}|And a believing man from the family of Pharaoh who concealed his faith said [...] And he who believed said, "O my people, indeed I fear for you [a fate] like the day of the companies - Like the custom of the people of Noah and of 'Aad and Thamud and those after them. And Allah wants no injustice for [His] servants.}}However, historical and archaeological evidence shows that the Thamud were an ancient but extinct Arabian people who existed from the 8th century BCE to the 5th century CE.<ref name=":2">[https://www.britannica.com/topic/Thamud Thamūd] (ancient Arabian tribe) - Peoples of Asia - Britannica | |||
''Thamūd, in ancient Arabia, tribe or group of tribes known to be extant from the 8th century bce to the 5th century ce..''</ref> Meanwhile, Moses is traditionally dated to the 14th–13th century BCE,<ref>[https://www.britannica.com/biography/Moses-Hebrew-prophet Moses] - Brittanica. Dewey M. Beegle. 2025 (last updated)</ref> though there is ongoing debate among historians about his existence and the exact timeline of early Israelite history. Nevertheless, even ignoring biblical and Islamic (but non-Quranic such as Tafsirs) writings, the most chronologically late estimates must place Moses' time to at least 900 - 850BCE as this is approximately when Israel's formation occurred,<ref>Finkelstein, Israel, (2020). "Saul and Highlands of Benjamin Update: The Role of Jerusalem", in Joachim J. Krause, Omer Sergi, and Kristin Weingart (eds.), Saul, Benjamin, and the Emergence of Monarchy in Israel: Biblical and Archaeological Perspectives, SBL Press, Atlanta, GA, p. 48, footnote 57: | |||
''"...They became territorial kingdoms later, Israel in the first half of the ninth century BCE and Judah in its second half..."''</ref> while the Thamud are attested to have existed until much later than this period.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":02" /> This discrepancy contradicts the Qur'anic implication that the Thamud predate Moses. In reality, they were a historical people who lived much later than traditionally assumed. | |||
There is also no archaeological evidence for mass sudden deaths of the entire people at once, or any writings from surrounding kingdoms that speak of this. | |||
===Countable currency in ancient Egypt=== | ===Countable currency in ancient Egypt=== | ||
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004337121_011</ref> notes in his paper “''Inheriting Egypt: The Israelites and the Exodus in the Meccan Qurʾān''”, the Qur'an has many verses that unequivocally state that the Israelites took over the land of pharaoh and his followers, i.e. Egypt (which many traditional Islamic scholars have agreed with).<ref>E.g. see the debates in https://quranx.com/Tafsirs/26.61 and https://quranx.com/tafsirs/10.93 over what land the Israelites inherit, including Egypt. | DOI: https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004337121_011</ref> notes in his paper “''Inheriting Egypt: The Israelites and the Exodus in the Meccan Qurʾān''”, the Qur'an has many verses that unequivocally state that the Israelites took over the land of pharaoh and his followers, i.e. Egypt (which many traditional Islamic scholars have agreed with).<ref>E.g. see the debates in https://quranx.com/Tafsirs/26.61 and https://quranx.com/tafsirs/10.93 over what land the Israelites inherit, including Egypt. | ||
Interestingly in the commentaries on [https://quranx.com/tafsirs/26.59 verse 26:59], the modern tafsir Maududi - Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi - Tafhim al-Qur'an (published 1972) main reason for rejecting the Egyptian interpretation is that the facts are not supported by history, and he alleges other verses in the Qur'an - however as Sinai examines in this paper, this is untrue.</ref> | Interestingly in the commentaries on [https://quranx.com/tafsirs/26.59 verse 26:59], the modern tafsir Maududi - Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi - Tafhim al-Qur'an (published 1972) main reason for rejecting the Egyptian interpretation is that the facts are not supported by history, and he alleges other verses in the Qur'an support leaving Egypt - however as Sinai examines in this paper, this is untrue.</ref> | ||
