Home > Arguments for the Qur'an's excellence
"The Qur'an's qira'at are simply dialect differences, not corruption—variations in pronunciation and phrasing Allah allowed for the Arabs' diverse tongues. The Qur'an says, ‘And We have certainly diversified this Qur'an that they might reflect' (Surah Al-Isra, 17:41), and all qira'at trace back to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), preserved through his companions. They're like accents—same meaning, different sounds—still one Qur'an.
Jesus (peace be upon him) brought the Injeel—‘We gave him the Injeel, in which was guidance and light' (Surah Al-Ma'idah, 5:46)—but the Bible's changes are deep, not mere dialects, with whole verses added or lost. The Qur'an says, ‘The Messiah, son of Mary, was no more than a messenger' (Surah Al-Ma'idah, 5:75). The qira'at show Allah's wisdom, keeping His word intact across tribes, unlike the Bible's corruption, and uphold Jesus' call to worship Allah alone."
The assertion that the Qur'an's Qira'at (canonical readings) are simply "dialect differences" is a profound understatement and a convenient evasion. This is like claiming that changing a legal document from "The heir receives half the estate" to "The heir receives all the estate" is merely an accent difference.
1. The Destruction of Perfect Preservation
The existence of multiple, contradictory authoritative texts poses an irreconcilable problem for the claim of perfect preservation (Surah Al-Hijr, 15:9).
2. The Dominant Qira'at and Their Use
The widespread use of these varied readings further demonstrates the accepted multiplicity, which undermines the claim of a singular, preserved text:
3. Biblical Unity vs. Qur'anic Multiplicity
The attempt to contrast these variations with the Bible is a reversal of evidence. While the Bible has minor, non-doctrinal variants, its vast, overwhelming volume of manuscripts confirms its substantive unity (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21). We reject the claim that canonical variations that alter legal and theological meaning are superior to the robust, unified witness of the Bible.