Muhammad's in the wrong place, & wrong time! (#18)

Surah 17:1 has huge historical problems, and proves to us that the Qur'an was probably written, not in the 7th century, but sometime after 709 AD!

How do we know? Let's look at the historical facts...

Because of Surah 17:1, Muslims all believe that when Muhammad was flown on the back of the winged horse (known as the 'Buraq'), up to the 'Al Aqsa Mosque' (referred to as "the Farthest Mosque" in Surah 17:1), this mosque (or Masjid) was situated in Jerusalem, on the southern wall of the citadel which houses the 'Dome of the Rock'. This flight, they contend, happened when Muhammad was still living in Mecca, around 621 AD.

There are 3 Historical problems with these claims:

1) This could not, as some suggest, have been a temple or a church that he was flown to, as it clearly says "Masjid" (or Mosque in English) in the text.

2) Furthermore, if it were a church or a temple, there were much further churches and temples in Europe and Asia at that time. No, it is clear, that this place he was flown to was named 'Al Aqsa', and that it was indeed a mosque. Every Muslim is clear on those two points.

3) But this, then, is indeed very damaging. Why? Because if Muslims claim it was the 'Al Aqsa mosque' in Jerusalem that he flew to in 621 AD, they need to then explain how a mosque could be there so early, since the Arabs didn't even conquer Jerusalem until 638 AD! So, what was a mosque doing there 17 years earlier, in fact even before the two holy mosques were been built in Mecca and Medina?

Until 638 AD it was a Christian city, and even if there may have been some Arabs living there, no Christian authority would have ever permitted them to build a mosque on such a holy site as the 'Temple Mount'. That could only have taken place once Muslims were in power and had control of the 'Temple Mount'.

What's more, the 'Al Aqsa mosque', which today is situated on the southern wall of the citadel, wasn't built until 709 AD, and the 'Dome of the Rock' around 691 AD, therefore 70 to 80 years too late!

The solution: This is a prime example of a "historical Anachronism", of which the Qur'an has many, which suggests that this verse would have had to have been incorporated into the Qur'an sometime after 709 AD, in order for Surah 17:1 to even refer to it, supporting our notion that the Qur'an was compiled much later than what Muslims claim!

© Pfander Centre for Apologetics - US, 2021
(53,110) Music: New Beginning, by Rafael Krux, from filmmusic-io