Contents
“O Sister of Aaron” in the Quran
We continue to hear claims that the Quran is filled with miracles, even though we know that with just a minimum level of open-mindedness and critical thinking, we can see that these so-called “miracles” are nothing more than fabrications lacking any real substance. They are designed to deceive simple minds and make them believe that the Quran is divine and that everything in it is flawless and beautiful.
Fortunately, the number of people questioning these so-called miracles is increasing, and the contradictions within the Quranic texts are becoming more apparent. Science today is capable of exposing these errors and inconsistencies, which have been concealed for centuries.
Let us take a closer look at one of these widespread errors in the Quran.
Hiding Errors in Translations
When translating the Quran into French or any other language, efforts are made to hide the mistakes and contradictions it contains. But as the Tunisian proverb says, “He who steals dominates over the one who hides,” meaning that if one refuses blind submission to this religion and avoids sanctifying it, they can easily uncover the errors in what is claimed to be a “sacred” text.
The Quran in Arabic contains errors that are much clearer than those in translated versions, where words can be manipulated to fit a predetermined idea. Unfortunately, this manipulation is not easily noticed unless one has a solid knowledge of both the Arabic language and the Quran itself.
Islamic scholars and interpreters are well aware of these errors and have tried for 1,400 years to cover them up through various deceptive means, such as distorting the meanings of words, providing misleading interpretations, and even creating grammatical rules tailored specifically to fit the Quran rather than the Quran conforming to existing linguistic rules.
A Historical Mistake in “O Sister of Aaron”
In Surah Maryam (Chapter 19), verse 28, we find the following verse:
“O sister of Aaron, your father was not a man of evil, nor was your mother unchaste.”
The Aaron mentioned here is not the brother of Mary, the mother of Jesus, but rather the brother of Moses, as confirmed in another Quranic verse:
“Peace be upon Moses and Aaron.” (Surah As-Saffat 37:120)
Here, the Quran clearly confuses Mary, the mother of Jesus, with Miriam, the sister of Moses and Aaron. It is a well-established historical fact that Mary, the mother of Jesus, did not have a brother named Aaron. This is just one of many errors that can be easily identified when reading the text in Arabic or even in translated versions.
Islamic scholars recognize this mistake, yet they attempt to evade it by claiming that the Aaron mentioned here is a different Aaron, not the brother of Moses!
But the reality is that Mary had no brother named Aaron, and the only person she was closely associated with was John the Baptist (Yahya), who was raised with her after being entrusted to Zechariah’s care, as the Quran itself states:
“So her Lord accepted her with good acceptance and caused her to grow in a good manner and put her in the care of Zechariah.” (Surah Aal-e-Imran 3:37)
Thus, if the Quran were accurate, it would have stated:
“O sister of Yahya, your father was not a man of evil, nor was your mother unchaste.”
But instead, we find this glaring historical mistake in the Quran.
Attempts to Cover Up and Mislead
To conceal this error, Islamic scholars have offered various weak justifications, such as:
Aaron mentioned here was a pious man from the Israelites, not the brother of Moses.
In Tafsir At-Tabari, it is stated:“Aaron was a righteous man among the Israelites, so they compared Mary to him in piety, saying: ‘O one who resembles Aaron in righteousness.'”
Mary was called “Sister of Aaron” because she was from the lineage of Aaron.
Some interpreters claim that Mary was given the title “Sister of Aaron” because she was a descendant of his lineage, even though there is no historical evidence to support this claim.
However, these explanations lack logic because:
- There is no historical source to support these claims.
- The context of the verse clearly indicates a direct blood relationship, as it mentions her father and motherimmediately after referring to her as “Sister of Aaron.”
- If this were a common linguistic practice, why was it not used for other figures?
The Quran: A Human-Made Book Full of Errors
It is said that this mistake occurred during the compilation of the Quran in the time of Caliph Uthman ibn Affan, and like many other errors, it was never corrected. But regardless of how it happened, this example demonstrates that the Quran is not a flawless divine book but rather a human-written text filled with contradictions and historical inaccuracies.
Like other ancient religious scriptures, the Quran should be viewed as a mythological work reflecting the beliefs of people in the 7th century, rather than as a reliable source of scientific or historical knowledge.
Conclusion: Where the Quran Belongs in the Modern Era
In my view, religious texts like the Quran should be treated as part of human heritage, not as guides for modern life. The laws and beliefs from the 7th century are outdated and should be regarded as historical artifacts rather than sources of wisdom for the present.
We do not need the Quran—or any other so-called holy book—to learn morality or wisdom. Humanity itself is the only true sacred entity, and moral values should be built on reason, human experience, and science, not on contradictory texts that are over 1,400 years old.
