In the name of God, most Gracious, most Compassionate

In conveying the message of Islam to a
non-Muslim, it is usually not sufficient to
highlight only the positive nature of
Islam. Most non-Muslims are not
convinced about the truth of Islam
because there are a few questions about
Islam at the back of their minds that
remain unanswered.
They may agree with your contentions
about the positive nature of Islam. But,
in the same breath, they will say – “Ah!
But you are the same Muslims who
marry more than one woman. You are
the same people who subjugate women
by keeping them behind the veil. You
are fundamentalists, etc.”

Below are some of the questions and the replies are by Dr Zakir Naik
Q01. Why is a man allowed to have
more than one wife in Islam? i.e.
why is polygamy allowed in Islam?
Answer:
Definition of Polygamy
1. Polygamy means a system of marriage
whereby one person has more than one
spouse. Polygamy can be of two types.
One is polygyny where a man marries
more than one woman, and the other is
polyandry, where a woman marries more than one man. In Islam, limited polygamy is permitted; whereas polyandry is completely prohibited.
Now coming to the original question, why is a man allowed to have more than one wife?
2. The Qur’an is the only religious
scripture in the world that says,”marry
only one”. The Qur’an is the only religious book, on the face of this earth, that contains the phrase ‘marry only one’. There is no other religious book that instructs men to have only one wife. In none of the other religious scriptures, whether it be the Vedas, the Ramayan, the Mahabharat, the Geeta, the Talmud or the Bible does one find a restriction on the number of wives. According to these
scriptures one can marry as many as one wishes. It was only later, that the Hindu priests and the Christian Church
restricted the number of wives to one.
Many Hindu religious personalities,
according to their scriptures, had
multiple wives. King Dashrat, the father
of Rama, had more than one wife.
Krishna had several wives.
In earlier times, Christian men were
permitted as many wives as they
wished, since the Bible puts no
restriction on the number of wives. It
was only a few centuries ago that the
Church restricted the number of wives to one.
Polygyny is permitted in Judaism.
According to Talmudic law, Abraham had
three wives, and Solomon had hundreds
of wives. The practice of polygyny
continued till Rabbi Gershom ben
Yehudah (95% C.E to 1030 C.E) issued
an edict against it. The Jewish Sephardic
communities living in Muslim countries
continued the practice till as late as
1950, until an Act of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel extended the ban on marrying more than one wife.
3. Hindus are more polygamous than
Muslims The report of the ‘Committee of The
Status of Woman in Islam’, published in
1975 mentions on page numbers 66 and 67 that the percentage of polygamous marriages between the years 1951 and 1961 was 5.06% among the Hindus and only 4.31% among the Muslims.
According to Indian law only Muslim men
are permitted to have more than one
wife. It is illegal for any non-Muslim in
India to have more than one wife.
Despite it being illegal, Hindus have
more multiple wives as compared to
Muslims. Earlier, there was no restriction even on Hindu men with respect to the number of wives allowed. It was only in 1954, when the Hindu Marriage Act was
passed that it became illegal for a Hindu to have more than one wife. At present it is the Indian Law that restricts a Hindu
man from having more than one wife
and not the Hindu scriptures.
Let us now analyse why Islam allows a
man to have more than one wife.
4. Qur’an permits limited polygamy
As I mentioned earlier, Qur’an is the only
religious book on the face of the earth
that says ‘marry only one’. The context
of this phrase is the following verse from
Surah Nisa of the Glorious Qur’an:
“Marry women of your choice, two, or
three, or four; but if ye fear that ye shall
not be able to deal justly (with them),
then only one.”
[Al-Qur’an 4:3]
Before the Qur’an was revealed, there
was no upper limit for polygyny and
many men had scores of wives, some
even hundreds. Islam put an upper limit
of four wives. Islam gives a man
permission to marry two, three or four
women, only on the condition that he
deals justly with them.
In the same chapter i.e. Surah Nisa verse
129 says:
“Ye are never able to be fair and just as
between women….”
[Al-Qur’an 4:129]
Therefore polygyny is not a rule but an
exception. Many people are under the
misconception that it is compulsory for a
Muslim man to have more than one wife.
Broadly, Islam has five categories of Do’s
and Don’ts:
‘Fard’ i.e. compulsory or obligatory
‘Mustahab’ i.e. recommended or
encouraged
‘Mubah’ i.e. permissible or allowed
‘Makruh’ i.e. not recommended or
discouraged
‘Haraam’ i.e. prohibited or forbidden
Polygyny falls in the middle category of
things that are permissible. It cannot be
said that a Muslim who has two, three or
four wives is a better Muslim as
compared to a Muslim who has only one
wife.
5. Average life span of females is more
than that of males
By nature males and females are born in
approximately the same ratio. A female
child has more immunity than a male
child. A female child can fight the germs
and diseases better than the male child.
For this reason, during the pediatric age
itself there are more deaths among
males as compared to the females.
During wars, there are more men killed
as compared to women. More men die
due to accidents and diseases than
women. The average life span of females
is more than that of males, and at any
given time one finds more widows in the
world than widowers.
6. India has more male population than
female due to female foeticide and
infanticide
India is one of the few countries, along
with the other neighbouring countries, in
which the female population is less than
the male population. The reason lies in
the high rate of female infanticide in
India, and the fact that more than one
million female foetuses are aborted
every year in this country, after they are
identified as females. If this evil practice
is stopped, then India too will have more
females as compared to males.
7. World female population is more than
male population
In the USA, women outnumber men by
7.8 million. New York alone has one
million more females as compared to the
number of males, and of the male
population of New York one-third are
gays i.e sodomites. The U.S.A as a whole
has more than twenty-five million gays.
This means that these people do not
wish to marry women. Great Britain has
four million more females as compared
to males. Germany has five million more
females as compared to males. Russia
has nine million more females than
males. God alone knows how many
million more females there are in the
whole world as compared to males.
8. Restricting each and every man to
have only one wife is not practical
Even if every man got married to one
woman, there would still be more than
thirty million females in U.S.A who would
not be able to get husbands (considering
that America has twenty five million
gays). There would be more than four
million females in Great Britain, 5 million
females in Germany and nine million
females in Russia alone who would not
be able to find a husband.
