This is a contentious question and accordingly has numerous disparate answers. The answers will be organized by category:

Answer A :those that assert that God provided the Qur'an or that the Qur'an has a Divine Origin (asserted by most Muslims)

Answer B: Those that claim that Mohammed did write the Qur'an (asserted by some non-Muslims).

Answer C: Those that assert that the Qur'an was written by humans other than Mohammed (asserted by some non-Muslims.
Answer D: Islamic Counterpoint to Answers B & C

Additionally, see the Related Questions and Links for more information.

Answer A. Divinely InspiredAnswer A1

The Quran is the miracle given to Muhammad. Yes, it is just "a book" compared to the miracles of the Jesus, Solomon, Moses or any other prophets.

However, this book given to him is the main source of law in Islam. Quranic teachings cover all areas of this life and the life after death.The whole of the Quran is from God. Each and every single word is a revealed word. It was sent down to Muhammad through the angel Gabriel. The Quran is in the Arabic Language and all the words have remained unchanged, even to the last of dot, for over 1400 years now. The Quran exists today is in its original form, unaltered and undistorted. It is a living miracle in the sense that it has survived so many centuries without suffering any change. Many non-Muslims claim that Quran is written by Muhammad itself. If that was true, and if u have read the Quran, you would agree with me that Muhammad is indeed the most genius person on earth God ever created. But no. Before he was a prophet, he couldnt even read but he was trustworthy, kind and well-known for his honesty. Muhammad can never have written the Quran. It is the word of God. Let me tell you why.

FIRSTLY, in the Quran, There is a chapter named Surah Maryam (CHAPTER MARY) named in honor of Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ. In fact, in one of the verses in the Quran (Al-Imran, Ayah 42) says..

"Behold! The angels said "O mary! Allah has chosen you and purified you, chosen you above the women of all nations."

Such an honor is not to be found given to Mary in any of The Christian Bible. If Muhammad was the author of the Quran, then he would not have failed to include in it with Maryam (Mary), his own mother - Aminah, his dear wife - Khadijah, or his beloved daughter - Fatima. But NO! This can never be. Why? Because The Quran is not his handiwork! And if you think further, why would Muhammad, the Prophet of Islam honor a woman from his opposition? And a Jewess at that! Belonging to a race which had been looking down upon his people for 3,000 years? Just as they still look down upon their Arab brethren today. But no. The words in the Quran is the word of God, sent to Muhammad as God's messenger, for him to deliver them to the people. And yes, Muslims believe in Jesus. But as a prophet, not as God. We love Jesus just like you love Jesus.

SECONDLY in the Quran, it is full of scientific evidence. I cant elaborate more on this but this is what i got from my research...

Maurice Bucaile (Prof of Surgery, France) in his book. "The BIBLE, the Quran and Science" mentions the following: (quoting page 120)

"What initially strikes the reader confronted for the first time with a text (The Quran) of his kind, is the sheer abundance of subjects discussed; The Creation, Astronomy, the Explanation of Certain Mailers concerning the Earth, The Animal and Vegetable Kingdoms and Human Reproduction.

Whereas monumental errors are to be found in the Bible, I could not find a single error in the Quran. I had to stop and ask myself; If a man was an author of the Quran, how could he have written facts in the seventh century AD.. that today are shown to be in keeping with modern scientific knowledge?

There was absolutely no doubt that it, the text of the Quran we have today is most definitely a text of the period, if i may be allowed to put it in these terms. What human explanation can there be for this observation? In my opinion there is no explanation; there is no special reason why an inhabitant of the Arabian Peninsula should, at a time when King Dagobert was reigning in France (629-639AD) have had scientific knowledge on certain subjects that was ten centuries ahead of our own."

Another eminent French Researcher Professor, Captain Jacques Cousteau embraces Islam as a result of reading in the Holy Quran verses which 1,400 years ago were related to the result of his recent research work. That is, there are phenomenal barriers at connections of certain oceans, and that waters of one sea do not mix with that of the other.

The Quran clearly states the above fact: (Quran: Ar-Rahman, Ayah 19-20)

19: He (God) has let free the two bodies of flowing water, meeting together

20: Between them is a barrier, which they do not trangress

Professor Leith Moore (Anatomy, University of Toronto, Canada) describes the stages of human development, in his book "The Developing Human, Clinically Oriented Embryology" says:

"Growth of science was slow during the medieval periods, and a few high points of embryological investigation undertaken during this age are known to us.

It is cited in the Quran that human beings are produced creation of a human being from a sperm drop, and it is also suggested that the resulting organism settles in the womb like a seed, six days after its beginning. The human blastocyst begins to impant about six days after fertilization.

The Quran also states that the sperm drop develops "into a congealed clot of blood". An impanted blastocyst or a spontaneously aborted conceptus would resemble a blood clot."

Answer A2

No, it is impossible, he is an ummi(illiterate; someone who can not read or write).

Almighty Allah says: (And thou (O Muhammad) wast not a reader of any scripture before it, nor didst thou write it with thy right hand, for then might those have doubted, who follow falsehood.) (Al-`Ankabut 29: 48) He also says: (Those who follow the messenger, the Prophet who can neither read nor write, whom they will find described in the Torah(old testament) and the Gospel (which are) with them …) (Al-A`raf 7: 157)

[Sahih bukhari, Volume 1, Book 1, Number 3] ...He used to take with him the journey food for the stay and then come back to (his wife) Khadija to take his food like-wise again till suddenly the Truth descended upon him while he was in the cave of Hira. The angel came to him and asked him to read. The Prophet replied, "I do not know how to read... (but the word "iqraa" has two meanings ("recite" and "read"), so at the end, muhammed pbuh understood that the angel was saying "recite (repeat)"!.

