How Do You Know It’s True?

(The Qur’an Challenge)

I’ve been reading through the Qur’an off and on for a while now. But the muslim community seems so proud about it. The Qur’an is often hailed by Muslims as such a wonderful book, a book without compare, and if you only read the Qur’an with an open heart… well, you’ve heard that story from any religion selling you their book as capital ‘T’ truth. But it’s not just the opinion of the true Muslim believer. Nope, it says so right in the Qur’an. It even has a ‘living challenge’.

Say, “If mankind and the jinn gathered in order to produce the like of this Qur’an, they could not produce the like of it, even if they were to each other assistants.”

Qur’an 17:88 (Sahih International)

Let’s look at this challenge, shall we?

Missing Criteria

First of all, what are the criteria of this challenge? We need to produce ‘the like of’ this Qur’an. What does that even mean? Does it mean something as beautiful as the Qur’an? Does it mean something as true or helpful as the Qur’an? There is no criteria by which we can measure this challenge. Perhaps context in the chapter will help.

Here is the entire chapter 17 if you wish to read: Chapter 17: Surat Al-‘Isrā’ (The Night Journey)

The rest of the chapter talked about the unbeliever and what to say to them, but nothing that seemed relevant to the challenge at hand. So, no immediate clarification to help either believer or unbeliever know the criteria from the surrounding text, and no reference where to look. Without knowing what we are challenged to do, how could we even attempt it? But this is not the worst part.

The Point

So after we judge the Qur’an by criteria unknown, what are we supposed to gather from that? The verse does not say, but considering the context of the chapter is how to respond to disbelievers, it is either to show that the Qur’an is from Allah and/or true, OR it is to shut up the non believer, for how can they criticise the Qur’an if they can’t do better? So for sake of argument, let’s say that the Qur’an is unarguably the most beautiful, poetic, beneficial piece of literature anyone has ever written and probably can ever write.

The Point: Is it True?

If the point is to show the Qur’an is true, we have some problems.

Being beautiful is not evidence for truth claims. It just shows that something is beautiful to our sensibilities.

Example: I found 2001: A Space Odyssey a beautiful movie. That doesn’t mean there is a monolith that turns apes sentient.

Being poetic isn’t evidence for truth. This is just a variation of the previous point.

Example: Homer’s Iliad is an epic poem, but that is not evidence for Athena and the gods.

Providing guidelines that make society run well is not evidence for truth claims.

Example: Kids acting nice because they believe Santa will reward them and the Grampus will kidnap them if they act otherwise does nothing to support the claims of those stories. Even if the naughty kids started disappearing…

Even containing factual statements we can verify is not evidence for other statements else where in the text that don’t have corroborating evidence. Though this last point I would like to address more in depth later.

Example: A correct definition and distinction between of nuclear fission and fusion would not make a superhero comic more plausible.

The Point: Deflect Criticism

If the point is to deflect criticism, it also fails. Being hailed as the most beautiful, poetic, whatever, does nothing to put critics in their place. Worse, it invites more criticism. If you want to enjoy the beauty of a literary work, go ahead. But when we are asked to believe something as truth, then it must be critiqued and it must be scrutinised. And my critique of this verse? It is sorely lacking.

Final Thoughts

So far, none of the Qur’anic verses I’ve read that are supposed to support the truth of the Qur’an have any decent argument. Worse, when the Qur’an presents a challenge, it fails to even make any lick of sense.