BIBLE STUDY MANUALS: THE QUR'AN (KORAN) MANUSCRIPT EVIDENCE

Apologetic Paper (Joseph Smith) - May 1995

A. Introduction

B. The Authority of the Qur'an

C. The Revelation of the Qur'an

D. The Inspiration of the Qur'an

1. To prove Muhammad's call to prophet-hood

2. To give him authority to warn people

3. Three methods by which Allah communicates to his creation

a. By direct inspiration

b. From behind a veil

c. Through a messenger (the implication is that of an angelic being).

4) How Muhammed received his revelations

E. The Qur'an's Supposed Distinctive Qualities

1. Its Holiness

2. Its Superior Style

3. Its Literary Qualities

4. Its Pure Arabic

F. The Qur'an's Supposed Universal Qualities

1. The Inferiority of Women in the Qur'an

2. The "Sword" found in the Qur'an

G. The Collation, or Collection of the Qur'anic Text

1. The Periods of Revelation

2. The Method of Collection

i. Zaid's Collection

ii. Competing Collections

3. The Standardisation of One Text

4. The Missing Verses

i.Sura 33:23

ii.The Verse on Stoning

5. The Variations Between the Codices

i. Abdullah ibn Mas'ud's Codex

ii. Ubayy Ka'b's Codex

6. Conclusions on the Collation of the Qur'anic Text

H. The Abrogation of Qur'anic Verses

I. Errors Found Within the Qur'an

1. Contradictions With the Bible Which Point to Errors:

iii. Trinity

2. Internal Contradictions Which Point to Errors

i. Mary & Imran

3. Errors Which Contradict Secular and Scientific Data

ii. Samaritan

iii. Sunset

iv. Issa v. Mountains

vi. Alexander the Great

vii. Creation

viii. Pharaoh's Cross

ix. Other Scientific problems

4. Absurdities

i. Man's Greatness

ii. Seven Earths

iii. Jinns & Shooting Stars

iv. Solomon's power over nature

v. Youth and dog sleep 309 years

vi. People become apes

vii. Sodom & Gomorrah turned upside-down

viii. Jacob's smell & sight

ix. Night/Day/Sun/Moon are subject to man

5. Grammatical Errors

J. The Sources of the Qur'an

1. Stories Which Correspond With Biblical Accounts

i. Satan's Refusal to Worship Adam

ii. Cain and Abel

iii. Abraham

iv. Mt Sanai

v. Solomon and Sheba

vi. Mary, Imran and Zachariah

vii. Jesus's Birth

viii. Heaven and Hell

2. Stories Which do not Correspond with the Biblical Account

i. Harut and Marut

ii. The Cave of 7 Sleepers

iii. The Sirat

K. Conclusion

L. References