The Qur'an clearly says: (Will they not then ponder on the Qur'an? If it had been from other than Allah they would have found therein much incongruity.) (An-Nisaa' 4: 82) At the time the Qur'an was revealed, the Arabs recognized that the language of the Qur'an was unique and that it was distinctly different from the language normally used by the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. The Arabs of that time, by the way, were known for their beautiful poetry and Muhammad was known to be an illiterate man!

some claim that he removed his name in the agreement with quraish. this is wrong because they said: "we refuse to call you muhammed apostale of allah, you are muhammed son of abdullah. so he aked his companions to remove his nam, but they could not do it. So he asked were is my name?, they pointed out his name. and he only removed his name by the pen, that's all. and the quraish wrote his name; muhammed son of abdullah.

If this Quran was made (or a product of) in Baghdad 8th,9th century,, we would find different versions and archeloges would certainly find one in arabia. But there is never found another version than the Quran we know today. And there is only one Quran. Thescholars that say Quran is dubious are (probebly) christians, funny how they try to convert people with lies.

Answer A3

Is Quran the word of God?

What does the Quran claim?

[This is] the revelation of the Book about which there is no doubt from the Lord of the worlds. Or do they say, "He invented it"? Rather, it is the truth from your Lord, [O Mohammed], that you may warn a people to whom no Warner has come before you [so] perhaps they will be guided. 32:2-3

What do the Disbelievers say?

And those who disbelieve say, "This [Qur'an] is not except a falsehood he invented, and another people assisted him in it. But they have committed an injustice and a lie. And they say, "Legends of the former peoples which he has written down, and they are dictated to him morning and afternoon. Say, [O Mohammed], "It has been revealed by He who knows [every] secret within the heavens and the earth. Indeed, He is ever forgiving and Merciful." 25:4-6

Neutral approach to come to a rational conclusion:

There are only two possibilities. They are:

1. The claim what the Quran makes is true

2. The claim what the disbelievers make is true

To know which of the above two claims is true, we will analyze the possible sources of the Quran.

Possible sources of the Quran:

There are 4 possible sources.

1. Quran was written by Mohammed(peace be on him) himself

2. Mohammed(peace be on him) copied it from other sources

3. Some other human / Satan taught Mohammed (peace be on him) or a psychiatric source like Epilepsy, Visions etc caused him to recite Quran

4. Quran was revealed by God

We will use the technique of "Exhausting the alternatives" to conclude on the source of the Quran.

First Possible Source -- Quran was written by Mohammed (peace be on him) himself

· If we analyze the background and education of Mohammed (peace be on him), he was an illiterate man who had NO formal education in any science, language, religious or secular.

· Quran speaks about a variety of branches of science like: Astronomy, Embryology, Hydrology, Geology, Sociology, Psychology, Oceanography, Law etc.

· Until the age of forty, there is NO historical account in his life that shows his scholarly tendencies or achievements in any of the spectrum of subjects the Quran deals with. How could such an illiterate man, suddenly, at the age of forty, bring about a book like the Quran which brought about an ideological and religious revolution that changed the face of history?

· If Mohammed (peace be on him) had authored the Quran, why would he honor and mention Mary (May Allah be pleased with her), the mother of Jesus (peace be on him) and NOT mention his own family members? (NOTE: Quran does NOT have the names of any of the family members of Mohammed (peace be on him)?

· If he had authored the Quran, why would he consistently deny authorship of the Quran? Not once, did he claim authorship of Quran.

· If he had authored the Quran, why would he disclose verses that reprimand him? Examples - 33:37 and 80:1-3

Inference: It is ONLY rational to conclude that Mohammed (peace be on him) himself is NOT the author of the Quran.

Second Possible Source -- Mohammed (peace be on him) copied it from other scriptures

When the critics are asked to name the scripture or the source from which Mohammed (peace be on him) could have copied, they say: from the Old and New Testament of the Bible. Let us examine if this claim can be true.

· Mohammed (peace be on him) was an illiterate and Quran testifies to this historical fact. Quran Chapter 29 Verse 48

· The Arabic version of the Bible was not present at the time of Prophet Mohammed (peace be on him). The earliest Arabic version of the Old Testament is that of R. Saadias Gaon of 900 C.E. - more than 250 years after the death of our beloved Prophet. The oldest Arabic version of the New Testament was published by Erpenius in 1616 C.E. - about a thousand years after the demise of our Prophet.

· Scientifically incorrect information in the bible

o Sun created after the creation of earth. Genesis 1:9-19

o Vegetation created before the Sun. Genesis 1:11-13, 14-19

o First man Adam appeared on earth approximately 5800 years ago. 1948 years between Adam and Abraham, Approximately 1800 years between Abraham and Jesus, 2000 years from Jesus till today. Genesis 5,9,11 etc.

o Noah's flood = Universal and occurred in the 21st or 22nd Century B.C (Genesis 6, 7 & 8).

· Quran mentions the same incidents as above without mistakes. It is illogical to assume that Mohammed (peace be on him) had borrowed the information from the Bible and corrected the mistakes before mentioning it in the Qur'an.

· How could so many Jews and Christians [some of them were scholars in their religion] amongst Mohammed (peace be on him)'s contemporaries become Muslims if Mohammed (peace be on him) was copying from their scriptures?

· If someone copies during an examination he will surely not write in the answer sheet that he has copied from his neighbor or Mr. XYZ. Prophet Mohammed (peace be on him) gave due respect and credit to all the previous prophets (peace be on them all). The Qur'an also mentions the various revelations like Torah, Zabur, and Injeel given by Almighty God to different prophets. Is it rational to believe that a person who copied from the previous scriptures gave due credit by mentioning them in the Quran?

How do we then explain the similarities between Quran and the previous scriptures? Is it NOT because the Quran was copied from the previous scriptures (Bible)?

The similarity is NOT because Quran was copied from the previous scriptures BUT rather due to the fact that the source for all the scripture is the same.

For example: First commandment given by Moses -- Deuteronomy 6:4. First Commandment given by Jesus -- Mark 12:29. If we use the same logic used by the critics, we will have to conclude that Jesus copied from Moses.

