I grew up in a deeply religious Muslim family, where the Quran was more than just a book—it was the unquestionable word of God. My parents told me it was perfect, flawless, and the ultimate guide to life. For years, I accepted that without hesitation. But as I grew older and started reading it for myself, without the comforting voice of an imam explaining everything away, I began to see verses that didn’t feel divine at all. Some filled me with fear. Others made me question my worth as a human being. And some, instead of inspiring me, broke my trust in the religion I was raised to love.
🔹 Verse 1: Women’s Obedience – Quran 4:34
“Men are in charge of women because Allah has given one more strength than the other… As for those [wives] from whom you fear disobedience, admonish them, forsake them in bed, and strike them…”
I still remember the first time I read this verse for myself. I was a teenager, and I’d heard it quoted in sermons, but never directly from the Quran. Seeing it on the page, in my own hands, was a shock. I stared at the words over and over again. Was God really telling men to strike women?
When I asked religious teachers about it, they assured me it was “light striking,” more of a symbolic gesture than actual violence. But even then, I wondered—why would a perfect God even include this? Why would the Creator of the universe put a verse in His eternal book that could ever be used to justify domestic violence?
It was the first crack in my faith. I began to realize that Islam didn’t just reflect divine wisdom; it also reflected a very patriarchal 7th-century culture. And if this verse wasn’t divine, what else wasn’t?
🔹 Verse 2: Inheritance Inequality – Quran 4:11
“Allah instructs you regarding your children: for the male, a share equal to that of two females…”
This verse shattered the idea that Islam was a religion of equality. No matter how much scholars tried to explain it away—claiming men had more “financial responsibility”—it was clear: the Quran explicitly states women are worth half of men in inheritance.
If God is truly just, why would He hard-code inequality into His eternal book? Why would fairness depend on your gender, something you can’t control?
For me, this verse revealed that Islam’s rules weren’t universal divine laws. They were human-made, reflecting the 7th-century Arabian tribal system, where men controlled wealth.
🔹 Verse 3: The Verse of the Sword – Quran 9:5
“Then when the sacred months have passed, kill the polytheists wherever you find them, capture them, besiege them, and sit in wait for them at every place of ambush…”
I always believed Islam was a religion of peace. But reading this verse made me question that narrative. This isn’t a vague spiritual metaphor; it’s a direct call to violence. Scholars explained it was “contextual” and only applied to a specific time. Yet, extremists still use this verse to justify murder.
If this book was meant for all time, why would God leave verses that sound like open-ended instructions for war? Why would divine words sound like tribal battle cries?
🔹 Verse 4: The Testimony of Women – Quran 2:282
“…And call to witness two men among you. But if there are not two men, then a man and two women, so that if one errs, the other can remind her…”
Reading this verse was like a punch to the gut. It doesn’t just undervalue women’s testimony; it openly implies women are forgetful or less reliable than men. Growing up, I was told Islam honored women, but this verse made it clear: the Quran institutionalized distrust of women.
This was when I realized Islam didn’t just fail to elevate women—it actively reinforced their second-class status.
🔹 Verse 5: Eternal Hellfire – Quran 4:56
“Indeed, those who disbelieve in Our verses – We will drive them into a Fire. Every time their skins are roasted through, We will replace them with other skins so they may taste the punishment…”
As a child, this verse terrified me. The graphic imagery of hellfire haunted my dreams. Later, I wondered why an all-merciful God would need to torture people forever, simply for disbelief. If God created humans with doubts, why punish them eternally for using reason?
This verse showed me how Islam uses fear as control. Instead of appealing to morality or love, it relies on terror.
🔹 Verse 6: Wife as a Field – Quran 2:223
“Your wives are a place of sowing for you, so come to your place of cultivation however you wish…”
This verse stripped away any romantic ideal of marriage in Islam. Women aren’t described as partners, but as fields for men to use. This agricultural metaphor reduces intimacy to ownership and control, making it clear that a wife’s body is a man’s property.
I realized this wasn’t divine love—it was patriarchy codified as scripture.
🔹 Verse 7: No Compulsion in Religion? – Quran 2:256 vs. 9:29
The Quran famously says,
“There is no compulsion in religion,”
but also commands Muslims to fight non-believers, take jizya tax from them, and kill idolaters. These contradictions made me question the Quran’s supposed perfection.
If God wrote this book, why would His message be so inconsistent? If it was meant to guide all humanity, why does it sound like shifting tribal politics rather than timeless wisdom?
This was the final crack in my faith.
📝 Conclusion: From Faith to Freedom
Leaving Islam wasn’t easy. It meant losing my community, facing judgment from family, and rebuilding my moral compass from scratch. But these verses taught me something priceless: morality doesn’t need fear, control, or divine threats. We don’t need a book from 1,400 years ago to tell us right from wrong.
By questioning these verses, I found a deeper sense of truth. I learned that it’s okay to doubt, to walk away, and to choose a path built on empathy and reason instead of fear.
If you’re questioning too, know this: you’re not alone.
