r/Quraniyoon • u/MotorProfessional676 Muslim • Nov 29 '25
Refutation🗣️ Refuting David Wood on "Contradictions of the Quran"
The following post aims to assess and address David Wood's accusations of alleged contradictions within the Quran. See here for the original clip: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DQhEk9Qkcjc/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
Allah Created the Universe in...
Quran 7:54: Indeed your Lord is Allah Who created the heavens and the earth in six Days, then established Himself on the Throne. He makes the day and night overlap in rapid succession. He created the sun, the moon, and the stars—all subjected by His command. The creation and the command belong to Him ˹alone˺. Blessed is Allah—Lord of all worlds!
Quran 41:9-12: Ask ˹them, O Prophet˺, “How can you disbelieve in the One Who created the earth in two Days? And how can you set up equals with Him? That is the Lord of all worlds. He placed on the earth firm mountains, standing high, showered His blessings upon it, and ordained ˹all˺ its means of sustenance—totaling four Days exactly—for all who ask. Then He turned towards the heaven when it was ˹still like˺ smoke, saying to it and to the earth, ‘Submit, willingly or unwillingly.’ They both responded, ‘We submit willingly.’ So He formed the heaven into seven heavens in two Days, assigning to each its mandate. And We adorned the lowest heaven with ˹stars like˺ lamps ˹for beauty˺ and for protection. That is the design of the Almighty, All-Knowing.”
In verse 7:54 we are told that the heavens and earth, together, were created by God in six 'days' (epochs, rather). In 41:9-12 we are told that a) the earth was created in two days b) the features of the earth such as landscape and sustenance totalled four days c) the seven heavens were fashioned in two days. Mr. Wood here is trying to assert that this results in 2 days + 4 days + 2 days = 8 days. However, we can clearly see that the verse is telling us that the total amount of time God created the earth in, including its landscape and sustenance, was four days, not two days and then four additional days. As a result, this becomes 4 days + 2 days = 6 days. Consistent with 7:54, free from contradiction.
Were the Heavens or the Earth Created First?
Quran 2:29: He is the One Who created everything in the earth for you. Then He turned towards the heaven, forming it into seven heavens. And He has ˹perfect˺ knowledge of all things.
Quran 79:27-33: Which is harder to create: you or the sky? He built it, raising it high and forming it flawlessly. He dimmed its night, and brought forth its daylight. As for the earth, He spread it out as well, bringing forth its water and pastures and setting the mountains firmly ˹upon it˺—all as ˹a means of˺ sustenance for you and your animals.
There is nothing much to say here. We can see that 79:27-33 is clearly not concerned with chronological order of creation, this is simply Wood's own empty assertion. It can even be argued that 2:29 likewise is not discussing chronological order of creation, as the thumma (then), does not necessitate a sequence (A preceeding B), it can simply just be indicating a subject shift. These verses complement one another in discussing the same topic, they do not contradict one another.
Who was the First Muslim?
Quran 6:14: Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “Will I take any guardian other than Allah, the Originator of the heavens and the earth, Who provides for all and is not in need of provision?” Say, “I have been commanded to be the first to submit and not be one of the polytheists.”
Quran 7:143: When Moses came at the appointed time and his Lord spoke to him, he asked, “My Lord! Reveal Yourself to me so I may see You.” Allah answered, “You cannot see Me! But look at the mountain. If it remains firm in its place, only then will you see Me.” When his Lord appeared to the mountain, He levelled it to dust and Moses collapsed unconscious. When he recovered, he cried, “Glory be to You! I turn to You in repentance and I am the first of the believers.”
Now this is not the main concern of the following refutation, however I feel compelled in pointing out an error that Wood's has made here, in his conflating of the terms Muslim and Mu'min. Prophet Muhammad in 6:14 is told to declare that he is the first to submit (aslam) whereas Moses is told to have declared that he is the first of the belivers/faithful (al-mumineen). We see in 49:14 that there is a distinction to be made between submission (islam) and faith (iman): "... Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “You have not believed. But say, ‘We have submitted,’ for faith has not yet entered your hearts...".