All the scriptures including the Quran have a common source -- God and hence the similarity.

Inference: It is ONLY rational to conclude that Mohammed (peace be on him) could NOT have copied the Quran from other scriptures.

Third Possible Source -- Some other human / Satan taught Mohammed (peace be on him) or a psychiatric source like Epilepsy, Visions etc

A) HUMAN TEACHER / TEACHERS:

1. Who was /were the person / persons who taught Mohammed (peace be on him)? Despite abundance of historical material on the Prophet's life, why is it not possible to discover that mysterious teacher(s)?

2. Quran was NOT revealed in a day. It was revealed in stages over a period of 23 years. "And [it is] a Qur'an which We have separated [by intervals] that you might recite it to the people over a prolonged period. And We have sent it down progressively." 17:106 and "And those who disbelieve say: "Why is not the Quran revealed to him all at once?" Thus (it is sent down in parts), that We may strengthen your heart thereby. And We have revealed it to you gradually, in stages." 25:32.

Is it rational to believe that someone was teaching Mohammed (peace be on him) consistently for a period of 23 years? How could he have hidden himself for a period of 23 years?

3. Quranic revelations sometimes came down in the presence of the people. Where then was the mysterious, invisible teacher?

4. What kind of a teacher would have taught Mohammed (peace be on him) a coherent and complete religion that changed the face of history? Why didn't he claim the credit for himself? Why couldn't he or they speak against the alleged student who continued learning from them for 23 years, while ignoring them and claiming some other divine source for his teachings?

5. Mohammed (peace be on him) was surrounded by his companions all the time and every minute detail of his life was recorded. In fact, no human being's life was recorded in so much detail as it was done for the life of Mohammed (peace be on him). How could Mohammed (peace be on him) make frequent secret visits to that mysterious teacher or teachers for 23 years without being caught even once?

6. How could so many Jews and Christians [some of them were scholars in their religion] amongst Mohammed (peace be on him)'s contemporaries become Muslims if Mohammed (peace be on him) was learning from their priests or rabbis?

B) SATAN:

1. If Satan would have taught the Qur'an, he would not have mentioned in the same Qur'an in chapter 16 verse 98 "So when you recite the Qur'an, [first] seek refuge in Allah from Satan, the expelled". Is this how you feel Satan would teach a book? Will he tell us; "Before you read my book ask God to save you from me?"

2. There are several verses in the Qur'an which will give enough evidence that Satan is not the author of the Qur'an. In chapter 7 verse 200, "And if an evil suggestion comes to you from Satan, then seek refuge in Allah. Indeed, He is Hearing and Knowing." Why would Satan tell his followers, that whenever he gives any suggestions to them, they should seek refuge in Allah?

3. Quran says in Chapter 2 Verse 208 and in several other places that "do not follow the footsteps of Satan. Indeed, he is to you a clear enemy." If it was Satan who taught Mohammed (peace be on him), why would he ask the readers not to follow him? Does it make any sense?

C) Psychiatric Source:

a. Epilepsy:

· Critics say that due to epileptic seizure Mohammed (peace be on him) recited something and that became the Quran. What is overlooked in this argument is that during the epileptic seizure, the functioning of the brain is disturbed. As such, sensible speech is impossible and the person affected by epilepsy will ONLY mumble something which he will forget after he recovers. All available recorded history of Mohammed (peace be on him) unanimously say that he was a man with excellent physical and mental health throughout his life.

· Quran was revealed in stages for a period of 23 years. This means the seizure continued for 23 years non-stop and enabled a man produce a book. Does this sound rational to believe?

· How could his followers (several thousands of them) believe in him without knowing that he is an epileptic and the Quran is from his epileptic seizures?

· Quran was revealed in the presence of people. Had Quran been due to epileptic seizures, people would have got to know about it.

· Saying Quran came from epileptic seizure is tantamount to saying Hamlet was produced by the epileptic seizures of Shakespeare.

b. Mythomania:

· This is a psychological disorder in which a person tells lies and then believes in them as if it were true.

· The Qur'an talks facts -- things that you can go and look and see that they are true, things you can verify. The mythomaniac cannot do this. Facts are a problem for him. Therefore psychologists treat a man suffering from mythomania by confronting him with facts.

· The Qur'an approaches its readers by confronting them with facts and thus heals them of their delusions. The Qur'an poses questions: "O human being -- you say so and so, but then what about such and such? Do you say this when you know that . . .?" A mythomaniac can never do this.

· Mohammed (peace be on him) was NOT only a spiritual leader BUT was also an astute and successful political leader. Had he been a mythomaniac he could have never been a successful political leader.

Inference: It is ONLY rational to conclude that someone could NOT have taught the Quran to Mohammed (peace be on him) and there could NOT have been a psychiatric source for the Quran.

Conclusion:

Using the technique of "Exhausting the alternatives", we are left with ONLY one possible source for the Quran -- God. A neutral researcher will have no choice BUT to agree that Quran could NOT have been authored by Mohammed (peace be on him) either consciously or unconsciously.

Quran's challenge to the mankind:

1. There is NOT a single scripture on the face of the earth, which gives a falsification test to disprove its authenticity.

"Then do they not reflect upon the Qur'an? If it had been from [any] other than Allah, they would have found within it much contradiction." 4:82

And if you are in doubt about what We have sent down upon Our Servant [Mohammed], then produce a chapter the like thereof and call upon your witnesses other than Allah, if you should be truthful. But if you do not - and you will never be able to - then fear the Fire, whose fuel is men and stones, prepared for the disbelievers. 2:23-24

2. Unlike many scriptures, where FAITH is the only way to approach the scripture, Quran appeals to the mind and rationale of a human being. Quran is a unique scripture that encourages the reader to think and ponder over it, which is not the same case with most of the scriptures.

