Contradictions In The Quran?

Question

To me, as a follower of Jesus, it seems as if the verses found in Quran 4:150-151, and 3:85 contradict Quran 2:62. I am genuinely interested in how Muslims solve that problem. You may want to ask your scholars before you answer that crucial question. Especially in the light of the fact that the Quran, delivered by Muhammad in the sixth century AD commands everyone to believe in the previous books of the Jews and the Christians in numerous other verses:

And if thou wert in doubt as to what We have revealed unto thee, then ask those who have been reading the book from before thee ... (Quran 10:94)

How could such a command be given if the Torah and the Injeel had changed? I am sure you agree that only people who have God's unchanged message can guide others!

Response

In order to correctly interpret verse 94 of Yunus, we must look at context and theme of the Surah to understand the subject matter in relation to which this verse makes this claim. A close look at Surah Yunus shows that the prime addressees of this Surah are the polytheists of Mecca. This Surah invites them to accept Muhammad (pbuh) as a messenger of God and asks them to accept the monotheistic message brought forth by him. The first seventy verses of this Surah talk about following issues: the fate of the worshippers and the worshipped, how they will be dealt on the Day of Judgment, reasons for existence of only One God from the existence of the system around us, prophecy of Quran in the previous scriptures and so forth. Of utmost importance are the following verses:

وَلَقَدْ أَهْلَكْنَا الْقُرُونَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ لَمَّا ظَلَمُواْ وَجَاءتْهُمْ رُسُلُهُم بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ وَمَا كَانُواْ لِيُؤْمِنُواْ كَذَلِكَ نَجْزِي الْقَوْمَ الْمُجْرِمِينَ * ثُمَّ جَعَلْنَاكُمْ خَلاَئِفَ فِي الأَرْضِ مِن بَعْدِهِم لِنَنظُرَ كَيْفَ تَعْمَلُونَ

We destroyed nations before you when they did wrong; and their messengers came unto them with clear proofs and (yet) they would not believe. Thus do We reward the guilty folk. Then We made you successors in the land after them so that We may see how you act. (Quran 10:13-14)

Quran alludes to the fact that those nations who denied their messengers after having been convinced of their messenger ship were destroyed by the Almighty. A little contemplation on verses 71-93 shows that those verses provide evidence from history how this principle applied to different nations. As a result, verses 71-73 narrate the story of Noah (pbuh) and his nation who was drowned in the great flood. Verses 75-93 narrate incidents from the history of Bani Israel (Jews) of prophet Moses (pbuh) and prophet Aaron (pbuh) and how Pharoah and his folks were drowned. It is after this that verse 94 declares,

فَإِن كُنتَ فِي شَكٍّ مِّمَّا أَنزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ فَاسْأَلِ الَّذِينَ يَقْرَؤُونَ الْكِتَابَ مِن قَبْلِكَ لَقَدْ جَاءكَ الْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّكَ فَلاَ تَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْمُمْتَرِينَ

But if you are in doubt as to what We have revealed to you, ask those who read the Book before you; certainly the truth has come to you from your Lord, therefore you should not be of the disputers. (Quran 10:94)

As a result, it can be seen that the polytheists of Mecca are being told that the history that Quran has just narrated is well-known to the people of the Book. So if you do not believe in what has been told to you, ask the people who have the Book before you. Needless to say, the incidents of doom of nations of Noah (pbuh), and Moses (pbuh) and Aaron (pbuh) are all narrated in the Bible. In addition, narrations of the stories of many other nations can also be found in the Bible which were doomed by the Almighty for their disbelief in the messengers of God. This reference to the people of the Book is primarily for the purposes of verification of history.

In the same fashion, a messenger from amongst the idolaters of Mecca was sent to them by God with His message; he spent twenty three years inviting them to this message. After it became evident that the truth was clear to them, God, according to His well-established principle, passed a judgment similar to that of the previous nations. This is evident from the following verse of Quran:

فَإِذَا انسَلَخَ الأَشْهُرُ الْحُرُمُ فَاقْتُلُواْ الْمُشْرِكِينَ حَيْثُ وَجَدتُّمُوهُمْ وَخُذُوهُمْ وَاحْصُرُوهُمْ وَاقْعُدُواْ لَهُمْ كُلَّ مَرْصَدٍ فَإِن تَابُواْ وَأَقَامُواْ الصَّلاَةَ وَآتَوُاْ الزَّكَاةَ فَخَلُّواْ سَبِيلَهُمْ إِنَّ اللّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

