Explaining Why the Qur'an has Ambiguities | Dr. Abdolkarim Soroush's Response to Dr. Abu Zayd

This is a recording of a lecture delivered by Abdolkarim Soroush at the University of Notre Dame in 2009 as a response to the remarks of Nasr Hamid Abu Zayd during the conference on the "Qur'an in its Historical Context." Abdolkarim Soroush gives a philosophical and literary account for the Qur'an's distinction between clear and ambiguous verses. He attempts to generalize this theory to all literature and give a defense of the Qur'an having ambiguities.
See Nasr Hamid Abu Zayd's original talk here: • Does the Qur'an Contai...
See this video for an introduction to this topic: • The "Apostasy" of an A...

[@shinazajironoatmojo5576]

An enlightening insight about Al-Quran verse Ali Imran 7, i.e. mutasyabihat verses. I noticed that every verses could have previously mutasyabihat, and through spiritual/mystical experiences turns into muhkamat. That's what I feel is that the verses of the Qur'an are a bottomless well. And at the bottom of it came light, from darkness to get it brighter.

[@muslimskeptics1097]

Quran 3:7 was invented when it became clear that there was much gibberish in the Quran that had to be explained.

[@aadilansareen3415]

Fascinating. Thanks for uploading Doc!

[@irreview]

Amazing lecture thank you dear brother , Dr Reynolds

[@gondala]

Very interesting point of view... I was curious about when he mentions "the author of Quran" (Allah or prophet Muhammad). As muslim, we all believe that the Quran was from angel. However, what makes me so curious is the comparison between Quran and previous scripture in judaism and christian. One thing that I was very interested is, when God spoke directly to Moses especially about God's name. If we read Quran Surah Taha verse 14, and compare it with Exodus 3:14, it is clearly said in Quran that "Verily, I am Allah!", while in Exodus, it said something else. To me, it seems the author of Quran didn't know what God's name was or God intentionally hid His name to prophet muhammad. By the way, in both Surah Taha and verses in Exodus, the "sandals" were both mentioned. Furthermore, in Exodus, the prophet moses seem didn't know who God was, that's why God of abraham, ishaq, etc were mentioned. While in Quran, the story of moses and his God is written with assumption (for the arab audiences) that the moses already know who God was.

[@user-xu1hn3ic6b]

Interesting but how can we prove an angel came to Mohamed and the very Quran says it's a guidance and clear in Arabic language,it's detailed explanation. But these gains claim it's last revelation do it should be non ambiguous but it's absent.hence not helpful

[@gondala]

@@user-xu1hn3ic6b First, we can't prove that an angel came to prophet muhammad. But, from Quran we know that prophet muhammad some how able to see an angel (Quran 53:6-11). In that verse, no name of angel was mentioned, but it seem prophet muhammad ever seen that angel in other time (Quran 53:13-14). The question is "how do we know Quran is true?". Short answer is: we don't. However, God provide ways to choose to believe it or not by accepting the words either from God (12:2; 42:7), from prophet muhammad's words (4:82, 46:9), or from asking people of the book (46:10; 10:94). We still can choose not to believe it (17:107) so it is up to us to believe it or decide not to believe it. However, the "essence" of this religion is "to submit to Him". Meaning, even we can't prove it, but we can choose to believe it and ask God for His guidance to the straight path. Regarding "detail explaination" of Quran, it means Allah sent down the Quran with full explaination according to Him, so that Quran is enough for those who believe in Him and asking for Guidance. People may think it is not detail, but according to God it is already details. We can understand this concept from Quran when God gave commands to prophet Moses to tell his people to slaughter a cow (2:67). This command is clear according to God, but it was not clear according to his people, so they asked so many questions before following that command. In the same surah, following that verses it is clear that God actually want to show His signs to them (2:73) so that they understood that command was really from Him. Furthermore, according to Quran, Allah always provide two ways or options: Good or Bad (90:10), for those who believe or choose not to believe in God. Even for those who believe in Quran, Allah also provide two ways: absolute clear messages and ambiguous messages (3:7). So that for those whose hearts is perversity or deviation from the truth, they will follow that which is not entirely clear. But, for those who believe in Him, they will ask God for Guidance (3:8). So, my point is, the clear and unclear verses are just for the "test" because God always provide two options even they are already muslims and believe in Him. Because He always test us even for those who claim they believe in Him (29:2-3; 2:214). Hope this will help!

