Contradictions in a Divine Book? 

Why That’s a Fatal Problem for Any Claimed Revelation

April 15, 2025

Religions that claim divine revelation typically present their scriptures as flawless, perfect, and divinely authored. The Qur’an is no exception. In fact, it boldly asserts:

“Do they not reflect upon the Qur’an? If it had been from other than Allah, they would have found within it much contradiction.”
— Qur’an 4:82

This is not a defensive statement — it is a test of authenticity. The Qur’an itself claims that a contradiction would disprove its divine origin.

So here’s the unavoidable question:

If a book claims to be from God, but contains contradictions — does that falsify its divine origin?

Let’s explore this logically, theologically, and historically.

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1. What Is a Contradiction — and Why Does It Matter?

A contradiction occurs when two or more statements cannot both be true at the same time and in the same sense.

For example:

• Saying “God never changes His words” (Qur’an 6:115)
  while also saying “God replaced the Torah and the Gospel with the Qur’an”
  is a contradiction. Either His words are unchangeable, or they’re replaceable — not both.

In divine scripture, contradictions are not minor issues. They go to the heart of truth claims.

Why?

Because God, by definition, is:

• All-knowing

• Truthful

• Perfect in speech

Therefore, if a scripture claiming to be His word contains logical errors, internal inconsistencies, or moral double standards, it violates God’s nature and disqualifies itself as divine.

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2. The Qur’an’s Own Standard for Authenticity

The Qur’an invites skepticism. It doesn’t just claim to be from God — it challenges doubters to expose contradictions as a test of its authenticity:

“If it were from other than Allah, you would surely have found many contradictions therein.”
— Qur’an 4:82

But here’s the problem: There are contradictions in the Qur’an.

Just a few examples:

• Are Jews and Christians saved?

  • Yes: Qur’an 2:62, 5:69

  • No: Qur’an 3:85, 98:6

• Is Allah’s word unchangeable?

  • Yes: 6:115, 10:64

  • No: 2:106 (abrogation)

• Does everyone have free will?

  • Yes: 18:29

  • No: 6:125, 10:100 (God guides or misguides whom He wills)

These are not superficial discrepancies. They involve theological doctrines, human salvation, and the very nature of God.

And if we take the Qur’an’s own challenge seriously, these contradictions falsify its claim to be from Allah.

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3. The Logical Principle: Infallibility Requires Consistency

If a religious text:

• Claims divine authorship

• Declares that contradiction invalidates that claim

• Contains contradictions

Then by its own standard, it is not from God.

You don’t need to be a theologian to see the problem. Logic alone makes it clear:

• A perfect God cannot author an imperfect book.

• An all-wise God cannot contradict Himself.

• A truthful God cannot send a message that is self-invalidating.

Thus, a divine claim paired with documented internal contradictions leads to a fatal theological conclusion: The book is not from God.

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4. Muslim Apologetics: Do They Rescue the Qur’an?

Muslim apologists often respond with explanations like:

• “These verses were revealed at different times.” But time doesn’t solve contradiction. If God changes His mind or sends conflicting messages, it means His first revelation was incomplete or mistaken — which contradicts His perfection.

• “Abrogation solves this.” Abrogation (naskh) is the idea that later verses cancel earlier ones. But this just admits the contradiction — and tries to manage it rather than eliminate it. More importantly, if God’s “eternal word” contains self-cancellation, how can it be timeless and divine?

• “You need to understand the context.” Context matters — but it’s not a magic eraser. A contradiction is still a contradiction even with background knowledge. Saying “this only applies in a certain case” doesn’t fix the fact that the book sends mixed messages about core issues like salvation, justice, and God's attributes.

In short, apologetics may reframe contradictions — but they cannot erase them. And that means the core problem remains.

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5. The Broader Implication: Not Just the Qur’an

While this critique focuses on the Qur’an, the principle applies to any religious text that claims to be divine.

• If the Torah contains contradictory commands, it raises questions about Mosaic revelation.

• If the Bible had irreconcilable doctrines, its divine inspiration would be in doubt.

But what makes the Qur’an unique is that it builds its authority on the claim of contradiction-free perfection — and then violates that claim within its own pages.

So when a Muslim says, “Find a contradiction in the Qur’an,” they are essentially handing you the key to unlock its theological collapse.

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6. Conclusion: Why Contradictions Are the Achilles’ Heel of Religious Texts

If a book truly comes from an all-knowing, all-wise, and all-truthful God, it should be:

• Internally consistent

• Morally coherent

• Theologically unified

If it is not, then one of two things is true:

1. God is not what He claims to be — which undermines the entire religious framework, or

2. The book was never from God in the first place — which invalidates the religion based on it.

When it comes to the Qur’an, the verdict is clear:

It fails its own test.
It contains contradictions.
Therefore, by its own definition, it cannot be from Allah.

And once that realization takes hold, the entire edifice of Islamic authority begins to crumble.