Book Reviewed: The Mystery of Israel in Ancient Egypt: The Exodus in the Quran by Louay Fatoohi and Shetha Al-Dargazelli

This book is in error

This book is in error! It is written by a couple of amateurs! These discussions are appropriate for Islamic schools in Muslim countries. It does not offer any intellectual material for helpful discussions that could be verified with countless academic work done in the field of ancient Hebrew literature and Biblical studies. The authors argue that Quran is based on historical facts, but Judaism and Christianism are not. How absurd such an idea sounds? One example is that authors try to prove that Quran reveals accurate facts about the Book of Exodus. The authors say that “this scholarship” on the “historical Jesus shows that, unlike the New Testament accounts, the Quranic image of Jesus is consistent…… with history.” “The Christian Jesus is unhistorical, this study makes a strong case for the historicity of the Jesus of the Quran.” Extensive historical records clearly demonstrates that Old Testament existed as early as tenth century B.C.E and the books of New Testament came after Jesus in the first century A.C.E. Islam came into existence in seventh century A.C.E. Much of Quranic discussion of Old Testament came from Hebrew literature, later modified and corrupted by Islamic instructors. The following examples serve to illustrate this point:

Quran 5:43. But why do they come to you for judgement when they have the Torah which contains Allah's commandments…….

Quran 5:44. Indeed we revealed the Torah to Moses, in which there is guidance and light: By its laws, all the Prophets, who were Muslims, judged those who call themselves Jews…….

Quran 2:55. Remember when you said: "O Moses! We shall never believe you until we see Allah with our own eyes," a thunderbolt struck you while you were looking on and you fell dead.

The authors also note that “Propaganda of believers of other faiths who saw Islam as a competing religion.” And “Western double standards have also played a major role in distorting Islam and jihad.” They suggest that Jihad is nonviolent and “Jihad is the person’s ongoing struggle against all manifestations of evil, starting with the evil drives within one’s self.” But evidence found in Quran and Hadith are contrary to these assertions. Actually, Quran contains at least 109 verses that speak of war with nonbelievers (non-Muslims). Some are quite graphic, with commands to chop off heads and fingers and kill infidels wherever they may be hiding. The following examples illustrate as how Islam treat non-believers like Jews and Christians:

Quran (2:191-193) - "And kill them wherever you find them, and turn them out from where they have turned you out. And Al-Fitnah [disbelief] is worse than killing.....

Quran 5:82. You will find the most violent in enmity to the Islamic believers are the Jews and the mushrikin (pagan Arabs)……..

Quran 4:160. Because of the wrongdoing of the Jews. We forbade them good things which were (before) made lawful unto them, and because of their much hindering from Allah's way,

Quran 5:63. Why do not the rabbis and the priests forbid their evil speaking and their devouring of illicit gain? Verily evil is their handiwork.

Quran 33:26. And those of the people of the Book (The Jews) who aided the invaders, Allah did take them down from their strongholds and cast terror into their hearts……

Quran 5:64. And the Jews say, "God's hand is shackled!" It is their own hands that are shackled; and rejected [by God] are they because of this their assertion……

Quran 5:51. O ye who believe! Take not the Jews and Christians for friends. They are friends one to another. He among you who taketh them for friends is (one) of them. Surely Allah does not guide the wrongdoers.

Quran 3:56. ….As to those who reject faith, I will punish them with terrible agony….

Quran 3:151 …..Soon shall we cast terror into the hearts of the unbelievers…….

Quran 4:74 ….Let those fight in the way of Allah who sell the life of this world for the other. Whoso fighteth in the way of Allah, be he slain or be he victorious, on him. We shall bestow a vast reward." In fact this is the theological basis for today's suicide bombers.

The “Hadith” is another set of Muslim literature that narrates the words and deeds of Muhammad. According to Hadith, Jihad is a religious duty of Muslims and it suggests that jihad means warfare. In fact that there is a chapter called "Fighting for the Cause of Allah (Jihad)". This book has no academic merits and written for an Islamic fundamentalist. A mainstream reader will not benefit from this book.