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Historical Errors in the Quran: Difference between revisions
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=== Surah of the elephant === | === Surah of the elephant === | ||
The Quran contains a surah relating to Allah destroying an army via birds throwing stones of baked clay at them. This account is allegedly based on the pre-Islamic Yemeni/Hymarite Christian King Abraha attempting to invade Mecca with an army of elephants for the purpose of destroying the House of Allah (The Holy Ka' | The Quran contains a surah relating to Allah destroying an army via birds throwing stones of baked clay at them. This account is allegedly based on the pre-Islamic Yemeni/Hymarite Christian King Abraha attempting to invade Mecca with an army of elephants for the purpose of destroying the House of Allah (The Holy Ka'aba), to bring pilgrims to his own church in the capital Sanaa. But their plan backfired when Allah destroyed the army with a flock of birds and baked clay, thus their plans were foiled. | ||
{{Quote|{{Quran|105|1-5}}|Have not you seen how dealt your Lord with (the) Companions (of the) Elephant? Did He not put their scheme into ruin? and send against them flocks of birds. Which hit them with stones of baked clay, thus making them like chewed-up straw?}} | {{Quote|{{Quran|105|1-5}}|Have not you seen how dealt your Lord with (the) Companions (of the) Elephant? Did He not put their scheme into ruin? and send against them flocks of birds. Which hit them with stones of baked clay, thus making them like chewed-up straw?}} | ||
Historians believe that while there was a somewhat similar invasion of Abraha into Arabia at a similar time, almost every key part of the Islamic traditions surrounding the surah found in hadith, seerah, and tafsir are incorrect; starting with the date in Islamic tradition typically ascribed to the birth year of Muhammad (570CE) known as 'The Year of the Elephant',<ref>[https://www.britannica.com/biography/Muhammad Muhammad] | Britannica | Historians believe that while there was a somewhat similar invasion of Abraha into Arabia at a similar time, almost every key part of the Islamic traditions surrounding the surah found in hadith, seerah, and tafsir are incorrect; starting with the date in Islamic tradition typically ascribed to the birth year of Muhammad (570CE) known as 'The Year of the Elephant',<ref>[https://www.britannica.com/biography/Muhammad Muhammad] | Britannica | ||
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Found in Chapter 3 of: Fisher, Greg. Arabs and Empires before Islam (p. 151-152). OUP Oxford. Read on internet archive for free [https://archive.org/details/arabs-and-empires-before-islam-by-fisher-greg/page/151/mode/1up here].</ref> However as Sean W. Anthony points out the petroglyphs of elephants are undated and no evidence connects them with Abraha. Petroglyphs of non-local things such as boats have also been found in Arabia.<ref>Sean W Anthony response on the subject on [https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1220097304889307136.html Threads] and [https://x.com/shahanSean/status/1220097304889307136?t=GGA1q7v81g8r52nrJ1YbFA&s=19 Twitter (X)]</ref> Nothing connects them with Mecca either. And Michael Charles 2018 has argued that the use of elephants was plausible, based on reports from Islamic traditions/Arab Historians, combined with the fact that Ethiopian Axumite Empire that ruled Himyar (modern Yemen) was a tributary of at the time, having access to Elephants, and that Yemen was fertile at the time.<ref>Charles, Michael (2018). "''The Elephants of Aksum: In Search of the Bush Elephant in Late Antiquity''". Journal of Late Antiquity. 11 (1): 166–192. [https://muse.jhu.edu/article/704824 doi:10.1353/jla.2018.0000]. S2CID 165659027. | Found in Chapter 3 of: Fisher, Greg. Arabs and Empires before Islam (p. 151-152). OUP Oxford. Read on internet archive for free [https://archive.org/details/arabs-and-empires-before-islam-by-fisher-greg/page/151/mode/1up here].</ref> However as Sean W. Anthony points out the petroglyphs of elephants are undated and no evidence connects them with Abraha. Petroglyphs of non-local things such as boats have also been found in Arabia.<ref>Sean W Anthony response on the subject on [https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1220097304889307136.html Threads] and [https://x.com/shahanSean/status/1220097304889307136?t=GGA1q7v81g8r52nrJ1YbFA&s=19 Twitter (X)]</ref> Nothing connects them with Mecca either. And Michael Charles 2018 has argued that the use of elephants was plausible, based on reports from Islamic traditions/Arab Historians, combined with the fact that Ethiopian Axumite Empire that ruled Himyar (modern Yemen) was a tributary of at the time, having access to Elephants, and that Yemen was fertile at the time.<ref>Charles, Michael (2018). "''The Elephants of Aksum: In Search of the Bush Elephant in Late Antiquity''". Journal of Late Antiquity. 11 (1): 166–192. [https://muse.jhu.edu/article/704824 doi:10.1353/jla.2018.0000]. S2CID 165659027. | ||