Suppose my sister happens to be one of
the unmarried women living in USA, or
suppose your sister happens to be one of
the unmarried women in USA. The only
two options remaining for her are that
she either marries a man who already
has a wife or becomes public property.
There is no other option. All those who
are modest will opt for the first.
In Western society, it is common for a
man to have mistresses and/or multiple
extra-marital affairs, in which case, the
woman leads a disgraceful, unprotected
life. The same society, however, cannot
accept a man having more than one
wife, in which women retain their
honourable, dignified position in society
and lead a protected life.
Thus the only two options before a
woman who cannot find a husband is to
marry a married man or to become
public property. Islam prefers giving
women the honourable position by
permitting the first option and
disallowing the second.
There are several other reasons, why
Islam has permitted limited polygyny,
but it is mainly to protect the modesty of
women.

Q02. How can Islam be called the
religion of peace when it was
spread by the sword?
Answer:
It is a common complaint among some
non-Muslims that Islam would not have
millions of adherents all over the world,
if it had not been spread by the use of
force. The following points will make it
clear, that far from being spread by the
sword, it was the inherent force of truth,
reason and logic that was responsible for
the rapid spread of Islam.
1. Islam means peace.
Islam comes from the root word ‘salaam’,
which means peace. It also means
submitting one’s will to Allah (swt). Thus
Islam is a religion of peace, which is
acquired by submitting one’s will to the
will of the Supreme Creator, Allah (swt).
2. Sometimes force has to be used to
maintain peace.
Each and every human being in this
world is not in favour of maintaining
peace and harmony. There are many,
who would disrupt it for their own vested
interests. Sometimes force has to be
used to maintain peace. It is precisely for
this reason that we have the police who
use force against criminals and anti-
social elements to maintain peace in the
country. Islam promotes peace. At the
same time, Islam exhorts it followers to
fight where there is oppression. The
fight against oppression may, at times,
require the use of force. In Islam force
can only be used to promote peace and
justice.
3. Opinion of historian De Lacy O’Leary.
The best reply to the misconception that
Islam was spread by the sword is given
by the noted historian De Lacy O’Leary
in the book “Islam at the cross
road” (Page :
“History makes it clear however, that the
legend of fanatical Muslims sweeping
through the world and forcing Islam at
the point of the sword upon conquered
races is one of the most fantastically
absurd myth that historians have ever
repeated.”
4. Muslims ruled Spain for 800 years.
Muslims ruled Spain for about 800 years.
The Muslims in Spain never used the
sword to force the people to convert.
Later the Christian Crusaders came to
Spain and wiped out the Muslims. There
was not a single Muslim in Spain who
could openly give the adhan, that is the
call for prayers.
5. 14 million Arabs are Coptic Christians.
Muslims were the lords of Arabia for
1400 years. For a few years the British
ruled, and for a few years the French
ruled. Overall, the Muslims ruled Arabia
for 1400 years. Yet today, there are 14
million Arabs who are Coptic Christians
i.e. Christians since generations. If the
Muslims had used the sword there would
not have been a single Arab who would
have remained a Christian.
6. More than 80% non-Muslims in India.
The Muslims ruled India for about a
thousand years. If they wanted, they had
the power of converting each and every
non-Muslim of India to Islam. Today more
than 80% of the population of India are
non-Muslims. All these non-Muslim
Indians are bearing witness today that
Islam was not spread by the sword.
7. Indonesia and Malaysia.
Indonesia is a country that has the
maximum number of Muslims in the
world. The majority of people in Malaysia
are Muslims. May one ask, “Which
Muslim army went to Indonesia and
Malaysia?”
8. East Coast of Africa.
Similarly, Islam has spread rapidly on the
East Coast of Africa. One may again ask,
if Islam was spread by the sword, “Which
Muslim army went to the East Coast of
Africa?”
9. Thomas Carlyle.
The famous historian, Thomas Carlyle, in
his book “Heroes and Hero worship”,
refers to this misconception about the
spread of Islam: “The sword indeed, but
where will you get your sword? Every
new opinion, at its starting is precisely in
a minority of one. In one man’s head
alone. There it dwells as yet. One man
alone of the whole world believes it,
there is one man against all men. That
he takes a sword and try to propagate
with that, will do little for him. You must
get your sword! On the whole, a thing
will propagate itself as it can.”
10. No compulsion in religion.
With which sword was Islam spread?
Even if Muslims had it they could not use
it to spread Islam because the Qur’an
says in the following verse:
“Let there be no compulsion in religion:
Truth stands out clear from error”
[Al-Qur’an 2:256]
11. Sword of the Intellect.
It is the sword of intellect. The sword
that conquers the hearts and minds of
people. The Qur’an says in Surah Nahl,
chapter 16 verse 125:
“Invite (all) to the way of thy Lord
with wisdom and beautiful preaching;
and argue with them in ways that are
best and most gracious.”
[Al-Qur’an 16:125]
12. Increase in the world religions from
1934 to 1984.
An article in Reader’s Digest ‘Almanac’,
year book 1986, gave the statistics of
the increase of percentage of the major
religions of the world in half a century
from 1934 to 1984. This article also
appeared in ‘The Plain Truth’ magazine.
At the top was Islam, which increased by
235%, and Christianity had increased
only by 47%. May one ask, which war
took place in this century which
converted millions of people to Islam?
13. Islam is the fastest growing religion
in America and Europe.
Today the fastest growing religion in
America is Islam. The fastest growing
religion in Europe in Islam. Which sword
is forcing people in the West to accept
Islam in such large numbers?
14. Dr. Joseph Adam Pearson.
Dr. Joseph Adam Pearson rightly says,
“People who worry that nuclear
weaponry will one day fall in the hands
of the Arabs, fail to realize that the
Islamic bomb has been dropped already,
it fell the day MUHAMMED (pbuh) was
born”.

Q03. Why are most of the Muslims
fundamentalists and terrorists?
Answer:
This question is often hurled at Muslims,
either directly or indirectly, during any
discussion on religion or world affairs.
Muslim stereotypes are perpetuated in
every form of the media accompanied by
gross misinformation about Islam and
Muslims. In fact, such misinformation and
false propaganda often leads to
discrimination and acts of violence
against Muslims. A case in point is the
anti-Muslim campaign in the American
media following the Oklahoma bomb
blast, where the press was quick to
declare a ‘Middle Eastern conspiracy’
behind the attack. The culprit was later
identified as a soldier from the American
Armed Forces.
Let us analyze this allegation of
‘fundamentalism’ and ‘terrorism’:
1. Definition of the word ‘fundamentalist’
A fundamentalist is a person who follows
and adheres to the fundamentals of the
doctrine or theory he is following. For a
person to be a good doctor, he should
know, follow, and practise the
fundamentals of medicine. In other
words, he should be a fundamentalist in
the field of medicine. For a person to be
a good mathematician, he should know,
follow and practise the fundamentals of
mathematics. He should be a
fundamentalist in the field of
mathematics. For a person to be a good
scientist, he should know, follow and
practise the fundamentals of science. He
should be a fundamentalist in the field of
science.
2. Not all ‘fundamentalists’ are the same
One cannot paint all fundamentalists
with the same brush. One cannot
categorize all fundamentalists as either
good or bad. Such a categorization of
any fund amentalist will depend upon
the field or activity in which he is a
fundamentalist. A fundamentalist robber
or thief causes harm to society and is
therefore undesirable. A fundamentalist
doctor, on the other hand, benefits
society and earns much respect.
3. I am proud to be a Muslim
fundamentalist
I am a fundamentalist Muslim who, by
the grace of Allah, knows, follows and
strives to practise the fundamentals of
Islam. A true Muslim does not shy away
from being a fundamentalist. I am proud
to be a fundamentalist Muslim because, I
know that the fundamentals of Islam are
beneficial to humanity and the whole
world. There is not a single fundamental
of Islam that causes harm or is against
the interests of the human race as a
whole. Many people harbour
misconceptions about Islam and consider
several teachings of Islam to be unfair or
improper. This is due to insufficient and
incorrect knowledge of Islam. If one
critically analyzes the teachings of Islam
with an open mind, one cannot escape
the fact that Islam is full of benefits both
at the individual and collective levels.
4. Dictionary meaning of the word
‘fundamentalist’
According to Webster’s dictionary
‘fundamentalism’ was a movement in
American Protestanism that arose in the
earlier part of the 20th century. It was a
reaction to modernism, and stressed the
infallibility of the Bible, not only in
matters of faith and morals but also as a
literal historical record. It stressed on
belief in the Bible as the literal word of
God. Thus fundamentalism was a word
initially used for a group of Christians
who believed that the Bible was the
verbatim word of God without any errors
and mistakes.
According to the Oxford dictionary
‘fundamentalism’ means ‘strict
maintenance of ancient or fundamental
doctrines of any religion, especially
Islam’.
Today the moment a person uses the
word fundamentalist he thinks of a
Muslim who is a terrorist.
5. Every Muslim should be a terrorist
Every Muslim should be a terrorist. A
terrorist is a person who causes terror.
The moment a robber sees a policeman
he is terrified. A policeman is a terrorist
for the robber. Similarly every Muslim
should be a terrorist for the antisocial
elements of society, such as thieves,
dacoits and rapists. Whenever such an
anti-social element sees a Muslim, he
should be terrified. It is true that the
word ‘terrorist’ is generally used for a
person who causes terror among the
common people. But a true Muslim
should only be a terrorist to selective
people i.e. anti-social elements, and not
to the common innocent people. In fact a
Muslim should be a source of peace for
innocent people.
6. Different labels given to the same
individual for the same action, i.e.
‘terrorist’ and ‘patriot’
Before India achieved independence
from British rule, some freedom fighters
of India who did not subscribe to non-
violence were labeled as terrorists by
the British government. The same
individuals have been lauded by Indians
for the same activities and hailed as
‘patriots’. Thus two different labels have
been given to the same people for the
same set of actions. One is calling him a
terrorist while the other is calling him a
patriot. Those who believed that Britain
had a right to rule over India called these
people terrorists, while those who were
of the view that Britain had no right to
rule India called them patriots and
freedom fighters.
It is therefore important that before a
person is judged, he is given a fair
hearing. Both sides of the argument
should be heard, the situation should be
analyzed, and the reason and the
intention of the person should be taken
into account, and then the person can be
judged accordingly.
7. Islam means peace
Islam is derived from the word ‘salaam’
which means peace. It is a religion of
peace whose fundamentals teach its
followers to maintain and promote peace
throughout the world.
Thus every Muslim should be a
fundamentalist i.e. he should follow the
fundamentals of the Religion of Peace:
Islam. He should be a terrorist only
towards the antisocial elements in order
to promote peace and justice in the
society. The statement "ALL MUSLIMS SHOULD BE TERRORISTS" is often taken out of context just to attack and criticise this Dr. I hope you all get the actual context now

Q04 There were many versions of the
Qur’an all of which were burnt by
Usman (r.a.) except for one.
Therefore is it not true that the
present Qur’an is the one compiled
by Usman (r.a.) and not the original
revelation of God?
Answer:
One of the most common myths about
the Qur’an, is that Usman (r.a.), the third
Caliph of Islam authenticated and
compiled one Qur’an, from a large set of
mutually contradicting copies. The
Qur’an, revered as the Word of Allah
(swt) by Muslims the world over, is the
same Qur’an as the one revealed to
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). It was
authenticated and written under his
personal supervision. We will examine
the roots of the myth which says that
Usman (r.a.) had the Qur’an
authenticated.
1. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) himself
supervised and authenticated the
written texts of the Qur’an
Whenever the Prophet received a
revelation, he would first memorize it
himself and later declare the revelation
and instruct his Companions (R.A. –
Radhi Allahu Taala Anhu) – May Allah be
pleased with him who would also
memorize it. The Prophet would
immediately ask the scribes to write
down the revelation he had received,
and he would reconfirm and recheck it
himself. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was
an Ummi who could not read and write.
Therefore, after receiving each
revelation, he would repeat it to his
Companions. They would write down the
revelation, and he would recheck by
asking them to read what they had
written. If there was any mistake, the
Prophet would immediately point it out
and have it corrected and rechecked.
Similarly he would even recheck and
authenticate the portions of the Qur’an
memorized by the Companions. In this
way, the complete Qur’an was written
down under the personal supervision of
the prophet (pbuh).
2. Order and sequence of Qur’an divinely
inspired
The complete Qur’an was revealed over
a period of 22½ years portion by portion,
as and when it was required. The Qur’an
was not compiled by the Prophet in the
chronological order of revelation. The
order and sequence of the Qur’an too
was Divinely inspired and was instructed
to the Prophet by Allah (swt) through
archangel Jibraeel. Whenever a
revelation was conveyed to his
companions, the Prophet would also
mention in which surah (chapter) and
after which ayat (verse) this new
revelation should fit.
Every Ramadhaan all the portions of the
Qur’an that had been revealed, including
the order of the verses, were revised
and reconfirmed by the Prophet with
archangel Jibraeel. During the last
Ramadhaan, before the demise of the
Prophet, the Qur’an was rechecked and
reconfirmed twice.
It is therefore clearly evident that the
Qur’an was compiled and authenticated
by the Prophet himself during his
lifetime, both in the written form as well
as in the memory of several of his
Companions.
3. Qur’an copied on one common
material
The complete Qur’an, along with the
correct sequence of the verses, was
present during the time of the Prophet
(pbuh). The verses however, were
written on separate pieces, scrapes of
leather, thin flat stones, leaflets, palm
branches, shoulder blades, etc. After the
demise of the prophet, Abu Bakr (r.a.),
the first caliph of Islam ordered that the
Qur’an be copied from the various
different materials on to a common
material and place, which was in the
shape of sheets. These were tied with
strings so that nothing of the compilation
was lost.
4. Usman (r.a.) made copies of the
Qur’an from the original manuscript
Many Companions of the Prophet used to
write down the revelation of the Qur’an
on their own whenever they heard it
from the lips of the Prophet. However
what they wrote was not personally
verified by the Prophet and thus could
contain mistakes. All the verses revealed
to the Prophet may not have been heard
personally by all the Companions. There
were high possibilities of different
portions of the Qur’an being missed by
different Companions. This gave rise to
disputes among Muslims regarding the
different contents of the Qur’an during
the period of the third Caliph Usman
(r.a.).
Usman (r.a.) borrowed the original
manuscript of the Qur’an, which was
authorized by the beloved Prophet
(pbuh), from Hafsha (may Allah be
pleased with her), the Prophet’s wife.
Usman (r.a.) ordered four Companions
who were among the scribes who wrote
the Qur’an when the Prophet dictated it,
led by Zaid bin Thabit (r.a.) to rewrite
the script in several perfect copies.
These were sent by Usman (r.a.) to the
main centres of Muslims.
There were other personal collections of
the portions of the Qur’an that people
had with them. These might have been
incomplete and with mistakes. Usman
(r.a.) only appealed to the people to
destroy all these copies which did not
match the original manuscript of the
Qur’an in order to preserve the original
text of the Qur’an. Two such copies of
the copied text of the original Qur’an
authenticated by the Prophet are
present to this day, one at the museum
in Tashkent in erstwhile Soviet Union
and the other at the Topkapi Museum in
Istanbul, Turkey.
5. Diacritical marks were added for non-
Arabs
The original manuscript of the Qur’an
does not have the signs indicating the
vowels in Arabic script. These vowels are
known as tashkil, zabar, zair, paish in
Urdu and as fatah, damma and qasra in
Arabic. The Arabs did not require the
vowel signs and diacritical marks for
correct pronunciation of the Qur’an since
it was their mother tongue. For Muslims
of non-Arab origin, however, it was
difficult to recite the Qur’an correctly
without the vowels. These marks were
introduced into the Quranic script during
the time of the fifth ‘Umayyad’ Caliph,
Malik-ar-Marwan (66-86 Hijri/685-705
C.E.) and during the governorship of Al-
Hajaj in Iraq.
Some people argue that the present
copy of the Qur’an that we have along
with the vowels and the diacritical marks
is not the same original Qur’an that was
present at the Prophet’s time. But they
fail to realize that the word ‘Qur’an’
means a recitation. Therefore, the
preservation of the recitation of the
Qur’an is important, irrespective of
whether the script is different or
whether it contains vowels. If the
pronunciation and the Arabic is the
same, naturally, the meaning remains
the same too.
6. Allah Himself has promised to guard
the Qur’an
Allah has promised in the Qur’an :
“We have, without doubt, sent down the
Message; and We will assuredly Guard it
(from corruption).”
[Al-Qur’an 15:9]

Q05
Doesn’t Islam promote violence,
bloodshed and brutality since the
Qur’an says that Muslims should
kill the kuffar where ever they find
them?
Answer:
A few selected verses from the Qur’an
are often misquoted to perpetuate the
myth that Islam promotes violence, and
exhorts its followers to kill those outside
the pale of Islam.
1. Verse from Surah Taubah
The following verse from Surah Taubah is
very often quoted by critics of Islam, to
show that Islam promotes violence,
bloodshed and brutality:
“Kill the mushriqeen (pagans,
polytheists, kuffar) where ever you find
them.”
[Al-Qur’an 9:5]
2. Context of verse is during battlefield
Critics of Islam actually quote this verse
out of context. In order to understand
the context, we need to read from verse
1 of this surah. It says that there was a
peace treaty between the Muslims and
the Mushriqs (pagans) of Makkah. This
treaty was violated by the Mushriqs of
Makkah. A period of four months was
given to the Mushriqs of Makkah to make
amends. Otherwise war would be
declared against them. Verse 5 of Surah
Taubah says:
“But when the forbidden months are
past, then fight and slay the Pagans
wherever ye find them, and seize them,
beleaguer them, and lie in wait for them
in every stratagem (of war); but if they
repent, and establish regular prayers
and practise regular charity, then open
the way for them: for Allah is oft-
forgiving, Most merciful.”
[Al-Qur’an 9:5]
This verse is quoted during a battle.
3. Example of war between America and
Vietnam
We know that America was once at war
with Vietnam. Suppose the President of
America or the General of the American
Army told the American soldiers during
the war: “Wherever you find the
Vietnamese, kill them”. Today if I say
that the American President said,
“Wherever you find Vietnamese, kill
them” without giving the context, I will
make him sound like a butcher. But if I
quote him in context, that he said it
during a war, it will sound very logical, as
he was trying to boost the morale of the
American soldiers during the war.
4. Verse 9:5 quoted to boost morale of
Muslims during battle
Similarly in Surah Taubah chapter 9
verse 5 the Qur’an says, “Kill the
Mushriqs where ever you find them”,
during a battle to boost the morale of
the Muslim soldiers. What the Qur’an is
telling Muslim soldiers is, don’t be afraid
during battle; wherever you find the
enemies kill them.
5. Shourie jumps from verse 5 to verse 7
Arun Shourie is one of the staunchest
critics of Islam in India. He quotes the
same verse, Surah Taubah chapter 9
verse 5 in his book ‘The World of
Fatwahs’, on page 572. After quoting
verse 5 he jumps to verse 7 of Surah
Taubah. Any sensible person will realise
that he has skipped verse 6.
6. Surah Taubah chapter 9 verse 6 gives
the answer
Surah Taubah chapter 9 verse 6 gives
the answer to the allegation that Islam
promotes violence, brutality and
bloodshed. It says:
“If one amongst the pagans ask thee for
asylum,grant it to him, so that he may
hear the word of Allah; and then escort
him to where he can be secure that is
because they are men without
knowledge.”
[Al-Qur’an 9:6]
The Qur’an not only says that a Mushriq
seeking asylum during the battle should
be granted refuge, but also that he
should be escorted to a secure place. In
the present international scenario, even
a kind, peace-loving army General,
during a battle, may let the enemy
soldiers go free, if they want peace. But
which army General will ever tell his
soldiers, that if the enemy soldiers want
peace during a battle, don’t just let
them go free, but also escort them to a
place of security?
This is exactly what Allah (swt) says in
the Glorious Qur’an to promote peace in
the world.

Q06
Is it not true that Prophet Muhammad
(pbuh) has copied the Qur’an from the
Bible?
Answer
Many critics allege that Prophet
Muhummad (pbuh) himself was not the
author of the Qur’an but he learnt it and/
or plagiarised (copied or adapted) it from
other human sources or from previous
scriptures or revelations.
1. MUHUMMAD LEARNT THE QUR’AN
FROM A ROMAN BLACKSMITH WHO WAS
A CHRISTIAN
Some Pagans accused the Prophet of
learning the Qur’an from a Roman
Blacksmith, who was a Christian staying
at the outskirts of Makkah. The Prophet
very often used to go and watch him do
his work. A revelation of the Qur’an was
sufficient to dismiss this charge – the
Qur’an says in Surah An-Nahl chapter 16
verse 103:
“We know indeed that they say, ‘It is a
man that teaches him,’ The tongue of
him they wickedly point to is notably
foreign, while this is Arabic, pure and
clear.”
[Al-Qur’an 16:103]
How could a person whose mother
tongue was foreign and could hardly
speak little but of poor broken Arabic be
the source of the Qur’an which is pure,
eloquent, fine Arabic? To believe that
the blacksmith taught the Prophet the
Qur’an is some what similar to believing
that a Chinese immigrant to England,
who did not know proper English, taught
Shakespeare.
2. MUHUMMAD (PBUH) LEARNT FROM
WARAQA – THE RELATIVE OF KHADIJAH
(RA)
Muhummad’s (pbuh) contacts with the
Jewish and Christian Scholars were very
limited. The most prominent Christian
known to him was an old blind man
called Waraqa ibn-Naufal who was a
relative of the Prophet’s first wife
Khadijah (r.a.). Although of Arab
descent, he was a convert to Christianity
and was very well versed with the New
Testament. The Prophet only met him
twice, first when Waraqa was
worshipping at the Kaaba (before the
Prophetic Mission) and he kissed the
Prophet’s forehead affectionately; the
second occasion was when the Prophet
went to meet Waraqa after receiving the
first revelation. Waraqa died three years
later and the revelation continued for
about 23 years. It is ridiculous to assume
that Waraqa was the source of the
contents of the Qur’an.
3. PROPHET’S RELIGIOUS DISCUSSIONS
WITH THE JEWS AND CHRISTIANS
It is true that the Prophet did have
religious discussions with the Jews and
Christians but they took place in
Madinah more than 13 years after the
revelation of the Qur’an had started. The
allegation that these Jews and Christians
were the source is perverse, since in
these discussions Prophet Muhammad
(pbuh) was performing the roles of a
teacher and of a preacher while inviting
them to embrace Islam and pointing out
that they had deviated from their true
teachings of Monotheism. Several of
these Jews and Christians later
embraced Islam.
4. THE PROPHET LEARNT THE QUR’AN
FROM THOSE JEWS AND CHRISTIANS
THAT HE MET OUTSIDE ARABIA
All historical records available show that
Muhummad (pbuh) had made only three
trips outside Makkah before his
Prophethood:
At the age of 9 he accompanied his
mother to Madinah.
Between the age of 9 and 12, he
accompanied his uncle Abu-Talib on a
business trip to Syria.
At the age of 25 he led Khadija’s
Caravan to Syria.
It is highly imaginary to assume that the
Qur’an resulted from the occasional
chats and meetings with the Christians
or Jews from any of the above three
trips.
5. LOGICAL GROUNDS TO PROVE THAT
THE PROPHET DID NOT LEARN THE
QUR’AN FROM JEWS OR CHRISTIANS
The day-to-day life of the Prophet was an
open book for all to see. In fact a
revelation came asking people to give
the Prophet (pbuh) privacy in his own
home. If the Prophet had been meeting
people who told him what to say as a
revelation from God, this would not have
been hidden for very long.
The extremely prominent Quraish nobles
who followed the Prophet and accepted
Islam were wise and intelligent men who
would have easily noticed anything
suspicious about the way in which the
Prophet brought the revelations to them
– more so since the Prophetic mission
lasted 23 years.
The enemies of the Prophet kept a close
watch on him in order to find proof for
their claim that he was a liar – they could
not point out even a single instance
when the Prophet may have had a secret
rendezvous with particular Jews and
Christians.
It is inconceivable that any human
author of the Qur’an would have
accepted a situation in which he
received no credit whatsoever for
originating the Qur’an.
Thus, historically and logically it cannot
be established that there was a human
source for the Qur’an.
6. MUHUMMAD (PBUH) WAS AN
ILLITERATE
The theory that Muhummad (pbuh)
authored the Qur’an or copied from
other sources can be disproved by the
single historical fact that he was
illiterate.
Allah testifies Himself in the Qur’an
In Surah Al-Ankabut chapter no.29 verse
48
“And thou was not (able) to recite a Book
before this (Book came), nor art thou
(able) to transcribe it with thy right
hand: in that case, indeed, would the
talkers of vanities have doubted.”
[Al-Qur’an 29:48]
Allah (swt) knew that many would doubt
the authenticity of the Qur’an and would
ascribe it to Prophet Muhummad (pbuh).
Therefore Allah in His Divine Wisdom
chose the last and final Messenger to be
an ‘Ummi’, i.e. unlettered, so that the
talkers of vanity would not then have the
slightest justification to doubt the
Prophet. The accusation of his enemies
that he had copied the Qur’an from
other sources and rehashed it all in a
beautiful language might have carried
some weight, but even this flimsy
pretence has been deprived to the
unbeliever and the cynic.
Allah reconfirms in the Qur’an in Surah Al
A’raf chapter 7 verse 157:
“Those who follow the Messenger, the
unlettered Prophet, whom they find
mentioned in their own (Scriptures) in
the Law and the Gospel”
The prophecy of coming of the
unlettered Prophet (pbuh) is also
mentioned in the Bible in the book of
Isaiah chapter 29 verse 12.
“And the book is delivered to him that is
not learned.”
[Isaiah 29:12]
The Qur’an testifies in no less than four
different places that the Prophet (pbuh)
was illiterate. It is also mentioned in
Surah A’raf chapter 7 verse 158 and in
Surah Al-Jumu’a chapter 62 verse 2.
7. ARABIC VERSION OF THE BIBLE WAS
NOT PRESENT
The Arabic version of the Bible was not
present at the time of Prophet
Muhummad (pbuh). 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.
8. SIMILARITIES IN THE QUR’AN AND THE
BIBLE DUE TO COMMON SOURCE
Similarities between the Qur’an and the
Bible does not necessarily mean that the
former has been copied from the latter.
In fact it gives evidence that both of
them are based on a common third
source; all divine revelations came from
the same source – the one universal
God. No matter what human changes
were introduced into some of these
Judeo-Christian and other older religious
scriptures that had distorted their
originality, there are some areas that
have remained free from distortion and
thus are common to many religions.
It is true that there are some similar
parallels between the Qur’an and the
Bible but this is not sufficient to accuse
Muhummad (pbuh) of compiling or
copying from the Bible. The same logic
would then also be applicable to
teachings of Christianity and Judaism
and thus one could wrongly claim that
Jesus (pbuh) was not a genuine Prophet
(God forbid) and that he simply copied
from the Old Testament.
The similarities between the two signify
a common source that is one true God
and the continuation of the basic
message of monotheism and not that the
later prophets have plagiarised from the
previous prophets.
If someone copies during an examination
he will surely not write in the answer
sheet that he has copied from his
neighbour or Mr. XYZ. Prophet
Muhummad (pbuh) gave due respect
and credit to all the previous prophets
(pbut). The Qur’an also mentions the
various revelations given by Almighty
God to different prophets.
9. MUSLIMS BELIEVE IN THE TAURAH,
ZABOOR, INJEEL AND QUR’AN
Four revelations of Allah (swt) are
mentioned by name in the Qur’an: the
Taurah, the Zaboor, the Injeel and the
Qur’an.
Taurah, the revelation i.e. the Wahi
given to Moosa (a. s.) i.e. Moses (pbuh).
Zaboor, the revelation i.e. the Wahi
given to Dawood (a.s.) i.e. David (pbuh).
Injeel, the revelation i.e. the Wahi given
to Isa (A.S.) ie. Jesus (pbuh).
‘Al-Qur’an’, the last and final Wahi i.e.
revelation given to the last and final
Messenger Muhammad (pbuh).
It is an article of faith for every Muslim to
believe in all the Prophets of God and all
revelations of God. However, the present
day Bible has the first five books of the
Old Testament attributed to Moses and
the Psalms attributed to David. Moreover
the New Testament or the four Gospels
of the New Testament are not the
Taurah, the Zaboor or the Injeel, which
the Qur’an refers to. These books of the
present day Bible may partly contain the
word of God but these books are
certainly not the exact, accurate and
complete revelations given to the
prophets.
The Qur’an presents all the different
prophets of Allah as belonging to one
single brotherhood; all had a similar
prophetic mission and the same basic
message. Because of this, the
fundamental teachings of the major
faiths cannot be contradictory, even if
there has been a considerable passage
of time between the different prophetic
missions, because the source of these
missions was one: Almighty God, Allah.
This is why the Qur’an says that the
differences which exist between various
religions are not the responsibility of the
prophets, but of the followers of these
prophets who forgot part of what they
had been taught, and furthermore,
misinterpreted and changed the
scriptures. The Qur’an cannot therefore
be seen as a scripture which competes
with the teachings of Moses, Jesus and
the other prophets. On the contrary, it
confirms, completes and perfects the
messages that they brought to their
people.
Another name for the Qur’an is the ‘The
Furqan’ which means the criteria to
judge the right from the wrong, and it is
on the basis of the Qur’an that we can
decipher which part of the previous
scriptures can be considered to be the
word of God.

