Page 1 of 64 The Holy
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Page 1 of 64 The Holy
Page 2 of 64
Quran is
Infallible Part-1
A research based detailed response to the
Geographical Allegations raised by
Mr. Abdullah Abd Al-Fadi
By:
Mufti Shah Rafi Uddin Hamdani
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IN THE NAME OF ALLAH THE MOST
BENEFICENT THE MOST MERCIFUL
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قالوا لول ا ل عجمي ا
لت آ يته ولو جعلناه قرآ نا آ عجمي فص آ آ
ى وشفاء وعربي ذين آ منوا هداذين ل يؤمنون قل هو لل
وال ى م عما م وقر وهو علي ذان
ان في آ ك ولئك ينادون من م
آ بعيد
Holy Quran, Al-Fussilat 41: 44
Translation: Had We revealed this as a non-Arabic
Qur'an they would have said: “Why were its verses
not clearly expounded? How strange, a non-Arabic
scripture and an Arab audience!” Tell them: “It is a
guidance and a healing to the believers. But to those
who do not believe, it serves as a plug in their ears
and a covering over their eyes. It is as if they are
being called from a place far away.
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بواه يهودانه، آ و مولود يولد علىكل الفطرة، فأ
ينصرانه، آ و يمجسانه، كمثل البهيمة تنتج البهيمة هل ترى فيا جدعاء
(Abu Abdullah Muhammad bin Ismail Al-Bukhari (1999), Sahih Bukhari,
Hadith: 1385, Darussalam, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Pg. 222)
Translation: Every child is born on Al-Fitrah (i.e. on the faith
of true Islamic monotheism). It is his parents who convert
him to Judaism or Christianity or Magianism, as an animal
gives birth to a perfect baby animal. Do you find it
mutilated?
Page 6 of 64
The Holy Quran is Infallible
Part-1: Geography
© Seerat Research Center
All Rights Reserved
Author: Mufti Shah Rafi Uddin Hamdani
Editor: Dr. Habib-ur-Rehman
Designer: Sayab Ahmed Siddiqui
Publisher: Seerat Research Center, Karachi, Pakistan
Address
Anjuman Qamar-ul-Islam Sulemania,
Plot. No. ST-31, Clifton, Block-2, Karachi.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 0092-321-2802413
Year of Publication: 2021
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Preface
‘Is the Qur’an Infallible’ is a book written by Abdullah Abd
al-Fadi’. In this book, the author alleges that the Holy Quran
is full of Geographical, Historical, Ethical, Theological,
Grammatical, Legal, Social, Scientific and Lexical errors and
the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم on whom this book was revealed, some aspects
of his life were questionable. Hence, he fabricated various
questions, which were mostly based on the commentary of
the Holy Quran (not on its original text) and claimed that the
verses of the Holy Quran were faulty. Amusingly, even most
of the questions raised on the commentary of the Quran were
baseless and were based on dis-honest translations of the
commentary and misrepresentations of the meanings present
in them, which depict the Author’s biasness, dishonesty, and
most importantly, exposes the fact that the Author has
superficial knowledge on Islam, the Holy Quran, and
ironically, Arabic Grammar.
It should be very clear to the common readers that in ‘Is the
Quran Infallible?’ nothing new has been presented against the
Holy Quran, Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم and Islam. These
allegations have already been presented by the Orientalists
for the past 1300 years. Mr. Fadi has just organized the same
allegations under a new title and a different order and
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presented all the previous allegations in a new manner on his
credit. When a person, who is a specialist in the Quranic
Arabic goes through the allegations one after the other,
instead of doubting Islam and the Holy Quran, that
individual feels that his/her faith is strengthened in the
authenticity, purity, originality and the infallibility of the
Holy Quran as a divinely revealed final scripture from Allah
Almighty.
If an individual finds any apparent confusion in the text or
meaning of the Holy Quran, that confusion normally occurs
due to the fact that the individual is unable to understand the
meaning of the Quranic text which may be due to a lack of
ability to grasp the depth of the real meaning of the divine
text. For example, a common reader cannot understand the
real meaning of specific terminologies which are used in
physics, chemistry or biology text books unless he/she has
developed the ability to understand its text. Likewise, the text
of the Holy Quran, being a divine scripture requires all the
readers to have the ability and required qualification to
comprehend its true meanings.
So, by the Grace of Allah Almighty, Mufti Shah Rafi Uddin
Hamdani considered it his responsibility to answer all 242
questions raised by Abdullah Abd al-Fadi on the Holy Quran
and Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم in a rational, research based and
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academic manner so that the truth seekers can have the ability
to differentiate between the truth and Falsehood. This part
contains the answers to the geographical questions raised by
Mr. Abdullah Abd Al-Fadi, and answers to the other
questions will follow soon. (inshahAllah). May Allah
Almighty accept this work. (Ameen)
Dr. Habib-ur-Rehman
Director General,
Seerat Research Center,
Karachi, Pakistan.
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Table of Contents
1. Biography of Abdullah Abd Al-Fadi
2. Allegation No. 1: The Sun Sets in a Spring
3. Allegation No. 2: The Earth is Stationary
4. Allegation No. 3: Stars are for Stoning the Satans
5. Allegation No. 4: Seven Heavens and Seven Earths
6. Allegation No. 5: The Postponed Month is Unbelief
7. Allegation No. 6: Egypt is irrigated by Rain
8. Allegation No. 7: Thunder is an Angel
9. Allegation No. 8: The Valley of Towa
10. Allegation No. 9: Olives on Mount Sinai
11. Allegation No. 10: The Sun runs to a Resting Place
12. Allegation No. 11: The Moon is like a Palm Frond
13. Allegation No. 12: Mount Qaf Encompasses all the Earth
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Biography of Abdullah Abd al-Fadi
(The Alleger)
Abdullah Abd al-Fadi was born in a place near Makkah. He
got his primary, high school and college education from Saudi
Arabia where he graduated with specialization in
Engineering. For further studies, he moved to the west, and
in order to improve his English language, he started living
with a ‘born again’ Christian family. While living with them,
he used to invite the Christian family towards Islam, but
when that family countered his invitation and presented
questions regarding Islam, he could not answer them
properly due to his limited knowledge on the matter.
Secondly, he was inspired by their arguments and his
perception regarding Christianity began to change and he
willed to learn more about it. After studying Christianity for
about 12 years while staying away from Islam and its
teachings, he started to doubt Islam. He believed that either
Islam was a complete lie or he knew nothing about this
religion (the latter being the truth). Hence, after some time, he
converted to Christianity, severed his ties with his family back
home, became a minister of Christ and founded CIRA
International. Now, he is working as a Christian missionary
and aims to bring more naïve Muslims in to the fold of
Christianity via deception and disinformation. He wrote ‘Is
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the Qur’an Infallible’ for this purpose so that normal Muslims
would doubt the Holy Quran, Islam, and Prophet
Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم and ultimately part ways with it.
Mr. Fadi’s Book and the Reality
He divided this book in to 10 chapters. Their detail is given
below:
Chapter-1, Geographical errors: 12 questions
Chapter-2, Historical errors: 55 questions
Chapter-3, Ethical errors: 9 questions
Chapter-4, Theological errors: 29 questions
Chapter-5, Grammatical errors: 24 questions
Chapter-6, Legal errors: 26 questions
Chapter-7, Social errors: 21 questions
Chapter-8, Scientific errors: 22 questions
Chapter-9, Lexical errors: 11 questions
Chapter-10, Questionable Aspects of Muhammad’s
Life: 33 questions(صلى الله عليه وسلم)
By the grace of Almighty Allah, the questions will be
answered under the same headings and in the same
arrangement. Firstly, the complete allegation would be
copied (as it is, except for the fact that we will provide the
Quranic text first and give the translation beneath it) and then
its answer would be provided underneath.
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One of the major reasons to undertake this quest is to provide
the truth to Mr. Fadi and many people like him (considering
that they have mis-interpreted and misunderstood some
things regarding, Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم, Islam and the Holy
Quran). In this regard, I will try to provide maximum number
of rational, scriptural, logical, scientific and other types of
evidences in a research based and honest manner so that these
people are able to clarify their conundrums regarding Islam.
All questions will be dealt honestly and in an unbiased and
academic manner so that the right message is conveyed
smoothly. Furthermore, the aim of this work is not to taunt,
scorn or slander any individual or religion, but to address the
questions regarding Islam and the Holy Quran.
