ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Quranic createdness

The Quran is a holy book that Muslims believe was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad by Allah (God) through angel Gabriel. There is an important debate among Muslims about whether the Quran is created or uncreated.

To explain this like you are 5 years old, let's use the analogy of baking a cake. Imagine you have a recipe book that tells you how to make a cake. The book is like the Quran, and the cake is like the world.

Some people believe that the recipe book itself is part of the cake, that it always existed and was never created. Others believe that the recipe book was created by someone (the author), and then used to make the cake.

In the same way, some Muslims believe that the Quran was always with Allah and was never created, while others believe that it was created by Allah at some point in time.

Those who believe that the Quran is created argue that since everything except Allah must have a beginning, the Quran must also have a beginning. They also point to verses in the Quran that describe Allah as the Creator and Sustainer of all things, indicating that even the Quran, a book required for proper Islamic belief and practice, had to be created.

However, those who believe that the Quran is uncreated argue that if the Quran was created, it could be altered or corrupted by humans, which would undermine its status as a divine revelation. They also point to verses in the Quran that describe it as being eternal and unchanging.

In conclusion, the difference between those Muslims who believe the Quran is created and those who believe it is uncreated is a matter of interpretation and belief. Regardless of which position one holds, the Quran remains a central text of Islam and is revered as the divine word of Allah.