Before we move on to the final page, “Death: The Inevitable,” I want to take a moment to address the elephant in the room and tackle some of the most controversial topics raised by anti-Islam critics, viewing them from an Islamic perspective. Topics such as polygamy, Sharia law, child marriage, stoning, the Isra wa al-Miraj—the Prophet Muhammad’s ascension to the heavens (a topic that will involve some advanced mathematics)—and the Muslim perspectives on Darwin’s theory of evolution, they all deserve to be addressed. If these questions remain unresolved, they may prevent this website from fully achieving its goal of offering clear and comprehensive information about Islam.
Polygamy:
Polygamy: Do most Muslim men really have four wives?
There’s a common misconception that most Muslim men have four wives in Arab countries, but based on my experience living in a predominantly Muslim country for 13 years, that’s far from the truth. In fact, I’ve never come across anyone with two wives, let alone four. Today, polygamy is mostly seen among super-wealthy royal families or in certain rural areas of less developed countries. Even then, it’s not something you come across frequently.
Polygamy isn’t exclusive to Islam or Muslims, it still exists in some developed countries like the U.S., though it remains limited to a small minority. In states such as Nevada, Arizona, and Utah, some church leaders have had as many as 20 wives, with the highest number recorded in 1890.
Historically, before Islam emerged in the 7th century, there was no limit on how many wives a man could have. The Old Testament mentions that having multiple wives was common in ancient times. Take King Solomon, for example—he is said to have had 700 wives and 300 concubines (according to 1 Kings 11:3). Even King David had several wives: Abigail, Bathsheba, Michal, Ahinoam, Maacah, Haggith, Abital, and Eglah—and these are just the ones named in the Bible. It was clearly a different time!
Islam came and introduced a limit of four wives, as clearly stated in the Qur’an: “Then marry those that please you of women, two or three or four. But if you fear that you will not be just, then marry only one…” (Qur’an 4:3).
The verse is very clear: if you cannot be just, then you may only marry one. And that reflects the norm in the Muslim world today one wife, not four.
The reality is, whether Muslim or not, people around the world are facing similar challenges: having smaller families and struggling to make ends meet, regardless of religion of faith.
Child Marriage:
One of the frequent criticisms raised by some anti-Muslim voices is child marriage, particularly focusing on the marriage of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) to Aisha, who was 9 years old at the time. These critics often make harsh and hurtful remarks, calling the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) derogatory names mostly a “P—–l”. However, they typically overlook the historical context and fail to do any basic research. If we take a look at history, we can see that, not too long ago, it was quite common for girls to marry much younger than what we consider normal today. Take my grandmother, for instance, she was from France and married at 16, eventually having 9 children. Her own mother, also from France, married at 13 and had 11 children. While the idea of a 13-year-old marrying today may be shocking or called “Child marriage”, it was actually normal and common in the late 1800s and early 1900s, which isn’t as far back in history.
In the 7th century, during the time of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), life expectancy was much lower, and it was culturally common for girls to marry once they reached puberty. This practice wasn’t confined to Arab culture; it was widespread across various societies globally. Here are a few historical examples that demonstrate it was still considered acceptable for girls to marry at that age as late as the 11th through the 14th centuries:
- Margaret of Scotland (c. 1045–1093) married Malcolm III of Scotland at age 8–9.
- Mary of Scotland (12th Century) married King William I of Scotland at around 9 years old.
- Princess Qian (Tang Dynasty, China) married the Tang Emperor at around 9–10.
- Joan of France (c. 1343–1376) married Charles the Bad, King of Navarre, at age 9.
- Isabella of France (1295–1358) married King Edward II of England at age 9 (some sources suggest 11).
You might ask: just because it was considered normal in the past for Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) to marry Aisha at 9, does that mean it’s acceptable today for someone to ask a Muslim father if he’d allow his 9-year-old daughter to marry him? Honestly, I’d be curious to see anyone actually ask a Muslim father that question today. Unless the father is seriously unwell, I’m pretty sure the response would be one you’d never forget!
The Sharia Law:
Before we dive into it, I’d like to highlight that Sharia law actually requires Muslims to follow the secular laws of the country they live in.
Sharia law is a set of Islamic principles derived from the Quran and Hadith, guiding everything from personal conduct to criminal law and punishment.
The way Sharia is interpreted and applied can vary quite a bit between countries. In some places, it is fully integrated into the legal system, while in others, it exists alongside secular laws or mainly applies to personal and family matters. So, how Sharia is practiced can look very different depending on where you are, countries like Malaysia may have more lenient interpretations, while places like Saudi Arabia or Afghanistan may follow stricter practices.
