Allah's FAILURE to even UNDERSTAND the 3 Questions by the Jews

Summary:

Please note:

• Not knowing the answers is one thing.
• Providing incorrect answers is even worse.
• However, not even comprehending the questions is the worst possible outcome.

Muhammad and his Allah made this critical error by failing to understand the original questions.

The Jews asked Muhammad the following 3 Questions from The Book of Denial (The Bible).

Details:

In the 2nd part of this series of "The Test", we saw how Muhammad (and his Allah) FAILED constantly to show even a single tinniest miracle in front of the pagan Meccans, despite repetitive demand from them. Please read this 2nd part here:

• Allah's FAILURE to pass his own TEST of showing any MIRACLE to the Pagans

The pagan Meccans, in an attempt to test Muhammad's claims further, sought assistance from the Jews. The Jews sent them three challenging questions, which should serve as a Test i.e. if Muhammad could answer those questions through revelation from Allah. 

When the Meccans presented these questions to Muhammad, he struggled to provide answers for a period of 15 days (as he was gathering information from people, instead of getting any information through revelation).

The actual situation was as under:

1. Muhammad neither knew the answers to the three questions nor was he in contact with any Allah or angel.
2. Consequently, Muhammad began enquiring about those questions from others (and the Quran (verse 18:22) is itself a witness of this action of Muhammad). It took him 15 days to gather some information about those 3 questions. 
3. Later Muhammad made an excuse that he was unable to answer the questions the next day, as he had forgotten to say Insha-Allah (if God wills). And he claimed that a puppy entering his house prevented Gabriel from delivering the answers.

However, those answers from Muhammad (which consisted of alleged divine revelation), were not only "incomplete", but Muhammad (and his Allah) were not even able to understand the original Jewish questions. 

Background of the 3 Jewish Questions:

(The following information is provided by Adam ElMasri in his video (Link), along with some additions made by us to make things more clear to our readers)

The First Question from the Book of Daniel:

Long before the advent of Islam, Christians and Jews spent a great deal of time compiling, classifying, and canonizing the books of the Bible. However, just a few decades before the rise of Islam, a fascinating dispute emerged between Christians and Jews. The Jewish Bible is divided into three parts:

1. Torah (The first five books, containing the Law)
2. Ketuvim (Meaning "The Writings")
3. Nevi'im (Meaning "The Prophets")

When it came time to classify the Book of Daniel, an intense disagreement broke out between certain Jewish Rabbis, other Jewish sects, and Christians regarding whether the Book of Daniel should be placed in the Nevi'im (the section of the Prophets) or included in the Ketuvim (The Writings).

In simple terms, the core debate was about whether Daniel was truly a prophet or not, as the Book of Daniel states that the Holy Spirit showed him "visions." According to the Bible, prophets were shown visions.

Ultimately, despite the visions, the Jews did not recognize Daniel as a prophet and included the Book of Daniel in the Ketuvim. The Christians, however, included it in the Nevi'im (the list of Prophets). This dispute continued for decades.

According to Jewish Rabbis, there is a clear distinction between visions seen in a dream and revelation (Wahi) received through the Holy Spirit (Ruach ha Kodesh). A prophet is only someone to whom the Holy Spirit gives a message through revelation, not someone who merely experiences visions in a dream.

In Jewish literature, the Holy Spirit is sometimes simply called "The Spirit" (Al Ruh). This was the very Spirit about which the Jews questioned Muhammad, but Muhammad (and his Allah) had no idea what they were actually asking about.

Thus, the prophethood of Daniel was a major controversial issue, and this dispute persisted until a few decades before Muhammad’s arrival. The Jews believed that if Muhammad were truly a prophet of Allah, he would be able to resolve this issue. Therefore, they put this question to him. However, Muhammad disappeared for 15 days, during which he tried to gather information from various people, but he could find no lead. Finally, he returned with this answer:

"They ask you about the Spirit. Say, 'The Spirit is by command of my Lord, and you have been given but little knowledge.'" (Quran 17:85)

In effect, instead of giving a clear answer to the question, Muhammad brushed the matter aside by claiming that humans have been given very little knowledge regarding the Spirit.

The 2nd Question from the Book of Daniel:

At that time, two famous but somewhat similar stories existed.

1. The first story was found in the Book of Daniel in the Bible, which mentioned three young, righteous, and pious Jews (Daniel 3:8-30).
2. The second story was known as "The Legend of the Sleepers of Ephesus" (referred to in Arabic as Ashab al-Kahf). This story spoke of seven righteous and pious Christian men, though some traditions mention eight. This legend was not part of the Bible. Jews did not believe in it and actually opposed it because it featured faithful Christians, whom Jews considered their adversaries.

