What's new | A-Z | Discuss & Blog | Youtube

Rebuttal to Matt Slick's "Interesting quotes from the Qur'an" article

By

Bassam Zawadi

Introduction

This article is in response to Matt Slick's article http://www../islam/Koran_quotes.htm

The answers mostly are not of my own. I just provide them.

Matt Slick said:

• It is not good to enter a house from the back
  1. "They ask thee concerning the New Moons. Say: They are but signs to mark fixed periods of time in (the affairs of) men, and for Pilgrimage. It is no virtue if ye enter your houses from the back: It is virtue if ye fear Allah. Enter houses through the proper doors: And fear Allah: That ye may prosper," (2:189).

My Response:

Let me quote from the commentary of Yusuf Ali

2.189:
C202. There were many superstitions connected with the New Moon, as there are to the present day. We are told to disregard such superstitions. As a measure of time, where the lunar calendar is used, the New Moon is one great sign, for which people watch with eagerness. Muslim festivals, including the Pilgrimage, are fixed by the appearance of the New Moon. The Arabs, among other superstitions, had one which made them enter their houses by the back door during or after the Pilgrimage. This is disapproved, for there is no virtue in any such artificial restrictions. All virtue proceeds from the love and fear of God.

C203. This is a Muslim proverb now, and much might be written about its manifold meanings. A few may be notes here. (1) If you enter a society, respect its manners and customs. (2) If you want to achieve an object honourably, go about it openly and not "by a backdoor". (3) Do not beat about the bush. (4) If you wish success in an undertaking, provide all the necessary instruments for it.

Yusuf Ali's Commentary from QuranTrans

So the reason why Allah sent down that verse was to end the superstitious habits back at those times.

Matt Slick said:

• Cities (Sodom and Gomorrah) are turned upside down - literally!
  1. "(The Messengers) said: "O Lut! We are Messengers from thy Lord! By no means shall they reach thee! now travel with thy family while yet a part of the night remains, and let not any of you look back: but thy wife (will remain behind): To her will happen what happens to the people. Morning is their time appointed: Is not the morning nigh?...When Our Decree issued, We turned (the cities) upside down, and rained down on them brimstones hard as baked clay, spread, layer on layer," (11:81-82)
  2. "And We turned (the cities) upside down, and rained down on them brimstones hard as baked clay," (15:74).
• A boy and his dog sleep for 309 years in a cave.
  1. "Such (being their state), we raised them up (from sleep), that they might question each other. Said one of them, "How long have ye stayed (here)?" They said, "We have stayed (perhaps) a day, or part of a day." (At length) they (all) said, "Allah (alone) knows best how long ye have stayed here...So they stayed in their Cave three hundred years, and (some) add nine (more)," (18:19,25).

My Response:

I am surprised that Matt Slick would post these verses to try to show that the Quran is ridiculous in some way.

 I mean if he believes the absurdities found in his bible http://www.skepticsannotatedbible.com/abs/long.htm, how can he find trouble with those verses? They are not even absurdities in the first place. It just requires faith to believe in them.

Matt Slick said:

The sun set in a pool of murky water

1. "Until, when he reached the setting of the sun, he found it set in a spring of murky water: Near it he found a People: We said: "O Zul-qarnain! (thou hast authority,) either to punish them, or to treat them with kindness." (18:86, Yusuf Ali, translation).

My Response:

Zakir Naik said in his debate with Dr William Campbell “The Quran and Bible in the Light of Science”

The other points, Dr. William Campbell raised was regarding Surah Kahf Chapter No.18, Verse No.86, that… ‘Zulqarnain sees the sun setting in murky water… in turbid water - Imagine sun setting in murky water… unscientific.’ The Arabic word used here is… it is 'wajada' meaning, ‘it appeared to Zulqarnain.’ And Dr. William Campbell knows Arabic. So 'wajada' means - if you look up in the dictionary also, it means it appeared.’ So Allah Subhanawataala is describing what appeared to Zulqarnain. If I make a statement that… ‘The student in the class said, 2 plus 2 is equal to 5.’ And you say… ‘Oh Zakir said, 2 plus 2 is equal to 5. I did not say. I am telling…‘The student in the class said, 2 plus 2 is equal to 5.’ I am not wrong - The student is wrong. There are various ways to try and analyze this verse. One is this way - according to Muhammad Asad, that 'wajada' means… ‘It appeared to’… ‘It appeared to Zulqarnain.’ Point no.2 - The Arabic word used is 'Magrib' - It can be used for time, as well as place. When we say ‘sunset’ – ‘sunset’ can be taken for time. If I say… ‘The sun sets at 7 p.m.’; I am using it for time. If I say… ‘The ‘Sun sets in the West’, it means I am taking it for place. So here if we use the word 'Magrib' for time. So Zulqarnain did not reach that place of sunset - used - as time - He reached at the time of sun set. The problem is solved. Further more, you can solve them in various ways. Even if Dr. William Campbell says… ‘No No, the basic assumption is too much - It is not… ‘Appeared to’… it is actually this.’ Let us analyze it further. The Qur'anic verse says… the Sun set in murky water.’ Now we know, when we use these words, like ‘sunrise’ and ‘sunset’ - does the sunrise? Scientifically, sun does not rise - neither does the sunset. We know scientifically, that the sun does not set at all. It is the rotation of the earth, which gives rise to sunrise and sunset. But yet you read in the everyday papers mentioning, sunrise at 6 a.m. sun sets at 7.00 p.m. Oh! The newspapers are wrong – Unscientific!’ If I use the word ‘Disaster’, Oh! There is a disaster’ – ‘Disaster’ means there is some calamity which has taken place. Literally, ‘disaster’ means ‘an evil star.’ So when I say… ‘This disaster’ every one knows what I mean is ‘a calamity’, not about the evil star.’ Dr. William Campbell and I know, when a person who is mad, we call him a lunatic - Yes or no?  At least I do, and I believe Dr. William Campbell also will be doing        that. We call a person ‘a lunatic’ – He is ‘mad.’ What is the meaning of ‘lunatic’?  It means… ‘struck by the moon’ - But that is how the language has evolved. Similarly sun rise, is actually, it is just a usage of words. And Allah has given the guidance for the human beings also - He uses so, that we understand. So it is just ‘sunset’ - Not that it is actually setting - Not that sun is actually rising. So this explanation clearly gives us a clear picture, that the Verse of the Qur’an of Surah Kahf, Chapter.18, Verse No 86, is not in contradiction with established science - That is the way how people speak.

