wiki-islam debunked (not yet completed)
Introduction: Wiki-Islam is a popular anti-Islamic site that claims to have debunked Islam and found many errors in the Quran. Their page is currently found at: http://wikiislam.net/wiki/Scientific_Errors_in_the_Qur'an. This blog will refute every one of its claims. It is important to note that the refutations in this blog will be in summary form. We will also redirect you to other sites to answer your question for the sake of being concise.
Unfortunately their ignorance in the Quran and the Arabic language allows them to be successful in their deception. Before continuing in this page, please read the "before reading" subtitle as the arguments against Wiki-Islam are based on them. We will aim at making this blog extremely easy and understandable for the sake of comprehension.
Wiki-Islam present one side of the argument against Islam, it is your duty to look at both sides of the Argument and determine your faith. If the anti-Islamic sites win your heart, then remain a non-muslim, if Islam wins your heart and starts making sense to you--then great. I have had a phase in which I was non-muslim myself; I would look at anti-Islamic sites such as Wiki-Islam or Answering-Islam so that I would reassure my disbelief in Islam. After a while I have decided to look at both sides of the argument, started reading other sites and making my own analysis and I have reverted back to Islam. I was once an ex-Muslim, until I looked at the evidence more deeply.
Wikiislam uses a tactic known as "peripheral route processing" where they present surface level and peripheral understandings which sway people who are not very knowledgeable and who are not deep/central in their route processing. A deep analysis of what the Quran entails, life being a test and the Quran's timelessness lead us to 2 necessary conclusions (principles)--and these conclusions are what we use to gain a deeper/central understanding of the Quran rather than the peripheral surface-level analysis Wikiislam instills on its readers. With these 2 principles and deep/central route processing and analysis, we reach a systematic methodology to address these alleged scientific errors in the Quran.
I hope you may go through this journey as I did. There was a time when I was an ex-Muslim, and through deeper understanding and central route processing, I have reverted to Islam.
My advice for you is to proceed without any bias and with an open-mind. Intellectual honesty is key.
Before Reading:
There are 2 fundamental principles underlying Islam. These principles highlight the base of Islam! The principles that must be applied are that:
1.) The Quran must be clear so that it compels those whose hearts are open, but it must be sufficiently vague so it doesn't compel those whose hearts are closed (or unwilling to believe).
2.) The Quran is meant for all times and places, therefore, it must logically follow that it must support 7th century belief and modern belief simultaneously without contradicting either belief.
3.) The Quran's language is in Arabic. Arabic is a rich language which allows for multiple valid translations. Therefore the Quran maintains multiple valid translations. If you think there is a contradiction in the Quran, you must ask yourself:
Explaining the first principle:
(The video posted below highlights the main points expressed here)
"The Quran must be clear so that it compels those whose hearts are open, but it must be sufficiently vague so it doesn't compel those whose hearts are closed (or unwilling to believe)"
It is absolutely important to note that there is no full complete physical proof of Allah's existence. Many Atheists see this as proof that God doesn't exist and therefore they make that assertion. Contrary to their beliefs, Islam has an answer:
Life is like a multiple choice exam. If you pick the wrong choices throughout the exam, you will be punished. If you pick the right choices throughout the exam, you will be rewarded! The exam is going to be very difficult and it will have many tricks in it to test you. If the Quran or the universe were presented with clear, 100% proof of certainty in God's existence, then everyone believes in the Quran and in God. It would be like the professor decides to give you the answers to the exam. The whole point of your existence is to not have 100% proof of certainty that Allah exists.
What is necessary to pass the test?
1.) Belief in God and the oneness of God
2.) Belief that God's final revelation onto mankind is the Quran
3.) Adhering to the laws and duties put forth by the Quran
You must believe in God and you must believe the Quran is the word of God. That is how you pass the test. Allah will not give you proof of his existence nor will he give you complete proof that the Quran is from him, because if he had done so, it would violate your purpose in life. (Note: The third necessary item requires that you believe in God and the Quran being his word).
