Is the New Testament or Qur'an a Better Successor to the Hebrew Bible? Dr. Jonathan McLatchie vs. Bashir Vania

Here is my latest debate, with Islamic scholar Bashir Vania, on whether the New Testament or Qur'an is a better successor to the Old Testament. This debate was recorded at South African Theological Seminary in January. Enjoy!

Is the God of the Bible the same as the god of the Qur'an?

On Saturday November 17 I engaged in a dialogue / debate with Imam Farhan Iqbal at the Ahmadiyya Muslim Mosque in Maple, Ontario, Canada. The subject was "Is the God the Bible the same as the god of the Qur'an?' This is the Q & A portion which also includes the final concluding remarks from myself and Imam Farhan Iqbal. I am hoping to post the opening statements which includes the power points soon. The recording was a bit of a disappointment as parts of it was a bit garbled and there was an echo in the background. To regular visitors to this blog, the Ahmaddiya Muslims are the group that Nabeel Qureshi was part of before he came to faith in Christ.

EXPERIMENT: Will a Cat Walk on the Quran?

Numerous videos on YouTube claim that the Quran must be the Word of God, because cats will not walk on the Quran (see here, here, and here). But what happens when we put this "Quran miracle" to the test? Will Allah vindicate his book by keeping a cat from walking on it? Let's find out.

What is the Significance of Easter in Christianity? Why is It the Most Important Date in the Christian Calendar?

In this video, we discuss the importance and significance of Easter in Christianity. The resurrection of Jesus would only make sense if Jesus died on the cross as the New Testament records and teaches. The only place where the Qur'an deals with the crucifixion of Jesus is in surah 4:157 where it claims they did not crucify Jesus or kill him. The major problem with this text is that it is notoriously vague and unclear, and is subject to many conflicting interpretations. The New Testament on the other hand, came from the first century A.D., and contains eyewitness testimony. This is why all scholars who study Jesus go to the New Testament. It is the earliest accounts we have for Jesus. The Qur'an on the other hand, came 600 years later, was written in a different country, written by a writer or writers who were not eyewitnesses to he life and words of Jesus. The Qur'an was composed in a land far removed from the land that Jesus and the apostles ministered and preached in. The Qur'an was also written in another language, foreign to first century Christians, and is filled with stories that come from apocryphal and historically worthless and dubious sources. Therefore, all who want to learn about the historical Jesus should go to the New Testament.

Only 1 Quran? Hafs and Doori Quran Variants

In this video, Ishmael demonstrates what many apologists who have studied Islam have been saying for decades. The Qur'an has many versions with different readings. Muslims make the same worn out argument that the Qur'an has never been changed, that it has remained the same for 1400 years since the time of Muhammad. The main weakness in this argument, is that the textual evidence that comes from Islam itself will not support such a claim. What is encouraging about Ishmael, who is a former Muslim, is that he not only shows the differences in the English translations of the Qur'an, but he also reads Arabic and shows the differences in the Arabic texts of two Qur'an versions: the Hafs and the Doori versions. Please pray for Ishmael as he is doing tremendous work in this area and continues to shed the light of Christ to our Muslim friends. While we oppose the ideology of Islam, which is unbiblical and dangerous, we need to show love to Muslims. I have taken the word ISLAM to mean "I Sincerely Love All Muslims". The Lord Jesus Christ commands us to love, even our enemies (Matthew 5:43-48).

Answering Islam 10: How Does the Quran View Women?

Here's Episode 10 of our "Answering Islam" series, where I answer the question: "How does the Qur'an view women?" For the rest of the series, click on the playlist.

Here's the full text of the video:

How Does the Qur’an View Women?

Individual Muslim men might be very loving towards their wives. My friend Nabeel’s parents had a beautiful relationship, and so do many other Muslim couples. But there’s definitely a problem in the Muslim world.

In 2009, the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development released a report on Gender Equality and Social Institutions. They rated countries around the world based on the opportunities women have for education and employment, laws to protect women from physical violence, the percentage of women who are married and/or divorced by age 16, and so on. And they found that eleven of the twelve countries with the highest levels of discrimination against women were Muslim-majority countries.