[@Bruce-sc1ph]

But some of us believe that the Quran and all the events that it addresses were created by God before their manifestations. Therefore the intense experiences of the prophet when it was manifested to him had utterly no effect on the words. He faithfully uttered them to his companions as he heard them despite the physical strain and perplexity that it may or may not have caused him.

[@LeylaJ-sl9zn]

So beautiful!

[@imranbasit8276]

Thank you for sharing such brilliant people n their experiences. Perplexity of language. ❤ May Brahman, Baiame , the Great spirit, Yahweh, Elah, Allah, God bless you, Ameen.

[@imazighen8257]

Very interesting insight especially about the verses that describes god as a light.

[@arminyousefiii72]

I've been listening to Dr. Soroush for more than a decade now and have learned a great deal from him. I feel fortunate for knowing how to speak farsi as I can access more material. Thank you for this upload!

[@shoaibbhat279]

Soroush, echoing Nasr Abu Zayd, proposes a captivating truth: the Quran, God's flawless and eternal word, transcends time. Yet, the vessels that receive this revelation are moored in the currents of a specific era and location, forever in flux. Just as a prism refracts light, shaping its perception, these limitations color our understanding of the divine message. Interpretation, a necessary act to grasp the Quran's depths, becomes an act of translation, rendering the universal into the particular. Thus, while the divine essence remains immutable, interpretations are ever-evolving tapestries woven by culture, time, and perspective. No single interpretation can claim absolute dominion; the truth, like the Quran itself, gleams with multifaceted brilliance.

[@adventuregemssydney2219]

Lets make it simple. Alex writes a letter, and presents it in a speech about alphabets If the audience is now absolutely clear about how to do algebra.. more so than most.. then Alex has failed. You assess Alex's clarity and message based on his intent and obejctives.. which was to teach the alphabet. The Quran's objective is remind about God, righteousness, heaven and hell. Does it achieve that? 100%. The alleged ambiguities are part of this; to discern between the evil, and the righteous. Which it even says.

[@Logia1978]

Ambiguity can force people to do their research....

[@khalidm3m664]

2:30 "And when said your Lord to the angels, "Indeed, I (am) going to place in the earth a vicegerent, they said, "Will You place in it (one) who will spread corruption in it and will shed [the] blood[s], while we, [we] glorify (You) with Your praises and we sanctify [to] He said, "Indeed, [I] know what not you know." WHY DID THE ANGELS SAY, “Will you place in it someone who will cause corruption in it?” In a short answer; The reason the angels say this is because they heard the word (khalifa); which means a vicegerent/God’s representative on earth. The khalifa is the one whom God has placed the earth in his hand and at his disposal. Then the angels understood that God gave Adam (and his descendants) the ability to change the earth (correct it or corrupt it). As for saying that the angels saw the corruption of previous creatures, it is not valid. Because every creature (except Adam and his descendants) God did not make him a successor (on earth), and therefore he will not be able to reform or corrupt. The old interpretation attributed the reason for this to the fact that the angels (before God created Adam) had seen someone who spread corruption on earth, whether from the jinn or from another creation. So they thought that Adam's descendants would also be corrupted, just as those before them had been corrupted. It is as if many commentators understood that God says to the angels: (Indeed, I will create a new creature on earth). Then it is as if the angels remembered the corruption of the previous creation (the jinn or others) on earth (before humans), so they suggested that there is no need to create a new creature on earth, lest it cause new corruption. But if we paid attention to the word “Khalifa” in the verse (Indeed, I will place a vicegerent on earth), we would know why the angels said what they said. The word (khalifa/Vicegerent) has an important meaning that will explain to us the reason for the saying of the angels.