Anti-Muslim critics often describe Sharia law countries as barbaric, but its main goal is to protect human life. In countries like Tunisia and Senegal, where Sharia law is part of the government, it is mainly used for family and personal matters. These countries have abolished the death penalty. Similarly, Jordan uses Sharia law for family issues and hasn’t carried out any executions in a long time. Indonesia a non-Arab country with the largest Muslim population on earth with over 230 million Muslims, also applies Sharia law mostly to personal and family matters and has abolished the death penalty, except for extremely serious crimes or drug trafficking. Dubai (United Arab Emirates) also has a Sharia law for personal and family law, so is Qatar the country that hosted the soccer world cup in 2022.
Each country has tailored its legal system in a way that reflects its unique cultural, religious, and political environment. While sharia law is influential, they all have adapted their legal systems to be more secular in some areas, especially in the context of international business and tourism.
In some Muslim countries like Saudi Arabia, where the death penalty is still practiced, it falls under Sharia law, which gives the victim’s family several options. They can choose to demand execution if the offender is found guilty, forgive the offender, or accept compensation (known as diya, or blood money).
If the family chooses to forgive, they can prevent the execution. Islam, under Sharia law, encourages forgiveness as a virtuous act believed to bring spiritual reward. However, the final decision ultimately rests with the victim’s family. If forgiveness is granted, the offender is free to go.
This is what the Qur’an says (the sharia law about murder):
“O believers! ˹The law of retaliation is set for you in cases of murder, a free man for a free man, a slave for a slave, and a female for a female. But if the offender is pardoned by the victim’s guardian, then blood-money should be decided fairly, and payment should be made courteously. This is a concession and a mercy from your Lord. But whoever transgresses after that will suffer a painful punishment.” Qur’an (2: 178)
Murder forgiveness, as prescribed in the Qur’an, cannot be found in the judicial systems of non-Muslim countries that still enforce the death penalty, such as the United States. In these countries, even if the victim’s family forgives the person sentenced to death, the execution will usually still proceed—unless the governor or president issues a pardon. In such cases, the death sentence is typically commuted to life in prison without the possibility of parole, meaning the individual will never be released and will most likely die in prison.
For example, Troy Davis was executed in 2011 despite the victim’s family publicly forgiving him. Similarly, Carla Faye Tucker was executed in 1998 after the victim’s family forgave her, and Stanley ‘Tookie’ Williams was executed in 2005, even though the victim’s family had also forgiven him. The same applies to cases like those of Mumia Abu-Jamal, Hickok, and Smith.
As strange as this might sound, if they had lived in a country governed by Sharia law, they would still be alive today and free to walk the earth. In the end, what people see as right or wrong is shaped by their personal perspective, which is influenced by their upbringing and various external factors, mostly the media.
If we want to be just and righteous, it is simply impossible to support countries that apply Sharia law strictly today, mainly because many of them lack a fair judicial system and have too much corruption at all the levels. And just like anywhere else, mistakes can happen, and innocent people can be wrongfully punished. But what, I’m getting at is, if the death penalty must exist at all, wouldn’t it be more compassionate to follow Sharia’s example of forgiveness and ultimately let the victim’s family decide to forgive or not the offender, instead of the government? After all, God is the most merciful, and shouldn’t we be too?
Like Muhammad (pbuh) said: “God will not be merciful to those who are not merciful to mankind”.
Where do the Sharia laws stand today, and can they adapt to the changes of time?
Yes, they can adapt to changing times through the practice of Ijtihad (which should not be confused with Jihad) as you have seen above in countries like Tunisia, Senegal, Malisia, Indonesia, UAE, Qatar and more…Ijtihad allows Muslim scholars to reinterpret Islamic teachings in response to shifting circumstances, new knowledge, and evolving social needs.
Historically, Ijtihad faced restrictions, particularly during the Ottoman Empire and later under colonial rule. In recent times, however, Muslim scholars have emphasized the relevance of Ijtihad to address contemporary issues that were not anticipated by classical Islamic jurisprudence.
Muslim scholars like Khaled Abou El Fadl, Fazlur Rahman , Amina Wadud , Tariq Ramadan, Mohammad Hashim Kamali, Ziba Mir-Hosseini recognize the need to adapt to different times and places. They argue that many rulings, especially in areas of social justice or economic policies, need to be updated to reflect modern values such as human rights, gender equality, and social justice.
Stoning:
Stoning had been practiced for over 2,000 years before the emergence of Islam in the 7th century as you will read soon.
