The Islamic Dilemma is a recently popularised argument used by Christian apologists such as David Wood, Sam Shamoun and GodLogic. The argument claims that the Quran affirms the authenticity of the Torah and Bible. If the Torah and Bible are authentic, then the Quran is wrong for contradicting them. If they are corrupted, then the Quran is still wrong because it affirms them. Either way, Islam is supposedly disproven, hence the name “Islamic Dilemma.” This article focuses on debunking this argument, showing it relies on misinterpretations of Quranic verses

Reassessing the “Islamic Dilemma” Verses

Did Allah Tell Muhammad (SAW) to Consult the Bible? (10:94)

It is claimed that this verse instructs Prophet Muhammad (SAW), when in doubt about his revelations, to consult Jews and Christians to whom the prior scriptures were revealed, implying those scriptures are trustworthy.

فَإِن كُنتَ فِي شَكّٖ مِّمَّآ أَنزَلۡنَآ إِلَيۡكَ فَسۡـَٔلِ ٱلَّذِينَ يَقۡرَءُونَ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ مِن قَبۡلِكَ ۚ لَقَدۡ جَآءَكَ ٱلۡحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّكَ فَلَا تَكُونَنَّ مِنَ ٱلۡمُمۡتَرِينَ ٩٥

Translation: And if thou art in doubt concerning that which We have sent down to thee, ask those who have been reading the Book before thee. Indeed the truth has come to thee from thy Lord; be not, therefore, of those who doubt.

[Quran 10:94]

However, this verse does not mention Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and does not suggest that he was the one in doubt, because one who receives revelation cannot experience doubt. The Quran itself cannot be described as something that produces doubt. The Qur’an elsewhere states about the Prophet Muhammad (SAW):

قُلۡ هَٰذِهِۦ سَبِيلِيٓ أَدۡعُوٓاْ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ ۚ عَلَىٰ بَصِيرَةٍ أَنَا۠ وَمَنِ ٱتَّبَعَنِي ۖ وَسُبۡحَٰنَ ٱللَّهِ وَمَآ أَنَا۠ مِنَ ٱلۡمُشۡرِكِينَ

Translation: Say, ‘This is my way: I call unto Allah on sure knowledge, I and those who follow me. And Holy is Allah; and I am not of those who associate gods with God.’

[Quran: 12:108]

That is to say, Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and his followers did not accept this religion based on conjecture; rather, through direct observation and revelation they came to recognize the truth. It is clear that those who accept something through such knowledge cannot experience doubt or uncertainty about it.

What this actually refers to is the people who argue and dispute. The verse repeats the objections of the disbelievers, who claimed that the Quran’s words caused doubt in their minds. Allah responds by saying that if they think this, they should ask those people who, before them, have read the Quran and benefited from it. They will see that the Quran does not create doubt, but brings clarity and certainty to those who understand it.

By saying, “ask those who have been reading the book before thee”, the verse also makes it clear that person needs a teacher, because understanding spiritual knowledge requires a certain level of spirituality. Therefore, when studying a revealed book, one should not decide on matters about which they have doubts without consulting the experts, as the understanding of a revealed book is granted according to spirituality.

Surah Yunus (10:94) in Light of Hazrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad’s Tafseer-e-Kabeer

All these arguments that Christians raise were already addressed over 80 years ago in Hazrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad’s Tafseer-e-Kabeer, published in 1940. This passage from Tafseer-e-Kabeer refutes the objections raised by Christians regarding this verse:

The doubters cannot be the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). The words “So if you are in doubt…” (فَإِنْ كُنْتَ فِي شَكٍّ) cannot refer to the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), because the one upon whom revelation is sent cannot have doubt. Therefore, what is meant by this is the people who differ and dispute. The Holy Qur’an cannot be something that produces doubt. Nor does this verse mean that the Qur’an creates doubt. Rather, in this place the words of the disbelievers’ objection have been repeated. They used to say that the expressions of the Holy Qur’an create doubts in our minds. Allah the Almighty repeats their own words and says: O objector, if according to you this speech produces doubts, then ask those people who, before you, have read the Holy Qur’an and have benefited from it—ask them what kind of illumination and light this Book has granted to their hearts. By questioning them, you will come to know that this speech is not something that creates doubt, but rather something that creates certainty.

For teaching, it is necessary not only to have a book, but also to have a human teacher. From this verse, it becomes clearly evident that a book alone is not sufficient. A person is also in need of a teacher, because for the unveiling of spiritual knowledge, a certain level of spirituality is also required. Therefore, when a person studies a revealed book, he should not make any decision regarding matters about which he has doubts without asking the experts of that book. Because if the book is revealed, then surely its understanding will be granted in accordance with spirituality.

