Historical Errors in the Quran: Difference between revisions

→‎Ancient Mosque in Jerusalem: Have added a section on the historical problem of the Qur'an referring to it's listeners as being near the destroyed towns of Lut's preaching, and have quoted (and linked) to Patricia Crone's article on this matter.
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(→‎Ancient Mosque in Jerusalem: Have added a section on the historical problem of the Qur'an referring to it's listeners as being near the destroyed towns of Lut's preaching, and have quoted (and linked) to Patricia Crone's article on this matter.)
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Muslim scholars maintain that a long extant, ancient mosque was present in Jerusalem during Muhammad's life time. Historical research has, however, found this not to be the case.{{Quote|{{Quran|17|1}}|
Muslim scholars maintain that a long extant, ancient mosque was present in Jerusalem during Muhammad's life time. Historical research has, however, found this not to be the case.{{Quote|{{Quran|17|1}}|
Glory to (Allah) Who did take His servant for a Journey by night from the Sacred Mosque to the farthest Mosque, whose precincts We did bless,- in order that We might show him some of Our Signs: for He is the One Who heareth and seeth (all things). }}
Glory to (Allah) Who did take His servant for a Journey by night from the Sacred Mosque to the farthest Mosque, whose precincts We did bless,- in order that We might show him some of Our Signs: for He is the One Who heareth and seeth (all things). }}
=== Sodom and Gomorrah being located near Mecca and Medina ===
''Main Article: [https://wikiislam.net/wiki/Lut Lut]''
The prophet Lut/Lot is a Jewish prophet also mentioned in the Bible as well as the Qur'an, who warns the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah( סְדֹם (''Səḏōm'') and עֲמֹרָה (''<nowiki/>'Ămōrā'') in Hebrew) of imminent destruction if they do not repent their sinful ways, who do not and so are quickly destroyed by God (as well as Admah, Zeboiim and Zoar (Bela) in the Bible, making up the five "cities of the plain"). These are believed to be located in North-West Arabia<ref>[https://www.britannica.com/place/Sodom-and-Gomorrah ''Sodom and Gomorrah.''] Britannica Entry. 2023.</ref> for example, near the "[https://www.lonelyplanet.com/israel/sodom/attractions/lot-s-wife/a/poi-sig/1445578/1332029 Lot's Wife]" pillar of salt, on Mount Sodom, Israel (as in the biblical account his wife is turned into a pillar of salt), and placing Gomorrah located near the southern end of the Dead Sea, south of the peninsula of Al-Lisan.<ref>''[https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/term/x101699 Gomorrah.]'' The British Museum Entry.</ref>
Traditional Islamic scholars have seemingly agreed with the placement in Northern Arabia too, as modern Islamic scholar Patricia Crone notes in her 2008 article ''[https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/mohammed_3866jsp/ What do we actually know about Muhammad?]''
'...''the Qur'an twice describes its opponents as living in the site of a vanished nation, that is to say a town destroyed by God for its sins. There were many such ruined sites in northwest Arabia. The prophet frequently tells his opponents to consider their significance and on one occasion remarks, with reference to the remains of Lot's people, that "you pass by them in the morning and in the evening". This takes us to somewhere in the Dead Sea region. Respect for the traditional account has prevailed to such an extent among modern historians that the first two points have passed unnoticed until quite recently, while the third has been ignored. The exegetes said that the Quraysh passed by Lot's remains on their annual journeys to Syria, but the only way in which one can pass by a place in the morning and the evening is evidently by living somewhere in the vicinity.''<nowiki/>'<ref>[https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/mohammed_3866jsp/ What do we actually know about Mohammed?] Patricia Crone. 2008. opendemocracy.net</ref>
{{Quote|{{Quran|15|74-77}}|and We made its topmost part its nethermost, and rained on them stones of shale.
There are indeed signs in that for the percipient.
<b>Indeed it is on a standing road,</b>
and there is indeed a sign in that for the faithful.}}{{Quote|{{Quran|37|133-138}}|And indeed, <b>Lot</b> was among the messengers.
[So mention] when We saved him and his family, all,
Then We destroyed the others.
<b>And indeed, you pass by them in the morning
And at night.</b> Then will you not use reason?}}
For this to make sense to those being spoken to at the time of revelation, this would place at least part of Muhammad's preaching in that vicinity (as many in the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revisionist_school_of_Islamic_studies Revisionist school of Islamic Studies] do), rather than strictly in Mecca and Medina where orthodox Islamic views found in the biographies and hadith place him.
== References ==
[[Category:Apologetics]]
[[Category:Apologetics]]
[[Category:Criticism of Islam]]
[[Category:Criticism of Islam]]
[[Category:Qur'an]]
[[Category:Qur'an]]
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