Although this practice no longer exists, except in a few minor militia-controlled areas considered outlaw regions. It is important to mention it for the sake of clarity. Death by stoning, like crucifixion, are no longer practiced. However, it is still occasionally brought up by critics of Islam to bring down Islam, not knowing that Islam inherited the practice and made it almost impossible to continue.
Some readers will think, “How barbaric people were back then,” but if we compare their time to ours, the most barbaric period in human history is arguably our own, particularly the 20th and 21st centuries. From 2023 to 2025, we have watched a genocide unfold live on our phones: people burned alive in schools, hospitals, and refugee camps; children amputated without anaesthesia; women and children literally starved to death by the hundreds, all while the world was watching!
If we go back to page 08, it is noted that the Apostle Barnabas who lived during the time of Jesus (may God be pleased with them both), was stoned to death in Salamis on the island of Cyprus after having been accused of blasphemy.
As mentioned, stoning had been practiced for over 2,000 years before the emergence of Islam in the 7th century, so how can we prove that?
While stoning is not mentioned at all in the Qur’an, it appears 14 times in the Bible: 11 times in the Old Testament and 3 times in the New Testament. There is roughly a 1,500-year gap between Moses and Jesus (peace be upon them), and about 500 years between Jesus and Muhammad (peace be upon them). In the Bible, specifically in John 8:3–11, both Jesus and Moses are connected to the topic of stoning. This clearly shows that the practice existed for at least 2,000 years before the advent of Islam. See verse below:
“They said to him, ‘Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?’ …But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, ‘Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.'” John 8:3-11
PS: I’d like to make a side note about this Biblical verse, although the crowd tried to force Jesus (pbuh), at the end, the woman was not killed.
“Anyone who blasphemes the name of the LORD is to be put to death. The entire assembly must stone them.” Leviticus 24:16
“You shall take the man or woman who has done this evil deed to your city gate and stone that person to death.” Deuteronomy 17:5
“Then two scoundrels came in and sat opposite him and brought charges against Naboth before the people, saying, ‘Naboth has cursed both God and the king.’ So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death.”1 King 21:13
You can read more about death by stoning in Exodus 8:26; Leviticus 20:2-27; Numbers 15:32-36; Deuteronomy 13:10; Deuteronomy 22:21-24; Deuteronomy 22:13-21; Joshua 7:25; 2 Samuel 12:13-14; 1 Kings 21:13; John 8:3-11; John 10:31-39; Acts 7:58-60
While stoning is not mentioned in the Qur’an, it was a practice that has been inherited from a tradition that existed for over 2,000 years prior to Islam. However, when Islam emerged and this is what the Muslim critics never mention or don’t want you to know, Islam made it nearly impossible for this practice to continue. Two key conditions were established before any punishment could be carried out:
- A person must voluntarily come forward and confess to committing adultery and refuse forgiveness. There are only 2 recorded instances from the time of the Prophet Muhammad in which two people—a man and a woman—did just that.
- If the person accused of such an act denies the accusations, the accuser must present four trustworthy Muslim witnesses who have directly observed the act of adultery. These witnesses must have seen the entire act of fornication, not merely signs of flirtation or kissing. Additionally, they must be well-known and respected members of the community, with a reputation for honesty, never been caught with a single lie throughout their lives and free from any sins. It is not sufficient to have one, two, or three witnesses; four of these witnesses are required to testify that they witnessed the complete act.
As stated in the Qur’an: “As for those of your women who commit illegal intercourse, call four witnesses from among yourselves…” (4:15)
Before Islam, it was common for men who were jealous or wanted to get rid of their wives to accuse them of adultery.
The Quran’s requirement of four witnesses was meant to make it nearly impossible to falsely accuse someone of adultery and to end the practice of stoning. In fact, during Prophet Muhammad’s lifetime, there is no record of anyone being stoned for adultery, except for two people who confessed and refused forgiveness from their spouses. This was because the conditions for conviction, including having four credible witnesses, were never met and that has put an end to it.
Now, consider this: if this ancient rule were still in place (which it is not), can you think of even one person in your life who fits the description of a reliable witness under Islamic law (someone who has never committed a sin or been caught lying), let alone four of such people coming forward at the same time?
Muhammad’s Ascension to heaven (The Isra and Mi’raj): (Moving through space faster than the speed of light, this topic will require some advanced mathematics).
Isra and Mi’raj is one of the most pivotal events in the life of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). According to tradition, this miraculous journey took place in a single night. The Prophet was transported from Makkah in Saudi Arabia to the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Palestine, and from there, he ascended through the heavens (Mi’raj). During this journey, he met various prophets, including Ibrahim (Abraham), Musa (Moses), and Isa (Jesus), and witnessed the wonders of the unseen, he described Heaven (Jannah) as a place of unimaginable beauty of eternal peace, and rewards beyond human comprehension.
