Argument from Holy Scripture: Holy Qur’an
Cosmology and the Koran (2001) by Richard Carrier
Muslim Fundamentalists are fond of claiming that the Koran miraculously predicted the findings of modern science, and that all of its factual scientific claims are flawless. There are two important objections to this claim that I will make, one pointing to a general problem, the other a specific example of the failure of the claim.
Islamic Hell: Absurdity of Science and Logic (2000) by Denis Giron
Does hell really exist? Can we make sense of the curious theistic doctrine in which everyone but Muslims will burn forever? The author concludes that the contradiction between the concept of a merciful God, and one that sends disbelievers to Hell, is one that cannot be reconciled. The concept of hell was created by a primitive society who’s understanding of how a God should act was based on the behavior of the oppressive rulers of that time.
Islamic Science: Does Islamic Literature Contain Scientific Miracles? by Denis Giron
Over the last decade growing numbers of Muslims have declared the Qur’an to be a book filled with scientific miracles that demonstrate it is of divine origin. Numerous web sites, books and videos have been produced that proclaim Islam to be truly a religion of divine origin, citing “scientifically accurate” statements in the Qur’an and Hadiths. The author critically examines this claim and concludes that the numerous and obvious scientific errors within the Qur’an point to a wholly human origin.
Koran–the Word of God? (Off Site) by Zulfikar Khan
A nonexhaustive analysis of the various logical contradictions within the Koran.
The Koran Predicted the Speed of Light? Not really. (2002) by Richard Carrier
Yet another bogus claim about the Koran (this time, it predicted the speed of light!). The claim is analyzed and debunked.
Qur’an: A Work of Multiple Hands? (2000) by Denis Giron
Biblical criticism, often applied to Judeo-Christian texts, is here applied to the Qur’an. What is often assumed by Muslims to be the word of Allah, or by many critics to be the word of Muhammad, is proposed by the author to be a compilation of variant traditions, possibly with multiple authors. Mr. Giron addresses the many contradictions and conflicting statements found within the Qur’an, the tendency of Muslim apologists’ to sacrifice their intellectual integrity in order to salvage their cherished beliefs as found within other religions, and examines many multiple stories within the Qur’an itself, all which differ in detail. In conclusion, the author repeats the claim that the Qur’an is “the product of belated and imperfect editing of materials from a plurality of traditions.”
The Qur’an: An Evaluation of the Muslim Claims (Off Site) [ Index ]
Organized into topics of textual integrity, logical consistency, sources, and translation, this material is brought to you by the very pro-Christian AnsweringIslam “Christian-Muslim dialog” site.
Suralikeit (1998) (Off Site)
One of the Qur’anic challenges, frequently reiterated by Muslims, is that those who doubt the divine origin of the Qur’an should “try to produce a book like it” (Sura 2:23). Arabic-speaking Christians took up this challenge, producing a number of “Christian” suras. Protests from radical Muslim organizations persuaded AOL to remove the site when it was originally published; the link here is to a republished location in the UK.
What is the Koran? (1999) (Off Site) by Toby Lester
Researchers with a variety of academic and theological interests are proposing controversial theories about the Koran and Islamic history, and are striving to reinterpret Islam for the modern world. This is, as one scholar puts it, a “sensitive business.”