Another major aim of this work is to invite all those people
who parted ways with Islam after reading ‘Is the Qur’an
infallible’ and those people who are in search of Divine
Guidance and have some questions regarding Islam, Prophet
Muhammadصلى الله عليه وسلم and the Holy Quran, so that they are able to
educate themselves and reconsider their choices. These
answers would also be extremely beneficial for those Muslim
students who are going to the west for higher studies as they
will be able to equip themselves with logical answers (based
on facts and figures) to the allegations fabricated against
Islam.
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Geographical Allegations
Allegation No. 1: The Sun sets in a spring
We read in sura al-Kahf 18:83-86:
ـلونك عن ذي القرنين ا له في ويســـ ن مك اان نه ذكرا م م
تلوا عليك
قل سا
ي اذا بلغ مغرب احت تبع سببا
افا ه من كل شيء سببا تين الرض وا
ا وجد عندها قوما مس وجدها تغرب في عين حمئة و الش
(Holy Quran, Al-Kahf 18: 83-86)
Translation: They will question thee concerning Dhu al-Qarnain.
Say: ‘I will recite to you a mention of him. ‘We established him in
the land, and we gave him a way to everything; and he followed a
way until, when he reached the setting of the sun, he found it
setting in a muddy spring, and he found nearby a people.’
Al-Baidawi in his commentary Anwar al-Tanzil wa Asrar al-
Ta’wil says the following with regard to these verses:
The Jews asked Muhammad about Dhu al-Qarnain, and he
said to them that God established him in the land so that he
could reach the place where the sun sets. He found that it set
in a muddy spring, and all around the spring were the sun
rises and discovered that people lived there who went about
naked, with no homes to shelter them from the sets, which he
found to be between two mountains. He poured on these two
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mountains a mixture of iron and molten brass, thereby setting
up an impassable barrier which only God can reach on the
Day of Resurrection.
Al-Baidawi added that “Ibn ‘Abbas heard Mu’awiya read
‘aynin hamiya [‘hot spring’], so he told him it was hami’ a
[‘Muddy’]. Therefore, Mu’awiya sent to ka’b al-Ahbar,
asking, ‘where do you think the sun sets?’ He said to him, ‘In
water and mud.”
We ask: As the sun is many times larger than the earth, how
then could Dhu al-Qarnain see it set in a spring filled with
water and mud, surrounded by people?
Answer: This allegation focuses on verses 83-86 of the 18th
chapter ‘Al-Kahf’ of the Holy Quran. In these verses, Dhu al-
Qarnain travels in the direction of the setting sun – towards
the west – and upon reaching the farthest point on the western
hemisphere, he ‘finds’ the sun setting in muddy water, with
people nearby.
The author of the allegation has taken the literal meaning of
the verse even though classical and modern commentators of
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the Quran including Ibn-e-Kathir, 1 Imam Raazi, 2 even
Baidawi 3 (whose commentary was used as a proof for the
allegation) and commentaries from many famous Islamic
scholars clearly show that تغرب في عين حمئة (sun setting in dark
and muddy water) is simply a figure of speech used as a
parable to signify a lesson. Furthermore, if we go through
Baidawi’s commentary on the verse, it becomes clear that this
allegation is nothing more than a lie because his commentary
clearly states ولذلك قال وجدها تغرب ولم يقل كانت تغرب (This is why he said
‘found the sun to be setting’ and not ‘the sun was setting in
the water’) which clearly depicts that he in no way meant that
the sun was setting inside the muddy water, but rather, he
saw it set as we do every day.
Secondly, seeing a sun set in the sea or ocean is a normal
phenomenon. Anyone can go to the sea in the evening and
experience it:
1 Abul Fida Ismael bin Kathir Al-Damishqi (1999), Tafsir Quran Al-Azeem,
Dar-e-Taiba Lil Nashar wa Tawzi, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Vol. 5, Pg. 191. 2 Abu Abdullah Muhammad bin Umer Fakheruddin Al-Raazi (1420 A.H.),
Mafatih Al-Ghaib, Dar-e-Ihya Al-Turath Al-Arabi, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol.
21, Pg. 496. 3 Nasir Uddin Bin Umer Al-Sheerazi Al-Baidawi (1418 A.H.), Anwar Al-
Tanzeel wa Israr Al-Taweel, Dar-e-Ihya Al-Turath Al-Arabi, Beirut,
Lebanon, Vol. 3, Pg. 291.
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This is something which everyone who goes to the coast can
see: it looks as if the sun is setting in to the sea but in fact it is
not, it is simply disappearing as it moves on its predestined
path. The phrase ‘sun sets every day’ is a literal lie itself
because in reality, the sun never sets, but it is still used as a
figure of speech by normal people. Hence, the Holy Quran
has not made any false claims as alleged by Mr. Abdullah Abd
Al-Fadi.
The second claim states that that Baidawi added: “Ibn Abbas
heard Muawiya read aynin hamiya (hot spring), so he told
him that it was hami’a (muddy). Therefore, Muawiya sent to
Ka’b al-Ahbar, asking, where do you think the sun sets? He
said to him, in water and mud.” Mr. Fadi has clearly narrated
the following account in an incomplete and dishonest
manner. The end of this narration is as follows: كذلك نجده في التوراة
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(As we found it in the Torah). 4 So, the complete narration is
‘the sun sets in water and mud as we found it in the Torah’
and since it is clearly stated that it is mentioned in the Torah,
Islam or the Holy Quran has nothing to do with it.
Allegation No. 2: The Earth Is Stationary
We read the following in the Qur’an:
ماوات بغير عمد ترونا ن تميد خلق الس رض رواسي آ
لقى في ال وآ م بك
(Holy Quran, Luqman 31:10)
Translation: “He created the heavens without pillars you can see,
and He cast on the earth firm mountains, lest it shake with you”
رض وجعل في ال ذي مد
ا رواسي وهو ال (Holy Quran, Al-Ra’d 13:3)
Translation: “It is He Who Stretched out the earth and set therein
firm mountains”
وزون نبتنا فيا من كل شيء م لقينا فيا رواسي وآ
رض مددنها وآ وال
4 Nasir Uddin Bin Umer Al-Sheerazi Al-Baidawi (1418 A.H.), Anwar Al-
Tanzeel wa Israr Al-Taweel, Dar-e-Ihya Al-Turath Al-Arabi, Beirut,
Lebanon, Vol. 3, Pg. 291.
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(Holy Quran, Al-Hijr 15:19)
Translation: “And the earth_ We stretched it forth, and cast on it
firm mountains, and we caused to grow therein everything justly
weighed”
تدون م تكعل ل اا وسبل نارا
م وآ ن تميد بك
رض رواسي آ لقى في ال
وآ (Holy Quran, Al-Nahl 16:15)
Translation: “And He Cast on the earth firm mountains lest it
shake with you, and rivers and ways; so happy you will be
guided”
هم عل ل اا سبل م وجعلنا فيا فجاجا ن تميد ب
رض رواسي آ وجعلنا في ال
تدون يه(Holy Quran, Al-Anbiya: 21:31)
Translation: “And We set in the earth firm mountains lest it
should shake with them”
Al-Baidawi explains the verse in sura al-Ra’d as follows:
“‘Stretched out the earth’ means it was flattened in width and
length so that feet may be steady on it and animals may roll
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on it.” He explained these verses in his commentary on Sura
al-Nahl 16:15 as follows:
“And He cast on the earth firm mountains lest it should shake
with you, or lest it should turn aside and be thrown out of
balance. For before the mountains were created on it, the earth
had been a light –weight sphere of simple substance. It floated
about freely in orbit like the planets, and would advance with
the mountains were created on its surface, and they centered
it, thus serving as wedges to keep it from moving. It was also
said that, when God created the earth it started to sway and
swing, so that the angles said, “None can have a resting place
on its surface.” So, it was made stationary by the mountains.
We ask how could the earth be stretched out, flattened and
motionless? How can anyone say that the mountains keep the
earth from moving when it is evident that it rotates on its axis
once every 24 hours, causing the cycle of day and night? It
also revolves around the sun once a year, effecting the
changing of the seasons.