{{Quote|{{Quran|26|57-59}}|2=We brought them [the people of Pharaoh] out of gardens and springs and treasures and a noble place. Thus it was; and We caused the Israelites to inherit them [= the gardens and the springs etc.].}} | {{Quote|{{Quran|26|57-59}}|2=We brought them [the people of Pharaoh] out of gardens and springs and treasures and a noble place. Thus it was; and We caused the Israelites to inherit them [= the gardens and the springs etc.].}} | ||
That the Israelites take over the land of Pharaoh rather than migrating elsewhere is also implied by the end of the brief Moses pericope in:<ref>“''[https://www.academia.edu/30057347/_Inheriting_Egypt_The_Israelites_and_the_Exodus_in_the_Meccan_Qur%CA%BE%C4%81n_in_Islamic_Studies_Today_Essays_in_Honor_of_Andrew_Rippin_edited_by_Majid_Daneshgar_and_Walid_A_Saleh_Leiden_Brill_2016_pp_198_214_pp_198_199_ Inheriting Egypt: The Israelites and the Exodus in the Meccan Qurʾān]''”, Nicolai Sinai, in: Islamic Studies Today: Essays in Honor of Andrew Rippin, edited by Majid Daneshgar and Walid A. Saleh, Leiden: Brill 2016, pp. 198–214. ''pp. 203.'' | That the Israelites take over the land of Pharaoh rather than migrating elsewhere is also implied by the end of the brief Moses pericope in:<ref>“''[https://www.academia.edu/30057347/_Inheriting_Egypt_The_Israelites_and_the_Exodus_in_the_Meccan_Qur%CA%BE%C4%81n_in_Islamic_Studies_Today_Essays_in_Honor_of_Andrew_Rippin_edited_by_Majid_Daneshgar_and_Walid_A_Saleh_Leiden_Brill_2016_pp_198_214_pp_198_199_ Inheriting Egypt: The Israelites and the Exodus in the Meccan Qurʾān]''”, Nicolai Sinai, in: Islamic Studies Today: Essays in Honor of Andrew Rippin, edited by Majid Daneshgar and Walid A. Saleh, Leiden: Brill 2016, pp. 198–214. ''pp. 203.'' | ||
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''While focused on the biblical account, the majority of the points apply to the Quranic version.''</ref> some modern Muslim scholars have reinterpreted the account in the Quran as referring to a more limited, local flood. Key elements in the tale, however, militate against this rereading. Elsewhere in the Quran whenever the heavens and earth are mentioned together, it means in their entirety. In this story waters are released from both of them. | ''While focused on the biblical account, the majority of the points apply to the Quranic version.''</ref> some modern Muslim scholars have reinterpreted the account in the Quran as referring to a more limited, local flood. Key elements in the tale, however, militate against this rereading. Elsewhere in the Quran whenever the heavens and earth are mentioned together, it means in their entirety. In this story waters are released from both of them. | ||
Another such detail is the storage of "two of each kind" of animal aboard the ship, since it is not clear what purpose this would serve if the flood were local. Similarly, the purpose of the boat itself appears unclear in this reading - as with the ample warning time that Noah was given, he and his family could have simply evacuated the area that was to be flooded. The relevant passage also states plainly that nothing, not even a tall mountain, could save an individual from drowning on that day except for Allah - this seems to contradict the idea that individuals and animals could have escaped the flood simply by evacuating the flooded area. Noah is recorded praying to God, "O my Lord! Leave not of the Unbelievers [kuffar], a single one on Earth!" - the flood is an answer to this prayer, which likewise suggests that the flood described is a global flood that drowns all those not chosen by Allah to persist aboard the ark. | Another such detail