A similar study in 2014, conducted by the World Economic Forum, using their own criteria, concluded that 19 of the 20 worst countries in the world, in terms of the gender gap between men and women, were Muslim-majority countries.

When you have a problem like this, you have to ask, “Why do so many Muslim countries have the same problem—namely, high levels of discrimination against women?” And what these countries have in common is their belief in the Qur’an.

Let’s look at three verses so we can see the source of the problem.

Surah 2, verse 282 of the Qur’an is a long verse dealing with contracts. But there’s an interesting part in the middle of the verse that says:

And get two witnesses out of your own men. And if there are not two men (available), then a man and two women, such as you agree for witnesses, so that if one of them (one of the two women) errs, the other can remind her.

The Qur’an says that, if two men aren’t available as witnesses, then get a man and two women. Here we find the Islamic principle that the testimony of a woman is worth half the testimony of a man. Why is this? Muhammad explains in Sahih al-Bukhari, where he says that the testimony of a woman is only half as reliable as a man’s testimony because women are intellectually deficient. They’re stupid.

This view of the reliability of a woman’s testimony has made it enormously difficult for Muslim women to testify against men in court. According to the New York Times, human rights workers have noted that as many as half of the women who report being raped in Pakistan are charged with adultery.

Another disturbing verses is Surah 2, verse 223, where Allah tells Muslim men:

Your wives are a tilth for you; so go to your tilth when or how you will . . .

We don’t use the word “tilth” much nowadays. A “tilth” is a patch of ground that you plow so you can sow your seed. The Qur’an says that women are a tilth that you approach whenever and however you want.

The historical background of this verse, according to Sunan Abu Dawud, is that when Muslims moved to Medina, they began marrying women from Medina, and the women of Medina didn’t want to have sex in certain positions. One woman told her husband not to come near her if he wanted sex in these positions. She said, “Stay away from me if you want me to do that.” The issue was brought to Muhammad, and Allah’s response was Surah 2, verse 223: “She’s your tilth, your field for sowing your seed; plow her however you want.” Notice, the wife has no right to refuse her husband’s sexual desires.

Let’s consider one more verse. Some women aren’t as quick to obey their husbands as Allah and Muhammad demand, so what are Muslim men supposed to do about rebellious wives? Allah answers in Surah 4, verse 34:

Men are in charge of women, because Allah hath made the one of them to excel the other, and because they spend of their property (for the support of women). So good women are obedient, guarding in secret that which Allah hath guarded. As for those from whom you fear rebellion, admonish them and banish them to beds apart, and scourge them. Then if they obey you, seek not a way against them.

If your wife doesn’t obey you, you warn her, banish her to a separate bed, and beat her until she does what you say.

A study by Human Rights Watch reports that more than 85% of Afghan women are victims of physical, sexual, or psychological violence or forced marriage, and that more than 60 percent are victims of multiple forms of violence? Why? Because of the Qur’an.

According to Allah and Muhammad, women are stupid; they’re the property of men and have to submit themselves fully to their husbands’ sexual whims; those who don’t are to be beaten into submission. Numerous studies show the real-world impact of these teachings. And yet we’re told, by politicians, reporters, and Muslim groups that the discrimination against women in Muslim countries has nothing to do with Islam. But as long as people refuse to confront the actual problem, women in Muslim countries will continue to suffer.

Answering Islam 9: Is the Qur'an Good for the 21st Century?

Here's Episode 9 of our "Answering Islam" series, where I answer the question: "Is the Qur'an good for the 21st Century?" For the rest of the series, click on the playlist.

Here's the full text of the video:

Is the Quran Good for the 21st Century?

One of the biggest problems in Islam is that, according to the Qur’an (Chapter 33, verse 21), Muhammad is the pattern of conduct for Muslims. Muhammad had sex with a nine-year-old girl. He bought, sold, and traded slaves. He married the divorced wife of his own adopted son. He ordered his followers to assassinate people for making fun of him. He beat his wives. He had sex with his slave-girls. And he said that he had been commanded to fight non-Muslims, simply for being non-Muslims. This is not someone that people should be imitating, but the Qur’an tells Muslims to imitate Muhammad. So the Qur’an is bad for the 21st century just for making Muhammad a role model.

But it gets worse when we look at specific teachings in the Qur’an.

