The Islamic Dilemma
Bodie Hodge, M.Sc., B.Sc., PEI
Biblical Authority Ministries, October 5, 2026 (Donate)
Islam is the largest cult of Christianity in the world.[1]
Some try to list it as a world religion, and I understand this distinction. But
it is technically a cult that has deviated from biblical teaching and changed
the nature of Christ, added alleged “new Scripture” (e.g., the Qur’an/Koran and
authentic Hadiths) and deviated on who God is, while paying lip service to the
Bible.
Where some Christian cults openly change the Bible (to
their detriment) to conform to their “new” theology (e.g., the New World
Translation or the Joseph Smith Translation) while adding their
alleged “new Scriptures” (e.g., Watchtower publications, Studies in
the Scriptures, Book of Mormon, Pearl of Great Price, and Doctrines and
Covenants), those in Islam affirm the Bible is true without changes.
Qur’an, Surah 4:136 O ye who
believe! Believe in God and His Apostle, and the Book which He hath sent down
to His Apostle, and the Books which He hath sent down aforetime. Whoever
believeth not on God and His Angels and His Books and His apostles, and in the
Last Day, he verily hath erred with far-gone error.
The Qur’an repeatedly affirms that biblical texts are the
Word of God and thus true in its chapters that are also called Surahs or
Suras (e.g., Qur’an 2:40-42,126,136,285; 3:3-4,71,93; 4:47,136, 163;
5:43-51, 66-72; 6:91; 10:37,94; 17:55; 21:7, 105; 29:45-46; 35:31; and 46:11.
This suddenly causes a big problem because the teaching in
the Islamic new Scriptures—the Qur’an/Koran—contradict the Bible in many
places. In other words, it places the Qur’an (and thus Islam) on two horns of a
dilemma. Thus, the famous Islamic Dilemma arises:
·
If the Qur’an is true when it affirms the truth
of the Bible, then the Qur’an is false because the Bible contradicts it.
·
If the Qur’an is false when it affirms the truth
of the Bible, then the Qur’an is false.
On both horns of this dilemma, the Qur’an is false. Note the
devastation of this argument. This isn’t a new argument but has brought for
ages. And when Muslims fully grasp this dilemma, they must, if they truly wish
to follow God, question the Qur’an. I’ve discussed this dilemma before but this
time I wanted to draw it out in detail.[2]
The Islamic Dilemma Response
Many Muslims aren’t taught the devastation of this argument.
And if they are taught about the Islamic Dilemma, then they are likely
told the solution is to say what certain Muslim scholars say, that “the Bible
has been corrupted”. For the astute person, this now causes even more problems!
Let me explain.
First, it means that the professing Muslim isn’t a Muslim
because they disagree with the Qur’an which says the Bible in Muhammad’s day
was true. We have thousands of ancient manuscripts of the New Testament
affirming it is the same today. And the Dead Sea Scrolls, Church father quotes,
and ancient copies and ancient translations are an amazing confirmation that
the Old Testament has been preserved. The Bible we have today is the same as
the Bible in Muhammad’s day and is the same as about 2,000 years ago.
So, it should be pointed out a professing Muslim isn’t a
Muslim when switch and don’t follow the Qur’an or what Muhammad said. If the
professing Muslim will openly disagree with the Qur’an, while professing it is
true, then there is a big problem for that person—they have dilemma of their
own if they realize it!
Furthermore, the Qur’an says that no one can change the Word
of God (Qur’an in Surah 6:34; 10:34).[3]
Since the Bible is the Word of God according to the Koran, then it can’t be
changed. So again, they are arguing the Qur’an is wrong. See how the problem
just keeps getting deeper when someone holds to the position that the Bible has
been corrupted?
Note something else, when a professing Muslim takes the
position that the Bible has been corrupted, they no longer hold to the Qur’an
or Muhammad as being authoritative. Did you catch that? So the logical
question to ask what authority have they replaced the Qur’an and Muhammad with?
It was Islamic scholars. It was men! Of course, these
scholars do attempt to garner support from the Qur’an but it also fails.
Apologist Sam Shamoun points out that Quranic passages commonly used to support
corruption claims actually refer to people twisting, concealing, or
misinterpreting Scripture rather than rewriting and corrupting the biblical
text.[4]
Former Muslim turned Christian, Daniel Shayesteh writes:
“The Qur’an itself confirms and
defends the Bible, as it existed in the seventh century, as the Word of God.”[5]
When a professing Muslim holds to the position of these men
who agree that the Qur’an isn’t accurate with its straightforward declarations
about the Bible, they have elevated them to the position of being the supreme
authority on the issue. Now, whenever man is elevated to that position, it is
called “humanism”.
The Muslim, in an effort to dismiss the Bible, must appeal
to fallible, sinful man as a supreme authority to supersede the Bible (and the
Qur’an)—this is humanism. The Muslim is no longer a Muslim but a humanist
when they do this. They have essentially jumped religions.
