Refuting Islam

Final Revelation or Flawed Revelation?

The Problem of Contradictions, Gaps, and Unanswered Questions in Islam

April 15, 2025

Muslims are taught that Islam is the final, complete, and perfect religion sent by Allah to guide humanity:

“This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as your religion.”
— Qur’an 5:3

They are told the Qur’an is a flawless, divinely protected revelation — clear, comprehensive, and without contradiction:

“And We have sent down to you the Book as clarification for all things…”
— Qur’an 16:89

“Do they not consider the Qur’an carefully? Had it been from other than Allah, they would surely have found many contradictions in it.”
— Qur’an 4:82

But when we actually examine the Qur’an and the wider Islamic tradition, we find a troubling pattern:

Contradictions within the Qur’an and between the Qur’an and Hadith.
Missing or weak historical evidence for Islam’s central claims.
Dozens of unanswered theological and moral questions that continue to haunt the religion.

This raises a critical question:

If Islam is truly the final and perfect revelation of God — why is it riddled with inconsistencies, missing links, and confusion?

Let’s break this down.

1. Contradictions Within the Qur’an

The Qur’an repeatedly claims to be internally consistent. But reality tells another story. Consider the following contradictions:

❖ Who goes to Heaven?

Surah 2:62 & 5:69 — Jews and Christians can be saved.
Surah 3:85 & 5:72 — Only Muslims are saved; others are disbelievers bound for Hell.

Which is it?

❖ Can Allah’s words be changed?

Surah 6:115 & 18:27 — “None can change the words of Allah.”
But Islam also claims the Torah and Gospel were corrupted — which, according to Islamic theology, were originally Allah’s words.

So — can Allah’s words be changed or not?

❖ Is there compulsion in religion?

Surah 2:256 — “There is no compulsion in religion.”
Surah 9:5 & 9:29 — Fight those who do not believe; subjugate Jews and Christians.

Is Islam a religion of free choice or one of forced submission?

These contradictions are not minor details. They strike at the heart of Islam’s theology, morality, and legal framework.

2. Gaps in Historical Evidence

If Islam is a divinely guided truth, one would expect the historical record to confirm and support its claims.

Instead, we find disturbing silence and inconsistency in the archaeological and documentary evidence.

❖ No contemporary evidence for Muhammad

There are no inscriptions, coins, or documents that mention Muhammad until nearly a century after his supposed death.

The earliest biographies (Sira) and collections of Hadith were compiled 150–250 years later — based on oral reports with massive chains of transmitters.

That’s not revelation. That’s folklore and hearsay.

❖ The Qur’anic Jesus vs. the historical Jesus

The Qur’an presents Jesus (Isa) as a Muslim prophet who wasn’t crucified — but this contradicts all credible historical sources, including Jewish, Roman, and early Christian records, which unanimously agree that Jesus was crucified.

Which account is more reliable: the one written 600 years later with no access to original sources — or the ones written within a generation of the events?

❖ Absence of Mecca in early Islamic expansion

Despite Mecca’s central role in Islam today, early Islamic expansion — including inscriptions and documents from the Umayyad period — barely mention Mecca, if at all.

Some scholars argue that early Islam didn’t even originate there — suggesting a later retroactive sanctification of Mecca to fit Islamic narratives.

3. Unanswered Theological and Moral Questions

Beyond contradictions and historical gaps, Islam leaves many foundational questions either unanswered or addressed in ways that are deeply problematic.

❖ Why did Allah allow the Torah and Gospel to be “corrupted” — but protected the Qur’an?

If He is all-powerful and all-knowing, why guard only one book and let His earlier revelations be distorted? That seems arbitrary and inconsistent.

❖ Why is the Qur’an eternally preserved — but not fully understandable?

Despite its claims of clarity, even Islamic scholars admit many verses are ambiguous, contradictory, or mysterious. For example:

“Some of its verses are clear… others are ambiguous.”
— Qur’an 3:7

What good is eternal preservation if the meaning remains unclear — even to believers?

❖ Why is Muhammad presented as the “perfect example” despite morally questionable actions?

Marrying a six-year-old (Aisha).
Ordering assassinations of critics.
Permitting the beating of wives (Qur’an 4:34).
Owning and trading slaves.

If this is the best example of human conduct, what does that say about Islamic ethics?

4. The Inescapable Conclusion: Islam Is Not What It Claims to Be

Islam claims to be:

The final and perfect revelation of God.
A clear, consistent guide for all humanity.
A system grounded in historical truth and moral excellence.

But the evidence shows:

Contradictions at every level — theological, legal, and moral.
Weak historical foundations that resemble myth-making more than divine intervention.
Unanswered questions that render Islam’s core doctrines incoherent.

This isn’t divine clarity. It’s doctrinal confusion.

This isn’t finality. It’s theological patchwork.

This isn’t perfection. It’s revisionism, masquerading as revelation.

5. The Verdict: A Religion Built on Claims It Cannot Sustain

Islam demands total submission based on its claim to be the final word of God.

But that claim collapses under the weight of its own inconsistencies and historical problems.

No religion that contradicts itself, rewrites history, and leaves its moral compass open to question can credibly claim to be the ultimate truth for all time.

If Islam were truly from an all-knowing, all-powerful God, it would not need:

Apologists to constantly reinterpret its meaning.
Scholars to retroactively harmonize its contradictions.
Believers to suspend their conscience in the face of injustice.

A divine revelation would speak clearly, stand up to scrutiny, and leave no doubt about its origin or integrity.

The Qur’an — and the religion built upon it — does none of those things.