According to the Qur’an, Muslims are the best people in the world. In Surah 3, Verse 110, Allah says to Muslims:

You are the best of peoples ever raised up for mankind . . .

Well, what about Jews, Christians, and other non-Muslims? Surah 98, Verse 6:

Verily, those who disbelieve (in the religion of Islam, the Qur'an and Prophet Muhammad) from among the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) and Al-Mushrikun (those are idolaters) will abide in the Fire of Hell. They are the worst of creatures.

Non-Muslims are the worst of creatures. Muslims are the best of peoples. The last thing we need in the 21st century is this kind of division. Here are the best people (the one’s who imitate Muhammad) and here are all the other people, and they’re the worst creatures in the world. They’re lower than cattle.

Not surprisingly, given the inferiority of Jews and Christians in the Qur’an, Muslims aren’t supposed to be friends with us. As we read in Surah 5, Verse 51:

O you who believe! do not take the Jews and the Christians for friends; they are friends of each other.

This doesn’t mean that Muslims are simply to avoid us. Muslims are commanded to actively persecute unbelievers. Surah 48, Verse 29 declares:

Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, and those who are with him are severe against disbelievers, and merciful among themselves.

Those who are with Muhammad (i.e., Muslims) are severe against whom? Unbelievers. They’re merciful to whom? Only to their fellow Muslims.

Similarly, in Surah 9, Verse 123 Allah commands Muslims:

O you who believe! fight those of the unbelievers who are near to you and let them find in you hardness.

Muslims are specifically commanded to fight Jews and Christians (the “People of the Book”) in Surah 9, Verse 29. Allah commands his followers:

Fight those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the Religion of Truth, from among the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizyah with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued.

Notice that every criterion for fighting us in this verse has to do with our religious beliefs or practices. Muslims are commanded to fight us until we pay them not to fight us.

So the Qur’an is very bad for non-Muslims. We are to be violently subjugated in the name of Allah.

But the Qur’an is also bad for Muslims themselves, and I don’t just mean that it’s bad for them because it keeps them from knowing and understanding the truth about Jesus. It’s bad for them because Muslims often get killed by their fellow Muslims, and this is because the Qur’an commands Muslims not only to fight against unbelievers, but also to fight against hypocrites.

Surah 9, verse 73, says:

O Prophet! strive hard against the unbelievers and the hypocrites and be unyielding to them.

The word for “strive hard” here is a form of the word “jihad.” Muslims are commanded to wage jihad against hypocrites—Muslims who claim to follow Muhammad but aren’t really following him.

It seems like every few days we hear about Sunnis blowing up Shias, or Shias blowing up Sunnis. And every time, world leaders say, “You see, the terrorists aren’t real Muslims, because they’re killing their fellow Muslims. And Muslims aren’t allowed to kill their fellow Muslims.” Now it’s true that Muslims aren’t supposed to wage jihad against true Muslims, but we’ve already seen that the Qur’an commands them to wage jihad against hypocrites. And that’s what’s going on when Muslim groups launch terrorist attacks against each other. Jihadis don’t kill Muslims they regard as devout followers of Muhammad. They kill Muslims they regard as hypocrites. But no matter what Muslim group you’re in, there are always going to be other Muslim groups calling you a hypocrite, so Islam isn’t even safe for Muslims.

It’s not good for Muslims. It’s not good for non-Muslims. Muhammad isn’t a good role model. The Qur’an definitely isn’t a good book for the 21st century.

Answering Islam 8: Are There Scientific Mistakes in the Qur'an?

Here's Episode 8 of our "Answering Islam" series, where I answer the question: "Are there scientific mistakes in the Qur'an?" For the rest of the series, click on the playlist.

Here's the full text of the video:

Are There Scientific Mistakes in the Quran?

One of the most popular arguments for Islam is what we might call the “Argument from Scientific Accuracy.” Muslim apologists claim that the Qur’an contains numerous scientific insights that couldn’t have been known by Muhammad apart from divine revelation and that were only verified centuries later. Now I’ve debated Muslims on this argument, and I find it very strange, because the Qur’an is a scientific disaster. Everything Muhammad could get wrong, he got wrong.

