More a curiosity than a contradiction:
... And if you see any mortal, say:
Surely I have vowed a fast to the Beneficient,
so I shall not speak to any man today.
-- Sura 19:26
Is that similar to eat samples of food in order to demonstrate all the things that you are not allowed to eat during fasting?
Muslim Response by
Randy Desmond
Date: Sat, 1 March 1997
...And if you see any man, say[1] "Surely I have vowed a fast to the Most Gracious, so I shall not converse[2] with any human being today."
Look at the Arabic:
[1] quuli is translated "say" and means to speak/state/profess/propound/tell. It is a one-way utterance, and not a two way exchange.
[2] ukallima is translated in your version as "speak", but a more accurate version is "converse" (as I have translated it). This word implies at least an exchange of words spoken with others.
This just goes to show that if your going to profess contradictions in the Qur'an, you'd better make sure before posting them for the world to see. This also goes to show that the Qur'an is only in Arabic and is clear in the Arabic because it is in Arabic (and it is not always so clear when it is translated into other languages).
I heard Dr. Jamal Badawi read this verse exactly as I have quoted it and immediately spotted the inconsistency (in his English quote). I am fully satisfied with your explanation. No reason to claim contradictions where there are none. And it shows how helpful this web page is in finding out if something is a contradiction or not. If it is not, then I will soon get a good explanation. If no satisfactory explanation arrives for a long time the more it builds the confidence that it is indeed a problem. This is after all an experimental page without claim to authority. The truth will emerge as the discussion progresses. And that is a good thing.
Contradictions in the Qur'an
Answering Islam Home Page
Last edited: March 1, 1997