Historical Errors in the Quran: Difference between revisions
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(→Unknown words in the Quran: Expanded this section, furthering the point with the unknown meaning/identity of Sabaeans in the Quran, and the issue's it poses for the traditional account being taken as real history.) |
(→Massive wall of iron: Have added in the separate historical error for Dhul-Qarnayn being monotheist under building the iron wall. And added a minor references for the word dirham and said 'former' Hymarite kingdom (as technically it wasn't called that by the time of Muhammad any more - even though the point still stands and it was a Jewish/Christian Kingdom to the South of Mecca with large Arabian peninsular influence so relevant to mention).) |
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=== Massive wall of iron === | === Massive wall of iron === | ||
''See: [[Dhul-Qarnayn and the Alexander Romance]]'' | ''See: [[Dhul-Qarnayn and the Alexander Romance]]'' | ||
The Qur'an presents a version of the Syrian legend of Alexander the Great as a great king who helps a tribe of people build a massive wall of iron between two mountains. The Quran then states, along with the hadith, that this wall and the tribes it traps will remain in place until the Day of Judgement. Modern satellites and near comprehensive exploration of the Earth's surface, however, have yet to reveal any trace of such massive structure. | |||
The trumpet blowing in {{Quran|18|99}} is referred to many other times in the Qur'an as happening on judgement day (see {{Quran|27|87}}, {{Quran|69|13}} and {{Quran|39|68}}), with the word 'yawm' يوم being used in Q18:99 and 18:100, meaning on that ''day''<ref>[http://arabiclexicon.hawramani.com/search/%D9%8A%D9%88%D9%85?cat=50 Lane's Lexicon dictionary - يوم]</ref> specifically. {{Quote|{{Quran|18|96-101}}|Bring me pieces of iron!’ When he had levelled up between the flanks, he said, ‘Blow!’ When he had turned it into fire, he said, ‘Bring me molten copper to pour over it.’ | The trumpet blowing in {{Quran|18|99}} is referred to many other times in the Qur'an as happening on judgement day (see {{Quran|27|87}}, {{Quran|69|13}} and {{Quran|39|68}}), with the word 'yawm' يوم being used in Q18:99 and 18:100, meaning on that ''day''<ref>[http://arabiclexicon.hawramani.com/search/%D9%8A%D9%88%D9%85?cat=50 Lane's Lexicon dictionary - يوم]</ref> specifically. {{Quote|{{Quran|18|96-101}}|Bring me pieces of iron!’ When he had levelled up between the flanks, he said, ‘Blow!’ When he had turned it into fire, he said, ‘Bring me molten copper to pour over it.’ | ||
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69. The earth will glow with the light of her Lord, and the Book will be set up, and the prophets and the martyrs will be brought, and judgment will be made between them with justice, and they will not be wronged. | 69. The earth will glow with the light of her Lord, and the Book will be set up, and the prophets and the martyrs will be brought, and judgment will be made between them with justice, and they will not be wronged. | ||
70. Every soul will be recompensed fully for what it has done, and He is best aware of what they do...}} | 70. Every soul will be recompensed fully for what it has done, and He is best aware of what they do...}} | ||
==== Dhul-Qarnayn/Alexander the great as a monotheist ==== | |||
{{Main|Dhul-Qarnayn and the Alexander Romance}} | |||
We find in Surah Al-Kahf, ({{Quran|18|83-101}}), a story about a powerful prophet of Allah 'Dhul-Qarnayn' (meaning 'The Two horned one'), who along with other tasks, builds the massive wall of iron mentioned above. This is a retelling of a common antiquity story based of Alexander the Great.<ref>Van Bladel, Kevin, “''[https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/The_Qur_an_in_its_Historical_Context/DbtkpgGn4CEC?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PA175&printsec=frontcover The Alexander legend in the Qur‘an 18:83-102″, in "The Qur’ān in Its Historical Context]''", Ed. Gabriel Said Reynolds, New York: Routledge, 2007.</ref> However, this is not the real/historical Alexander, who was a polytheist with no relation to the Judaeo-Christian religion,<ref>''[https://ddd.uab.cat/pub/karanos/karanos_a2022v5/karanos_a2022v5p51.pdf Religion and Alexander the Great.]'' Edward M. Anson. Karanos 5, 2022 51-74. </ref> but rather a legendary version later recast as monotheist by Christians, who's connections and evidence for this can be seen in the main article. | |||
===David invented coats of mail=== | ===David invented coats of mail=== | ||
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===Countable currency in ancient Egypt=== | ===Countable currency in ancient Egypt=== | ||
