PART I, CHAPTER 2 (= I-2-0-0)

APPROXIMATE AGE OF THE DIFFERENT SURAHS IN THE QURAN, THE HOLY BOOK OF MUHAMMAD, MUSLIMS, ISLAM, AND ALLAH + CROSS REFERENCES.

(PART I, CHAPTERS 1 - 14 = SOME SPECIAL ASPECTS OF ISLAM AS TOLD IN THE QURAN - THE HOLY BOOK OF MUHAMMAD, MUSLIMS, ISLAM, AND ALLAH.)

Comments in this book numbered by 3 numbers (included 00 or 0) a few places followed by one small letter = clear cases. Comments numbered by 00 or 0 followed by 1, 2 or 3 letters (big or small) = likely cases.

In the Quran there frequently are verses that “collide” or verses where one is stricter than the other. In those cases one uses the Islamic abrogation rule: The youngest verse normally is the one that counts - the older one is “exchanged for a better (?) one” - even the Quran itself mentions this. You meet Muslims protesting that such a rule exists, because that means that Allah had problems making up his mind or was not wise enough to make the rules good enough at once and from the start - he had to try and fail. In a way quite correct – it seems that he was not - - - but no matter how they protest or explain, some verses (some hundreds) are abrogated anyhow. This they try to explain away f. ex. with that Allah did not change the rules, just made them stricter - the rules for alcohol are often used as an example. But for one thing only in some cases it is possible to explain things away that way, and for another the problem still stands: Allah had to try and fail to find the best rule – to strengthen a rule also is an abrogation. The problem for readers, are to know which are older than which, as it is mostly not said in the Quran. Abrogation also is deeply integrated in mainstream Islam and in Muslim law. The protests are just based on refusal of facts + wishful thinking.

Most verses from the Mecca period (610-622 AD) which are mild towards non-Muslims are f. ex. overridden – abrogated - by verses of lawful robbery, hate, rape, blood and killing from the Medina period (622-632 AD). When it comes to subjects like war, treatment of non-Muslims, and connections with non-Muslims, not to mention in Muslim law, it therefore is very essential for us - and for Muslims - to know which verses counts, and which not (or even less), and which overrides – abrogates - which. Because of this we have found this table. BUT WE STRESS VERY STRONGLY THAT IT SHOULD BE USED WITH THE GREATEST CARE, PARTLY BECAUSE IT IS NOT A CANONIZED ONE, AND PARTLY BECAUSE EVEN ISLAM DOES NOT KNOW THE EXACT AGES OF MOST OF THE SURAHS. There is sure to be at least minor mistakes. More exact lists are said to exist (f. ex. one made by Th. Noldke), but we have been unable to find any of them yet. If/when we find a better one, we will adjust this list. But it will make no great difference, as the main and great divide is between before and after the flight from Mecca in 622 AD, and that divide any list has mainly correct. Until we find one that is better, we will use this one. The result will be at least roughly correct.

The left and the middle of the table list the surahs by approximate age + the serial numbers we use for (approximate) age references. The far right shows which surah has which age and serial number – cross references. Beware that the list to the right - 2 columns - has no direct connection to the rest. It is just placed there because it was convenient.

In the chapter about war/jihad and in a few other chapters where we wanted to show the devellopment of Islam, the surahs are arranged by the serial numbers because they very approximately range the surahs according to age. There it may be easier to find the surah you look for, by first finding the serial number. NB: As the main overview is ranged by age, it also automatically is ranged by serial numbers – see the last column in that overview. To find the serial number of a surah, see the cross reference. The serial numbers at the same time tell (approximately) which surahs that are older and younger than each others.

NB and once more: The two last columns is a totally different list, the cross reference - placed there only for the sake of convenience.

The surahs and serial numbers reckoned in chronological order by approximate age: Cross references:

