Answer to "Why I left Islam" Video on YouTube

In the following video, apparently an ex-Muslim claims after years of dedications to Islam and studying Islamic apologetic he left Islam. He says he can't find himself defending Islam or the Prophet Mohammad anymore due to some shocking examples he has found in Quran such as verse 4:24.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DR7_YQ53lfI&t=35s 

Let's "investigate" his claim.

﷽

وَالْمُحْصَنَاتُ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ إِلَّا مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُكُمْ ۖ كِتَابَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ ۚ وَأُحِلَّ لَكُم مَّا وَرَاءَ ذَٰلِكُمْ أَن تَبْتَغُوا بِأَمْوَالِكُم مُّحْصِنِينَ غَيْرَ مُسَافِحِينَ ۚ فَمَا

اسْتَمْتَعْتُم بِهِ مِنْهُنَّ فَآتُوهُنَّ أُجُورَهُنَّ فَرِيضَةً ۚ وَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْكُمْ فِيمَا تَرَاضَيْتُم بِهِ مِن بَعْدِ الْفَرِيضَةِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَلِيمًا حَكِيمًا - 4:24

"And [also prohibited to you are all] married women except those your right hands possess. [This is] the decree of Allah upon you. And lawful to you are [all others] beyond these, [provided] that you seek them [in marriage] with [gifts from] your property, desiring chastity, not unlawful sexual intercourse. So for whatever you enjoy [of marriage] from them, give them their due compensation as an obligation. And there is no blame upon you for what you mutually agree to beyond the obligation. Indeed, Allah is ever Knowing and Wise."

The main ground for his argument is the translation of the word "Al-mohsanat الْمُحْصَنَاتُ" to "married women", which is based on a Hadith as he also referrers to it later. This is an obvious mistake since the very same word has been repeated in the next verse 4:25 followed in Quran.  Yet it has ,this time, been translated to "free, believing women".

وَمَن لَّمْ يَسْتَطِعْ مِنكُمْ طَوْلًا أَن يَنكِحَ الْمُحْصَنَاتِ الْمُؤْمِنَاتِ فَمِن مَّا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُكُم مِّن فَتَيَاتِكُمُ الْمُؤْمِنَاتِ ۚ وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِإِيمَانِكُم ۚ بَعْضُكُم مِّن

بَعْضٍ ۚ فَانكِحُوهُنَّ بِإِذْنِ أَهْلِهِنَّ وَآتُوهُنَّ أُجُورَهُنَّ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ مُحْصَنَاتٍ غَيْرَ مُسَافِحَاتٍ وَلَا مُتَّخِذَاتِ أَخْدَانٍ ۚ فَإِذَا أُحْصِنَّ فَإِنْ أَتَيْنَ

بِفَاحِشَةٍ فَعَلَيْهِنَّ نِصْفُ مَا عَلَى الْمُحْصَنَاتِ مِنَ الْعَذَابِ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ لِمَنْ خَشِيَ الْعَنَتَ مِنكُمْ ۚ وَأَن تَصْبِرُوا خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ ۗ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ - 4:25

"And whoever among you cannot [find] the means to marry free, believing women, then [he may marry] from those whom your right hands possess of believing slave girls. And Allah is most knowing about your faith. You [believers] are of one another. So marry them with the permission of their people and give them their due compensation according to what is acceptable. [They should be] chaste, neither [of] those who commit unlawful intercourse randomly nor those who take [secret] lovers. But once they are sheltered in marriage, if they should commit adultery, then for them is half the punishment for free [unmarried] women. This [allowance] is for him among you who fears sin, but to be patient is better for you. And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful."

Needless to say, God would not recommend marrying married women first.  Therefore, it is clear that the word "Al-mohsanat" can not mean "married women" by any means. 

If we are in doubt, the best way is to search Quran itself for other contexts where the same word has been used to find out the most plausible denotation. In doing so, we find verses: 5:5 and 24:23 in which the same word has more sensibly been translated to "Chaste" , abstinent or self-restrained women. This definition makes perfect sense in the context of verses 4:24 & 25 too.  

The second phrase in verse 4:24 which is also a key to his take is "Malakat Imanokom مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُكُمْ".  While this is also wrongfully turned to "your right hands possess" ,influenced by the same Hadith, is in conflict with its sense in many other verses including 24;33, 30:28, 4:3, 4:36 , where it can only mean those whom you possess not the women who may be taken captive in a war.

Perhaps, this is why this verse follows on:

 يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيُبَيِّنَ لَكُمْ وَيَهْدِيَكُمْ سُنَنَ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ وَيَتُوبَ عَلَيْكُمْ ۗ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ - 4:26

"Allah wants to make clear to you [the lawful from the unlawful] and guide you to the [good] practices of those before you and to accept your repentance. And Allah is Knowing and Wise."

Last but not least, let's say for some cultural or historical reasons a Muslim was in control of a women at the time. Could he force her into a sexual relationship?

"...And do not compel your slave girls to prostitution, if they desire chastity, to seek [thereby] the temporary interests of worldly life...." (part of verse 24:33)

We can clearly see in this case that how unreliable Hadith sources are.  This is mainly due to the fact that Hadith collections were gathered decades after the life of the Prophet and is subject to human errors in passing on the narrations unlike Quran text which is guarded by God himself as stated in verse 15:9. 

إِنَّا نَحْنُ نَزَّلْنَا الذِّكْرَ وَإِنَّا لَهُ لَحَافِظُونَ - 15:9

"Indeed, it is We who sent down the Qur'an and indeed, We will be its guardian"

صدق الله العلي العظيم

As for the ex-Muslim guy, I find his claim invalid and insincere particularly when he ends up his argument by appealing to the emotions of the viewers. 

May God grant us an open heart that would sincerely seek the truth and the divine guidance.