796
edits
Historical Errors in the Quran: Difference between revisions
→Noah's worldwide flood: Made minor changes to improve clarity, provide references and a better explained translation in to improve these.
| [unchecked revision] | [checked revision] |
(→Nabatean rock tombs at al-Hijr as homes and palaces from before the time of Pharaoh: Have expanded the historical errors of the Thamud story, and added more references for e.g. the chronology of them vs Moses prove/cite incorrect claim.) |
(→Noah's worldwide flood: Made minor changes to improve clarity, provide references and a better explained translation in to improve these.) |
||
| Line 199: | Line 199: | ||
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.'' | ||
| Line 252: | Line 252: | ||
'''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!' | ||
| Line 306: | Line 306: | ||
{{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.'''}} | {{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: | 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. ( | {{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- | 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=== | ||