The Quran is so poorly written that one does not need to be a religious scholar to know immediately that not only is it not the Word of God, but it's not even a good piece of literature.
As we will see, the Quran contains passage after passage that bears the mark of an author with below-average intelligence, with nonsensical, inconsequential, redundant, and endlessly repetitive statements abounding.
About a third of the Quran is a variation on this statement:
"Be not like the disbelievers, for they will drink of the molten fire forever. What a miserable punishment! But you are those who believe, and know indeed that the Prophet speaks truthfully. Surely the earth is a sign for those with understanding. And Allah surely is Most Gracious, All-Knowing."
In preparation for this article, I had to read variations of that passage hundreds of times.
This isn't even to mention the bizarre ordering and composition of the Quran, which makes obtaining any kind of cohesive narrative impossible. Even after venturing outside of the Quran for a list of the chapters in chronological order, the problem doesn't improve at all, because the Quran does not have a narrative. It's more like a collection of disorganized thoughts.
He often skips around topics a half-dozen times in the same chapter, and frequently introduces stories at random with no reference to what was being discussed previously, often lacking key context as to who the characters are in the first place.
The only "miracle" of the Quran, then, is that such a poorly written, repetitive, boring, logically bankrupt piece of literature has managed to deceive around a billion people.
Without further ado, here is the list, with remarks on the passages going below the verse. All passages are from Mustafa Khattab's translation:
Surah 2:23-24
23 And if you are in doubt about what We have revealed to Our servant, then produce a surah like it and call your helpers other than Allah, if what you say is true.
24 But if you are unable to do so—and you will never be able to do so—then fear the Fire fuelled with people and stones, which is prepared for the disbelievers.
Here, Muhammad issues a challenge, but then says that no one can ever meet the challenge. It's a subjective, nonsensical challenge anyway, and he's already shown us why. No matter what I write, and how superior it is to the Quran, there's already a foregone conclusion - "you will never be able to do so".
Note that this challenge is repeated in Surah 10:38, 11:13-14, 17:88, and 52:34. He apparently really liked this argument, because of it's subjectivity and his own self-righteousness delusions as to how great his "revelations" were.
Surah 2:158
158 Indeed, ˹the hills of˺ Ṣafa and Marwah are among the symbols of Allah. So whoever performs the pilgrimage or minor pilgrimage, let them walk between ˹the two hills˺. And whoever does good willingly, Allah is truly Appreciative, All-Knowing.
If you walk between two hills, that will curry favor with God. Why? The purpose of this is never explained anywhere in the Quran. You have to venture outside of the Quran, which I did in an article here, to understand why the Pagans in Arabia during Muhammad's time did this, and since he liked it, he kept it.
This introduces what any scholar of Islam already knows - that Islam is a collection of all the practices that were going on in the Arabian Peninsula during Muhammad's life. He just put his own spin on various bits and pieces, and called it Islam, hence why he borrows from Christian and Jewish Apocrypha, the Bible, and Paganism so heavily.
Furthermore, we are never once told what the "pilgrimage" or "minor pilgrimage" are anywhere in the Quran. Later we'll see that the Quran claims to be "fully/clearly explained" repeatedly, yet Muhammad constantly references things without ever explaining what they are.
Surah 2:230
230 So if a husband divorces his wife, then it is not lawful for him to remarry her until after she has married another man and then is divorced. Then it is permissible for them to reunite, as long as they feel they are able to maintain the limits of Allah. These are the limits set by Allah, which He makes clear for people of knowledge.
If a couple gets divorced, they can only reconcile if the wife marries and then divorces another man. Why? On what planet does that make sense? So, the two want to reconcile and honor the original marriage, but the woman now has to go out, commit adultery, and divorce someone else again before they can do so?
What a foolish, nonsensical, hurtful teaching, and one that totally contradicts what the true God commanded (Deuteronomy 24:1-4, Jeremiah 3:1).
Surah 4:24
24 Also ˹forbidden are˺ married women—except ˹female˺ captives in your possession. This is Allah’s commandment to you. Lawful to you are all beyond these—as long as you seek them with your wealth in a legal marriage, not in fornication. Give those you have consummated marriage with their due dowries. It is permissible to be mutually gracious regarding the set dowry. Surely Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.
Here is a discussion on those who are forbidden to marry, and we learn that you may commit adultery with a married woman so long as she is your slave.
This, too, completely contradicts what the true God commands (Leviticus 19:20-22, Exodus 20:14, Romans 13:9, etc.), and is echoed in Surah 23:5-6, 33:50, and 70:29-30.