(Text can be found here: [https://historum.com/t/meroitic-and-aksumite-royal-elephants-and-the-possible-use-of-large-bush-elephants.193439/ Meroitic and Aksumite Royal Elephants (and the possible use of large bush elephants]) </ref> However as others have pointed out, there are serious | (Text can be found here: [https://historum.com/t/meroitic-and-aksumite-royal-elephants-and-the-possible-use-of-large-bush-elephants.193439/ Meroitic and Aksumite Royal Elephants (and the possible use of large bush elephants]) </ref> However as others have pointed out, there are serious problems that make this doubtful. | ||
Daniel Beck 2018 notes, there are many epigraphy records from that period as well as both before and after Abraha's reign, which do not mentioned the elephants in invasions, nor are they recorded by contemporary historians / sources such as Procopius, who wrote a detailed book on current wars and warfare ''Polemon (De bellis; Wars)''<ref>[https://www.britannica.com/biography/Procopius-Byzantine-historian Procopius] | Byzantine historian | Britannica Entry</ref> and documented Abraha's rise to power, who never mentioned the use of elephants which which would have been notable if they were used.<ref>Daniel Beck. ''Evolution of the Early Qur’ān: From Anonymous Apocalypse to Charismatic Prophet'' (Apocalypticism). 2018. Peter Lang. pp. 5. | Daniel Beck 2018 notes, there are many epigraphy records from that period as well as both before and after Abraha's reign, which do not mentioned the elephants in invasions, nor are they recorded by contemporary historians / sources such as Procopius, who wrote a detailed book on current wars and warfare ''Polemon (De bellis; Wars)''<ref>[https://www.britannica.com/biography/Procopius-Byzantine-historian Procopius] | Byzantine historian | Britannica Entry</ref> and documented Abraha's rise to power, who never mentioned the use of elephants which which would have been notable if they were used.<ref>Daniel Beck. ''Evolution of the Early Qur’ān: From Anonymous Apocalypse to Charismatic Prophet'' (Apocalypticism). 2018. Peter Lang. pp. 5. | ||
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Therefore critics argue it is most likely an exaggeration by Arab poets<ref>Angelika Neuwirth notes that a similar versions are found in pre-Islamic poetry. | Therefore critics argue it is most likely an exaggeration by Arab poets<ref>Angelika Neuwirth notes that a similar versions are found in pre-Islamic poetry. | ||
''...According to some reports it was interrupted by the outbreak of an epidemic before the campaign reached Mecca, an event that was interpreted early on in the sense of a miraculous salvation of Mecca, as reflected already in the pre-Islamic poets...''Neuwirth, Angelika. The Qur'an: Text and Commentary, Volume 1: Early Meccan Suras: Poetic Prophecy (pp. 61). 2022. Yale University Press.</ref> and storytellers as word of | ''...According to some reports it was interrupted by the outbreak of an epidemic before the campaign reached Mecca, an event that was interpreted early on in the sense of a miraculous salvation of Mecca, as reflected already in the pre-Islamic poets...''Neuwirth, Angelika. The Qur'an: Text and Commentary, Volume 1: Early Meccan Suras: Poetic Prophecy (pp. 61). 2022. Yale University Press.</ref> and storytellers as word of far-off battles spread, then turned into salvation history by Muhammad as a reason to follow his message (i.e. Allah saved their town), and fear him, to convince them to heed his warnings. | ||
And finally, there is no archaeological evidence for the dead soldiers (numbered in tens of thousands in some Islamic traditions)<ref>Maududi - Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi - Tafhim al-Qur'an. [https://quranx.com/Tafsir/maududi/105.1 ''Tafsir on Surah of the elephant / 105.''] </ref> in bits of baked clay as found in the Qur'an. Critics argue that this, along with the contemporary records showing a different story of a similar attack in the region, the severe lack of evidence for elephant(s) including no mentions from contemporary historians or inscriptions, no recording of the Meccan invasion, the muddling of the dates, along with practical problems, makes the whole account unreliable. | And finally, there is no archaeological evidence for the dead soldiers (numbered in tens of thousands in some Islamic traditions)<ref>Maududi - Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi - Tafhim al-Qur'an. [https://quranx.com/Tafsir/maududi/105.1 ''Tafsir on Surah of the elephant / 105.''] </ref> in bits of baked clay as found in the Qur'an. Critics argue that this, along with the contemporary records showing a different story of a similar attack in the region, the severe lack of evidence for elephant(s) including no mentions from contemporary historians or inscriptions, no recording of the Meccan invasion, the muddling of the dates, along with practical problems, makes the whole account unreliable. | ||