A good professor is one that does not give you the answers to the exam, rather, the professor provides you with the tools and information and lets you analyze, interpret and apply that information to reach a conclusion on the exam question! If the professor were to give you the answers to the exam, it would violate the purpose of the exam. If Allah were to give you proof of his existence it would violate your purpose in life-to worship Allah without proof of his existence. Instead, he gives signs and hints that point to his existence!
Therefore it must logically follow that those signs and hints must not clearly prove with complete certainty the existence of Allah or that the Quran is from him, rather they must hint at the existence of God and the Quran. And those signs and hints, must therefore be sufficient to that it compels those whose hearts are open, but they must be sufficiently vague so they doesn't compel those whose hearts are unwilling.
Quranic Analysis Corresponding to the first principle:
(Quran 76:3) Verily, We created man from a drop of mingled sperm so that We may test him;
(Quran 67:2) [Allah is he] Who created death and life to test you [as to] which of you is best in deed.
(Quran 29:2) Do the people think that they will be left to say, "We believe" and they will not be tested?
We are created so that we get tested and to see how well we would be obedient to Allah:
(Quran 51:56) And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship/be obedient to Me.
^Out of ALL of Allah's creations, we were created with the purpose to worship Allah (other creatures may have different purposes). So if the purpose of our creation is to be tested, and Allah proves his existence to everyone: Then everyone passes the test. It would be like a college professor giving you the answers to the exam--What's the point of the exam?
Further, the Quran highlights how people were asking the prophet for proof of God and Allah has refused. Instead, Allah points the disbelievers at a sign and asks them to reflect:
(Quran 26:3) Perhaps, [O Muhammad], you would kill yourself with grief that they will not be believers.
(Quran 26:4) If We willed, We could send down to them from the sky a sign for which their necks would be forced to bow
(Quran 26:5) And no revelation/signs comes to them anew from the Most Merciful except that they turn away from it.
(Quran 26:6) For they have already denied, but there will come to them the news of that which they used to ridicule.
(Quran 26:7) Did they not look at the earth - how much We have produced therein from every noble kind?
(Quran 26:8) Indeed in that is a sign, but most of them were not to be believers
^In here you have a case in which Allah reassures the prophet Muhammad to stop grieving because people disbelieve. Allah could have sent a strong piece of evidence or proof of his existence, but Allah says that he only sends signs and that those signs are not meant to make everyone believe and worship Allah. Then Allah points them to a sign of his existence-not complete proof.
The signs are there for those who think, ponder and wish to surrender to such a formidable force. While those who do not wish to obey, they are given their excuses to keep themselves aloof a satisfaction. Notice how the Quran is vague and indirect on this topic. The Quran didn't directly specify why Allah refuses to give us proof he exists, rather, he chooses to only give signs of his existence. The Quran lets the reader apply and interpret this information to reach a conclusion (remember, life is a test-an intellectual journey). A good professor does not give you the direct information needed to pass the exam, rather, he gives you bits and pieces of different information and allows you to analyze and interpret that information to reach a conclusion in the thought provoking exam question. If Allah were to directly give you his reason as to why he refuses to give proof of himself, then it would the test easy for humans. The test is not designed to be easy. Allah allows those who are sincerely searching for truth to interpret, apply and analyze this information in the Quran to reach a reasonable conclusion. Allah also simultaneously allows those who are arrogant, intellectually dishonest or not looking for truth to have their excuses and reasons to reject Allah and the Quran. This is also analogous to how a professor designs the exam (with the right difficulty) so that it allows those who studied well in getting the right answers and simultaneously allows those who didn't study well in getting the wrong answers to the thought-provoking questions.
Edkip Yuksel has said: "In order for any test to be valid, the receiver of the test must have the option of different choices. If the receiver had no choice there would be no test. The choice of the receiver determines his success or failure in the test that has been set. As an example, suppose you would like to test your 6 year old son and see whether he will obey you or not. You take him to his room and ask him not to leave the room. You leave the door open so he is given the choice whether to obey you and stay, or to disobey you and leave the room. The fact that you have given him two choices: the good (obey you), and the bad (disobey you) means that there was indeed a valid test. Now let us suppose you have done the same as above but this time you locked the door. In this case your son does not have the option of disobeying you. You come back after one hour and find him still inside the room, but this time, was he really tested? The answer is no, because your son had no option of disobeying you, and thus he had no choice.When we import this logic to the multi-meaning verses in the Quran, we find that among various other ways God has tested us, one test is by deliberately including the multi-meaning verses in the Quran."