The Jews questioned Muhammad about the first story, which was the account of the three devout Jewish youths in the Book of Daniel. However, Muhammad and his Allah became confused. They thought the question referred to the second story, the Christian legend of the "People of the Cave."

Muhammad fell into this confusion because there are strong similarities between the two stories.

1. Faith and Divine Protection:

• In the Book of Daniel, the three Jewish youths (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego) were cast into a blazing furnace for refusing to worship a golden idol made by King Nebuchadnezzar.
• The People of the Cave Christian legend (not part of the Bible) describes seven or eight young Christians who hid in a cave to protect their faith.

Miraculous Preservation:

• The three Jewish youths survived despite being thrown into the fire.
• The People of the Cave slept for several centuries and woke up without any physical changes.

Because Muhammad was asking others for the answers to these questions, he became deeply confused after hearing both types of stories from his informants. As a result, he mixed the two stories together and stated the number of people in the Quran as being anywhere from three to eight.

"Some will say they were three, the fourth of them being their dog; and some will say they were five, the sixth of them being their dog, guessing at the unseen. And some will say they were seven, and the eighth of them was their dog. Say, 'My Lord is most knowing of their number. None knows them except a few.' So do not argue about them except with a superficial argument and do not inquire about them from any of them." (Quran 18:22)

This raises several important questions:

1. Why only a "superficial" discussion?
Why is Allah telling his prophet not to engage in any debate or discussion except a superficial one?

2. Why was Muhammad questioning others?
This is the most fundamental question. If an angel was truly bringing answers from Allah, why did Muhammad need to spend 15 days questioning people? People began to mock the situation, noticing that Muhammad was asking various people for information while claiming the eventual answer was from Allah. When people started ridiculing Muhammad’s Allah, Muhammad took the blame upon himself to protect Allah from criticism, suggesting he was the one inquiring, while Allah later forbade him from doing so.

3. If Allah knew the exact number, why did he not state it clearly?

On one hand, Muhammad says that Allah knows the correct number, but on the other hand, Allah avoided stating that number. The question is: if Allah knew the truth, why not clarify it? What catastrophe would have occurred if Allah had simply stated the correct number?

4. Where did the count of three to eight come from?

• The Book of Daniel mentioned three youths.
• The legend of the People of the Cave mentioned seven (or in some versions, eight) individuals.
• Muhammad combined both stories and gave a range of three to eight.

5. If this legend was not part of the Bible and Jews did not believe in it, how could they have asked about it?

This is another major flaw. The story of the People of the Cave was an unauthenticated Christian tradition. It was not in the Bible. Despite this, Muhammad presented it as an answer to a Jewish question, even though Jews did not believe in it. To Jews, this story was unauthentic and unacceptable because it glorified faithful Christians. Jews regarded Jesus as a false prophet and his followers as misguided. To expect Jews to use a Christian legend to verify a prophet would be like Muslims in the future asking a prophet about a miracle story involving Mirza Ghulam Ahmad to verify his prophethood. Is that even plausible?

The 3rd Question from the Book of Daniel:

Then the Jews questioned Muhammad and his Allah about the vision of the two-horned ram found in the Book of Daniel (Bible). However, Muhammad and his Allah once again fell into confusion, assuming the question was about Alexander the Great, who was known in history as the "two-horned one."

The Jews asked Muhammad about a vision mentioned in the Book of Daniel that featured a ram with two horns.

1. The Ram Seen in the Vision:

The Book of Daniel, in verses 3 and 4, describes the ram seen in this vision:

"I looked up, and there before me was a ram with two horns, standing beside the canal, and the horns were long. One of the horns was longer than the other but grew up later. I watched the ram as it charged toward the west and the north and the south. No animal could stand against it, and none could rescue from its power. It did as it pleased and became great."

2. The Interpretation of the Vision:

The interpretation of this vision is clearly stated later in the same Book of Daniel, in verse 20:

"The two-horned ram that you saw represents the kings of Media and Persia... (further explanation followed, stating that) In the latter part of their reign, when rebels have become completely wicked, a fierce-looking king, a master of intrigue, will arise. He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause astounding devastation and will succeed in whatever he does. He will destroy those who are mighty and the holy people. He will cause deceit to prosper, and he will consider himself superior. When they feel secure, he will destroy many and take his stand against the Prince of princes. Yet he will be destroyed, but not by human power."

