The Clear Quran Dilemma

If the Quran is not clear, Islam is false. But if the Quran is clear, then Islam is false. Either way, Islam is false.

The "Clear Quran Dilemma" refers to a theological argument that critiques Islam based on an alleged contradiction between the Quran's claim of being a “clear” and “perfect” text and its affirmation of previous scriptures (the Torah and the Gospel) that contain teachings contradicting the Quran.

1. The Quran claims to be Clear

The Quran repeatedly asserts that it is a clear book.

Surah 12:1 - Alif-Lam-Ra. These are the verses of the clear book.

Surah 15:1 - Alif-Lam-Ra. These are the verses of the Book; the clear Quran.

Surah 24:46 - We have indeed sent down revelations clarifying (the truth). But Allah guides whoever He wills to the Straight Path.

Surah 27:1 - Ta-Sin. These are the verses of the Quran; the clear Book.

Surah 28:2 - These are the verses of the clear Book.

Surah 57:9 - He is the One who sends down clear revelations to His servant to bring you out of darkness and into light. For indeed Allah is Ever Glorious and Most Merciful to you.

The Quran goes even further and claims it is fully detailed and its verses are fully explained

Surah 11:1 - Alif-Lam-Ra. A Book whose verses are well perfected and then fully explained from the One (who is) All-Wise, All-Aware.

Surah 12:111 - In their stories there is truly a lesson for people of reason. This message cannot be a fabrication, rather it is confirmation of previous revelation, a detailed explanation of all things, a guide, and a mercy for people of faith.

The Quran also claims to be a guide for all humanity:

Surah 2:185a - Ramaḍan is the month in which the Quran was revealed as a guide for humanity with clear proofs of guidance and the standard ˹to distinguish between right and wrong. Surah 10:57 - O humanity! Indeed, there has come to you a warning from your Lord, a cure for what is in the hearts, a guide, and a mercy for the believers. Surah 14:1 - Alif-Lam-Ra Book which We have revealed to you so that you may bring humanity out of darkness and into the light—by the permission of their Lord—to the path of the Almighty, the Praiseworthy.

So the Quran claims it is clear, fully explained, and a guide for humanity. So obviously if the Quran is NOT a clear, fully explained, guide for humanity then Islam is false because the Quran would contradicts itself.

2. The Quran is NOT clear

This has to do with the guidance that it gives to humanity and specifically to Jews and Christians.

Surah 3:3-4 - He has revealed to you the Book in truth, confirming what came before it, as He revealed the Torah and the Gospel previously, as a guide for humanity, and revealed the standard. Indeed, those who reject Allah’s signs will suffer a severe punishment. For Allah is Almighty, capable of punishment.”

Surah 5:46-47 - Then in the footsteps of the prophets, We sent Jesus, son of Mary, confirming the Torah revealed before him. And We gave him the Gospel, containing guidance and light, and confirming what was revealed in the Torah—a guide and a warning to the God-fearing. So let the people of the Gospel judge by what Allah has revealed in it. Those who do not judge by what Allah has revealed are truly rebellious.

Surah 5:68 - Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ ‘O People of the Book! You have nothing to stand on unless you observe the Torah, the Gospel, and what has been revealed to you from your Lord.’ Surely what has been revealed to you will only increase many of them in disbelief and rebellion. So do not grieve for the disbelievers.

So the clear and fully explained guidance that Allah has given Christians is that we are to observe the Gospel, the message that Jesus preached and the Torah, the five books of Moses, and whatever has been revealed to us from our Lord, which would include all of the Old and New Testament. That is the clear guidance Christians have been given from Allah. That does not mean only part of those Scriptures:

Surah 2:85 - But here you are, killing your own, and expelling a group of your own from their homes—conspiring against them in wrongdoing and hostility. And if they come to you as captives, you ransom them, although it was forbidden to you. Is it that you believe in part of the Scripture, and disbelieve in part? What is the reward for those among you who do that but humiliation in this life? And on the Day of Resurrection, they will be assigned to the most severe torment. God is not unaware of what you do.

Then the Quran goes one step further, telling Muslims to believe in our Scriptures:

Surah 29:46 - Do not argue with the People of the Book except in the best way—except those who act unjustly among them—and say, ‘We believe in what has been revealed to us and what was revealed to you. Our God and your God is One, and to Him we submit

If Muhammad doubts the revelation he has received then he is to ask the Jews and Christians.