[@khalidm3m664]

THE MEANING OF THE WORD KHALIFA The meaning of the word khalifa is that God will place on earth a responsible creature, a master, owner, ruler, judge, authoritarian, disposer of affairs...etc. This meaning included in the word khalifa is what made the angels say: Then this khalifa (i.e. the one in control, the one in charge) will cause corruption on earth. Why would the khalifa become corrupt? Because God made the earth and placed it under the control, command, disposition and control of this khalifa. For any creature (whether human, jinn, or any other creation), if God places the earth (or any other entity) under his authority, hand, and control, then it is most likely that the earth will not be in a good, stable, and balanced condition (unless God intervenes to preserve it or to repair what is corrupted). Every creature is vulnerable to making mistakes, forgetting, or going astray, in addition to the whims and desires that afflict humans and other creatures. In order to understand this, we will give some real examples that every rational person knows. Suppose that the owner of a company (the one who created and built it and spent his money to establish it and gave his life, his health, and the blood of his heart for it) said one day to his family or close friends that he would stop monitoring his company himself, and that he would make so-and-so responsible for the company completely and absolutely, and that he would trust him, make him his successor over it, and give him power of attorney, disposes of the company as he pleases (as if so-and-so was the owner of the company). It is natural that the family of the company owner or his reasonable friends will tell him that by doing so you have lost your company, because so-and-so will not lose anything if he neglects the company and plays with it. Or to give another, more painful example, suppose that one day, one of them decided to give up direct care for his children, and said, “I will entrust so-and-so with their care, so I will leave him the care of my children completely as he pleases, and I will never interfere in that.” If any sane person heard this, he would say that so-and-so lost his children. That strange man whom the children’s father entrusted them with will not be more compassionate or kinder to the children than their father, and that stranger will not lose anything if he neglects to take care of those children and wastes them and spoils them. There are many examples of this kind, and every sane person can clearly imagine and expect the bad and frightening future results that will prevent him from ever getting involved in such a matter. Had we not thought and expected this (which is similar to what the angels thought), we would have handed over the keys and reins of our affairs to any human being, and we would have made him successor over our properties, and we would have rested and saved a lot of effort and fatigue. But we are aware that if we did that, we would have lost everything, because no one is more keen on money or more protective of it than its owner, and no one is more caring or guarding of a child than his father or his mother. Therefore, we do not find a person choosing this easier path and entrusting others with his affairs. Rather, we find him choosing the more difficult path, staying up late, toiling and getting tired, and almost destroying himself under direct supervision and guarding by himself and with his eyes on his property and everything that is dear to him.

[@khalidm3m664]