In 3:7 we read:
(Quran 3:7) He sent down to you this scripture, containing straightforward verses - which constitute the essence of the scripture - as well as multiple-meaning or allegorical verses. Those who have perversity in their hearts will pursue the multiple-meaning verses to create confusion, and to extricate a certain meaning.
The ones who are honest are those who apply the Quranic verses to reach a reasonable conclusion, and then there are the ones who's hearts are perverse will abuse these multi-meaning verses to create confusion. Therefore, the verses in the Quran are a deliberate test set by God.
In conclusion, the Quran explicitly states that Allah refuses to give proof of his existence and rather he wants humans to reflect upon the signs he has given to choose whether or not to worship Allah. In which case, it would be required, In order to maintain the structure of the test, for the signs to be clear so that it compels those whose hearts are open, but they must be sufficiently vague so it doesn't compel those whose hearts are closed (or unwilling to believe). A good analogy would be a professor giving you hints and information on the exam that don't reveal the answer to the exam for those who didn't study, but sufficiently guides those who truly studied in getting the right answer.
Unfortunately their ignorance in the Quran and the Arabic language allows them to be successful in their deception. Before continuing in this page, please read the "before reading" subtitle as the arguments against Wiki-Islam are based on them. We will aim at making this blog extremely easy and understandable for the sake of comprehension.
Wiki-Islam present one side of the argument against Islam, it is your duty to look at both sides of the Argument and determine your faith. If the anti-Islamic sites win your heart, then remain a non-muslim, if Islam wins your heart and starts making sense to you--then great. I have had a phase in which I was non-muslim myself; I would look at anti-Islamic sites such as Wiki-Islam or Answering-Islam so that I would reassure my disbelief in Islam. After a while I have decided to look at both sides of the argument, started reading other sites and making my own analysis and I have reverted back to Islam. I was once an ex-Muslim, until I looked at the evidence more deeply.
Wikiislam uses a tactic known as "peripheral route processing" where they present surface level and peripheral understandings which sway people who are not very knowledgeable and who are not deep/central in their route processing. A deep analysis of what the Quran entails, life being a test and the Quran's timelessness lead us to 2 necessary conclusions (principles)--and these conclusions are what we use to gain a deeper/central understanding of the Quran rather than the peripheral surface-level analysis Wikiislam instills on its readers. With these 2 principles and deep/central route processing and analysis, we reach a systematic methodology to address these alleged scientific errors in the Quran.
I hope you may go through this journey as I did. There was a time when I was an ex-Muslim, and through deeper understanding and central route processing, I have reverted to Islam.
My advice for you is to proceed without any bias and with an open-mind. Intellectual honesty is key.
Before Reading:
There are 2 fundamental principles underlying Islam. These principles highlight the base of Islam! The principles that must be applied are that:
1.) The Quran must be clear so that it compels those whose hearts are open, but it must be sufficiently vague so it doesn't compel those whose hearts are closed (or unwilling to believe).
2.) The Quran is meant for all times and places, therefore, it must logically follow that it must support 7th century belief and modern belief simultaneously without contradicting either belief.
3.) The Quran's language is in Arabic. Arabic is a rich language which allows for multiple valid translations. Therefore the Quran maintains multiple valid translations. If you think there is a contradiction in the Quran, you must ask yourself:
- Have I made any unverified assumptions?
- Have I considered all possible definitions of the words?
- Have I considered all possible translations of the words?
- Have I considered all grammatical syntactic definitions/renderings?