Surah no.	Made year (approxim.)	Exceptions verse	Comments	Serial no.	Surah no.	Serial no.
096	610	V.6-19 later	No.1 (July/Aug 610)	001	001	002
001	610-614			002	002	088
068	611-614		Likely no 3.	003	003	092
073	611-614		Likely no 4.	004	004	096
080	611-614		Early	005	005	107
111	611-614		Likely no 6.	006	006	063
081	611-615		Likely no 7.	007	007	062
087	611-615		Likely no 8.	008	008	090
092	611-615		Likely no 9.	009	009	105
089	611-615		Likely no 10.	010	010	066
093	611-615		After 89	011	011	067
094	611-615		Just after 93	012	012	068
103	611-615		Shortly after 94	013	013	109
072	611-615			014	014	072
074	611-615			015	015	069
075	611-615			016	016	078
102	611-615			017	017	065
107	611-615			018	018	077
109	611-615		Shortly after 107	019	019	035
112	611-615			020	020	036
091	611-615		Shortly after 97	021	021	070
085	611-615		Shortly after 91	022	022	047
095	612-615		Shortly after 85	023	023	073
101	612-615		After 95	024	024	098
053	612-615	V. 13-18 (later +?)	Shortly after 112	025	025	033
104	613			026	026	042
054	614?		Just after 053?	027	027	043
086	614			028	028	064
077	614		Between 104 and 50	029	029	076
050	614			030	030	044
090	614-615		Just after 50	031	031	038
36	614-615		Just before 25	032	032	074
025	614-615		Same time as 19	033	033	095
035	614-615		Between 25 and 19	034	034	058
019	614-615		Just after 19	035	035	034
020	614-615		Late 614/early 615	036	036	032
038	614-615			037	037	045
031	614-617			038	038	037
070	614-617			039	039	046
088	614-618			040	040	048
056	615			041	041	049
026	615-616			042	042	050
027	615-616		Shortly after 26	043	043	051
030	615-616			044	044	052
037	615-617			045	045	053
039	615-617		Medium Mecca	046	046	056
022	616 app	39+49=622, some 624	Medium Mecca	047	047	078
040	616-618		Group of 7 (40-46)	048	048	100
041	616-618		Just after 40	049	049	106
042	616-618		Group of 7 (40-46)	050	050	030
043	616-619		Group of 7 (40-46)	051	051	059
044	616-619		Group of 7 (40-46)	052	052	075
045	616-620		Group of 7 (40-46)	053	053	025
067	618-619			054	054	027
069	618-619		Just after 67	055	055	110
046	620		Group of 7 (40-46)	056	056	041
072	620		About time of 46	057	057	103
034	620?		Shortly before 17	058	058	099
051	620?			059	059	091
078	620-622		Late Mecca	060	060	102
079	620-622		Just after 78	061	061	093
007	621		Before 6	062	062	089
006	621	Except two or three verses		063	063	094
028	621	V.85 in 622?	Just before 17	064	064	111
017	621 or later		Aft. 28, bef.11,12,13	065	065	097
010	621		Between 17 and 11	066	066	101
011	621	V.12, 17, 114 later?		067	067	054
012	621		Shortly after 11	068	068	003
015	621		Just after 12	069	069	055
021	621-?		Late Mecca	070	070	039
071	621-622			071	071	071
014	621-622		Just after 71	072	072	057
023	621-622		Last Mecca?	073	073	004
032	621-622		Just after 23, Mecca	074	074	015
052	621-622		Just after 32?	075	075	016
029	621-624?	Many unclear	Late Mecca or early Med.	076	076	112
018	622		Just before 16	077	077	029
016	622		Mecca (same time as 72)	078	078	060
082	?		Mecca	079	079	061
100	?		After 103 sometime	080	080	005
105	?			081	081	007
106	?		V.105?106=one?	082	082	079
113	?		Early Mecca?	083	083	086
114	?		Early Mecca?	084	084	085
084	622		Just after 82	085	085	022
083	622	V.1-4 Medina	Perhaps last Mecca	086	086	028
047	622	V. 13 Mecca	1. Partly in Medina?	087	087	008
002	622-624	V.275-281 in 632	1.Full in Medina	088	088	040
062	622-625		Early Medina	089	089	010
008	624	Some v. later		090	090	031
059	624-625			091	091	021
003	625		No. 2 in Medina?	092	092	009
061	625-626		Late 625 or early 626	093	093	011
063	625-626		Late 625 or early 626	094	094	012
033	625-629	Many diff. years (627?)	Medina	095	095	023
004	626	V.58 later, (some v. before?)		096	096	001
065	626-628			097	097	014
024	627-628		Late 627 or early 628	098	098	113
058	627-628		Likely early 628	099	099	114
048	628		Late 628	100	100	080
066	629			101	101	024
060	629-630		Likely early 630	102	102	017
057	630-632			103	103	013
108	630-632?		Age unclear	104	104	026
009	631			105	105	081
049	631			106	106	082
005	632	Some v. earlier	One of latest	107	107	018
110	632		The last surah	108	108	104
013	?		(Much?) after 17	109	109	019
055	?		Just after 13	110	110	108
064	?			111	111	006
076	?			112	112	020
098	?			113	113	083
099	?			114	114	084

A reminder: Using this table one should be very careful not to make too strict conclusions from years close together, as the years often are not exact, and as there may be other mistakes - Islam sometimes have to guess the age from wage points. But for years wider apart, it is more reliable as to which is oldest and which is youngest. And mostly Islam is able to decide between the Mecca and the Medina periods.

POST SCRIMTUM FOR THE TABEL.