Surah 4:157
157 And for boasting, “We killed the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, the messenger of Allah.” But they neither killed nor crucified him—it was only made to appear so. Even those who argue for this ˹crucifixion˺ are in doubt. They have no knowledge whatsoever—only making assumptions. They certainly did not kill him.
Here we are told that the Jews boasted about having killed the Messiah. This is so utterly ridiculous, and it proves that Muhammad had no idea about what the Old Testament said, or who the Messiah was to Jews.
If they believed He was the "Messiah", they wouldn't have killed Him. And they wouldn't be boasting about having killed the "Messiah". Every Jew was waiting for the Messiah. They killed Jesus because they didn't believe that He was the Messiah.
On what planet are Jews going around saying "We killed the Messiah, the messenger of God"? Muhammad thinks Messiah is like a nickname for Jesus.
Surah 5:17
17 Indeed, those who say, “Allah is the Messiah, son of Mary,” have fallen into disbelief. Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “Who has the power to prevent Allah if He chose to destroy the Messiah, son of Mary, his mother, and everyone in the world all together?” To Allah ˹alone˺ belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth and everything in between. He creates whatever He wills. And Allah is Most Capable of everything.
Muhammad's response makes no sense. Apparently, the way to address people who think that Jesus is God is to ask them whether God could destroy Jesus and everyone on earth if He wanted to.
It makes no sense to ask them that in light of what they believe. They believe that Jesus is God, so no, God couldn't destroy Jesus, Muhammad.
His rhetorical question is logically absurd, and not compelling at all, even though I'm sure he thought this was extremely clever, because he was wise in his own conceit.
Surah 5:18
18 The Jews and the Christians each say, “We are the children of Allah and His most beloved!” Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “Why then does He punish you for your sins? No! You are only humans like others of His Own making. He forgives whoever He wills and punishes whoever He wills. To Allah ˹alone˺ belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth and everything in between. And to Him is the final return.”
Muhammad's argument here appears to be "God would never punish His children for their sins". Really? If a parent doesn't punish their child when they do wrong, it would show that they don't love them at all, according to the Book that Muhammad claimed to affirm constantly (Proverbs 13:24, Hebrews 12:6, etc.).
Surah 5:27-29
27 Relate to them in truth ˹O Prophet˺ the story of Adam’s two sons—how each offered a sacrifice: Abel’s offering was accepted while Cain’s was not. So Cain threatened, “I will kill you!” His brother replied, “Allah only accepts ˹the offering˺ of the sincerely devout.
28 If you raise your hand to kill me, I will not raise mine to kill you, because I fear Allah—the Lord of all worlds.
29 I want to let you bear your sin against me along with your other sins, then you will be one of those destined to the Fire. And that is the reward of the wrongdoers.”
Is this supposed to ingratiate us to Abel? Unlike in the Bible, this has him taunting Cain to kill him (verse 29) so that Cain will be sent to burn in Hell. This means that Abel hates his brother far beyond murder, because rather than running away, he is eager to get his brother condemned to Hell.
Also as a side note, why does every prophet/historical figure that Muhammad quotes speak exactly like Muhammad?
Surah 7:123-124
123 Pharaoh threatened, “How dare you believe in him before I give you permission? This must be a conspiracy you devised in the city to drive out its people, but soon you will see.
124 I will certainly cut off your hands and feet on opposite sides, then crucify you all.”
This passage, repeated in Surah 20:71 and 26:49, has Pharaoh prescribing, coincidentally I'm sure, the exact same punishment that Muhammad prescribes in Surah 5:33 - the cutting off of hands and feet on opposite sides, or crucifixion.
This fact is especially ridiculous given that crucifixion is an execution method which doesn't show up in the historical record until over one thousand years after the Exodus, with no historical basis of ever having been used in Egypt.
Surah 8:15-16
15 O believers! When you face the disbelievers in battle, never turn your backs to them.
16 And whoever does so on such an occasion—unless it is a manoeuvre or to join their own troops—will earn the displeasure of Allah, and their home will be Hell. What an evil destination!
This shows Muhammad's manipulative, evil heart. He's a warlord fighting offensive wars in the Arabian Peninsula, so he tells all of his troops that if they retreat in battle they will go to Hell. I'm sure this came directly from God, and has nothing to do with the fact that he was the one who got to divvy up the spoils of war (Surah 8:1).
Surah 9:61
61 And there are others who hurt the Prophet by saying, “He listens to anyone.” Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “He listens to what is best for you. He believes in Allah, has faith in the believers, and is a mercy for those who believe among you.” Those who hurt Allah’s Messenger will suffer a painful punishment.