This is exactly what the angels intended. It is as if they are hoping from God not to place a Vicegerent "khalifa" on the earth (who owns it, controls it, and disposes of it as he wishes), because this khalifa (the controller, disposer, and influencer to whom God imitated the affairs of the earth, made him possess it, trusted him with it, and empowered him with it) will not lose anything if the earth is lost and corrupted due to his negligence, ignorance, or misguidance. And his mistakes and forgetfulness or his whims and desires. This khalifa is not the creator of the earth, nor is he more merciful to it nor more careful than its Creator, nor is he more knowledgeable nor wiser. The angels are as if they were saying to God: The earth is not good without you, it is not good without you, because you are the only one who created it and made it and you are the rightful owner of it and you are the wisest and most merciful of it, and as for others, there is no one like you, and therefore the creature must be corrupted if you hand over your earth to it and allow it to be given to it. As for everyone except (the children of Adam), God did not appoint them as successors on earth. The jinn that God created before Adam were not made by God as successors on earth at all. Meaning that the jinn are not able to change the earth or control it, because God did not give them authority over it. Therefore, the jinn are not able to change the earth through themselves (they have no ability or capacity to do so, like all animals on the earth, except for humans). The demons of the jinn have no choice but to try to convince the master of the earth, the owner (man), in order to change the earth. The Qur’an tells us here about Satan’s response to his followers on the Day of Resurrection [14:22 But I had no authority over you except that I invited you, and you responded to me.], because God only allowed this human to control the earth (because he is the only one). whom God has made a khalifa on earth). The jinn can be likened to a helpless, paralyzed human being who cannot move his hand (or has no hand), but he tries, seeking to use the hand of someone else (the powerful, domineering hand of man), by persuading the human being to lend him his hand. [4:119 and I will command them to slit the ears of cattle, and I will command them so they will change the creation of God.”]. The one who “slit” and “changes” is man (without the hand of man, Satan has no power to change anything on earth). As for all the earthly material life that God created before Adam, they are nothing but animals subjugated to the sons of Adam, and their mental capabilities are modest and limited, as we know from our reality. If we assumed that God said, “I will create a new creature on earth,” the angels would not have spoken. But what made them speak was when they heard the word “khalifa.” That is, it is as if they understood that God said to them: I will place the earth at the mercy of a created being, or I will hand the earth over to the hand of a created being. The angels understood that this creature (to whom God granted this power and authority) could do with the earth whatever he wanted (he could change it, make it right or corrupt it). Therefore, they believed that the earth would become corrupt, as long as it was at the mercy of a creature (who could control and dispose of it). They see intuitively that the land is not suitable unless it is only at the disposal of its Creator. I would like to add a wonderful phrase attributed to the Messiah (Gospel of Matthew 19-17, Why do you call me good? there is none good but one, that is, God). The angels did not object to making a new creature on earth (just a creature like other earthly creatures that preceded him who cannot act and control the earth), but they objected to making a successor (that is, to a creature who can act and control the earth).

[@khalidm3m664]

Some previous tafsirs already understood the meaning of khalifa. We read in Tafsir al Manar; [As for man, he has authority over these beings, he acts as a whole in the universe in an unlimited manner, with God’s permission and control. Just as God Almighty gave him, the possession of the earth and subjected its worlds to him..]. In Ibn Ashur's al Tahrir wa'l Tanwir; [So man was the khalifa to whom the command of the earth was handed over]. And there are other interpretations such as; [and he will assume the leadership of this planet, and in its affairs he will act, independently in the conduct of affairs while he is a successor in it, and in authority over it.] Also, another said; [He deposited it in man, and he is the authority over the creatures of the earth]. In some ancient interpretations, the meanings of the word khalifa are similar to the above, including what relates to rule, judiciary, command, prohibition, and development. All of this leads to the meaning that the khalifa is the one to whom God has given (trust), responsibility, authority, control, and disposal of the earth [27:62 and makes you inheritors of the earth]. This khalifa can (within the limits of what God wills and what He allows) to reform the earth or corrupt it (because God enabled him to do so). The khalifa on earth is the one to whom God has charged the trust of the earth [33:72 Indeed, We offered the Trust to the heavens and the earth and the mountains, and they declined to bear it and feared it; but man [undertook to] bear it. Indeed, he was unjust and ignorant.]. And man (with the authority and control that God has bestowed upon him) can corrupt the earth, were it not for God’s mercy and favor upon us [2:251 And if it were not for Allāh checking [some] people by means of others, the earth would have been corrupted], [23:71 But if the Truth [i.e., Allāh] had followed their inclinations, the heavens and the earth and whoever is in them would have been ruined.], [14:46 even if their plan had been [sufficient] to do away with the mountains.]. God’s appointment of the children of Adam as successors on earth contains wisdom that only He, Glory be to Him, knows. But perhaps we learned from it (in addition to honoring the sons of Adam) that God wants to test man. The test of man requires that God grant him the ability and authority to change the earth, whether to reform or corrupt it. The children of Adam who accepted the burden of trust must fulfill it, otherwise the One who charged them with it will hold them accountable on the Day of Judgment.

[@vahidindonlic7012]

@@khalidm3m664 This is the later meaning only after Abu Bakr Omer...but in the Koran it means successor

[@khalidm3m664]

​@@vahidindonlic7012 The angels paid attention to the word (khalifa). This word includes power, control, sovereignty, and responsibility. It means God putting the earth under the control of Adam and his descendants. Therefore, humans alone are now able to corrupt or reform the Earth, and the angels understood this from the word khalifa. The Qur’an is very simple and very clear because God made it for every human being.

