Islam's Manuscript Problem No Apologist Can Answer

From Totus Catholica

Why Islam's Oldest Manuscript DESTROYS Their Claims You've probably heard this claim: "The Quran has superior manuscript evidence compared to the Bible because we have Quranic manuscripts within a century of Muhammad, whereas the oldest New Testament fragment comes over 100 years after Jesus." It sounds compelling, right? But is it actually true? Today, we're breaking down the "200-year gap" argument and examining what the evidence really shows—and why this particular claim deserves a much closer look . 📌 The Birmingham Quran manuscript, radiocarbon-dated to 568–645 CE, appears impressive until you realize: (1) We have no manuscripts of the Quran from Muhammad's lifetime; (2) The Quran's uniformity results from Caliph Uthman (650–656 CE) ordering a standardization project and destroying all variant manuscripts; (3) The Sana'a Palimpsest (a scraped-off undertext) contains readings that differ from the standard Uthmanic version, proving variant texts did exist . Meanwhile, the Old Testament has manuscripts (Ketef Hinnom scrolls, c. 600 BCE; Dead Sea Scrolls, 2nd–3rd century BCE) that predate the Quran by 1,200 years, and the New Testament has over 25,000 manuscript witnesses—more than any other ancient book . ✨ What You'll Discover – The "200-year gap" argument: Papyrus 52 (John fragment, c. 100–150 CE) vs. Birmingham Quran (568–645 CE) – Why the gap is misleading: We have dozens of early NT papyri (Chester Beatty, Papyrus 46) and 25,000+ total manuscripts – Old Testament evidence: Ketef Hinnom (c. 600 BCE), Dead Sea Scrolls (2nd–3rd century BCE)—1,200 years older than the Quran – Uthman's standardization (650–656 CE): Official codex compiled, all variant manuscripts destroyed – Sana'a Palimpsest: Proof that variant Quranic texts existed before standardization – Preservation methods: Quran (memorization + centralized control) vs. Bible (diverse copies + independent attestation) – Why textual variants in the NT don't mean corruption—they help us verify 99%+ accuracy ⏳ Chapters 0:00 – The "200-Year Gap" Argument Muslims Use 2:32 – The Full Picture: NT Manuscript Evidence (25,000+ Witnesses) 4:02 – Old Testament Evidence: 1,200 Years Older Than the Quran 5:00 – The Quran's Side: Uthman's Standardization and Destroyed Variants 5:56 – The Key Distinction: Diversity (NT) vs. Uniformity (Quran) 7:02 – Objections Answered: Preservation Doesn't Mean Perfection 8:24 – What We've Learned: The Real Difference Is Approach, Not Quality 🌐 Stay Connected 📿 Daily Holy Hour – https://totuscatholica.org/rosary 🌍 Website – https://totuscatholica.org/ ✉️ Contact me – https://totuscatholica.org/contact 🔍 Examination of Conscience – https://catholicexaminationofconscien... 📖 Key Teaching & References – Papyrus 52 (P52): Oldest NT fragment (John 18), dated c. 100–150 CE (Roberts 1935); widened to 125–175 CE by recent scholars – Birmingham Quran manuscript: Radiocarbon-dated 568–645 CE, written after Muhammad's death – Ketef Hinnom scrolls (c. 600 BCE): Contain Numbers 6:24–26 (priestly blessing)—2,600 years old – Dead Sea Scrolls (2nd–3rd century BCE): Biblical manuscripts predate Quran by 1,200 years – Uthman's standardization (650–656 CE): Ordered all variant Quranic manuscripts destroyed – Sana'a Palimpsest: Scraped undertext with variant Quranic readings – 25,000+ NT manuscripts: More than any other ancient text (vs. 5–10 for Plato/Aristotle) – CCC 106–107: God inspired the human authors; inspired books teach truth 💬 Reflection Question If the Bible's manuscript diversity helps scholars verify 99%+ accuracy, while the Quran's uniformity comes from destroying alternatives, which approach actually provides stronger historical confidence?