Because Muhammad was unlettered (and there was no such thing as an All-Knowing Allah), he mistook this for the story of Alexander the Great because, historically, Alexander was called "the two-horned one."

In Greek culture, Alexander the Great was depicted with horns, which were considered symbols of divinity and power. For instance, coins from Alexander's era show him with the horns of a ram, which were associated with the Egyptian god Ammon. When Alexander reached the Siwa Oasis, he was declared the son of Ammon, and this "horned" symbol was used to represent the divinity of his rule.

The Quranic Arabic term "Dhul-Qarnayn" itself literally means "The Two-Horned One."

Muhammad then recounted the entire story of Dhul-Qarnayn, in which "The Two-Horned One" first travels toward the west, and no one can stand before him. Then he travels toward the east, and still, no one can oppose him. After that, he travels toward the north, and there too, no one has the strength to stand against him.

The story of Dhul-Qarnayn is detailed in Surah Al-Kahf (Chapter 18), verses 83 to 101.

In the Quran, Dhul-Qarnayn is presented as a righteous and powerful king who acts with divine wisdom and justice during his expeditions.

During his final and most famous expedition to the north, Dhul-Qarnayn arrives at a valley situated between two mountains. There, he meets a people who ask for his help against Gog and Magog (Ya’juj wa Ma’juj) because these tribes were spreading corruption and destruction across the land. Dhul-Qarnayn agrees to help them and builds a massive wall made of iron and molten copper, which imprisons Gog and Magog between the mountains. Dhul-Qarnayn then declares that this wall will stand until the Day of Judgment, and when the command of Allah comes, the wall will collapse (implying that, according to the Quran, Dhul-Qarnayn was a firm believer).

However, Muhammad (and his Allah) failed to provide a clear answer regarding the true identity of Dhul-Qarnayn, leading to a state of perpetual confusion among Muslims.

The vague answer provided by the Quran and Muhammad sparked a never-ending debate of uncertainty. A prominent manifestation of this confusion is the various contradictory statements that emerged from time to time.

The First Contradiction:
Muslim commentators initially claimed that Dhul-Qarnayn was actually Alexander the Great. But later, a problem arose: historical and archaeological evidence proved that Alexander the Great was not a pious believer like the Dhul-Qarnayn of the Quranic story. Instead, contrary to the Quran, he was a polytheist who considered himself the son of Greek and Egyptian gods.

The Second Contradiction:
When the polytheism of Alexander the Great became indefensible for Muslim commentators, they attempted to shift the identity of Dhul-Qarnayn from Alexander to Cyrus the Great of Persia.

But this claim was also devoid of solid evidence and contained several fundamental flaws. On the contrary, clear evidence suggests that this story was actually taken from a Syriac legendary tradition of Alexander the Great known as the Legend of Alexander. Indeed, in this Christian mythological tale, Alexander was first portrayed as a pious believer who was not a polytheist but had complete faith in Allah. By Muhammad’s time, this Christian myth had spread widely, so Muhammad simply recounted what he had heard from people.

Furthermore, Cyrus the Great of Persia cannot be the Quranic Dhul-Qarnayn because, like Alexander, he was a believer in various gods and goddesses. He not only tolerated non-Islamic religions but actually patronized them.

Consequently, for centuries, Muslims have been victims of these contradictions and uncertainties (and even today, they still do not know who Dhul-Qarnayn really was).

Islamist Objection: "How Can You Be Sure That the Jews Asked Questions from the Book of Daniel?"

The Islamist apologists raise the following objection here:

"But how do you know that they were asking about the Book of Daniel? It seems as though you yourself have simply claimed that these questions were asked by the Jews from the Book of Daniel."

Our Response:

Using basic human common sense is sufficient for anyone to understand the truth.

Muslims did not preserve any Jewish or pagan oral traditions for future generations, which could have clarified their perspective. Therefore, we are left with only the Quran and Islamic traditions. However, as human beings we possess reason, and we can draw conclusions from circumstantial evidence using common sense.