So when the sacred months have passed away, then slay the idolaters wherever you find them, and take them captives and besiege them and lie in wait for them in every ambush, then if they repent and keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate, leave their way free to them; surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. (Quran 9:5)

History shows that in the later days of Muhammad's (pbuh) mission Muslims stood victorious over the idolaters of Mecca when they conquered the city. It is specifically this kind of people who, after having known the truth, denied it for petty reasons and were labeled as infidels or 'Kaafirs' in Quran. They were from amongst the polytheists as well as people of the Book (Jews and Christians). However, only the idolaters from amongst the infidels were eliminted by God's command whereas people of the Book were made politically subservient to Muslims. It needs to be addressed here that those people who did not get the Message of God in the first place . since they did not reject a messenger while knowing the truth . were granted protection:

وَإِنْ أَحَدٌ مِّنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ اسْتَجَارَكَ فَأَجِرْهُ حَتَّى يَسْمَعَ كَلاَمَ اللّهِ ثُمَّ أَبْلِغْهُ مَأْمَنَهُ ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَوْمٌ لاَّ يَعْلَمُونَ

And if one of the idolaters seek protection from you, grant him protection till he hears the word of God, then make him attain his place of safety; this is because they are a people who do not know. (Quran 9:6)

Now let us look at verses 150-151 of Al-Nisa:

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَكْفُرُونَ بِاللّهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَيُرِيدُونَ أَن يُفَرِّقُواْ بَيْنَ اللّهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَيقُولُونَ نُؤْمِنُ بِبَعْضٍ وَنَكْفُرُ بِبَعْضٍ وَيُرِيدُونَ أَن يَتَّخِذُواْ بَيْنَ ذَلِكَ سَبِيلاً * أُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ الْكَافِرُونَ حَقًّا وَأَعْتَدْنَا لِلْكَافِرِينَ عَذَابًا مُّهِينًا

Surely those who disbelieve in Allah and His messengers and desire to make a distinction between Allah and His messengers and say, "We believe in some and disbelieve in others," and desire to take a course between (this and) that. These it is that are surely infidels (Kaafirs), and We have prepared for the unbelievers a disgraceful chastisement. (Quran 4:150-151)

As is clear from the above verse, these people are specifically those who denied a messenger of God. This is evident from the phrase "disbelieve in others." As I have already explained, these people stand guilty of not accepting the message of God while knowing it is from Him, and thus have been informed of wrath of God as is consistent with his Law.

وَمَن يَبْتَغِ غَيْرَ الإِسْلاَمِ دِينًا فَلَن يُقْبَلَ مِنْهُ وَهُوَ فِي الآخِرَةِ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ * كَيْفَ يَهْدِي اللّهُ قَوْمًا كَفَرُواْ بَعْدَ إِيمَانِهِمْ وَشَهِدُواْ أَنَّ الرَّسُولَ حَقٌّ وَجَاءهُمُ الْبَيِّنَاتُ وَاللّهُ لاَ يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِمِينَ

And whoever desires a religion other than Islam, it shall not be accepted from him, and in the hereafter he shall be one of the losers. How shall Allah guide a people who disbelieved after their believing and (after) they had borne witness that the Messenger was true and clear arguments had come to them; and Allah does not guide the unjust people. (Quran 3:85-86)

Once again, as is clear from the text of the verse, the people this verse is addressing are those who were crystal clear in their minds that Muhammad (pbuh) was a messenger of God. It is in context of these people it is said that a religion other than Islam will not be accepted.

It is also important to state the fact that the word "Islam" has been used literally here which, in its literal sense, means true submission to God. It is being said that anything other than complete submission to God is unacceptable to God and by denying a messenger of God, these people are in fact negating submission to God.

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ وَالَّذِينَ هَادُواْ وَالنَّصَارَى وَالصَّابِئِينَ مَنْ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحاً فَلَهُمْ أَجْرُهُمْ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ وَلاَ خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلاَ هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ

Surely those who believe, and those who are Jews, and the Christians, and the Sabians, whoever believes in Allah and the Last day and does good, they shall have their reward from their Lord, and there is no fear for them, nor shall they grieve. (Quran 2:62)

The classes of people mentioned in this verse bear the qualities of "believe in Allah and the Last day and do good." It must be borne in mind that these people are those who have neither rejected the message of God knowingly, and are clearly those who are still under submission to God. Therefore, they are not necessarily off the path of "Islam".

I hope my explanation makes it clear that there is no contradiction in these verses whatsoever.