The Qur'an claims that semen is formed between the backbone and ribs (Surah 86, verses 6-7), that the earth is flat (Surah 88, verse 20), that there are seven earths (surah 65, verse 12), that the sun and the moon chase each other around the earth (surah 36, verses 38-40), that human embryos are blood-clots (surah 22, verse 5), that the sky would fall on the earth if Allah didn't hold it up (surah 22, verse 65), and that stars are missiles that Allah uses to shoot demons who try to sneak into heaven (surah 37, verses 6-10, and surah 67, verse 5).

But I don’t want people to think I’m making things up, so let’s read a few verses. Passages about stars being missiles are interesting. Surah 67, verse 5:

And indeed We have adorned the nearest heaven with lamps [lamps are the stars], and We have made such lamps (as) missiles to drive away the Shayatin (devils), and have prepared for them the torment of the blazing Fire.

Stars are missiles that drive away demons. How does this work? Surah 37, verses 6-10:

Verily! We have adorned the nearest heaven with the stars (for beauty). And to guard against every rebellious devil. They cannot listen to the higher group (angels) for they are pelted from every side. Outcast, and theirs is a constant (or painful) torment. Except such as snatch away something by stealing and they are pursued by a flaming fire of piercing brightness.

Demons who sneak into heaven to steal some information are “pursued by a flaming fire of piercing brightness.” Muhammad explained in the Hadith that this refers to shooting stars. When you see a shooting star, it’s because Allah or the angels caught a demon trying to steal something and hurled a star at the demon.

Now this is silly on multiple levels. Shooting stars aren’t really stars. They’re rocks that burn up when they enter the earth’s atmosphere. And how many Muslims really believe that when a rock hits the earth’s atmosphere, it’s to stop a demon from getting away with valuable information? Muslims today know more about stars than the author of the Qur’an did.

Let’s look at another passage. Surah 18, verses 83 to 86:

And they ask you about Dhul-Qarnain. Say: “I shall recite to you something of his story.” Verily, We established him in the earth, and We gave him the means of everything. So he followed a way. Until, when he reached the setting place of the sun, he found it setting in a spring of black muddy (or hot) water. And he found near it a people.

Dhul-Qarnain was apparently Alexander the Great. But whoever he was, the Qur’an says that he traveled so far West, he found the place where the sun sets. The sun sets in a muddy or warm pool.

Modern Muslims are embarrassed by this passage, so they say that what it really means is that Dhul-Qarnain saw the sun’s reflection in a pool, and it appeared to him as if the sun was setting in the pool. This obviously isn’t what the text says. But it’s important to note that Muslims who want to explain the passage this way are claiming to understand the Qur’an better than Muhammad, because Muhammad himself claimed that the sun sets in a pool. Let’s read Sunan Abu Dawud 4002. This is a sahih narration.

It was narrated that Abu Dharr said: “I was riding behind the Messenger of Allah while he was on a donkey, and the sun was setting. He said: ‘Do you know where this (sun) sets?’ I said: ‘Allah and his Messenger know best.’ He said: ‘It sets in a spring of water.’”

Notice, this hadith doesn’t say anything about Dhul-Qarnain, so it’s not telling us about what he saw. This is Muhammad telling one of his companions where the sun goes when it sets, and Muhammad says that it sets in a pool. So the obvious meaning of the Qur’an is confirmed by Muhammad, and Muhammad and the Qur’an are simply wrong.

When we put the Quran’s scientific claims together with the scientific claims in the hadith, we get a really silly picture of the universe. Muhammad believed that there are seven earths, all of them flat, stacked on top of each other like pancakes, except with a long distance between them. Out on the edge of the top earth, which is our earth, is a pool where the sun sets. There are also seven heavens above the earths, and they’re like domes that will fall on us if Allah doesn’t hold them up. In the lowest heaven are the stars, which Allah uses to hurl at demons. And all of this is sandwiched between a giant fish at the bottom and eight giant goats on top. What did Muhammad get right?

Muhammad’s view of human reproduction is just as bad. According to Muhammad, semen forms between the backbone and ribs (that’s wrong), then it joins with the female semen (wrong), and whichever parent’s semen is discharged first determines which parent the child will resemble (wrong). The child spends forty days as a drop of sperm (wrong). Then the child spends another forty days as a clot of blood (wrong). Then the child becomes a lump (wrong). Then the child becomes bones (wrong). Then the bones are wrapped with flesh (wrong). After the final shape is determined, Allah finally decides whether the child will be male or female (wrong).