Explaining the first principle:
(The video posted below highlights the main points expressed here)
"The Quran must be clear so that it compels those whose hearts are open, but it must be sufficiently vague so it doesn't compel those whose hearts are closed (or unwilling to believe)"
It is absolutely important to note that there is no full complete physical proof of Allah's existence. Many Atheists see this as proof that God doesn't exist and therefore they make that assertion. Contrary to their beliefs, Islam has an answer:
Life is like a multiple choice exam. If you pick the wrong choices throughout the exam, you will be punished. If you pick the right choices throughout the exam, you will be rewarded! The exam is going to be very difficult and it will have many tricks in it to test you. If the Quran or the universe were presented with clear, 100% proof of certainty in God's existence, then everyone believes in the Quran and in God. It would be like the professor decides to give you the answers to the exam. The whole point of your existence is to not have 100% proof of certainty that Allah exists.
What is necessary to pass the test?
1.) Belief in God and the oneness of God
2.) Belief that God's final revelation onto mankind is the Quran
3.) Adhering to the laws and duties put forth by the Quran
You must believe in God and you must believe the Quran is the word of God. That is how you pass the test. Allah will not give you proof of his existence nor will he give you complete proof that the Quran is from him, because if he had done so, it would violate your purpose in life. (Note: The third necessary item requires that you believe in God and the Quran being his word).
A good professor is one that does not give you the answers to the exam, rather, the professor provides you with the tools and information and lets you analyze, interpret and apply that information to reach a conclusion on the exam question! If the professor were to give you the answers to the exam, it would violate the purpose of the exam. If Allah were to give you proof of his existence it would violate your purpose in life-to worship Allah without proof of his existence. Instead, he gives signs and hints that point to his existence!
Therefore it must logically follow that those signs and hints must not clearly prove with complete certainty the existence of Allah or that the Quran is from him, rather they must hint at the existence of God and the Quran. And those signs and hints, must therefore be sufficient to that it compels those whose hearts are open, but they must be sufficiently vague so they doesn't compel those whose hearts are unwilling.
Quranic Analysis Corresponding to the first principle:
(Quran 76:3) Verily, We created man from a drop of mingled sperm so that We may test him;
(Quran 67:2) [Allah is he] Who created death and life to test you [as to] which of you is best in deed.
(Quran 29:2) Do the people think that they will be left to say, "We believe" and they will not be tested?
We are created so that we get tested and to see how well we would be obedient to Allah:
(Quran 51:56) And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship/be obedient to Me.
^Out of ALL of Allah's creations, we were created with the purpose to worship Allah (other creatures may have different purposes). So if the purpose of our creation is to be tested, and Allah proves his existence to everyone: Then everyone passes the test. It would be like a college professor giving you the answers to the exam--What's the point of the exam?
Further, the Quran highlights how people were asking the prophet for proof of God and Allah has refused. Instead, Allah points the disbelievers at a sign and asks them to reflect:
(Quran 26:3) Perhaps, [O Muhammad], you would kill yourself with grief that they will not be believers.
(Quran 26:4) If We willed, We could send down to them from the sky a sign for which their necks would be forced to bow
(Quran 26:5) And no revelation/signs comes to them anew from the Most Merciful except that they turn away from it.
(Quran 26:6) For they have already denied, but there will come to them the news of that which they used to ridicule.
(Quran 26:7) Did they not look at the earth - how much We have produced therein from every noble kind?
(Quran 26:8) Indeed in that is a sign, but most of them were not to be believers
^In here you have a case in which Allah reassures the prophet Muhammad to stop grieving because people disbelieve. Allah could have sent a strong piece of evidence or proof of his existence, but Allah says that he only sends signs and that those signs are not meant to make everyone believe and worship Allah. Then Allah points them to a sign of his existence-not complete proof.
The signs are there for those who think, ponder and wish to surrender to such a formidable force. While those who do not wish to obey, they are given their excuses to keep themselves aloof a satisfaction. Notice how the Quran is vague and indirect on this topic. The Quran didn't directly specify why Allah refuses to give us proof he exists, rather, he chooses to only give signs of his existence. The Quran lets the reader apply and interpret this information to reach a conclusion (remember, life is a test-an intellectual journey). A good professor does not give you the direct information needed to pass the exam, rather, he gives you bits and pieces of different information and allows you to analyze and interpret that information to reach a conclusion in the thought provoking exam question. If Allah were to directly give you his reason as to why he refuses to give proof of himself, then it would the test easy for humans. The test is not designed to be easy. Allah allows those who are sincerely searching for truth to interpret, apply and analyze this information in the Quran to reach a reasonable conclusion. Allah also simultaneously allows those who are arrogant, intellectually dishonest or not looking for truth to have their excuses and reasons to reject Allah and the Quran. This is also analogous to how a professor designs the exam (with the right difficulty) so that it allows those who studied well in getting the right answers and simultaneously allows those who didn't study well in getting the wrong answers to the thought-provoking questions.