Some people mistakenly think that the ones who are in doubt are the Noble Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and his companions, and that those whom he is commanded to ask are the Jews and the Christians. But as has already been proven earlier, the Noble Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) cannot be meant by this, nor can his companions. Because regarding them, the Holy Qur’an says elsewhere:

“Say: This is my way: I call to Allah with clear insight—I and those who follow me.” (Yusuf 12:109)

Meaning: Say that I and my followers do not accept this religion merely on the basis of conjecture; rather, through direct observation we have come to know the truthfulness of the Holy Qur’an. And it is obvious that those who accept something through observation cannot fall into doubt and uncertainty regarding it. The next verse also shows that in this place the Noble Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) cannot be the one being addressed

[Tafseer-e-Kabeer. vol 4, pg. 178-179]

Conclusion

The Islamic Dilemma relies on a false understanding of numerous ayahs. One key verse cited is 10:94, but it actually addresses disbelievers who doubt the Quran, instructing them to consult those who have understood and benefited from the Quran.

As per the Quran and the Ahadith, Dajjal is the manifestation of Satan at the time of the Messiah. This is explained in detail here.

One of the ways that Satan will manifest itself is through the Trinitarian Christians. This is explained throughout the Holy Quran and the ahadith. In this article, we will quote all such references and prove how the Dajjal was prophesied to emerge from among the Christians.

Explanation

1) Surah Kahf explains the identity of Dajjal

The Dajjal is the biggest fitnah since the creation of Adam (A.S) and to help us identify him, Muhammad (S.A.W) asked us to recite the first 10 and the last 10 verses of the Surah Al Kahf.

If anyone learns by heart the first ten verses of the Surah al-Kahf, he will be protected from the Dajjal.

[Sahih Muslim 809a]

From the last ten verses of Surat al-Kahf.

[Sahih Muslim 809b]

These verses describe Dajjal and show us how we can save ourselves from its fitnah. The first ten verses warn us against the fitnah of the Trinitarian Christians.

All praise belongs to Allah Who has sent down the Book to His servant and has not put therein any crookedness.

He has made it a guardian, that it may give warning of a grievous chastisement from Him, and that it may give the believers who do good deeds the glad tidings that they shall have a good reward,

Wherein they shall abide for ever;

And that it may warn those who say, ‘ Allah has taken unto Himself a son.’

No knowledge have they thereof, nor had their fathers. Grievous is the word that comes from their mouths. They speak naught but a lie.

[Quran 18:1-5]

2) Dajjal will be killed at the gate of Ludd (لُدٍّ); it points to the defeat of the Christians

فَلاَ يَحِلُّ لِكَافِرٍ يَجِدُ رِيحَ نَفَسِهِ إِلاَّ مَاتَ وَنَفَسُهُ يَنْتَهِي حَيْثُ يَنْتَهِي طَرْفُهُ فَيَطْلُبُهُ حَتَّى يُدْرِكَهُ بِبَابِ لُدٍّ فَيَقْتُلُهُ

Every non-believer who would smell the odor of his self (Isa AS) would die and his breath would reach as far as he would be able to see. He would then search for him (Dajjal) until he would catch hold of him at the gate of Ludd and would kill him.

[Sahih Muslim 2937a]

This means that the Dajjal will be killed via arguments because Ludd in Arabic lexicons is defined as:

لَدّ, originally لَدِدَ, (second pers. لَدِدْتَ, L,) aor. ـَ {يَلْدَدُ}, (L, Mṣb,) inf. n. لَدَدٌ (Ṣ, A, L, Mṣb,) He was violent, or vehement, in contention, or altercation; in dispute; in litigation. (Ṣ, A, L, Mṣb.)

[Lanes Lexicon, Book 1, part 7, pg 2657]

Similarly, this word is used in a few Quranic verses which support the above meaning.

فَاِنَّمَا یَسَّرۡنٰہُ بِلِسَانِکَ لِتُبَشِّرَ بِہِ الۡمُتَّقِیۡنَ وَتُنۡذِرَ بِہٖ قَوۡمًا لُّدًّا

So We have made it (the Quran) easy in thy tongue that thou mayest give thereby good tidings to the righteous, and warn thereby a contentious people.

[Quran 19:98]

3) قَوۡمًا لُّدًّا (Contentious people) are the Christians

The word لُّدًّا (Ludda) is used for the Trinitarian Christians in the above verse and is explained just 5 verses before.

Because they ascribe a son to the Gracious God,

Whereas it becomes not the Gracious God to take unto Himself a son.

[Quran 19:91-92]

Thus, it is the Christians who are the contentious people. This indicates that the Dajjal is the manifestation of Satan in the form of Trinitarian Christians at the time of the Messiah.

4) Dajjal was chained in the Church during the time of the Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W)

This explanation becomes even more clear when we read the Sahih Muslim hadith which relates that the Dajjal was chained up in a monastery (church) and will emerge from the east in the latter days.