So here again, what did Muhammad get right? If this is the greatest evidence for the prophethood of Muhammad, we can only wonder why anyone believes in Islam.

Answering Islam 7: Are There Historical Mistakes in the Qur'an?

Here's Episode 7 of our "Answering Islam" series, where I answer the question: "Are there historical mistakes in the Qur'an?" For the rest of the series, click on the playlist.

Here's the full text of the video:

Are There Historical Mistakes in the Qur’an?

During the time of Muhammad, lots of stories were circulating in Arabia. Some of these stories were true, and some were false. Historians can often separate true stories from false stories by examining the evidence. They use the historical method. They ask, “What are our earliest sources for this story? Do we have multiple sources or just one? How reliable are these sources?” Things like that. But Muhammad didn’t know anything about historical investigation, and so he just couldn’t tell the difference between true stories and false stories. Let me give you a few examples to show you what I mean.

In Surah 18, Allah tells us that Alexander the Great traveled so far West, he found the place where the sun sets. Not only can I guarantee you that Alexander the Great never found the place where the sun sets, we know that this story was a popular story during Muhammad’s lifetime. The story was even circulating in a Syriac work titled “The Glorious Deeds of Alexander” towards the end of Muhammad’s life.

Earlier in Surah 18, we read about the “Companions of the Cave”—a group of people who supposedly went to sleep in a cave and woke up three hundred years later. This myth goes back to Bishop Stephen of Ephesus around the middle of the fifth century.

According to Surah 19, Jesus began preaching as soon as he came out of Mary’s womb. This story comes from the sixth-century Arabic Infancy Gospel.

The story of a bird teaching Cain how to bury his brother in Surah 5 comes from Mishnah Sanhedrin. The legend of Mary giving birth under a palm tree in Surah 19 comes from an apocryphal work called the History of the Nativity of Mary and the Savior’s Infancy, written in the early 600s. The account of Jesus giving life to clay birds in Surah 5 comes from a second-century work called the Infancy Gospel of Thomas.

It seems that Muhammad simply took the stories that were popular during his lifetime, gave them an Islamic twist, and included them in the Qur’an. What’s interesting is that even the pagans of Mecca were better at recognizing fiction than Muhammad was. Surah 6, verse 25 of the Qur’an says:

When they come to you to argue with you, the unbelievers say: These are nothing but fables of the men of old.

So according to the Qur’an itself, pagans were telling Muhammad that the stories in the Qur’an were known fables. They were myths. They were fairy tales.

From a Christian perspective, the most important historical error in the Qur’an is the claim that Jesus wasn’t killed and wasn’t crucified. In Surah 4, verses 157 to 158 we read:

They [“they” here are the Jews] said (in boast), “We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah”—but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them, and those who differ therein are full of doubts, with no (certain) knowledge, but only conjecture to follow, for of a surety they killed him not. Nay, Allah raised him up unto Himself; and Allah is Exalted in Power, Wise.

Now there are multiple historical problems with this passage.

According to the Qur’an, Jews were boasting that they had killed “the Christ.” “Christ” means “Messiah.” I’ve never heard a Jew boast about killing the Messiah. The only people who would boast about killing Jesus were people who regarded him as a false Messiah.

The verse also says that Jews were boasting about killing “the Messenger of Allah.” Here again, the only people who would boast about killing Jesus were people who regarded him as a false prophet, not people who regarded him as a messenger of God.

Then we have the claim that Jesus wasn’t killed and wasn’t crucified. This is an amazingly inaccurate claim, because historians and New Testament scholars agree that Jesus’ death by crucifixion is one of the best-established facts of ancient history. And I don’t just mean Christian scholars. Even atheist and agnostic historians are certain that Jesus died by crucifixion.

Atheist New Testament scholar Gerd Lüdemann declares that “Jesus’ death as a consequence of crucifixion is indisputable.” John Dominic Crossan, of the infamous Jesus Seminar, says that there is not the “slightest doubt about the fact of Jesus’ crucifixion under Pontius Pilate.” There are lots of Muslims nowadays who like to quote Bart Ehrman, because he criticizes the New Testament. But Ehrman writes: “One of the most certain facts of history is that Jesus was crucified on orders of the Roman prefect of Judea, Pontius Pilate.”

These scholars aren’t simply saying that Jesus may have died or that he probably died. They’re saying that Jesus’ death by crucifixion is indisputable, that there’s not the slightest doubt about the crucifixion, that it’s one of the most certain facts of history. And again, these aren’t even Christian scholars.

So the Qur’an clearly contains historical errors, not only because it denies Jesus’ death by crucifixion, but also because it contains numerous fables, even stories that were recognized as fables by the pagans of Muhammad’s time. This makes it very difficult to accept what the Qur’an says about history.

Three Quran Verses Every Jew Should Know

The Quran has quite a bit to say about a number of groups, especially Jews. In this video, I present three Quran verses every Jew should know.

My Favorite Quran Verse

In an effort to prevent ongoing argument and hostility, I decided to extend an olive branch to Islam by sharing my favorite verse of the Quran.

For more on the Quran, be sure to watch these videos:

• "A Brief History of the Quran"
• "What Is the Quran"
• "Ten Fast Facts You Need to Know about the Quran"
• "Five Reasons the Quran Is Not the Word of God"
• "Three Quran Verses Every Christian Should Know"
• "Three Quran Verses Every Woman Should Know"
• "Why the Quran Was Revealed in Arabic"
• "The Sheepgate Conspiracy: How Muhammad's Wives Changed the Quran"

Recording of Webinar with Yusuf Ismail on "Does the Qur'an Promote Peace or Aggressive Violence?"

As previously mentioned, South African Muslim apologist Yusuf Ismail was a guest speaker for my Apologetics Academy webinar series this past Saturday. His topic was "Does the Qur'an Promote Peace or Aggressive Violence?" He spoke for a little over an hour and then took Q&A from the floor for a couple of hours. The recording is embedded above.

Debate: What Does the Qur'an and the Islamic Traditions Say About the Bible? (Luis Dizon vs. Ijaz Ahmad)

On August 13, 2016 there was a debate held in Toronto, Canada between Luis Dizon of Nicene International Ministries, and Ijaz Ahmad of Calling Christians. The debate topic was on what the Qur'an and the Islamic Traditions say about the Bible. Does the Qu'ran and other Islamic texts charge the Jews and Christians with corruption of the text of the Bible (tahrif al-nass), or with corrupting the meaning of the biblical texts (tahrif al-mana)? Luis Dizon is a former seminary student of mine and a brilliant individual. He has learned the Arabic language and can read and recite the Qur'an in Arabic. Luis has also debated Shabir Ally, who incidentally also taught Arabic to Luis. I believe Luis is and will be an effective apologist in outreach to Muslims. Please pray for Luis. The audio quality is not the best at times, but this is the only video available that addresses this debate topic. For Luis' article on 'Muslim Writers on Tahrif [Corruption]' see here.

**UPDATE: An improved version of this debate with better sound quality has just been posted. You can access the improved video below.

Shabir Ally and the 1924 Qur'an

Here's a clip from Speaker's Corner on Sunday at which Jay Smith and I talked about Shabir Ally and the 1924 Qur'an.

The Sheepgate Conspiracy: How Muhammad’s Wives Changed the Quran

Muslims are typically taught that the Qur'an has been perfectly preserved, right down to the letter, from the time it was revealed to Muhammad. Yet Islam's most trusted sources are filled with examples of changes to the text of the Qur'an. For instance, Muslim sources claim that Allah revealed two verses of the Qur'an about breastfeeding adults (the Islamic practice of women breastfeeding men in order to make the men their foster sons). Neither of these verses are in the Qur'an today. According to Muslim sources, Aisha's sheep ate the verses. But since history shows that Muhammad's wives despised the practice of breastfeeding adults, can we consider it a coincidence that the verses came up missing shortly after Muhammad died? Is there evidence of conspiracy here?

Three Quran Verses Every Woman Should Know

In 2009, the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development released a report on Gender Equality and Social Institutions. The study concluded that eleven of the twelve countries with the highest levels of discrimination against women were Muslim-majority countries.

A similar study in 2014, conducted by the World Economic Forum, concluded that 19 of the 20 countries with the largest gender gap between men and women were Muslim-majority countries.

Are these results connected to the teachings of Islam, or are they mere coincidence? In this video, I present three Quran verses every woman needs to know. These verses show that in order to challenge the gender gap in Muslim countries, we must all challenge the commands of Allah and Muhammad.

SOURCES CITED IN THIS VIDEO:

Qur'an 2:282—O you who believe! When you contract a debt for a fixed period, write it down. Let a scribe write it down in justice between you. Let not the scribe refuse to write as Allah has taught him, so let him write. Let him (the debtor) who incurs the liability dictate, and he must fear Allah, his Lord, and diminish not anything of what he owes. But if the debtor is of poor understanding, or weak, or is unable himself to dictate, then let his guardian dictate in justice. And get two witnesses out of your own men. And if there are not two men (available), then a man and two women, such as you agree for witnesses, so that if one of them (two women) errs, the other can remind her. And the witnesses should not refuse when they are called on (for evidence). You should not become weary to write it (your contract), whether it be small or big, for its fixed term, that is more just with Allah; more solid as evidence, and more convenient to prevent doubts among yourselves, save when it is a present trade which you carry out on the spot among yourselves, then there is no sin on you if you do not write it down. But take witnesses whenever you make a commercial contract. Let neither scribe nor witness suffer any harm, but if you do (such harm), it would be wickedness in you. So be afraid of God; and God teaches you. And God is the All-Knower of each and everything.

Qur'an 2:223—Your wives are a tilth for you, so go to your tilth when or how you will, and send (good deeds, or ask Allah to bestow upon you pious offspring) before you for your ownselves. And fear Allah, and know that you are to meet Him (in the Hereafter), and give good tidings to the believers (O Muhammad).

Qur'an 4:34—Men are in charge of women, because Allah hath made the one of them to excel the other, and because they spend of their property (for the support of women). So good women are obedient, guarding in secret that which Allah hath guarded. As for those from whom you fear rebellion, admonish them and banish them to beds apart, and scourge them. Then if they obey you, seek not a way against them.

Sahih al-Bukhari 2658—The Prophet said: “Isn’t the witness of a woman equal to half of that of a man?” The women said: “Yes.” He said: “This is because of the deficiency of a woman’s mind.”

Sunan Abu Dawud 2159—Ibn Abbas said: Ibn Umar misunderstood (the Qur’anic verse, “so come to your tilth however you will”)—may Allah forgive him. The fact is that this clan of the Ansar who were idolaters lived in the company of the Jews who were the people of the Book. They (the Ansar) accepted their superiority over themselves in respect of knowledge, and they followed most of their actions. The people of the Book (i.e. the Jews) used to have intercourse with their women on one side alone (i.e. lying on their backs). This was the most concealing for (the vagina of) women. This clan of the Ansar adopted this practice from them. But this tribe of the Quraish used to uncover their women intensely, and seek pleasure with them from in front and behind and laying them on their backs. When the Muhajirun (the Immigrants) came to Medina, a man married a woman of the Ansar. He began to do the same kind of action with her, but she disliked it, and said to him: We were approached on one side (i.e. lying on back); do it so, otherwise keep away from me. This matter of theirs spread widely, and it reached the Apostle of Allah. So Allah, the Exalted, sent down the Qur’anic verse: “Your wives are a tilth to you, so come to your tilth however you will,” i.e. from in front, from behind or lying on the back. By this the verse meant the place of the delivery of the child, i.e. vagina.

Sunan Ibn Majah 1853—It was narrated that Abdullah bin Abu Awfa said: “When Mu’adh bin Jabal came from Sham, he prostrated to the Prophet, who said: “What is this, O Mu’adh?’ He said: ‘I went to Sham and saw them prostrating to their bishops and patricians (i.e. aristocrats), and I wanted to do that for you.’ The Messenger of Allah said: ‘Do not do that. If I were to command anyone to prostrate to anyone other than Allah, I would have commanded women to prostrate to their husbands. By the One in Whose Hand is the soul of Muhammad! No woman can fulfill her duty towards Allah until she fulfills her duty towards her husband. If he asks her (for intimacy) even if she is on her camel saddle, she should not refuse.’”

