Allah the Almighty has created humankind out of nothing and made them responsible beings by equipping them with features such as reason and will. In order for them to fulfill this responsibility, He sent prophets and taught people the difference between right and wrong through the revelation He sent to the prophets. The Qur'an revealed to Prophet Muhammad (saw), stands as the final link in the chain of revelation.
Throughout history, there have always been believers among the communities of the prophets, as well as those who opposed them and denied the revelation they received from Allah. From Prophet Noah to Prophet Abraham and from Prophet Hud to Prophet Lut this took place, and this was also true for the people of Prophet Muhammad (saw). They took a similar attitude of denying his prophethood and refused to accept the fact that the Qur’an revealed to him was the word of Allah. One of the main arguments put forward by the polytheists who opposed the Prophet (saw) and the new religion was that the Qur’an was not the word of Allah, but a human utterance invented by the Prophet (saw).
In response to these assertions of the polytheists, Allah (swt) openly challenged the polytheists and refuted their claims. In fact, Allah (swt) issued a challenge to the most powerful poets and intellectuals of the time, asking them to produce a book similar to the Qur’an, even with collective assistance (Osman Keskioglu, Nuzulunden Gunumuze Kur’an-ı Kerim Bilgileri, Publications of TDF, p. 185). Allah states, “Say, O Prophet, ‘If all humans and jinn were to come together to produce the equivalent of this Quran, they could not produce its equal, no matter how they supported each other.’” (Isra, 17:88). This was a declaration that the disbelievers were incapable of replicating the miraculous nature of the Qur'an.
Once it became evident that the polytheists were unable to produce a book similar to the Qur’an, they were further challenged to bring at least ten surahs similar to the Qur’an: “Or do they say, “He has fabricated this Quran! Say, O Prophet, ‘Produce ten fabricated surahs like it and seek help from whoever you can—other than Allah—if what you say is true! But if your helpers fail you, then know that it has been revealed with the knowledge of Allah, and that there is no god worthy of worship except Him! Will you not then submit to Allah?’” (Hud, 11:13-14)
After issuing the challenge to bring ten surahs similar to the Qur’an, Allah further confronted His interlocutors to produce only one surah, but insisting that they would be unable to do so. In doing so, Allah put forth the manifest evidence that the Qur’an is the word of Allah. He states: “And if you are in doubt about what We have revealed to Our servant, then produce a surah like it and call your helpers other than Allah, if what you say is true. But if you are unable to do so—and you will never be able to do so—then fear the Fire fueled with people and stones, which is prepared for the disbelievers.” (Baqarah, 2:23-24)
In the face of the challenge set forth by Allah the Almighty to the polytheists, even the highly eloquent Arab poets, during a period when poetry and literature were at their zenith, remained speechless. Thus their claims that the Qur'an was not the word of Allah were dismissed. (Ismail Cerrahoglu, Tefsir Usulu, Publications of TDF, p. 164)
Allah the Almighty has made it clear that He has sent down the Qur’an as a sound and perfect book and will not allow any corruption in it (Kahf, 18:1-2). Undoubtedly the Qur'an is a scripture of the greatest blessing bestowed upon all of humankind that guides people from darkness to light, from misguidance to guidance, teaches them faith and Islam, elucidates Allah's commands and prohibitions, imparts religious rulings, and clarifies the rewards and punishments necessary for their well-being in this world and the Hereafter. The Qur’an is a book that has no crookedness, inaccuracy, or contradiction (Kur’an Yolu, vol. 3, p. 536). In order for people to understand this fact, Allah the Almighty asks them to examine and reflect on the Qur’an and states that if the Qur’an was a book not revealed by Allah, it would contain many inconsistencies and contradictions (Nisa, 4:82). Except for some prejudiced and baseless claims, no acceptable, realistic, or scientific evidence has been presented throughout history that there are any errors, flaws, deficiencies, or contradictions in it.
The Qur’an was revealed in parts in different times and places over a period of twenty-three years. Its content covers a wide range of topics, from the creation of human beings and living and non-living beings to scientific truths about the universe, from moral virtues to rules about the individual and society, from the stories of societies and prophets who lived in the past to the Day of Judgment and the Hereafter. Nevertheless, there is no inconsistency, contradiction, or discrepancy in its style and unique expressive power, nor in the subjects it addresses, the judgments it makes, and the information it provides. This conclusion, which anyone who thinks rationally can reach by studying the Qur’an, is an irrefutable proof that it is from Allah. Therefore, those who deny that it is the word of Allah and seek flaws and errors in it are based on ingrained prejudices and human weaknesses rather than evidence and knowledge (Kur’an Yolu, vol. 2 pp. 102-103). For there is no flaw or contradiction in the Qur’an for those who reflect upon it (Al-Zamakhshari, Al-Kashshaf, 1/540).
Therefore, it is obvious that the claims that there are errors, omissions, or contradictions in the Qur’an, both in the past and today, have no scientific value and reality. This is because the Qur’an was revealed from Allah, the All-Knowing (Ghafir, 40:2). It is Allah who neither falters nor forgets anything (Taha, 20:52). It is incumbent upon Muslims to adopt an attitude that seeks to derive benefit from the guidance and wisdom of the Qur’an, which is a source of mercy and healing. Instead of wasting our lives searching for faults, errors, and contradictions in the Qur’an, it is essential to embrace this truth and refrain from following misguided false trends and fashionable arguments. The Qur’an is a book in which there is no doubt and a guide for those mindful of Allah (Baqarah, 2:2).
