Does the Qur’an really have errors?

[danieldemol]

As it is the Word of God we never question it’s accuracy...
...we shouldn’t presume that God is wrong

I never said that God is wrong.
You start out with the assumption that the Quran is the 100% infallible word of God which is an assumption that you appear not to want to question.

By comparison I question that assumption. I say the good in the Quran came from God, and the Quran’s errors came from Muhammad’s human limitations.

God wouldn’t test people beyond what they are realistically capable of achieving, to do so would be merciless.

Therefore if God wanted to test people by putting in metaphors, God wouldn’t put in unresolvable metaphors like the one about semen coming from between the backbone and ribs.

It is surely no coincidence that the Quran’s science is reflective of 7th century man’s understanding of science.

 

[loverofhumanity]

I never said that God is wrong.
You start out with the assumption that the Quran is the 100% infallible word of God which is an assumption that you appear not to want to question.

By comparison I question that assumption. I say the good in the Quran came from God, and the Quran’s errors came from Muhammad’s human limitations.

God wouldn’t test people beyond what they are realistically capable of achieving, to do so would be merciless.

Therefore if God wanted to test people by putting in metaphors, God wouldn’t put in unresolvable metaphors like the one about semen coming from between the backbone and ribs.

It is surely no coincidence that the Quran’s science is reflective of 7th century man’s understanding of science.

Baha’is believe the Quran is the Word of God and Muhammad was a Perfect Being and that both Muhammad and the Quran are absolutely infallible. Non Baha’is do not accept this.

Here is a letter from the Guardian that states that even the Imams were infallible, that they got their infallibility from Muhammad and it goes without saying that as Muhammad is infallible so is the Quran. There are plenty of references regarding this in the Baha’i Writings that you can search for if you want to know more.

“The guidance vouchsafed to the Imams regarding the laws and institutions of Islam was absolute and unqualified. Their infallibility was derived directly from the Manifestation.”

“From a letter written on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual believer, July 30, 1941)”

The link to this letter from the Universal House of Justice is below.

Regarding your Bahá’í friend who does not fully understand the infallibility of the Manifestation of God: You should influence that person to study the matter more deeply, and to realize that the whole theory of Divine Revelation rests on the infallibility of the Prophet, be He Christ, Muḥammad, Bahá’u’lláh, or one of the others. If They are not infallible, then They are not divine, and thus lose that essential link with God which, we believe, is the bond that educates men and causes all human progress. (Universal House of Justice)

It is clear from a study of the Text that infallibility is an essential attribute of the Manifestation of God. Bahá’u’lláh wrote:

12.4a . . . the Most Great Infallibility is confined to the One Whose station is immeasurably exalted beyond ordinances or prohibitions and is sanctified from errors and omissions. . . .
12.41b . . . Were He to pronounce right to be wrong or denial to be belief, He speaketh the truth as bidden by God. This is a station wherein sins or trespasses neither exist nor are mentioned.
(Tablets of Bahá’u’lláh Revealed after the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, pp. 108, 10

MUHJ86-01/12/Infallibility of the Manifestations of God - Bahaiworks, a library of works about the Bahá’í Faith

 

[ACEofALLaces]

As it is the Word of God we never question it’s accuracy just how we interpret it. The only errors are from our own interpretations as God doesn’t make mistakes.

I am not as confident in that conclusion as you apparently are.

In that the words IN the bible are NOT necessarily the "words of God", as they are the words of some indigent goat-ropers, who wrote down what THEY thought of the matter, in THEIR words, and from THEIR perception.

It isn't that they lied, or fabricated it, and made it up, (though that is certainly a possibility) as much as what they wrote was the BEST that they could do, with what they had to work with.

It is convenient, almost 'apologetic' like, to offer the explanation that those who wrote the bible were not really "human beings" in the literal sense of the word, but were 'messengers' who COULD hear and UNDERSTAND what God was saying.

Sure they were.......<wink wink>

 

[TransmutingSoul]

I think it would be more correct to say it does contain errors if read literally, even if one were to hold your perspective.

But even if one holds the view that all the scientific errors are really just metaphors, and overlooks the fact that the Quran makes no attempt to distinguish between where it is talking literally and where it is talking metaphorically, what would be the metaphor in saying for example that semen comes from between the backbone and ribs of man? And wouldn’t it be easier just to say it directly than using such a bizarre unscientific metaphor?

I see that this is what we have to explore, both the material and spiritual.Abdul'baha gives a talk on Outward symbols are needed to explain spiritual realities. It is the talk that explains this. It appears spiritual understanding is entwined with the material aspects of man.

A good example would be Abdul'baha's explanation of Adam and Eve. Adam is man and Eve is mans soul. Read the story on the Bible and eve was taken from a rib?

I have no idea what the Quran verse is saying, but backbone, rib and semen would likewise have many spiritual aspects.

We are told if we meditate on the material world and contemplate what is written in spiritual scriptures, we will be able to find truths we had not yet considered.

Regards Tony

 

[TransmutingSoul]

I am not as confident in that conclusion as you apparently are.

In that the words IN the bible are NOT necessarily the "words of God", as they are the words of some indigent goat-ropers, who wrote down what THEY thought of the matter, in THEIR words, and from THEIR perception.

It isn't that they lied, or fabricated it, and made it up, (though that is certainly a possibility) as much as what they wrote was the BEST that they could do, with what they had to work with.

It is convenient, almost 'apologetic' like, to offer the explanation that those who wrote the bible were not really "human beings" in the literal sense of the word, but were 'messengers' who COULD hear and UNDERSTAND what God was saying.

Sure they were.......<wink wink>

The key here was in our submission. The important thing is to never let a passage divide us, to which Christianity and Islam did not successful do.

Baha'u'llah confirmed that the Bible served its purpose and contained all the guidance we needed to see God with new eyes and hear with new ears in this age.

With new understandings, passages that may have been the cause of division, can now be seen in a different way.

Regards Tony

 

[loverofhumanity]

I am not as confident in that conclusion as you apparently are.

In that the words IN the bible are NOT necessarily the "words of God", as they are the words of some indigent goat-ropers, who wrote down what THEY thought of the matter, in THEIR words, and from THEIR perception.

It isn't that they lied, or fabricated it, and made it up, (though that is certainly a possibility) as much as what they wrote was the BEST that they could do, with what they had to work with.

It is convenient, almost 'apologetic' like, to offer the explanation that those who wrote the bible were not really "human beings" in the literal sense of the word, but were 'messengers' who COULD hear and UNDERSTAND what God was saying.

Sure they were.......<wink wink>

From my research, the essence of the Old Testament were things like the Ten Commandments which still has laws relevant to our age and with the Gospels - the Beatitudes, the commandment to love one another and be forgiving are eternal laws which, I believe , if we followed meticulously would have led to peace and unity on earth long ago, it is my conviction.

Apart from that there are parables and stories with a moral meaning and some mystical and symbolic passages regarding a Promised One to appear at the end of the age.

Christianity is now over 2,000 years old and Islam 1,400 years since its inception. In each religion the meaning of the texts has been changed over time by religious leaders against their original message of love and peace.

Historical records show It was religious leaders who disobeyed their Bible and Quran and took us through such horrible periods as the Crusades, the Inquisition and the conquests by the Umayyads and Abbasids entirely against the clear laws of only defensive warfare in the Quran.

This is why religion is renewed and upgraded periodically by God to make it relevant for our age as well as to restore its original purity once again.

So I accept the Prophets and religions such as Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism to be Divine in origin but also believe that we desperately need a religion that can unite a divided world and so I follow Baha’u’llah Who I believe is able to achieve this.