Answer: The earth is indeed spread out as stated by the Holy
Quran in 13: 3 and 15:19 around 1400 years ago. The realities
mentioned in these verses have been verified by scientific
research as well. This spreading out of the earth has been
proved by American geophysicist Harry H. Hess in 1960. The
theory is known as Seafloor spreading, which states that
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oceanic crust forms along submarine mountain zones, known
collectively as the mid-ocean ridge system, and spreads out
laterally away from them. The seafloor spreading hypothesis
was proposed by the American geophysicist Harry H. Hess in
1960. On the basis of Tharp’s efforts and other new
discoveries about the deep-ocean floor, Hess postulated that
molten material from Earth’s mantle continuously wells up
along the crests of the mid-ocean ridges that wind for nearly
80,000 km (50,000 miles) through all the world’s oceans. As
the magma cools, it is pushed away from the flanks of the
ridges. This spreading creates a successively younger ocean
floor, and the flow of material is thought to bring about the
migration, or drifting apart, of the continents.5
From the above discovery, we now know that the Earth was,
quite literally “spread out” and the Quran uses that term
specifically so that people should pause and ponder upon it.
The Quran therefore is speaking specifically about the
spreading of the ocean floor.
As for the part that mountains keep the earth from orbiting, it
is nothing more than mis-representation of the facts. The
verses of the Holy Quran clearly state that the mountains stop
5 Encyclopedia Britannica (Online Version):
https://www.britannica.com/science/seafloor-spreading: Retrieved: 06-11-
2020
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the earth from shaking. Scientific research also states that
Mountains, clench the plates in the Earth's crust together by
extending above and beneath the Earth's surface at the
conjunction points of the tectonic plates. In this way, they fix
the Earth's crust, and prevent it from drifting over the magma
stratum or among its plates. Briefly, we may liken mountains
to nails that keep pieces of wood together. This fixing function
of the mountains is described in scientific literature by the
term "isostasy". Isostasy is the general equilibrium in the
Earth's crust maintained by a yielding flow of rock material
beneath the surface under gravitational stress. This vital role
of mountains, that was discovered by modern geology and
seismic research, was revealed in the Qur'an centuries ago as
an example of the supreme wisdom in God's creation. 6
Hence the verses of the Holy Quran or the commentary of
Baidawi (although misrepresented by Al-Fadi in his book)
does not refute that the orbital motion of the earth. These
verses only state that the mountains clench the plates in the
earth’s crust so that it does not shake un-controllably.
Furthermore, if one goes through the commentary on 36:40
ك يسبحون ) في فل
,each in an orbit is floating) of the Holy Quran ,وكل
then the following things become clear:
6 Harun Yahya (2001), Miracles of the Quran, Al-Attique Publishers,
Toronto, Canada, Pg. 33.
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The word falak in Arabic is used for the orbit of the planets,
and it gives a different meaning from the word sama (sky).
The sentence, “Each in an orbit is floating” points to four
realities:
1) That not only the sun and the moon but all the stars and
planets and celestial bodies are moving.
2) The falak, or orbit, of each one of them is separate.
3) That the orbits are not moving with the stars in them, but
the stars are moving in the orbits.
4)That the movement of the stars in their orbits is similar to
the floating of something in a fluid. 7 So, the Holy Quran does
not negate the movement of the earth on its axis, on the
contrary, it endorses it.
Allegation No. 3: Stars are for stoning the Satans
We read in Sura al-Mulk 67:5:
ماء ا الس ياطين ولقد زي ن لش ا ل نيا بمصابيح وجعلناها رجوما
الد ع عير وآ تدن لهم عذاب الس
7 Syed Abul Ala Mawdudi (2008), Tafheem al Quran, Idara Tarjuman al
Quran, Lahore, Pakistan, Vol. 4, Pg. 261.
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Holy Quran, Al-Mulk 67:5
Translation: And We adorned the lower heaven with lamps, and
made them things to stone Satans; and We have prepared for
them the chastisement of the Blaze.
Al-Baidawi explained this verse, saying: "And We adorned
the lower heaven" means the nearer heavens. "With lamps"
refers to the luminous stars that light the night as lamps. This
does not contradict the fact that some stars are stationed in
higher heavens, for the adorning of the lower heaven means
they are made manifest in it. "And made them things to stone
Satans" means they were made for another reason, which is
the stoning of enemies. Rujum ["things to stone"] is the plural
of rajam, which is anything used for stoning that has flames
issuing from it. Another opinion says, "We made them
mediums of clairvoyance and augury [which is another
definition of the root verb rajama] for the Satans among men,
who are the soothsayers."
We read in Sura al-Saffat 37:6-10:
ماء ا الس زي ن ن واكب ا نيا بزينة الك
ن كل الد ا م ارد وحفظا شيطان م ل
لى المل عون ا
م على ويقذفون من كل جانب يس ا ال ولهم عذاب دحورا واصب
ل تبعه شهاب ثقب ا من خطف الخطفة فأ
Holy Quran, Al-Saffat 37: 6-10
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Translation: 'We have adorned the lower heaven with the
adornment of the stars and to preserve against every rebel Satan;
they listen not to the High Council. For they are pelted from every
side, rejected, and theirs is an everlasting chastisement, except
such as snatches a fragment, and he is pursued by a piercing
flame."
We read in Sura al-Hijr 15:16-18:
اظرين اها للن ا وزي ن ماء بروجا وحفظناها من كل ولقد جعلنا في الس جيم بين شيطان ر تبعه شهاب م
مع فأ من استرق الس
ل ا Holy Quran, Al-Hijr 15: 16-18
Translation: "We have set in heaven constellations and decked
them out fair to the beholders, and guarded them from every
accursed Satan excepting such as listens by stealth - and he is
pursued by a manifest flame".
Al-Baidawi explains this verse as follows: ‘And guarded them
from every accursed Satan' means that one cannot go up to
heaven, tempt its inhabitants, be aware of its location, or
subdue it. 'Excepting such as listen by stealth' refers to every
demon. 'Listening by stealth' means overhearing or eaves-
dropping. It is compared to snatching a fragment from the
dwellers of heaven owing to the similarity of their substance,
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or by deduction from the positions and movements of the
stars."
Ibn (Abbas reported that: They [the fallen angels] had not
been kept away from the heavens. But when Jesus was born,
they were kept away for three years, and when Muhammad
was born, they were all kept away from them by means of the
flames [meteors]. This is not to be rejected owing to the fact
that the meteors had been formed before the angels' birth, for
it is possible that they were created for other purposes.
Another opinion is that the exception is withheld, meaning
that anyone who listens by stealth will be pursued by a flame
visible to those able to see. Shihab ["flame"] is a blazing brand
of fire. It can also refer to a star [meteor] or a flaming dart,
owing to the brilliance of either.
We ask: How are we to imagine an angel the size of a man
holding the stars like pieces of rock with which to pelt Satan,
keeping him from listening to the voices of the inhabitants of
heaven? Have these heavenly bodies been created to serve as
ammunition or war material for the stoning of Satan? It is a
matter of fact that every star is like an enormous galaxy, and
therefore the universe contains millions of enormous galaxies
floating at huge distances in limitless space. Also, how can the
angels throw the stars without plunging the universe into
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utter chaos, since by their actions they would upset its
equilibrium?
Answer: Angels are the divine agencies through which Allah
executes the perfect functioning of the universe.8 These
creatures are not made in the size of a man; they are
supernatural creatures which are made out of Nur (light). 9
They have no material bodies, but can assume any form they
like. 10 The size of Jibrael (Gabriel) mentioned in the Hadith
(narrations of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم) is as follows: Jibrael
(Gabriel) in his original shape had 600 wings, each filling
the side of the horizon.11
Furthermore, Angels do not have human urges such as food,
drink and sleep. They do not have any materialistic desires.
They are innocent, do not commit any sin and never disobey
Allah's commands. 12 However, they do come in Human form.
8 Dr. Habib-ur-Rehman (2020), Encyclopedia of Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم, Seerat
Research Centre, Karachi, Pakistan, Vol. 2, Pg. 987. 9 Muslim bin Al-Hajjaj Abul Hassan Al-Neshapuri (2000), Sahih Muslim,
Hadith: 7495, Darussalam, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Pg. 1295. 10 Muhammad bin Abdullah Al-Khateeb At-Tabrezi (2011), Mishkat-ul-
Masabih, Maktaba Al-Asriya, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 1, Pg. 15. 11 Abu Abdullah Muhammad bin Hanbal Al-Shaibani (2001), Musnad
Ahmed bin Hanbal, Hadith: 3748, Moasisat-ul-Risala, Beirut, Lebanon,
Vol. 6, Pg. 294. 12 Holy Quran, Al-Nahl (The Bee) 16: 50
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13 The details mentioned above clearly state that the Angels
are in no way comparable to humans whether in size, shape
or power. Even the bible does not categorically state that the
angels have the same size as humans, they only state that
angels appear in human form when they come to meet the
Prophets.
As for the stars, the Holy Quran and Hadith clearly mentions
that the stars were created to decorate the sky, guide the
travelers and as missiles (meteorites which originate from the
stars) to drive the devils away. 14 At no place or time does the
Holy Quran or the Ahadith mention that there is a never-
ending war going on in the galaxy where the Angels are firing
the stars at the devils day and night. These incidents do occur,
but are not perpetual.
Mr. Fadi also alleges that if the angels throw the star, this
might plunge the universe in to dis-equilibrium (mentioned
above). The answer to this is very simple. Firstly, the angels
fling meteorites which originate from the stars (and not
complete stars) which wander in space at tremendous speeds
and also fall to the earth in a continuous shower. This prevent
the Satans of the earth from ascending to the heavens. Even if
13 Muhammad bin Abdullah Khateeb Tabrezi (2011), Hadith: 2, Mishkat al
Masabeeh, Maktaba-e-Asaria, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 1, Pg. 15. 14 Abu Muhammad Al Hussain bin Masood Al-Baghwi (1983), Sharh Al-
Sunnah, Al-Maktab al-Islami, Damascus, Syria, Vol. 4, Pg. 395.
Page 29 of 64
they try to ascend heavenward these meteorites drive them
away. 15
Secondly, there are billions of stars present in the milky way
and there are billions of galaxies present in space. At any time,
a star which can be gigantic or small goes supernova.
Supernovas refers to a star which explodes violently and
whose luminosity after eruption suddenly increases many
millions of times its normal level. 16 Supernovas are regularly
happening in our galaxy and in other galaxies as well, yet
despite such huge nuclear explosions in the galaxy, it still
stays in equilibrium? This shows that even if we accept the
premise that the Angels are indeed throwing stars at the
Satan, it makes no difference to the galaxy.
As for the narration of Ibn-e-Abbas presented by Mr. Fadi,
that account has been mis-represented. That account does not
state that the Devils were kept away for 3 years after the birth
of Jesus , rather it states that when Jesus was born, the
Devils were restricted to the third heavens and when Prophet
Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم was born, they were barred from entering the
15 Towards Understanding the Quran (Online Version):
http://www.islamicstudies.info/tafheem .php?sura=67&verse=1&to=14:
Retrieved: 06-11-2020 16 Encyclopedia Britannica (Online Version):
https://www.britannica.com/science/supernova: Retrieved: 07-11-2020
Page 30 of 64
heavens completely. 17 It is possible that Mr. Fadi made a
genuine mistake while translating the narration, but if he mis-
represented it intentionally, then I think it is extremely
unethical and dishonest. Researchers and especially religious
figures should avoid indulging in low lying tactics such as
‘lying’ & ‘dishonesty’ etc. If he is not well versed in Quranic
Arabic and is making such mistakes, then he should learn
more about it so that he can understand Islam correctly, and
if this was an intentional act, then he should refrain from
making such claims in the future because the truth comes out
eventually.
Allegation No. 4: Seven Heavens and Seven Earths
We read the following verses in the Quran:
رض مثلهن ذي خلق سبع سماوات ومن ال
ه ال …الل
Holy Quran, Al-Talaq 65: 12
Translation: It is God who created seven heavens, and of earth
their Like…
17 Nasir Uddin Bin Umer Al-Sheerazi Al-Baidawi (1418 A.H.), Anwar Al-
Tanzeel wa Israr Al-Taweel, Dar-e-Ihya Al-Turath Al-Arabi, Beirut,
Lebanon, Vol. 3, Pg. 208.
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ا في م م ذي خلق لك
هو ال اهن ماء فسو لى الس استوى ا ا ثم رض جميعا
ال ل شيء عليم وه سبع سماوات
و بك
Holy Quran, Al-Baqarah 2: 29
Translation: It is He who created for you all that is in the earth,
then he lifted himself to heaven and levelled them seven heavens;
and he has knowledge of everything.
سبع وحى في فقضاهن مرهاسماوات في يومين وآ
ا كل سماء آ وزي ن ا نيا بمصابيح وحفظا
ماء الد ل الس ك تقدير العزيز العليم ذ
Holy Quran, Fussilat 41: 12
Translation: So, he determined them seven heavens in two days,
and revealed its commandment in every heaven. And We
adorned the lower heaven with lamps, and to preserve; that is the
ordaining of the All-mighty, the All-knowing.
ماء اوجعلنا الس حفوظا ا م عن آ يتا معرضون وهم سقفا Holy Quran, Al-Anbiya 21: 32
Translation: We set up the heaven as a roof well-protected; yet
still from Our signs they are turning away.
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ا في م م ر لك
ه سخ الل ن
لم تر آ مره آ
رض والفلك تجري في البحر بأ
ال ب ذنه
ل رض ا ن تقع على ال
ماء آ ه ويمسك الس الل ن اس لرءوف ا بلن
حيم ر Holy Quran, Al-Hajj 22: 65
Translation: Hast thou not seen how that God holds back heaven
lest it fall upon the earth, save by His leave? Surely God is AII-
gentle to men, All-compassionate.
فلم ينظرواها وما لها من فروج آ ماء فوقهم كيف بنيناها وزي ن لى الس ا ا
Holy Quran, Qaf 50: 6
Translation: What, have they not beheld heaven above them, how
We have built it, and decked it out fair, and it has no cracks?
Al-Baidawi said the "roof well-preserved" in Sura al-Anbiya
21 is kept from falling by the command of God. He also
explained the "cracks" in Sura Qaf 50 as ruptures, and said
that God created the heavens smooth and closely fitting, one
on top of the other. It clearly follows from al-Baidawi's
exegesis that God created heaven as a vast, smooth roof above
us, with six other heavens as roofs, one on top of the other. He
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also created our earth together with six other earths like it.
The sum total of heavens and earths is thus fourteen.
We ask: How could it be that the limitless space above us is a
smooth roof capable of caving in, or that there are seven roofs
of this kind? How could it be that the millions of stars floating
in limitless space are lamps fixed in an imaginary roof? How
can the claim be justified that there are seven earths like our
earth, which is unique among millions of planets, moons and
suns?
Answer: The Arabic word “samawat” is used here refers to
the whole universe which encompasses space, in which stars,
solar systems and galaxies move in their orbits. Here,
Almighty Allah points at a law of nature and informs us that
He has elevated these objects of heaven without any pillars
and that He governs them. God Almighty has connected these
immense masses to a moving system in outer space, put
centrifugal and gravity forces into these masses so that they
are kept away from one another, and secured them from
colliding; by doing so, He ensured a balance which prevented
them from pulling away or falling on one another. Hence the
meaning of the verse is not literal here, but metaphorical,
which Mr. Fadi mis-understood.
As for the seven heavens, it is difficult to explain precisely
what is meant by them. In all ages man has tried, with the help
of observation and speculation, to conceptualize the
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'heavens', i.e. that which lies beyond and above the earth. As
it is evident, the concepts that have thus developed, have
constantly changed. Hence it would be improper to tie the
meaning of these words of the Quran to any one of these
numerous concepts. What might be broadly inferred from this
statement is that either God has divided the universe beyond
the earth into seven distinct spheres, or that this earth is
located in that part of the universe which consists of seven
different spheres. 18
Secondly, “The like of them” (مثلهن) does not mean that Allah
Almighty has created as many earths as the heavens, but it
means that He has also created several earths as He has
created several heavens. “Of the earth” means that just as this
earth, (which is inhabited by man is serving as bed and cradle
for the creatures living on it) Allah has made and set other
earths also in the universe. which serve as beds and cradles
for the creatures living on them. As per the Economist, the
Rand Corporation of America has estimated on the basis of
their astronomical observations that only in the Galaxy to
which our earth belongs, there are about 600,000,000 (600
million) planets with physical conditions which closely
resemble those on earth, and there is a possibility that they
18 Towards Understanding the Quran (Online):
http://islamicstudies.info/reference.php?sura=2& verse=29: Retrieved: 07-
11-2020
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may be inhabited by living creatures (like the earth). 19 As per
the New York times, Astronomers reported that there could
be as many as 40 billion habitable Earth-size planets in the
galaxy, based on a new analysis of data from NASA’s Kepler
spacecraft. 20 So, not just seven earths or planets like earth
exist, but their number is in billions, hence, the hypothesis
provided by Mr. Fadi is not compatible with the reality.
