How Does God Test Revelation?
Consistency reveals truth
Consistency reveals truth
If God speaks truthfully and consistently, He must also provide a way to recognize when a claim truly comes from Him.
Scripture presents a consistent principle: God does not contradict Himself.
Teachings fail this test if they:
redefine who God is
deny what God has already revealed
introduce a different understanding of salvation
If God is truthful and unchanging, His revelation must be consistent across time.
Questions about textual preservation
Islam teaches that the Qur’an was revealed to Muhammad over approximately 22 years (610–632 AD) through the angel Gabriel.
After Muhammad’s death, the Qur’an was compiled into a single text, traditionally under the authority of Caliph Uthman (c. 644–656 AD).
However, unlike the Bible—which is supported by thousands of manuscripts spanning many centuries—the Qur’an’s earliest surviving manuscripts date from well after Muhammad’s lifetime.
The earliest known Qur’anic manuscripts, such as the Samarkand and Topkapi codices, are generally dated to the late 7th or 8th century and are written in Kufic script, a style not used in Mecca or Medina during Muhammad’s life.
No original codex attributed directly to Uthman survives today.
These historical gaps invite careful examination, especially since claims of perfect textual preservation are central to Qur’anic authority.