The Real Islam

Is the Qur’an Divine?

A Critical Examination

Many Muslims elevate the Qur’an far beyond a religious book. For them, it is not just sacred scripture—it is a divine entity, the uncreated, eternal word of Allah. But this absolute claim invites a critical question: Is the Qur’an truly divine—or is that belief the result of blind reverence rather than critical examination?

In this post, we explore that question by examining the Qur’an’s own claims, contradictions, grammatical issues, and inconsistencies with history, science, and the Bible. If the Qur’an claims perfection and challenges readers to find contradictions—then that challenge must be taken seriously.

1. The Qur’an’s Self-Claim of Divinity

One of the boldest verses in the Qur’an is Qur’an 4:82:

“Will they not then ponder on the Qur'an? If it had been from other than Allah, they would have found therein much incongruity.”
(Pickthall translation)

This statement is essentially a falsification test: If anyone can find contradictions, discrepancies, or errors in the Qur’an, then it cannot be from God. But to assess that claim, we must first understand the terms:

Incongruity: Something out of place or inconsistent.
Discrepancy: A mismatch between facts that suggests error.
Contradiction: Two or more statements that cannot all be true.

The Qur’an invites scrutiny. So let's take it at its word.

2. What Does “Divine” Actually Mean?

According to the Cambridge Dictionary, “divine” means “connected with a god, or like a god.” For something to be divine, it must reflect perfection, consistency, omniscience, and transcendence.

But is the Qur’an a book that rises to such divine standards? Can it truly be part of a perfect, eternal God? Let’s apply its own falsification logic and test it across key dimensions.

3. The Falsification Principle and the Qur’an

A basic rule in logic and science is: If a universal claim contains even one error, it is false. For example, the claim “all swans are white” is instantly disproved by the existence of a single black swan.

So too with the Qur’an. If one contradiction, error, or falsehood can be identified, its claim to divinity collapses. And as we’ll show, there are many “black swans” in the Qur’an.

4. Evidence Against Divine Origin

a) Grammar Errors

The Qur’an is supposed to be in perfect Classical Arabic, yet it contains demonstrable grammatical mistakes:

Qur’an 5:69 uses “Saabi’uuna”—incorrect case usage.
Qur’an 4:162 uses “muqiimiin”, where “muqiimuun” is correct.
Qur’an 20:63 says “haazaani”, which should be “haazayn”.

These are not minor typos. They are fundamental grammar violations that any divine, all-knowing author should avoid.

b) Repetitions

Chapters such as Surah 14, 30, 50, and 77 contain significant repetitions. Entire verses are repeated verbatim across surahs (e.g., Qur’an 2:62 and 5:69; 16:43 and 21:7; 3:49 and 5:110).

While apologists argue this aids memorization, it reveals a lack of literary efficiency. A truly divine text wouldn’t need to repeat itself so clumsily—it could inspire both memorability and conciseness.

c) Deletions and Additions

The Qur’an shows signs of editing:

The famous stoning verse for adultery appears in Hadith but is absent from Qur’an 24:2, which mentions only flogging.
The infamous Satanic Verses—praising the pagan goddesses Allat, al-Uzza, and Manat—were recited by Muhammad and later revoked as a mistake caused by Satan (see Satanic Verses incident).
Even the opening line, the Bismillah, was a later editorial addition and not part of the original revelation.

A perfect book from a perfect deity would not require human revision, deletion, or damage control.

d) Contradictory Verses

Numerous internal contradictions exist:

Qur’an 2:256 — “No compulsion in religion” vs. Qur’an 9:5 — “Kill the polytheists wherever you find them.”
Qur’an 6:14 — Muhammad is the first believer vs. Qur’an 7:143 — Moses is.
Qur’an 10:64 — Allah’s words cannot be changed vs. Qur’an 2:106, 16:101 — Allah’s words can be abrogated.

Either the Qur’an contradicts itself, or its author changes his mind.

e) Contradictions with History

The Samaritan at Sinai: Qur’an 20:85–97 says a “Samaritan” built the golden calf. But Samaritans did not exist until centuries after Moses—this is a glaring historical anachronism.
The Al-Aqsa Mosque: Qur’an 17:1 references the “Farthest Mosque,” supposedly in Jerusalem. But no mosque existed there during Muhammad’s lifetime—it was Christian territory, and the mosque was built decades later.

These are not interpretive issues—they’re provable historical errors.

f) Contradictions with Science

Qur’an 86:6–7 states that sperm originates from between the spine and the ribs—an idea rooted in Hippocratic medicine, not reality. Semen is produced in the testes, not the torso.
Qur’an 18:86 suggests the sun sets in a muddy spring—a belief from ancient folklore, not astronomy.

A divine author should not get basic biology and cosmology so wrong.

g) Contradictions with the Bible

Though the Qur’an claims to confirm earlier revelations (Qur’an 5:48, 6:20, 10:38), it frequently contradicts them:

Qur’an 41:9–12 describes creation in 8 days, whereas the Book of Genesis says 6 days.
Qur’an 3:59 equates Jesus to Adam, contradicting biblical theology where Jesus is divine (Matthew 1:23, 1 Corinthians 15:21–23).

If the same God revealed both books, such contradictions shouldn’t exist.

5. The Theological Problem: Can Anything Be Divine but God?

Even if the Qur’an were error-free, a deeper theological issue remains.

In Islamic monotheism, nothing can be divine except Allah. He is not part of creation, and nothing created can share in His attributes. So how can a physical book on Earth be uncreated, eternal, or divine?

This claim breaks Tawhid (Islamic monotheism) by attributing divinity to something other than Allah. Muslims who insist the Qur’an is divine may unintentionally engage in idolatry, by elevating a book to divine status.

6. Conclusion: The Qur’an Is Not Divine

The Qur’an invites us to evaluate its claim of divine authorship. When tested:

It fails linguistically.
It fails historically.
It fails scientifically.
It contradicts itself and the scriptures it claims to confirm.
It even conflicts with Islamic theology on what can be considered divine.

The bold claim of Qur’an 4:82—that no contradiction would exist if it came from God—proves too much. There are contradictions. Therefore, by its own standard, the Qur’an cannot be divine.

The Invitation to Truth

Unlike the Qur’an, Jesus Christ did not claim to deliver a divine book—he claimed to be the divine Word made flesh (John 1:1, John 11:25). He didn’t offer a text to memorize—he offered himself as the way, the truth, and the life.

The Qur’an points toward shadows. Christ is the substance.

References

Cambridge Dictionary, Cambridge University, 1999.
M. Rafiqul-Haqq & P. Newton, The Qur’an: Grammatical Errors, 1996.
Ibrahimkhan O. Deshmukh, The Gospel and Islam, GLS Publishing, Mumbai, 2011.
Sahab Ahmed, Satanic Verses, in: Encyclopaedia of the Qur’an, Vol. 5, Brill, 2002.
Hans Küng, Islam: Past, Present & Future, Oneworld, 2009.
Michael Terry (ed), Reader’s Guide to Judaism, Routledge, 2000.
G.E.R. Lloyd (ed), Hippocratic Writings, Harmondsworth, 1983.
Ibn Warraq, Why I Am Not a Muslim, Prometheus, 1995.