Lastly, nowhere in the Holy Quran is mentioned that the stars
are fixed in a roof, this is purely Mr. Fadi’s misunderstanding
of the Arabic meaning of the specific words. I believe Mr. Fadi
should reconsider his fragile stance on the misinterpretation
of the Quranic meaning and should get proper knowledge of
the Quranic text and modern sciences to understand the
divinely revealed scripture’s irrefutable status.
Allegation No. 5: The Postponed Month is Unbelief
We read in Sura al-Tawba 9:36,37:
هور ة الش عد ن ه يوم خلق ا
ا في كتاب الل ه اثنا عشر شهراعند الل
ربعة حرم ا آ رض من
ماوات وال م الس ين القي لك الد تظلموا ذ
فل
19 Towards Understanding the Quran (Online):
http://www.islamicstudies.info/tafheem.php? sura=65&verse=8&to=12:
Retrieved: 07-11-2020 20 The New York Times (Online):
https://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/05/science/cosmic-census-finds-
billions-of-planets-that-could-be-like-earth.html: Retrieved: 07-11-2020
Page 36 of 64
م نفسك
آ ةا فين م كاف
ةا كما يقاتلونك
وقاتلوا المشركين كاف قين ه مع المت
الل ن فر واعلموا آ
سيء زيدة في الك
ما الن ن ذين ا
به ال يضل
ا و ونه عاماوا ما كفروا يحل
ه فيحل م الل ة ما حر ا ل يواطئوا عد مونه عاما يحر
ه م الل عمالهم حر
د زي ن لهم سوء آ ه ل يهافرين والل
ي القوم الك
(Holy Quran, Al-Taubah 9: 36-27)
Translation: "The number of the months, with God, is twelve in
the Book of God, the day that He created the heavens and the
earth; four of them are sacred. That is the right religion. So wrong
not one another during them. And fight the unbelievers totally
even as they fight you totally; and know that God is with the god-
fearing. The month postponed is an increase of unbelief whereby
the unbelievers go astray; one year they make it profane, and
hallow it another, to agree with the number that God has
hallowed, and so profane what God has hallowed. Decked out fair
to them are their evil deeds; and God guides not the people of the
unbelievers."
The question is: Is this really unbelief? Scientists determine
dates by the solar calendar, which is different from the lunar
calendar by roughly one month, so how can a natural
astronomical calculation be considered unbelief?
Answer: The word النسي refers to changing the status of
‘sacred’ months to non-sacred and non-sacred months to
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sacred. 21 In these sacred months, fighting was banned and the
people from all over Arabia used to come to Makkah to
perform pilgrimage. So, the Arabs of that time started to
manipulate the status of the months as per their will to fulfill
their desires. If they wanted to raid a tribe or a caravan, a
respected person from their tribe would come and change the
status of the months. 22 There was no shortage of advocates
for making one of the sacred months unsacred by postponing
it by one year or putting it forward in another. In this way
they kept the sacred months as four in number, although their
identity changed, in order to keep the numbers as God had
ordained. However, this process meant making lawful what
God had forbidden.
The verses mentioned above outlaw the practice of
postponement and show it, in essence, to be a violation of the
divine faith which assigns the authority to make things lawful
or forbidden, to God only. For human beings to practice this
authority in any way which is not sanctioned by God is
actually an act of unbelief, and indeed “an excess of unbelief”
as God describes. The passage establishes a basic principle of
Islam which gives the authority to legislate and make things
lawful or forbidden to God alone. It also relates this principle
to the basic truth on which the whole structure of the universe
21 Muhammad bin Jareer Al-Tabri (2000), Jami ul Quran fi Taweel lil
Quran, Muasisatul Risala, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 14, Pg. 243. 22 Muhammad bin Ahmed Al-Azhari (2001), Tehzeeb ul Lughat, Dar-e-
Ihya Al Turath Al-Arabi, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 13, Pg. 57.
Page 38 of 64
is founded ever since God created the heavens and the earth.
What God legislates for humankind is only a part of His
overall legislation for the universe and all His creation.
Deviating from it is, then, a violation of the basic principle on
which the universe is founded. Hence it is “an excess of
unbelief in which the unbelievers are led astray.” 23
So, the ancient Arabs did not make any astronomical
calculations as quoted by Mr. Fadi. I would strongly
recommend Mr. Fadi to read more on Arab history by going
through ‘Al-Mufassal Fi Tareekh al Arab’ by Dr. Jawad Ali.
This book, many other authentic commentaries of the Holy
Quran, and books of Ahadith and countless books of history
will clarify the fact to Mr. Fadi that the ancient Arabs
deliberately manipulated the calendar and used it to serve
their personal purposes. As for the differences in the Lunar
and Solar calendar systems are concerned, this issue has no
relevance with the discussion at hand. In the worldly affairs,
a person may follow various calendar systems, but for the
Islamic religious occasions and events, the lunar (Islamic)
calendar will be followed just like the Gregorian calendar,
which is followed by the Christian for their religious events.
Allegation No. 6: Egypt is Irrigated by Rain
We read in Sura Yusuf 12:49:
23 Sayyid Qutb (2009), In the Shade of the Quran, Islamic Foundation, U.K.,
Vol. 8, Pg. 121-123.
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اس وفيه يعصرون لك عام فيه يغاث الن تي من بعد ذ
يأ ثم
(Holy Quran, Yousuf 12: 49)
Translation: Then thereafter there shall come a year wherein the
people will be succored [yughathu] and press in season.
Here a reference is made to the drought that Egypt suffered
for seven continual years during the time of Joseph, and to the
surplus that would replace this barrenness. It says that in the
year of plenty they will have rain [the word succored in
Arabic means 'to be relieved by rain]; as if Egypt's fertility is
based on rain. This contradicts reality, for rain is very scarce
in Egypt, and it plays no role in that country's irrigation,
which is obtained solely from the annual flooding of the Nile.
How then can the fertility of Egypt be attributed to rain?
Answer: It is pertinent to note that the Quranic verse
mentioned in this allegation does not state, indicate or imply
that the fertility of Egypt is dependent on rain. Had Mr. Fadi
been able to comprehend the straight forward classical Arabic
text, it would have been possible for him to avoid such a
grievous error of interpretation.
Mr Fadi bases his allegation on the word ‘Yugath’ and
interprets that the fertility of Egypt is dependent on rain. He
then goes on to claim that rain plays no role in the country’s
irrigation. Firstly, the word ‘Yugath’ has multiple meanings
and does not refer to ‘rain’ only, it also refers to ‘deliverance’,
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or ‘rescue’ 24 and different scholars have interpreted this word
differently. However, all these meanings are applicable to the
verse.
As for the claim that rain has been extremely scarce in Egypt,
that claim is refuted by scholars of Egyptology who have
identified several (moist) intervals of increased precipitation
during which rain was comparatively plentiful. The first such
period is dated c. 9200 – c. 6000 BCE where accelerated wadi
activity is observed. Another wet phase began in the Neolithic
Period c. 5000 BCE where there were more frequent gentle
rains, and, after another period of dryness, sporadic heavy
and protracted rains are observed in the Pre-Dynastic period
c. 4000 BCE – c. 3000 BCE. Based on historical and
archaeological documents, abundant desert wadi vegetation
persisted until the 5th Dynasty of the Old Kingdom Period c.
2350 BCE. From c. 2350 BCE onward, the level of aridity
closely matches that of the present Egyptian climate. 25 Such
intervals of increased precipitation cannot be underestimated.
Wilkinson adds that at Thebes, located in the south of Egypt,
which formed part of the Upper Egypt, showers fell annually,
on an average of four to five times in a year. In every eight- or
ten-years heavy rains fill the torrent beds of the mountains,
24 Abul Fadl Jamaluddin Ibn Manzoor Al-Afriqi (1414 A.H.), Lisan Al-
Arab, Dar-e-Sadir, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 2, Pg. 174-175. 25 K. W. Butzer (1971), Environment and Archaeology: An Ecological
Approach to Prehistory, Aldine-Atherton Press, Chicago, USA, Pg. 584.
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which run to the banks of the Nile. 26 So, heavy rains, although
not that common, did fall in Egypt.
Furthermore, although the rain has no direct connection to the
fertility of ancient Egypt, it is the sole cause which causes
flooding of the Nile, because the Nile receives its water from
the Blue Nile (Arabic: Al-Baḥr Al-Azraq; Amharic: Abay) and
the Atbara (Arabic: Nahr ʿAṭbarah), which flows from the
highlands of Ethiopia, and the White Nile (Arabic: Al-Baḥr
Al-Abyad) 27 and these streams do not receive their waters
from the ground, they are filled with rain water which causes
flooding in the Nile. So, the verse mentioned as an evidence
for the allegation does not contradict the reality. Egypt’s
agriculture and irrigation are not directly attributed to rain,
however as Mr. Fadi also mentioned, it is dependent on the
flooding of the Nile which is dependent on the rainfalls.
