The Qur'an is not the word of God

THE QUR'AN IN THE LIGHT OF SCIENCEMy opponent mistakenly argues that the Qur'an says the sun set in a pool of mud. This is why over onebillion Muslims are encouraged to learn Arabic, because it is impossible to read the Qur'an in English, you can only read a translation. Allow me to explain the real meaning of Surah 18:86; Maghrib al-shams, or the setting place of the sun, signifies the western most point of hisempire, because going towards the west he (Alexander the Great) could not go beyond it. The words in Arabic are 'ain-in hami'at-in, which literally mean a black sea, 'ain meaning an abundance of water, or a place in which water remains and collects, and hamiat means black mud (Taj al Arus(Dictionary), by Imama Muhibb al Din Abu I faid Murtada). The place referred to is no other than the Black Sea, as Armenia being within the Kingdom of Persia, the Black Sea formed the north westernboundary of the empire. This is the correct translation of Surah 18:86;“Until, when he reached the setting place of the sun, he found it doing downint a black sea, and found by it a people...”No Qur'anic scholar, or speaker of Arabic would translate this Iyat (verse) as black mud.ROLE OF MOUNTAINSMy opponent offers no scientific evidence when he charges that the Qur'an is incorrect when it says;"He created the heavens. Without pillars as you see them, and put mountains upon the earth lest it might convulse you" (Surah 31:10)Let us look at what scientists say about this Quranic revelation;“Formerly, it was thought that mountains were merely protrusions rising above the surface of the Earth. However, scientists realised that this was not actually the case, and that those parts known as the mountain root extended down as far as 10-15 times their own height. With these features, mountains play a similar role to a nail or peg firmly holding down a tent. For example, Mount Everest, the summit of which stands approximately 9 km above the surface of the Earth, has a root deeper than 125 km." (http://www.miraclesofthequran.com...)CONTRADICTIONS IN THE QUR'AN?My opponent believes he has found verses from the Qur'an showing that there is a contradiction between evil coming from Satan or Allah. Good and evil, or benefits and misfortune, proceed from God, but while He sends benefits from Himself, out of His beneficence, no evil or misfortune afflicts a man unless his own hands have called for it. There is no discrepancy in the verses that my opponent cited. One cannot believe in an all powerful Creator but at the same time say that something is out of His control. Ultimately, even the Devil is working for God.UNBELIEVERS TO BE PERSECUTED OR FORGIVEN?My opponent part of Surah 9:29 and then pronounces that his means that all Kufars (unbelievers) should be persecuted. What every new reader of the Qur'an must understand is that there is not one verse of the Qu'ran that was written outside of a social set of circumstances that the verse was revealed to correct, so there is a historical perspective for each of them, including Surah 9:29;“The Campaign to Tabuk was the result of conflict with the Roman Empire, that had started even before the conquest of Makkah. One of the missions sent after the Treaty of Hudaibiyah to different parts of Arabia visited the clans which lived in the northern areas adjacent to Syria. The majority of these people were Christians, who were under the influence of the Roman Empire. Contrary to all the principles of the commonly accepted international law, they killed fifteen members of the delegation near a place known Zat-u-Talah (or Zat-i-Itlah). Only Ka'ab bin Umair Ghifari, the head of the delegation, succeeded in escaping and reporting the sad incident. Besides this, Shurahbll bin Amr, the Christian governor of Busra, who was directly under the Roman Caesar, had also put to death Haritli bin Umair, the ambassador of the Holy Prophet, who had been sent to him on a similar mission. These events convinced the Holy Prophet that a strong action should be taken in order to make the territory adjacent to the Roman Empire safe and secure for the Muslims.”(http://muslim responses.com/Fighting_those_who_dont_Believe_/Fighting_those_who_dont_Believe_) Because space is limited, I reserve the right to further refute my opponents arguments in later rounds.PROOF THAT THE QUR'AN IS THE REAL WORD OF GODUnlike other so called holy books, who are written by animous authors, the Qur'an was revealed to one man.The speaker in the Qur'an - in the first person - is God talking directly to man. In the Bible you have many men writing about God and you have in some places the word of God speaking to men and still in other places you have some men simply writing about history. The word 'Qur'an' (meaning recitation) can be found in several places in the Holy Book of Islam, unlike the word 'Bible' which cannot be found anywhere within its covers. The Qur'an not only says that it is from the Most High, but gives clear scientific evidence as proof of its divine revelation, again unique among religious books. I will list a few of the scientific information in the Qur'an for the reader to examine without any commentary, reminding the reader that it was supposedly written by an illiterate desert Arab in the 7th century, and I ask my opponent to produce verses from the Bible that are as accurate as these;All life comes from water“Do not those who disbelieve see that the heavens and the earth were closed up, so We rent them. And we made from water everything living. Will they not then believe?”Surah 21:30Behavior of heavenly bodies“And He it is Who created the night and the day and the sun and the moon. All float in orbits.” Surah21:33The Big bang“Then He directed Himself to the heaven and it was a vapour, so He said to it and the earth: Comeboth, willingly or unwillingly. They both said: We come willingly.”Surah 41:11Space Travel“O assembly of jinn and men, if you are able to pass through the regions of the heavens and the earththen pass through. You cannot pass through but with authority.”Surah 55:33Erosion“See they not that We are visiting the land, curtailing it of its sides? And Allah pronounces adoom-there is no repeller of His decree. And He is Swift in calling to account.” Surah 13:41Expansion of the Universe“And We have built the heavens with Our own hands; and, verily, it is We who are steadily expanding it.” Surah 51:47Barriers between the oceans“And it is He Who has let free the two seas (kinds of water): this is palatable and sweet, and that is salty and bitter; and He has set a barrier and a complete partition between them.” Surah 25:53These verses clearly show that a divine author revealed the Qur'an, the only true Word of God. I shall provide more evidence in my next post as well as rebuttals to my opponents arguments.