A true Muslim must acknowledge the Bible is
true from its first to the its last verse, and must conform to it, as the
Qur’an says. They should be defending the truth of the Bible, if they
want to be consistent with the Qur’an. The problem then comes when the
professing Muslim look back at the Qur’an from the perspective of the Bible
being true: the Qur’an can’t be true then.
Again, either way you look at it, the Qur’an isn’t true and
if one tries to salvage the Qur’an by appealing to the scholars (man) as the
greatest authority—you’ve given up Qur’an in even more places and appealed to
the religion of humanism to do so! It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to
know that man can err and humanism is full of errors and contradictions.
So, what’s left after all this? The Bible. The Bible is true
regardless of the Qur’an. It was true before Muhammad and is to this day. The
Bible is the absolute truth because it is the revelation from an absolutely
true God.
If a professing Muslim isn’t following the Bible and
defending it, then they aren’t a true Muslim because they are openly affirming
that the Qur’an and Muhammad were false. Let’s look more closely at the Islamic
Dilemma and the biblical divisions to understand this better.
Biblical Divisions
The Qur’an doesn’t simply acknowledge that God once gave
revelations that subsequently disappeared or were corrupted. Instead, it
repeatedly speaks positively about the book (the Bible), Torah, the
writings associated with the prophets, the Psalms, and the Gospel, while
claiming that the Qur’an confirms these previous revelations.[6]
Before I go any further, let me explain these divisions further.
The Torah is also called the Pentateuch or the Law of
Moses—it is the first five books of the Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Numbers,
Leviticus, and Deuteronomy). The Torah makes up the foundational aspect of the
Bible.
There are three division of the Old Testament—the Law/Torah/Pentateuch,
the Psalms/writings (Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon) and the
Prophets. Jesus appealed to all three of these divisions as authoritative
Then He said to them, “These are
the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must
be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and
the Psalms concerning Me.” (Luke 24:44, NKJV)
The Gospel [or Injil/Injeel (the Islamic name)] is the New
Testament. The Gospel is broken into two parts—the historical accounts of the
Gospel and then the explanation of the Gospel. The four Gospel accounts
(Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) and the book of Acts make up the historical
aspects of the Gospel and its initial historical expansion. The second part is
the explanation of the Gospel which consists of the epistles to churches
explaining the Gospel in sufficient detail.
So, the Bible is broken into four parts: The Torah, The
Prophets, the Psalms/Writings and the Gospel (New Testament). The Koran appeals
to all four as authoritative.
Islamic Dilemma
The Torah and the Gospel
Qur’an 5:43-48 (se also Qur’an 7:157) refers Jews and
Christians to their respective Scriptures—the Old and New Testaments. The Qur’an
tells the people of the Gospel (i.e., Christians) to judge according to what
Allah revealed in it based on our Christian Scriptures (5:47).[7]
This command is presented in a context addressing Jews and
Christians and their Scriptures. Qur’an 5:66 and 5:68 likewise say that the People
of the Book (i.e., the Bible[8])
should observe the Torah and Gospel. Such commands would be difficult to
explain if the Torah and Gospel available in Muhammad's time had already become
textually unreliable.[9]
Robert Morey also points out this dilemma as terrible problem for the Muslim.[10]
This is one aspect of the Islamic Dilemma because the
Qur’an teaches that the earlier Scriptures are true. This goes for both
the Torah and the Gospel (but the others as well). The argument becomes powerful
because the Qur’an speaks of the Torah and Gospel as Scriptures still available
during Muhammad's lifetime. Former Muslim turned Christian Sam Shamoun argued
that this makes no sense if those previous Scriptures had already been
textually corrupted and could no longer be trustworthy.[11]
Ankerberg and Weldon point out:
“If Allah does not contradict
himself, then everything that has purportedly ‘come down from him’ (the Bible
and the Quran) must be in agreement. The Muslim must believe in the doctrinal
unity of the books of Allah—the Bible as originally given and the Quran. But we
have just seen they conflict. Muslims counter this by asserting that the Bible’s
text has been corrupted, but without supplying any credible evidence to back
their claims.”[12]
So, if the Torah and Gospel were available and
authoritative in Muhammad's day then they were indeed preserved, true,
revelations from God—even from the Islamic perspective. Thus, the biblical
teachings should be accepted and defended by the professing Muslim.