"Then do they not reflect upon the Qur'an, or are there locks upon [their] hearts?" 47:24

"And those who, when reminded of the verses of their Lord, do not fall upon them deaf and blind." 25:73

Invitation to Mankind:

"It (Quran) is not except a reminder to the worlds. For whomever amongst you wish to take a right course." 81:27-28

"O mankind, worship your Lord, who created you and those before you, that you may become righteous" 2:21

"And say, "The truth is from your Lord, so whoever wills - let him believe; and whoever wills - let him disbelieve." Indeed, We have prepared for the wrongdoers a fire whose walls will surround them. And if they call for relief, they will be relieved with water like murky oil, which scalds [their] faces. Wretched is the drink, and evil is the resting place. Indeed, those who have believed and done righteous deeds - indeed, We will not allow to be lost the reward of any who did well in deeds." 18:29-30

Answer A4

The answer is no.

Quran was a revelation from God to Prophet Muhammad through the Angel Gabriel. This God revelation of Quran started in year 610 AD and continued until year 632 Ad (by Prophet Muhammad death.

However, some historians claim that prophet Muhammad wrote the Quran by himself. Arguments against this claim are: Prophet Muhammad was an illiterate man who had no formal education in any science, language, religious or secular.

Quran speaks about a variety of branches of science like: Astronomy, Embryology, Hydrology, Geology, Sociology, Psychology, Oceanography, Law etc. including lots of scientific statements thar were validated only recently and were not know in the time of the prophet.

It was not known about prophet Muhammed any scholarly tendencies or achievements until the age of forty (when he received the first verses of Quran). So, how this illiterate man suddenly brings about a book like the Quran which brought about an ideological and religious revolution that changed the face of history?
Why prophet Muhammad (peace be on him), if he authored the Quran, honor the virgin Mary (May Allah be pleased with her), the mother of Jesus (peace be on him) as the best woman over all women on earth over all ages until day of judgment and (an honor that even not offered by the bible) while not mentioning his own family members with a single word and even not mentioning any name of them.?
If he had authored the Quran, why he didn't claim this authorship of Quran and consequently gaining higher prestige among his followers who may consider him as a God.
Why he mentioned Quran verses that reprimand him (as that of chapter 33, verse 37 and chapter 80 verses 1-3) if he wrote Quran by himself?.

Some others claim that Prophet Muhammad copied the Quran from the Bible. Arguments against this claim are:

No Arabic version of the Bible was available at the time of Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him). The oldest Arabic version of the New Testament was published by Erpenius in 1616 AD (about one thousand years after Quran start of revelation)

Quran included correct scientific information on some incidents that are scientifically incorrect in the bible (e.g. sun was created after the creation of earth Genesis 1:9-19 and vegetation was created before the Sun-Genesis 1:11-13, 14-19). had prophet Muhammad (peace be on him) copied the information from the Bible and corrected the mistakes before mentioning it in the Qur'an? In addition, Quran includes lots of other scientific statements, that currently proven as correct, and not mentioned in the Bible.

How so many Jews and Christians, including many who were werescholars in their religion, converted to Islam if there was doubt that Prophet Muhammad was copying from their scriptures?
If Quran has some preachings or tales that are similar to that in the Bible, then this is because all holy books came from a single source (God).

Some others claim that a person or group of persons taught Muhammad (peace be on him) on how to write the Quran. Arguments against this claim are:

If this is true, then why not discovered a single teacher of them in the time of the prophet.

Quran was revealed over 23 years and not at once. Is it logic that that someone or more taught prophet Muhammad over a period of without being known.

Sometimes Quran revelations occurred in the presence of the people.

Why the teacher, who taught Quran to the prophet, didn't claim it and its credit to himself?

Muhammad (peace be on him) was surrounded by his companions all the time and every minute detail of his life was recorded. How could Muhammad (peace be on him) make frequent secret visits to that mysterious teacher or teachers for 23 years without being caught even once?

How could so many Jews and Christians convert to Islam[some of them were scholars in their religion] amongst Muhammad (peace be on him)'s contemporaries become Muslims if Muhammad (peace be on him) was learning from their priests or rabbis?

Answer A5

Most people who answer this question will speak from a biased perspective. The non Muslims will tell you it was written by Muhammad (saw) & that he copied the bible. The Muslims will tell you otherwise.

To get to the answer we must look at the facts

There are definitely some themes in the Qur'an which are shared with the bible, there also things which are contrary.

Muhammad could not read or write, he was unlettered, interestingly enough the bible predicts the coming of an unlettered prophet who shall carry a message from God.

The Qur'an is a fairly long book, it is also written in a poetic sort of style. It includes things like rhetorical questions & metaphors to get to the message.

Whilst the bible is written like a story book & i quote from numerous places in the bible 'now it came to pass' (once upon a time), the Qur'an is written in a more journalistic style with straightforward commands.

Whether Muslim or Non Muslim, no true academic can deny that the Quran is a literary masterpiece.

At the time of Muhammad there were no bibles written in Arabic, so even if for the sake of the argument he could read he would not have access to the bible.

We have established therefore that certain Stories in the Qur'an are Indeed similar to ones in the bible, & that Muhammad could not have copied these from the bible, it would be an absurdity for any one who has studied this thoroughly to say the Qur'an plagiarized from the bible.

Now that we have established the Qur'an is not a copy of the bible we must consider the psychological possibility of Muhammad writing the Qur'an himself.

It would be impossible for Muhammad to know of stories from the bible with such accuracy even if for the sake of the argument he as certain people claim did meet with Jews whilst he was trading & copy them.

When somebody cites discrepancy from the stories in the bible, one must remember that Muslims believe the bible to be a corrupted book.

Is it really plausible to assume an illiterate man could write such a book just from memory, he would have to not only formulate stories, he would need to think of these stories & present them in a poetic way.

Would a man who was illiterate be able to do all this & remember if i am correct 6346 verses of varying lengths.

Based on psychology i doubt that an illiterate man would be able to remember the whole Qur'an if he had to make it all up himself.

