Reddit mentions: The best books about hadith

Here's a list of the key books in the field that I'm familiar with (by name and general contents, I've only actually read a few of them). I'm mainly focusing on what is relevant to the study of Twelver Shi'ism; there aren't many English language books on Zaidism, as far as I'm aware, and for Isma'ilism you can start with the works of Farhad Daftary.

I'll start with important works providing an overview of the area, and then give a rough breakdown by "era" (I may be a bit off regarding the era, and many of these books straddle two or more eras, so be warned). This list does not emphasize geographic studies of Shi'ism in various areas and countries, and rather traces the "core narrative" of the development of Shi'i intellectual history, which is typically thought of as happening in what is now modern day Iran, Iraq, and (especially in the post-Mongol/pre-Safavid era) Lebanon, and to a lesser extent in Bahrain. Once you've read the initial works, you should have a good idea about what's going on in each era, and you can pick and choose what to read based on your interests.

If you have no background in general Islamic history, you should first pick up a book on that subject. Tamim Ansary's Destiny Disrupted is an accessible non-academic book on general Islamic history (with an entertaining audiobook read by the author). If you want something heavier and more academic, Marshall G.S. Hodgson's The Venture of Islam is the classic three-volume reference in the field of Islamic studies, although it's a bit dated, especially in the third volume (covering the so-called "Gunpowder Empires"). Note that the standard introductory text on Shi'ism has long been Moojan Momen's book An Introduction to Shi'i Islam: The History and Doctrines of Twelver Shi'ism, but this book is now a bit dated. Heinz Halm also has some surveys, but I'm less familiar with these; likewise for the surveys of Farhad Daftary (who is better known for his work on Isma'ilism than general Shi'ism).

Surveys, Background, and Introduction

• Najam Haider's Shi'i Islam: An Introduction. This is a unique take on introducing Shi'ism that starts with what makes Shi'ism theologically distinct; the book also devotes roughly equal attention to the Zaidi, Isma'ili, and Twelver branches of the faith.
  
• Hossein Modaressi's An Introduction to Shi'i Law: A Bibliographical Study. Chapter 4 provides a very concise, yet fairly thorough overview of the history of the development of Shi'i legal theory; Chapters 1-3 can be read as "optional" background, while the rest is a bibliographical overview that is unlikely to be of interest to a non-specialist.
  
• Andrew J. Newman's Twelver Shiism: Unity and Diversity in the Life of Islam, 632 to 1722. A solid history of Twelver Shi'ism from its beginnings to the end of the Safavid period.
  
• Roy Mottahedeh's The Mantle of the Prophet: Religion and Politics in Iran. While ostensibility an intellectual history of Iran spanning centuries, this is a great introductory look at various aspects of Shi'ism, particularly as it concerns learning in the seminaries.
  
  The Succession and the so-called "Rashidun" Era
  
  
• Wilfred Madelung's The Succession to Muhammad: A Study of the Early Calpihate
  
• S.M.H. Jafri's The Origins and Early Development of Shi'i Islam
  
  The Imams and Early Shi'is in the Ummayid and `Abbasid Eras
  
  
• Arzina Lalani's Early Shi'i Thought: The Contribution of Imam Muhammad Al-Baqir
  
• Najam Haider's The Origins of the Shi'a: Identity, Ritual, and Sacred Space in Eighth-Century Kufa
  
• Maria Massi Dakake's The Charismatic Community: Shi'ite Identity in Early Islam
  
• Hossein Modarressi's Crisis and Consolidation in the Formative Period of Shi'ite Islam: Abu Ja'far Ibn Qiba Al-Razi and His Contribution to Imamite Shi'ite Thought. Considered the standard book on the "rationalist/moderate/shortcoming" view of Imamate.
  
• Mohammad Ali Amir Moezzi's The Divine Guide in Early Shi'ism: The Sources of Esotericism in Islam. Considered the standard book on the esoteric / "High Imamology" view of Imamate.
  
• Jasim M. Hussain's The Occultation of the Twelfth Imam (A Historical Background)
  
• Andrew J. Newman's The Formative Period of Twelver Shi'ism: Hadith as Discourse Between Qum and Baghdad
  
• Meir M. Bar-Asher's Scripture and Exegesis in Early Imami Shiism
  
  The Buyid, Seljuq, and Mongol Eras
  
  
• Martin J. McDermott's The Theology of al-Shaikh al-Mufid (d. 413/1022)
  
• Devin J. Stewart's Islamic Legal Orthodoxy. Some people have reservations about this book, so you might want to look at some reviews. It covers the Shi'i school of Shaykh Tusi engaging in juristic legal borrowing from the Shafi'i Sunni school, if I'm not mistaken.
  
• Etan Kohlberg's A Medieval Muslim Scholar at Work: Ibn Tawus and His Library. This is perhaps a little different from most other books on this list in scope, style, and focus.
  
