In exposing Islam I have erred on the side of the Qur'an and Hadith. That is to say, I have been nearly as repetitious as they have been. By bringing the doctrine's most holy books together chronologically and placing them in the context of time and place, the evidence piles up one confession at a time. The truth ultimately becomes undeniable. Therefore, I will continue to present their scriptures as completely as your endurance allows. By observing a consistent pattern of behavior, you will be able to render an accurate assessment.

In this light, let's dissect the 52nd surah, kissing cousin to the 56th. Qur'an 52:1 "I call to witness Tur (Mount Sinai) and a Scripture Book inscribed, written on a fine parchment scroll unrolled, and the House ever-peopled, and the roof raised high, and the sea kept filled." The Islamic spirit is trying to pull a fast one. The House wasn't "ever-peopled." As you will discover in the "Source Material" appendix, there is no archeological or historical evidence to show that Mecca even existed before the sixth century. Therefore, Islam's formation is based upon a lie, because without people it would have been impossible to pass on any semblance of Islamic ritual from Abraham to Qusayy.

Elsewhere in the Qur'an, we're told that the "Book" was chiseled on Memorial Tablets, not inscribed on perishable parchment scrolls. But that's the least of the Qur'anic headaches. It claims, as Maududi confirms, that it was first written before creation, and that it was passed down and maintained in its original form - verbatim. "The Qur'an that you are bent upon belying is unchangeable: 'It is inscribed in the Preserved Tablet, which cannot be corrupted in any way.'"

Since the Qur'an's claims regarding its origin and nature are essential to our understanding, I'd like to explore this matter more completely. Allah's "book" says of itself: Qur'an 12:1 "These are verses of the immaculate Book, a clear discourse." Immaculate means perfect, flawless - inerrant. Yet we've already discovered scores of errors, big and small. Qur'an 12:3 "Through the Qur'an We narrate the best of histories." Yet it is devoid of history. It doesn't even provide any context. Qur'an 2:1 "This is a book free of doubt." That is true, but not in the way it was intended. Qur'an 10:37 "This Qur'an is such a writing that none but Allah could have composed it. It confirms what has been revealed before." Not only would the behavior in the Islamic heaven be illegal in every state save the brothels of Nevada, the Qur'an contradicts rather than confirms the prior revelation it says is inspired. What's more, the writing quality is an embarrassment. While lecturing on creation, Allah's prophet professed, "All that was going to be was written on the memorial Tablet before anything else was created." And that is particularly odd since everything we have read thus far has been fixated on one man's quest for gold and glory. Said another way: the Qur'an's revelations temporal and they only serve Muhammad.

The reason I bring this to your attention is to scuttle the Islamic claim that the Qur'an is a perfect reflection of the original tablet inscribed in heaven. The earliest Qur'anic writings all differ with each other, and they conflict with the present version. Coins from 685 A.D. have inscriptions that don't match today's surahs. The scripture inside the Dome of the Rock (691 A.D.) also varies. Further, the earliest copies of the Qur'an were written without vowels and the diacritical dots that modern Arabic uses to determine what letter is intended. It wasn't until the late eighth century, more than a hundred and fifty years after Muhammad's death, that Islamic scholars added diacritical marks to clear up countless ambiguities. In doing so, they chose the letters and vowels - and thus the current words, punctuation, and meaning. They translated what was essentially code into the gibberish we are reading today.

Then there is the problem of the parchments themselves. The oldest fragments date to the eighth century, not the seventh. They were found in a pager grave on the loft rafters of the Mosque of Saria'a in 1972. Aberrations from the accepted text abound, including the order of the verses, textual variations, and artistic embellishments. Gerd Puin, the leader of the German team analyzing the scrolls said, "Revisions are very clearly written over earlier, washed-off versions. What the Yemeni Qur'ans suggest is an evolving text rather than the word of God revealed in its entirety to the Prophet Muhammad." Puin went on to declare: "The Qur'an claims for itself that it is 'mubeen.' or clear, but if you look at it, you will notice that every fifth sentence or so simply doesn't make sense. A fifth of the Qur'anic text is incomprehensible. This is what has caused the anxiety regarding translation. If the Qur'an is not comprehensible, if it can't even be understood in Arabic, then it's not translatable into any language." This stark reality is frightening to orthodox Muslims who parrot their prophet's claim that the Qur'an has been preserved perfectly - unchanged and inerrant - just as Allah wrote it.

The perfection claim Allah makes on behalf of his Qur'an would be impossible even if Allah were god. Language is an imperfect tool. One word can mean many things and meanings often change with inflection. Connotation is altered by context, something the Qur'an lacks. Knowing the time, place, and parties to a conversation is required to establish the intended implication. For example, the Classical Arabic word used for fighting could just as easily be translated killing. And the word for virgin is indistinguishable from the classical Arabic word for white grape.