Ultimately, he was brought into the presence of God, where he received the divine command for humans to pray five times a day as an expression of gratitude and humility.
There are two different perspectives on the Isra and Mi’raj: some believe it was either a dream or purely a spiritual journey, rather than a physical one, while others maintain that it was a miraculous physical journey.
This divide often fuels criticism from anti-Muslim voices, who ridicule the belief questioning how over 2 billion people could be so dumb as to accept the idea that a man travelled from Makkah (Saudi Arabia) to Jerusalem (Palestine), then ascended to the seventh heaven, out of space, and back in a single night, 1400 years ago.
From a scientific perspective, it may seem implausible and it’s not unreasonable to laugh at how absurd it sounds, at least until we take a step back and reconsider it without the bias of our preconceived notions about human limitations.
Like I mentioned on page 01 “Your existence, God or just chance?” I am originally from Batna, Algeria, and I am a Mechanical Engineer.
So, let’s consider the possibility that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) undertook a physical journey rather than just a spiritual journey or just a dream and that he did in fact travelled in one night from Saudi Arabia to Palestine and onto the 7th heaven and back before the next morning prayer. While the human brain is incredibly powerful, it remains limited in certain ways.
For instance, imagine you could travel 200 years back in time and tell people that in your world, you could cross the Atlantic ocean in under eight hours, from North America to Europe, they’d probably laugh at you. Then you tell them, that it’s not only you, but another 300 people travel with you at the same time in the sky, now they’d think you are either dumb or completely out of your mind. But it doesn’t stop there, you go on to explain that this journey happens in a bird-like machine made of heavy metal, with wings that don’t even flap, and it weighs about as much as the equivalent of around 820 horses combined. At this point, you’d be the laughingstock of the era. Yet, despite their mocking, you know it’s possible, but they can’t quite grasp it. The same applies here, just because we don’t understand something doesn’t mean we should assume we’re so much smarter or that others are simply dumb or blind followers.
Take today, for example: engineers and scientists are discussing the possibility of travelling faster than the speed of light. It seems unimaginable, right? But the answer lies in bending space, as explained by Einstein’s general theory of relativity. Rather than viewing gravity as a traditional force, general relativity portrays it as the curvature of space-time, influenced by mass and energy. By bending space, we can move through the universe and space faster than the speed of light. His formula is simply brilliant.
Rμν−21gμνR+gμνΛ=c48πGTμν
- Rμν: This is the Ricci curvature tensor, which represents the curvature of spacetime due to the presence of mass and energy. It is related to how much spacetime is “curved” or “distorted” by gravity.
- gμν: The metric tensor. It encodes the geometry of spacetime, including distances and angles. The metric tensor tells you how spacetime is stretched or contracted.
- R: The Ricci scalar (which is a trace of the Ricci curvature tensor). It’s a single value that gives a scalar measure of the overall curvature of spacetime.
- Λ: The cosmological constant. This represents a constant energy density filling space homogeneously. It’s often associated with the concept of dark energy, though it was originally introduced by Einstein as a “fudge factor” to keep the universe static (before he abandoned it after Hubble’s discovery of the expanding universe).
- c: The speed of light in a vacuum. It’s a fundamental constant that relates space and time.
- π: The mathematical constant Pi, which comes up in various aspects of physics, including geometry and wave equations.
- G: The gravitational constant. This constant sets the scale of the gravitational force in Newtonian physics and appears here in general relativity to relate curvature and energy.
- Tμν: The stress-energy tensor. This tensor describes the distribution of energy, momentum, and stress in spacetime. It includes things like mass, pressure, and the flow of energy through spacetime.
This equation illustrates how the geometry of space-time is influenced by the energy and momentum of matter, and how distance becomes relative, depending on the curvature of space-time.
If God, the almighty Creator of all these laws, wills to bend space, then it’s absolutely possible. As for us humans, we simply lack the means to achieve it at the moment, but we know for a fact that it is definitely 100% feasible. By bending space, one could theoretically travel from Earth to the seventh heaven in seconds, as quickly as it takes you to stand up and walk through a door.
Similarly, to the example of travelling back in time 200 years and explaining air travelling, Einstein’s formula is not easy to grasp either, but it is 100% accurate, unless you think you are smarter than Einstein?
Knowing all this and understanding astrophysics and theoretical physics, do you still believe for certainty that it is still impossible for Muhammad (pbuh) to have ascended to the seventh heaven in one night?
I understand Einstein’s formula, and I believe it has been scientifically proven to be possible. I also believe that none of this would be possible without a Creator. Therefore, I believe—without a shadow of a doubt—that God exists, and that Muhammad was His messenger, just as Adam, Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, and Jesus were before him (peace be upon them all).