  The Safavid Era and the Scholars of Jabal Amil
  
  
• Rula Abisaab's Converting Persia: Religion and Power in the Safavid Empire
  
• Robert Gleave's Scripturalist Islam: The History and Doctrines of the Akhbari Shi'i School
  
  The Iranian Interregnum Era
  
  
• Zachary M. Heern's The Emergence of Modern Shi'ism: Islamic Reform in Iraq and Iran
  
• Robert Gleave's Inevitable Doubt: Two Theories of Shi'i Jurisprudence. This is definitely worth a look if you're interested in details concerning Shi'i legal theory proper.
  
  The Qajar Era
  
  
• Hamid Algar's Religion and State in Iran 1785-1906: The Role of the Ulama in the Qajar Period. This book is about fifty years old now, but I think it's still the standard reference for this topic.
  
• Meir Litvak's Shi'i Scholars of Nineteenth-Century Iraq: The 'Ulama' of Najaf and Karbala'
  
  The Contemporary Era / Miscellaneous
  
  
• Liyakat Nathani Takim's Shi'ism in America. I said I'd stay away from the more geographically focused books, but I think this one in particular might appeal to a lot of people; mainly those living in the West in general, and North America in particular.
  
  
• Linda S. Walbridge's The Thread of Mu'awiya: The Making of a Marja' Taqlid. A book with a strange title about the foremost Shi'i scholars in the contemporary age; while published posthumously in the 2010s, the book is based on research conducted in the 1990s. I think it contains a lot of valuable information and an interesting perspective, but I also find some of it to be informed by lazy misconceptions or generalizations, although I'm quite sure the author would have substantially reworked this project had she lived longer.
  
• Ata Anzali's Mysticism in Iran: The Safavid Roots of a Modern Concept. This should provide information on irfan.
  
• Kamran Scot Aghaie's The Martyrs of Karbala: Shi'i Symbols and Rituals in Modern Iran. This covers the evolution of the Karbala narrative in Modern Iran (in the Qajar, Pahlavi, and post-Revolutionary eras, respectively).
  
• Matthew Pierce's Twelve Infallible Men: The Imams and the Making of Shi'ism. This book examines how the genre of the biographies of the Imams was formed (this may be a better fit in one of the above categories, but I'm less familiar with this book, so I'm not sure which era(s) is/are the focus).

I wouldn't normally recommend an advanced text to someone just thinking about Islam, but you attended seminary and I'm assuming not exactly a novice to the concepts and forms of textual criticism. You might appreciate some context to hadith studies generally to see that there is more basis to it than what it may initially seem like.

you might want to try this book. It's probably one of the best if not the best introduction to hadith sciences in English.

If you prefer learning directly from a person rather than pouring over what can be a dense and difficult text that gives you too much information, you could listen to these lectures. I don't think I've listened these, but the sheikh himself is very deservedly popular:

http://www.halaltube.com/usul-al-hadith

http://www.halaltube.com/sciences-of-hadith




>So, from what I have been reading, there are two categories of certainty for the validity of the hadith. The most certain are categorized as mutawaatir, and these are binding in terms of belief and obedience, right? This class of hadith is based on the number of witness in the chain of transmission that verify the saying or the event - and can also apply to the content of a hadith that may not have as reliable a chain of transmission. But there is also another component to this designation of validity, and that is that the Qur'an was compiled from the same sources as these hadith? So, the reasoning from scholars is that to deny these hadith is to deny portions of the Qur'an?


There are many more than two kinds of categories of certainty. Mutawatir doesn't actually refer to the degree of certainty, it applies to number of narrators that support each chain within a certain hadith, however, both a mutawatir and an ahad (only one narrator at one of the steps within the chain) hadith can be considered 'certain' in regards to their truth value as to whether the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, actually made the statement. Mutawatir typically means that there are 4+ narrators at each step in the chain (scholars differ about the number), but you have to understand that if there is a reliable narrator at each step in the chain, then the hadith itself is still considered reliable.

When you say the Quran was compiled from the same sources, if you mean witnessed by people, then yes, the Quran was recorded according to how people heard the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, recite the Quran. It didn't come down from the sky in book form, it was recited. Every verse of the Quran is considered mutawatir, meaning multiple people testified to each of the verses being considered Quran. There isn't really a "chain" though since it was compiled by people who all heard it directly from the Prophet himself.

>So, without these sources, would we have these verses in the Qur'an? Are there known manuscripts from about the same time or prior that contained these verses independent of these hadith? In other words, are these sources for the mutawaatir hadith the confirmed primary sources for those verses in the Qur'an?

again, by sources, in the Islamic tradition, the best source is the testimony of a truthful and reliable person with an unfailing memory. There were of course texts that had Quran and hadiths written on them, but they are not considered as reliable. Is the writing of a liar or a person prone to error better than the speech of a truthful person not known to err? The ancients Arabs preferred the latter. but to answer your question, the narrators of mutawatir hadith are not necessarily the people relied upon in compiling the Quran.

Hadith book collections such as Al-Buhkari are basically a collection of hadiths organized topically. It doesn't provide much in the department of context and what rulings can be derived from each hadith. some hadiths were valid for a set period of time for specific circumstances and then the rule changed later. Scholars call this "Al-Nasikh wa al-Mansukh" and it is found in the hadith as well as the Quran.