Allegation No. 7: Thunder is an Angel
We read in Sura al-Ra’d 13:13:
عد ح الر واعق فيصيب ويسب ة من خيفته ويرسل الص ئك
بحمده والمل
ه وهو شديد المحال با من يشاء وهم يجادلون في الل
Holy Quran, Al-Ra’ad 13: 13
26 I. G. Wilkinson (1835), Topography of Thebes and General View of
Egypt, John Murray, London, U.K., Pg. 75. 27 Encyclopedia Britannica (Online Version):
https://www.britannica.com/place/Nile-River: Retrieved: 18-11-2020
Page 42 of 64
Translation: The thunder proclaims His praise, and the angels, in
awe of Him. He loses the thunderbolts, and smites with them
whosoever He will; yet they dispute about God, who is mighty in
power.
Al-Baidawi said, "Ibn ‘Abbas reported that the Prophet was
asked about the thunder. He answered, 'It is an angel
entrusted with the clouds. He has entwined shreds of fire
with which he drives the clouds and the angels, in awe of
God. ‘Another opinion says that the pronoun ‘him’ refers to
the thunder itself."
Al-Tirmidhi brought out, quoting Ibn, Abbas that "the Jews
came to Muhammad and said, 'Tell us about the thunder.
What is it?' He said, 'One of the angels who is entrusted with
the clouds. He has entwined shreds of fire with which he
drives the clouds wherever God wills.' They asked, 'What is
this sound, then, which is heard?' He said, 'It is his rebuke to
the clouds that they should stop where they have been
commanded.' They said, 'You have spoken the truth'
“We ask: Why does the Quran say that thunder is an angel,
when primitive peoples regarded it as a god? In reality it is
the electricity generated by the collision of positively and
negatively charged ions in the clouds.
Answer: The claim is false, rather childish because the Holy
Quran does not state that thunder is an angel. However, the
Hadith or the sayings of Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم do say that
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thunder is an Angel. This hadeeth was reported by Ahmad, 28 Al-Tirmidhi 29 and others, and some scholars classified it as
sahih while some say that the chain of its narrators is weak.
As for the problematic issue that there is a contradiction
between this hadith and the scientific material interpretations
of the reality of thunder is concerned, it should be noted that
every incident or event has a physical and metaphysical
explanation for it. For example, when a person dies due to
cancer or some other illness, some people say that the person
died because the angel of death took his soul (which is the
metaphysical reality) while some say that the person died due
to cancer (physical reality). This proves that both explanations
are true. Accepting one explanation does not negate or refute
the other. So, in the physical realm, thunder is caused as per
the scientific explanation i.e. due to the friction between the
charged ions in the clouds, and at the same time the
metaphysical explanation that thunder is one of the Angels of
Allah who drives the clouds where he wills, is also correct. So,
this shows that the Holy Quran does not make such a claim,
and the detail which is mentioned in the Hadith does not
contradict the physical reality since it is related to the
metaphysical realm.
28 Muhammad bin Hanbal Al-Shaibani (1995), Musnad Ahmed bin
Hanbal, Hadith: 2483, Dar al-Hadith, Cairo, Egypt, Vol. 3, Pg. 128. 29 Muhammad bin Essa Al-Tirmidhi (2009), Jami al-Tirmidhi, Hadith:
3117, Darussalam, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Pg. 922.
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Allegation No. 8: The Valley of Towa
We read in Sura Ta Ha 20:12:
ك ن رب ن ي آ فاخلع نعليك ا
ن ىا س طوا ك بلواد المقد
Holy Quran, Ta-Ha 20: 12
Translation: I am thy Lord; put off thy shoes; thou art in the holy
valley, Towa.
Muslim scholars agree unanimously that the valley where
God first appeared to Moses is Towa. But the Bible teaches us
that, when Moses was grazing the sheep of Jethro, his father-
in-law, the priest of Midian, he drove the sheep out of the
wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. The
angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from the
midst of a bush. And he beheld the bush burning with fire
without being consumed. Then the Lord called to him, "Do
not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for
the place where you stand is holy ground" (Exodus 3:1-5). So,
this happened to Moses in Horeb, the mountain of God.
Where did the Quran find the name "Towa", when in fact
Horeb was a well-known mountain on the Sinai Peninsula?
Answer: Muslims scholars have various explanations
regarding the term ‘Towa’. If Mr. Fadi had done a thorough
study on the topic, he would have realized that there are
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various opinions regarding the word Towa and it’s not a
unanimous opinion. Those views are given below:
Ibn Abbas and Mujahid state that ‘Towa’ is a name of a valley. 30 Some state that Towa is the same as Tiwa, which refers to a
thing which is wrapped up. Others state that this word refers
to the fact that the valley was cleansed twice. Hasan states that
Towa alludes to the double number of blessings and
sacredness which are placed in the valley. Mehadwi states
that Ibn Abbas narrated that Towa refers to the fact that
Moses crossed the valley by walking. 31 It has also been
said that it is a figure of speech, which means ‘to order
someone to walk on the ground.’ 32
Secondly, even if we assume that the Muslims unanimously
accepted that the valley where God first appeared was known
as Towa, then still it is not a problem because scholars differ
as to the place-names in the scriptural account which cannot
be identified in terms of present sites. For example, Mount
Sinai itself, however, has long been accepted as the site in the
traditions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam but still, a
30 Muhammad bin Jareer Al-Tabri (2000), Jami ul Quran fi Taweel lil
Quran, Muasisatul Risala, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 18, Pg. 281. 31 Abu Abdullah Muhamamad bin Ahmed Al-Qurtubi (1964), Jami al-
Ahkam al-Quran, Dar al-Kutab Al-Misriya, Cairo, Egypt, Vol. 11, Pg. 175-
176. 32 Abul Fida Ismael bin Kathir Al-Damishqi (1999), Tafsir Quran Al-
Azeem, Dar-e-Taiba Lil Nashar wa Tawzi, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Vol. 5,
Pg. 276.
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positive identification of the biblical Mount Sinai cannot be
made. 33 So, it is possible that the name of the valley could be
Towa which was changed in later times.
As for the claim that Horeb is a well-known fact in the Sinai
Peninsula, this claim is also false. As per the Jewish
Encyclopedia, the location of Horeb is disputed. Jewish and
Christian scholars have advanced varying opinions as to its
whereabouts since biblical times. 34 Furthermore, throughout
the course of history, no individual has been able to refute any
detail or challenge any aspect of the Holy Quran. Claims have
been made, but none of the allegers have been able to furnish
any substantial proof for their claims. However, the same
cannot be said for the Bible because it has been corrupted by
the scholars of the Christianity and Judaism and the original
form of the Torah and Injeel cannot be found anywhere.
Therefore, any detail from the Bible cannot be used as an
evidence against any fact of the Holy Quran. If both details
are compared, the account in the Holy Quran will be deemed
true on the basis of proven historical facts and modern
geographical findings.
33 Encyclopedia Britannica (Online Version):
https://www.britannica.com/place/Mount-Sinai-mountain-Egypt:
Retrieved: 20-11-2020 34 The Jewish Encyclopedia (Online Version):
http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/13766-sinai-
mount#anchor1: Retrieved: 20-11-2020
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Allegation No. 9: Olives on Mount Sinai
We read in Sura al-Muminun 23:19,20:
ا م فيا فواكه كثيرة ومنكعناب ل
خيل وآ ن ن ات م م به جن
ن لك
نشأ
فأ
كلون كلين وشجرةا تخرج من oتأ
ل هن وصبغ ل
طور سيناء تنبت بلد Holy Quran, Al-Muminun 23: 19-20
Translation: Then We produced for you therewith gardens of
palms and vines wherein are many fruits for you, and of them you
eat, and a tree issuing from the Mount of Sinai that bears oil and
seasoning for all to eat.
Commentators said that the tree refers to olives, and the
seasoning refers to the food eaten with the bread (al-Tabari,
Jami al-bayan 18:13)
We ask: Wouldn't it have been more appropriate to refer to
Canaan, which is known for olives, and not Sinai, where God
had to provide manna for the Israelites, owing to the
barrenness of the land? In other words, the Sinai Desert is not
known for its olives.
