Every Day Straight Talk on Islam

The Two Great Problems That Expose Islam’s Historical Inconsistency

The Religion of Muhammad — or Something That Came Later?

Islam claims something bold:

“This is the unaltered, final revelation — exactly what Muhammad taught in the 7th century.”

But two major problems blow that claim wide open.

These aren’t fringe critiques. They come straight from the historical record — and they reveal a huge rupture between Muhammad’s Islam and the modern religion that carries his name.

Let’s walk through them.

1️⃣ The Pan-Abrahamic Problem

From Interfaith Unity to Religious Gatekeeping

🔍 What Early Islam Looked Like

In its earliest form, Islam wasn’t trying to replace Judaism or Christianity. It was a coalition of monotheists, united under one God.

Jews and Christians weren’t outsiders.
The Qur’an called them “People of the Book.”
Muhammad’s community included them as part of the Ummah — the united believing group.

Even the Qur’an itself uses two terms:

Mu’minun (Believers) — a broad term
Muslimun (Submitters) — a more specific group

These weren’t interchangeable. Early “Believers” could be Jews or Christians who still followed their own scriptures — and they were still considered in the fold.

🧾 The Constitution of Medina

Signed by Muhammad himself, this foundational document treated Jewish tribes as full members of the community. They weren’t dhimmis. They weren’t “infidels.” They were allies.

🪙 Early Inscriptions and Coins

The earliest Muslim coinage and inscriptions don’t even use the word “Islam” or “Muslim.”
They refer to “Believers” — and they don’t attack Jews or Christians.

So What Changed?

Under rulers like Caliph ‘Abd al-Malik, Islam began to morph:

It separated itself from Judaism and Christianity.
It rebranded as a unique, exclusive religion.
It made salvation only for Muslims — everyone else was a kafir.

The contradiction is clear:
Muhammad’s Islam included Jews and Christians.
Today’s Islam excludes them completely.

That’s not continuity. That’s a religious pivot.

2️⃣ The Muslim Definition Shift

A Game of Semantics That Doesn’t Add Up

Here’s something you’ll hear from nearly every Muslim apologist:

“Abraham, Moses, and Jesus were all Muslims.”

Sounds powerful, right? Until you look closely at what “Muslim” even means.

📖 The Broad Definition (Back Then)

In the Qur’an, “Muslim” often just meant:

Someone who submits to God.

By that definition:

Abraham? ✅ Sure.
Moses? ✅ Yup.
Jesus? ✅ Fine.

It’s a flexible, inclusive label — used to link Muhammad’s movement to the prophets who came before.

📕 The Narrow Definition (Now)

But today, “Muslim” has a very different meaning:

✔ Accept Muhammad as the final prophet
✔ Believe the Qur’an is God’s final word
✔ Follow Hadith and Sharia

By that definition?

Abraham? ❌ Never heard of Muhammad.
Moses? ❌ Followed the Torah.
Jesus? ❌ Preached the Gospel — not the Qur’an.

You can’t say these men were “Muslim” by today’s definition without rewriting history.

🤯 The Core Problem

Islam switches definitions depending on what it needs:

In the past? Uses the broad definition to claim continuity with older prophets.
In the present? Enforces the narrow definition to deny salvation to Jews and Christians.

That’s not theology. That’s bait-and-switch apologetics.

💥 The Combined Impact

These two shifts — in community inclusion and in definition — completely undercut Islam’s core claim:

That it’s the same, unchanged religion from day one.

The historical evidence says otherwise:

✅ Early Islam welcomed fellow monotheists
✅ Modern Islam defines them as enemies
✅ “Muslim” used to mean “God-fearing” — now it means “Qur’an-and-Muhammad-only”
✅ The religion has changed — both in message and membership

🔥 Final Thought:

If the Islam practiced today doesn’t match what Muhammad actually taught…

…then what are Muslims following?

🧠 Takeaways:

The Pan-Abrahamic Problem shows Islam flipped from inclusive to exclusive.
The Muslim Definition Shift exposes the semantic games Islam plays to backfill legitimacy.

Together, they reveal a religion that’s not preserved — but transformed.

❓ So Where Does That Leave Muslims?

Here are the choices:

❌ Ignore the contradiction
❌ Deny mainstream history
❌ Pretend definitions don’t matter
❌ Try to reform Islam — which means discarding 1,400 years of tradition

✅ Or... Accept the truth:
Modern Islam is not the Islam of Muhammad.
It’s a religion built after his death — shaped by rulers, politics, and centuries of theological revision.

📣 And That Raises the Real Question:

If Muhammad didn’t preach today’s Islam... what exactly are Muslims practicing now?