My point is that books like Al-Buhkari are meant as raw data for scholars who study the context and the reasons and the conclusions of rulings in the hadith. Not for the layman to causally read through.

If you want to read hadiths that are organized for the layman here are a few suggestions from the sidebar:


---
____LIFE OF PROPHET MUHAMMAD____

• [Video] Biography of Muhammad (pbuh) Video Series - Yasir Qadhi, detailed, very lengthy biography video series. A condensed video series here.
  
  
• [Book] Muhammad Man and Prophet: A Complete Study of the Life of the Prophet of Islam - Adil Salahi, from birth in the Arabian desert to the triumph of Islam and its gaining a permanent hold on Arabia.
  
  
• [Book] Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources - Martin Lings, very detailed and thorough biography based on the earliest sources. Recommended by many, (but relies on a few unauthentic sources).
  
  
• [Audio] The Life of the Prophet Muhammad - Hamza Yusuf, brilliant narration that was originally presented in a twelve week course based on the above book by Martin Lings.
  
  
• [Book] Muhammad (Critical Lives) - Yahiya Emerick, a simple concise, informative biography.
  
  
• [Book] In the Footsteps of the Prophet: Lessons from the Life of Muhammad - Tariq Ramadan, presents the main events of the Prophet's life in a way that highlights his spiritual and ethical teachings.
  
  
• [Web] The Sealed Nectar - Saifur Rahman al-Mubarakpuri, Popular and accurate account of the life of Muhammad (pbuh). Alternative link.
  
  
  ---
  
  ---
  ____HADITH/SUNNAH____
  
  
• [Video] An Introduction to Hadith - Jonathan Brown, 1 hour introduction to the narrations of Muhammad (pbuh). Some questions about hadith answered.
  
  
• [Web] Imam Nawawi's Forty Hadith - Learn and study 42 popular hadith compiled by the famous al-Nawawi with audio commentary. Notes on al-Nawawi and his compilations for more clarity.
  
  
• [Book] Riyad-us-Saliheen - Imam Al-Nawawi, A popular and useful compilation of authentic hadith, covering every aspect of Islamic belief and moral conduct. Read it online or listen to audio.
  
  
• [Web] Sunnah - Hadith books. Note: some of these hadith compilations are specialized books and not for the layman to causally read through. This link is for reference.
  
  
• [Book] Hadith: Muhammad's Legacy in the Medieval and Modern World - Jonathan Brown, provides a detailed exploration of the collection and criticism of hadith and examines the controversy surrounding its role in modern Islam.
  
  ---
  
  
  ^^credit ^^for ^^preparing ^^the ^^list ^^goes ^^to ^^/u/LIGHTNlNG
  ^

I like these kinds of questions coz I get to use bulletpoints. I love bulletpoints.


Is it okay to use a video of a guy praying certain prayers....

• Starting to Pray
  
• Can I Say The Prayer in English?
  
  
• Learning to Pray, Will My Prayers Be Accepted??
  
  What is the obligatory length I must trim.....
  
  
• I'd say take things easy in the beginning, as you grow and learn, application becomes natural.
  
• But to answer your questions ==> Ibn Umar relates that Allah's Messenger (pbuh) said: "To shave the pubic hair, to clip the nails, and to cut the moustaches short, are all characteristics of the natural way (fitrah)." ~Bukhari
  
  What are the requirements for a marriage to a Christian woman....
  
  
• I don't know. But you best consult a scholar beforehand because Christian women have scared rights when married to Muslim man. You'll be a thousand times better off asking all sorts of questions before you get married so that both of you have no misunderstandings.
  
• For scholars, submit questions here: http://aboutislam.net/ask-the-scholar-submit-question/
  
• For counselors (if you prefer advice): http://aboutislam.net/ask-the-counselor-submit-question/
  
  
  Where can I read more into the authentic ahadith....
  
  
• Dr. Jonathan A.C. Brown - An Introduction to Hadith (video)
  
• Dr. Jonathan A.C. Brown - Hadith Filters - Verifying and Understanding Hadith (video)
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Hadith-Muhammads-Legacy-Medieval-Foundations/dp/1851686630 (book)
  
  Where does the idea of praying 5 times a day come from in the ahadith? The Qur'an only mentions 3.
  
  
• Some hadith about the 5
  
• Here are the verses that mention the 5
  

---
QURAN

• [Web] Quran - The Noble Quran in various translations.
  
  
• [Book] Quran - Abdel Haleem, if you're looking for the Quran in book form, this one is written in extremely clear modern English that makes it easy and pleasurable to read.
  
  
• [Book] The Message of the Qur'an - Muhammad Asad, another Quran in book form. This has helpful commentary to provide a more thorough understanding.
  
  
• [Web] English Tafsir -Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi, English commentary of each chapter of the Quran in clear English. Extra link
  
  
• [Audio] Bayyinah Quran Commentary Podcast -Nouman Ali Khan, highly recommended audio commentary of the last 37 chapters of the Quran. Entire Quran commentary with BayyinahTV purchase.
  
  
• [Book] Approaching the Qur'an: The Early Revelations - Michael Anthony Sells, captures the complexity, power and poetry of the last chapters of the Quran.
  