We must also consider this, Muhammad was an Arab, the Arabs & Jews are noted for there rivalry, the name of Jesus (a Jew) is mentioned 25 times more than the name of Muhammad in the Qur'an.

Once again reason dictates that if the Qur'an was written by Muhammad he would favor himself more than others. The mother of Muhammad is not mentioned by name once in the Qur'an. Mary the mother of Jesus on the other hand has a whole chapter named after her. Not only this but the grandfather of Jesus 'Imran'/Joachim also has a chapter which has the same name as him.

Reason & psychology dictates to me, that the Qur'an could not have been written by 1 illiterate man.

Answer B. Written by Mohammed (A non Muslim view)[Please see Answer D for an Islamic Counterpoint to Answer B.]

Answer B1

Non-Muslim's claim that Quran came from Muhammad himself. Among the many reason including the revelations that approves his behavior (marrying (Adopted son's)daughter-in-law and intimate relation with slave girls) two are given here.

1) Mohammad got Christian and Jewish Scripture details mainly from his Christian wife Khadijah and her cousin Waraqa: Muhammad's first wife was a Christian. Her uncle Waraqa was a monk who spends time at Hira Caves. Mohammad used to visit him to hear Biblical accounts. Mohammad never wrote anything. However, Mohammad retold these biblical incidents to Mohammad's followers as revelations from Allah. This is why Qur'an contains Biblical accounts. Many times Mohammad messed up the Biblical incidents and told them a distorted version of the true Biblical accounts. This is why Qur'an contradicts with the Biblical incidents. Mohammad does not have to be a learned person to recite what he heard from Waraqa and others.

2) Mohammad heard fables and tales from others and recited as Allah's revelation: Education is not necessary to repeat a story. During Mohammad's time, many people accused him of repeating these fables as revelation from Allah (Qur'an 8:31, 16:24, 25:5, 27:68, 46:17, 68:15). Some of the examples of the fables of that time found in Qur'an are the following: (None of these are included in the New Testament because they were fables)

Qur'an mentions the story of Satan and his conflicts with Adam and God (7:11-12). This was mentioned in the Gospel of Bartholomew written in 3rd century A.D
Qur'an mentions an altered version of Mary's betrothal to Joseph (3:44). This was mentioned in the gospel of the Birth of Mary written before the 4th Century A.D
Qur'an mentions Jesus speaking from cradle (3:36, 5:110 & 19:29-34). This was written in The First Infancy Gospel Of Jesus Christ (1:1-3)
Qur'an mentions Child Jesus making a clay bird and giving life (3:39, 5:110). This was written in two sources - Infancy Gospel of Thomas (A.D. 150) and Gospel of the Infancy of Jesus Christ (15:1-7).

Answer C. Human Collaboration (A non Muslim View)[Please see Answer D for an Islamic Counterpoint to Answer C1 & C2.]

Answer C1

The most correct answer to this claim is no. Most Quranic experts attribute the Qur'an in its form today to post-7th Century alterations. The consensus is, "independent scholars studying the Qur'an and Hadith, have concluded that the Islamic scripture was not revealed to just one man, but was a compilation of later redactions and editions formulated by a group of men, over the course of a few hundred years. The Qur'an which we read today is not that which was in existence in the mid-seventh century, but is a product of the eighth and ninth centuries. It was not conceived in Mecca or Medina, but in Baghdad."

Because the origins of Islam and the Qur'an are dubious. This is the opinion of renowned scholars and professors of Islam, history, Arabic and many other fields. Among them - Dr. John Wansbrough, American historian who taught at London University's School of Oriental and African Studies; Professor Joseph Schacht, professor of Arabic and Islam at Columbia University in New York and a leading Western scholar of Islamic law; Dr. Patricia Crone, a scholar, author and historiographer of early Islamic history working at the Institute for Advance Study; R. Stephen Humphreys, professor of history and Islamic studies at the University of California at Santa Barbara; and Professor Andrew Rippin, professor of history and specialist in Islamic studies at the University of Victoria, B.C., Canada

"Almost universally, independent scholars studying the Qur'an and Hadith, have concluded that the Islamic scripture was not revealed to just one man, but was a compilation of later redactions and editions formulated by a group of men, over the course of a few hundred years. The Qur'an which we read today is not that which was in existence in the mid-seventh century, but is a product of the eighth and ninth centuries. It was not conceived in Mecca or Medina, but in Baghdad. It was then and there that Islam took on its identity and became a religion. Consequently, the formative stage of Islam was not within the lifetime of Muhammad but evolved over a period of 300 years."

Gerd Puin on Qur'anic Integrity

Gerd Puin, a German scholar and the world's foremost authority on Qur'anic paleography, the study and scholarly interpretation of ancient manuscripts. He is a specialist in Arabic calligraphy:

"My idea is that the Koran is a kind of cocktail of texts that were not all understood even at the time of Muhammad. Many of them may even be a hundred years older than Islam itself. Even within the Islamic traditions there is a huge body of contradictory information, including a significant Christian substrate; one can derive a whole Islamic anti-history from them if one wants. The Qur'an claims for itself that it is 'mubeen,' or clear, but if you look at it, you will notice that every fifth sentence or so simply doesn't make sense. Many Muslims will tell you otherwise, of course, but the fact is that a fifth of the Qur'anic text is just incomprehensible. This is what has caused the traditional anxiety regarding translation. If the Qur'an is not comprehensible, if it can't even be understood in Arabic, then it's not translatable into any language. That is why Muslims are afraid. Since the Qur'an claims repeatedly to be clear but is not-there is an obvious and serious contradiction. Something else must be going on."

Imperfect Qur'an

Another reason why the Qur'an fails the criteria as the word of a perfect God is because of the imperfections within the Qur'an. The Qur'an is riddled with literary contradictions, scientific errors and historical errors.

