Common Myths and Misconceptions about the Quran
The Quran is a gravely misunderstood book; even by Muslims. It's not an ordinary book; it's a literal word of God and a miracle. The problem most people stumble into is they read it like any other book, but it's a book that has layers of meaning and it opens itself up to certain people and closes itself to other few.
It's not a history book yet it has historically correct events, it's not a scientific book but talks about scientific facts; that humans later discovered. It talks about individuals, the psychology of humans, the relationship between men and women, the rights and responsibilities of children; how to form communities, live a moral and pious life, fight in a war, and create peace out of that situation.
Here, I tried to focus on a few misconceptions a general reader makes when reading this book; in the hope when anyone approaches it; they are not charged with pre-suppositions that do not hold ground and the reader will be able to make a connection to what the text is trying to reveal rather than taking inspiration from a Hollywood movie where a Muslim is found doing not a great moral act and in addition shouting in Arabic.
1 — It is a book of guidance for everyone, irrespective if you believe in it or do not want to believe in it; or even if you think you do not need guidance and are happy living the way society has told you to.
It is a manual for spending a moral life with a focus on life to come hereafter, It tries to establish things to their true nature, that is to their natural disposition and answer all the meta-questions on why we are here, how it all started, where we are heading and how to spend a successful and satisfied life.
It makes it clear that humans have free will given by God, and it is up to each person to accept the message of the Quran or not.
2- To be Muslim is “just” to say ( and accept) that there is no God worthy of worship except only one God and Muhammad is its Prophet.
Now, once someone is a Muslim it’s up to the individual how many commandments it follows along with and do’s and don’ts; the Quran inspires its followers to improve on God's consciousness and constantly evaluate each action and judgment a Muslim makes.
There is no guarantee that if one is Muslim, its belief will save one from hellfire. God is the only Judge in that regard, based on one's ability, effort, and circumstances. It's quite possible, that all the actions may be voided because they are done for personal ego rather than for cause defined by God.
Most of the Mulsim today are cultural Muslims or born into it, and if someone is looking at the Quran and Muslims’ way of life, there is a vast difference, especially when it comes to internalizing its core message and living a life based on those principles.
So to bring the point home, do not look at Muslims or Muslim countries and expect them to represent those principles; and the state of Muslims do not put you off reading the Quran saying that if this is the society that the Quran creates then it's a problematic book. Please read on your own without comparing it to today's world and be the Judge yourself.
3- The Quran inspires humans to understand and get intimate with the creator by rationally evaluating the text; and looking for signs in the universe and one's consciousness as it also will guide them to the same creator. It claims that all of the things that are created are signs of one and only God; and so is the Quran is also a sign from the same God.
Below are a few verses emphasizing using reason, intellect, and being mindful.
This worldly life is no more than play and amusement, but far better is the ˹eternal˺ Home of the Hereafter for those mindful ˹of Allah˺. Will you not then understand? (6:32 )
And how should I fear your associate gods, while you have no fear in associating ˹others˺ with Allah — a practice He has never authorized? Which side has more right to security? ˹Tell me˺ if you really know!” (6:81)
It is He who has endowed you with the faculties of hearing and sight and given you hearts ( to think). Scarcely do you give thanks?”(Al.Muminun:78)
“We have made signs obvious to those who contemplate.”(Al An’am: 126)
And He has made the night and the day and the sun and the moon subservient [to His laws, so that they be of use] to you; and all the stars are subservient to His command: in this, behold, there are messages indeed for people who use their reason (16:12)
If a person looks at all signs of God within itself and the universe and revealed text, they will not find any ambiguity or incoherence to the text itself.
So, next time you read a statement that says faith is blind or believers are irrational; that is not the case with the Quran, because it keeps asking its believers to use the different faculties it has been given to arrive at the Judgment that there is one God and Quran is a book revealed by that God.
4- The message revealed in the Quran, is the continuation of the same message being sent from Adam to Abraham to Moses to Jesus and Muhammad. The core message revolves around monotheism, the fact this life is a test and to submit one's will to an ultimate ego and there is a Judgment day coming which one should be prepared.
Every messenger ( it said there were One hundred and twenty-four thousand messengers sent; some were given books, some were not) preached the same core message, but commandments and rituals changed based on the time, the region they were sent to, and the evolution of society at that time.
With Quran God decided to reveal the final message through its Prophet Muhammad PBUH, but we should not make any distinction between God’s prophet.
5- The Quran's main objective is to create balance, and justice at all levels, within an individual, its core family, its community, and society. It inspires and urges its followers to do their part in creating harmony and balance within human beings, as is evident in the universe.