  
• [Web] Tafsir Ibn Kathir - Ibn Kathir, classic commentary written by 14th-century scholar. Extra link.
  
  
  ---
  ____HADITH/SUNNAH____
  
  
• [Video] An Introduction to Hadith - Jonathan Brown, 1 hour introduction to the narrations of Muhammad (pbuh). Some questions about hadith answered.
  
  
• [Web] Imam Nawawi's Forty Hadith - Learn and study 42 popular hadith compiled by the famous al-Nawawi with audio commentary. Notes on al-Nawawi and his compilations for more clarity.
  
  
• [Book] Riyad-us-Saliheen - Imam Al-Nawawi, A popular and useful compilation of authentic hadith, covering every aspect of Islamic belief and moral conduct. Read it online or listen to audio.
  
  
• [Web] Sunnah - Hadith books. Note: some of these hadith compilations are specialized books and Not for the layman to causally read through. This link is for reference.
  
  

• [Book] Hadith: Muhammad's Legacy in the Medieval and Modern World - Jonathan Brown, provides a detailed exploration of the collection and criticism of hadith and examines the controversy surrounding its role in modern Islam.
  
  

>Very grateful for your reply, uwootm8. I googled "criterion of multiple attestation" in an attempt to learn more about this method. "Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim" will definitely take a look at those too. You mentioned "Ibn Ishaaq", are there other ((early)) Muslim historians who were more scrutinizing to Seerah than him? historians who made sure their stories are (as correct as it can get given the available resources of that time)? Thanks again.

Just FYI the subreddit filters out all submissions from new account, nobody can see them except if they click your username.

I am not certain of how much scrutiny was put in. Given the massive size of ibn ishaaq's collection, I tend to think he wrote everything he heard. There is another early historian named Tabari. He flat out just says that he is not judging anything he hears, he's just writing it down. Perhaps that could indicate how the early historians approached seerah. But, ibn ishaaq is pretty much the primary source nowadays. If you are critical of the work I think you can puzzle out the general life of the Prophet. The Qur'an helps in this regard, as do the hadith.

If you're interested in learning more about hadith, I would recommend this book:

http://www.amazon.com/Hadith-Muhammads-Legacy-Medieval-Foundations/dp/1851686630/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1411856221&sr=8-1&keywords=jonathan+brown+hadith

It's one of the best intro's I've read.

You asked for everything really, but here is a selection I personally like that is more focused on the biography of Muhammad.

For Muslim books on the biography of the Prophet, I highly recommend:

A Biography of the Prophet of Islam: In the Light of the Original Sources, an Analytical Study

In the Footsteps of the Prophet: Lessons from the Life of Muhammad

Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources

On the more academic side of his life and following centuries, I recommend:

Muhammad: A Very Short Introduction

Hadith: Muhammad's Legacy in the Medieval and Modern World

In God's Path: The Arab Conquests and the Creation of an Islamic Empire

The Death of a Prophet: The End of Muhammad's Life and the Beginnings of Islam

For the four best primary sources of his biography translated into English:

The Life of Muhammad: Al-Waqidi's Kitab al-Maghazi

The Life of the Prophet Muhammad: Al-Sira al-Nabawiyya

The Life of Muhammad

The Expeditions: An Early Biography of Muhammad

So glad you asked!

An entire science was developed for the authentication of the prophetic traditions, unparalleled to any that have or will ever exist. And it is very interesting. I recommend this very inexpensive book, which you can pick up off of amazon titled A Textbook of Hadith Studies: Authenticity, Compilation, Classification and Criticism of Hadith which should serve as an excellent starting point for answering your questions, along with serve as a good source of information and terminology. Armed with this knowledge, you'll be well equipped to do further research on your own should you be interested, or under the careful tutelage of a scholar.

The most basic book in Islamic theology is Aqeedah Tahawiyyah. Here's a PDF.

Not quite a book, but after that, I'd recommend this audio series by Yasir Qadhi. Goes into some more tangible aspects of theology. After that, this commentary on Aqeedah Tahawiyyah if you really want to learn about detailed theological matters (this is more philosophical than practical).

It's a decent translation, but I prefer Zaki Hammad's The Gracious Qur'an

Study Qur'an, I'd stay away from. If you want some commentary, I'd recommend Abdullah Yusuf Ali's commentary here.

This is a better book of hadith to start out with.

>is Sahih Al Bukhari considered totally checked and true by all Muslims? What about specifically Sunni?

Sahih al-Bukhari is one of many compilations of hadith. All the ahadith within are sahih (authentic) according to the conditions of Imam al-Bukhari. Every hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari is accepted as authentic by all Sunni Islamic scholars, not Shias.

>if you disagree with something that is supposed to be a totally sahih hadith -- is that "haram"?

Yes, to deny a sahih hadith is fisq (transgession). To deny a hadith that is mutawatir (sahih through multiple chains) is kufr (disbelief).

>Is Sahih al Bukhari considered THE definition of the Prophet?