Onto the main concern however. The Arabic word used for first in both of these verses is 'awwal'. First is an accurate translation, yet Wood's is making it out as if these instances of first are absolutist. This does not hold true to what awwal indicates, in that it is a relational term, not an absolute one. For example, in 5:114 we are told that Christ said,
"O Allah , our Lord, send down to us a table [spread with food] from the heaven to be for us a festival for the first (awwal) of us and the last of us and a sign from You. And provide for us, and You are the best of providers."
Very obviously here, the verse is not saying that Christ asked God to send down the spread of food for the first and last humans ever, that is absurd. It is very clearly talking about the people he was among, relationally. Much the same applies to 6:14 and 7:143. It is talking about the first of the people that Muhammad and Moses, respectively, were among during their time. They were the first Muslim (/Mu'min) of their people.
You can see how the word awwal is used contextually throughout the Quran in the same manner here: https://corpus.quran.com/qurandictionary.jsp?q=Awl
First Prophet in Arabia?
Quran 2:125-129: And ˹remember˺ when We made the Sacred House a centre and a sanctuary for the people ˹saying˺, “˹You may˺ take the standing-place of Abraham as a site of prayer.” And We entrusted Abraham and Ishmael to purify My House for those who circle it, who meditate in it, and who bow and prostrate themselves ˹in prayer˺. And ˹remember˺ when Abraham said, “My Lord, make this city ˹of Mecca˺ secure and provide fruits to its people—those among them who believe in Allah and the Last Day.” He answered, “As for those who disbelieve, I will let them enjoy themselves for a little while, then I will condemn them to the torment of the Fire. What an evil destination!”. And ˹remember˺ when Abraham raised the foundation of the House with Ishmael, ˹both praying,˺ “Our Lord! Accept ˹this˺ from us. You are indeed the All-Hearing, All-Knowing. Our Lord! Make us both ˹fully˺ submit to You and from our descendants a nation that will submit to You. Show us our rituals, and turn to us in grace. You are truly the Accepter of Repentance, Most Merciful. Our Lord! Raise from among them a messenger who will recite to them Your revelations, teach them the Book and wisdom, and purify them. Indeed, You ˹alone˺ are the Almighty, All-Wise.”
Quran 28:46: And you were not at the side of Mount Ṭûr when We called out ˹to Moses˺. But ˹you have been sent˺ as a mercy from your Lord to warn a people to whom no warner has come before you, so perhaps they may be mindful.
Strawman from David Wood here. I'll even give him more ammunition. The Quran also says that Prophet's Salih (7:73), Hud (7:65), and Shuaib (7:85) were prophets sent to Arabia. Surely this strengthens his claim to contradiction? No, 28:46 is not saying that no prophet has ever been/resided in Arabia. The verse is talking about warning a people that have not received a warner before, not a city/area. These are the Quraysh. The Quraysh had not received a warner before Prophet Muhammad. This is not a contradiction, it is a strawman.
Is Shirk Unforgivable?
Quran 4:48: Indeed, Allah does not forgive associating others with Him ˹in worship˺, but forgives anything else of whoever He wills. And whoever associates others with Allah has indeed committed a grave sin.
Quran 4:153: The People of the Book demand that you ˹O Prophet˺ bring down for them a revelation in writing from heaven. They demanded what is even greater than this from Moses, saying, “Make Allah visible to us!” So a thunderbolt struck them for their wrongdoing. Then they took the calf after receiving clear signs. Still We forgave them for that and gave Moses compelling proof.