Yet the Bible contradicts major Quranic teachings. The New
Testament teaches that Jesus is the Son of God, was crucified, died for sins,
and rose from the dead. Meanwhile, the Qur’an denies Jesus' crucifixion (Qur’an
4:157). Therefore, if the Bible is preserved and true, the Qur’an contradicts
Scriptures that it claims to confirm—therefore, the Qur’an is false.[13]
Also, Qur’an 5:43 asks why the Jews were coming to Muhammad
for judgment when "they have the Torah," which contains God's
judgment. Qur’an 5:44 says that the prophets judged the Jews according to the
Torah. Thus, according to Shamoun's argument, the Qur’an speaks of the Torah as
an authoritative Scripture actually possessed by Jews in Muhammad's time, not
merely as a lost book once given to Moses. See also Qur’an 3:3-4; 5:43-45.[14]
Muslim apologists dispute this argument, especially whether
the Qur’an actually confirms the canonical Old and New Testaments rather
than merely the original Torah and Gospel revelations. Thus, the central debate
is over what Scriptures the Qur’an is actually affirming and whether those
Scriptures had been textually corrupted by Muhammad's time. Nevertheless, Muhammad
didn’t think so, and the textual support from ancient manuscripts show the
Bible hasn’t been corrupted.
The Psalms
The Qur’an specifically recognizes the Psalms, or Zabur,
given to David. Koran 4:163 states,
"to David We gave the
Psalms"[15]
Qur’an 17:55 repeats that the Zabur was given to David. Qur’an
21:105 even appeals to something written in the Psalms concerning the righteous
inheriting the earth. Therefore, the Qur’an's affirmation of earlier revelation
extends beyond the Torah and Gospel to David and the Psalms.[16]
It this generally the book of Psalms—which is largely the work of David, but
others as well, or is it for the general Psalms/writings, which include the
book of Psalms? Regardless, when “the book”, which is the Bible, is in reference,
it includes all these canonical books.
The Prophets
The Qur’an also recognizes revelation associated with the
biblical prophets. Muhammad believed himself to be in the same category. Although
Christians would dispute this on biblical grounds as the Revelation from God in
the 1st Century was sufficient once for all (Jude 1:3). And the gift of prophecy was sealed up after the New Testament was written.
Qur’an 2:136 commands belief in what was given to Abraham,
Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Jesus, and "the prophets." Qur’an 4:163
similarly refers to revelation given to Noah, Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob,
Jesus, Job, Jonah, Aaron, Solomon, and David.
Qur’an 5:44 says that the prophets themselves judged
according to the Torah. Thus, the Koran places itself within a claimed
succession of earlier prophetic revelation rather than presenting all previous
revelation as unavailable or unusable.[17]
The Dilemma Restated
Apologist Ron Rhodes writes:
“Muslims face a dilemma when
dealing with the Christian Bible. According to the Quran, believers in Allah
are not supposed to reject any of Allah’s Scriptures. If they obey the Quran,
they are forbidden from accepting only a part of Allah’s revelation to
mankind (a revelation that includes the Bible)—see Sura 4:136). Muslims are
even commanded to consult the Hebrew and Greek Scriptures for confirmation of
Muhammad’s revelations (Surah 10:94). However, if they accept what the Bible teaches—including
such doctrines as Jesus being the Son of God, Jesus being God in human flesh,
God being a Trinity, salvation being by faith in Christ, and so forth—then they
must reject what the Quran teaches. In that case, they would no longer
be Muslims.”[18]
(emphasis in original)
The repeated affirmations of the Bible being truth in the Koran,
leaves the Muslim with an insurmountable problem. If the Torah, Prophets,
Psalms, and Gospel (e.g., the Bible) available in Muhammad's time were
substantially preserved and true revelation from God, then their teachings are
absolute and 100% true according to the Qur’an.
The Qur’an has major contradictions, especially concerning
the identity, crucifixion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. But if
those Scriptures had already been textually corrupted and were false, then the
Qur’an's repeated assurance of them, description of them as "guidance and
light," make the Koran wrong from that angle. So it is a no-win scenario for the Qur'an.
If the previous Scriptures (i.e.,
the Bible) were preserved and true, the Qur’an contradicts Scriptures it claims
to confirm, thus the Qur’an is false..
If the previous Scriptures were
already corrupted, the Qur’an appears to affirm and direct people toward
corrupted Scriptures, thus the Qur’an is false.
Naturally, Muslim apologists dispute this argument,
particularly by maintaining that the Qur’an affirms the original revelations
given to Moses, David, Jesus, and the prophets rather than necessarily
endorsing the entire biblical canon as it existed in Muhammad's time. But this
doesn’t hold up as a valid excuse. Shamoun points out that Qur’an 5:43-48 and
5:68 speak of Scriptures actually possessed and used by Jews and Christians—which
is the whole of Scripture.[19]
When the dust settles, the Bible is true any way you look at
it. The Qur’an is false any way you look at it. The Islamic Dilemma is
devastating when properly understood—but only for the Muslim, whom we invite to
stand on the authority of the Bible and consider the claims of the true Christ
in the Bible and His death, burial, and resurrection. It has eternal consequences
in either heaven or hell. If you want to be obedient to God, then you need to read
and follow the Bible.
