By Dr. Maxwell Shimba
Shimba Theological Institute
I appreciate Muhammad Amin Alhassan’s effort to defend the Qur’an’s rendition of Moses’ calling, but as always, claims must be weighed against historical, textual, and theological integrity — not clever wording and assumptions.
Let’s address his points clearly:
1. The Claim of “Inadequacies” in the Torah and Gospel
Muhammad Amin asserts that the Qur'an came to address supposed "inadequacies" in the Torah and the Gospel. This is a foundational claim in Islamic theology — yet it lacks evidence. Both the Torah and the Gospel were affirmed by Jesus Himself as the unchanging Word of God (Matthew 5:17-18), and archaeological manuscript evidence (Dead Sea Scrolls, Codex Sinaiticus, etc.) confirms that the core narratives have remained consistent for centuries before the Qur’an’s 7th-century emergence. If the Qur’an presents different details, it’s not a correction — it’s a contradiction.
2. The Burning Bush: Bible vs. Qur’an
Muhammad Amin claims I ignored Qur’an 20:10, which mentions Moses seeing a fire. I’m well aware of that verse. The issue isn’t whether Moses saw a fire — both scriptures agree on this. The problem lies in the theological weight and personal revelation attached to the fire.
In Exodus 3:2-6, it’s explicitly stated that “the Angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush,” and this is affirmed as the LORD’s presence: “I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.”
The Qur'an, however, merely presents Allah’s voice from the direction of a fire without the covenantal, personal identity that characterizes the biblical God. There’s no continuity of personal relationship — just a command.
3. Valley of Tuwa vs. Mount Sinai
Muhammad Amin argues that the Qur’an adds detail by naming Valley Tuwa while the Bible names Mount Horeb/Sinai. This is a misunderstanding of biblical geography.
Mount Horeb (or Sinai) is the universally acknowledged biblical site where Moses encountered God. Saying it happened in Tuwa instead is neither a clarification nor a correction — it’s an unsupported claim introduced centuries later without archaeological or historical verification.
Also, Amin’s attempt to equate the two by suggesting that “a valley is part of a mountain” is a weak evasion. The Bible is clear: the encounter took place on holy ground at the mountain of God (Exodus 3:5). Unlike the Qur’an’s generic valley claim, the Bible roots the event in an identified sacred location central to Hebrew theology and history.
4. Geographical Specifics?
The Qur’an claims Moses was called from the right side of the valley (Q 28:30). Yet this does not align with any documented biblical tradition or known topography. It’s an assertion made in the 7th century without evidence.
Moreover, claiming that Muhammad wasn’t present when these things happened (Q 28:44) doesn’t lend credibility to the Qur'anic version — it only admits that Muhammad relied on oral tales circulating in his region.
5. The Sin of Idol Worship
While Amin debates details of geography, he ignores a glaring issue in his own tradition: the veneration of the Black Stone in Mecca, a practice inherited from pre-Islamic pagan rituals. Even Sahih Bukhari (Book 64, Hadith 401) admits that Muhammad kissed this stone — an act of ritualistic stone-reverence condemned by the God of the Bible (Exodus 20:4-5). The very idea of touching or kissing a sacred object for blessing mirrors idolatrous practices, not biblical faith.
Final Thoughts
Rather than offering a “correction,” the Qur’an’s version of Moses' call is a fragmented retelling without the rich theological depth and covenantal context found in the Bible. The Bible offers a consistent, historically anchored narrative of a God who personally reveals Himself by name and through relationships — not just distant commands.
As Christians, we invite Muslims to investigate the Torah and the Gospel as they stand, not through the lens of later reinterpretation, but on their own divinely preserved testimony.
“I am the LORD. That is my name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols.” (Isaiah 42:8)
Shalom,
Dr. Maxwell Shimba
Shimba Theological Institute
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