Answer: At one point, I found this claim extremely amusing
and at another, ludicrous. Is Mr. Fadi trying to say that he
knows more than God Almighty? Is he trying to dictate that
God Almighty should have referred to Canaan rather than
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Sinai just because he or some other people think that way?
Such thoughts from people show humanity that why the
Torah (Old Testament) or the Injeel (New Testament) are not
in their original form any more. Simply considering what is
best, these pseudo-scholars changed the revealed text of the
Torah and the Injeel even though they were not allowed to do
so.
On the other hand, since the text of the Holy Quran has been
protected by God Almighty, 35 it is a proven fact that it has
remained pristine and pure. So, instead of pushing his own
opinions (with limited intellect) Mr. Fadi should focus on the
Holy Quran so that he is able to understand it correctly.
As for the cultivation of olives in Sinai, research has proven
that Olives can grow in dry, mountainous and rocky lands. 36
Olives is a rustic species, with plants able to grow in difficult
conditions, adapting to calcareous, poor, even rocky and dry
soils, and surviving in temperatures ranging from -10 to +50 °
C. 37 Moreover, Egypt is the leader in growing olive in arid
35 Translation: We, Ourselves, have sent down the Dhikr (the Quran), and
We are there to protect it. Holy Quran, Al-Hijr 15:9 36 Zeev Wiesman (2009), Desert Olive Oil Cultivation, Elsevier,
Amsterdam, Netherlands, Pg. 55. 37 Primoli (Online): https://primoli.it/en/the-most-favourable-soil-and-
climate-factors-for-olive-
cultivation/#:~:text=The%20ideal%20climate%20for%20the,to%20the%20
olive%20tree's%20cells
Page 49 of 64
and semi-arid conditions on desert lands. 38 It is shown that
the cultivated area of olive crop in Sinai Governorate has
reached to about 37.82 thousand feddans, at a relative
importance reaches to about 18.65% of the total of the
cultivated area of olives. 39 Secondly, the whole of the Sinai
Desert is not a barren land. Olives, Pears, Grapes, Almonds,
Citrus, Apricots and many other fruits are grown there. 40 This
shows that many crops, fruits including olives have been
growing in the Sinai mountains, so the account given in the
Quran has been proven to be true.
Allegation No. 10: The Sun runs to a resting place
We read in Sura Ya Sin 36:38:
هامس تجري لمستقر ل
لك تقدير العزيز العليم والش ذ
Holy Quran, Yasin 36: 38
Translation: And the sun - it runs to a fixed resting-place; that is
the ordaining of the Al- mighty, the All-knowing.
38 Yacout, Dalia & Soliman, Naglaa & Zahran, Hoda. (2016). Potentials of
a sustainable Olive Industry in Egypt, Alexandria, Egypt, Pg. 57. 39 Haitham B. A. Hassan & et. Al (2014), An Economic Study of Olive Crop
in North Sinai Governorate, Middle East Journal of Agriculture Research,
Pg. 994. 40 The Fruits of Sinai (Discover Sinai):
http://discoversinai.net/english/fruits-in-sinai-egypt/11696: Retrieved: 21-
11-2020
Page 50 of 64
"The sun - it runs to a fixed resting-place" refers to a certain
limit at which its cycle comes to an end. It is compared to the
resting place of a traveler after his journey, or to the center of
the sky where it moves slower, so that one thinks it has come
to a halt. [The poet says, ''The sun is gone astray and revolves
in the sky.'lt can also mean a settled and certain course, or an
appointed end for each day from the east to the west. For it
has a cycle of three hundred and sixty sunrises and sunsets; it
rises every morning from arising place and sets in a setting
place, only to return to them the following year. This could
also be a reference to the destruction of the world when it
ceases to rotate. Another reading is: "with no resting-place to
it"; namely, it does not rest, but moves all the time.
Allegation (a): We ask: How can the Quran say that the sun
runs, or that it has a resting place to which it is bound to go?
The sun is a stationary star that does not move anywhere.
Rather it is the earth that revolves around the sun.
Answer: As per ‘The Sun’ published by Oxford University
Press, the sun is not a stationary star, rather the Sun rotates on
an axis that is inclined at just 7 degrees of the axis of the orbit
of the Earth around the Sun. 41 The Sun is moved by the
gravitational pull of the planets. This motion of the Sun is
mainly due to Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. For 41 Phillip Judge (2020), The Sun, Oxford University Press, Oxford, U.K, Pg.
45.
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some periods of several decades, the motion is rather regular,
forming a trefoil pattern, whereas between these periods it
appears more chaotic.42
The Sun's velocity with respect to the CMB is about 370 km/s
which makes it 1,332,000 km/hour in the direction of Crater
or Leo. 43 This shows that the sun has its own orbit and
motion. As for the Holy Quran referring to this motion as
‘running’ (as translated by many), it simply refers to the fast
orbit of the sun which is 1,332,000 km/hour.
The second allegation states that ‘how can the Quran say that
the sun has a resting place to which it is bound to go’. To build
his argument, Mr. Fadi mis-translated the verse and Al-
Baidawi’s commentary by adding the word ‘fixed’ before
‘resting’ place. Nowhere in the verse or Al-Baidawi’s
commentary is this word mentioned in Arabic.
42 National Centre for Bio Technology Information (Online): Zharkova, V.
V., Shepherd, S. J., Zharkov, S. I., & Popova, E. (2019). Oscillations of the
baseline of solar magnetic field and solar irradiance on a millennial
timescale. Scientific reports, 9(1), 9197. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-
45584-3 (Retraction published Sci Rep. 2020 Mar 4;10(1):4336): Retrieved:
29-11-2020 43 Kogut, A. (1993), “Dipole Anisotropy in the COBE Differential
Microwave Radiometers First-Year Sky Maps”, The Astrophysical
Journal, vol. 419, Pg. 1.
Page 52 of 64
Secondly, the word ‘مستقر’ which has been translated as
‘resting place’ by Mr. Fadi, has various translations. Some
scholars stated that this word is a ‘Zarf-e-Zaman’ (a noun
which gives some explanation of a specific time) and this
‘Zarf-e-Zaman’ refers to the day of Judgement. When this
meaning is taken for this word, then the meaning of the verse
is that the sun will continue to move on its predestined course
till the day of Judgment, which is also its final resting place. 44
Some translated it as ‘destined point’ while others translated
it as ‘resting place’, ‘course of its own’ etc. Mr. Fadi only chose
the translation on which he thought he could forge something
against the Holy Quran. Furthermore, if you read through the
Al’-Baidawi’s commentary as mentioned in the allegation, he
also states that ‘مستقر’ can mean different things, and not only
‘resting place’ specifically. So, when no Muslim translator has
‘fixed’ any specific meaning to the words of verses of the Holy
Quran, then how can Mr. Fadi do that? It’s strange really,
fixing a certain meaning to a certain word yourself, and then
criticizing the original and pure text.
Allegation (b): As for the Claim that a variant reading of the
Qur’an points to the sun running and not stopping, this only
proves that the Qur’an has widely different interpretations
44 Ghulam Rasool Saeedi (2019), Tibyan Al-Furqan, Zia-ul-Quran
Publishers, Lahore, Pakistan, Vol. 5, Pg. 440.
Page 53 of 64
which change the meaning. Thus, the commentator himself
contests the alleged soundness and accuracy of the Qur’an.
Answer: The Holy Quran was revealed by the Creator for the
Guidance of his Creation, so it is evident that any
thoughts/actions/perceptions etc. of Creation cannot
contest/change any aspect of a verse or even a single letter of
the Holy Quran. Hence, Al-Baidawi’s commentary, any other
person’s commentary or all the commentaries of the world
combined, cannot contest or change the verses of the Holy
Quran.
As for the allegation that Al-Baidawi’s commentary can
contest the accuracy and soundness of the Holy Quran, Mr.
Fadi needs to realize that the commentary is merely a
view/understanding of an individual or group. It is not
revealed on a person, rather, it consists of the perception and
knowledge of the commentator and the commentator (who is
a human), has limited knowledge (the same holds true for
Christian, Jewish Scholars, Scientists, and all the intellectuals
of the world). So, it’s possible that the commentator, with all
his sincerity, knowledge and resources can make mistakes.
Even if a person makes a mistake, then it would be extremely
ludicrous if another person showed it as a fact and used it as
a basis to allege against something which is proven to be
accurate, pure and sound. If Al-Baidawi, has made a mistake
Page 54 of 64
here and written something which goes against the facts or
against some aspects of the Holy Quran, we will simply
abandon Al-Baidawi’s mistake and accept what is written in
the Holy Quran.
