And his people gave NO answer but this:
They said, "Drive them out of your city:
these are indeed men who want to be clean and pure!"
-- Sura 7:82 & 27:56

But his people gave NO answer but this:
They said: "Bring us the Wrath of Allah if thou tellest the truth."
-- Sura 29:29

Obviously the answer is different. And since it says both times "no answer but this" they could not have said both with one part reported in one sura and the other part in another, because then there would be "another answer" contradicting the "no answer but this".

Muslim Responses by Randy Desmond
Date: Thu, 9 Jan 1997

There are two obvious ways I can think of which we can solve this proposed contradiction. One way is to consider the context within the questions Lut(Peace be upon him)'s people answer. The second way is to consider the questions themselves.

If we look at the context of the questions (see the verses which precede the one's listed here), we notice that for similar contexts, we get the same answer. And where the context is slightly different, we get a different answer. This would mean that with respect to the same context, the answer is only one. When the question was changed (and with it the context), the answer was different, and that answer is the only answer given for that context.

The other way to solve this proposed contradiction is to entertain the possiblility that because the questions themselves differ for each of the verses, then it can be understood that for each of these questions only one answer was given for each question and so for two of the questions the answers happened to be the same.

Look at it this way: If you asked me what color is a red car and a different time you asked me what color is a red truck, because my only answer would be red for both questions, does that mean you asked the same question both times?

I think it is a bit sneaky to just compare the answers without considering the questions that were asked, and as already pointed out the context of the questions disprove any discrepency there too.

There is no contradiction here. My faith keeps growing. Islam has all the answers to any challanges. God is one.

I like and can accept the first answer. And the second one is actually the same as the first. So, it is repetitive but still okay.

Even though 7:80 and 29:28 are basically the same wording, sura 29 adds some more charges and might be a different occasion. Also, it would be strange to assume that a prophet would speak up on the sins of the people only once. No, usually he will continually preach and warn about the judgement of God. So, at one occasion they might have said this, and on another occasion they might have said the other in response. One would have to look at the Arabic if the tense of the verb would preclude this and indicate that this was each time meant to be their 'constant' answer to his ongoing preaching or if that is indeed indicating one time events on the time line.

Whether Islam has answers to all questions that is difficult to conclude from one issue. And I haven't challenged that God is one. No clue what this has to do with the discussion. I also testify that there is only one God, creator and sustainer of the Universe. This is confirmed by both of us. None of the contradictions on this site calls this into question. The question is which of the two revelations claimed to be from this one God is indeed the true one.

Contradictions in the Qur'an
Answering Islam home page

Last edited: January 9, 1997