There are many, many verses in this vein in the Quran, but this is a particularly good example. How can anyone read a verse like this and not realize that these "revelations" are invented by Muhammad in response to his disagreements with other people? He uses God as a sock-puppet to get himself authority, fame, money, wives, etc.
Surah 10:34-35
34 Ask ˹them, O Prophet˺, “Can any of your associate-gods originate creation and then resurrect it?” Say, “˹Only˺ Allah originates creation and then resurrects it. How can you then be deluded ˹from the truth˺?”
35 Ask ˹them, O Prophet˺, “Can any of your associate-gods guide to the truth?” Say, “˹Only˺ Allah guides to the truth.” Who then is more worthy to be followed: the One Who guides to the truth or those who cannot find the way unless guided? What is the matter with you? How do you judge?
These little rhetorical "gotcha" questions are the funniest parts of the Quran, because they are Muhammad trying to use logic to persuade other people of his position. The fact that he thinks that the above two arguments are potentially persuasive to anyone shows how deep his delusions that he was "witty" or "compelling" went.
This is tantamount to asking someone "Why do you believe in God when He doesn't exist?" or, "Why do you disagree with me even though I'm right?" Real ground-breaking, divine argumentation on display. For another nonsensical rhetorical question rapid-fire, see Surah 27:59-64.
Surah 10:99-100
99 Had your Lord so willed ˹O Prophet˺, all ˹people˺ on earth would have certainly believed, every single one of them! Would you then force people to become believers?
100 It is not for any soul to believe except by Allah’s leave, and He will bring His wrath upon those who are unmindful.
I've covered the topic of predestination in Islam in-depth in an article here, but this single teaching makes every last rebuke that Muhammad gives to the unbelievers totally nonsensical.
Why is he rebuking people for not believing when they can only believe with God's permission? And if He wanted to, they would all believe - so He doesn't want them to believe, and therefore they can't. Why would Muhammad rebuke someone for something apparently in God's total control? He's rebuking God at that point.
And what's God doing sending people to burn forever who could only believe if He wanted them to? He wills people to go to Hell just because He wants to? It's some divine whim to burn a certain percentage of the creation forever? Yes, as a matter of fact, as the aforementioned article proves, that's exactly what Islam teaches.
Surah 11:1
1 Alif-Lãm-Ra. ˹This is˺ a Book whose verses are well perfected and then fully explained. ˹It is˺ from the One ˹Who is˺ All-Wise, All-Aware.
This verse is ironic because it starts with 3 Arabic letters (as do 28 other chapters of the Quran), the meaning of which Yusuf Ali says in his commentary "is known to Allah only". The meaning of these letters is contested, and no one can tell you authoritatively what the original significance of them was, yet in the very same verse, we are told that the Quran is "fully explained".
Also, as I've mentioned before, the Quran is not "fully explained" at all, even though he makes that claim over and over again (Surah 6:114, 15:1, 16:89, 24:46, 26:2, 27:1, 28:2, 41:3, 57:9, etc.). Most of the time he's on some tangent, and just expects his audience to have tons of context that is never given in the Quran.
It's also telling that many times he starts chapters with an exaltation as to the perfection and truthfulness of what he's about to say. If it was really perfect and true, he probably wouldn't need to tell us every 2 pages, because it would speak for itself.
Surah 12:17
17 They cried, “Our father! We went racing and left Joseph with our belongings, and a wolf devoured him! But you will not believe us, no matter how truthful we are.”
Here we have Old Testament Joseph's brethren talking to Jacob, and no wonder he didn't believe them. Remember, they are trying to lie to their father here. No one would say this when trying to lie to someone. Nobody talks like this in real life, except Muhammad. Notice again that everyone in all of Muhammad's stories talks and thinks exactly like Muhammad.
Surah 12:31-32
31 When she heard about their gossip, she invited them and set a banquet for them. She gave each one a knife, then said ˹to Joseph˺, “Come out before them.” When they saw him, they were so stunned ˹by his beauty˺ that they cut their hands, and exclaimed, “Good God! This cannot be human; this must be a noble angel!”
32 She said, “This is the one for whose love you criticized me! I did try to seduce him but he ˹firmly˺ refused. And if he does not do what I order him to, he will certainly be imprisoned and ˹fully˺ disgraced.”
Again we have a story of Joseph, and after Potiphar's wife tried and failed to seduce him to commit adultery, we arrive at the scene in verse 31. The women at the banquet apparently found Joseph so unbelievably attractive that they slashed their hands for some unexplained reason with the knives that Potiphar's wife apparently gave them out of foresight, knowing that they would do so.