No. Firstly, Sahih al-Bukhari does not contain every sahih hadith - there are hundreds that are not found in Sahih al-Bukhari or even Sahih Muslim (which are together known as the Sahihayn - the two Sahihs). Secondly, we do not reject all other ahadith just because they are not at the level of sahih.

FYI most hadith compilations are not intended for use by layman. There are volumes of books devoted to the interpretation of hadith - Ibn Hajar's Fath al-Bari, for example, is a sharh (commentary) on Sahih al-Bukhari.

Edit:

(Your comments aren't showing up since you're using a new account)

>Do different schools of Islamic thought differ on the answer to these questions? For example Hanafi vs Maliki?

No. Scholars of all four madhhabs accept the ahadith in Sahih al-Bukhari as sahih. However the different madhhabs differ on the interpretation and applicability of individual ahadith.

>I understand compilations like Bukhari were made 100-200 years after the Prophet.

Clarification: Bukhari was not the first compiler of hadith.

>What is the common answer to the question of - how do we know that these actually were his sayings? I know there is the "chain" of relayers, but what is it beyond that?

A hadith has two parts - the sanad/isnad (chain of narrators) and the matn (the text). Scholars of the past memorized thousands of hadiths word for word along with their isnads. The authenticity of a hadith is judged primarily on evaluation of its isnad. It needs to be possible for each narrator to have met each successive narrator. There are volumes of books devoted to ilm ar-rijal - biographical evaluation - which include details of each narrators memory, trustworthiness, piety, knowledge, students, teachers, date of birth and death, etc. Narrators are judged as strong, rejected, unknown, trustworthy, etc. The strength of a hadith is judged by its weakest link. Multiple isnads strengthen a hadith, as do supporting narrations. There is much more to it, please take a look at this book:

Studies in Hadith Methodology and Literature by Mustafa Azami

>I understand Kufr to be when one denies the oneness of God or his prophet. Anything else, isn't Kufr -- correct?

Kufr is disbelief. Each verse of the Qur'an is mutawatir (mass-transmitted at every level of transmission). Similarly if a hadith reached the level of mutawatir there is no possibility for error. So just as denying a single verse of the Qur'an is kufr, so too is rejection of a mutawatir statement of the Prophet SAW.

Edit 2:

>thanks very much for the updated reply -- very thorough and i plan to check out the book. Did you ever read this book? If so, thoughts? I read it, but it was my first book on the topic.
http://www.amazon.com/Hadith-Muhammads-Legacy-Medieval-Foundations/dp/1851686630

Glad to be of help. No, sorry, I haven't read Brown's book, but I've seen others recommending it and I've heard only good stuff about his work.

I am Catholic and learned most of what I know about Islam though university classes and independent research. I can give you a list of books I have read about Islam that will get you started.

Oxford English Koran
Obviously the primary text is important to have and the book is pretty small. Much smaller compared to the bible.



Hadith of Bukhari: Volumes I, II, III & IV


Half of Islamic law is derived from the Koran and the other half from the Hadith. The Hadith is the collection of events, and quotes by Mohammad and his followers. This book is huge and you shouldn't try to read the whole since it is just list quotes and who they are by. But it is a good reference source and something to page through.

Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources
Biography of Mohammad using historical sources. Good reference.



Destiny Disrupted: A History of the World Through Islamic Eyes



Brief 350 page run of Islamic history until now as told by a Muslim. I felt the book was a bit preachy and accusatory towards the end but I read it 6 years ago so my memory might be hazy. Still a good read if you want to try to understand how mainstream moderate Muslim scholars see things. It has a good bibliography too.




There are probably a bunch of other ones I am forgetting. Take a look through Amazon and see what else they have. I would only buy books from university presses or published by academics though. They can be dense and difficult but they are peer reviewed which is important since there is so much anti-Islam, pro-Islam publishing out there.

Muhammed: How he can make you extraordinary

The Productive Muslim - Where Faith Meets Productivity

Dua, Weapon of the Believers

Revive Your Heart: Putting Life in Perspective

The Art of War

Khadija: The First Muslim and Wife of the Prophet Muhammed

Muhammed: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources

Dua's for success in this world and the next, over 100 Duas

Fortress of a Muslim

Reclaim your heart

These are some of the books I have at the moment and I highly recommend them after reading them. I am waiting on a few more books but a lot are non Islamic but still really useful [:

Edit: Like this

CodeReaper,

All statements of the Prophet ﷺ are equal in that if he said it, we follow it without question. However, the recording of those statements is of varying authenticity. They range from certain statements we know for sure he didn't say (called mawdu' or fabricated) to ones we are sure he did say (called sahih or authentic).

The best place to start would be the compilation of 40 hadith written by Imam an-Nawwawi. Here's an edition with commentary or you can read them online here.

Hope that helps,

TheMuslimShrink

Are you interested in learning about hadith science in general and rijal? I recommend starting with An Introduction to Hadith by Abd Al-Hadi Al-Fadli.

