Atheos Dialogue: Consistent Qur’an = Allah

Allah exists! The Qu'ran is consistent.

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Good morning! (adjusts her hijab) Wonderful day today.

Hello. I'm interested in learning about other cultures. Do you follow the tenets of Islam?

Good morning. I see you're wearing a hijab. Are you a Muslim?

I'm guessing you're a Muslim. Do you have a few minutes to chat?

Why do you wear that thing (gestures to her hijab)?

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I was born in the United States, but my family is from Pakistan. I believe in the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon Him).

Do you accept the teaching of adults who marry children?

Figures. Does your family have any immediate plans to head home soon?

I hear that Muhammad is an important figure in your religion. I'd love to hear why.

That's interesting. Do you believe in Allah because of Muhammad's teachings?

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Allah is Arabic for God. This is the same God as the other Abrahamic faiths. Allah is the mightiest Creator of our universe.

Thanks for the explanation. I'd love to hear why you believe in Allah.

What makes Allah so mighty?

What makes you think Allah exists at all?

I've always wanted to learn Arabic. Right-to-left, correct?

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In Islam, the way Muhammad devoted his life to Allah is a model for Muslims to follow.

It sounds odd to me that you would want to emulate the life of man who lived over a thousand years ago.

Correct me if I'm mistaken, but it seems like you believe Allah is a central figure in Islam.

Is your idea of a good model one who rapes & pillages in the name of a deity?

Thanks. Is Allah any different than all those other Gods out there?

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The Qur’an, Islam’s Holy Book, is the message of Allah. It describes how we should live, with the goal of entering Jannah, or the paradise.

Do you have virgins waiting for you in Paradise as well, or does it not work that way?

It sounds like the Qur'an is important to you. How have you determined the things written in the book are true?

If you don't mind me asking, why would you believe something written in a book?

I really doubt any book could contain a message from an all-knowing God. Are you capable of convincing me your God is real?

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Because the Qur'an contains the words of Allah himself, bestowed to us through the Prophet. It is not an ordinary book.

It seems like a pretty ordinary book to me. What are your thoughts on 'Fifty Shades of Grey'?

I completely understand you believe what the Qur'an tells you. Why do you think the words in the Qur'an came from a God named Allah?

The book does seem to have special meaning to you. But why do you believe a God had anything to do with the writings?

Christians tell me their book is not ordinary either. Aren't all religions desperately grasping at straws when it comes down to it?

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The Qur'an is an elegant description of the world that, unlike other religions, has not changed in over a millennium.

Elegant text does not equal true text. You do realize a simpleton could see this, right?

1,000 years is nothing. Ever heard of the Bhagavad Gita?

There are older books than the Qur'an, correct? If they also didn't change, would their claims be true?

I see. Thanks. If a book's contents haven't changed over long periods of time does that make it true?

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Of course not, but the integrity of the Qur'an shows how consistent Islam is.

You know who also has integrity? Our president. What do you think about their performance lately?

I'm not quite sure I follow. Would you mind explaining how the consistency of a story makes a claim true?

I've been told the menu at Denny's has more integrity than the Qur'an.

That's interesting. Are there real-world examples where consistency indicates absolute truth?

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Consistency is the basis of truth in our society. During a judicial hearing, the consistency of a story impacts the decision of the court.

Have you ever been tried for murder in a court of law?

Are judicial outcomes from courts always correct?

I'd agree that courts will gather stories that affect decisions. Is every story a judicial court gathers accurate?

That reminds me. 'People's Court' is on soon. Let's wrap this up.

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No, but that's because the courts are man-made & therefore flawed. The truths of Islam are given to us by Allah.

My sister is a lawyer.

Interesting. How do you know Allah had anything to do with what's written in the Qur'an?

You do concede that man-made courts are a near-perfect system, right?

That's fascinating. Why do you believe the truths of Islam are given to us by Allah?

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The truths of Islam aren’t given to us in the Qur’an to blindly follow. Allah has perfectly described reality for us.

Why are these 'truths of Islam' given to us?

Please help me better understand what you mean.

I've looked around. I'm not seeing the connection here.

What's your best example?

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Basic vices like alcohol are prohibited. And we are learning more every day how it has terrible consequences.

Did you know that Mormons are not permitted to drink alcohol?

Alcohol is amazing. Don't knock it. Have you ever done a keg stand?

Alcohol can be harmful. I'm sure you could give other examples. How does that make all the supernatural stuff written in the Qur'an true?

Sure. But how does warning people about potentially harmful substances make all the claims in your holy book credible?

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Allah's power, which is described in the Qur'an, makes these things possible. Being aware of his all-knowing presence will help you see that.

It sounds like you are saying that you know these things are true because you read about them in your holy book.

How much power does Allah actually have?

Can one only know about Allah if they read the Qur'an?

Superman is powerful, too. Let's level with each other here. Isn't Allah really just man-made?

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Yes, reading the Qur'an is the main way to understand Islam & the presence of Allah in our lives.

I'm really sorry, but this religious stuff just doesn't make any sense to me.

Does one have to physically read the book, or can they listen to an audio version of it & still understand?

Can one read the Qur'an, truly understand it, but still not believe in Allah?

What if someone reads the Qur'an but still isn't convinced that it's real?

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(pause) No. If it were truly understood, one would naturally believe in Allah & His creations. If not, it’s our job to help that happen.

I say you hesitated there. This must be doubt creeping in, yes?

How do you know these are "His creations"?

So if someone reads the Qur’an, understands it but doesn’t believe it, they didn’t do it right. Then someone steps in to help them?

Human beings volunteer to help those who aren't convinced the book is true?

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Yeah, Muslims are a part of an Ummah (a group of believers) who work together to get a better afterlife.

Ummah. Ummah... Wasn't she in 'Pulp Fiction'?

Sounds complicated. Can a person ever get kicked out of the group?

Are groups of people always accurate in their interpretations & guidance?

People who gather for a common reason can be well intentioned, but I wonder if they always make the right decision (rubs chin thoughtfully).

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No. Different schools of thought in Islam interpreted by various scholars leave minor variations. The core pillars of Islam are consistent.

Is it possible that one's interpretation of the Qur'an, or guiding someone who read but still does not believe, could be mistaken?

Is there any chance that scholarly interpretation, no matter how careful, could still be incorrect?

If you could write a 6th pillar of Islam, what would it be?

These "variations' result in tragic wars & beheadings. I'm baffled how you can stand here & be so casual about it! Have you no shame?

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Absolutely, & we see it in extremist groups. But the overwhelming majority of Muslims believe in the same tenets.

Are you also capable of misinterpreting the writings in the Qur'an?

Could you ever envision yourself siding with an extremists' interpretation of the Qur'an?

Level with me. Are you a member of ISIS?

I recall you saying 'The Qur'an is Islam's Holy Book & it's the message of Allah'. Is it possible to misinterpret statements in the Qur'an?

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Yes, I do acknowledge that this is possible.

I commend you for acknowledging this. Can the risk of misinterpreting a God's message ever be fully mitigated?

Excellent. Would you agree to never teach children that this stuff is true?

Thanks for your honesty. How does one reconcile Godly consistency & the possibility for human misinterpretation in the Qur'an?

Do you acknowledge that Vishnu could also be possible?

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Maybe that's the purpose of life. (long pause) I honestly don't know.

The purpose of life is living honestly. Nice speaking with you.

I appreciate talking with you, & hope you'll think about our discussion. (waves goodbye)

I'll take your 'I don't know' as a minor success.

Thanks. There are many things I wonder about, too.