I recommend visiting the following links

http://bismikaallahuma.org/Quran/Commentary/q18-86.htm

http://www.geocities.com/noorullahwebsite/zul-qarnain.html

http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?cid=1123996016622&pagename=IslamOnline-English-AAbout_Islam/AskAboutIslamE/AskAboutIslamE

  Matt Slick said:

Jesus spoke while in the cradle

1. " But she pointed to the babe. They said: "How can we talk to one who is a child in the cradle?" ³⁰He said: "I am indeed a servant of Allah: He hath given me revelation and made me a prophet," (19:29-30).

My Response:

Matt Slick believes that Jesus performed miracles, resurrected people from the dead, healed the blind, was God, got crucified for the sins of the world and resurrected from the dead but he has a problem believing that Jesus spoke while in the cradle?

Matt Slick said:

King Solomon learned the speech of birds

1. "And Solomon was David's heir. He said: "O ye people! We have been taught the speech of birds, and on us has been bestowed (a little) of all things: this is indeed Grace manifest (from Allah.)" (27:16).
2. "And Solomon was David's heir. And he said: O mankind! Lo! we have been taught the language of birds, and have been given (abundance) of all things. This surely is evident favour," (27:16, Pickthall, trans.).

My Response:

So what?

Matt Slick said:

Ants can speak

1. "At length, when they came to a (lowly) valley of ants, one of the ants said: "O ye ants, get into your habitations, lest Solomon and his hosts crush you (under foot) without knowing it," (27:18).
2. "Till, when they reached the Valley of the Ants, an ant exclaimed: O ants! Enter your dwellings lest Solomon and his armies crush you, unperceiving," (27:18, Pickthal, trans.).

My Response:

In verse 18, the Quran says

At length, when they came to a (lowly) valley of ants, one of the ants said: "O ye ants, get into your habitations, lest Solomon and his hosts crush you (under foot) without knowing it."

The Quran doesn’t say how the ant said it, but it just said that it said it. Somehow, the ant communicated to the other ants. As Denis has shown us, ants indeed do communicate. The Quran does not say that the ant communicated by sound.

In verse 19, the Quran says

He smiled and laughed at her statement, and said, "My Lord, direct me to be appreciative of the blessings You have bestowed upon me and my parents, and to do the righteous works that please You. Admit me by Your mercy into the company of Your righteous servants."

The verse does not say that Solomon heard the statement; it basically shows that he understood the statement (not by speech) of the ant.

When the verses are closely examined, there are no scientific errors.

Matt Slick said:

Allah made seven heavens and seven earths

1. "Allah is He Who created seven Firmaments and of the earth a similar number. Through the midst of them (all) descends His Command: that ye may know that Allah has power over all things, and that Allah comprehends, all things in (His) Knowledge," (65:12)

My Response:

Muslims believe that the heavens are in layers. That most likely (only God knows), each layer has an earth. This is just a question regarding faith. I would expect this from an atheist but not from a God believing person like Matt Slick.

Matt Slick said:

Shooting stars are for driving away evil spirits

1. And we have, (from of old), adorned the lowest heaven with Lamps, and We have made such (Lamps) (as) missiles to drive away the Evil Ones, and have prepared for them the Penalty of the Blazing Fire, (67:5).

1. The soul exits through the collar-bone when leaving the body.
   1. "Yea, when (the soul) reaches to the collar-bone (in its exit), ²⁷And there will be a cry, "Who is a magician (to restore him)?" ²⁸And he will conclude that it was (the Time) of Parting,: (75:26-28).

My Response:

Again, these are only issues regarding faith. Matt Slick puts faith in a lot of things when it comes to his religion. Why become a hypocrite and try to show that it is wrong for other people in other religions to do the same?

Back to Rebuttals, and exposing the lies of the Answering Islam team section.

Rebuttal to . section.

Bassam Zawadi's Rebuttals section.

Send your comments.

Back to Main Page.

What's new | A-Z | Discuss & Blog | Youtube