The problem is if justice does not prevail then some evil ( satanic) forces will use that opportunity to rule and take over and it will further deteriorate the human condition and freedom, their family life; their love and respect for each other, and nature; which will eventually harm the planet and other species that human share this planet with.
Humans lack when giving rights to others, as their selfishness takes over. Quran set out to determine rights between husband and wife, children and their parents, ruler and those who it is ruling, establishing a relationship of humans to other humans and this planet, and so forth to create harmony.
God wants this balance to be restored; so humans do not cause injustice to other humans and if rights are not served it allows its followers to try to restore them.
6- The Quranic text is revealed on Muhammad PBUH through Angel Jabril ( Gabriel, which Christians know as the Holy Spirit); it was revealed on the Prophet gradually over 23 years (starting when he turned 40), ten years of the revelation was in Mecca and it continued for thirteen years when he migrated to Madina.
Some of the text commands and references are directly linked to trials and events the Prophet and his companion went through, and those will make more sense if the reader is aware of the biography of his life and culture in Arabia at that time.
People make a mistake in picking some text for those commands and try to apply it as a general principle and complain that the Quran has a problem or that its followers are unreasonable; so my suggestion is to read the explanation of those verses from the many tafseer of Quran to understand the context and background on it before making a concluding remark.
7- The Quran does not contradict itself, so you should not find a verse that says something else and another contradicting or changing it. In a similar vein, its follower cannot pick and choose a certain verse and reject the other; it makes it very clear that if someone wants to accept it; has to accept the whole package.
The problem people run into is they will read a verse on a certain subject, and consider it inappropriate to current time and space; my humble opinion is to read and find all verses on a certain subject and then make your judgment; does that wholistic concept improve on today condition or will it be reversal.
8- Prophets are sent as role models, so people can look up to them on how to conduct their lives and give rights to things as they deserve. From their perspective gaining more materialistic wealth is not a wise thing, since this life is a temporary abode and only what will survive is good action and deed.
Quran asks its followers not to distinguish between them, and to respect them equally since all of them brought God's message, and it does not matter if one has more followers or is more successful in conveying that message.
Every Prophet brought the same monotheistic message, before their community rejected them, persecuted them, or turned and corrupted its message into something else; Jews and Christians are evident example of it one turned it into an ethnicity or race-based religion while another turned it into a religion about Jesus while it being a religion of Jesus.
9- What humans fear most is the urge to serve their material needs, by gaining more wealth, land, and assets; most oppression and injustice happen because of this inner urge to be in control and power and fear of losing it.
Quran emphasizes its followers to alleviate themselves by focusing on Ruh — the consciousness; that gets satisfaction in being close to its creator.
According to the Quranic narrative in the human self, there is a struggle between these two forces of material and immaterial; one fulfills its needs from this worldly life and the other by being close to the lord of all beings.
In Quranic discourse, how it solves fear is by emphasizing that God is always in control, so no harm and good comes to anyone without God's consent, if good comes your way consider that as a test and be thankful (rather than being boastful about it); similarly if bad comes to you its also a test and be patient and preserve in that condition.
Everything is temporary, and it will pass and what remains is how you acted in those circumstances and all these events are recorded.
10- There is no concept of Original sin in the Quran. Adam and Eve did make a mistake, but they repented and God with its mercy accepted it. Humans were always destined to come to earth for a certain duration of their life in a materialistic sense and once they leave this earth, life continues in a different realm.
Satan does exist and is the fierce enemy of humans and it wants them to falter and try to sway it from their creator or walk on the right path; this serves Satan's objective and is the primary goal of its sustenance. Satan forms a group by convincing certain humans to be part of its party and use them to rule over other humans.
Satan makes sure there is always disunity among humans and glorifies their lower desires in their eyes, so they are constantly in the quest to attain those feelings and in the process steal other human rights. The existence of Satan does not mean that all Evil originates from it, but it is the sources that glorify for humans their selfishness and greed.
Lastly, God is not shy, arrogant, or egoistic, and is devoid of any needs. It picks its messenger or nations or people as it likes, reveals to them as it likes; and sets out basic principles but is not bound by them; similarly, it does not matter to it if we worship it or not, call it for help or not; it has its plan, it has its own will. But at the end of the day, it loves its creation, if it makes them suffer then it is for that person's good. Things of this world has no value in front of it; not even close to a mosquito wing.
God through the Quran, focuses on quality vs quantity; since again it does not matter if the whole of its creation does not follow its commandment or worship it. It's not dependable on any of these needs and is greater than that can be imagined.
Please let me know if you run into a text; that does not feel right, sounds contradictory, or if you think it is outdated to your perspective of morality and the modern age. I can try what is in my capacity to explain and how it is necessary to improve the current human standard or how it fits in the grand Quranic narrative.