Surah Yusuf mentions that the caravan that rescued the eponymous prophet from the pit sold him to an Egyptian "for a low price, a few dirhams". Leaving aside the fact that dirham coins did not exist in ancient Egypt, a more fundamental problem is that the price is indicated as having been some kind of discreetly countable currency: darāhima maʿdūdatin ("dirhams counted"). The word maʿdūdatin occurs throughout the Quran denoting something discreetly numbered, for example "[Fasting for] a limited number of days" in {{Quran|2|184}}. Thus, it is not describing a weight of valuable material, but a countable currency. Such a thing did not exist in ancient Egypt. Rather, there were stone weights, particularly the denben, for measuring amounts of precious metals and to price other goods that could be barter traded, but not itself nor units of metal used as a means of exchange.<ref>[https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1079/trade-in-ancient-egypt/ Trade in ancient Egypt] - World History Encyclopedia</ref> | Surah Yusuf mentions that the caravan that rescued the eponymous prophet from the pit sold him to an Egyptian "for a low price, a few dirhams". Leaving aside the fact that dirham<ref>''[http://arabiclexicon.hawramani.com/search/%D8%AF%D8%B1%D9%87%D9%85 Dirham/dirhem درهم Entry]'' - The Arabic-English Lexicon Dictionary. ArabicLexicon.Hawramani.com (formerly Lisaan.net)</ref> coins did not exist in ancient Egypt, a more fundamental problem is that the price is indicated as having been some kind of discreetly countable currency: darāhima maʿdūdatin ("dirhams counted"). The word maʿdūdatin occurs throughout the Quran denoting something discreetly numbered, for example "[Fasting for] a limited number of days" in {{Quran|2|184}}. Thus, it is not describing a weight of valuable material, but a countable currency. Such a thing did not exist in ancient Egypt. Rather, there were stone weights, particularly the denben, for measuring amounts of precious metals and to price other goods that could be barter traded, but not itself nor units of metal used as a means of exchange.<ref>[https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1079/trade-in-ancient-egypt/ Trade in ancient Egypt] - World History Encyclopedia</ref> | ||
{{Quote|{{Quran|12|20}}|And they sold him for a reduced price - a few dirhams - and they were, concerning him, of those content with little.}} | {{Quote|{{Quran|12|20}}|And they sold him for a reduced price - a few dirhams - and they were, concerning him, of those content with little.}} | ||
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Interestingly, all of the stories told in the Quran are of well-known Jewish-Christian prophets (''see: [[Parallels Between the Qur'an and Late Antique Judeo-Christian Literature]]'') and three local Arabian prophets Hud, Salih, and Shu'aib. There are none mentioned outside the Near-East and Arabia of antiquity, and nothing about the entire hunter-gather section of humanity which lasted most of the 300,000 years humans have existed,<ref>''[https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/abs/ultrasocial/our-huntergatherer-heritage-and-the-evolution-of-human-nature/F0FAE24179317811BE1420E9BA5A290E Our Hunter-Gatherer Heritage and the Evolution of Human Nature.]'' Part I - The Evolution of Human Ultrasociality. John M. Gowdy. Published online by Cambridge University Press: 09 October 2021.</ref> with the stories taking place in towns that match contemporary one's to Muhammad's time. | Interestingly, all of the stories told in the Quran are of well-known Jewish-Christian prophets (''see: [[Parallels Between the Qur'an and Late Antique Judeo-Christian Literature]]'') and three local Arabian prophets Hud, Salih, and Shu'aib. There are none mentioned outside the Near-East and Arabia of antiquity, and nothing about the entire hunter-gather section of humanity which lasted most of the 300,000 years humans have existed,<ref>''[https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/abs/ultrasocial/our-huntergatherer-heritage-and-the-evolution-of-human-nature/F0FAE24179317811BE1420E9BA5A290E Our Hunter-Gatherer Heritage and the Evolution of Human Nature.]'' Part I - The Evolution of Human Ultrasociality. John M. Gowdy. Published online by Cambridge University Press: 09 October 2021.</ref> with the stories taking place in towns that match contemporary one's to Muhammad's time. | ||
Critics argue this missed opportunity to explain the history of the world and what happened elsewhere with the prophets (i.e. the Quran only recalls local tales like a human with knowledge limited to the vicinity would, where it would have looked to someone in living in Arabia at the time, that monotheism was all over the world as the surrounding Byzantine (Roman), Sasanian (Persian) Empires in the North and Himyarite Kingdom in the South were ''(See: [[Pre-Islamic Arab Religion in Islam#General Judeo-Christian Monotheism in Arabia]]'')), along with the lack of historical evidence of these other messengers where we would expect it, is damning. | Critics argue this missed opportunity to explain the history of the world and what happened elsewhere with the prophets (i.e. the Quran only recalls local tales like a human with knowledge limited to the vicinity would, where it would have looked to someone in living in Arabia at the time, that monotheism was all over the world as the surrounding Byzantine (Roman), Sasanian (Persian) Empires in the North and former Himyarite Kingdom and Aksumite Empire in the South were ''(See: [[Pre-Islamic Arab Religion in Islam#General Judeo-Christian Monotheism in Arabia]]'')), along with the lack of historical evidence of these other messengers where we would expect it, is damning. | ||
=== Suliman's missing kingdom === | === Suliman's missing kingdom === | ||