Quote:
Originally Posted by Hardball47
OK, let's delve into this a bit further. Why do you think this?
First, let me point out that this thread is about personal perception of religions. I am going to only explain why my personal perception of Islam is what it is. I don't think that what I am going to present here is anything like formal proof that Islam is man-made. I don't think such proofs are possible for any religion.
Second, don't get me wrong. As many others have said ITT, I also think all religions are obviously man-made. Islam is comparatively more man-made to me, simply because many things are so transparent and it seems really obvious.
Now, let's get to the issue:
1. At so many places in the Qur'an there are things like this:
Quote:
Those who deny the Truth say: "This Al-Furqan (The Qur'an) is but a forgery which he (Muhammad) himself has devised and some other people have helped him." Unjust is what they do and falsehood is what they utter
Apparently many people were accusing Mohammad of writing the Qur'an himself. That by itself is going against the claims of Muslims that it is such a unique book, such an inimitable style, etc., that only Allah could have written it. Obviously, it didn't seem so unique to even Mohammad's contemporaries. And this also addresses the criticism of "you can't fully understand it, unless you read it in Arabic". Those people were all Arabs.
2. Some verses specifically designed for Mohammad himself that don't seem to have any benefit for Muslims in general. It seems very strange that such verses would be included in a book which is supposed to inform Muslims for (at least) thousands of years from when it is sent.
Quote:
Those of you (O wives of the Prophet Muhammad) who obey Allah and His Messenger and practice righteousness, shall be granted double reward, and for them We have prepared a generous provision. O wives of the Prophet! You are not like the other women
Quote:
O Prophet! We have made lawful to you the wives to whom you have given their dowers;
...and those ladies whom your right hands possess (from the prisoners of war) whom Allah has assigned to you; and the daughters of your paternal uncles and aunts, and the daughters of your maternal uncles and aunts, who have migrated with you; and the believing woman who gave herself to the Prophet if the Prophet desires to marry her - this permission is only for you and not for the other believers;
Quote:
O believers! Do not enter the houses of the Prophet without permission, nor stay waiting for meal time: but if you are invited to a meal, enter, and when you have eaten disperse and do not seek long conversation. Such behavior annoys the Prophet, he feels shy in asking you to leave, but Allah does not feel shy in telling the truth.
(think about how much the poor guy must have been annoyed by those intruders to resort to writing verses in the QUR'AN to save himself from them! lol)
Okay, I think I'll stop here. Curious to here your comments.