Edkip Yuksel has said: "In order for any test to be valid, the receiver of the test must have the option of different choices. If the receiver had no choice there would be no test. The choice of the receiver determines his success or failure in the test that has been set. As an example, suppose you would like to test your 6 year old son and see whether he will obey you or not. You take him to his room and ask him not to leave the room. You leave the door open so he is given the choice whether to obey you and stay, or to disobey you and leave the room. The fact that you have given him two choices: the good (obey you), and the bad (disobey you) means that there was indeed a valid test. Now let us suppose you have done the same as above but this time you locked the door. In this case your son does not have the option of disobeying you. You come back after one hour and find him still inside the room, but this time, was he really tested? The answer is no, because your son had no option of disobeying you, and thus he had no choice.When we import this logic to the multi-meaning verses in the Quran, we find that among various other ways God has tested us, one test is by deliberately including the multi-meaning verses in the Quran."
In 3:7 we read:
(Quran 3:7) He sent down to you this scripture, containing straightforward verses - which constitute the essence of the scripture - as well as multiple-meaning or allegorical verses. Those who have perversity in their hearts will pursue the multiple-meaning verses to create confusion, and to extricate a certain meaning.
The ones who are honest are those who apply the Quranic verses to reach a reasonable conclusion, and then there are the ones who's hearts are perverse will abuse these multi-meaning verses to create confusion. Therefore, the verses in the Quran are a deliberate test set by God.
In conclusion, the Quran explicitly states that Allah refuses to give proof of his existence and rather he wants humans to reflect upon the signs he has given to choose whether or not to worship Allah. In which case, it would be required, In order to maintain the structure of the test, for the signs to be clear so that it compels those whose hearts are open, but they must be sufficiently vague so it doesn't compel those whose hearts are closed (or unwilling to believe). A good analogy would be a professor giving you hints and information on the exam that don't reveal the answer to the exam for those who didn't study, but sufficiently guides those who truly studied in getting the right answer.
Side note: The test which we are to undergo is not meant to add to the knowledge of God. Although God knows everything, it still is necessary that all men and women be put to test so that the true form of God's justice and mercy may emerge on the Day of Judgement. If God were to send all persons to Paradise or Hell according to His own knowledge without putting them to test for their beliefs and deeds, then those sent to Hell could rightly complain that why were they being punished without any sin on their part while others enjoyed bliss of Paradise without any good deed in their credit? So in order to uphold the principle of justice and fairness, it was necessary for God to test all persons before sending them to Hell or Paradise.
Explaining the second principle:
The general Idea is that it would be illogical to expect the Quran to give you direct answers to the world because if it did, it would contradict the beliefs of those who lived in the 7th century. For example, the common belief at that time is that the Earth was flat. If the Quran had told them that the Earth was actually a round sphere, they would have ridiculed the Quran because according to their observations the Earth is clearly flat. If the Quran had told them that the Earth is flat, it would have supported their beliefs, but it would contradict our beliefs. So it is a requirement for the Quran to be vague enough in its natural descriptions so that it doesn’t contradict both 7th century belief and modern belief.
The Quran is meant for all times and places. The Quran supports 7th century belief and modern belief simultaneously without contradicting either belief.
Analysis of the Quran’s timelessness:
It was stated earlier that the Quran doesn’t give direct answers to questions, rather, it allows the reader to interpret the indirect Quran in light of other Quranic verses and to reach a conclusion. The Quran did not directly tell you it was timeless. Its timeless nature should be the conclusion that follows from an interpretation of the Quran.
According to the Quran, the Prophet Muhammad is the final prophet for humans.
[Quran 33:40] Muhammad is not the father of [any] one of your men, but [he is] the Messenger of Allah and last of the prophets. And ever is Allah , of all things, Knowing.