Plagiarism in Muhammad's Time

The Qur'an tells us that Muhammad's critics caught him plagiarising traditions, folklore and Jewish and Christian scripture. Examples: "We have heard this (before): if we wished, we could say (words) like these: these are nothing but tales of the ancients" (8:31). "Such things have been promised to us and to our fathersbefore! They are nothing but tales of the ancients!" (23:83)"

Zoroastrians Traditions

In regard to the Islamic versions of heaven, 'paradise', plagiarism from non-Abrahamic beliefs is also evident. "None of this, of course, can be found in the Jewish or Christian Scriptures, but it is in the writings of the Zoroastrians of Persia, who were a considerable presence in the areas around the Persian Empire before the advent of Islam. According to historian W. St. Clair Tisdall, who did pioneering work on these questions in his monograph "The Sources of Islam," which he later expanded into a book, and in his other writings, "the books of the Zoroastrians and Hindus... bear the most extraordinary likeness to what we find in the Koran and Hadith. Thus in Paradise we are told of 'houris having fine black eyes,' and again of 'houris with large black eyes, resembling pearls hidden in their shells.'... The name houry too is derived from an Avesta or Pehlavi Source, as well as jinn for genii, and bihisht (Paradise), signifying in Avestic 'the better land.' We also have very similar tales in the old Hindu writings, of heavenly regions with their boys and girls resembling the houris and ghilman of the Koran.""

Source: The Truth About Muhammad by Robert Spencer (2006)

Different Qur'ans in Muhammad's Time

Islamic sources tell us that Muhammad's followers would argue because Muhammad provided contradicting versions of the Qur'an. A notable example appears in Bulhari's Hadith:

"Umar bin Khattab [the second Caliph] said, 'I heard Hisham bin Hakim bin Hizam reciting Surat Al-Furqan ["Al-Furqan," the title of the 25th surah, has no meaning in any language.] during the lifetime of Allah's Apostle. I listened to his recitation and noticed that he recited it in several ways which Allah's Apostle had not taught me. So I was on the point of attacking him in the prayer, but I waited till he finished, and then I seized him by the collar. "Who taught you this Surah which I have heard you reciting?" He replied, "Allah's Apostle taught it to me." I said, "You are lying. Allah's Apostle taught me in a different way this very Surah which I have heard you reciting." So I led him to Muhammad. "O Allah's Apostle! I heard this person reciting Surat-al-Furqan in a way that you did not teach me." The Prophet said, "Hisham, recite!" So he recited in the same way as I heard him recite it before. On that Allah's Apostle said, "It was revealed to be recited in this way." Then the Prophet said, "Recite, Umar!" So I recited it as he had taught me. Allah's Apostle said, "It was revealed to be recited in this way, too." He added, "The Qur'an has been revealed to be recited in several different ways, so recite of it that which is easier for you."(Bukhari:V6B61N561)

Devoid of Context

The Qur'an in itself as a source for anything is devoid of context and thus arbitrary. Being devoid of context and any understanding, how can it be understood as the word of God?

"We do not have material in the Qur'an to compose a biography of Muhammad because the book is a disjointed discourse, a pastiche [imitation, parody] of divine monologues that can be assembled into a homily [lecture, sermon] or perhaps a catechism [snippets of dogma] but that reveals little or nothing about the life of Muhammad and his contemporaries.... The Qur'an give us no assurance that its words and sentiments are likely to be authentic in the light of the context they were delivered and in the manner of their transmission. There are no clues as to when or where or why these particular words were being uttered.... The Qur'an is of no use whatsoever as an independent source for reconstructing the life of Muhammad. The Qur'an is not terribly useful even for reconstructing the Meccan milieu much less the life of the man who uttered its words; it is a text without context."

Source: Jay Smith, "Is the Qur'an the Word of God?" A debate between on the Qur'an hosted at Trinity College, Cambridge and Dr Jamal Badawi in 1995

Answer C2

Whether or not Mohammed wrote the Qur'an is certainly debatable, but its claim to be Divine is at best questionable. It is impossible to prove that the Qur'an is not a Divine Holy Book simply because it is impossible to prove a negative in an absolute sense. For example, it is impossible to absolutely prove that there is no teapot in the Asteroid Belt, because our telescopes can't see something that small. There is no disagreement between Islamic Apologists and Critics that the Qur'an was physically written on Earth by humans. Islamic Tradition asserts that different groups in the Early Caliphate transcribed Mohammed's revelations. However, what splits the Islamic Apologists from the Critics the claim that humans wrote the Qur'an with Divine Assistance and this is a positive claim, an assertion of information. Muslims understand rightly that they have to justify this belief. Therefore, if all of their positive arguments can be dispelled, then the Qur'an returns, by default to human authorship without provable Divine Assistance.

1) Lack of Changes in the Qur'an Text: Muslims hold that the Qur'anic Text has never been altered from the moment of revelation until today. This is generally considered a defensible claim since most Qur'ans that have been discovered from the Middle Ages are consistent with the current Qur'an. However, recent archaeology has discovered Qur'ans in Sana'a, Yemen which have small differences with the current Qur'an. It is nothing major, but it shows that the Qur'an has not been consistently preserved. Additionally, even according to Islamic Tradition, Caliph 'Othman burned all of the Qur'ans that did not agree with his standardized version, meaning that there must have been some incorrect copies. The Bible was compiled over 600 years, whereas the Qur'an was compiled in, at most 200 years, but probably much less. There are fewer transcription problems when the first revelation and final revelation come closer in history.

2) Illiteracy: There is the claim that Mohammed's illiteracy proves that God inspired him. How else could he craft poetry or read the Bible? While the latter will be covered in #3, the former is easy to explain; poetry was an oral contest. Arab Poets would come together in the marketplace and have poetry contests much like "slam poetry" in the modern day. Being illiterate, while a possible hurdle, would not prevent someone with an incredible acumen from creating incredible poetry. There is also the question of how he could create a scholarly work if he were illiterate, but he was never tasked with writing the Qur'an, only speaking it. Illiteracy does not pose a problem to Mohammed having created the Qur'an himself and having it written down by others.