All told, it's a ridiculous story that obviously never happened.
Also, do you know of any woman who would ever, in a million years, freely admit to her friends at a banquet that she tried to seduce a man, got rejected, and then got caught lying that he tried to attack her? I don't. That's because they don't exist. Muhammad invents unrealistic characters in his horrible retelling of Bible stories.
Surah 18:85-86, 89-90
85 So he travelled a course,
86 until he reached the setting ˹point˺ of the sun, which appeared to him to be setting in a spring of murky water, where he found some people. We said, “O Ⱬul-Qarnain! Either punish them or treat them kindly.”
89 Then he travelled a ˹different˺ course
90 until he reached the rising ˹point˺ of the sun. He found it rising on a people for whom We had provided no shelter from it.
I've covered this passage in detail here, where I prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that Mustafa Khattab added "which appeared to him to be" in verse 86 in this particular translation. In Arabic, it simply says that he found where the sun sets, and it sets in a murky pool of water, which is how most translators render the passage.
Anyway, here Muhammad tells the story of a man who traveled to both the rising and setting point of the sun, which is obviously ridiculous and impossible. Muhammad was a false prophet who inserted local legends into the Quran when constructing his false religion.
Surah 19:88-92
88 They say, “The Most Compassionate has offspring.”
89 You have certainly made an outrageous claim,
90 by which the heavens are about to burst, the earth to split apart, and the mountains to crumble to pieces
91 in protest of attributing children to the Most Compassionate.
92 It does not befit ˹the majesty of˺ the Most Compassionate to have children.
Over and over again to the point of redundancy, Muhammad claims that God does not have children. This is an especially good example, as it shows that he found the concept so outrageous that he gives the imagery of the world exploding at the very thought of such a thing. This is despite affirming the virgin birth of Jesus twice (Surah 21:91, 19:20-21).
But notice the only argument that he offers as to why - "It does not befit the Most Compassionate to have children". What? Having children is one of the most compassionate things you can do on this planet. You are giving your money and time and energy in order to give another person an opportunity to exist and provide for them. That defines compassion, which is why this passage is so nonsensical.
As should go without saying, this also totally contradicts hundreds of passages from the Book that Muhammad swore he confirmed in Surah 5:47 and elsewhere (John 10:36, Matthew 16:16-17, etc., etc.).
Surah 21:66
66 He rebuked ˹them˺, “Do you then worship—instead of Allah—what can neither benefit nor harm you in any way?
This is a nonsensical argument, given what else Muhammad teaches. He teaches that idolaters go to Hell, so what sense does it make to say that idols cannot "harm you in any way"? If they take you to Hell, they certainly do harm you, irreparably and horrifically.
Like everything Muhammad says, he repeats this over and over again (Surah 5:76, 6:71, 10:18, 10:106, 22:12, 25:55, 26:71-73, etc.), even though this particular instance is attributed to "Abraham", who, of course, always sounds remarkably identical to Muhammad.
Surah 23:12-14
12 And indeed, We created humankind from an extract of clay
13 then placed each ˹human˺ as a sperm-drop in a secure place,
14 then We developed the drop into a clinging clot ˹of blood˺, then developed the clot into a lump ˹of flesh˺, then developed the lump into bones, then clothed the bones with flesh, then We brought it into being as a new creation. So Blessed is Allah, the Best of Creators.
Verses 13-14 appear to be Muhammad's best guess at how a baby develops. I don't understand how people can be Muslim and know that this is in the Quran. It's objectively, verifiably false. There is never, at any point, a skeleton that is unclothed with flesh in a woman's womb. The embryo is not a blood clot either - at any point.
There's a similar statement in Surah 22:5, which again states that at one point a baby is a clot of blood and then a lump of flesh. Wrong - he was 0% correct on everything he guessed. He had no idea about a woman having eggs, or the process of human development in the womb. He put his lies into print, and amazingly, people still follow his religion.
Surah 24:4-9
4 Those who accuse chaste women ˹of adultery˺ and fail to produce four witnesses, give them eighty lashes ˹each˺. And do not ever accept any testimony from them—for they are indeed the rebellious—
5 except those who repent afterwards and mend their ways, then surely Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
6 And those who accuse their wives ˹of adultery˺ but have no witness except themselves, the accuser must testify, swearing four times by Allah that he is telling the truth,
7 and a fifth oath that Allah may condemn him if he is lying.
8 For her to be spared the punishment, she must swear four times by Allah that he is telling a lie,
9 and a fifth oath that Allah may be displeased with her if he is telling the truth.
