75 Tough Questions About Islam

A comprehensive list of deep, challenging questions drawn from Islamic sources and doctrine—designed to provoke thought, encourage inquiry, and foster clarity.

❝ This is not about attacking Muslims—it’s about examining the ideas, doctrines, and historical claims of Islam itself, using its own authoritative sources. ❞

🕋 1. Theological & Doctrinal Questions

Challenging Islam’s view of God, revelation, and religious logic.

  1. If Allah is all-knowing and all-powerful, why did He create mankind knowing most would go to Hell?

  2. Why does the Qur’an refer to itself as “clear” and “detailed,” yet require Hadith and tafsir to understand key doctrines?

  3. If Islam is the final, perfect religion, why did it take 600 years after Jesus to be revealed?

  4. Why does Allah speak in the Qur’an in a style that is often unclear, circular, or repetitive?

  5. Why is abrogation (naskh) necessary if the Qur’an is the perfect word of God?

  6. If Muhammad is the "seal of the prophets", why does the Qur’an say Jesus will return, not Muhammad?

  7. Why is the Qur’an considered miraculous when it doesn't contain anything that could not have been said by a 7th-century Arab?

📜 2. Historical and Scriptural Questions

Digging into the origins, authorship, and preservation of Islamic texts.

  1. Why do the earliest Islamic manuscripts show textual variants of the Qur’an?

  2. Why did Uthman burn the other Qur’anic manuscripts if they were all identical?

  3. Why are many of the stories in the Qur’an borrowed from Jewish apocryphal sources and Gnostic gospels?

  4. Why are there almost no contemporaneous historical records of Muhammad outside Islamic sources?

  5. Why does early Islamic history rely heavily on sources written 150–250 years after Muhammad’s death?

  6. If Islam is the true continuation of Abraham’s faith, why is its message and law so radically different from the Torah?

  7. Why does the Qur’an say Pharaoh built a tower like Haman in the time of Moses—something only found in medieval legends?

🤔 3. Moral and Ethical Questions

Examining Islamic teachings on women, violence, slavery, and more.

  1. Why does the Qur’an allow men to beat their wives (Surah 4:34)?

  2. Why is slavery permitted in Islam, including sex slavery of captured women (Surahs 4:3, 4:24, 33:50)?

  3. Why did Muhammad marry Aisha when she was six and consummate the marriage when she was nine?

  4. Why are apostates from Islam to be killed (Sahih Bukhari 9.84.57)?

  5. Why is lying (taqiyya) permitted under certain circumstances in Islamic doctrine?

  6. Why are punishments like amputation, stoning, and flogging still considered legitimate in Sharia?

  7. Why did Muhammad personally order assassinations and raids if he was a mercy to mankind?

  8. Why does Islam have such harsh laws for blasphemy and criticism of Muhammad?

🔄 4. Internal Contradictions and Inconsistencies

Questioning inconsistencies between verses and doctrines.

  1. Why does the Qur’an say “there is no compulsion in religion” (2:256), yet also command war against unbelievers (9:29)?

  2. Why does the Qur’an claim Jews say “Uzair is the son of God” (9:30), when there’s no Jewish record of that belief?

  3. Why does the Qur’an say the Bible is the word of God (5:47, 5:68) but also claim it has been corrupted?

  4. Why is Muhammad told to ask the People of the Book if in doubt (10:94), if their scriptures are supposedly corrupted?

  5. Why does Allah change his rulings—like prayer direction or laws—if his knowledge is perfect?

⚔️ 5. Jihad and Political Questions

Exploring Islam’s relationship with violence, politics, and the state.

  1. Why does the Qur’an command fighting until “religion is for Allah alone” (8:39)?

  2. Why did Muhammad personally lead or order more than 60 military campaigns?

  3. If Islam is a religion of peace, why did it spread so rapidly by conquest after Muhammad’s death?

  4. Why is there a doctrine of gradualism (tadarruj) in Sharia, where certain rulings are delayed until Islam gains power?

  5. Why do classical Islamic scholars divide the world into Dar al-Islam (House of Islam) and Dar al-Harb (House of War)?

  6. Why do Islamic political movements today still follow Muhammad’s Medina model of religion tied to state power?

🌍 6. Philosophical and Logical Questions

Challenging the internal coherence of Islamic theology.

  1. How can the Qur’an be eternal and uncreated if it's in Arabic—a human language?

  2. If Allah is utterly unlike anything (Surah 42:11), how can he be known or described at all?

  3. Why is the testimony of two women equal to one man’s in Islam (2:282)?

  4. Why are non-Muslims considered "najis" (impure) in some Islamic jurisprudence?

  5. If Islam brings justice, why are dhimmis (non-Muslims under Muslim rule) required to pay jizya and live with humiliation (9:29)?

  6. Why does Islam claim to liberate women, yet enforce hijab, gender segregation, and male guardianship?

🧩 7. Doctrinal Questions on Other Religions

Testing Islam’s claim to continuity with Judaism and Christianity.

