RationalWiki:Annotated Qur'an/The Criterion

Annotated Qur'an
Sura 25: The Criterion
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Qur'an 25:1 Blessed is He who sent down the Criterion upon His servant, to be a warning to humanity.	Qur'an 25:1 Notes The warning in question warns of the wrath of this very same "Blessed" being.

Qur'an 25:2 He to whom belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth, who took to Himself no son, who never had a partner in His kingship; who created everything and determined its measure.	Qur'an 25:2 Notes This world apparently belongs to an undemonstrated being because some guy said so and convinced other people. This undemonstrated being has yet to demonstrate that he deserves any credit for anything.

Qur'an 25:3 And yet, instead of Him, they produce for themselves gods that create nothing, but are themselves created; that have no power to harm or benefit themselves; and no power over life, death, or resurrection.	Qur'an 25:3 Notes What exactly sets the "real" god apart from those fake gods? For a supposedly "real" god, Allah loves to use the exact same evidence that also points to those fake gods.

Qur'an 25:4 Those who disbelieve say, “This is nothing but a lie that he made up, and others have helped him at it.” They have committed an injustice and a perjury.	Qur'an 25:4 Notes What makes it an injustice and a perjury? People sincerely disbelieve in Allah and say so honestly.

Qur'an 25:5 And they say, “Tales of the ancients; he wrote them down; they are dictated to him morning and evening.”	Qur'an 25:5 Notes These tales were believed by civilizations that, even in Muhammad's time, were ancient. They also look like tall tales and not real history to anyone who does not already believe them.

Qur'an 25:6 Say, “It was revealed by He who knows the Secret in the heavens and the earth. He is always Forgiving and Merciful.”	Qur'an 25:6 Notes How can this being consider himself "always Forgiving and Merciful" while constantly dooming people to infinite torture and giving them no power to change their course in the afterlife? The suffering in this world is one issue that needs answers, but the infinite torture is infinitely worse.

Qur'an 25:7 And they say, “What sort of messenger is this, who eats food, and walks in the marketplaces? If only an angel was sent down with him, to be alongside him a warner.”

Qur'an 25:7 Notes This is actually a good question. God could have chosen any method of communicating with humanity whatsoever and specifically chose a man who, by all accounts, looked like any other doomsday preacher of his day. This cult leader also had a habit of relaying messages with epileptic symptoms in questionable circumstances. Allah specifically withheld the truly convincing evidence to ensure that only the gullible faithful around him would actually get saved while skeptics burn forever.

Qur'an 25:8 Or, “If only a treasure was dropped on him.” Or, “If only he had a garden from which he eats.” The evildoers also say, “You are following but a man under spell.”	Qur'an 25:8 Notes How is skepticism considered evil? These alleged evildoers may have presented bad arguments, but they are in the right for demanding extraordinary evidence alongside these extraordinary claims. Of course, none of that matters to the horrid despot in the heavens above.

Qur'an 25:9 Look how they invent examples for you. They have gone astray, and cannot find a way.	Qur'an 25:9 Notes They should be more like Muhammad, a man who invents very little and mostly just alters tall tales from previous civilizations.

Qur'an 25:10 Blessed is He who, if He wills, can provide you with better than that—gardens beneath which rivers flow—and He will give you palaces.	Qur'an 25:10 Notes Why does he not will that for all humans by default. He created all of humanity according to his own claims, so any inequality with his creations are exclusively due to the creator.

Qur'an 25:11 In fact, they have denied the Hour, and We have prepared for those who deny the Hour a Blaze.	Qur'an 25:11 Notes How many verses ago did this Quran clearly state that Allah "is always Forgiving and Merciful" again?

Qur'an 25:12 When it sees them from a distant place, they will hear it raging and roaring.	Qur'an 25:12 Notes Of course, they can't get the evidence of this threat until it's too late for them.

Qur'an 25:13 And when they are thrown into it, into a tight place, shackled, they will plead there for death.	Qur'an 25:13 Notes They would be thrown into it not by Satan but by this "always Forgiving and Merciful" being known as Allah.

Qur'an 25:14 “Do not plead for one death today, but plead for a great many deaths.”	Qur'an 25:14 Notes Muhammad was a psychopath. He may have suffered a great deal of hardships in his life, but this suffering does not absolve him of his psychopathy and the immense harm committed by future Muslims as a result.

Qur'an 25:15 Say, “Is this better, or the Garden of Eternity promised to the righteous? It is for them a reward and a destination.	Qur'an 25:15 Notes The sweet release of blissful nonexistence is infinitely better than either option.

Qur'an 25:16 They will have therein whatever they desire, forever. That is upon your Lord a binding promise.

