classic set of missionary-style objections to Islam

Thank you for raising these points. Let me clarify from an Islamic perspective:

On the Bible’s preservation:
It is true that we have Hebrew and Greek manuscripts, but they are not the originals. They are copies of copies, written decades or centuries after the events, and they differ significantly (thousands of variants). Even Christian scholars such as Bart Ehrman, Bruce Metzger, and the translators of modern Bibles admit this. That’s why there are so many versions of the Bible today — Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox — with different canons and verses omitted or bracketed as doubtful (e.g., Mark 16:9–20, John 7:53–8:11).

On the Qur’an’s preservation:
ʿUthmān did not “burn rival manuscripts to erase diversity.” He standardized the script to avoid confusion of dialects, while the Qur’an itself was already memorized by thousands of companions. This oral transmission is unique to the Qur’an — it guarantees preservation beyond written copies. The different qirāʾāt are not “alterations” but authentic modes of recitation taught by the Prophet ﷺ himself, reflecting linguistic richness, not corruption.

Circular reasoning vs. evidence:
The Qur’an’s preservation is not claimed only by Muslims but is supported by manuscript evidence (e.g., the Birmingham Qur’an fragments, carbon-dated to within the Prophet’s lifetime), and the continuous oral chain of transmission for 14 centuries. No other scripture has this.

On Jesus and history:
The crucifixion is described as “historically certain” by some scholars, but history itself is written by men. Islam offers a different testimony preserved in revelation: that Jesus was not crucified, but raised up by God (Qur’an 4:157–158). For Muslims, God’s word is a higher authority than disputed historical reconstructions.

On “borrowing” from the Bible:
The Qur’an does not “copy” the Bible — it restores the stories in their pure form. Differences are not errors, but corrections. For example, the Qur’an exonerates prophets from grave sins attributed to them in the Bible (like Noah’s drunkenness or David’s adultery), preserving their dignity as chosen servants of God.

So, by the criteria of manuscript reliability, preservation, and consistency, the Qur’an actually stands unique: perfectly memorized, preserved in writing and recitation, and still recited daily by millions exactly as revealed. The Bible, while containing truth, has undeniably gone through layers of human editing and transmission.

“Indeed, it is We who sent down the Reminder, and indeed, We will guard it.” (Qur’an 15:9)