format_quote Originally Posted by
Wim
I know of many imperfections in the Qur'an. In order to prove that the Qur'an is not perfect I only have to put forward one error. One error is enough to make a piece of literature imperfect. According to Surah 18:86 Dhul-Qarnain once traveled a long way in a westerly direction and found the place where the sun sets every night in a spring of black muddy water. Can this be correct? I think you will agree with me that the sun does not set in a spring of black muddy water.
Your turn.
1. You must tell all of the imperfections that you think are in the Holy Quraan.
2. Setting of the sun in.......
Let us read the translation of the verse and its explanation:
(18:86) until when he reached the very limits where the sun sets,
63 he saw it setting in dark turbid waters;
64 and nearby he met a people. We said: "O Dhu al-Qarnayn, you have the power to punish or to treat them with kindness."
65
Exp. notes 63---65:
63. “The setting place of the sun” does not mean the place of the setting of the sun. According to Ibn Kathir, it means that he marched to the west conquering one country after the other till he reached the last boundary of the land, beyond which there was ocean.
64. “He found it setting in a muddy spring”: If Zul Qarnain was Cyrus, then that place would be the western limit of Asia Minor and the black waters would be the Aegean Sea. This interpretation is supported by the use of the word ain instead of bahr in the Quran.
65. “We said” does not necessarily mean that Allah directly revealed to him these words, and that Zul-Qarnain was a Prophet or was the one who received inspiration from Allah, and the same is the reasonable conjecture. This concerns the time when Zul-Qarnain had taken possession of the land as a conqueror and the conquered people were utterly at your mercy. Then Allah posed a question
before his conscience, as if to say: Now is the time of your trial. These people are utterly at your mercy, and you have the option either to behave unjustly towards them or to treat them generously.
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Again here is a link of surah Al-Kahf in another commentary named dawatul Quraan:
http://www.islamicstudies.info/quran/dawat/surah18.htm
You can read more details of the same verse of surah Al-Kahf i.e. (18:86)
Now I will try to make the things clear on the bases of human mind:
I had read a hadeeth of the Prophet Muhammad salla Allaho alaihi wa sallam. According to that Allah (The Creator) shall judge human beings on the bases of brain/wisdom, as near Allah brain /wisdom is the most important/valuable thing among all of Allah's creations.
This was a very beautiful hadeeth but now I have lost the book and also don't remember it in full. May Allah, the Mighty, forgive me. But I am trying to remind all mankind that whatever ideas and intentions pass in your mind, Allah knows them very well. For example, now I don't know if you are truthful and sincere in your words and that you are truly trying to find guidance or if you are trying to belie the Final Prophet Muhammad salla Allaho alaihi wa sallam. But Allah surely knows your intention. And you shall be judged on the bases of that intention. The Day of Judgment is not far. It is only waiting to the death of every person!!! I hope you all believe in the coming and happening of death. Then there shall be no escape from Allah's punishment. This was only to remind you sincerely your weaknesses, and your helplessness in front of the All-Mighty Allah!!!
Now about the setting of sun:
Do you know where does the sun really set???
Does anyone else know where does it set???
In this scientifically advanced era, does any of the greatest scientists know exactly where does the sun set???
If you have the correct answer then bring it with proof!!!
Only Allah, the One Who created the Sun and has been managing its cycle knows best about its course.
As the commentary has explained it, Dhul-Qarnain reached the last limit of the dry land, so he could not proceed any further and then it seemed to him as if the Sun was setting in the dark muddy water which was in front of him and he had to stop there. Also Dawatul Quraan gives more explanation about the falling of a canal of muddy water there in the gulf. You should read that commentary, the link is given above.
Again I ask you a question. Whenever I stand on a beach (facing towards west) at the time of the Sunset, the sun appears to be setting in the same water whatever its name be. It may be the Atlantic ocean or the Arabian Gulf!!! Does the same appear to you??? Your answer will be "yes"!!! And the same will be the answer of every such person standing near an ocean/sea etc. facing west at the time of sunset!!!
But does the sun set there in front of you??? No! No! It appears to you like that!!!
In this verse (18:86) the real purpose is to tell us that Dhul-Qarnain travelled towards west conquering country after country until the dry land came to end and then in front of him was water so he couldn't travel any more. If you think that the Qurann says about a small spring of water then it is your misunderstanding. Think:
If it was merely a spring then; 1. Dhul-Qarnain would have easily crossed it and his journey to the west would continue. 2. The sun would not appear to be setting in that spring of water, rather he would see it setting near the horizon. But Dhul-Qarnain had to stop because of such a huge body of water (whatever it was) that he couldn't see land beyond that and thus the sun appeared to him as setting in that huge body of water!!!
Remember that the Holy Quraan is a Book and the Final Book of admonition to all mankind. There are many points of admonition in the story of Dhul-Qarnain. In the same surah Al-Kahf there is the story of the sleepers in a cave who only to protect their faith of Tawheed from a cruel oppressor king went and took refuge in the cave in mountains. Allah kept them sleeping until 309 years and then made them wakeup. People saw them and got a lesson to believe in the Day of Resurrection.
These stories of surah Al-Kahf were found in the history of Jews and had happened far away from Saudi Arabia. So the Arabs had no knowledge about them. As the Makkan idolators wanted to test the prophet-hood of Muhammad salla Allaho alaihi wa sallam, they demanded very hard questions from the Jews. The Jews gave them these three questions i.e about As-haabi Kahf, the story of Khidhar and Musa alaihim salaam and about Dhul-Qarnain. As Muhammad salla Allaho alaihi wa sallam,was a true Prophet of Allah, so Allah revealed to Him the whole surah Al-Kahf with full answers to the three questions. This surah is a proof of His Prophet-hood but you, instead of taking admonition, are trying to accuse the Book of Allah to be having errors. May Allah guide you otherwise I think you are far astray person!!! You are also trying to stray others from the right path of Islam. I inform you clearly that if you died in that state of faith and struggle, your punishment shall be double. Therefore I advise you very sincerely that you shouldn't go to the anti-Islamic sites. You must try to read and understand the Holy Quraan yourself. You can go to tafheem.net and choose any commentary for your understanding. Insha-Allah you will get proof of the Truth of Islam.
All must remember that Quraan is the proof of the Prophet-hood of Muhammad salla Allaho alaihi wa sallam, It is a self-witness-Book that it cannot be the statement of human beings. It is a Divine Book, and
THEREFORE Muhammad salla Allaho alaihi wa sallam is the Prophet of Allah (The Only One, Single and Unique God Allah)!!!