Quran “Contradiction” Explained

Quran “Contradiction” Explained:
An alleged contradiction in the Quran addressed. By Ehteshaam Gulam

Is there a contradiction between Quran 4:157 and Quran 3:144? The answer is no. The missionaries who write for answeringislam.org who stated this don’t know what they are talking about. I’ll explain.

The Quran 4:157 states: That they 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:- (Quran 4:157)

The Quran 3:144 indicates: Muhammad is no more than a messenger: many Were the messenger that passed away before him. If he died or were slain, will ye then Turn back on your heels? If any did turn back on his heels, not the least harm will he do to Allah; but Allah (on the other hand) will swiftly reward those who (serve Him) with gratitude. (Quran 3:144)

The following verse is implying that MANY messengers have died before Prophet Mohammed (pbuh). It does not say ALL the messengers have died before the Prophet.
The above verse is from the Abdullah Yousef Ali Translation of the Quran. Let’s take a look at two other translations from Pickthal and Shakir:

Pickthal: Muhammad is but a messenger, messengers (the like of whom) have passed away before him. Will it be that, when he dieth or is slain, ye will turn back on your heels? He who turneth back on his heels doth no hurt to Allah, and Allah will reward the thankful. (Quran 3:144)

SHAKIR: And Muhammad is no more than a messenger; the messengers have already passed away before him; if then he dies or is killed will you turn back upon your heels? And whoever turns back upon his heels!s, he will by no means do harm to Allah in the least and Allah will reward the grateful. (Quran 3:144)

Notice how these two translators state that messengers have passed away before Prophet Mohammed and it doesn’t say ALL the messengers have passed away before Prophet Mohammed. Also notice the Pickthal’s translation which says messengers (the like of whom) have passed away before him, implying that prophets, messengers like Prophet Mohamemd such as Abraham, Moses, David, Solomon (PBUT), etc. have passed away. All these prophets were like Prophet Mohammed in many ways, and Jesus (PBUH) was a unique case and was different from other Biblical Prophets and from Prophet Mohammed peace be upon them.

Some Islamic commentors have stated that Quran 3:55 indicates that Jesus had died. Well not exactly. The following Quranic verse states:

Behold! Allah said: "O Jesus! I will take thee and raise thee to Myself and clear thee (of the falsehoods) of those who blaspheme; I will make those who follow thee superior to those who reject faith, to the Day of Resurrection: Then shall ye all return unto me, and I will judge between you of the matters wherein ye dispute. (Quran 3:55)

The verse says that Allah will take thee and raise thee, it doesn’t say that Jesus had died. It states that Jesus was raised or taken up to Allah as in agreement with sura 4:157. Moreover the Hadith clearly indicate that Jesus is still alive and will return one day:
Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah's Apostle said, "By Him in Whose Hands my soul is, surely (Jesus,) the son of Mary will soon descend amongst you and will judge mankind justly (as a Just Ruler); he will break the Cross and kill the pigs and there will be no Jizya (i.e. taxation taken from non Muslims). Money will be in abundance so that nobody will accept it, and a single prostration to Allah (in prayer) will be better than the whole world and whatever is in it." Abu Huraira added "If you wish, you can recite (this verse of the Holy Book): -- 'And there is none Of the people of the Scriptures (Jews and Christians) But must believe in him (i.e Jesus as an Apostle of Allah and a human being) Before his death. And on the Day of Judgment He will be a witness Against them." (Bukhari Volume 4 Book 5 #657)
Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah's Apostle said "How will you be when the son of Mary (i.e. Jesus) descends amongst you and he will judge people by the Law of the Quran and not by the law of Gospel (Bukhari Volume 4 Book 55 #658)
One more thing I should state, which is not the focus of this paper, but when Prophet Mohammed (peace and blessings be upon him) says Jesus, the son of Mary will soon descend, he means that Jesus will one day soon come back. So the end could be near, after all many of the signs of the day of judgment have come to pass. What it means by Jizya, since some Muslims have completely rejected this hadith, means that non Muslims will no longer take property of value from Muslims, which could mean oil, etc.
Conclusions:

The Quranic verses contains no error or contradiction. What one verse says is that Jesus was taken up alive and another says that many but not all messengers have died before Prophet Mohammed. For the some Muslims who reject the notion that Jesus will not return are completely wrong since both the Quran and the Hadith incidate that Jesus is alive and one day he will return. The Quran is a perfect book, with absouletly no error/contradiction. The same cant be said about the Bible though. The Bible contains many errors and contradictions:

Did Jesus tell his disciples everything?

For all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. John 15:15 Not really…

I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. (John 16:12)
God states that Cain will wonder the earth

A fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth. (Genesis 4:12) Then changes his mind a few verses later

And Cain knew his wife, and she conceived, ... and he builded a city. (Genesis 4:17)
David somehow killed 700 men in chariots and 40,000 horsemen

And David slew the men of seven hundred chariots of the Syrians, and forty thousand horsemen. (2 Samuel 10:18) David went all terminator and killed a whole lot more


David slew of the Syrians seven thousand men which fought in chariots, and forty thousand footmen. (1 Chronicles 19:18)
Some people just don’t die

And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him. (Genesis 5:24

Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death.
(John 8:51)

And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. (John 11:26) Everyone dies…


Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men. (Romans 5:12)

And as it is appointed unto men once to die. (Hebrews 9:27)

Drinking on the cross…

Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a spunge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth. When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.
(John 19:29-30)

Just say no to drinking while your dying

And they gave him to drink wine mingled with myrrh: but he received it not. (Mark: 15:23)

These are just some of the hundreds of errors/contradictions in the Bible. Maybe the Missionaries should try to clear up these errors (which they wont be able to do) instead of disperately looking for errors/contradictions in the Quran.





Notes:

All translations of the Quran were Abdullah Yousef Ali, Mohammed Pickthal and Shakir which are considered the best English translations of the Quran. All translations of the Bible were of NIV version of the Bible.

For rebuttals of Answering-Islam please visit examinethetruth.com, answering-christianity.com and bismilkallahuma.org.