If there is a true religion, it seems God would make its truth knowable and verifiable. (1/10)
This is at least what orthodox Islamic theology claims, which argues that the existence of God is rationally demonstrable, as is the possibility of there being prophets – and that the historicity of the Qur'an, and of the Prophet's ﷺ honesty and miracles, are unimpeachable. (2/)
The historicity is established by the concept of 'mass transmission' (mutawatir).
The Prophet's ﷺ delivery of the Qur'an, his miracles, and character were witnessed by multiple people, whom we can specifically name and give biographical data about, and (2/)
The Prophet's ﷺ delivery of the Qur'an, his miracles, and character were witnessed by multiple people, whom we can specifically name and give biographical data about, and (2/)
even speak to their memory and probity.
These multiple people then each passed what they saw on, each to multiple people, again many of whom we can name, give biographical data about, and speak to their memory and probity. (3/)
These multiple people then each passed what they saw on, each to multiple people, again many of whom we can name, give biographical data about, and speak to their memory and probity. (3/)
And so on until the reports are recorded in extant books.
And the Qur'an itself is extant to the time of the Prophet ﷺ himself (even secular historians broadly accepting that a text at least very similar to today's being datable to around that time). (4/)
And the Qur'an itself is extant to the time of the Prophet ﷺ himself (even secular historians broadly accepting that a text at least very similar to today's being datable to around that time). (4/)
Note further that these miracle reports don't succumb to Hume's argument against trusting miracle reports: (5/)
Because of this, we can have knowledge and verify the historical claims our religion rests on - with the same degree of certainty we can for any other mass transmitted report (eg, in the same way people in England would know of China's existence before modern technology). (6/)
Of course, counter arguments might be adduced against the above.
But the interesting point is that Islamic theologians argued that God would make the true religion knowable and verifiable, and argued this was so with the religion of Islam. (7/)
But the interesting point is that Islamic theologians argued that God would make the true religion knowable and verifiable, and argued this was so with the religion of Islam. (7/)
Whereas many other religions don't even attempt to do this.
They might argue that monotheism is rationally demonstrable, but with claims as to the historicity of their scripture, miracle reports, etc they are perfectly content to argue in the realm of (8/)
They might argue that monotheism is rationally demonstrable, but with claims as to the historicity of their scripture, miracle reports, etc they are perfectly content to argue in the realm of (8/)
murky historical inferences.
Ie, probabilistic arguments that their scripture is broadly reliable or their miracle reports are to be believed.
Arguments which, even if successful, could only result in doxa - not episteme: ie not true knowledge. (9/)
Ie, probabilistic arguments that their scripture is broadly reliable or their miracle reports are to be believed.
Arguments which, even if successful, could only result in doxa - not episteme: ie not true knowledge. (9/)
They don't even seem to recognise that this is a problem, that belief in what they purport to be the true religion can at best only rise to the level of doxa.
Alhamdulilah for Islam. (10/10)
Alhamdulilah for Islam. (10/10)
A couple of points of clarification:
1. Mass transmission grants episteme where the information transmitted cannot have been a mistake or a conspiratorial fabrication, given the number of unrelated people transmitting it, in every generation back to the eye witnesses themselves.
1. Mass transmission grants episteme where the information transmitted cannot have been a mistake or a conspiratorial fabrication, given the number of unrelated people transmitting it, in every generation back to the eye witnesses themselves.
2. Almost all of the Qur'an can be pieced together from first century manuscripts, and these are *verbatim* identical to today's Qur'an (even verse and chapter demarcations).
Sometimes we see differences in an undertext of an early manuscript, but all such differences are: (a) very minor; and (b) recorded in our own texts which detail the small mistakes floating around. We haven't discovered a difference Muslims didn't always already know about.
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