Yahweh knew better. He never said his Scripture was inerrant. He said it was sufficient. But while we are on the subject, I'd like to share something you might find interesting. There are thousands of prophecies in the Bible, most of which are exacting. There have been no misses. There are thousands of detailed historical depictions in the text - none of which have been shown to be invalid.

The Qur'an's obsession with demented torments is proof of a different kind of inspiration. Its fixation on fatalism, the annihilation of choice, and therefore the impossibility of love, provides another salient clue as to the nature of Islam's dark spirit. Qur'an 52:7 "Verily the Doom and torment of your Lord will surely come to pass; there is none that can avert it or ward it off."

This "god" is a nasty and violent fellow: Qur'an 52:9 "On the Day when heaven will heave in dreadful shaking, trembling, and the mountains will fly hither and thither, woe to those who reject [me], that play in shallow trifles and sport in vain discourses. That Day they will be pushed down by force, thrust with a horrible thrust into the Fire of Hell. Unable to resist, they shall be driven to the fire with violence." This is demented.

Qur'an 52:14 "'This.' it will be said, 'is the Fire, which you used to deny! Is this a magic fake? Burn therein, endure the heat; taste it. It's the same whether you bear it patiently, or not. This is My retaliation for what you did.'" This, too, is blatantly demonic.

Those who are willing to trust a spirit this carnal shall be rewarded in like fashion (if he's not the Devil): Qur'an 52:17 "Verily, the Muttaqun (those who fear) will be in Gardens and Delight. Enjoying the (bliss) which their Lord has provided, and their Lord saved them from the torment of the blazing Fire. 'Eat and drink with glee, because of what you used to do [damning, robbing, enslaving, and murdering people for me].' They will recline (with ease) on Throne Couches (of dignity) arranged in ranks; and We shall join them to beautiful Hur (female maidens) with big, lustrous eyes." The fact that heaven and hell are consistently depicted in Muhammad's parochial image is a sign that his passions inspired this part of the Qur'an, not God's.

Qur'an 52:21 "Those who believe and whose families follow them in Faith, to them shall We join their offspring: Nor shall We deprive them of their works: (Yet) each individual is in pledge for his deeds." Imagine that. Wives and children will be joined with husbands and fathers who are cavorting with virgins. That ought to be entertaining. "And We shall provide fruit and meat, anything they desire. There they shall pass from hand to hand a (wine) cup free of frivolity, free of all taint of vanity or cause of sin." Allah's brew of free frivolity sounds like a date-rape drug.

This less-than-heavenly picture continues with these perverse strokes: Qur'an 52:24 "Round about them will serve, (devoted) to them, young boy servants of their own (handsome) as well-guarded pearls." In previous verses, Allah used the "well-guarded pearl" reference to designate virgins, maidens whose virtue was hidden, or protected, in closed shells. Now, used in reference to handsome and devoted boy servants, it sounds like homosexuality. "They will advance to each other, drawing near, engaging in mutual enquiry. They will say: 'We used to be afraid (of the punishment) in the midst of our families, but Allah has been good to us, and has delivered us from the torment of the Scorching Wind and Breath of Fire.'" Could Allah be saying that they previously suppressed their homosexual urges for fear of their familie.' wrath, but now they are out of the closest?

Qur'an 52:28 "We used to invoke Him before: truly He the Benign, the Merciful!" A benign and merciful tormentor; now there's a thought. I can only wonder how Muslims justify the obvious contradiction between their god's definition and his behavior. "Therefore remind: By the Grace of your Lord, you are no vulgar soothsayer, nor are you a possessed madman." Another translation reads: "Therefore warn (men, Muhammad). By the grace of Allah you are neither soothsayer nor madman." Either way, it's evidence that neither Muhammad nor the Meccans were convinced.

Qur'an 52:30 "Or do they say: 'A Poet! We await for him some evil accidental calamity (hatched) by time.' Say: 'Await you! I too will wait along with you!'" From another translation: "Say (unto them): Except (your fill)! Lo! I am with you among the expectant." With the words that the Islamic scholar arbitrarily added to the text to make the message seem rational removed, the verse reads: "Say: Except! Lo! I am with you among the expectant." While scholars may quibble over the meaning, I think one thing is clear: illiterate men ought not author scripture.

Ali's translation explains: "Do they say: He is a poet from whom we expect an adverse turn of fortune?" How perceptive. The Meccans saw Muhammad as a con artist ready to pick their pockets. And he did. The "poet" robbed their caravans, stole their town, and then usurped all rights associated with their religious scam.

