Historical Errors in the Qur'an

When I first examined the Qur'an, I did not seek to see if it was theologically accurate, or if it contain good moral teachings, but to see if it was historically trustworthy.  As a historian, it is important to me that a  text be historically accurate.  If it is not, then the reliability of this text needs to be seriously scrutinized.  As I examined each Surah of the Qur'an, I began to find historical flaws throughout the entire Text.   

Surah 4:157: And [for] their saying, "Indeed, we have killed the Messiah, Jesus, the son of Mary, the messenger of Allah ." And they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him; but [another] was made to resemble him to them. 

The Qur’an says Jesus was not crucified here.  However, there are problems with this.  The entire New Testament verifies crucifixion, and earliest writings less than 20 years after his death.  Not to mention that there are sources outside the Bible that confirm this.  Sources such as First Century Roman Historian Tacitus, First Century Jewish Scholar Josephus, and the early Church Fathers which include Clement of Rome (AD 95), Ignatius of Antioch (AD 108) and Polycarp (Around the same time) all verify the Crucifixion.  The Historical evidence in favor of the crucifixion of Jesus is so overwhelming that non-Christian Historical Jesus scholars  unanimously agree that this is an indisputable fact of history. 

Surah 18:86: ntil, He journeyed on a certain road until he reached the West and reached the setting of the sun, he found insetting in a spring of dark mud, and he found near it a people. Allah said, "O Dhul-Qarnayn, either you punish [them] or else adopt among them [a way of] goodness."
Alexander the Great did not travel West to a place where the Sun set into a pool of muddy water.  Firstly, the Sun doesn't do this.  Secondly, Alexander the Great was a Macedonian, and he conquered the Persian Empire, which was East of Macedonia, not West.  

Surah 20:85-88: Allah said "We have tempted thy people since thou didst leave them.  The Samaritan has led them into Error..." "We did not fail you of our own free will.  We were made to carry the people's trinkets and through them into the fire.  The Samaritan threw likewise, and forged a calf for them." 
The problem here is that Samaritans did not exist yet.  They did not exist until centuries later when the Kingdom of Assyria conquered the Northern Kingdom of Israel around 722.  The Empire scattered the tribes of Israel and brought new people in to settle the land.  They adapted some aspects of Judaism and became known as Samaritans.  

Surah 2:125-127: And [mention] when Abraham was raising the foundations of the House and [with him] Ishmael, [saying], "Our Lord, accept [this] from us. Indeed You are the Hearing, the Knowing.
There is no evidence at all to support the statement that Abraham and Ishmael built the Kaaba.  Neither the Kaaba, nor Mecca is ever mentioned once in the Bible.  All historical evidence illustrates that the area of the Kaaba was a pagan Holy site with no connection at all to either Judaism or Christianity.

Surah 34:10: On David We bestowed Our bounty.  We said 'Mountains, and you birds, echo his songs of praise.'  We made hard iron pliant to him, saying: 'Make coats of mail and measure their links with care."
Archaeologists confirm that King David lived in the 10th century B.C.  However, Iron Mail armor was not invented until the 5th century B.C., and it would not come to this region of the world until several centuries later.  

Surah 12:41: "Fellow prisoners, one of you will serve his lord with wine.  The other will be crucified..." And Joseph said the the prisoner who he knew would survive,
Surah 7:123-124: "We believe  in the Lord of the Universe, the Lord of Moses and Aaron..."  Pharaoh said ..."I will cut off your your hands and feet on alternate sides, and then crucify you all!"
It is believed that Joseph as in Egypt at around 2000 B.C., and Moses came around 500 years later.  The problem here is that these verses imply that crucifixion was being done in Ancient Egypt during these time periods.  However, historical study indicates that the first cases of crucifixion didn't begin until around 500 B.C., and it was done by the Persians, not the Egyptians.  

Surah 40:34-Long before this Joseph came to you with veritable signs, but you never ceased to doubt them."  
This implies that Moses came to the same Pharaoh that Joseph came to, but this is not possible as these Joseph lived centuries before Moses did.  

Surah 40:36-37-Pharaoh  said to Haman: 'Build me a tower that I may reach the highways, the very highways, of the Heavens and look upon the God of Moses.  I am convinced that his is Lying.'
There are multiple errors here.  Firstly, the Tower of Babel that was being referenced here was attempted in Babylon, not Egypt.  Secondly, it was attempted many centuries before Moses.  In fact, this was attempted even before Abraham!  Thirdly, this verse implies that Haman was the adviser to the Pharaoh of Egypt when in truth he was an adviser of King Xerxes I of Persia centuries later.  This particular mistake is continually repeated in Surah 28:6, 28:8, 28:38, 29:39, and 40:24.  

There were other historical errors in the Qur'an, such as when the Qur'an mixed up Miriam, the Sister of Aaron and Moses with Mary the Mother of Jesus.  There is also the issue of God blessing and Guiding Alexander the Great, implying that he was a devout follower of God when in fact he was a Pagan.  Nevertheless, this proves that the Qur'an is full of historical inaccuracy.  Any critical scholar would take these errors as reason to call the reliability of this text into serious question.  

Sources:

The Holy Qur'an

Acts 17 Apologetics.  "Are There Historical Errors in the Qur'an?"  YouTube Video, 5:01.  Accessed from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6tvXE328_g. 

"Historical Errors in the Qur'an."  Accessed from https://www.answering-islam.org/BehindVeil/btv7.html

Nevisa, Mina & Jim Croft.  Miracle of Miracles.  Merrifield, VA: Touch of Christ Ministries, 2004.

White, James R.  What Every Christian Needs to Know about the Qur'an.  Minneapolis: Bethany House Publishers, 2013.