What do you think? Do you feel ready now to embrace Islam and experience the unimaginable beauty of Paradise and the unseen world that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) described after death? Or do you still want to leave it to chance?
The Darwin’s theory of evolution:
Another common claim made by critics of Islam is that it is incompatible with modern science, particularly suggesting that Muslims or Islam reject Darwin’s theory of evolution. This assumption is entirely incorrect, as you’ve likely seen throughout this website and as the scientist Maurice Bucaille pointed out in his book, science and Islam have always been closely intertwined like twin sisters.
Now, when it comes to theories like Darwin’s theory of evolution, or discoveries about dinosaur bones and the fossils of the Sahelanthropus, Australopithecus, Homo habilis, Homo erectus, and Homo sapiens, do these discoveries disprove the existence of God? Or do they simply show that God’s laws follow the process of evolution He set in motion?
Some people like to believe that nothing is greater or more intelligent than humanity. But the truth is, science (whether modern or ancient) is simply our way of understanding the laws set by God. When great scientists like Albert Einstein, Isaac Newton, Richard Feynman, or Charles Darwin made discoveries, they didn’t create anything new, they just uncovered truths that were already there. For example, the formula of Albert Einstein (Rμν − ½ gμν R + gμν Λ = 48πG Tμν) was always there; he didn’t invent it, he simply discovered it and revealed it to the world. In my humble opinion, that’s a key difference. God is both the Creator and the Inventor. Since we are neither, it shows that we are not the most intelligent beings in the universe.
Now, let’s go back in time, way back. Scientists believe that dinosaurs went extinct around 66 million years ago, at the end of the Cretaceous period, due to a mass extinction event. The Ice Age began about 2.4 million years ago and ended approximately 11,700 years ago. When it comes to human evolution, scientists say that early human ancestors such as Sahelanthropus, Australopithecus, Homo habilis, Homo erectus, and Homo sapiens all appeared long after the dinosaurs went extinct. Most of these species lived before or during the Ice Age. Scientists agree that Sahelanthropus, Australopithecus, and Homo habilis went extinct before or during the early part of the Ice Age. Homo erectus is believed to have gone extinct around 110,000 years ago also during the Ice Age. As for Homo sapiens, they assume that they might have survived the Ice Age and continue to live on and evolve to become the humans we are today.
So the big remaining question is: Was Adam, the first human described in Islam, Christianity and Jewish religions, a direct descendant of Homo sapiens? Or did Homo sapiens just like its predecessors the Sahelanthropus, Australopithecus, Homo habilis, and Homo erectus go extinct (scientists agree they all went extinct, so why would the Homo sapiens be any different and would have survived the Ice Age?) before fully formed human beings, the descendants of Adam, were placed on Earth by God?
In the Qur’an (verse 2:30), there is a dialogue between God and the Angels regarding the creation of mankind and their placement on Earth. As humans, whether we are Muslim or not, we must all agree that no one, (except God), has knowledge of the future. If we did, we would be aware of the exact moment and exact hour of our own death, but we don’t.
In this verse (2:30), the Angels speak about the future with a sense of certainty, as though they have already witnessed it. They foretell that humanity will spread corruption and bloodshed on Earth, suggesting that they are recalling something they have seen in the past, almost as if it has already occurred, and they are asking God to reconsider.
“Just recall the time when your Lord said to the angels: “Verily, I am going to place mankind, generations after generations on earth.” They said: “Will You place therein those ones who will cause corruption therein and shed blood, while we glorify You with praises and thanks , Exalted be You above all that they associate with You as partners, and sanctify You.” He said: “I know that which you do not know.” Qur’an 2:30
This verse suggests that humans today might not have been the first to spread corruption and cause bloodshed on Earth. Otherwise, how would the angels already know such things would happen?
Like Darwin’s theory of evolution (which is still a theory), it’s possible that earlier human-like species—such as the so-called man-apes—once lived on Earth but eventually went extinct, similar to the dinosaurs. If that weren’t the case, why don’t we see any creatures today that are still in the middle of evolving—part human, part ape? And why don’t ancient texts mention them? For example, the oldest parts of the Bible, the five books of the Pentateuch, written over 3,000 years ago (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy), which date back over 3,000 years ago, do not mention such beings encountered at that time.
The main point is that there is no denying they existed, as science and Islam go hand in hand. The only unresolved questions left are: when did God create them, and when did their time on earth come to an end?
I will let you watch a great Canadian Muslim scholar, Dr. Shabir Ally explains it a little more: