Internal Contradictions Within the Quran

This part catalogues the most frequently cited internal tensions in the Quranic text itself. For each, the standard harmonization offered by Muslim commentators is given, followed by the critic’s assessment of that harmonization. Comprehensive lists are maintained by WikiIslam (“Contradictions in the Quran”) and discussed in the academic literature on Quranic composition (e.g., the editorial-process analyses of Joseph Witztum and the Corpus Coranicum project).

1. 1

   How Many Days of Creation — Six or Eight?

   Quran 7:54, 10:3, 11:7, and 25:59 state that Allah created the heavens and the earth in six days. But Quran 41:9–12 itemizes the process: two days for the earth (41:9), four days for the mountains and sustenance (41:10),…

2. 2

   Who Was the First Muslim?

   Quran 6:14 and 6:163 command Muhammad to be “the first of the Muslims.” Quran 7:143 has Moses declare “I am the first of the believers.” Quran 2:131–132 presents Abraham as submitting (aslamtu) and bequeathing islam to h…

3. 3

   How Long Is a Day with Allah — 1,000 Years or 50,000?

   Quran 22:47 and 32:5 say a day with the Lord is “as a thousand years of those you count.” Quran 70:4 says the angels ascend to Him “in a day the measure of which is fifty thousand years.”…

4. 4

   Was Iblis an Angel or a Jinn?

   In Quran 2:34, 7:11, 15:28–31, 17:61, 20:116 and 38:71–74, Allah commands the angels to prostrate to Adam, “and they prostrated, except Iblis” — a grammatical exception that places Iblis among the angels addressed. Yet Q…

5. 5

   Does Intercession Exist or Not?

   Quran 2:254 warns of a Day in which there is “no bargaining, no friendship, and no intercession (shafa‘a).” Quran 2:48 and 6:51 likewise deny intercessors. But Quran 10:3, 19:87, 20:109, and 53:26 allow intercession “by …

6. 6

   Could Allah Have a Son?

   Quran 39:4 says: “If Allah had intended to take a son, He could have chosen from what He creates whatever He willed.” Quran 19:35 says it is “not befitting” for Allah to take a son, but the conditional in 39:4 treats it …

7. 7

   Does the Quran Misdescribe the Trinity?

   Quran 5:116 has Allah ask Jesus: “Did you say to the people, ‘Take me and my mother as two gods besides Allah?’” Quran 5:73 condemns those who say “Allah is the third of three,” and 4:171 warns “do not say ‘Three.’” Read…

8. 8

   Tolerance Verses Versus Sword Verses, and the Problem of Abrogation

   “There is no compulsion in religion” (Quran 2:256) and “to you your religion, to me mine” (109:6) sit alongside “kill the polytheists wherever you find them” (9:5) and “fight those who do not believe in Allah… until they…

9. 9

   Pure Arabic — With Foreign Loanwords

   The Quran insists on its pure Arabic character as evidence of authenticity: “a clear Arabic tongue” (16:103; 26:195), “an Arabic Quran without any crookedness” (39:28). Yet the text contains scores of non-Arabic loanword…