I'm only familiar with these from a personal interest, I'm not a scholar, just read a bunch of books. In this case, I looked up the hadiths themselves since the book reference was given, and pretty much all hadith books are available online (at least in Arabic). It's obvious when a hadith has disconnected chain, and you can look up certain narrators in reference books of rijal (Khoei's book معجم رجال الحديث for ex. is available online), a handful of narrators are very common and you eventually just start remembering some of the names and unfamiliar ones stand out. I've also read a few writings by S. Khoei (ra) discussing certain fiqhi issues and how he arrives at a ruling, just to get a rough idea of how scholars determine rulings.

This is perfect! Thank you so much for the info and the link as well. I will definitely check those out :) Just in regards to Nahjul Balagha, do you know if this is the full version of it or just a part: https://www.amazon.com/Peak-Eloquence-Nahjul-Balagha-Abu-Talib-dp-0940368439/dp/0940368439/ref=mt_hardcover?

>People have already determined for you dedicating their lives to it. You can study their method and know that it is legit.

thats what i mean, there is at least 6 sahih books which i dont know how many pages, or this one :

https://www.amazon.com/Translation-Meanings-Sahih-Al-Bukhari-Arabic-English/dp/9960717313/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1479677606&sr=1-3 ,

9 books,

Fabi-ayyi hadeethin baAAdahu yu/minoona

Then in what statement after it will they believe?quran 77:50

i prefer study the Quran then hadiths

>Do you beat your wife? The Qur'an says you can. Do you obey this?

you can read this, way :

Men are the maintainers of women because Allah has made some of them to excel others and because they spend out of their property; the good women are therefore obedient, guarding the unseen as Allah has guarded; and (as to) those on whose part you fear desertion, admonish them, and leave them alone in the sleeping-places and beat them; then if they obey you, do not seek a way against them; surely Allah is High, Great. Quran 4:34Muhammad Asad

or this way :

The men are to support the women by what God has gifted them over one another and for what they spend of their money. The upright women who are attentive, and keep private the personal matters for what God keeps watch over. As for those women from whom you fear a desertion, then you shall advise them, and abandon them in the bedchamber, and separate from them; if they obey you, then do not seek a way over them; God is High, Great. Quran 4:34
[The Monotheist Group] (2011 Edition)

Allah know is best

SLM

>There's simply no comparison between IGoT and the canonical gospels. In IGoT, Jesus is running around murdering other children.

Again, all I stated was just because it's something is stated in a non-canonized Gospel, doesn't mean it's false.

>The Quran makes no concrete statements about a second coming of Jesus.

Yes it does.

>And indeed, Jesus will be [a sign for] knowledge of the Hour, so be not in doubt of it, and follow Me. This is a straight path. [43:61]

Exegesis:

> This is understood to refer to the second coming of Jesus in the Last Days before the Resurrection, when he will destroy the false doctrines that pass under his name, and prepare the way for the universal acceptance of Islam, the Gospel of Unity and Peace, the Straight
Way of the Quran.

Tafsir Abdullah Yusuf

>The Hadiths are entirely ad hoc explanations of obscure Qur'anic passages. Read the work of someone like John Wansbrough or Gabriel Reynolds.

Completely untrue. His sources are hand selected conspiracists like Patricia Crone who believed Muhammad (pbuh) didn't exist, and John Wansbrough who believes Muhammad (pbuh) is a manufactured myth. Analogous to Jesus (pbuh) not existing conspiracists who are easily refuted. For brief overview of how Hadith are authenticated read this:

http://ponderingislam.com/2015/01/01/the-hadith-critical-methodology-a-brief-look-at-how-hadith-are-authenticated-in-the-islamic-tradition/

If you're interested in an in depth read:

http://www.amazon.com/Hadith-Muhammads-Legacy-Medieval-Foundations/dp/1851686630

And:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Origins-Islamic-Jurisprudence-Civilization/dp/9004121315

> explain how I'm "just projecting," how my analysis is actually wrong, etc.

I am not saying you analysis is wrong at all. What I am saying is that your analysis is only true for a portion of the Muslim community, and that the reality of many Muslim women is different from what you are describing. Thus, I am saying that the French ban is ineffective because of this reality. But I acknowledge what you describe is true for some.

I am not looking for an argument at all, if that is what you want, go interact with someone else. I am merely stating that I understand your view, but I humbly submit that your view of the issue is not the only view, and that we need to understand the reality of other people. If you want to argue that I am not depicting an accurate description of the reality of many Muslim women, then there is not much I can do about that.

If you want to know more about how Muslim women and the community view the veil I will point you to two authors: 1) F. Shirazi, she is a great authority on Muslim women and is particularly good about the veil and its use in Iran and East over to India. 2) F. Mernissi, who specializes in the role of feminism in Islam. Menissi is especially good about talking about the role of the veil for Islamic identity among Muslim women across north Africa.

interesting. "Ottomans and Spanish Arabs loved him." Hah, yea right.. Also, Mizrahi Jews got tossed out pretty quickly from Muslim countries.

On "can actually speak real Hebrew." Ummm modern Hebrew exists from the resurrection of Hebrew in the Pale as well as because of Mizrahi influences.

"Speaks weird German language." Can say the same about Ladino as with Yiddish "speaks weird Spanish language."