To rebut his critics, the pot called the kettle black. Qur'an 52:32 "Is it that their mental faculties of understanding urge them to this, or are they an outrageous folk, transgressing beyond the bounds?" While the never-ending argument between the Meccans and Muhammad over the prophet's lack of prophetic credentials is wearisome, this verse demonstrates the Qur'an's lack of divine inspiration. An all-knowing God would never have asked such a question.

As the argument raged on, Muhammad's kin were ever more convinced that the wannabe prophet was simply fabricating his divine credentials to steal their money. Qur'an 52:33 "Or do they say, 'He fabricated it (the Qur'an).' Nay, they will never believe. Let them then produce a recital/speech/announcement/discourse like unto it, if they speak the truth!" The Meccans knew what we have learned - Muhammad was making this up as he went along. And the best the prophet could do was to say, "Prove I'm lying by producing a recital as good as this."

The early Hanif poem by Zayd, upon which the early surahs were based, was easily as good, if not much better. And the Bible, from which the later surahs were plagiarized, was infinitely more rational, more prophetic, and godly. Therefore, based upon the challenge, Muhammad's recitals were false. We have called his bluff. But then again, it wasn't a big deal. As you shall soon see, Adolf Hitler's rants were better than this.

Qur'an 52:35 "Were they created of nothing, or were they themselves their creators? Or did they create the heavens and earth? Nay, they have no certainty. Do they possess the treasures of your Lord? Or are they the tyrant treasurers set in absolute authority to do as they like [with the Ka'aba Inc.]?" Now that's our boy. Muhammad saw himself as the one set in absolute authority - to do anything he liked. As such he was empowered to pirate treasures and cavort immorally without recrimination. Moreover, he actually got away with it.

Pressing his case, the lord is alleged to have asked: Qur'an 52:38 "Or have they a ladder, by which they can (climb up to heaven and) listen (to its secrets)? Then let (such a) listener of theirs produce a warrant manifesting proof." According to Muhammad, Adam bumped his head on heaven. So the Islamic heaven isn't very high. A ladder would have been sufficient. However, since Mecca was devoid of wood and carpenters, just building a ladder would have been a bigger miracle than Muhammad or his dark spirit ever mustered.

Qur'an 52:39 "Or has He (Allah) only daughters and you have sons? The prophet ought to have stopped when he was down and left us in doubt. Muhammad's Lord is demeaning the Meccan rock idol Allah. He's saying that "He" isn't worthy because he had daughters, not sons. Allah's daughters were fellow rock idols Al-Lat, Al-Uzza, and Manat of Satanic Verse fame. Since boys were viewed as better than girls, Muhammad's dark spirit is implying that Allah was a low-life loser. And make no mistake, Allah was the only Meccan deity with daughters. This exact same verse was repeated later in the Qur'an as a way of digging Muhammad out of his devilish dilemma when he confessed to mistaking Satan for Allah.

Qur'an 52:40 "Or is it that you demand a reward or fee from them (for preaching Islam), so that they are burdened with expense and a load of debt? Or that the Ghaib (unseen) is in their hands that they have it written down? Or do they intend a plot (against you), staging a deception? But those who defy and seek to ensnare (the messenger) are themselves being plotted against and will be tricked!" Muhammad's lord is saying that the Meccans are lucky that he isn't charging them for these spiritual insights. Further, he's implying that they are impoverished because they haven't written any scripture. Mind you, Muhammad hadn't written any either, and none of them could have read it if either of them had. Then he goes off on his favorite conspiracy theory - everyone is plotting against my guy. Which isn't actually true - only those who knew Muhammad were interested in exposing his plot.

The verse ends with one of many confessions. The Islamic god is a trickster. He plots against men. So, why do Muslims trust the "word" of an admittedly deceitful spirit? How do they know he is not deceiving them?

As with so much of the Qur'an, the next verse doesn't fit with the rest of the surah - and thus was probably revealed much later. Up to this point the Lord has been unnamed and Allah has been demeaned. Now we're being told that there is no god (ilah) but Allah. Qur'an 52:43 "Or have they an ilah (god) other than Allah? [An odd question to ask the Meccans since their primary deity was named Allah.] Glory be to Allah from what they set up."

Qur'an 52:44 "Were they to see a piece of sky falling, they would say: 'Clouds gathered in heaps!' So leave them alone until they encounter that Day where they shall swoon (with terror); their plotting will avail them not, and no help shall be given them (so they shall receive their torment). Verily, for those who do wrong, there is another punishment besides this, but most of them understand not." The spirit of Islam is in a rut: the sky is falling, men are swooning in terror, and there are ever more plots and punishments. No matter where one looks, the Qur'an is a very nasty book.