If the prophet Muhammad was the final prophet for humans, then no more prophets would be coming.
Further the Quran reveals that prophets come down with scripture:
[Quran 2:213] Mankind was one community and Allah sent Prophets with glad tidings and warnings, and with them He sent the Scripture
If the prophet Muhammad was the last prophet, then he is the last one who comes down with scripture. This means that no new scripture will come. It must follow then, that the Quran is timeless as it must be relevant to the people at the Prophet Muhammad’s time and it must be relevant to modern times.
The Quran claims to be timeless, but, is the Quran timeless? The dynamics of the Quran and some examples will be discussed to reveal the Quranic timelessness.
The mechanism of the Quran’s timeless nature:
The Quran maintains its timeless nature by verse applicability. For example, there are verses that address only the prophet Muhammad, there are verses that address only men, there are verses that address only women, and there are verses that address people of the future. This allows the Quran to be relevant to everyone. There are certain laws that women follow that men don’t and vice-versa.
This is an example of a verse that was not applicable to the prophet himself, but it is applicable to the people of the future:
[Quran 55:33] O assembly of the jinn and the men! If you are able to pass through the regions of the heavens and the earth, then pass through..
The above verse is a direct commandment to us in modern times to travel through space. This verse was not applicable to the Prophet Muhammad himself, but it is applicable to us now.
The Quran maintains this timeless and universal nature through giving out multiple verses with varying applicability so that it is relevant for all humans at all times and places.
Timeless interpretations of the Quran:
It has been described earlier that the Quran must be vague for two reasons. One that has been discussed in detail earlier is that it must not provide complete certainty in the existence of God. The other reason is that the Quran must support 7th century belief and modern belief without contradicting either belief. This is a requirement because the Quran is timeless. But, does the Quran live up to that requirement?
The short answer is yes. The Quran’s vagueness gives it its ability to be timeless. Here is an example:
[Quran 21:33] And He it is who has created the night and the day, and the sun and the moon, each in an orbit floating.
Imagine this verse has said that they are in an orbit floating around the earth. This would be a case in which the Quran supports 7th century belief but contradicts modern belief. Those words were conveniently not placed there so that the Quran maintains its timeless nature.
Does this verse support 7th century belief that the Sun and the Moon travel around the Earth: Yes
Does this verse support modern belief that the Sun and the Moon are each traveling in an orbit: Yes
The Sun definitely travels in an orbit. You will find many examples like this throughout the Quran. Certain words were avoided so that the Quran maintains its timeless nature! The mechanism the Quran does this is through vagueness and word avoidance!
Also notice how the Quran allows room for those who are unwilling to accept Islam to have their reasons to reject Islam. People may say that the author of the Quran did not know that the Earth has an orbit because the Quran didn’t explicitly state it. The response to that claim is that if the Quran has stated that the Earth has an orbit around the sun, it would contradict 7th century belief and they wouldn’t be compelled in accepting Islam. It’s a requirement for the Quran to maintain vagueness so that it becomes timeless. To some this is a strong piece of evidence that the Quran has a divine origin, to others this is just the Quran displaying its ignorance. This further alludes to the point previously made that the Quran must have sufficient evidence to compel those whose hearts are open but they must be sufficiently vague so that it doesn’t compel those whose hearts are closed. Those who are unwilling to accept Islam would say that the Quran was wrong on its account for the dynamics of the solar system. Those willing to accept Islam would search for greater answers and realize the Quran has avoided to clearly state the geocentric model so that it remains timeless.
Let's Begin the Debunking:
[Update 5/4/20]: Due to personal life circumstances, this project of mine had to be put on hold. I apologize for the inconvenience. Wiki-Islam is severely mistaken with its approach to the Quran and interpretation and in the future, I would love to address these in depth. But for now, read what I wrote above. This should give you the tools to address each of their issues on your own. Also don't hesitate to use other Islamic resources which debunk the Wiki-Islam claims. I also encourage you to debunk those claims yourself using your own tools or the tools I have given you! Good luck.
For additional detail on the above concepts, please visit these other pages where I discussed them:
Why is there no proof of God?
Why is the Quran vague?