Seriously, enough inter-Jewish ethnic divisions. How about good old Jewish unity? Can that ever exist in any form?? We all say the same shema, all follow the same Torah, all are eligible for aliyah, and all would be sent to the same ovens.

I recommend these books:

• Jeffery Lang (3) books: Struggling to Surrender, Even Angels Ask and Losing My Religion.
  
  
• Jonathan Brown Hadith- Muhammad's Legacy in the Medieval and Modern World
  
  
• Muhammad Asad The Road to Mecca
  
  
• Tariq Ramadan In the Footsteps of the Prophet
  
  
• Karen Armstrong (2) books: Islam: A Short History
  and Muhammad: A Prophet for Our Time
  
  
• Martin Lings Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources
  
  
• John L. Esposito Who Speaks For Islam?
  
  
• Nathan Lean The Islamophobia Industry
  
  
• Malcolm X The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X, Ossie Davis (Afterword), Alex Haley (As Told to)
  
  
• Sherman Jackson Islam and the Blackamerican: Looking Toward the Third Resurrection
  
  
• Dr. Ejaz Naqvi The Quran: with or Against the Bible?
  
  
• Hamza Yusuf Purification of the Heart
  
  
• Imam Zaid Shakir's translation, commentary and notes on Imam al-Harith al-Muhasibi's Risala al-Mustarshidin Treatise For The Seekers Of Guidance
  
  
• Al-Nawawi Nawawi Forty Hadiths
  
  Side note on Quran translation:
  
  Stay away from
  
  
• The Penguin Koran (The Koran -Penguin Classics- by Anonymous and N. J. Dawood). Its been written by non-Muslim who also changed the order of the Suras. In fact, Dawood's translation might as well been written by Robert Spencer!
  
  Try:
  
  
• The Gracious Quran: A Modern-Phrased Interpretation in English
  
  
• Mona Siddiqui How to Read The Qur'an
  
  
• Bayyinah Podcast for a comprehensive tafseer with Nouman Ali Khan (The iTunes Podcast URL)
  
  
  Misc:
  
  
• Terry Alford Prince among Slaves: The True Story of an African Prince Sold Into Slavery in the American South
  
  
• Omar Ibn Said A Muslim American Slave
  
  
• João José Reis Slave Rebellion in Brazil: The Muslim Uprising of 1835 in Bahia
  
  
• Ahmad Dallal Islam, Science, and the Challenge of History
  
  
• Use this link to download the PDF copy of Even Angels Ask by Jeffrey Lang.
  
  
• Use this link to download copy of Quran translation by Muhammad Asad on on scribd.
  
  
• Use this link to download copy of Quran translation by MAS Abdul Haleem OXFORD WORLD’S CLASSICS
  
  
• Use this link to download copy of Quran translation by Saheeh International (PDF)
  
  
• The Purpose of Life - Jeffrey Lang
  
  Movie:
  
  
• Journey to Mecca

Mufti Taqi Usmani (Hafidhahullah) also has an excellent book on this topic - The Authority of the Sunnah

So does brother Jamal Zarabozo (Hafidhahullah) - The Authority and Importance of the Sunnah

Bit cheap using the cover of Prof. Jonathan Brown's upcoming book for the thumbnail: https://www.amazon.com/Slavery-Islam-Jonathan-C-Brown/dp/1786076357 :)

Good article on the topic by Prof. Brown here too: https://yaqeeninstitute.org/jonathan-brown/slavery-and-islam-what-is-slavery/

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0940368439/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1469754242&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=nahjul+balagha+english&dpPl=1&dpID=61twubE6aLL&ref=plSrch


It's available for free online as well

sunnah.com has hadiths from Sunni books

But watch out, you can't just read hadith as a laymen and think you can correctly derive rulings and interpret them like a scholar.

Also check out his other book: http://www.amazon.com/Hadith-Muhammads-Legacy-Medieval-Foundations/dp/1851686630

It has a section about Shia hadith.




>From what I understand, hadiths in Shi'a Islam also deal with the Imams in some way.

In Shiism, the Imams are divinely appointed. If I have an Isnad going to the 10th Shia Imam, were that Imam says "The Prophet ﷺ said ...", according to Sunnis this only proves that the 10th Imam ages later is attributing something to Muhammad ﷺ. The isnad does not go to the Prophet ﷺ or even the tabi'un/companions. However since the 10th Imam is infallible in Shiism, this enough proof. If it is confirmed the 10th Imam said this, he can't be wrong so it's true. If I am wrong, a Shia here should correct me; don't wanna misrepresent.

Also, go out to /r/shia.

The article is an excerpt from the excellent book of the author

https://www.amazon.com/Hadith-Muhammads-Legacy-Medieval-Foundations/dp/1786073072/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1548981907&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=hadith+muhammad+s+legacy+in+the+medieval+and+modern+world&dpPl=1&dpID=51FI3TaWMFL&ref=plSrch

FGM predates Christianity and Islam. It's intertwined with cultural notions of purity and religiosity that go back to days when animism was the dominant form of religion (something that is still the case in many parts of Africa where this is practiced). Why it emerged I think varies from community to community. Many of these same cultures practice male circumcision in ways that are hardly more pleasant (think a dude scraping somebody's foreskin off with a piece of broken glass when they're 16). Though that isn't to excuse this sort of thing at all.