Since you need five witnesses to convict one of adultery, it's virtually guaranteed that no one can ever be caught in adultery. If you're the three men who saw it however, don't worry, you can just take back your accusation and the matter will be resolved, else you'll be whipped 80 times.
Then we have the hilarious situation of spouses accusing each other of infidelity. The husband, in lieu of witnesses, can just say "She did it, she did it, she did it, she did it, and may Allah condemn me if she didn't do it."
Luckily, this can be countered if the wife says "I didn't do it, I didn't do it, I didn't do it, I didn't do it, and may Allah be displeased with me if I did." Divine court proceedings, ladies and gentlemen. Who thinks any of this is justice?
Surah 27:20-22, 25-27
20 ˹One day˺ he inspected the birds, and wondered, “Why is it that I cannot see the hoopoe? Or could he be absent?
21 I will surely subject him to a severe punishment, or ˹even˺ slaughter him, unless he brings me a compelling excuse.”
22 It was not long before the bird came and said, “I have found out something you do not know. I have just come to you from Sheba with sure news.
25 ... so they do not prostrate to Allah, Who brings forth what is hidden in the heavens and the earth, and knows what you ˹all˺ conceal and what you reveal.
26 ˹He is˺ Allah! There is no god ˹worthy of worship˺ except Him, the Lord of the Mighty Throne.”
27 Solomon said, “We will see whether you are telling the truth or lying.
Here we have King Solomon, who is given the ability to speak to birds. One day, a bird is apparently late for roll-call, and Solomon wants to kill it, until it returns with news of idolatry from the Queen of Sheba's kingdom. Solomon thinks that the bird might be lying, so he makes it deliver a letter to the Queen.
Notice that even the birds in Muhammad's stories sound just like Muhammad. Also, are we to believe that God not only gave these birds the ability to speak to Solomon, but also to lie to Solomon? So birds, and presumably all animals, are moral agents capable of choosing right and wrong? Do these birds have their own prophets to tell them how to live right? Do they have their own bird version of Hell?
Surah 29:48
48 You ˹O Prophet˺ could not read any writing ˹even˺ before this ˹revelation˺, nor could you write at all. Otherwise, the people of falsehood would have been suspicious.
Nothing makes me more suspicious than a prophet who can read and write. Good thinking Allah. Send an ignorant, illiterate man as a messenger so no one gets suspicious.
This is especially relevant to a "prophet" who says he's confirming what was written before him (Surah 2:41, 3:3, 3:50, 4:47, 5:46, etc.). If you can't read, how do you know you're confirming what's written? If you can't read what you're supposed to be "confirming", you have to rely on second-hand hearsay.
In light of this, it's no wonder at all that Muhammad contradicted the teaching of the Bible that he was "confirming", hundreds of times, on dozens of different topics. This is documented, with references, in this article. Islam is the obvious outcome of a false prophet, claiming to affirm and build on something he knew nothing about.
Surah 33:36
36 It is not for a believing man or woman—when Allah and His Messenger decree a matter—to have any other choice in that matter. Indeed, whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger has clearly gone ˹far˺ astray.
This is one of many examples that shows what a "God complex" Muhammad had. He sets himself up as an authority next to God so many times that it's clear what he's trying to do - associate every choice that he makes as having been from God.
Other notable examples are when he says that "Whoever obeys the Messenger has truly obeyed Allah" (Surah 4:80), or that people cannot be "˹true˺ believers until they accept you ˹O Prophet˺ as the judge in their disputes, and find no resistance within themselves against your decision and submit wholeheartedly." (Surah 4:65).
Verses like these demonstrate the fact that Muhammad is the God of Islam.
Surah 33:50
50 O Prophet! We have made lawful for you your wives to whom you have paid their ˹full˺ dowries as well as those ˹bondwomen˺ in your possession, whom Allah has granted you. And ˹you are allowed to marry˺ the daughters of your paternal uncles and aunts, and the daughters of your maternal uncles and aunts, who have emigrated like you.
Also ˹allowed for marriage is˺ a believing woman who offers herself to the Prophet ˹without dowry˺ if he is interested in marrying her—˹this is˺ exclusively for you, not for the rest of the believers. We know well what ˹rulings˺ We have ordained for the believers in relation to their wives and those ˹bondwomen˺ in their possession. As such, there would be no blame on you. And Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
It's strange how the "prophet" receiving the "revelations" gets told by God that he - and he alone - can marry as many women as he wants, including his cousins. Doesn't that make you pause just a little, and wonder if he was playing "prophet" in order to manipulate people, to satisfy his own lust?
