Qur'an

A Qur'an leaf from Spain, late 1100's

The Qur'an (Arabic: القرآن, al-qur'ān, literally "the recitation"; also called Al Qur'ān, Al Karīm or "The Noble Qur'an"; or transliterated Qur'an, Koran, and less commonly Alcoran) is the holy book of Islam. Muslims (believers of Islam) believe that the Qur'an is the literal word of Allah (God) in Arabic and the culmination of Allah's revelation to mankind. It can be traced back to a man named Muhammad, the last prophet of Islam, who lived around 570-632 AD. Muslims believe the Qur'an was revealed to Muhammad over a period of 23 years through the angel Jibril (Gabriel). Muhammad then dictated the Qur`an and introduced Islam to the world in about 610 AD.

• Qur'an vs. Bible - There are significant similarities between the Qur'an and the Bible, but also important differences.
• Search the Qur'an at IslamicCity.com, or use the following links to read specific chapters.

Manuscript Evidence

When analyzing the manuscript evidence of the Qur'an it does not compare to the New Testament, even though the NT was written centuries earlier.

Qur'an difficulties

There are a number of troubling passages within the Qur'an.

Beating wives

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"Men are the protectors and maintainers of women, because Allah has given the one more (strength) than the other, and because they support them from their means. Therefore the righteous women are devoutly obedient, and guard in (the husband's) absence what Allah would have them guard. As to those women on whose part ye fear disloyalty and ill-conduct, admonish them (first), (Next), refuse to share their beds, (And last) beat them (lightly); but if they return to obedience, seek not against them Means (of annoyance): For Allah is Most High, great (above you all)," (4:34).

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Sex in the afterlife

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"In them will be (Maidens), chaste, restraining their glances, whom no man or Jinn before them has touched," (55:56)

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"We have created (their Companions) of special creation. And made them virgin - pure (and undefiled), - Beloved (by nature), equal in age,- For the Companions of the Right Hand," (56:35-38)

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"Verily for the Righteous there will be a fulfillment of (the heart's) desires; Gardens enclosed, and grapevines, And voluptuous women of equal age," (78:31-33)

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A boy and his dog sleep for 309 years in a cave

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"Such (being their state), we raised them up (from sleep), that they might question each other. Said one of them, "How long have ye stayed (here)?" They said, "We have stayed (perhaps) a day, or part of a day." (At length) they (all) said, "Allah (alone) knows best how long ye have stayed here...So they stayed in their Cave three hundred years, and (some) add nine (more)," (18:19,25)

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The sun set in a pool of murky water

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"Until, when he reached the setting of the sun, he found it set in a spring of murky water: Near it he found a People: We said: "O Zul-qarnain! (thou hast authority,) either to punish them, or to treat them with kindness." (18:86, Yusuf Ali, translation).

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It should however be noted that the term "setting place of the sun" is dismissed in Yusuf Ali's translation as referring to as far west as he could go, because the pool of murky water stopped him from going any further.

Jesus spoke while in the cradle

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"But she pointed to the babe. They said: "How can we talk to one who is a child in the cradle?" He said: "I am indeed a servant of Allah: He hath given me revelation and made me a prophet," (19:29-30).

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The Qur'an

1. The Opening 2. The Cow 3. The Family Of 'Imran, The House Of 'Imran 4. Women 5. The Table, The Table Spread 6. Cattle, Livestock 7. The Heights 8. Spoils Of War, Booty 9. Repentance, Dispensation 10. Jonah 11. Hud 12. Joseph 13. The Thunder 14. Abraham 15. Al-hijr, Stoneland, Rock City 16. The Bee 17. Isra', The Night Journey, Children Of Israel 18. The Cave 19. Mary 20. Ta-ha 21. The Prophets 22. The Pilgrimage 23. The Believers 24. Light 25. The Criterion, The Standard 26. The Poets 27. The Ant, The Ants 28. The Story, Stories 29. The Spider 30. The Romans, The Byzantines 31. Luqman 32. The Prostration, Worship, Adoration 33. The Clans, The Coalition, The Combined Forces 34. Saba, Sheba 35. The Angels, Orignator 36. Ya-sin 37. Those Who Set The Ranks, Drawn Up In Ranks 38. Sad, (the Letter) Sad ( S ) 39. The Troops, Throngs 40. The Believer, The Forgiver (god) 41. (signs) Spelled Out, Ha-mim 42. Councel, Consultation 43. Ornaments Of Gold, Luxury 44. Smoke 45. Crouching 46. The Wind-curved Sandhills, The Dunes 47. Muhammad 48. Victory, Conquest 49. The Private Apartments, The Inner Apartments 50. Qaf, (the Letter), ( Q ) 51. The Winnowing Winds 52. The Mount 53. The Star 54. The Moon 55. The Beneficent, The Mercy Giving 56. The Event, The Inevitable

57. Iron 58. She That Disputeth, The Pleading Woman 59. Exile, Banishment 60. She That Is To Be Examined, Examining Her 61. The Ranks, Battle Array 62. The Congregation, Friday 63. The Hypocrites 64. Mutual Disillusion, Haggling 65. Divorce 66. Banning, Prohibition 67. The Sovereignty, Control 68. The Pen, (the Letter) N 69. The Reality 70. The Ascending Stairways, Staircases Upward, Sckeptic 71. Noah 72. The Jinn, Sprites 73. The Enshrouded One, Bundled Up 74. The Cloaked One, The Man Wearing A Cloak 75. The Rising Of The Dead, Resurrection 76. Time, Man, (every) Man, This (day-and-)age 77. The Emissaries, Winds Sent Forth 78. The Tidings, The Announcement 79. Those Who Drag Forth, Soul-snatchers 80. He Frowned! 81. The Overthrowing, Extinguished! Wrapping Things Up 82. The Cleaving, Bursting Apart 83. Defrauding, The Cheats, Cheating 84. The Sundering, Splitting Open 85. The Mansions Of The Stars, Constellations 86. The Morning Star, The Nightcomer 87. The Most High, Glory To Your Lord In The Highest 88. The Overwhelming, The Pall 89. The Dawn, Daybreak 90. The City, This Countryside 91. The Sun 92. The Night 93. The Morning Hours, Morning Bright! 94. Solace, Consolation, Relief 95. The Fig, The Figtree 96. The Clot, Read! 97. Power, Fate 98. The Clear Proof, Evidence 99. The Earthquake 100. The Courser, The Chargers 101. The Calamity, The Stunning Blow, The Disaster 102. Rivalry In World Increase, Competition 103. The Declining Day, Eventide, The Epoch 104. The Traducer, The Gossipmonger 105. The Elephant 106. Winter, Quraysh 107. Small Kindnesses, Almsgiving, Have You Seen? 108. Abundance, Plenty 109. The Disbelievers, Atheists 110. Succour, Divine Support 111. Palm Fibre, The Flame 112. The Unity, Sincerity, Oneness Of God 113. The Daybreak, Dawn 114. Mankind

See Also

• Qur'an vs. Bible
• Islamic Creationism

External Links

• Qur'an in WikiIslam
• Wikipedia - Qur'an
• Handbook of Today's Religions - Islam
• All About Religion - Islam