is the storage of "two of each kind" of animal aboard the ship, since it is not clear what purpose this would serve if the flood were local - and no other punishment narrative contains this detail. Similarly, the purpose of the boat itself appears unclear in this reading - as with the ample warning time that Noah was given, he and his family could have simply evacuated the area that was to be flooded. The relevant passage also states plainly that nothing, not even a tall mountain, could save an individual from drowning on that day except for Allah - this seems to contradict the idea that individuals and animals could have escaped the flood simply by evacuating the flooded area. Noah is recorded praying to God, "O my Lord! Leave not of the Unbelievers [kuffar], a single one on Earth!" - the flood is an answer to this prayer, which likewise suggests that the flood described is a global flood that drowns all those not chosen by Allah to persist aboard the ark. | ||
Not to mention all major traditional Islamic scholars, who dedicated their lives to studying the meaning of the Quran, unanimously took the language in these verses to mean referring to a global flood, including (but certainly not limited to) Al-Jalalayn / Al-Mahalli and Al-Suyuti, Ibn ‘Abbâs, Ibn Kathir, Al-Tabari, Muqatil ibn Sulayman, Al-Razi and Al-Qurtubi etc.<ref>''For example on verse 37:77, with all stating that all humans are descended from Noah, with many listing the ancestors of different races. These comments indicating a global flood can be found on their commentary on many other verses.''''[https://quranx.com/Tafsir/Jalal/37.77 Tafsir Al-Jalalayn on verse 37:77].'' Al-Jalalayn / Al-Mahalli and as-Suyuti. Published 1505CE. | Not to mention all major traditional Islamic scholars, who dedicated their lives to studying the meaning of the Quran, unanimously took the language in these verses to mean referring to a global flood, including (but certainly not limited to) Al-Jalalayn / Al-Mahalli and Al-Suyuti, Ibn ‘Abbâs, Ibn Kathir, Al-Tabari, Muqatil ibn Sulayman, Al-Razi and Al-Qurtubi etc.<ref>''For example on verse 37:77, with all stating that all humans are descended from Noah, with many listing the ancestors of different races. These comments indicating a global flood can be found on their commentary on many other verses.''''[https://quranx.com/Tafsir/Jalal/37.77 Tafsir Al-Jalalayn on verse 37:77].'' Al-Jalalayn / Al-Mahalli and as-Suyuti. Published 1505CE. | ||
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[https://www.altafsir.com/Tafasir.asp?tMadhNo=0&tTafsirNo=3&tSoraNo=37&tAyahNo=77&tDisplay=yes&UserProfile=0&LanguageId=1 ''Tafsir Al-Qurtubi on Verse 37:77.''] Al-Qurtubi d. 1273CE. | [https://www.altafsir.com/Tafasir.asp?tMadhNo=0&tTafsirNo=3&tSoraNo=37&tAyahNo=77&tDisplay=yes&UserProfile=0&LanguageId=1 ''Tafsir Al-Qurtubi on Verse 37:77.''] Al-Qurtubi d. 1273CE. | ||
</ref> {{Quote|{{Quran-range|54|11|12}}|Then opened We the gates of heaven with pouring water And caused the earth to gush forth springs, so that the waters met for a predestined purpose.}}{{Quote|{{Quran|11|40}}|At length, behold! there came Our command, and the fountains of the earth gushed forth! '''We said: "Embark therein, of each kind two, male and female''', and your family - except those against whom the word has already gone forth,- and the Believers." but only a few believed with him.}}{{Quote|{{Quran|11|42}}|And it sailed along with them <b>amid waves [rising] like mountains.</b> Noah called out to his son, who stood aloof, ‘O my son! ‘Board with us, and do not be with the faithless!’}}{{Quote|{{Quran|11|43}}|The son replied: "I will <b>betake myself to some mountain:</b> it will save me from the water." Noah said: '''"This day nothing can save''', from the command of Allah, any but those on whom He hath mercy! "And the waves came between them, and the son was among those overwhelmed in the Flood.