Is Islam Truly Monotheistic? The Problem of the Eternal Qur’an
April 15, 2025
Islam proclaims itself to be the purest form of monotheism — a religion centered on the uncompromising belief in the oneness of God, known in Arabic as Tawheed. According to the Qur’an, Allah is absolutely singular, eternal, and unique:
“Say: He is Allah, [who is] One. Allah, the Eternal Refuge. He neither begets nor is born, nor is there to Him any equivalent.”
— Qur’an 112:1–4
Muslims are taught that Tawheed is the core of Islamic faith, distinguishing Islam from polytheism, idolatry, and even from the Trinitarian doctrine of Christianity.
Yet Islamic theology contains a startling internal contradiction: it teaches that the Qur’an itself is uncreated and eternal, existing separately from Allah.
This raises a question that cuts to the heart of Islamic doctrine:
If Islam is truly about Tawheed — the absolute oneness of God — how can the Qur’an be eternal, yet not be Allah Himself?
This problem has haunted Muslim theologians for centuries, and despite desperate attempts to reconcile it, the contradiction remains unresolved to this day.
1. The Orthodox Sunni Doctrine: The Qur’an Is Uncreated
According to traditional Sunni Islam, particularly the Ash‘ari and Hanbali schools of theology, the Qur’an is not just the words revealed to Muhammad. It is something far greater — a timeless, uncreated attribute of Allah, existing eternally with Him, yet somehow not identical to Him.
“The Qur’an is the speech of Allah, uncreated and not separate from Him, but not identical to Him.”
— Summary of the Ash‘ari creed
The idea is that Allah’s speech (kalām Allah) is one of His eternal attributes, and since the Qur’an is His speech, it too is uncreated.
But this raises a massive theological problem:
❖ If the Qur’an is eternal and not Allah, then is there something eternal besides Allah?
That would clearly violate Tawheed, because it implies two eternal entities:
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Allah, the eternal Creator
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The Qur’an, eternal but distinct from Him
This looks suspiciously like dualism, not monotheism.
2. A False Dilemma: Created vs. Uncreated Qur’an
Muslim thinkers have wrestled with this issue for centuries. During the 9th-century Mihna (inquisition), the Abbasid caliphate actually tried to force scholars to say the Qur’an was created — as a way of avoiding the theological implications of two eternal beings.
But the orthodox position, championed by figures like Ahmad ibn Hanbal, insisted that the Qur’an must be uncreated to preserve its divine status.
This creates a theological catch-22:
| Option | Result |
|---|---|
| Qur’an is created | It is not eternal, thus not divine — undermining its status as God’s Word |
| Qur’an is uncreated | It is eternal but distinct from Allah — violating Tawheed |
In other words, Islam cannot affirm both Tawheed and an uncreated Qur’an without contradicting itself.
3. The Christian Parallel Muslims Love to Criticize
This tension is eerily similar to what Muslims accuse Christians of: shirk (associating partners with God).
Christians believe the Logos (Word of God) became flesh in the person of Jesus — who is eternally begotten, not created. Muslims often mock this as polytheistic, claiming that God cannot have an eternal “partner” or separate person.
Yet what is the eternal Qur’an, if not a second eternal entity that is not identical to God, but also not created?
Muslim scholars often attempt to avoid this dilemma by using abstract, contradictory language:
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“The Qur’an is Allah’s speech, not a separate being.”
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“It is not Allah, but not other than Allah.”
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“It is an attribute, not a distinct essence.”
But these verbal acrobatics fail to resolve the core issue: There is something eternal in Islam that is not God.
That, by definition, violates monotheism.
4. Even the Mushaf (Physical Qur’an) Is Revered Like a Deity
The contradiction goes beyond abstract theology. In practice, Muslims treat the Qur’an as a semi-divine object:
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It must not be touched without ritual purity (wudu).
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It cannot be placed on the ground.
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It is kissed, wrapped, and placed on high shelves.
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It is recited for spiritual protection and used in legal oaths.
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In many Islamic countries, blaspheming the Qur’an is punishable by death.
These behaviors mirror idolatrous reverence for a physical object, almost elevating the Qur’an to a divine status alongside Allah.
Contrast this with what the Qur’an itself says:
“Do not associate anything with Allah.”
— Qur’an 4:36
“And whoever associates others with Allah — Allah has forbidden him Paradise.”
— Qur’an 5:72
If the Qur’an is eternal, uncreated, not Allah, but still revered, then it becomes a rival to Allah in practice and theology.
5. The Forgotten Islamic Heresies That Tried to Solve It
Not all Muslims accepted this contradiction. The Mu‘tazilites, an early rationalist Islamic sect, taught that the Qur’an was created, to preserve monotheism. They were persecuted for it.
Later thinkers like Ibn Rushd (Averroes) and Ibn Sina (Avicenna) also struggled with this paradox. But orthodox Islam ultimately declared them heretics.
The tragedy is that Islam silenced the very voices that tried to solve this contradiction with reason. Instead, it chose dogma over coherence, protecting its theological house of cards.
6. Conclusion: The Hidden Polytheism in Islam
Islam loudly proclaims that it is the most uncompromisingly monotheistic faith. Yet hidden beneath this confident assertion lies a fundamental contradiction:
Islam affirms an eternal, uncreated Qur’an — yet insists that only Allah is eternal.
This creates a duality that Islam cannot escape. The Qur’an becomes a second eternal reality, separate from Allah, yet still divine. That is not Tawheed — that is theological dualism, if not outright shirk.
Ironically, the very thing Muslims claim as proof of Islam’s divine origin — the Qur’an — becomes evidence against it.
If Allah is truly One and Alone, He cannot share eternity with anything — not even His own speech.
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