Qur'an 25:16 Notes I desire an afterlife in which nobody suffers this eternal torture chamber whatsoever. Can a compassionate human like myself make it to Heaven or is this sickening level of sadism required for entry into Heaven. For reference, in other verses, Allah clearly states that those believers will get to enjoy the views of an infinite inferno and endless screams of agony from their luxurious spots in Heaven. Will nobody in this Paradise be repulsed by seeing their own families and friends writhe in torment forever? Is this nightmarish Paradise full of hedonistic sadists like Muhammad?

Qur'an 25:17 On the Day when He gathers them, and what they worshiped besides God, He will say, “Was it you who misled these servants of Mine, or was it they who lost the way?”	Qur'an 25:17 Notes God was the one who misled the servants and stated as much unambiguously in this book. Any verses saying otherwise only prove that this book contradicts itself on multiple occasions.

Qur'an 25:18 They will say, “Glory be to You. It was not for us to take any lords besides You. But you gave them enjoyments, and their ancestors, until they forgot the Message, and became ruined people.”	Qur'an 25:18 Notes They would become ruined people not by Satan but by God. This author loves needless reminders, so these annotations inevitably need them.

Qur'an 25:19 They have denied you because of what you say; so you can neither avert, nor help. Whoever among you commits injustice, We will make him taste a grievous punishment.	Qur'an 25:19 Notes God literally created them just so that they could fail in this world and suffer in the hereafter with no hope of escape.

Qur'an 25:20 We never sent any messengers before you, but they ate food and walked in the marketplaces. And We made some of you tempters for one another—will you be patient? Your Lord is always Observing.	Qur'an 25:20 Notes Allah chose messengers who, like Muhammad, are flawed human beings revealing their tall tales in questionable circumstances.

Qur'an 25:21 Those who do not expect to meet Us say, “If only the angels were sent down to us, or we could see our Lord.” They have grown arrogant within themselves, and have become excessively defiant.	Qur'an 25:21 Notes Skepticism is not arrogance. Compassion is not arrogance either.

Qur'an 25:22 On the Day when they see the angels—there will be no good news for sinners on that Day; and they will say, “A protective refuge.”	Qur'an 25:22 Notes There was no good news for them from the moment that this sadistic tyrant decided to create them for Hell explicitly.

Qur'an 25:23 We will proceed to the works they did, and will turn them into scattered dust.	Qur'an 25:23 Notes And yet, that scattered dust would still be sentient and suffering.

Qur'an 25:24 The companions of Paradise on that Day will be better lodged, and more fairly accommodated.	Qur'an 25:24 Notes That sounds like a major understatement for Paradise.

Qur'an 25:25 The Day when the sky is cleft with clouds, and the angels are sent down in streams.	Qur'an 25:25 Notes The literal sky? Will this afterlife occur in the same world as the current life?

Qur'an 25:26 On that Day, true sovereignty will belong to the Merciful, and it will be a difficult Day for the disbelievers.	Qur'an 25:26 Notes The first half of this verse describes Allah as "the Merciful" while the second half of this verse explains why this is not the case.

Qur'an 25:27 On that Day, the wrongdoer will bite his hands, and say, “If only I had followed the way with the Messenger.	Qur'an 25:27 Notes Islam is, to many people, the most ridiculous belief system that they had ever heard. Imagine people telling themselves that they should have abandoned their mental faculties and gone with the most ridiculous option instead.

Qur'an 25:28 Oh, woe to me; I wish I never took so-and-so for a friend.	Qur'an 25:28 Notes I wish I never read this awful book.

Qur'an 25:29 He led me away from the Message after it had come to me; for Satan has always been a betrayer of man.”	Qur'an 25:29 Notes When exactly did Satan betray anyone outside of being a puppet for God's wrath?

Qur'an 25:30 And the Messenger will say, “My Lord, my people have abandoned this Quran.”	Qur'an 25:30 Notes Can anyone blame them for abandoning a poorly written book riddled with repetition, calls to violence, contradictions, and useless details? This book talks about flaws in other religious groups and fails to see how these same flaws apply to the specific religion of Islam.

Qur'an 25:31 Likewise, to every prophet We assign enemies from among the wicked. But your Lord suffices as a Guide and Savior.	Qur'an 25:31 Notes Why exactly does the Guide and Savior not choose to guide and save every single human and jinn ever?

Qur'an 25:32 Those who disbelieve say, “Why was the Quran not revealed to him at once?” Thus in order to strengthen your heart thereby, and We revealed it in stages.