Surah 10:94-95 - If you are in doubt about what We revealed to you, ask those who read the Scripture before you. The truth has come to you from your Lord, so do not be of those who doubt. And do not be of those who deny God’s revelations, lest you become one of the losers.

Muhammad is to make sure that his revelation is aligned with the previous scriptures that the Jews and Christians possess. The Quran is supposed to be clear. It is at this point that we can run the standard Islamic Dilemma.

If the Jews and Christians possess uncorrupted scriptures that they are supposed to judge by and observe, then we must judge that Islam is false because the Quran clearly contradicts our Scriptures.

But if the Scriptures have been corrupted, then Islam is also false because the Quran is telling us to observe and judge by corrupted scriptures.

Either way Islam is false.

3. Muslim Apologist Responses

Muslims have come up with all sorts of contradictory explanations:

The Quran refers to lost versions of the Torah and Gospel

Some have said that the Quran can’t be referring to our Torah and Gospel, but lost versions that didn’t contradict the Quran. But the Quran never clearly states or fully explains that there are corrupt and uncorrupted versions of the Torah and Gospel.

If it is a guidance for all humanity, then Christians, wherever they exist, should be able to be judged by the Torah and Gospel they possess. After all, the Quran boasts over and over again that it is confirming the Scriptures that Jews and Christians possess.

The Quran only confirms parts of the Scriptures

Some have claimed that when the Quran says it's confirming our scriptures, it's only partially confirming them or only confirming the parts that agree with the Quran. But again, the Quran never clearly states this or fully explains this. It just confirms our scriptures wholesale without any qualifications.

If it is a guidance for all humanity, then Christians, wherever they are, whenever they exist, SHOULD be able to judge by the Torah and Gospel they possess. After all the Quran says it over and over again that it is confirming the Scriptures that Christian possess.

And again, we are told in Surah 2:85 to believe in all of our scriptures, not just parts.

The Quran refers to original versions, not current ones

Some have said the Quran is only referring to the original versions of the Torah and Gospel, not the versions that we possess that apparently have been corrupted. But again, the Quran never clearly states this or fully explains it. It just tells us to believe in the scriptures that we possess.

Picking your poison

Now, for the sake of argument, let's just pretend one of these explanations is correct. That just means we move away from the Islamic Dilemma and back to the first “horn” of the clear Quran dilemma.

However, none of the explanations are clearly stated or fully explained in the Quran. They are later additions by Muslim apologists, which means the Quran is not clear—contradicting its own claim.

Muslim apologists have to add meaning and explain the Quran for us. Therefore, Islam is false because the Quran is not clear.

4. Conclusion: The Inescapable Dilemma

I hope you realise the startling implications of this. This means any solution a Muslim offers to the Islamic dilemma means they're accidentally demonstrating the Quran is false because they're admitting the Quran is not clear and they have to step in to explain the Quran for us because it can't do it itself. Therefore, the Quran is not clear or fully explained and that means Islam is false. The clear Quran Dilemma works as a guardian or perhaps we could say a “Muhayminan” over the Islamic Dilemma assuring us that any solution a Muslim offers to it will still lead to the conclusion that Islam is false.

Now some may bring this up:

Surah 3:7 -  It is He who revealed to you the Book. Some of its verses are definitive; they are the foundation of the Book, and others are unspecific. As for those in whose hearts is deviation, they follow the unspecific part, seeking dissent, and seeking to derive an interpretation. But none knows its interpretation except God and those firmly rooted in knowledge say, “We believe in it; all is from our Lord.” But none recollects except those with understanding.

This says that some parts of the Quran are elusive and if they do that first thank them for bringing up yet another contradiction in the Quran because this verse clearly contradicts Surah 1211. But also we can add this creates another problem for the Quran because it never fully explains or is clear which verses are elusive and which are not. So this is still a problem. And we can add that the standard Islamic understanding of this verse is that the clear verses are the matters of belief and practice which would necessarily include the commands to Christians to believe and observe their scriptures. in the elusive verses or the strange letter combinations at the beginning of some of the Surahs. But that is also not clear or fully explained in the Quran either. And that takes us back to the clear Quran dilemma which shows us that any solution offered to the Islamic dilemma still means that Islam is false. So Muslims, there is no way out of the Islamic dilemma. You either accept one of its horns or you end up in a different dilemma which still leads to the conclusion that Islam is false. And so this means it's time to leave Islam.