Quran, explain this for us. He said, on being asked, by Abu Jahl, to say what he thought of the Quran:

What should I say about it? By God, there is no one among you who is more knowl‌ edgeable than me in poetry or who is more conversant than me in the rajaz meter of poetry, ١٤ or [in] the odes, or the poetry composed by the jinn. I solemnly declare that it [the Quran] does not contain anything that resembles any of this [that I know about]. By God, it is the most refined speech; it demolishes what is inferior to it, and it surely surpasses but cannot be surpassed.

Abi.i Jahl said, "By God, your people will not be satisfied until you talk about it." To this, al-Walid said, "Then give me time to think about it." After thinking, he said, "This is magic which has been related to him on the authority of someone else." ١٥
In another version, al-Walid is reported to have said:

By God, I have heard from him a discourse that is neither the words of humans nor of jinn. It is indeed the most refined speech; it has elegance; the loftiest of it is most fruit‌ ful, and the basest is most bountiful. Indeed, it surpasses without being surpassed, and this has not been said by a human being. ١٦

If one wishes to appreciate [the inimitability of the Quran], he should study other scriptures ascribed to divine revelation. You will find them incongruent in meaning, disarrayed in style, neither convincing nor firmly connected. When one examines the two Testaments and the confusion and inconsistencies they contain, the matter becomes obvious and truth becomes evident from falsehood. At this juncture, we will mention examples of the inconsistencies in the Gospels.

١. Chapter ١٢ of Matthew and chapter ١١ of Luke relate that Christ said, "He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters" (Matt. ١٢:٣١). [In contrast], in chapter ٩ of Mark and chapter ٩ of Luke, Christ says that he that is not against you is for you" (Mark ٩:٥٠).

٢. Chapter ١٩ of Matthew, chapter ١٠ of Mark, and chapter ١٨ of Luke say that some people addressed Christ as "good teacher." To this he replied. "Why do you call me good?; no one is good but God alone" (Mark ١٠:١٧-١٨); whereas, in chapter ١٠ of John, he is said to have replied, "I am the good shepherd .... I am the good shep‌ herd" (John ١٠:١٢, ١٥).

٣. Chapter ٢٧ of Matthew says that the two robbers who were crucified with Christ reviled him. Chapter ٢٣ of Luke relates that one of the two criminals who were hung on the crosses railed at him, saying, "Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us." The other rebuked him, saying, "Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence and condemnation?" (Luke ٢٣:٣٩-٤٠).

٤. In chapter ٥ of John, [Christ] says, "If I bear witness to myself, my testimony is not true" (John ٥:٣٢). In chapter ٨ of this Gospel, however, he says, "Even if I do bear witness to myself, my testimony is true, for I know whence I have come" (John ٨:١٤).

These are but a few examples of the inconsistencies and contradictions in the Gospels, despite the fact that they are small in size. There is enough in them for any‌ one seeking the truth and avoiding fanaticism and obstinacy.١٧