□
Bodie Hodge, Ken Ham's son in law, has been an apologist
defending 6-day creation and opposing evolution since 1998. He spent 21 years
working at Answers in Genesis as a speaker, writer, and
researcher as well as a founding news anchor for Answers News. He
was also head of the Oversight Council.
Bodie launched Biblical Authority Ministries in
2015 as a personal website and it was organized officially in 2025 as a
501(c)(3). He has spoken on multiple continents and hosts of US states in
churches, colleges, and universities. He is married with four children.
Mr. Hodge earned a Bachelor and Master of Science degrees
from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale (SIUC). Then he taught
at SIUC for a couple of years as a Visiting Instructor teaching all levels of
undergraduate engineering and running a materials lab and a CAD lab. He did
research on advanced ceramic materials to develop a new method of production of
titanium diboride with a grant from Lockheed Martin. He worked as a Test
Engineer for Caterpillar, Inc., prior to entering full-time ministry.
His love of science was coupled with a love of history,
philosophy, and theology. For about one year of his life, Bodie was editing and
updating a theological, historical, and scientific dictionary/encyclopedia. Mr.
Hodge has over 25 years of experience in writing, speaking and researching in
these fields.
*Image by generative program as requested by Bodie Hodge
[1] Bodie
Hodge and Roger Patterson (gen. eds. and co-authors), World Religions and
Cults, Volume 1, Chapter 6, Master Books, Green Forest, AR, 2015, pp. 141-162.
[2]
Ibid; Bodie Hodge and Roger Patterson (gen. eds.), World Religions and Cults, Appendix
A [The Bible Versus Other Alleged Holy Books—Bodie Hodge], Master Books, Green
Forest, AR, 2016, pp. 259-277.
[3]
Interestingly, the Qur’an says that its words have been changed! See Qur’an,
Surahs 2:106; 15:90-91; 16:101.
[4] Sam
Shamoun, "Tawraat (Torah) and Injeel (Gospel) Are Not Changed: So Say
Muslim Sources," Answering Islam, accessed October 2, 2026; Sam
Shamoun, "The Incorruptibility of Allah's Words and the Charge of Biblical
Corruption," Answering Islam, accessed October 2, 2026.
[5]
Daniel Shayesteh, The Difference Is The Son, Castle Hill, NSW, Australia, 2004,
p. 92.
[6] Sam
Shamoun, "The Qur’an on Biblical Authority Revisited," Answering
Islam, accessed October 2, 2026.
[7] Sam
Shamoun, "The Challenge of the Qur’an & Its Implications for the
Muslim Corruption Charges," Answering Islam, accessed October 2,
2026.
[8]
Bible literally means “the book”.
[9] Sam
Shamoun, "Revisiting the Issue of What the Qur’an Says about the Torah
Again!," Answering Islam, accessed October 2, 2026; Sam Shamoun,
"Salvation According to Christianity and Islam," Answering Islam,
accessed October 2, 2026.
[10]
Robert Morey, The Islamic Invasion, Christian Scholars Press, Las Vegas, NV,
1960-1977, pp. 133-137.
[11] Sam
Shamoun, "The Qur’an Confirms—The Two Testaments of the Holy Bible Are the
Torah and Injil!" Answering Islam, accessed October 2, 2026.’
[12]
John Ankerberg and John Weldon, Fast Facts On Islam, Harvest House Publishers,
Eugene, OR, 2001, p. 40.
[13] Sam
Shamoun, "The Challenge of the Qur’an & Its Implications for the
Muslim Corruption Charges," Answering Islam, accessed October 2,
2026.
[14] Sam
Shamoun, "The Qur’an Confirms the Bible Has Never Been Corrupted, Part
1," Answering Islam, accessed October 2, 2026; Sam Shamoun,
"The Qur’an Confirms: The Two Testaments of the Holy Bible Are the Torah
and Injil!," Answering Islam, accessed October 2, 2026.
[15]
Note the plural “We”.
[16] Sam
Shamoun, "The Qur’an on Biblical Authority Revisited," Answering
Islam, accessed October 2, 2026.
[17] Sam
Shamoun, "Salvation According to Christianity and Islam," Answering
Islam, accessed October 2, 2026; Sam Shamoun, "The Qur’an on Biblical
Authority Revisited," Answering Islam, accessed October 2, 2026.
[18]
Ron Rhodes, Reasoning from the Scriptures with Muslims, Harvest House Publishers,
Eugene, OR, 2002, p. 185.
[19] Sam
Shamoun, "The Qur’an's View of the Holy Bible Revisited, Part 1," Answering
Islam, accessed October 2, 2026; Sam Shamoun, "The Qur’an Confirms the
Bible Has Never Been Corrupted, Part 2," Answering Islam, accessed
October 2, 2026.