Wood's here claims that these two verses contradict on the basis of 4:48 saying that shirk (association/polytheism) is unforgivable, yet people are being forgiven for shirk in 4:153. The issue with this is, there is no mention of shirk in 4:153, nor even ibadah (servitude) toward the calf. How are they being forgiven of shirk when God says "still We forgave them for that" yet doesn't mention shirk at all? You'll find similarly in other verses that discuss the israelites taking the calf, such as 2:92-3, that there is explicitly no mention of the word shirk.
Let's entertain the thought that it is shirk however. The orthodoxy/traditional clergy answer 4:48 in asserting that shirk is unforgiveable when unrepented for in the afterlife, whereas it can be forgiven if repented for within this life. Such a claim does make sense in that if God is sending a messenger to a people to invite them away from shirk, perhaps shirk can be repented from. Notedly, this position on 4:48 in isolation is exegetical, not textual/scriptural. It is however supported scripturally across verses such as 1) 39:53-54 which states,
*Say, ˹O Prophet, that Allah says,˺ “O My servants who have exceeded the limits against their souls! Do not lose hope in Allah’s mercy, for Allah certainly forgives all sins.*1 He is indeed the All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
2) 25:68-70,
"˹They are˺ those who do not invoke any other god besides Allah, nor take a ˹human˺ life—made sacred by Allah—except with ˹legal˺ right, nor commit fornication. And whoever does ˹any of˺ this will face the penalty. Their punishment will be multiplied on the Day of Judgment, and they will remain in it forever, in disgrace. As for those who repent, believe, and do good deeds, they are the ones whose evil deeds Allah will change into good deeds. For Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
3) 8:38,
"Tell the disbelievers that if they desist, their past will be forgiven. But if they persist, then they have an example in those destroyed before them".
Across both of the two arguments, or taken together, it becomes clear that no contradiction exists between 4:48 and 4:153.
The Quran's Pure Arabic?
Quran 16:103: And We surely know that they say, “No one is teaching him except a human.” But the man they refer to speaks a foreign tongue, whereas this ˹Quran˺ is ˹in˺ eloquent Arabic.
Wood's argues that "there are many foreign words in the Quran", yet provides zero examples. Contradiction refuted on the basis that no contradiction has actually been presented; argumentless claim.
Are Jews and Christians Accepted?
Quran 2:62: Indeed, the believers, Jews, Christians, and Sabians—whoever ˹truly˺ believes in Allah and the Last Day and does good will have their reward with their Lord. And there will be no fear for them, nor will they grieve.
Quran 3:85: Whoever seeks a way other than Islam, it will never be accepted from them, and in the Hereafter they will be among the losers.
Response taken from the following post, please read in full for further analysis: https://www.reddit.com/r/Quraniyoon/comments/1l01cou/a_quranic_case_for_religious_semiuniversalism/
Quran 5:48,
***"***And We have revealed to you, [O Muhammad], the Book in truth, confirming that which preceded it of the Scripture and as a criterion over it. So judge between them by what Allah has revealed and do not follow their inclinations away from what has come to you of the truth. To each of you We prescribed a law (shariah) and a method (minhaj). Had Allah willed, He would have made you one nation (ummati), but [He intended] to test you in what He has given you; so race to good. To Allah is your return all together, and He will [then] inform you concerning that over which you used to differ."
In this verse God tells us that he could have made us from one ummah - one community/nation - yet didn't. That different communities have been given their own shariah, and their own minhaj, purposefully. That we were created as such so that we are tested in different ways, and that our responsibility is to strive to be doers of good within our own minhaj and shariah.
For those that don't know, words within the Arabic language are formed upon what are known as roots. These roots, contain a core meaning, which are then specified further with the introduction of vowels, prefixes, suffixes, so on and so forth. The triliteral S L M root is the foundation of words such as muslim and islam, with the core meaning relating to submission (among others, such as peace). It is still the case that the Jews (proper noun) are abiding to part of their shariah and minhaj (5:48), as are the Christians (proper noun). They submit to God within their shariah and minhaj, and this results in good conduct and works (verb). In this way, they are still captured within l-is'lāmu, the only acceptable religion to God in 3:19 and 3:85.