  1. Why does Islam reject the crucifixion of Jesus despite overwhelming historical evidence?

  2. If the Injil (Gospel) was revealed by Allah, why does it contain the core Christian message Islam rejects?

  3. Why does Islam claim to confirm previous revelations yet contradict them?

  4. Why are Christians and Jews called "People of the Book" but still considered unbelievers unless they accept Muhammad?

  5. If Islam is meant for all people, why is it so Arab-centric in its language, rituals, and culture?

📖 8. Scripture & Revelation (Continued)

  1. Why does the Qur’an often switch subjects mid-verse without clear transitions, making interpretation difficult without external commentary?

  2. Why do different Islamic schools of thought (madhabs) disagree on key issues if the Qur’an and Sunnah are supposedly clear and complete?

  3. Why does the Qur’an rely so heavily on threats of Hell and repetitive warnings instead of deeper moral reasoning?

  4. Why did Allah choose Arabic as the final universal language if Islam is meant for all nations?

  5. Why is the Qur’an so dependent on oral traditions (Hadith) to explain its most important commandments, when it claims to be self-sufficient?

🤝 9. Islam and Other Faiths (Continued)

  1. If Islam respects Jesus and Moses, why does it claim that Jews and Christians are under Allah’s curse (e.g., 1:7, 2:61)?

  2. Why do Muslims pray for guidance “not like the Jews and Christians” in every daily prayer (1:7)?

  3. Why is belief in Muhammad a requirement for salvation, when earlier prophets never mentioned him?

  4. Why is Islam the only major religion that explicitly declares other faiths null and void?

⏳ 10. Historical and Critical Questions (Continued)

  1. Why did it take over 200 years after Muhammad's death for the Hadith collections to be compiled and considered reliable?

  2. Why are so many Hadiths fabricated or disputed if they are essential to understanding Islam?

  3. Why does Islamic history glorify violent conquerors like Khalid ibn al-Walid as heroes of the faith?

  4. Why do early Islamic sources describe Muhammad using tactics like deception in battle and political assassinations?

  5. Why were the first four caliphs (the “Rightly Guided”) at war with each other shortly after Muhammad’s death?

  6. Why did Aisha lead an army against Ali in the Battle of the Camel—wasn’t she supposed to stay in her home according to Qur’an 33:33?

💥 11. Moral and Legal Questions (Continued)

  1. Why does Sharia law permit child marriage if Muhammad’s marriage to Aisha is the “perfect example”?

  2. Why is polygamy allowed for men but not for women?

  3. Why are non-Muslims not allowed to build new places of worship or openly practice their religion in many Islamic countries?

  4. Why do some schools of Islamic law punish rape victims for zina (fornication) if they can’t produce four male witnesses?

  5. Why is adoption not permitted in Islam the way it is in other traditions, and why did Muhammad cancel the adopted status of Zayd?

  6. Why do Islamic inheritance laws give daughters half the share of sons (Qur’an 4:11)?

  7. Why is testimony from non-Muslims often not accepted in Islamic courts?

🧕 12. Questions About Muhammad and Prophethood

  1. Why did Muhammad take the wives of enemies or captured women as his own, including Safiyyah and Rayhana?

  2. Why did Muhammad marry his adopted son’s ex-wife, Zaynab, and then receive a revelation (Surah 33:37) justifying it?

  3. Why were Muhammad’s personal privileges (e.g., unlimited wives) allowed in Islam when others were restricted to four?

  4. Why did Muhammad reportedly use oaths and curses on his followers and enemies (e.g., mubahala and public condemnation)?

  5. Why does Muhammad's Night Journey (Isra and Mi'raj) lack historical or eyewitness verification?

  6. Why did Muhammad need multiple revelations to respond to critics or answer questions—wasn’t Allah always ready?

🏁 13. Finality and the State of the Islamic World

  1. Why does Islam claim to be “final” yet require constant reinterpretation to fit the modern world?

  2. Why have most Islamic societies historically lagged behind in human rights, innovation, and freedom if Islam is a perfect system?

  3. If Islam is the solution for all of humanity, why are the countries governed by its law often plagued with corruption, injustice, and repression?

🧭 Why These Questions Matter

These are not just academic curiosities. They go to the heart of what Islam is, what it claims about God and humanity, and how it seeks to reshape the world. Whether you accept its answers or challenge them, understanding Islam on its own terms is the first step toward any honest evaluation.

In future posts, we’ll unpack many of these questions in detail — exploring both the claims and the counterclaims, the faith and the facts.

📩 Have I Misrepresented Anything?

If you're a Muslim reader or scholar and believe that any of these questions misrepresent Islamic belief, feel free to respond — but please provide references from the Qur’an, authentic hadiths, or classical Islamic scholarship. This blog is committed to accurate representation, followed by rigorous analysis.

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