Back to the guide
AZTRENDEFRESNLRUITSQBSROKYDA

The Quran Answers False Assessments of the Quran: Failing to Understand the Examples Given in the Qur'an

Contents
  1. Introduction
  2. Prejudice, Ulterior Motives and Lack of Sincerity
  3. Confusing Intricate (Mutashabih) Verses With Perspicuous (Muhkam) Ones
  4. Lack of Expertise in Qur'anic Interpretation Techniques
  5. Insufficient Knowledge of Arabic
  6. The Absence of God-Given Wisdom and Understanding
  7. Lack of Thinking
  8. Arrogance and Superiority
  9. Trying to Interpret the Qur'an with Old Traditions
  10. Inability to Understand the Scientific Qur'anic Verses
  11. Trying to Interpret the Qur'an According to the Flawed Values of the Established Order
  12. Wine-drinking in Heaven
  13. Another Incorrect Interpretation on the Subject of Wine
  14. The Claim that "Pork Produced Under the Strict Hygienic Surroundings of Today May Be Consumed"
  15. Seeing the Anecdotes in the Qur'an as Fables
  16. The Assumption That the Qur'an is a Copy or Imitation of Other Holy Books
  17. Incompatibilities and Differences
  18. The Misinterpretation of the Term "We," Which God Uses in Reference to Himself
  19. Failing to Understand the Examples Given in the Qur'an
  20. Failing to Understand the Repetitions in the Qur'an
  21. Failing to Understand the Style of the Qur'an
  22. The Subject of Creation in Six Days
  23. The Speculation About Noah's Flood
  24. Conclusion

The Qur'an is a book that only careful, thinking and sincere people can truly understand. Those without these qualities, namely people who are unaware and incapable of reasoning and have ulterior motives, can never comprehend the Qur'an nor discover its mysteries and finer points. This is also true of the examples given in the Qur'an which offer guidance and instructions. One Qur'anic verse describes how sceptics are unable to grasp the examples in the Qur'an and, furthermore, how these examples can lead them to become misguided.

God is not ashamed to make an example of a gnat or of an even smaller thing. As for those who have faith, they know it is the truth from their Lord. But as for those who are disbelievers, they say, 'What does God mean by this example?' He misguides many by it and guides many by it. But He only misguides the deviators.

Surat al-Baqarah: 26

A believer can easily grasp that the example of the gnat mentioned in the verse is a means of proving the superiority of God's power. This tiny insect, only about a centimeter long, is an example of God's perfect and unique creation. It contains systems, mechanisms and a structure far more complex than that of any advanced technological equipment or computers. It has survived down to our own time and has remained unchanged ever since its creation. God gives this miraculous creature as an example in the Qur'an to emphasize the supremacy of His Creation. True believers can deduce from this example that even a single gnat opens the gateway to feeling and understanding the endless knowledge and power of God. However, those unwise sceptical unbelievers, instead of learning to perceive every creature around them with the same appreciative eyes, will still be asking in wonder, "What does God mean by this example?"