[@MuhamedRahman]

Clearly explained 😊

[@saliksayyar9793]

If Saroush believes the Qur’an is not the word of God , then he is NOT a Muslim. Such hubris and arrogance

[@allahmuhammad225]

Quran from a critical standpoint, focusing on its writing style and coherence, particularly in light of the seven Cs of communication: 1. Clarity: The Quran often lacks clarity in its messaging, employing ambiguous language and allegorical passages that can lead to multiple interpretations. This ambiguity can result in confusion among readers and a lack of clear understanding of the intended message. 2. Conciseness: While the Quran contains many repetitive themes and verses, it also includes lengthy passages that could have been more succinctly conveyed. The repetitive nature of certain passages contributes to the Quran’s verbosity and can detract from the overall impact of its message. 3. Concreteness: The Quran sometimes lacks concrete examples or real-world analogies to illustrate its teachings, relying instead on abstract concepts and metaphors that may be difficult for readers to grasp fully. 4. Coherence: The Quran exhibits a lack of coherence in its organization and structure, with verses often appearing disjointed and disconnected from one another. This lack of coherence can make it challenging for readers to follow the flow of ideas and understand the overarching themes of the text. 5. Correctness: While the Quran is revered by Muslims as the literal word of God, critics argue that it contains factual inaccuracies and inconsistencies, particularly in its descriptions of scientific phenomena and historical events. These inaccuracies undermine the credibility of the text and raise questions about its divine authorship. 6. Courtesy: The Quran occasionally employs harsh language and imagery, particularly in its descriptions of punishment for non-believers and sinners. This lack of courtesy can be off-putting to readers and may hinder their receptiveness to the Quran’s message. 7. Completeness: While the Quran covers a wide range of topics, critics argue that it lacks completeness in its treatment of certain subjects. For example, the Quran provides limited guidance on practical matters of governance, social organization, and interpersonal relationships, leaving many aspects of daily life open to interpretation.

[@slippingsnake]

This is a reasonable approach to the Quran but it still serves the transfiguration of the Text. Beside talking Ants, Birds and Djinns Quran contains a wild collection of topics, Prayers, Rules, Recommandations, Orders, Stories etc.and some taylormade Verses for the Prophet. [33:37] justifies that Mohammed snatches the wife of his adoptive Son, this is not ambigous but raises the question wich purpose it has. However, none of the scholars seems to challenge if the quran was meant to be one text or if it's a compilation of texts randomly put together, kind of a poetic Wonderbag.

[@truth123more]

thats not what 33:37 says. And when thou saidst to him whom God has favoured, and whom thou hast favoured: “Hold thou thy wife to thee, and be thou in prudent fear of God,” and wast concealing in thyself what God reveals[...]. And thou fearedst men, when God has more right that thou fear Him. Then when Zayd had concluded any need of her, We gave her to thee in marriage, that there be not blame upon the believers concerning the wives of their adopted sons, when they have concluded any need of them. And the command of God is carried out. (33:37) Read it in the context without bias. A point is being made regarding how to consider ones adopted sons

[@slippingsnake]

@@truth123more "Read it in the context without bias..." I explain in slow motion: -Zayd had a wife -The Prophet desired her, : "...and wast concealing in thyself what God reveals..." -Then she was no longer with Zayd but became the Prophet's wife. In the Quran the woman has no name and seemingly no saying in this matter: "...And the command of God is carried out." It is also remarkable that Zayd i the only companion mentioned in the Quran, everyone else was not important enough. This is what I call a taylormade Vers, specific for this one Prophet but not helpfull for the rest of mankind.

[@Days6281]

Thanks for sharing that verse. Muhammed would not have recorded that in a book himself, so it confirms the book is indeed from God. You can choose to continue getting all of your information about islam from christian and atheist sites, or choose to read the quran with your own brain and eyes. Nobody cares either way. Your salvation is nobody else's business. As for the poetry thing, you're 1445 years late with that argument bro. It has been debunked that many years ago.