Qur'an 25:32 Notes How does revealing a dubious book in a suspicious manner strengthen any cardiac muscles at all? Many of these incrementally revealed verses corresponded to certain situations in Muhammad's life, especially those regarding his companions and many wives. Many people would naturally conclude that he is a charlatan for revealing verses that conveniently suit his desires. Aisha even noticed this pattern according to Sahih al-Bukhari 4788, and this child bride was supposedly Muhammad's favorite wife. For reference, any Hadith graded "Sahih" is considered by most Muslims to be as reliable as the Quran itself, and Sahih al-Bukhari also claims the epileptic symptoms associated with Muhammad's revelations.

Qur'an 25:33 Whatever argument they come to you with, We provide you with the truth, and a better exposition.	Qur'an 25:33 Notes Close to a millennium and a half later, questioning Muslims and apostates are still unconvinced by this truth and do not find this exposition to be any better. Should humanity keep waiting?

Qur'an 25:34 Those who are herded into Hell on their faces—those are in a worse position, and further astray from the way.	Qur'an 25:34 Notes Those who are herded into Hell on their faces by Allah and not Satan, by the way...

Qur'an 25:35 We gave Moses the Scripture, and appointed his brother Aaron as his assistant.	Qur'an 25:35 Notes Can archaeologists, anthropologists, and historians find any solid evidence that either Moses or Aaron existed remotely as described in this book?

Qur'an 25:36 We said, “Go to the people who rejected Our signs,” and We destroyed them completely.	Qur'an 25:36 Notes God once again brags about destroying people for sincerely disbelieving.

Qur'an 25:37 And the people of Noah: when they rejected the messengers, We drowned them, and made them a lesson for mankind. We have prepared for the wrongdoers a painful retribution.	Qur'an 25:37 Notes God keeps on doing it.

Qur'an 25:38 And Aad, and Thamood, and the inhabitants of Arras, and many generations in between.	Qur'an 25:38 Notes With how much this book repeats itself, this allegedly perfect author could spare some verses to elaborate.

Qur'an 25:39 To each We presented the parables; and each We devastated utterly.	Qur'an 25:39 Notes We get it! This specific god is the most vindictive and sadistic of all of them!

Qur'an 25:40 And they came upon the city that was drenched by the terrible rain. Did they not see it? But they do not expect resurrection.

Qur'an 25:40 Notes Even at the time of Muhammad, many cities can be seen to be drenched by terrible rain. What evidence would anyone in those areas see that this terrible rain specifically came as a punishment for failing to worship a specific god out of many? Even if geologists and archaeologists find evidence for a worldwide flood or an inverted city attacked with clay, how can people tell the specific cause of these natural disasters?

Qur'an 25:41 And when they see you, they take you for nothing but mockery: “Is this the one God sent as a messenger?”	Qur'an 25:41 Notes Muhammad was a psychopath with several screws loose. God chose to create the final prophet for all of humanity like this.

Qur'an 25:42 “He nearly led us away from our gods, had we not patiently adhered to them.” But they will know, when they witness the torment, who is further away from the way.	Qur'an 25:42 Notes The terrible writing and constant threats in this book lead people away from the sadistic god described in it.

Qur'an 25:43 Have you seen him who chose his desire as his god? Would you be an agent for him?	Qur'an 25:43 Notes Muhammad, this one is for you.

Qur'an 25:44 Or do you assume that most of them hear or understand? They are just like cattle, but even more errant in their way.	Qur'an 25:44 Notes God created some people to be inferior to cattle. These sub-cattle heathens look and talk just like humans, almost as if this blatant attempt at dehumanizing disbelievers doesn't actually mean squat.

Qur'an 25:45 Do you not see how your Lord extends the shadow? Had He willed, He could have made it still. And We made the sun a pointer to it.	Qur'an 25:45 Notes We do not see how shadows are distinct entities that can be extended without movement of light sources and objects casting them. How can we tell that any conscious being is the one extending shadows, let alone the specific god described in this book?

Qur'an 25:46 Then We withdraw it towards Us gradually.	Qur'an 25:46 Notes This short snippet apparently had to be its own verse.

Qur'an 25:47 And it is He who made the night a covering for you, and sleep for rest; and He made the day a revival.	Qur'an 25:47 Notes Or... the day and night are not even distinct entities on their own... and people adapted to be more active during the times when the sunlight makes it easier to see... On that note, why do people need to spend a THIRD of their days sleeping? What kind of intricate design of the human body and mind is that?

Qur'an 25:48 And it is He who sends the winds, bringing advance news of His mercy; and We send down from the sky pure water.	Qur'an 25:48 Notes First of all, how should we know that this specific god, or any god for that matter, did those things? Second of all, rainwater is not always pure and safe to drink.