Please consider the following questions:

1. Why would the Jews ask about an unauthentic Christian Legend when they had their own original scripture (the Torah) available to them?
2. Christian stories were unacceptable to the Jews, because they considered Christians to be neither righteous nor people of true faith.
3. Why did Muhammad and his Allah become confused about the number of people?
4. Why does the Quran mention exactly those same numbers (3 to 8) that appear differently across the stories of Daniel and the "People of the Cave"?
5. What harm would have come if Allah had simply stated the correct number?
6. Why would the Jews take any interest in an "infidel" Alexander the Great and his conquests, and why would they ask about him? Alexander the Great was not a sacred figure for the Jews but rather a polytheist ruler who worshipped Greek gods and goddesses and considered himself their son.
7. No figure exists anywhere in all of human history who resembles the Quranic Dhulqarnain, being both a true believer and a conqueror of the entire world.
8. And what interest could the Jews possibly have had in asking about the "Human Spirit"? In reality, the question of far greater importance to them was whether the "Spirit of God" (i.e. the visions/revelations sent by God) constitutes proof of a person's prophethood or not.

When we look at all these contradictions in light of the Book of Daniel, every single one of them instantly disappears, and all the questions begin to make perfect logical sense.

How Many Polytheists or Jews Accepted Islam upon Considering Muhammad's 3 Answers as a Miracle?

The answer is: None whatsoever.

Whether it was the polytheists of Mecca or the Jews of Medina who came later, they continued to demand miracles from Muhammad, and the Quran itself bears witness to this.

The Quran also bears witness to the fact that neither Muhammad nor his Allah showed even a single miracle to the people of Mecca or to the Jews of Medina. In fact, within the Quran itself, Allah keeps making various excuses for why Muhammad and Allah are not showing any miracle, such as claiming that the ancestors of these people had witnessed miracles yet still refused to believe, and so on.

Therefore, if these 3 answers had genuinely contained miraculous information (which would have been impossible to obtain without divine revelation), then Muhammad himself would have presented these answers as proof of a miracle before the people of Mecca and the Jews. Yet he never once did so.

At this point, all readers are strongly encouraged to read this article so that the issue of "miracles" becomes even clearer:

• Allah's FAILURE to pass his own TEST of showing a Miracle

If Muhammad had miraculously provided answers to these three questions through divine revelation, it would logically be expected that a large number of the people of Mecca and the Jews of Medina would have accepted Islam, because such a miracle would have proven that Muhammad was indeed a prophet sent by Allah.

Was There Any Miraculous Information in the Three Answers Given by Muhammad?

Reflect on this yourself:

• If Muhammad responded to the question about the Spirit in the Quran with this vague and hollow answer: "The Spirit is from my Lord, and you have been given very little knowledge about it," then what information did he actually provide that could be considered miraculous?
• And in response to the question about the ram with two horns, Muhammad narrated in the Quran the story of a believing Dhulqarnain whom no one in the entire world, including Jews and Christians, has ever been able to identify to this day. So what miraculous information was contained in that?
• Similarly, the story of the People of the Cave (Ashab-e-Kahf) was already well known among people, as was the story of the 3 young Jewish men. So if after 15 days Muhammad mixed both of these stories together in the Quran and stated their number as anywhere from 3 to 8, what miraculous information was present in that?

Please ask yourself this question: would it not have been entirely possible for any person making a false claim of prophethood to gather such superficial (non-miraculous) information from others over the course of 15 days?

Evidence That Muhammad Was Inquiring from People and Engaging in Discussion:

Rather than relying on divine revelation, Muhammad spent those 15 days going from person to person, asking questions and "gathering information." This evidence is found in the latter part of verse 18:22 of Surah Al-Kahf.

Some will say they were three, the fourth being their dog; and some will say they were five, the sixth being their dog, guessing at the unseen; and some will say they were seven, and the eighth was their dog. Say: My Lord knows best their number. None knows them except a few. So do not argue about them except with a clear argument, and do not inquire about them from anyone among them. (Quran 18:22)

This verse is itself a witness that during those 15 days Muhammad was going around asking people questions and collecting information. But when he was unable to gather "reliable" information even from people, and became "confused" about the number of individuals due to the conflicting stories he was hearing, Muhammad then fabricated an excuse within the Quranic verse to escape this confusion. He instructed that one should not "ask" anyone about the "number" of the People of the Cave, and should only engage in "passing" conversation about their number, and move on by saying that only Allah knows their number, and that Allah does not wish to reveal that number to people.

After all of this, can any doubt remain that there is no "All-Knowing and All-Aware" Allah up in the heavens, and that it was Muhammad himself who was fabricating the "revelation"?

Credit:

All credit goes to Adam ElMasri for his video on this subject. This whole article is based on his video (with some additions from us for clarity and better understanding). Please watch his video here (link):