Critiquing Islam 2.0

1️⃣ Islam Fails the Standard of Historical Evidence

A true religion should be historically verifiable. However, many of Islam’s foundational claims lack historical support or contradict known historical facts.

A. No Historical Evidence for Mecca as a Major Trade Hub

The Quran calls Mecca the "Mother of all Cities" (6:92), yet there is no historical, archaeological, or contemporary textual evidence of Mecca being a major city or trade hub before Islam.
Greek, Roman, Persian, and early Arab sources never mention Mecca before the 7th century, despite documenting Arabian trade routes.

Historical Issue: If Mecca was a crucial center, why is it absent from historical records?

B. No Contemporary Mentions of Muhammad or the Quran Until Decades Later

Muhammad is said to have been a major historical figure, yet no contemporary Byzantine, Persian, or Arabian records mention him during his lifetime.
The earliest known biography of Muhammad (Ibn Ishaq) was written 150+ years later, raising concerns about historical accuracy.
The earliest Quranic manuscripts (e.g., Sana’a Palimpsest) show textual variations, contradicting the claim of perfect preservation.

Historical Issue: If Muhammad was as significant as Islam claims, why is he absent from contemporary records?

C. The Quran’s Claim of Biblical Corruption Lacks Evidence

The Quran asserts that Jews and Christians corrupted their scriptures (2:79, 4:46).
Manuscript evidence (Dead Sea Scrolls, early New Testament manuscripts) contradicts this claim, showing that the Torah and Gospel were preserved well before Islam.
No Islamic manuscript or historical source provides an "uncorrupted" version of the Torah or Gospel.

Historical Issue: If the Bible was "corrupted," where is the evidence of an original Islamic version?

2️⃣ Islam Fails the Standard of Logical Consistency

A true religion should be free from contradictions. However, the Quran and Islamic theology contain multiple contradictions.

A. Can the Quran Be Changed or Not?

No one can change Allah’s words:
- "None can change the words of Allah." (6:115)
- "No change is there in the words of Allah." (10:64)
But the Quran itself admits abrogation (verses being replaced):
- "We do not abrogate a verse or cause it to be forgotten unless We bring one better than it or similar to it." (2:106)

Contradiction: If no one can change Allah’s words, why does Allah change them?

B. Is the Quran Clear or Not?

Clear and easy to understand:
- "We have certainly made the Quran easy to remember." (54:17)
- "This is a clear Book." (12:1)
But also unclear and requires scholars to interpret it:
- "Some verses are clear, but others are ambiguous. Those with deviance in their hearts follow the ambiguous ones." (3:7)

Contradiction: If the Quran is truly clear, why does it need interpretation?

C. Theological Gaps and Unanswered Questions

If Islam is universal, why was the Quran revealed in Arabic only (12:2) instead of all languages?
If Islam is the final revelation, why did Allah wait 600+ years after Jesus to send Muhammad, leaving generations without guidance?
If Muhammad was prophesied in the Bible (7:157), why is he not explicitly mentioned anywhere?

Unanswered Question: A complete and final revelation should leave no major theological gaps.

3️⃣ Islam Fails the Standard of Textual Preservation

A true revelation should have been perfectly preserved. However, Islam’s claim of an unaltered Quran contradicts historical evidence.

A. Early Quranic Manuscripts Show Variants

The Sana’a Palimpsest (one of the oldest Quranic manuscripts) contains overwritten text and variations, showing that the Quran’s text evolved.
The Topkapi, Samarkand, and Paris Qurans have differences in wording, spelling, and omissions compared to the modern Quran.
No complete Quran manuscript from the 7th century exists.

B. The Different Qira’at (Recitations) Contain Meaningful Variants

The Hafs and Warsh recitations, used by millions today, have over 1,300 differences.
Example: Surah 3:146
- Hafs: qatala (fought) → "Many prophets fought..."
- Warsh: qutila (were killed) → "Many prophets were killed..."
- These meanings are not the same, yet both are considered "the Quran."

C. Early Muslims Disagreed on the Quran’s Content

Ibn Mas’ud (one of Muhammad’s top companions) refused to accept Uthman’s standardized Quran.
Ubayy ibn Ka’b’s Quran contained additional Surahs not found in today’s Quran.
Ibn Mujahid (10th century) admitted that multiple versions of the Quran existed and tried to standardize them.

Conclusion: The Quran has had textual changes, contradicting the claim of perfect preservation.

🔴 Final Verdict: Islam Does Not Meet the Standard of Truth Beyond Any Reasonable Doubt

To be considered true beyond any reasonable doubt, Islam would need to:
✅ Be historically verifiable → ❌ But it has historical gaps and lacks contemporary evidence.
✅ Be logically consistent → ❌ But it contains contradictions and theological gaps.
✅ Be perfectly preserved → ❌ But early manuscripts show textual variants and evolution.

🚨 Conclusion: Islam fails the test of being historically, logically, and textually flawless. The claim that it is the “final and complete revelation” is not supported by evidence and is logically inconsistent.