Out of all the things that God could've told us in the Quran, you will be shocked that most of it is dedicated to pleasing the "messenger", or otherwise stroking his ego, or lambasting his personal enemies.
Surah 33:53
53 O believers! Do not enter the homes of the Prophet without permission ˹and if invited˺ for a meal, do not ˹come too early and˺ linger until the meal is ready. But if you are invited, then enter ˹on time˺. Once you have eaten, then go on your way, and do not stay for casual talk.
Such behaviour is truly annoying to the Prophet, yet he is too shy to ask you to leave. But Allah is never shy of the truth. And when you ˹believers˺ ask his wives for something, ask them from behind a barrier. This is purer for your hearts and theirs. And it is not right for you to annoy the Messenger of Allah, nor ever marry his wives after him. This would certainly be a major offence in the sight of Allah.
Muslims, somehow, expect us to read this, and not conclude that Muhammad is "Allah". They want us to believe that God, in His eternal revelation to mankind, told us not to annoy Muhammad by staying too late for dinner at his house. Who could think this is legitimate?
The man was too cowardly to tell his followers to leave him alone so he invents a "revelation" where it's God telling them all to leave him alone before/after dinner, even mentioning himself in the third person as being "too shy" to tell them. "But Allah is never shy of the truth!" - Leave me alone you gullible morons!
Surah 34:50
50 Say, "If I err, I err only to my own loss; but if I am guided, it is by what my Lord inspires me. He is Hearing and Near."
Here we have God telling Muhammad to say that if he errs, it is "only to (his) loss".
This is a ridiculous thing to say, in light of the fact that he has already established himself as equivalent to God, in saying things like "Whoever obeys the Messenger has truly obeyed Allah" (Surah 4:80), and that no one can have real faith in God until they make him the final authority in all disputes and decisions (Surah 4:65).
Furthermore, he taught that to get to Heaven, and to avoid Hell, you had to obey him (Surah 4:13-14, 48:17, 72:23). He had formed a veritable cult with himself as the absolute authority, by equating all of his teachings and decisions with God's, or on the same level as God's.
Therefore, if he "errs", he harms every single person that believes in Islam - not just himself, as he falsely and absurdly declared - because everything that he did or decided forms the religion. He wanted all the perks of being a prophet, without troubling his conscience with the fact that he's responsible for the eternal destiny of those he leads astray if he's responsible for deceiving them.
Surah 41:11
11 Then He turned towards the heaven when it was ˹still like˺ smoke, saying to it and to the earth, 'Submit, willingly or unwillingly.' They both responded, 'We submit willingly.'
This is part of the creation story, and it has God telling non-sentient entities - the Earth and the Heaven - to make a decision. Then, it's a false choice, because the decision is rendered moot by the fact that they will either submit or apparently be forced to submit, whatever that means.
How can a non-sentient ball of rock, metal, gas, and water submit, exactly? And what does it mean "they responded"? Did they talk? Are planets sentient? Can they sin?
Surah 46:9
9 Say, "I am not the first messenger ever sent, nor do I know what will happen to me or you. I only follow what is revealed to me. And I am only sent with a clear warning."
Does it reassure a Muslim to know that even the founder of your religion had no clue where he was going when he died? He says the same thing in Sahih al-Bukhari 3929: "By Allah, though I am the Apostle of Allah, yet I do not know what Allah will do to me".
So, here we have someone claiming to be a messenger from God, and giving us a gigantic list of things that he tells us will get us sent to Hell, along with telling us to do x, y, and z if we are to make it to "gardens where waters flow" (Heaven), yet he himself has no idea where God will send him after death.
Muhammad had no assurance of Salvation, because he was a false prophet who was serving a false god. All of the prophets in the Bible knew where they were going when they died (Job 19:25-26, Psalm 23:6: 1 John 5:13: 1 Peter 1:3-5: 2 Timothy 1:12, etc.), and Jesus Christ said you could know where you are going if you believe in Him (John 6:47).
Surah 49:1-5
1 O believers! Do not proceed ˹in any matter˺ before ˹a decree from˺ Allah and His Messenger. And fear Allah. Surely Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.
2 O believers! Do not raise your voices above the voice of the Prophet, nor speak loudly to him as you do to one another, or your deeds will become void while you are unaware.
3 Indeed, those who lower their voices in the presence of Allah’s Messenger are the ones whose hearts Allah has refined for righteousness. They will have forgiveness and a great reward.
4 Indeed, most of those who call out to you ˹O Prophet˺ from outside ˹your˺ private quarters have no understanding ˹of manners˺.