Qur'an 25:49 To revive dead lands thereby, and to provide drink for the multitude of animals and humans We created.	Qur'an 25:49 Notes Lands don't literally die to be revived themselves. This is expressed as a literal fact and not a metaphor, and none of the 48 verses preceding this verse suggest that this is metaphorical in any way.

Qur'an 25:50 We have circulated it among them, that they may reflect, but most people persist in thanklessness.	Qur'an 25:50 Notes Prove that you in particular did them and are not just taking credit for natural phenomena.

Qur'an 25:51 Had We willed, We could have sent to every town a warner.	Qur'an 25:51 Notes And yet, for some baffling reason, God did not will that. God very clearly does not want all of his creations to be saved from his own sadistic wrath.

Qur'an 25:52 So do not obey the disbelievers, but strive against them with it, a mighty struggle.	Qur'an 25:52 Notes How much of the perfect message is petty enough to keep reminding the believers that those filthy disbelievers are the enemy?

Qur'an 25:53 And it is He who merged the two seas; this one fresh and sweet, and that one salty and bitter; and He placed between them a barrier, and an impassable boundary.	Qur'an 25:53 Notes First of all, freshwater and saltwater are not separate because of a physical barrier but rather because of their own vastly differing salinity levels. Second of all, this "barrier" is not an "impassible boundary", as water does slowly mix between them, though it does happen slowly, and marine life can also swim across.

Qur'an 25:54 And it is He who, from fluid, created the human being. Then He made relationships through marriage and mating. Your Lord is Omnipotent.	Qur'an 25:54 Notes Good to know that the lord is not actually impotent... Allah really had to specify that man was created from fluid without specifying anything else. Is that the only ingredient to life? Man fluid?

Qur'an 25:55 And yet, instead of God, they serve what neither profits them nor harms them. The disbeliever has always turned his back on his Lord.	Qur'an 25:55 Notes Prove that this specific God can actually profit or harm anyone in the real world.

Qur'an 25:56 We sent you only as a herald of good news and a warner.	Qur'an 25:56 Notes This "herald of good news" was a sociopathic slaving sex-crazed warlord. People need warnings against him and his dangerous messages.

Qur'an 25:57 Say, “I ask of you no payment for this—only that whoever wills may take a path to his Lord.”	Qur'an 25:57 Notes Did you say that, Muhammad, or did you ask for any earthly wealth or slaves for your pleasure in your position of authority?

Qur'an 25:58 And put your trust in the Living, the One who never dies; and celebrate His praise. He suffices as the All-Informed Knower of the faults of His creatures.	Qur'an 25:58 Notes Why do any of his creatures even have faults in the first place? Why would this perfect creator ever create any form of imperfection?

Qur'an 25:59 He who created the heavens and the earth and everything between them in six days, then settled on the Throne. The Most Merciful. Ask about Him a well-informed.	Qur'an 25:59 Notes There are many humans who have, time and time again, shown themselves to be more merciful than even this supposedly "Most Merciful" deity.

Qur'an 25:60 And when it is said to them, “Bow down to the Merciful,” they say, “And what is the Merciful? Are we to bow down to whatever you command us?” And it increases their aversion.	Qur'an 25:60 Notes "And what is the Merciful?" is a valid question. What exactly is a maximally merciful being that can still willingly doom people to rot in hell forever?

Qur'an 25:61 Blessed is He who placed constellations in the sky, and placed in it a lamp, and an illuminating moon.

Qur'an 25:61 Notes The moon does not itself illuminate. It reflects sunlight. Also, if this mysterious deity created the sun as a lamp for humans to see, why did this lamp come with dangerous levels of radiation that can cause heat stroke, sunburns, skin cancer, and other serious issues? Why did this sun make some places intolerably hot and arid, including much of Arabia specifically near where Muhammad preached?

Qur'an 25:62 And it is He who made the night and the day alternate—for whoever desires to reflect, or desires to show gratitude.	Qur'an 25:62 Notes These seem like natural unintentional results of the setup of the sun and moon. Why exactly did God make the night-day cycle seem that way while also claiming it as a sign of his very intentional design of the cosmos?

Qur'an 25:63 The servants of the Merciful are those who walk the earth in humility, and when the ignorant address them, they say, “Peace.”	Qur'an 25:63 Notes Muhammad should learn how to be humble. He really let the fact that God chose him get to his head. He even claimed that people should obey him specifically.

Qur'an 25:64 And those who pass the night prostrating themselves to their Lord and standing up.	Qur'an 25:64 Notes Those people could do more useful things in the night.

