The path of deviation and distortion – 2
THIS DISINTEGRATION occurred in the Islamic community a short time after the death of the Messenger, so that “one form…
In praise of Orientalism! – 2
AT THIS STAGE there appeared a translation of the Qur’ān into German by Gustav Fluegel in 1834. These early Orientalists…
The reform of religious discourse – fact or fiction?
DAMAGE REPAIR DOES NOT in itself add anything substantially new, nor does it transform anything into anything else. It merely…
In praise of Orientalism! – 1
I MEAN OF COURSE academic Orientalism, not the superficial, politicised Orientalism associated with colonial administration from the 19th century to…
A culture of fabricated Hadith
HADITH BEGAN to be fabricated during the lifetime of the Prophet himself and men became famous for their expertise in…
The historical roots of Islamic Sharīʻa
THE TITLE OF THIS ESSAY comes from one of the books of the late Khalīl ‘Abd al-Karīm in which the…
The path of deviation and distortion – 1
LET US CONTENT ourselves at this juncture to speak of Revelation as a completed act, and one which believers consider…
Salafist ostracism
HERE WE WILL CONCENTRATE on the mechanism of Salafist ostracism whose purpose, in the final analysis, is domination. The Salafist…
The case for Islamic reform – 1
ACCORDING TO IBN QUTAYBA consensus – that is, the consensus of the nation’s élite (or legislative powers in the contemporary…
On the problem of the Prophet’s infallibility – 2
SHĪʽITE IMAMITE JURISPRUDENCE in itself entirely disavows the possibility of the Prophets committing sins, be they venial or mortal, whether…