Robert Spencer: The Origins of the Qur'an

Why didn't speak Allah directly to Muhammad? He has only a henchman Gabriel to sent his message to Muhammad!

EVIL Quran 5:33 "… crucifixion who made mischief (trouble)"

http://schnellmann.org/kuffar-crucifixion-to-quran.html

I recommend reading the online version of the theologian Rev. St.Clair-Tisdall's study of the Quran and its sources.One myth commonly expressed by muslims is that Muhammad was uneducated.In fact,he gained his knowledge by taking long walks with the "hanifist" Zayd Ibn Amr,who worshipped yearly in a cave near Mecca, and no doubt influenced Muhammad who used to visit the same place for quiet and lonely contemplation.You can read how Muhammad pinched his ideas here:

http://www.faithfreedom.org/Articles/AbulKasem41205p2.htm

Back to Tisdall,who concludes that ultimately the Quran becomes little more than a vehicle for Muhammad's own political and military ambitions:

"..so long as Muhammad entertained the hope of bringing together both Jews and Christians, and also the Arab tribes, by the retention of some of their national practices, there seemed to him the possibility of uniting all Arabia in one Grand religion. But when he found this to be impracticable, then it remained for him either to abandon and eventually destroy the two former, or else lose the native Arabs as a whole. The objects and the mind of the Prophet are manifest throughout his prophetic life. Thus, to take an instance, the marriage with Zeinab wife of his adopted son Zeid, as justified in the Qur'an,1 shews how much the revelation and whole system of the day was permeated by the objects of his hourly life and personal surroundings; which indeed is manifest in a multitude of other matters in the Qur'an itself and in Tradition. And certainly, when we look at the variety of teaching and of interests embodied in these, we gain a wide and extensive survey of the thousand rills which run along to form the vast Muslim river;— Sources they all are of Islam, but every one affected by the intellect, the nature, and the personal aims and objects, of the Prophet himself.

http://www.answering-islam.org/Books/Tisdall/Sources0/p099-100.htm

Muslims need educating about their own religion.........

Sending down ayats is not the same as sending down Gabriel with ayats...Every ayat should begin with 'Gabriel sez'...But that would make it The Book of Gabriel, not Allah...Who knows if she is passing Allah's word or her own...I suspect that was Lilith, the Queen of the Night Demons, passing herself off as an angel to a psychotic Arab...
I once asked a Mahoundian that if Allah sends down ayats, which way is up? He said 'up is up'...I said, 'not if you are at the south pole, then up is down'...That confused him, especially when I told him that if you are in Hawaii, or Africa, up is sideways...And in reality there is no up or down at all...so where was Allah when he sent down all these messages? No one really knows, but where ever it is, there are rivers, wine, grapes, soft couches, soft virgins, and soft boys pure as pearls...Sounds like a great place...Too bad it really doesn't exist...

Five different versions of Quran IN ARABIC:

http://www.nairaland.com/107465/5-versions-arabic-koran

Muslims often counter this by claiming that you have to learn arabic.Unfortunately,this statement itself contradicts the Quran which states(10:47):

YUSUFALI: To every people (was sent) a messenger: when their messenger comes (before them), the matter will be judged between them with justice, and they will not be wronged.
PICKTHAL: And for every nation there is a messenger. And when their messenger cometh (on the Day of Judgment) it will be judged between them fairly, and they will not be wronged.
SHAKIR: And every nation had a messenger; so when their messenger came, the matter was decided between them with justice and they shall not be dealt with unjustly.

So who was the messenger for UK/USA/Europe? No muslim can tell me that...

See also the many contradictions in the Quran as Muhammad tried and failed to maintain a cohesive ideology.As he realised that what had been "revealed" previously might get in the way of his future plans and conduct,he had Allah make a "pre-emptive" statement(2:106):

YUSUFALI: None of Our revelations do We abrogate or cause to be forgotten, but We substitute something better or similar: Knowest thou not that Allah Hath power over all things?
PICKTHAL: Nothing of our revelation (even a single verse) do we abrogate or cause be forgotten, but we bring (in place) one better or the like thereof. Knowest thou not that Allah is Able to do all things?
SHAKIR: Whatever communications We abrogate or cause to be forgotten, We bring one better than it or like it. Do you not know that Allah has power over all things?

This verse conveniently corresponds in time to Muhammad's political take-over of Medina.It is one of many verses which cause a problem to clerics. Note all the disagreements here:

http://www.mostmerciful.com/abrogation-and-substitution.htm

See also the many contradictions in the Quran:

http://www.answering-islam.org/Quran/Contra/index.html#internal

http://www.answering-islam.org/Quran/Contra/index.html#external

http://www.answering-islam.org/Quran/Contra/index.html#bible

Robert, you're an excellent teacher and I enjoy listening to you. You make your subject easy to understand and you articulate well. Thank you for all you do, and keep up the good work, you rock!

Robert, I look forward to reading the book on the origins of the Qur'an.

However, the things you said in the broadcast don't rule out the possibility that the bulk of the Qur'an as we know it was the product of Muhammad himself. It merely confirms my own belief that Muhammad (NOT God or a holy angel) wrote a book that his followers arranged and promulgated.

"The problem of having different versions of the Quran was resolved by summarily burning all "seven" variations that Muhammad had allowed, as well as the collections made by the companions". Al Rassooli. Lifting The Veil II.
Lecture 121. Book page 127.