3) Bible Stories: There is the question of how Mohammed knew Biblical stories without a Bible to read. Of course, the assumption here is that a person would only be able to learn Bible stories by reading the Bible. This is not necessary. There were numerous Christian and Jewish groups who practiced their faith quite openly in Arabia and during his younger years, Mohammed could easily have spoken to them and learned the Bible stories. His memory may not have been perfect, so he retold some of the stories differently. It was likely that when he was confronted with this difference, he chose to blame the original sources for being wrong as opposed to himself. Also, it is worth noting that many of the differences between Biblical stories and Qur'anic stories of the same events that do not rise to textual disagreement use Jewish Midrash or Talmudic commentaries as opposed to new insights.

Additionally, there is the argument that Qur'an corrects certain scientific errors in the Bible such as greenery appearing before the sun and Noah's flood covering the whole world. While it is true that the Qur'an does not make these mistakes, it does not actually "fix them"; it just ignores the point. This is because the Qur'an is structured as a number of commands to believers and interpretations of stories that were already well known. As a result, it talks about Creation in sweeping terms as opposed to dealing with the events of every single day. As for the flood, prior to the modern age, there are no Qur'anic commentaries showing that Noah's flood was localized; this has developed recently.

Finally, some have questioned how Mohammed could have learned Bible stories on-the-spot during his 23-year revelation, but the answer was that he did not need to. He had forty years during which he was not a prophet and could learn the Bible stories that interested him. He could then take his time in retelling them.

4) Science: Qur'anic Science is as nonsensical as Biblical science. The Qur'an asserts many scientific claims that are untrue, such as: the idea that mountains hold the earth firm like tent pegs instead of plate tectonics (Q: 78:6-7), that the sky/heaven is a protected ceiling instead of a slowly thinning layer of gasses (Q: 21:32), that the Sun orbits the Earth like the moon (Q: 21:23), that two bodies of water will form a barrier instead of noting that the contents of the two bodies of water will diffuse (Q: 25:53), etc.

There are also very vague Qur'anic verses that have been adapted to refer to current scientific knowledge. For example see, Q: 21:30 (cited below). Qur'an Scientists argue that this indicates the Big Bang Theory and the fact that humans and other animals are over 60% water. However, the verse does not describe the fundamental basics of the Big Bang Theory nor does it account for all of the time between the beginning of the universe and living creatures on Earth. Additionally, the terms "heaven" and "earth" are the same ones used in the Genesis account in Arabic Christian Bibles, referring to a creation of the Earth. Similar vague Qur'anic verses are used in the following claims: that a fertilized zygote is a blood clot (Q: 22:5), that all creatures come in pairs, even bacteria (Q: 51:49), etc.

Q: 21:30: (Sahih International) Have those who disbelieved not considered that the heavens and the earth were a joined entity, and We separated them and made from water every living thing? Then will they not believe?

5) Failure to Self-Glorify: Qur'anic Apologists point to the fact that Mohammed did not refer to himself often in Qur'an and occasionally referred to himself in a less-than-flattering light as evidence he did not write it. On the contrary, Mohammed was interested in creating a unified religion for all Arabs and so would naturally stress elements such as the Jewish and Christian Prophets/Heroes/Messiahs to attract their followers as opposed to self-glorifying which would highlight his differences with their traditions.

6) Conversions of Jewish and Christian Scholars: There can be many reasons for a person to convert and some of these scholars may very well have believed that Mohammed was Prophet. Others may have believed that he was an ascendant power and wanted to join him. Additionally, Jewish and Christian scholars had been incorrect before. Rabbi Akiva was a big supporter of failed Messianic Candidate Bar Kochba around 130 C.E. Paul of Tarsus believed that Jesus would return before he died. Both were very smart men in the Jewish and Christian traditions and both were wrong.

7) No Teachers to Show Mohammed How to Write the Qur'an: This is patently false. There were numerous Jewish, Christian, Hanif, and Henotheist religious groups who could have provided the information that he would need to put together a Qur'an.

8) No Contradictions: The Qur'an challenges believers to find contradictions in its text (Q: 4:82). Well, there are many, but Muslims refuse to acknowledge them or they abrogate one of the verses (Q: 2:106). For example, the Qur'an argues in some places that God leads people astray (Q: 2:6-7, 18:57) and in other places that Iblis (the Devil) leads people astray (Q: 19:83); it argues that Jews and Christians should be treated with kindness and patience (Q: 2:109) and elsewhere it argues that they should be fought against and subdued (Q: 9:29); it argues that all of Noah's family was saved from the flood (Q: 21:76) and that one of Noah's sons died in the flood (Q: 11:42-43).

9) Why Would Someone Lie?: There is an implicit assumption in this claim that either Mohammed truthfully revealed the Divinely Inspired Qur'an or Mohammed falsely created a book and pretended that it was God's. This ignores the very real possibility that he could have written a book of his own while truly believing that God had told him the information. However, even if we assert that Mohammed lied, there are many noble reasons for him to have done so. He wanted to end centuries of Arab internecine strife and end corruption in Mecca. Those are laudable goals and may have been sufficient to induce him to lie, if you refuse to accept the possibility that he truly believed that God revealed the Qur'an to him when God actually did not.

10) Satan is not the author: If you disprove Satan as the author, that does not say anything as to whether or not God is the author.

Answer DPart 1: Islamic Response to Previous Answers

Concerning Answer B1

1) Khadijah was not Christian. She was Muslim. Waraqa is the one that told prophet Muhammad that what he received is God holy words conveyed to him through the prophets angel Gabriel or Jibril. It is logic to have some resemblance in Quran and the Bible as they are coming from the same God source.

2) It is logic to have some resemblance in Quran and the Bible as they are coming from the same God source. أHowever, you find in Qur'an other facts not mentioned in other God holy books. You may refer to the chapters titled Mariam, Ibrahim, Youcef, and Younis.

