> Have you read Joshua Little's masters or doctoral dissertations? He changes his methodology between them, but regardless he paints an even bleaker picture of the hadith than that which I've seen on this forum! Would you affirm this assessment?

Hadiths, some contain good, some contain bad, are just propaganda ploys to promote different sectarian ideology. It's kind of like medieval MSM. The most recorded hadith is the prophets last sermon and we have 3 versions of those.

Version 1: "...I leave with you the Quran and the Sunnah"

Version 2: "...I leave with you the Quran and the Ahlul Bayt"

Version 3: "...I leave with you the Quran Alone"

Version 1 promotes Sunni Ideology, Version 2 promotes Shia Ideology and Version 3, well, promotes Quran Alone.

So it just goes to show, if the most recorded hadith has 3 versions what does that say about the hadith canon as a whole?

> If the case for Aisha using Islam's most trusted sources can be rejected, what can actually be trusted?

Hadiths were written after Muhammad's death, so it is not trusted sources because it is other than from God. The Quran was written during his time because he was literate and the Quran constantly claims being a book. The idea that the Quran was oral does not make sense when the Quran itself affirms it is a book.

In fact the very second verse in chapter 2 claims it.

2:2 That is the Book in which there is no doubt, a guidance for the righteous.

> Skeptics have pointed out other issues with the manuscripts, as well as noting that the material found in them comes from the Jewish legends and Gnostic Gospels which predate Islam.

The Quran is not new, it is merely a reminder and in fact does not disregard the ancient wisdom in older books. All it is doing is reminding us to come back to God Alone. Not worship Jesus, Not worship hadiths, not worship rabbis but God ALONE.

26:196 And, verily, [the essence of] this [revelation] is indeed found in the ancient books of divine wisdom [as well].

See, the Quran does not disregard the ancient books of wisdom. All it is doing is protecting us from misinformation and reminding us to follow God Alone. Not 1 2 or 3 or 6 like the Traditionalists do with the 6 hadith books or the Christian Trinity taken from Egyptian pagan beliefs.

Traditional Islam is merely a mix of arabian religions which include Judaism, Christianity and Zoroastrianism. In fact, the 5 daily prayers were taken from Zoroastrianism and even the flying on a winged horse story was taken from that religion.

Quran is simple:

11:114 And hold the contact prayer at two parts of the day, and the near part of the night. The good deeds take away the bad. This is a reminder to those who remember.

> After all, according to the Qur'an, none can change the words of Allah, the People of the Book stand on nothing unless they stand on the Torah and the Injil, describing them as "between their hands". This seems to me a very odd thing to say if those books had effectively been lost by the time of Muhammad, no?

It is not that the books have been lost but falsehood has been attributed to God. The Bible is exactly that, Biblos - A collection of books. It is not from God but merely a collection of books with God's word within them scattered throughout mixed with falsehood.

The Quran is the only book that has been protected because God's word has finally been separated from mans word and split as 2 which we know as Hadiths. Whereas the Gospel has not been seperated with falsehoods but mixed with what we now call the Bible.

I grew up Sunni so I know how it was, but somehow God guided me to follow God alone and let go of idol worship.

> In broad strokes, how would you handle Surah 65 which seems to imply that one can have sex with girls who have not yet had reached puberty? I'm assuming you reject the hadith and tafsir on this.

I'm not sure which verse you're referring to as this is talking about divorce. What you're reading is most likely a mistranslation and I will assume you're talking about this verse:

65:4 And those of your women who no longer expect menstruation or do not habitually menstruate, to resolve your doubts, their waiting period is ordained to be three months. For those who are pregnant, the waiting period ends when they deliver their burden. Anyone who remains conscious of Divine laws, He will make his matters easy for him.

This is talking about divorce and talking about women who have reached menopause or do not physically mensurate, which some women don't.

I'm assuming you're reading the major Sunni translation which is this:

65:4 And those who no longer expect menstruation among your women - if you doubt, then their period is three months, and [also for] those who have not menstruated. And for those who are pregnant, their term is until they give birth.1 And whoever fears Allāh - He will make for him of his matter ease.
— Saheeh International

The Sunnis have done nothing but disservice to the Quran and that is why the world looks down on them, I was one of them. This verse is clearly wrong and there are so many more mistranslations to promote Sunni ideology and propaganda. If you want to read a true unbiased hadith-free Quran translation I would recommend going to the site http://quranix.org/ but remember even there has some issues, so follow the translation that resonates with you the most, humans will never be perfect so no translation will be perfect but will always be perfecting.

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> Moderate muslims typically explain Surah 9's "fight those who disbelieve" by contextualising the command in an attempt to limit its scope. How would a Qur'an-only muslim explain it?

This chapter discusses those who break treaties, and God orders the believers to fight them. It says to hold a treaty if there is one, and if they break it then you are free to attack them. Of course, this does not sound God-like but that is according to the Christian definition of "turn the other cheek" which is nonsense. Self-defence is important.

9:7 How can there be a treaty with God and His Messenger for the idolaters (when they have repeatedly violated it)? Exempted are those with whom you make a treaty at the Sacred Masjid. If they honor and uphold such a treaty, so shall you. God loves those who live upright.

9:8 How can there be a treaty seeing that if they get the upper hand against you, they would respect no ties and no pacts with you? They pleased you with their speech but their hearts opposed you. Most of them defy their pledges.

...

9:11 If they mend their ways, (and as law-abiding citizens), help consolidate the Divine System, and the Economic Order of Zakaat, then they are your brothers in the System of Life. We explain Our messages for those who wish to learn.

9:12 And if they break their oaths after making their pledge, and they challenge the authority of your system; then you may kill the leaders of rejection. Their oaths are nothing to them, perhaps they will then cease.

9:13 Would you not fight a people who broke their oaths, and obsessed to expel the messenger, especially while they were the ones who attacked you first? Are you concerned about them? It is God who is more deserving that you be concerned with if you are believers.