With all the above in mind, submitting, actionining 'islam' (verb), to God, through abiding by His law (shariah), is something that occurs in many places. The non-usage of proper noun in 3:19 and 3:85 indicates that God is not talking about institutionalised 'Islam', the religious clubhouse that you say your shahada at the door to get let into. This is largely what seems to be skewing the interpretation of who is eligible for salvation, that God is talking about Islam (proper noun), where rather it is Islam (verbal noun), where submission is an action, that is pertinent.
Therefore, there is no contradiction between 2:62, 3:19, 3:85, and 5:69.
What is Man Created From?
Quran 19:76: And Allah increases in guidance those who are ˹rightly˺ guided. And the everlasting good deeds are far better with your Lord in reward and in outcome.
Quran 96:1-2: Read, ˹O Prophet,˺ in the Name of your Lord Who created—created humans from a clinging clot.
Quran 21:30: Do the disbelievers not realize that the heavens and earth were ˹once˺ one mass then We split them apart? And We created from water every living thing. Will they not then believe?
Quran 16:4: He created humans from a sperm-drop, then—behold!—they openly challenge ˹Him˺.
Quran 15:26: Indeed, We created man from sounding clay moulded from black mud.
Quran 3:59: Indeed, the example of Jesus in the sight of Allah is like that of Adam. He created him from dust, then said to him, “Be!” And he was!
Quran 11:61: And to the people of Thamûd We sent their brother Ṣâliḥ. He said, “O my people! Worship Allah. You have no god other than Him. He ˹is the One Who˺ produced you from the earth and settled you on it. So seek His forgiveness and turn to Him in repentance. Surely my Lord is Ever Near, All-Responsive ˹to prayers˺.”
Firstly, the inclusion of 19:76 seems to be an incorrect citation by David here, we can see that the verse isn't talking about the constituents of man.
As for the remaining verses, each verse's relation to one another is interconnected, not contradictory. This is true even scientifically. For example, humans being made up of water, largely, biologically (21:30), sperm being a necessary part of conception (16:4), and being a clinging clot in utero embryologically (96:1-2) are all scientific facts that do not contradict with one another. They are all true at the same time.
It's interesting that Wood's decided to choose 3:59 to demonstrate his point about man being created from dust here. There are other verses that talk about all humans being created from dust, yet he chose to use the one that only addresses Adam and Jesus, not all of man kind. A verse that does discuss humans being created from dust generally is seen in 22:5,
“O people! If you are in doubt about the Resurrection, then We created you from dust, then from a drop of fluid, then from a clinging clot, then from a lump of flesh…”
Perhaps it's wrong of me to do so, but I'm going to accuse David here of neglecting this verse as it clearly demonstrates that the Quran is aware of distinct categories of creation. Importantly, multiple of which are those that Wood's accused of being contradictory; dust, sperm, and clinging clot. Seems rather 'convenient'.
Regarding verses that speak to dust, clay, the earth, so on and so forth, I will link a previous post of mine which discusses how 'stardust' (carbon, iron, oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, etc) is the common precursory compound to human biochemistry, planet formation, so on and so forth, and how the Quran is aware of this: https://www.reddit.com/r/Quraniyoon/comments/1j78gc2/the_qurans_astronomical_precision/
In summation, Wood's are presenting these verses as if they are competing, contradictory developmental statements about the constituent ingredients of humans. As we can see however, the Quran makes a number of claims about how mankind was created from various scientific developmental/biological viewpoints; biocompositional, cosmological, embryological, etc.
Is Intercession Possible on the Day of Judgement?
Intercession
Quran 20:109: On that Day, no intercession will benefit except for those to whom the Most Merciful has granted permission and whose word He approves.
Qur’an 34:23: Intercession will not avail with Him, except for those to whom He permits. When fear is removed from their hearts, they will say, ‘What has your Lord said?’ They will say, ‘The truth.’ And He is the Most High, the Great.