Concerning Answer C1

1) What are secular scholarly proofs especially that the Arabians of the seventh and eighth centuries are not Muslims. Quran was recited daily during prophet life and was concluded, written, and compiled during his life. Otherwise, how it comes that Qur'an is recited every day during praying and then comes new Quran verses after prophet death. It is not logic. Qur'an is not like the Bible that was written hundreds of years after Jesus (peace be upon him) lifetime.

2) The argument that the Arabic is not understandable it fatuous. Proofs on these sayings are required especially that these sayings come from a non Muslim who most probably doesn't know Arabic that is the language of the original Quran God revelation)

3) Please confirm the conclusion that there are literary contradictions with examples to be possible to reply upon.

4) Concerning the Plagiarism Argument, this is your own understanding because you didn't study carefully the Quran and didn't understand correctly the meanings of the Arabic words or you may not even read it completely.. Refer to the related question below to know what is revealed in Quran)

5) Again, what is wrong if some facts are common in different faiths or beliefs such as Zoroastrianism. This is not a proof that Quran is human written or is imitation of other faiths or religions.

6) Unfortunately, the hadith concerning the different recitations of the Qur'an is not properly understood. The point is that Muslims from different tribes used to talk in different accents. There were seven different accents that was approved by the prophet to recite the Qur'an with. The differences are in accents and not in Quran written words)

7) Quran is God holy book that calls people to full submission to God. It is not a historical book written by others to decribe prophet Muhammad personal history as in the Bible that was written by many authors and accordingly they devote particular chapters on Jesus family and hierarchy. As a result, it does not have a prosaic nature.

Concerning Answer C2

0) Introduction: Quran was written and compiled during prophet Muhammad life immediately upon the revelation of Qur'an verses. Many parts were also maintained with other Muslims and kept by heart by many Muslims as well as being recited during the daily prayers something with which it is impossible to introduce any alterations to the Quran original texts. During the first and second Caliph, it was maintained in one hand without single letter change. During the third caliph, Othman, different copies were made and distributed over the different parts of the empire.)

1) Lack of Changes in the Qur'an Text: However, in many occasions some non Muslims try to publish different versions of Quran but they never succeeded because of the availability of same reference copies in different countries, having Quran fully in the hearts of millions of Muslims, and because of Quran daily recitation in prayers and outside prayers.

2) Illiteracy: If created by prophet Muhammad himself while he is illiterate then how he would know the historical stories that are even different in details than what is mentioned even in previous holy books)

3) Bible Stories: How could you confirm that the Bible stories or the Jewish stories are the correct ones?. Otherwise, the Bible has different issues than the Jewish faith. How could you resolve these discrepancies. It means either the Bible or the Jewish holy books is not correct. Quran is not a book of science to say that the flood was local or worldwide. However, Quran scientific issues are validated just recently and sure these scientific facts were not known from 14 centuries ago when Quran was revealed. Quran is not only stories to be copied from other religions. In the meantime the stories in Quran are including some details that never mentioned before or recorded in other holy books. Refer to related question below

4) Science: It is not mentioned that the sun orbits the earth but mentioned that the sun moves also. something that was only proved recently. As for the mountains, it was proved just recently that any mountain has almost two thirds of it underground, something is resembling the tent pegs. It is true that sky/heaven is protecting ceiling something that was only recently proved as this air blanket protects us from the cosmic rays and ultraviolet radiation. Could you explain why two bodies of water (one fresh and the other saline) not diffusing into each other as the laws of physics state?). it is not required from Quran as religious holy book to speak on the details of scientific stories it is proved scientifically that any living thing is containing water. It is a challenge Quran scientific statement.

5) Failure to Self-Glorify: Even if the arguments above are correct, what is against mentioning the prophet explicitly by name as many times as Jesus, Moses and other are mentioned. Why neither of Muhammad wives are mentioned explicitly by name while Mariam (or Mary was mentioned explicitly more than once?)

6) Conversions of Jewish and Christian Scholars: How would you justify many scientists, priests and rabbis till present convert to Islam. Are they all wrong.

7) No Teachers to Show Mohammed How to Write the Qur'an: What they benefit from this support. How do you explain one of different religion help one in developing another religion that is not his?

8) No Contradictions: Read the verses carefully in its whole context and understand their occasions then you will be sure that there are no contradictions as proved by many non Muslims. For example; God lead people who are willing to follow God right path while Iblis/satan leads people who don't believe in God oneness. Treating Jews and Christians kindly is for those who don't expel Muslims from their homes and lands and don't break their treaties with Muslims and those who don't betray Muslims by uniting with the pagans against Muslims. Read the verses in this sense you find no contradictions. As for prophet Noah, it was clearly mentioned that his wife and son were not rescued as they were not believing in prophet Noah message.

9) Why Would Someone Lie?: If prophet Muhammad lied how do you explain that he was told by the pagans themselves that he is the honest and most trustful in Makkah/Mecca? even before he was assigned by God as prophet.

10) Satan is not the author: Many verses in Quran assures that God is the Qur'an author and that Quran is God revelation words to prophet Muhammad.

Part 2: Conclusion

I wonder why all this debate about Quran if it is God holy book or not. If one believe in its divinity that is fine. If not, then it is his/her own choice and responsibility. Only God will resolve these debates on the Resurrection Day.No one is forced to be Muslim or not or to believe in Qur'an divinity or not. It is a matter of faith. Otherwise, could someone give a single proof of the divinity of the current versions of the Bible or the Torah. It remains to only mention that many non Muslims convert every day to Islam including religious leaders and famous scientists. They convert without any persuasion from others. They don't convert to Islam to get food or medical treatment or better education. They convert just because they got convinced in Islam authenticity and in Quran divinity and in prophet Muhammad as God prophet and messenger. Refer to the related question below on What are the proofs that the Bible is God revelation words and not a human authored text to find that the same arguments apply on other God holy books including the Qur'an. you may refer to the other related Questions for more information.

Resources

Top Categories

Product

Company