When a woman's marriage ends, the Quran requires her to observe a waiting period, which it calls an interim, before she may marry again. The length depends on her situation. For a widow, the rule appears in the second sura: [2:234] Those who die and leave wives, their widows shall wait four months and ten … Continue reading Can the Quran Explain Itself Without Hadith? The Pregnant Widow Dilemma (2:234 & 65:4)
Does Quran 9:29 Command Muslims to Impose Jizya on Jews and Christians?
In a recent debate on the morality of the Quran, the Christian Apologist, GodLogic (Avery), built his case on one verse: 9:29. His argument ran as follows. Sura 9 begins with declaring war on the pagan Arabs, then at verse 29 turns on the Jews and Christians. They are fought for disbelief alone, with no … Continue reading Does Quran 9:29 Command Muslims to Impose Jizya on Jews and Christians?
Jesus Declares Himself a Liar in Sahih Hadith (Hadith vs. Quran)
Imagine a man of unquestioned honesty who watches a theft unfold before his eyes. The thief, confronted, swears by God that he did nothing. The witness then turns around and declares that he is the one who has lied. Few would call that humility. Most would call it a collapse of both truth and justice. … Continue reading Jesus Declares Himself a Liar in Sahih Hadith (Hadith vs. Quran)
Three False Equivalences in the Defense of Hadith
When Sunnis diminish the Quran to elevate the Hadith When traditionalists are challenged on the authenticity, reliability, or internal consistency of the Hadith corpus, the response often shifts away from defending those problems on their own terms. Instead, the discussion shifts to a challenge to the Quran: it too is said to produce disagreements, contain … Continue reading Three False Equivalences in the Defense of Hadith
The Moral Philosophy of the Quran
Most treatments of Quranic ethics begin and end with a catalog: a list of things enjoined and things forbidden, prayer and charity on one side, theft and slander on the other. This is jurisprudence, not moral philosophy. It answers what but never why, and it mistakes the surface for the structure. A command is only … Continue reading The Moral Philosophy of the Quran
A Hundred Years in Herodotus and the Hadith
In the spring of 480 BC, Xerxes stood at Abydos and looked out over the Hellespont. The strait was covered with his ships; the shore and every plain around the city were dark with men. Herodotus tells us the Persian king congratulated himself on his good fortune—and then, a moment later, he wept. His uncle … Continue reading A Hundred Years in Herodotus and the Hadith
The Tyranny of the Ticker (Part III: Expectation Freedom)
Here is a man you probably know. Every morning, before he has spoken to his family, before he has eaten, before he has done a single thing that is actually within his control, he reaches for his phone and checks the market. If the numbers are green, he will be in a good mood today. … Continue reading The Tyranny of the Ticker (Part III: Expectation Freedom)
How 1979 Geopolitics Pushed Muslim Countries Toward Tyranny
There is a temptation, when examining contemporary predominantly Muslim countries, more rigid expressions—the political repression, the enforced uniformity, the sanctioned violence—to trace these features back through history until they disappear into some unchanging essence of the religion itself. This is a mistake, and not merely an academic one. It misreads the historical record, misattributes responsibility, … Continue reading How 1979 Geopolitics Pushed Muslim Countries Toward Tyranny
Who Are the Baddies? Apostasy, Coercion, and the Mirror the Quran Holds Up to Today’s Islam
There is a famous comedy sketch by Mitchell and Webb in which two Nazi soldiers, mid-battle, pause to notice the skull-and-crossbones insignia on their helmets. One turns to the other and asks the question that has apparently never occurred to them before: "Are we the baddies?" It is a devastatingly simple joke. But it captures … Continue reading Who Are the Baddies? Apostasy, Coercion, and the Mirror the Quran Holds Up to Today’s Islam
The Failure of Asbāb al-Nuzūl (Cause of Revelation Hadith)
Sunni Muslims often argue that the Hadith is necessary for understanding the context of the Quranic verses. Within the classical Islamic sciences, this genre is known as asbab al-nuzul — literally "the occasions of revelation" or "the causes of descent." Its intended purpose is to document the specific historical circumstances, events, and questions that allegedly … Continue reading The Failure of Asbāb al-Nuzūl (Cause of Revelation Hadith)