Jami at-Tirmidhi 1160—Talq bin Ali narrated that the Messenger of Allah said: “When a man calls his wife to fulfill his need, then let her come, even if she is at the oven.”

Sahih al-Bukhari 5825—Narrated Ikrima: Rifaa divorced his wife whereupon Abdur-Rahman married her. Aisha said that the lady came wearing a green veil and complained to her (Aisha) and showed her a green spot on her skin caused by beating. It was the habit of ladies to support each other, so when Allah’s messenger came, Aisha said, “I have not seen any woman suffering as much as the believing women. Look! Her skin is greener than her clothes!” When Abdur-Rahman heard that his wife had gone to the prophet, he came with his two sons from another wife. She said, “By Allah! I have done no wrong to him, but he is impotent and is as useless to me as this,” holding and showing the fringe of her garment. Abdur-Rahman said, “By Allah, O Allah’s messenger! She has told a lie. I am very strong and can satisfy her, but she is disobedient and wants to go back to Rifaa.” Allah's messenger said to her, “If that is your intention, then know that it is unlawful for you to remarry Rifaa unless Abdur-Rahman has had sexual intercourse with you.” The prophet saw two boys with Abdur-Rahman and asked (him), “Are these your sons?” On that Abdur-Rahman said, “Yes.” The prophet said, “You claim what you claim (that he is impotent)? But by Allah, these boys resemble him as a crow resembles a crow.”

Click here for the New York Times article.

Click here for the Human Rights Watch study.

David Wood vs. Shabir Ally: "What Is the Quran's View of the Christian Scriptures?"

Most Muslims are convinced that, according to the Quran, Jews and Christians corrupted the Torah and the Gospel. But is this what the Quran really teaches? In this debate, David Wood and Shabir Ally discuss the Quran's claims about the Bible.

 

Cataloguing a Few of the Historical Anachronisms in the Qur'an

Muslim apologists often contend that the Qur’an is free, in its entirety, from contradiction, inconsistency or historical inaccuracy. I have seen many Muslims assert that the historical and scientific accuracy of the Qur’an was what impressed them about this book and convinced them that Islam is true. In this article, I am going to focus specifically on the historical accuracy of the Qur’an. As we shall see, the claim that the Qur’an is historically accurate — particularly when it describes events hundreds of years removed from its writing — is not a tenable position.

Would Muhammad Have Approved of the Islamic State? Part 2: Influence in Medina

In a previous article, I began a series of blog posts addressing the question of whether or not Muhammad would have approved of the Islamic state.  In the first instalment, I discussed Muhammad’s life in Mecca, and introduced the Islamic doctrines of abrogation and Taqiyya, both of which are found in the Qur’an itself. As I noted briefly at the conclusion of my earlier article, in 622 A.D., as a consequence of the hostility towards him from his tribe the Quraish, he was forced to flee to Yathrib (which he would rename Medina).

In this second installment, we shall examine the developments in Muhammad’s attitude as he gained influence in the city of Medina.

Would Muhammad Have Approved of the Islamic State? Part 1: The Meccan Years

The Islamic State (ISIS) have been in the news a lot recently as a result of a series of barbaric atrocities committed in the name of Islam. The question that the western media has been, for the most part, very reluctant to address openly is, “How representative is ISIS of the Islamic ideology?” 

It is the elephant in the room. Note that I am not asking “How representative is ISIS of Muslims?” Indeed, thankfully, the vast majority of Muslims in the west do not want to kill you. The majority of Muslims I have encountered in the UK have been very pleasant individuals, and I have enjoyed many a cordial debate with British Muslims. I think we should, nonetheless, be free to ask questions that many may find to be uncomfortable. Members of ISIS claim to be following the teachings of Islam as laid out in the Qur’an and by the prophet Muhammad as reported by the Hadith traditions. Peaceful Muslims in the west claim that ISIS have hijacked and greatly perverted an ideology that at its core promotes peace and tolerance. So who has correctly interpreted the teachings of Islam? Over the course of this and a series of subsequent articles, I seek to fairly evaluate this question.