Did the Qur’an explain embryology before modern science?
Question:
Recently, I was with a Muslim friend and the topic of religion came up and he said that Islam is compatible with Christianity. I mentioned some of the contradictions, specifically the violence and the famous substitute theory. He denied both and said that there are branches in Islam and that he is of the Sunni branch. He said that other branches misinterpret and mistranslate the original texts to match their beliefs. He didn't say much about violence, and he only gave a substitute of the substitute theory. But he did refer me to a video.
Like almost every other skeptic, he latches onto the creation story, but he also mentions some other things. I also started watching other videos to know more about his other claims. He claims that the Qur'an explained embryology, the big bang, and other scientific facts before they were discovered. Is this provable?
And Muslims claim John 16:12-15 to be Jesus referring to Muhammad. He also makes more ridiculous claims that God didn't bother to maintain the authenticity of the Bible, as it was only for a particular period of time and particular people. It's easy for me to conclude he's a fraud, but I would love to know your thoughts on this man.
Answer:
I generally don't do rebuttals on other people's writings. And watching videos takes too much time.
Regarding Islam and embryology, see Embryology in the Qur'an.
"Big Bang" is a theory, not a fact. Since it deals with an alleged event that took place without observation, it cannot be proven. See: How the Universe Began - No One Knows.
"I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you" (John 16:12-15).
Jesus identifies who is coming after him as "the Spirit of truth." The claim is that this is a reference to Muhammad.
John 13 to 17 is actually one long dialog that takes place on the evening before Jesus' crucifixion. It is important to note this because Jesus talks about the Spirit of truth several times.
"And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever -- the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you" (John 14:16-17).
"But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning" (John 15:26-27).
We note that the Spirit of truth is also called the Helper or Comforter. He comes directly from God, the Father, for the purpose of guiding the apostles into all the truth. Note especially John 15:27 that Jesus is promising the Spirit to those who have been with him from the beginning. This cannot be Muhammad because Muhammad came hundreds of years after the apostles died. Yet, Peter said the apostles had received (past tense) the Spirit from the Father. "Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear" (Acts 2:33). Paul said the same thing, "Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God" (I Corinthians 2:12). Therefore, the Spirit of truth, whom Peter said is the Holy Spirit, cannot be Muhammad.
The idea that the Bible has not been preserved is clearly false from the evidence we have. See: Can We Trust the Text of the Bible? The idea that the Bible was meant for only one people and one time contradicts what Jude said: "Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints" (Jude 3). The phrase "once for all" means for all people, for all time.