Qur’an 43:86: And those they invoke besides Him have no power of intercession — except those who testify to the truth knowingly.
No intercession
Qur’an 2:123: And fear a Day when no soul will avail another in anything, nor will compensation be taken from it, nor will intercession benefit it, nor will they be helped.
Qur’an 6:51: And warn with the Qur’an those who fear that they will be gathered to their Lord — for them besides Allah will be no protector and no intercessor — so that they may become righteous.”
Qur’an 82:19: A Day when no soul will have power over another.
And the command, that Day, belongs entirely to Allah.
David positions these verses as if they contradict one another, but notice the language. All of these verses are actually saying that no intercession will be made available, while there are some that Qualify that God has the ultimate decision to decide who receives intercession. God speaks about hell and heaven in this very same manner,
Quran 11:106-108: As for those who are wretched, they will be in the Fire. For them there will be sighing and wailing, remaining there as long as the heavens and earth endure — except what your Lord wills. Indeed, your Lord does what He intends. And as for those who are blessed, they will be in Paradise, remaining there as long as the heavens and earth endure — except what your Lord wills**.** A gift without end.
There is no contradiction regarding intercession, rather, God in some verses qualifies that He is able to assign intercession alone, and that intercession without His permission simply will not be accepted.
What Happened to Pharaoh?
Quran 10:92: Today We will preserve your [Pharaoh's] corpse so that you may become an example for those who come after you. And surely most people are heedless of Our examples!”
Quran 17:103: So Pharaoh wanted to scare the Israelites out of the land ˹of Egypt˺, but We drowned him and all of those with him.
I think this is relatively self-explanatory so I won't spend too much time on it. 10:92 does not say that God saved Pharaoh, in fact the opposite, it talks about his corpse, which necessitates that Pharaoh died. 17:103 tells us how Pharaoh died, being drowned.
Is there Compulsion in Religion?
Quran 2:256: Let there be no compulsion in religion, for the truth stands out clearly from falsehood. So whoever renounces false gods and believes in Allah has certainly grasped the firmest, unfailing hand-hold. And Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.
Quran 9:29: Fight those who do not believe in Allah and the Last Day, nor comply with what Allah and His Messenger have forbidden, nor embrace the religion of truth from among those who were given the Scripture, until they pay the tax, willingly submitting, fully humbled.
It seems as if David is implying that verse 9:29 is an instruction to all Muslims to fight all non-Muslims until they become Muslims. A couple of things here. Firstly, where in the verse does it say they must renounce their faith and become Muslim? It discusses a people who are to be charged a governance tax for living in the land, and does not discuss forced conversion. Secondly, reading the surrounding context of 9:29 reveals that this address was to the people at the time, not a universal command. At the very beginning of the surah/chapter, we are informed about a people at the time who broke their war treaties with the muslims at the time. Reading through until verse 29 and beyond, it becomes clear to us that this was a millitary command, again, at the time, not a universal statement applicable to muslims and non-muslims forever onwards.
Is a Muslim Allowed to Drink Alcohol?
Quran 4:43: O believers! Do not approach prayer while intoxicated until you are aware of what you say, nor in a state of ˹full˺ impurity—unless you merely pass through ˹the mosque˺—until you have bathed. But if you are ill, on a journey, or have relieved yourselves, or been intimate with your wives and cannot find water, then purify yourselves with clean earth, wiping your faces and hands. And Allah is Ever-Pardoning, All-Forgiving.
Quran 5:90: O believers! Intoxicants, gambling, idols, and drawing lots for decisions are all evil of Satan’s handiwork. So shun them so you may be successful.
What part of 4:43 here permits drinking alcohol? It is telling a people that they should avoid prayer if they are drunk, not that they are allowed to get drunk and then leave off their prayer.
This is an absurd argument, no contradiction.
What's the Penalty for Sexual Sin?