}}{{Quote|{{Quran|11|44}}|Then it was said, ‘O earth, swallow your water! O sky, leave off!’ The waters receded; the edict was carried out, <b>and it settled on [Mount] Judi.</b> Then it was said, ‘Away with the wrongdoing lot!’}}{{Quote|{{Quran|71|26}}| | </ref> As do many modern Islamic scholars and sheiks.<ref>E.g. see: IslamQ&A. 2013. [https://islamqa.info/en/answers/130293/did-everyone-on-earth-drown-at-the-great-flood-at-the-time-of-nooh-peace-be-upon-him Did everyone on earth drown at the great Flood at the time of Nooh (peace be upon him)?]</ref> {{Quote|{{Quran-range|54|11|12}}|Then opened We the gates of heaven with pouring water And caused the earth to gush forth springs, so that the waters met for a predestined purpose.}}{{Quote|{{Quran|11|40}}|At length, behold! there came Our command, and the fountains of the earth gushed forth! '''We said: "Embark therein, of each kind two, male and female''', and your family - except those against whom the word has already gone forth,- and the Believers." but only a few believed with him.}}{{Quote|{{Quran|11|42}}|And it sailed along with them <b>amid waves [rising] like mountains.</b> Noah called out to his son, who stood aloof, ‘O my son! ‘Board with us, and do not be with the faithless!’}}{{Quote|{{Quran|11|43}}|The son replied: "I will <b>betake myself to some mountain:</b> it will save me from the water." Noah said: '''"This day nothing can save''', from the command of Allah, any but those on whom He hath mercy! "And the waves came between them, and the son was among those overwhelmed in the Flood.}}{{Quote|{{Quran|11|44}}|Then it was said, ‘O earth, swallow your water! O sky, leave off!’ The waters receded; the edict was carried out, <b>and it settled on [Mount] Judi.</b> Then it was said, ‘Away with the wrongdoing lot!’}}{{Quote|{{Quran|71|26-28}}|My Lord, <b>leave not one of the unbelievers upon the earth!</b> Surely, if you leave them, they will lead your servants astray, and will beget none but unbelieving libertines.}}{{Quote|{{Quran|37|75-82}}|Noah called to Us; and how excellent were the Answerers! | ||
And We delivered him and his people from the great distress, | And We delivered him and his people from the great distress, | ||
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'''and We made his seed the survivors''', | '''and We made his seed the survivors''', | ||
And left for him [favorable mention] among later generations: | |||
'Peace be upon Noah among all beings!' | 'Peace be upon Noah among all beings!' | ||
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he was among Our believing servants. | he was among Our believing servants. | ||
'''Then afterwards We drowned the rest'''.}}{{Quote|{{Quran|6|84}}|2=And We gave him Isaac and Jacob and guided them, as We had <b>guided Noah before them, and of his descendants, David and Solomon and Job and Joseph and Moses and Aaron.</b> Thus We reward those who are upright and do good.}}{{Quote|{{Quran|17|2-3}}|We gave Moses the Book, and made it a guide for the Children of Israel—[saying,] ‘Do not take any trustee besides Me’—<br><b>descendants of those whom We carried [in the ark] with Noah.</b> Indeed, he was a grateful servant.}} | '''Then afterwards We drowned the rest'''.}}{{Quote|{{Quran|6|84}}|2=And We gave him Isaac and Jacob and guided them, as We had <b>guided Noah before them, and of his descendants, David and Solomon and Job and Joseph and Moses and Aaron.</b> Thus We reward those who are upright and do good.}}{{Quote|{{Quran|17|2-3}}|We gave Moses the Book, and made it a guide for the Children of Israel—[saying,] ‘Do not take any trustee besides Me’—<br><b>descendants of those whom We carried [in the ark] with Noah.</b> Indeed, he was a grateful servant.}}The word used for descendants/offspring/seed etc. is 'dhurrīyat' ذرية,<ref>Quran Dictionary - Root ذ ر ر ''(See [https://lexicon.quranic-research.net/data/09_c/016_cr.html ذر] & [https://lexicon.quranic-research.net/data/09_c/017_crO.html ذرأ])'' | ||
