Overview

The Quran is, according to Islamic belief, word for word the unaltered message that Muhammad received from God piece by piece over a period of 23 years through the angel Gabriel, and proclaimed faithfully down to the letter. The Quran is therefore valid for the peoples of all times. Any other message received by an earlier prophet was valid only for a particular people at a particular time.

The Quran is a guide to a joyful, happy and successful life. The prophets before Muhammad – including Jesus (ʿĪsā ibn Maryam) – are regarded in Islamic belief as Muhammad’s forerunners. In a sense, they acknowledged Muhammad’s prophetic leadership in advance.

Here is a list of some claims that many people have misunderstood or that have been distorted by anti-Islamic media:

• The spread of Islam by the sword
• “Do not take the Jews and Christians as guardians”
• The Prophet’s statement: “I have been commanded to fight the people”
• Jihad is terrorism!
• The Prophet Muhammad is the author of the Quran
• Polygamy for men, but not for women!
• The imposition of the tribute
• Child rape and the age of Aisha
• Injustice in inheritance between men and women
• Allah says: “And kill them wherever you find them”
• Is a woman’s testimony worth only half that of a man?
• “The Quran permits men to beat women” (Surah 4:34)
• The headscarf – a sign of women’s oppression?
• Why may a Muslim woman not marry a non-Muslim?
• The death penalty for leaving Islam (apostasy)
• Banu Qurayza – did Muhammad have a Jewish tribe executed?