[@hafoothalmuflahi9784]

@@slippingsnake they teach us abt the prophet and do u know the story of zayd and the prophet

[@donaldmcronald8989]

😭​@@hafoothalmuflahi9784

[@Persian_fire]

You disappointed me! This guy is a religious appologist with a dark record, not a scholar. You need to be an Iranian like me to know who this guy is!

[@tay974]

Then tell people the whole story why you are hiding? You are attacking to his personality rather you such criticise/falsify facts presented by him.

[@kevinbolton9315]

God is ambiguous???

[@newguyat77]

Very muddled explanations.. Not very convincing

[@jma7600]

Why did the professor limit authorship to only two : Allah or Mohammad ? Why put a damper on the inquisitive academic mind ? Bad start for argumentation.

[@Logia1978]

Because it is unanimous among scholars that the Quran goes back to Muhammad...

[@jma7600]

@@Logia1978 Well, nothing in the text confirms this, therefore it is a matter of pure faith and hearsay, not historical facts.

[@Logia1978]

@jma7600 Nothing in the text confirms what ? It is proven that the Quran was a single book that was copied again and again. This is not a belief but a proven Fact.

[@jma7600]

@@Logia1978 So you agree that the Quran was a book in its original form and not necessarily the stories that Islamic texts have been repeating for twelve hundred years or thereabouts. In other words the story of a prophet receiving revelations from a god should therefore not be taken seriously anymore. In that sense we both agree. Quran was always written and copied according to what you said. Finally, the stories about Quran memorisation have no historical validity simply because if people memorised the texts why would islam be so fascinated about having a book containing these revelations?

[@Logia1978]

@jma7600 I agree about absolutely nothing you said.... The Islamic narrative is the strongest narrative... any alternative is bogus and is rejected by real scholarship... MUHAMMAD believed receiving the revelation of God, Memorized it, made his companions Memorize it, and even today, millions have memorized it. And people wrote what they memorized on different objects. What was momerized was collected after the death of the prophet of Islam by his companions, and that book was copied again and again... anything besides that collection we call the othmanic collection was rejected and destroyed. Muslims have a book with the authority of the companions and do not accept like Christians anonymous authors... This is a strong narrative that is accepted by mainstream scholarship.

[@arifkizilay]

"Muhammad, the author?" "I am not going to take the side?"

[@pebystroll]

It's certainly not perfect but a brilliant step in the right direction for the field

[@gonabil]

Chiaa secte have tough time when they recall the life and the experiences of the prophet, they find that their imaginary imams are none, no mention of them, and this shiaa adapt the text to their hallucinations and cover that with some « perplexity of the language » to force the acceptance of their beliefs.

[@seanrodrigues12]

This is a lot of spiel

[@cikcik1234]

Needs to study philosophy

[@jaketwigg1065]

Why? There’s nothing there

[@kilianklaiber6367]

Lot's of far fetched rationalizations. The quran has ambiguous passages because its author of the quran is not an omniscient and omnipotent god. God doesn't make any mistakes.

[@bobbycalifornia7077]

Ambiguity does not equate to "mistakes".

[@kilianklaiber6367]

@@bobbycalifornia7077 Yes ist does, because a omnipotent could god could clearly communicate his will. Any ambiguity and problems resulting from this are due to the inaptitude of the authors of the quran.

[@bobbycalifornia7077]

@@kilianklaiber6367 An omnipotent being can use ambiguity, allegory, symbolism etc to make their point. They can do anything which is what being omnipotent is. Communicating in these ways can be indicative of that beings wisdom. You’re twisting the meaning in order to jump to your polemical ending point.

[@kilianklaiber6367]

@@bobbycalifornia7077 But, the omnipotent being is not making a point by being "ambiguous". That's bullshit, because nobody understands the point due to the ambiguity.

[@kilianklaiber6367]

@@bobbycalifornia7077 No, I am stating the obvious. You are twisting words in order to rationalize the absurd!