5 Had they been patient until you could come out to them, it would have certainly been better for them. And Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
This passage consists of things that Muhammad was too much of a coward to say to his followers, so he pulls it out into the third person, from the mouth of "Allah".
Muhammad, though, wants us to believe that Allah took space in his eternal word to mankind, to tell us to not do anything before we get Muhammad's permission, to keep our voices down around the "prophet", and not to pester him from outside his house before he wants to come out.
See the note on Surah 33:53 for a similar "revelation" where God tells everyone not to annoy Muhammad by staying too late at his house. These passages make it obvious that Muhammad invented these revelations to achieve his own ends. They are not from God, they are from Muhammad, who was getting tired of the behavior of some of the people he had tricked and deceived into following him.
Surah 55:18-20
18 Then which of your Lord’s favours will you both deny?
19 He merges the two bodies of ˹fresh and salt˺ water,
20 yet between them is a barrier they never cross.
How is this phenomenon - which doesn't exist anywhere in nature by the way - a favor to be denied? This is part of a refrain, where he asks that question over and over again, before giving some random factoid/statement.
All told, he asks this 31 times in this chapter, and most of what he states after each refrain can't be considered "favors" of any sort until towards the end. This chapter feels like the result of an unintelligent, inarticulate man waxing poetical.
Surah 65:4
4 As for your women past the age of menstruation, in case you do not know, their waiting period is three months, and those who have not yet menstruated as well. As for those who are pregnant, their waiting period ends with delivery. And whoever is mindful of Allah, He will make their matters easy for them.
This chapter is all about divorce, and here we learn that there are provisions for divorcing a girl who has not yet menstruated (referred to as a "child"). Furthermore, this is discussing a waiting period, which was a time preceding the divorce in which they couldn't have intercourse, meaning it is directly implied that both intercourse with children and divorcing children is permissible. Without intercourse, there was no waiting period observed (Surah 33:49).
I discuss Islam's blatant approval of this perverted situation in an article here. Islam explicitly allows marriage and intercourse with prepubescent children.
This is in keeping with Muhammad's own example of marrying children, specifically a 6 year-old girl named Aisha, with whom he had intercourse when she was nine (Sahih al-Bukhari 3894, 3896, etc.).
Surah 67:3
3 ˹He is the One˺ Who created seven heavens, one above the other. You will never see any imperfection in the creation of the Most Compassionate. So look again: do you see any flaws?
Yes, I do see flaws. I see flaws in myself, flaws in babies with birth defects, flaws in people and animals and plants with diseases or viruses, flaws in cells which have succumbed to cancer, flaws in misshapen and barren parts of nature making a large portion of the earth uninhabitable and unfit for life.
This creation in its current state is so far short of perfect that words can't even describe it. I wonder what twisted, bizarre delusion Muhammad lived under that allowed him not to perceive flaws in our current world.
Surah 68:2-4
2 By the grace of your Lord, you ˹O Prophet˺ are not insane.
3 You will certainly have a never-ending reward.
4 And you are truly ˹a man˺ of outstanding character.
Why does he have to open almost every statement that he makes by reminding everyone that he's telling the truth, or certainly not lying, or in this case, that he's not insane? Do you know how many times the prophets in the Bible opened a chapter that way? Never. What they wrote spoke for itself.
The reason that he has to do this over and over again (this is one of dozens of examples I could've picked) is because what he claims is from God oftentimes (as this article has hopefully proven) ridiculous, nonsensical, and contradicts things he's claiming to confirm. Verse 2 isn't from God, it's Muhammad responding to the accusations that he was a madman, which he frequently says people were saying of him (as in verse 58 of this very same chapter).
Just imagine a man telling you what Muhammad says in this passage. "God told me to tell all of you that I'm definitely not insane. Also, He told me to tell you that I'm truly a man of outstanding character."
And as I've pointed out before, isn't it strange how much of God's "revelation" to mankind has to do with praising or affirming or pleasing the one delivering the message?
Surah 84:22-24
22 In fact, the disbelievers persist in denial.
23 But Allah knows best whatever they hide.
24 So give them good news of a painful punishment.
The Gospel (which means "good news") that Islam has for an unbeliever is painful punishment. That's telling. How is that good news?
Muhammad gives "good news of a painful punishment/torment" to unbelievers over and over again (Surah 3:21, 4:138, 9:3, 9:34, 31:7, 45:8). Isn't that good news? You're going to suffer in miserable agony forever because Allah didn't want you to believe (Surah 10:99-100). Good news, right?