10. SCIENTIFIC COMPARISON BETWEEN
QUR’AN AND BIBLE
If you glance through the Bible and the
Qur’an you may find several points which
appear to be exactly the same in both of
them, but when you analyse them
closely, you realise that there is a
difference of ‘chalk and cheese’
between them. Only based on historical
details it is difficult for someone who is
neither conversant with Christianity or
Islam to come to a firm decision as to
which of the scriptures is true; however
if you verify the relevant passages of
both the scriptures against scientific
knowledge, you will yourself realize the
truth.
Creation of the Universe in Six Days
As per the Bible, in the first book of
Genesis in Chapter One, the universe
was created in six days and each day is
defined as a twenty-four hours period.
Even though the Qur’an mentions that
the universe was created in six
‘Ayyaams’, ‘Ayyaam’ is the plural of
years; this word has two meanings:
firstly, it means a standard twenty-four
hours period i.e. a day, and secondly, it
also means stage, period or epoch which
is a very long period of time.
When the Qur’an mentions that the
universe was created in six ‘Ayyaams’, it
refers to the creation of the heavens andthe earth in six long periods or epochs; scientists have no objection to this statement. The creation of the universe has taken billions of years, which proves false or contradicts the concept of the Bible which states that the creation of the Universe took six days of twenty-fourhour durations each.
Sun Created After the Day
The Bible says in chapter 1, verses 3-5,
of Genesis that the phenomenon of day
and night was created on the first dayof
creation of the Universe by God. The
light circulating in the universe is the
result of a complex reaction in the stars;
these stars were created according to
the Bible (Genesis chapter 1 verse 14 to
19) on the fourth day. It is illogical to
mention the result that is the light (the
phenomenon of day and night) was
created on the first day of Creation when
the cause or source of the light was
created three days later. Moreover the
existence of evening and morning as
elements of a single day is only
conceivable after the creation of the
earth and its rotation around the sun. In
contrast with the contents of the Bible
on this issue, the Qur’an does not give
any unscientific sequence of Creation.
Hence it is absolutely absurd to say that
Prophet Muhummad (pbuh) copied the
passages pertaining to the creation of
the universe from the Bible but missed
out this illogical and fantastic sequence
of the Bible.
Creation of the Sun, The Earth and the
Moon
According to the Bible, Book of Genesis,
chapter 1, verses 9 to 13, the earth was
created on the third day, and as per
verses 14 to 19, the sun and the moon
were created on the fourth day. The
earth and the moon emanated, as we
know, from their original star, the Sun.
Hence to place the creation of the sun
and the moon after the creation of the
earth is contrary to the established idea
about the formation of the solar system.
Vegetation Created on the third day and
Sun on the fourth day
According to the Bible, Book of Genesis,
chapter 1, verses 11-13, vegetation was
created on the third day along with
seed-bearing grasses, plants and trees;
and further on as per verses 14-19, the
sun was created on the fourth day. How
is it scientifically possible for the
vegetation to have appeared without the
presence of the sun, as has been stated
in the Bible?
If Prophet Muhummad (pbuh) was
indeed the author of the Qur’an and had
copied its contents from the Bible, how
did he manage to avoid the factual
errors that the Bible contains? The
Qur’an does not contain any statements
which are incompatible with scientific
facts.
The Sun and the Moon both Emit light
According to the Bible both the sun and
the moon emit their own light. In the
Book of Genesis, chapter 1, verse 16
says, “And God made two great lights;
the greater light to rule the day, and the
lesser light to rule the night”.
Science tells us today that the moon
does not have its own light. This confirms
the Qur’anic concept that the light of the
moon is a reflected light. To think that
1400 years ago, Prophet Muhummad
(pbuh) corrected these scientific errors
in the Bible and then copied such
corrected passages in the Qur’an is to
think of something impossible.
11. ADAM (PBUH), THE FIRST MAN ON
EARTH, LIVED 5,800 YEARS AGO
As per the genealogy of Jesus Christ
given in the Bible, from Jesus through
Abraham (pbuh) to the first man on
earth i.e. Adam (pbuh), Adam appeared
on the earth approximately 5800 years
ago:
1948 years between Adam (pbuh) and
Abraham (pbuh)
Approximately 1800 years between
Abraham (pbuh) and Jesus (pbuh)
2000 years from Jesus (pbuh) till today
These figures are further confused by
the fact that the Jewish calendar is
currently on or about 5800 years old.
There is sufficient evidence from
archaeological and anthropological
sources to suggest that the first human
being on earth was present tens of
thousands of years ago and not merely
5,800 years ago as is suggested by the
Bible.
The Qur’an too speaks about Adam
(pbuh) as the first man on earth but it
does not suggest any date or period of
his life on earth, unlike the Bible – what
the Bible says in this regard is totally
incompatible with science.
12. NOAH (PBUH) AND THE FLOOD
The Biblical description of the flood in
Genesis chapter 6, 7 and 8 indicates that
the deluge was universal and it
destroyed every living thing on earth,
except those present with Noah (pbuh)
in the ark. The description suggests that
the event took place 1656 years after
the creation of Adam (pbuh) or 292
years before the birth of Abraham, at a
time when Noah (pbuh) was 600 years
old. Thus the flood may have occurred in
the 21st or 22nd Century B.C.
This story of the flood, as given in the
Bible, contradicts scientific evidence
from archaelogical sources which
indicate that the eleventh dynasty in
Egypt and the third dynasty in Babylonia
were in existence without any break in
civilisation and in a manner totally
unaffected by any major calamity which
may have occurred in the 21st century
B.C. This contradicts the Biblical story
that the whole world had been immersed
in the flood water. In contrast to this, the
Qur’anic presentation of the story of
Noah and the flood does not conflict with
scientific evidence or archaeological
data; firstly, the Qur’an does not indicate
any specific date or year of the
occurance of that event, and secondly,
according to the Qur’an the flood was
not a universal phenomenon which
destroyed complete life on earth. In fact
the Qur’an specifically mentions that the
flood was a localised event only involving
the people of Noah.
It is illogical to assume that Prophet
Muhummad (pbuh) had borrowed the
story of the flood from the Bible and
corrected the mistakes before
mentioning it in the Qur’an.