Qur'an 25:65 And those who say, "Our Lord, avert from us the suffering of Hell, for its suffering is continuous."	Qur'an 25:65 Notes They will beg the Most Merciful God to show them mercy, and yet the Most Merciful God will refuse.

Qur'an 25:66 It is indeed a miserable residence and destination.”	Qur'an 25:66 Notes Why, then, would a Most Merciful God even create it, let alone promise to fill it with humans and jinn?

Qur'an 25:67 And those who, when they spend, are neither wasteful nor stingy, but choose a middle course between that.	Qur'an 25:67 Notes With the various economic situations throughout history and the varying needs of people, finding that middle ground is no easy task. Does this book know enough about economics to explain how to find that middle ground clearly?

Qur'an 25:68 And those who do not implore besides God any other god, and do not kill the soul which God has made sacred—except in the pursuit of justice—and do not commit adultery. Whoever does that will face penalties.	Qur'an 25:68 Notes Muhammad has a weird definition of adultery and rigs the idea of justice when dealing with his wives.

Qur'an 25:69 The punishment will be doubled for him on the Day of Resurrection, and he will dwell therein in humiliation forever.	Qur'an 25:69 Notes Muhammad will dwell therein in humiliation forever.

Qur'an 25:70 Except for those who repent, and believe, and do good deeds. These—God will replace their bad deeds with good deeds. God is ever Forgiving and Merciful.	Qur'an 25:70 Notes A verse begins with the word "Except" and ends with "God is ever Forgiving and Merciful." as if the forgiveness and mercy should have any exceptions.

Qur'an 25:71 Whoever repents and acts righteously—has inclined towards God with repentance.	Qur'an 25:71 Notes When will Muhammad abandon his old ways and act righteously?

Qur'an 25:72 And those who do not bear false witness; and when they come across indecencies, they pass by with dignity.	Qur'an 25:72 Notes This is in the book that does not ever describe disbelievers accurately because those vile heathens are subhuman trash according to the small-minded god. Also, what does the perverted womanizer Muhammad consider to be indecent?

Qur'an 25:73 And those who, when reminded of the revelations of their Lord, do not fall before them deaf and blind.	Qur'an 25:73 Notes Allah admits to making people deaf and blind to prevent them from believing.

Qur'an 25:74 And those who say, “Our Lord, grant us delight in our spouses and our children, and make us a good example for the righteous.”	Qur'an 25:74 Notes People who want spouses and kids for their own selfish delight are not good family men/women.

Qur'an 25:75 Those will be awarded the Chamber for their patience, and will be greeted therein with greetings and peace.	Qur'an 25:75 Notes Will their spouses and children also make it or will any of them end up in Hell to the dismay of the family members in Heaven?

Qur'an 25:76 Abiding therein forever—it is an excellent residence and destination.	Qur'an 25:76 Notes Sadly, this sadistic god seems more content to fill Hell than Heaven.

Qur'an 25:77 Say, “What are you to my Lord without your prayers? You have denied the truth, and the inevitable will happen.”	Qur'an 25:77 Notes Why is it inevitable? Why does God make the worst possible outcome even an option for anyone?

Qur'an 25:78 It is He who produced for you the hearing, and the eyesight, and the feelings. But little gratitude you show.	Qur'an 25:78 Notes Prove that hearing, eyesight, and senses actually came from this exact god?

Qur'an 25:79 And it is He who multiplied you on earth, and to Him you will be gathered.	Qur'an 25:79 Notes Prove that you did any of that?

Qur'an 25:80 And it is He who gives life and brings death, and to Him is the alternation of night and day. Do you not understand?	Qur'an 25:80 Notes We do not. This book just lists phenomena, some of them wildly inaccurately, and claims that this specific god did all of it without proving that. We cannot look at the trees as proof that it was Allah specifically who made the trees. Allah needs to demonstrate that it was he who made the trees that are already shown to exist.

Qur'an 25:81 But they say the like of what the ancients said.	Qur'an 25:81 Notes This is what happens when religions refuse to keep up with the times.

Qur'an 25:82 They say, “After we have died, and become dust and bones, will we be resurrected?	Qur'an 25:82 Notes The answer to this question had better come with some evidence.

Qur'an 25:83 We were promised this before—we and our ancestors—these are nothing but legends of the ancients.”	Qur'an 25:83 Notes The ancients believed it and the amount of evidence does not seem to have increased since the times of the ancients.

Qur'an 25:84 Say, “To whom does the earth belong, and everyone in it, if you happen to know?”	Qur'an 25:84 Notes They do not seem to belong to any sentient being. Is there any evidence that any of this actually belongs to the specific god mentioned in this book?