Refuting Islam

If the Qur’an Reflects Human Sources, Can Muhammad Still Be Considered a True Prophet?

April 15, 2025

One of Islam’s most foundational claims is that Muhammad was not the author of the Qur’an. Muslims believe he was simply the final messenger, transmitting the literal word of God, preserved perfectly in Arabic.

“Your companion [Muhammad] has not strayed, nor has he erred. Nor does he speak from his own desire. It is nothing but revelation sent down to him.”
— Qur’an 53:2–4

But what happens when we examine the Qur’an critically, not devotionally?

What if we find that many of its ideas, stories, and theological frameworks closely mirror — or directly borrow from — earlier Jewish, Christian, and even pagan traditions?

That question leads us to a fundamental dilemma:

If the Qur’an reflects identifiable human sources, can we still accept Muhammad’s claim to prophethood?

Let’s unpack this with historical analysis, textual evidence, and theological reasoning.

1. Muhammad Lived in a Religiously Diverse Environment

Though often depicted as an isolated and illiterate desert merchant, Muhammad’s Meccan society was far from religiously ignorant. Arabia in the 6th and 7th centuries was a crossroads of monotheistic and polytheistic traditions:

Jewish tribes thrived in Yathrib (later Medina).
Christian monastics and merchants were active in southern Arabia and the Levant.
Hanifs — Arab monotheists — rejected idolatry and sought a purer faith.
Oral traditions and storytelling were common cultural vehicles.

Muhammad was a caravan trader who traveled to Syria and Palestine, likely encountering these religious influences firsthand.

So the notion that he had no exposure to earlier scriptures or teachings is historically untenable.

2. The Qur’an Recycles Earlier Material

As discussed in the previous post, the Qur’an repeats many stories found in Jewish and Christian scripture — but often with alterations:

Adam and Eve, Noah’s Ark, Moses and Pharaoh, Abraham’s sacrifice, Joseph’s dreams, and Jesus’ miracles all appear in the Qur’an.
Yet many details deviate from the Biblical versions, sometimes aligning instead with non-canonical or apocryphal texts — such as the Infancy Gospel of Thomas or Jewish Midrash.

These are not fresh revelations — they are retellings with Islamic adjustments.

If the Qur’an were truly the word of an all-knowing God, why would it contain confused or historically distorted versions of earlier texts?

3. Muhammad Is Accused of Receiving Help — Even in the Qur’an Itself

The Qur’an acknowledges the accusation that Muhammad’s revelations were not divine, but borrowed from others:

“We certainly know that they say, ‘It is only a human being who teaches him.’ The tongue of the one they refer to is foreign, and this [Qur’an] is [in] clear Arabic.”
— Qur’an 16:103

This verse responds defensively — not refuting the content of the accusation, but asserting that the language proves divine origin.

But that’s a non-sequitur. Language fluency does not prove divine authorship. Shakespeare wrote in English. That doesn’t make his work holy.

More importantly, this verse shows the accusation was widespread during Muhammad’s own life — that he was learning and adapting material from non-Arab or non-Muslim sources.

4. Theological Contradictions Suggest Human Origins

If Muhammad were truly relaying divine revelation, we would expect consistency and clarity in doctrine.

Instead, the Qur’an shows:

Contradictions in how Jews and Christians are viewed (cf. Qur’an 2:62 vs. Qur’an 98:6)
Shifting stances on alcohol, war, and prayer directions — often explained away by abrogation (naskh)
Confusion between Biblical figures, such as calling Mary the “sister of Aaron” — a mix-up between Mary (mother of Jesus) and Miriam (sister of Moses)

These are not hallmarks of divine communication. They resemble a fallible human mind, adapting and revising ideas over time.

5. Prophethood Claims Must Be Measured by Evidence

Claiming to be a prophet is not unique — many historical figures have claimed divine inspiration:

Joseph Smith (Mormonism)
Baháʼu’lláh (Bahá’í Faith)
Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (Ahmadiyya)

In each case, the standard for evaluating such a claim must go beyond charisma or confidence. It must rest on truth, consistency, and originality.

If Muhammad’s revelations can be accounted for by existing human sources, and if those revelations contain errors, contradictions, and inconsistencies, then the burden of proof remains unmet.

A true prophet would bring something radically new, true, and transformative — not borrowed myths repackaged with divine branding.

6. The "Illiterate Prophet" Argument Fails

Muslims often argue that because Muhammad was unlettered (ummi), he could not have fabricated such eloquent scripture.

But this raises several problems:

First, oral culture in 7th-century Arabia was sophisticated. Many poets and storytellers had prodigious memories and rhetorical skill — without being literate.
Second, the word ummi in the Qur’an may not even mean “illiterate” — it more likely means “not among the People of the Book.”
Third, eloquence is not evidence of divine origin. Many brilliant orators and authors are entirely human.

So even if Muhammad couldn’t read, that doesn’t prove his words were divine — only that he was a skilled communicator in a rich oral society.

7. Conclusion: A Human Message, Not a Divine One

If the Qur’an:

Draws heavily from pre-existing Jewish and Christian texts,
Reflects the religious ideas of 7th-century Arabia,
Contains historical, scientific, and theological errors,
Admits accusations of outside influence,
And can be explained without invoking divine intervention —

Then the most reasonable conclusion is this:

Muhammad was not a prophet receiving revelation from God. He was a religious leader who drew from human sources and cultural influences to craft a new faith.

This doesn’t mean he was necessarily dishonest. He may have believed he was called by God. But belief and truth are not the same.

And if the Qur’an is the product of human hands, Islam’s foundation collapses — because everything rests on the claim that Muhammad was divinely guided.

Refuting Islam

Tuesday, April 15, 2025