Religion comes up when these cultural practices are put in the context of broader religious/sexual morals.

The issue isn't how to make people doubt their religion (that's counterproductive), it's more how do you encourage a division between the two. For example your typical protestant has no issue eating meat on Fridays, even though during the middle ages this would have gotten you publicly flogged by the local priest.

A lot of people act like women's rights and Islam are somehow incompatible. This is uneducated. You can absolutely make a feminist interpretation of Islam if one wanted to, and people have, just like people have found similar things in Christianity and Judaism.

Any change in a culture has to come from within that culture. This is something I don't think people in the west have ever really figured out.

I'm aware, the picture you posted doesn't mention semites though, just anti-semitism, which I've never once heard be used to refer to Islamophobia. Searching "Islamic Antisemitism" just returns results like this or this, even searching "anti-semitic islamophobia" returns this or this.

There is no denying that many traditional Islamic texts drip with venomous antisemitism. For anyone interested in a rather comprehensive presentation indicating as much I recommend Bostom's The Legacy of Islamic Antisemitism. It is primarily a presentation of primary texts in translation interspersed and scholarly essays. Denial, whitewashing and downplaying of such a history is simply that. This history long antedates the Israeli-Arab conflict.

Here is the desktop version of your link

This is the copy I have: https://www.amazon.com/Al-Quran-Contemporary-Translation-Ahmed-Ali/dp/0691074992/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1468624920&sr=8-1&keywords=quran+contemporary+translation

and my copy of the hadith: https://www.amazon.com/Translation-Meanings-Summarized-Sahih-Al-Bukhari/dp/1567445195/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1468624954&sr=8-4&keywords=hadith

let's remember folks, Islamic anti-Semitism existed long before Israel and was this wasn't unnoticed by certain people.

> We don't like it when anti semites take our religious texts out of context and meaning, so I'm not going to do it with Muslims.

Christians and Muslims had the same problem they needed the legacy of the Jews but not the Jews. The Pauline gospels were taken out of context by Christians to justify their hatred, and blood libel and Replacement theory were common Christian Ideas as were Passion Plays during Easter which sparked pogroms.

Islam also needed the legacy of the Abrahamic faith but not the Jews, both had the problem that the original Abrahamic faith didn't recognize their particular messiah/prophet which was (as they saw it) the inheritor of the faith line. So the existence of the Jews continued to deny the legitimacy of their claims. Islam generally regards the Jews as having "corrupted" the Torah to "hide" the fact that it talks about the coming of Muhammed. Since of course, it must have been foretold for it to be legitimate.

There is quite a bit of clear anti-Semitism outside the texts, which is very well documented:

When I get home to my bookshelf I can pull out dates, etc but here as some books on it:

The Legacy of Islamic Antisemitism: From Sacred Texts to Solemn History

Anti-Judaism

The largest issue with both traditions was claims of Jewish ancestry and "Judaising" being used to discredit early followers, in Christianity the used these claims to fight over initial thoughts as they hashed out core tenants of Christianity.

In Islam when they went through their own splits after the death of Muhammed, which some blame on the Jews since Muhammed had taken, forcefully, a "Jewess" as a wife and she eventually poisoned him (according to tradition). They used evidence of Jewish bloodlines of "taints" on particular groups that needed to not be followed or justified their removal. There are also some Suras that speak directly about a convert to Islam from Judaism as trying to "pervert" Islam because of his Jewish roots.

edit:

To add some more the Yellow Star used by the Nazis was first introduced in Baghdad by an Islamic Caliph since Jews (and Christians) were considered Dhimmi (second class citizens).

Also review: Muhammad and the Jews According to Ibn Ishaq by Joseph Spoerl originally published in The Levantine Review 2(1) 84-103 The Journal of Near Eastern and Mediterranean Studies at Boston College

https://jewishaction.com/opinion/legal-ease-whats-the-truth-about-muslim-anti-semitism/

I have stumbled across this book on Hadith, which isn't specifically Quranic, but it does contain a section on academic critical views of the Hadith and their vetting process in Islam.

A scholar recently wrote a book on exactly this topic. His name is Jonathan Brown. Check out his book.

Slavery and Islam (Oneworld Academic) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1786076357/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_6ohsDb1VNJ657

>If slavery is not haram than we have a different religion my friend

Can you tell me from an authentic source if slavery is Haram, with Quran or Sunnah.

It is not. However by ijma of scholars it is haram to reestablish slavery once it's abolished in society.

>If we can not superimpose today's moral

Today's morals accept homosexuality, it's clearly haram in the Quran. Either we follow the Quran and Sunnah or society and our desires.

Islam and Slavery and I recommend a read.

Although I am not a fan of the veil in general, (for a feminist look at the veil I suggest The Veil And The Male Elite: A Feminist Interpretation Of Women's Rights In Islam by Fatima Mernissi) but I find it insane that we are letting males who “identify” as female compete against girls, but we are disqualifying girls for wearing hijab. Girls are screwed no matter what they do.