Surah 86:5-7
5 Let people then consider what they were created from!
6 ˹They were˺ created from a spurting fluid,
7 stemming from between the backbone and the ribcage.
This appears to be Muhammad's guess at where seminal fluid comes from. Just like his description of fetus development in Surah 23:12-14, he is completely wrong here. It does not come from a spot between the backbone and ribcage. This is objectively, verifiably false.
I researched the standard Muslim defense of this passage, and it's the most contrived mental gymnastics I've ever read. They desperately attempt to make this not say what it obviously says to anyone with a high school education. Anytime Muhammad gets something wrong, a Muslim will give you ten reasons why he actually meant "x" when he said "y".
Surah 97:1-5
1 Indeed, ˹It is˺ We ˹Who˺ sent this ˹Quran˺ down on the Night of Glory.
2 And what will make you realize what the Night of Glory is?
3 The Night of Glory is better than a thousand months.
4 That night the angels and the ˹holy˺ spirit descend, by the permission of their Lord, for every ˹decreed˺ matter.
5 It is all peace until the break of dawn.
This Night of Glory was apparently when Muhammad was on earth, as we are told that this is when the Quran was sent down to us. Was Muhammad's prophethood marked by "all peace"? Half the book is written about conflict and battles that he was having with other tribes and religions during his life, so no, in no sense was the Night of Glory "all peace".
Also, notice the nonsensical "deep" talk. The Night of Glory is better than 1,000 months, in what sense exactly? What does that even mean? This is the entirety of Surah 97.
Surah 105:1-4
1 Have you not seen ˹O Prophet˺ how your Lord dealt with the Army of the Elephant?
2 For He sent against them flocks of birds,
3 that pelted them with stones of baked clay,
4 leaving them like chewed up straw.
This is the entirety of Surah 105 from a book that claims over and over to be "fully explained" and "made completely clear". It's from a book that claims to be so miraculous in composition that none can even attempt to duplicate it.
Who is the Army of the Elephant? We are never told. What did they do to merit the avian onslaught? We are never told. Could a five year-old have written this? Yes.
Surah 109:1-6
1 Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “O you disbelievers!
2 I do not worship what you worship,
3 nor do you worship what I worship.
4 I will never worship what you worship,
5 nor will you ever worship what I worship.
6 You have your way, and I have my Way.”
This is the entirety of Surah 109. Remember, Muhammad's proof that he was a prophet was the remarkable splendor of what was revealed through him in the Quran. Looking at this chapter though, have you ever seen such inconsequential hot air? What has he said? What has he "revealed"?
This sounds as if Muhammad got tired of arguing for the day so he tried to just tell people who wouldn't gullibly buy his nonsense to drop it and leave him alone, and he'd leave them alone.
I can confidently say after having read the entire Quran that it is the worst book I've ever read. I think it might even be the worst possible book that anyone could ever conceivably write, given the importance of the subject matter, and how endlessly repetitive and scatterbrained it is.
If you think that I am given to overstatement, try to sit down and read Surah 1-5. You can't call me prejudiced, I already read the stupid thing before I made a judgement. Have you? You really can't grasp the scope of the repetition until you read a few chapters, and realize that he's said the same thing and told the same story 8 times in the last 10 pages.
Islam is a violent, spiritually bankrupt false religion, which gained no traction until Muhammad started raiding camel caravans. He was not a prophet, but rather a murderer who set up a raiding party to take over the Arabian Peninsula.
That's why most of the book deals with Muhammad's apparent responses to those who he was arguing and fighting with during his life. He's either condemning them to Hell, discussing why he has or will triumph over them, or he's rallying his supporters (or threatening them with Hell if they leave him, which he portrays as abandoning faith in God - make of that what you will).
The rest is him making some vague statements exalting God, passing judgement on earthly affairs, or poorly retelling stories from the Bible ad-nauseam. He must've mentioned Moses's encounter Pharaoh over 15 separate times. Other times, he'll just pick a Biblical character to say what he normally says, claim that they all were called insane, demon-possessed, or "mere human beings" like he was, etc.
Vast portions of the book are about Muhammad and his personal interactions during a specific point in time. This contributes to why it's so painful and boring to read. The historical context of these situations is found nowhere in the Quran ("fully explained" is it, Muhammad?). It's written as if the reader should already know every detail of Muhammad's life, conquests, local legends, and practices.
How anyone believes that this is the Word of God, especially if they have access to a Bible, is beyond fathoming for me. I honestly do not understand how anyone could read this and be deceived by it, let alone think it's somehow miraculously beautiful, or the Word of God.