Lane's Lexicon Classical Arabic Dictionary: dhurriyyat / dhurriyyāt see [https://lexicon.quranic-research.net/pdf/Page_0957.pdf p 957] & [https://lexicon.quranic-research.net/pdf/Page_0958.pdf 958]</ref> e.g. the above “''descendants of those whom We carried [in the ark] with Noah” ((dhurrīyat) man ḥamalnā maʿa Nūḥ''") {{Quran|17|3}}. | |||
In {{Quran|4|163}} Noah is labelled as before the other biblical prophets chronologically (see also: {{Quran|6|84}}), who are descendants of him. Similarly in {{Quran|3|33-34}} we are given Adam and Noah linked together when noting some of prophets are descendants of others (Cf: {{Quran|19|58}}). | |||
And Q11:48 we are told that nations/peoples (umam) will come from those with Noah, with some of them being blessed and others will be punished - usually taken by exegetes as reference to future [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punishment_narratives_in_the_Quran punishment narratives] on peoples/nations, or individual judgements.<ref>See commentaries on [https://quranx.com/tafsirs/11.48 ''Q11:48'']</ref> | |||
{{Quote|{{Quran|11|48}}|It was said, ‘O Noah! Disembark in peace from Us and with [Our] blessings upon you and upon nations <b>(umam)</b> [to descend] from those who are with you, and nations whom We shall provide for, then a painful punishment from Us shall befall them.’}} | |||
===Flood waters boiled from an oven=== | ===Flood waters boiled from an oven=== | ||
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===Arabian idols from the time of Noah=== | ===Arabian idols from the time of Noah=== | ||
Five gods from the time of Noah are mentioned in one verse. Strangely, according to Ibn Abbas these happened to be idols worshipped by Arab tribes at the time of Muhammad. It is far fetched even on the Quran's own terms to place Arab idols back in the time of Noah, not least since all the disbelievers of Noah's time were supposedly destroyed by the flood. | Five gods from the time of Noah are mentioned in one verse. Strangely, according to Ibn Abbas these happened to be idols worshipped by Arab tribes at the time of Muhammad. Some such as Wadd have been confirmed from Southern Arabian inscriptions in the centuries preceding Islam.<ref>[https://brill.com/display/title/69380?language=en ''Muḥammad and His Followers in Context:'' ''The Religious Map of Late Antique Arabia'']: 209 (Islamic History and Civilization) Nov. 2023. Ilkka Lindstedt. pp. 66</ref> It is far fetched even on the Quran's own terms to place Arab idols back in the time of Noah, not least since all the disbelievers of Noah's time were supposedly destroyed by the flood. | ||
{{Quote|{{Quran-range|71|21|23}}|Noah said, "My Lord, indeed they have disobeyed me and followed him whose wealth and children will not increase him except in loss. And they conspired an immense conspiracy. And said, 'Never leave your gods and never leave Wadd or Suwa' or Yaghuth and Ya'uq and Nasr.}} | {{Quote|{{Quran-range|71|21|23}}|Noah said, "My Lord, indeed they have disobeyed me and followed him whose wealth and children will not increase him except in loss. And they conspired an immense conspiracy. And said, 'Never leave your gods and never leave Wadd or Suwa' or Yaghuth and Ya'uq and Nasr.}} | ||
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Critics have also asked why it is that various other polytheistic cultures worldwide did not encounter similar fates as those outlined in the Quran, especially if there is 'no change in the way of Allah' ({{Quran|33|62}}){{Quote|{{Quran|22|45}}|And how many a township have We destroyed because it had been immersed in evildoing - and now they [all] lie deserted, with their roofs caved in! And how many a well lies abandoned, and how many a castle that [once] stood high!}}The suddenness of Allah's punishment is stressed repeatedly in Surah al-A'raf:{{Quote|{{Quran|7|4}}|How many a township have We destroyed! As a raid by night, or while they slept at noon, Our terror came unto them.