He said: By Allah. I have not made you assemble for exhortation or for a warning, but I have detained you here, for Tamim Dari, a Christian, who came and accepted Islam, told me something, which agrees with what I was telling, you about the Dajjal. He narrated to me that he had sailed in a ship along with thirty men of Bani Lakhm and Bani Judham and had been tossed by waves in the ocean for a month. Then these (waves) took them (near) the land within the ocean (island) at the time of sunset. They sat in a small side-boat and entered that island. There was a beast with long thick hair (and because of these) they could not distinguish his face from his back. They said: Woe to you, who can you be? Thereupon it said: I am al-Jassasa. They said: What is al-Jassasa? And it said: O people, go to this person in the monastery as he is very much eager to know about you. He (the narrator) said: When it named a person for us we were afraid of it lest it should be a devil. Then we hurriedly went on till we came to that monastery and found a well-built person there with his hands tied to his neck and having iron shackles between his two legs up to the ankles.

We said: Woe be upon thee, who are you?
And he said: You would soon come to know about me. but tell me who are you.
We said: We are people from Arabia and we embarked upon a boat but the sea-waves had been driving us for one month and they brought as near this island. We got Into the side-boats and entered this island and here a beast met us with profusely thick hair and because of the thickness of his hair his face could not be distinguished from his back. We said: Woe be to thee, who are you? It said: I am al- Jassasa. We said: What is al-Jassasa? And it said: You go to this very person in the monastery for he is eagerly waiting for you to know about you. So we came to you in hot haste fearing that that might be the Devil…

He said: Inform me about the lake Tiberius?
We said: Which aspect of it do you want to know?
He said: Is there water in it?
They said: There is abundance of water in it.
Thereupon he said: I think it would soon become dry…
He said: Inform me about the unlettered Prophet; what has he done?
We said: He has come out from Mecca and has settled In Yathrib (Medina).
He said: Do the Arabs fight against him?
We said: Yes. He said: How did he deal with them?
We informed him that he had overcome those in his neighbourhood and they had submitted themselves before him.
Thereupon he said to us: Has it actually happened?
We said: Yes.
Thereupon he said: If it is so that is better for them that they should show obedience to him. I am going to tell you about myself and I am Dajjal and would be soon permitted to get out and so I shall get out and travel in the land, and will not spare any town where I would not stay for forty nights except Mecca and Medina as these two (places) are prohibited (areas) for me and I would not make an attempt to enter any one of these two. An angel with a sword in his hand would confront me and would bar my way and there would be angels to guard every passage leading to it;

then Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) striking the pulpit with the help of the end of his staff said: This implies Taiba meaning Medina. Have I not, told you an account (of the Dajjal) like this? ‘The people said: Yes, and this account narrated by Tamim Dari was liked by me for it corroborates the account which I gave to you in regard to him (Dajjal) at Medina and Mecca. Behold he (Dajjal) is in the Syrian sea (Mediterranean) or the Yemen sea (Arabian sea). Nay, on the contrary, he is in the east, he is in the east, he is in the east, and he pointed with his hand towards the east.

I (Fatima bint Qais) said: I preserved it in my mind (this narration from Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ).

[Sahih Muslim 2942a]

5) Dajjal is the biggest Fitnah – Heavens rent asunder

The ahadith describe Ad-Dajjal as the biggest fitnah since the creation of Adam (AS)¹ and that every prophet warned his people about it². When we turn to the Holy Quran, we see that the fitnah of Ad-Dajjal is so grave that even the heavens and the earth can be destroyed by it.

And they say, ‘the Gracious God has taken unto Himself a son.’

Assuredly, you have done a most hideous thing!

The heavens might well-nigh burst thereat, and the earth cleave asunder, and the mountains fall down in pieces,

Because they ascribe a son to the Gracious God,

Whereas it becomes not the Gracious God to take unto Himself a son.

There is none in the heavens and the earth but he shall come to the Gracious God as a bondman.

[Quran 19:88-93]

The Holy Quran warns us about many trials and tribulations but never does it single out any of them as it does for the fitnah of Ad-Dajjal i.e it can destroy the heavens and the earth.

6) Messiah will break the cross

The previous sections explain how Christians are the manifestations of Satan in the latter days (i.e Dajjal). This is the same reason that the Messiah will be sent in the latter days to not only kill Ad-Dajjal but also to break the cross, just as the ahadith explain. Breaking the Cross is exactly the same mission as killing Ad-Dajjal.

The great Dajjal would deify Jesus and would attribute salvation to the cross. To counter it, the Messiah will be sent to do the opposite.

Conclusion

In short, the Holy Quran and the ahadith of the Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) clearly prove that the Dajjal will emerge from the Church. Moreover, Dajjal’s fitnah will manifest itself by the Christians, who are described as the manifestation of Satan in the time of the Messiah.

To learn about who the Dajjal is in detail, please check out this article.

References