Allegation No. 11: The Moon is a Palm Frond
We read in Sura Ya Sin 36:39,40:
ى عاد و حت رنه منازل مس ينبغي لها كالعرجون القديم القمر قد
ل الش ار يل سابق الن
ن تدرك القمر ول الل آ
في فلك يسبحون وكل Holy Quran, Yasin 36: 39-40
Translation: And the moon - We determined it by stations, till it
runs like an aged palm bough. It behoves not the sun to overtake
the moon, neither does the night outstrip the day, each swimming
in the sky.
Al-Baidawi said:
"And the moon - we determined" means its course is
determined by stations. These stations are [twenty-seven].
They are as follows: Saratan ['Cancer'], Batin ['the Ventricle],
Thurayya ['the Pleiades’], al-Dabaran, al Mihqama, aI-Hata’a,
Dhira ['the Arm’], al-Natra, Taraf ['the End’], Jaiha ['the
Countenance’], Zabra ['the Lion's Shoulder'], Sarfa [‘the Lion's
Heart’], Uwa) ['the Lion's Thigh’], al-Samalik, al-Zayana, Iklil
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['the Wreath’], Qalb ['the Heart’], Shauka ['the Thorn'], al-
Ta’a’im, Balda ['the Town’], Sa’d al-Dhabih ['Sa’d of the
Sacrifices’], Sa’d Bala), Sa’d al-Su’ud, Sa’d al-Ahbiya, Fargh
al-Dilw al Muqaddam ['the advanced Aquarius’], Fargh al-
Dilw al Mu’akhkhar ['the delayed Aquarius’], and Risha ['the
Whale's Belly’] Every night the moon rests at a station, never
exceeding it, and never late to it. When it is at its last station,
which precedes the meeting, it tapers and turs into a crescent,
"till it runs like an aged palm-bough" or an old palm frond, or
a year-old palm frond. "It behoves not the sun" means it does
not fit the sun "to overtake the moon" in speed. "Neither does
the night outstrip the day" means it does not run before it and
leave it lagging behind. “Each" refers to the suns and the
moons. "Swimming in a sky" means they glide easily in it. Answer: After going through the content provided by Mr.
Fadi, an individual is unable to comprehend what the real
question is. He has merely provided a verse of the Holy
Quran, its translation, and then the translated commentary of
Al-Baidawi. Even here, he has mis-translated (due to lack of
knowledge in Arabic) the commentary, Al-Baidawi wrote
‘ عشرون و ثمانية ’ (twenty-eight), but Mr. Fadi has translated it in
to ‘twenty-seven’ stations. Even science states that it takes the
moon 27.3 days to complete one circuit of the earth (which is
almost equal to the figure and detail given by Al-Baidawi).
The length of the lunation however, is not 27.3 days. The
Page 56 of 64
reason is that while the Moon is making its circuit of the Earth,
the Earth itself is moving along its own orbit around the Sun.
Hence the direction of the sunlight changes a little with time,
instead of being fixed as implied in the diagram.
Consequently, the Moon has to go a little further than one
circuit round the Earth to go from one new Moon to the next.
So, the length of a lunation, or synodic period is 29.5 days.
The other thing Mr. Fadi referred to was that the moon
becomes an aged palm-bough which simply means that the
moon simply becomes like an old curved date branch, a
reality which is visible to the naked eye. The Holy Quran
simply gave a metaphor to explain the shape of the moon,
nowhere does it state that the moon becomes an aged palm
bough.
Allegation No. 12: Mount Qaf Encompasses all Earth
We read in Sura Qaf 50:1:
والقرآ ن المجيد قHoly Quran, Qaf 50: 1
Translation: Qaf by the glorious Quran.
Page 57 of 64
In Ara’is al-Majalis (pp. 7,8) Tha’labi says, "God, highly
exalted, created a great mountain of a green chrysolite, to
which the sky owes its greenness. It is called Mount Qaf, and
it encompasses all the earth. It is by this mountain that God
swore when He said, 'Qaf by the glorious Qur’an.''' In a book
entitled Qisas al-Anbiya (p. 5) it is written that "(Abdallah Ibn
Salam inquired of Muhammad, saying, 'What is the highest
peak in the world?' Muhammad said, 'It is Mount Qaf.' He
asked, 'And what is it?' Muhammad said, 'It is of green
chrysolite, to which the sky owes its greenness.' He said, 'You
have spoken the truth, Messenger of God. And what is the
height of Mount Qaf?' Muhammad answered, 'It is a journey
of five hundred years!' He asked him further, 'How long does
it take a man to cover its circumference?' He answered, 'It is a
journey of two thousand years.' "
This story of Mount Qaf owes its origin to the Jewish book,
Hagiga. In chapter 11, section 1 of this book, the author tries
to explain the rarely used Hebrew word tohu ["emptiness or
formlessness"], which occurs in Genesis 1:2. The said book
reads: "Tohu is the green line encompassing the entire world,
from which darkness issues." The Hebrew word translated as
"line" in this book is qav. On hearing the word, the
Companions did not know it meant a line, but fancied it to be
Page 58 of 64
a majestic mountain chain called Qaf! (There is no letter v in
Arabic.)
Now if the Qur'an was revealed by God, as Muslims claim,
how could it allege that the horizon, which is an imaginary
line, is a mountain?
Answer: To forge his allegation, Mr. Fadi provided a
reference from ‘Al Rais al Majalis fi Qisas il Anbiya by
Tha’labi’ as an evidence to prove that the Holy Quran is
claiming something fictious and imaginary, which contests
the fact that it was revealed by God. Amusingly, what Mr.
Fadi has done here is that he has taken a verse of the Holy
Quran (which does not make such fictious claims), and gave
an explanation for it which he deemed was the best evidence
for his allegation.
According to Muslim Scholars, these verses are known as
‘Huruf Muqata’at’ or Mysterious letters 45 and the true
meanings of these letters or one-word verses are only known
to Allah Almighty. 46 This is the reason that Muslim and other
scholars have presented many commentaries and translation
for such verses, but none have fixed any specific meaning for
45 Ghulam Rasool Saeedi (2013), Tibyan al-Quran, Fareed Book Stall,
Lahore, Pakistan, Vol. 11, Pg. 313. 46 Jalaluddin Mahalli & Jalaludin Al-Suyuti, Tafseer-e-Jalalain, Dar-al-
Hadith, Cairo, Egypt, Pg. 688.
Page 59 of 64
it. So, Mr. Fadi’s understanding – that the story account
mentioned in Tha’labi’s book is the correct explanation for the
verse – is extremely idiosyncratic. What is more amusing, is
the fact that the account mentioned by Mr. Fadi (and recorded
by Tha’labi in his book) is false and is totally baseless. The
Hadith mentioned in that book is not recorded in any
authentic book of Ahadith and Muslim scholars have rejected
it. Ibn Kathir states:
“Some people have borrowed these absurdities from the
Israeli narrations. According to my opinion, these types of
examples are fabricated by the ‘Zanadiq’ or those people
who are not Muslims and try to drive people away from
Islam through such examples” 47
Ibn-e-Kathir mentioned this fact around 650 years ago, and
amusingly Mr. Fadi is caught doing the same thing which was
indicated by him centuries ago. So, since the account on which
Mr. Fadi is trying to base his allegation is false, his allegation
is nothing more than a waste of words.
47 Abul Fida Ismael bin Kathir Al-Damishqi (1999), Tafsir Quran Al-
Azeem, Dar-e-Taiba Lil Nashar wa Tawzi, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Vol. 7,
Pg. 394.
Page 60 of 64
Epilogue
In this part , all the questions/confusions/allegations related
to Geography, which emerged in the mind of Mr. Abdullah
Abd Al-Fadi have been answered in a research based succinct
manner with evidences from the Holy Quran, Hadith, Books
of History, Science, Geography and authentic books from
relevant fields of knowledge so that all the questions are
answered not only with bold claims, but with authentic
proofs.
The next part of this academic research will consist of the
answers to the questions which were raised on the historical
aspects of the Quran. Work has already commenced on that
chapter, and I urge you all to pray for its accomplishment as
soon as possible. May this work serve as a guide for those who
are searching for the truth and all those who have gone astray
due to lack of knowledge. Kindly share this piece of research
with your friends/family and other circles. May Allah
Almighty accept our efforts. (Aameen)
Page 61 of 64
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