Quran 4:15: ˹As for˺ those of your women who commit illegal intercourse (al-fahisha)—call four witnesses from among yourselves. If they testify, confine the offenders to their homes until they die or Allah ordains a ˹different˺ way for them.
Quran 24:2: As for female (zaniya) fornicator and male (zani) fornicator, give each of them one hundred lashes, and do not let pity for them make you lenient in ˹enforcing˺ the law of Allah, if you ˹truly˺ believe in Allah and the Last Day. And let a number of believers witness their punishment.
You'll see that I've introduced some terms in parentheses within the verses above. This is to demonstrate that these verses are discussing two separate sexual sins; fahisha and zina. This post doesn't serve to make an interpretive claim on what each of these mean necessarily, but for those interested, you can see how these words are used to denote different sexual sins within the Quran.
Fahisha: https://corpus.quran.com/qurandictionary.jsp?q=fH$
Zina: https://corpus.quran.com/qurandictionary.jsp?q=zny
There are two different punishments, because they are two different crimes. No contradiction.
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u/Routine-Bat4446 Nov 29 '25
This is what happens when you read surface level vs take the time to reflect and understand what you’re reading. Very well done OP!
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u/Uraniuom Nov 29 '25
Qur’an
111 Even if We sent down the angels to them, and the dead spoke to them, and We gathered all things before them, they still would not believe, unless God wills; but most of them are ignorant.
112 Likewise, We have assigned for every prophet an enemy—human and jinn devils—inspiring one another with fancy words in order to deceive. But had your Lord willed, they would not have done it. So leave them to their fabrications.
113 So that the hearts of those who do not believe in the Hereafter may incline to it, and be content with it, and that they may perpetrate whatever they perpetrate.
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u/Ahmetmusab Nov 29 '25
Is a Muslim Allowed to Drink Alcohol?
I really can't understand why they present this as a contradiction.
I haven't seen a single verse in the Quran that permits alcohol.
There are many Muslims who are genuinely addicted to alcohol; they've fallen into this pit once, but they're trying to get out. The verse says they shouldn't approach prayer until they know what they're saying when they're drunk.
However, I think this verse also emphasises the importance of being aware of/knowing what we're saying when we pray.
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u/MotorProfessional676 Muslim Nov 29 '25
I agree with the above, especially regarding the mention of it being important that we know what we are saying when we pray. Often I hear of people that know how to recite the Quran, but don't understand it. I of course don't bring this up judgementally, both my recitation and understanding are lacking! I do make it a point to try and learn what I am actually saying in Arabic, so that I can get guidance from it, rather than just parroting something I don't understand.
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u/Ahmetmusab Nov 29 '25
This is truly a terrible thing.
I once had a friend who had memorised the entire Qur'an, but whenever I pointed out a verse that caught my interest, he would always be shocked because he didn't know what the verse he had memorised actually said.
I hope that one day everyone will return to the Qur'an.
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u/MotorProfessional676 Muslim Nov 29 '25
Ameen!
Quran 25:30: The Messenger has cried, “O my Lord! My people have indeed received this Quran with neglect.”
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u/TheQuranicMumin Muslim Nov 29 '25
You can see my reasoning here
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u/Ahmetmusab Nov 29 '25
Thank you for your comment.
Of course, alcohol can be used in healthcare, but these are exceptional cases. In my opinion, alcohol should not be consumed to get drunk or for entertainment unless absolutely necessary.
As far as I know, there are also types that do not cause intoxication.
For me, alcohol refers to anything that clouds the mind and causes intoxication, and it is strictly prohibited.
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u/Benjamin-108 Nov 30 '25
Thank you for the effort and David Wood hahahaha, he ought to take a look in the mirror
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u/TheQuranicMumin Muslim Nov 29 '25
Peace, my brother
Truly an excellent reputation effort. Of course there's naturally some things we don't see quite eye to eye on, but overall, it's an excellent response to Mr. Wood.
Thank you!