As for seeing tendencies in the development of Islam – and in Muhammad - this table is more than sufficient. F. ex. you will see that Muhammad - or Allah - grows stricter and more spiteful and Islam more inhuman and bloody from 622 AD, as the years rolls by and he gains more power (the fact that he was not accepted by the Jews, may also have counted after coming to Medina - the rejection itself or the lost hope for more power as a leader also for them).

Less tolerance of “infidels”, more “no friends with ‘infidels‘”, more hate and suppression against “infidels”, more slaves and rape, more warlike against “infidels” - may be also stricter towards his followers. Why should Allah change that much over - for a god - no time? But a human can change like that in 23 years and even in much shorter time - power leaves its traces, and so do greed and lust for power. “Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely”. Muhammad and Islam changed fast and much after the flight to Medina in 622 AD, and Muhammad’s start as a thief/robber/extorter/rapist/murderer and later warlord.

Because it is difficult to see which verses are oldest and youngest reading the Quran in ordinary succession of the surahs, we use the numbers above, and place them according to age, the oldest first, in the chapters about “tolerance”, “ Muslims better“, “No friends”, “Hate against and treatment of ‘infidels’”, and “War/holy war/jihad”. Then also you can see the development and degradation of Muhammad and his religion.

We also have been told (but yet not checked) that he was not brazen enough to really use the title “prophet” until late in life, as he really was not a prophet. (He never pretended or even claimed to have the gift of being able to make prophesies – the minimum requiremet for being a prophet. That only was an imposing and impressive title he “borrowed”. Also see chapter I/7).

NB: If you find any mistakes anywhere, please inform us. If it is a real mistake, it will be corrected.

NB, NB, NB:

1. Read first the 2 small chapters "Some Essentials for how the Quran is to be read and understood" (VII-10-1) and "The Quran is to be understood literally if nothing else is indicated" (VII-10-2).

2. http://www.1000mistakes.com is blocked by many Muslim authorities. To debate with persons in such areas, cut and paste what you want from the pages and send it under titles different from http://www.1000mistakes.com.

3. http://www.1000mistakes.com is one of 9 pages which Muslim organisetions warned especially against in 2008 and 2009 - it could make especially procelytes lose their belief in Islam; correct and "down-to-the-earth" information works. In this connection it is worth noting that in the "warning" http://www.1000mistakes.com was one of 3 which neither was accused of bringing wrong facts, nor of being a hate page.

4. Comment 141 (to verse 6/149) in “The Message of the Quran” (see point 5) explains (translated from Swedish) about Allah's claimed omniscience vs. man's claimed free will:

“With other words: The real connection between Allah’s knowledge about the future (and consequently about the unavoidable in what is to happen in the future*) on one side and man’s relatively (!!*) free will on the other – two statements that seems to contradict each other – lies outside what is possible for humans to understand, but as both statement are made from Allah (in the Quran*) both must be true”. Unbelievable. Blind belief is the only correct and intelligent way of life, even in the face of the utterly impossible!!

5. And an afterthought: In the book “The Message of the Quran”, certified by Al-Azhar Al-Sharif Islamic Research Academy in Cairo (one of the 2-3 top universities in the Muslim world on such subjects) in a letter dated 27. Dec. 1998, it is admitted rather reluctantly that there are no proofs for Allah, and that it is not possible to prove him. An additonal point here is that if there is no proof for Allah and impossible to prove him, automatically there also is no proof for, and impossible to prove Muhammad's claimed connection to a god. And if there is no Allah and/or no connection between Muhammad and a god, what then is Islam?

6. Further: All the mistakes, contradictions, etc. in that book prove 100% that the Quran is not made by an omniscient god - no god makes such and so many mistakes, etc. If then Islam is a made up religion, what then about all the Muslims who have been prohibitted from looking for a real religion (if such one exists)? And where will they in case wake up after living and practising such an inhuman war religion like Islam is according to the Quran (and to Hadiths), if there is a second life somewhere? - Hell or Paradise?

7. NB and PS: No matter how sure you are about something, if it is not proved, it is not knowledge, only belief or strong belief, and can be wrong. Only what is proved or possible to prove is knowledge.

(As http://www.1000mistakes.com is blocked in many Muslim areas - which shows they are afraid of it and lack arguments (if they had real arguments for http://www.1000mistakes.com is wrong, blocking was unneccessary) - "cut and paste" whatever you want from it and send if you want to inform or to debate there. Remember to omit the name http://www.1000mistakes.com).

PS: If we are blocked centrally - f. ex. by spam (there is too much at times already from unfriendly sources) we will reopen with new address somewhere else, and announce the new address om f. ex. http://www.topix.com/forum/religion/islam. Also if your comments to us do not reach us, any comments posted on the thread "What is it with http://www.1000mistakes.com ?" (or make a page containing "1000 mistakes" in the title yourself if you want) on that forum will be read by us - it is a big international debate page.