The following is a thread by scholar Joshua Little regarding Harald Motzki : https://twitter.com/IslamicOrigins/status/1388495411489431556 Thread App write-up Harald Motzki (d. 2019) was an extremely influential scholar in secular Hadith Studies, best known for his criticisms of Joseph Schacht and Gautier Juynboll; his work on the Muṣannaf of ʿAbd al-Razzāq; and his defence of the isnād-cum-matn … Continue reading Some Popular Misconceptions about Motzki (Joshua Little Thread)
High and Low Hadithology: Mapping the Madhhabs’ Views on Hadith Authority
When scholars of Christianity speak of high and low Christology, they are not referring to two different religions but to a spectrum of belief regarding the status of Christ. Some traditions elevate him to pre-existent divinity, while others see him primarily as a prophet and teacher. The same framework can help us think about the … Continue reading High and Low Hadithology: Mapping the Madhhabs’ Views on Hadith Authority
Sunni Apologist Hadith Fragment (AP 259) Dishonesty
In a recent debate with Sunnis on Discord, some individuals cited a scholarly paper to claim proof of hadith manuscripts from the first century Hijri. In their typical fashion, rather than sending a link to the article, they only sent a screenshot of the article's first page, underlining a single sentence: “The date of this … Continue reading Sunni Apologist Hadith Fragment (AP 259) Dishonesty
The Hawk & The Dove (Quran & Gospel)
The opening verse of Sura 53, "The Stars" (Al-Najm) states: [53:1] As the stars fell away. وَٱلنَّجْمِ إِذَا هَوَىٰ 1wal-najmiوَٱلنَّجْمِBy the star2idhāإِذَاwhen3hawāهَوَىٰit fell down / fell away Dr. Rashad Khalifa provides the following footnote for this verse: *53:1-18 Muhammad was summoned to the highest universe to receive this Quran into his heart. The stars fell away … Continue reading The Hawk & The Dove (Quran & Gospel)
Muhammad Mythicism
The notion that Prophet Muhammad never existed — sometimes called Muhammad mythicism — is a fringe idea that has gained attention in certain circles, not because it is supported by credible historians, but because it has been aggressively promoted by Christian polemicists like Jay Smith and Robert Spencer. These are not scholars searching for truth, … Continue reading Muhammad Mythicism
Sunni Punishment for Abandoning Salat (Quran vs. Hadith)
In Sunni Islam, apostasy is punishable by death. This ruling is drawn directly from hadith literature, such as the report in Sunan al-Nasa’i: Ibn 'Abbas said: "The Messenger of Allah said: 'Whoever changes his religion, kill him.'" أَخْبَرَنَا عِمْرَانُ بْنُ مُوسَى، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَارِثِ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَيُّوبُ، عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ … Continue reading Sunni Punishment for Abandoning Salat (Quran vs. Hadith)
A Gettier Problem in Hadith Justification
Some truths in Submission (Islam) are so foundational that they require no debate. Two such truths are the obligation to give Zakat and to perform Salat — both core pillars of faith, emphasized clearly and repeatedly in the Quran. For most believers, these are established facts. Yet a curious shift happens when a Hadith is … Continue reading A Gettier Problem in Hadith Justification
Mass Hadith Forgery: The Foundations of Sunni Islam
Muhammad Zubayr Siddiqi, Ḥadīth Literature: Its Origin, Development and Special Features, rev. ed., ed. Abdal Hakim Murad (Cambridge: Islamic Texts Society, 1993), p. 33. The foundations of Sunni Islam were built upon a sea of forged traditions. By the mid-9th century CE, the compilers of the Kutub al-Sittah (Six Books) sifted through millions of reports … Continue reading Mass Hadith Forgery: The Foundations of Sunni Islam
Companion Hypocrisy and the Hadith & Sunnah House of Cards
For centuries, Hadith has been the bedrock of Sunni Islamic law and theology. But what happens when one of Sunni Islam’s most prominent voices admits that this foundation doesn’t stand up to scrutiny? In a recent interview on the Sképsislamica podcast, promoting his new book “Understanding Salafism,” Yasir Qadhi made a startling admission: “Nobody in the academy affirms … Continue reading Companion Hypocrisy and the Hadith & Sunnah House of Cards
Abu Bakr’s Stance on Hadith and the Problem with Anti-Quran-Alone Hadith Narration
A common maxim about the Hadith corpus is: for every Hadith, there is an equal and opposite Hadith. This reflects the reality that many individuals fabricated Hadith to support conflicting political or theological positions. The result is a vast, often contradictory body of literature—pro-Aisha Hadith, anti-Aisha Hadith; pro-Umayyad, anti-Umayyad; pro-Ali, anti-Ali—and this extends to core … Continue reading Abu Bakr’s Stance on Hadith and the Problem with Anti-Quran-Alone Hadith Narration