}}{{Quote|{{Quran|7|34}}|And every nation hath its term, and when its term cometh, they cannot put it off an hour nor yet advance (it).}}{{Quote|{{Quran-range|7|97|98}}|Are the people of the townships then secure from the coming of Our wrath upon them as a night-raid while they sleep? Or are the people of the townships then secure from the coming of Our wrath upon them in the daytime while they play?}} | Critics have also asked why it is that various other polytheistic cultures worldwide did not encounter similar fates as those outlined in the Quran, especially if there is 'no change in the way of Allah' ({{Quran|33|62}}){{Quote|{{Quran|22|45}}|And how many a township have We destroyed because it had been immersed in evildoing - and now they [all] lie deserted, with their roofs caved in! And how many a well lies abandoned, and how many a castle that [once] stood high!}}The suddenness of Allah's punishment is stressed repeatedly in Surah al-A'raf:{{Quote|{{Quran|7|4}}|How many a township have We destroyed! As a raid by night, or while they slept at noon, Our terror came unto them.}}{{Quote|{{Quran|7|34}}|And every nation hath its term, and when its term cometh, they cannot put it off an hour nor yet advance (it).}}{{Quote|{{Quran-range|7|97|98}}|Are the people of the townships then secure from the coming of Our wrath upon them as a night-raid while they sleep? Or are the people of the townships then secure from the coming of Our wrath upon them in the daytime while they play?}} | ||
==== The Total Destruction of Pharaohs/Egypts Monuments ==== | |||
Following the similiar line of a total divine destruction, the Quran makes a particular claim in regards to the destruction of Pharaohs buildings: | |||
{{Quote|{{Quran-range|7|137}}|And We caused the people who had been oppressed to inherit the eastern regions of the land and the western ones, which We had blessed. And the good word of your Lord was fulfilled for the Children of Israel because of what they had patiently endured. '''And We destroyed [all] that Pharaoh and his people were producing and what they had been building.'''}} | |||
To fully understand the implications of this verse, one must know that the Quran actively associates the figure of Pharaoh – specifically in the Quranic narrative of the Exodus & Moses – with building buildings and monuments out of his own hubris and pridefulness. Dr. Devin J. Stewarts explains this Quranic phenomenon as follows: | |||
{{Quote|Stewart, D. J. (2024). [https://www.researchgate.net/publication/382862079_Signs_for_Those_Who_Can_Decipher_Them_Ancient_Ruins_in_the_Quran" Signs for Those Who Can Decipher Them”, Ancient Ruins in the Qurʾān.] In Rashwani, S. (ed.) "Behind the Story: Ethical Readings of Qurʾānic Narratives". Brill. p. 50.|Several monuments are attributed to Pharaoh. First, Pharaoh is twice termed dhūl-awtād, literally “possessor of the tent-pegs.” This epithet, often understood by commentators to refer to his alleged use of stakes as implements of torture, probably refers instead to the fact that he was the builder of the pyra- mids, obelisks, or other monumental buildings. [...] It is reasonable to assume that the Prophet Muḥammad’s contemporaries were aware, even at some distance, of Egypt’s most famous monuments. A second type of building is attributed to Pharaoh when he orders his vizier, Hāmān, to build a palace or tower (ṣarḥ) that he might ascend to look upon the lord of Moses (Q 28:38). One may compare this to the Tower of Babel in the Book of Genesis, a symbol of mankind’s—and in this case Pharaoh’s—arrogance. These both may be related to ruins of colossal Ancient Egyptian edifices that were standing in Egypt during the Prophet’s era.}} | |||
Based on this, it can be said that the author of the Quran is in verse 7:137 stating that the buildings built by Pharaoh were totally, or atleast in great number, destroyed by divine order (as is the description style of the other instances in regards to pre-islamic tribes and socities – like for example A'ad, Thamud & Midian). This as a claim, as in the case of afore discussion on the pre-Islamic tribes, is problematic because we do not have any historical source to mention such a wide and total destruction of buildings – yet to mention the ones directly ordered by the Pharaoh himself – from any period of Ancient Egyptian history. | |||
The Quranic description here is totally at odds with the currently available historical record on the Ancient Egypt and its history.<ref>E.g. main events are well-documented but do not include this; [https://australian.museum/learn/cultures/international-collection/ancient-egyptian/ancient-egyptian-timeline/ Ancient Egyptian Timeline.] 2023. Ancient Egyptian History. | |||
[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13315719 Egypt profile - Timeline.] 2019. BBC. | |||
[https://www.history.org.uk/primary/resource/3873/ancient-egypt Ancient Egypt.] Historical Association. History.org.uk | |||
[https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/ancient-egypt Ancient Egypt.] Jessica van Dop DeJesus. National Geographic.</ref> | |||
===Humans lived for hundreds of years=== | ===Humans lived for hundreds of years=== | ||
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Jesus was estimated have lived between before approximately 4BCE,<ref>Ehrman, Bart D.. Jesus: Apocalyptic Prophet of the New Millennium (pp. 11-12). Oxford University Press. Kindle Edition. | Jesus was estimated have lived between before approximately 4BCE,<ref>Ehrman, Bart D.. Jesus: Apocalyptic Prophet of the New Millennium (pp. 11-12). Oxford University Press. Kindle Edition. | ||
''..as related by both Matthew and Luke in the New Testament—then he must have been born no later than 4 BCE, the year of..''</ref> and died around the year of 30 CE (for Jesus’ crucifixion).<ref>[https://www.bartehrman.com/when-did-jesus-die/#:~:text=According%20to%20Bart%20Ehrman%2C%20the,30%20CE%20for%20Jesus'%20crucifixion. When Did Jesus Die? Unveiling the Month & Year of His Crucifixion.] Joshua Schachterle, Ph.D. 2024. Bart Ehrman.com </ref> The books that make up the New Testament, documenting Jesus's life and teachings, (and believed by Christians to be divinely inspired writings to cover his teachings, death and salvation) are in mostly consensus to be written in order of seven authentic letters of Paul followed the first Gospel, Mark (~C. 70 C.E), two more inauthentic | ''..as related by both Matthew and Luke in the New Testament—then he must have been born no later than 4 BCE, the year of..''</ref> and died around the year of 30 CE (for Jesus’ crucifixion).<ref>[https://www.bartehrman.com/when-did-jesus-die/#:~:text=According%20to%20Bart%20Ehrman%2C%20the,30%20CE%20for%20Jesus'%20crucifixion. When Did Jesus Die? Unveiling the Month & Year of His Crucifixion.] Joshua Schachterle, Ph.D. 2024. Bart Ehrman.com </ref> The books that make up the New Testament, documenting Jesus's life and teachings, (and believed by Christians to be divinely inspired writings to cover his teachings, death and salvation) are in mostly consensus to be written in order of seven authentic letters of Paul followed the first Gospel, Mark (~C. 70 C.E), two more inauthentic letters from Paul, followed by The Gospel of Matthew and then The Gospel of Luke, (both~ 80-90 C.E.), five more inauthentic letters attributed to Paul, followed by The Gospel of John (~90-100 C.E.), with the Book of Revelation and several more letters after that.<ref>[https://www.bartehrman.com/bible-in-chronological-order/ Bible in Chronological Order (Every Book Ordered by Date Written)]. Marko Marina, Ph.D. 2024. Bart Ehram.com. </ref> These books/letters and their approximate dates are in order as follows: | ||
{| class="wikitable" | {| class="wikitable" | ||
|+ | |+ | ||