13. MOSES (PBUH) AND PHARAOH OF
THE EXODUS
The story of Moses (pbuh) and the
Pharaoh of the Exodus are very much
identical in the Qur’an and the Bible.
Both scriptures agree that the Pharaoh
drowned when he tried to pursue Moses
(pbuh) and led the Israelites across a
stretch of water that they crossed. The
Qur’an gives an additional piece of
information in Surah Yunus chapter 10
verse 92:
“This day shall We save thee in thy body,
that thou mayest be a sign to those who
come after thee! But verily, many
among mankind are heedless of Our
Signs!”
[Al-Qur’an 10:92]
Dr. Maurice Bucaille, after a thorough
research proved that although Rameses
II was known to have persecuted the
Israelites as per the Bible, he actually
died while Moses (pbuh) was taking
refuge in Median. Rameses II’s son
Merneptah who succeeded him as
Pharaoh drowned during the exodus. In
1898, the mummified body of Merneptah
was found in the valley of Kings in Egypt.
In 1975, Dr. Maurice Bucaille with other
doctors received permission to examine
the Mummy of Merneptah, the findings
of which proved that Merneptah
probably died from drowning or a violent
shock which immediately preceeded the
moment of drowning. Thus the Qur’anic
verse that we shall save his body as a
sign, has been fulfilled by the Pharaohs’
body being kept at the Royal Mummies
room in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
This verse of the Qur’an compelled Dr.
Maurice Bucaille, who was a Christian
then, to study the Qur’an. He later wrote
a book ‘The Bible, the Qur’an and
Science’, and confessed that the author
of the Qur’an can be no one else besides
God Himself. Thus he embraced Islam.
14. QUR’AN IS A BOOK FROM ALLAH
These evidences are sufficient to
conclude that the Qur’an was not copied
from the Bible, but that the Qur’an is the
Furqaan – ‘the Criteria’ to judge right
from wrong and it should be used to
decipher which portion of the Bible may
be considered as the Word of God.

Question
Does not your Qur’an mention that Jesus
is Kalimatullah –”The Word of Allah (swt)
”, as well as Ruhullah – “The Spirit of
Allah”, indicating his Divinity?
Answer
1. JESUS (PBUH) “IS A WORD FROM
ALLAH” NOT “THE WORD OF ALLAH”
The Qur’an mentions in Surah Ali ‘Imran
Chapter 3 verse 45
“Behold! The angels said: O Mary! Allah
giveth thee glad tidings of a Word from
Him: his name will be Christ Jesus. The
son of Mary, held in honour in this world
and the Hereafter and of (the company
of) those Nearest to Allah.
[Al-Qur’an 3:45]
Jesus (pbuh) is referred in the Qur’an as
a word from Allah and not as ‘the word of
Allah’.
“A word” of Allah means a message of
Allah. If a person is referred to as “a
word” from Allah, it means that he is a
Messenger or a Prophet of Allah.
2. THE TITLE OF A PROPHET (PBUH)
DOES NOT MEAN THAT IT EXCLUSIVELY
BELONGS TO THAT PROPHET (PBUH)
Different titles are given to different
prophets (pbut). Whenever a title is
given to a prophet (pbuh), it does not
necessarily mean that the other
prophets do not have the same
characteristic or quality. For e.g. Prophet
Abraham (pbuh) is referred to in the
Qur’an as Khaleelullah, a friend of Allah.
This does not indicate that all the other
Prophets (pbuh) were not the friends of
Allah. Prophet Moses (pbuh) is referred
to in the Qur’an as Kaleemullah,
indicating that God spoke to him. This
does not mean that God did not speak to
others. Similarly when Jesus (pbuh) is
referred to in the Qur’an as Kalimatullah,
“a word from Allah”, it does not mean
that the other Prophets were not “the
word,” of Allah.
3. JOHN THE BAPTIST (PBUH) IS ALSO
CALLED “A WORD” OF ALLAH
Yahya (pbuh) i.e. John the Baptist (pbuh)
is also referred to in the Qur’an as
Kalimatullah i.e. a word of Allah in Surah
Ali ‘Imran, Chapter 3, verses 38-39
“There did Zakariya Pray to his Lord,
saying: “O my Lord! Grant unto me from
Thee a progeny that is pure: for Thou art
He that heareth prayer!
While he was standing in prayer in the
chamber, the angels called unto him:
“Allah doth give thee glad tidings of
Yahya, witnessing the truth of a Word
from Allah, and (be besides) noble,
chaste, and a Prophet – of the (goodly)
company of the righteous.”
[Al-Qur’an 3:39]

4. JESUS (PBUH) REFERRED AS
RUHULLAH – A SPIRIT OF ALLAH
Jesus (pbuh) also never referred to as
Ruhullah “a spirit of Allah” but as a spirit
from Allah in Surah Nisa Chapter 4 verse
171
“O People of the Book! Commit no
excesses in your religion: nor say of Allah
aught but the truth. Jesus Christ the son
of Mary was (no more than) a Messenger
of Allah, And His Word, which He
bestowed on Mary, and a Spirit
proceeding from Him: so believe in Allah
and His Messengers. Say not ‘Trinity’:
desist: it will be better for you: for Allah
is One God: glory be to Him: (Far Exalted
is He) above having a son. To Him
belong all things in the heavens and on
earth. And enough is Allah as a Disposer
of affairs.”
[Al-Qur’an 4:171]
5. SPIRIT OF ALLAH IS BREATHED IN
EVERY HUMAN BEING
A spirit from Allah does not indicate that
Jesus (pbuh) is God. The Qur’an
mentions in several places that Allah
breathed into the human beings “His
Spirit” in Surah Al-Hijr, chapter 15 verse
29 in Surah Sajdah, chapter 32 verse 9
Surah Al Hijr Chapter 15 verse 29
“When I have fashioned him (in due
proportion) and breathed into him of My
spirit, fall ye down in obeisance unto
him.”
[Al-Qur’an 15:29]
Surah Sajdah Chapter 32 verse 9
“But He fashioned him in due proportion,
and breathed into him something of His
spirit. And He gave you (the faculties of)
hearing and sight and feeling (and
understanding): little thanks do ye give!”
[Al-Qur’an 32:9]