Islam by the Evidence:
A Concrete, Source-Based Examination of the Religion
Islam is often presented in two extremes—either as a peaceful faith maligned by ignorance or as a threat fueled by archaic doctrine. This post avoids both oversimplifications. Instead, it presents a concrete, verifiable, and source-backed account of Islam. No speculation. No theories. Just facts drawn from Islam’s own foundational texts, historical records, demographic data, and classical jurisprudence.
1. Foundational Texts of Islam
1.1. The Qur'an
Language: Classical Arabic
Length: ~77,430 words
Structure: 114 surahs (chapters), ~6,236 ayahs (verses)
Revealed over: ~23 years (610–632 CE)
Preservation:
Compiled under Caliph Uthman (~20 years after Muhammad’s death)
No full manuscript from Muhammad’s lifetime
Key early manuscripts: Topkapi, Samarkand, Sana'a, Birmingham leaves
Birmingham Manuscript: Dated 568–645 CE with 95.4% confidence (radiocarbon)
1.2. Hadith (Reports on Muhammad)
Compiled 150–250 years after Muhammad
Six canonical Sunni collections (e.g., Bukhari, Muslim)
Shia collections differ (e.g., Al-Kafi)
Reliability determined by chains (isnad) and content (matn)
Scholarly criticism: ideological filtering, late composition (Goldziher, Schacht)
2. Historical Timeline of Early Islam
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 570 CE | Muhammad born in Mecca |
| 610 CE | First revelation in Cave of Hira |
| 622 CE | Hijra (migration to Medina); start of Islamic calendar |
| 624–627 CE | Battles: Badr, Uhud, Trench |
| 632 CE | Muhammad dies; Abu Bakr becomes caliph |
| 661 CE | Ali assassinated; Umayyad dynasty begins |
| 750 CE | Abbasid revolution |
| 1258 CE | Mongols sack Baghdad |
| 1517 CE | Ottomans absorb Abbasid remnant in Cairo |
3. Global Muslim Demographics (2024)
Total: ~2 billion
Sunni: ~85–90%
Shia: ~10–15%
Top populations: Indonesia (~230M), Pakistan (~220M), India (~200M), Bangladesh (~150M)
4. Core Practices (Sunni Islam – Five Pillars)
Shahada – Testimony of faith
Salah – Five daily prayers (Qur’an 2:3, 11:114)
Zakat – Almsgiving (Qur’an 9:60)
Sawm – Fasting in Ramadan (Qur’an 2:183)
Hajj – Pilgrimage to Mecca (Qur’an 3:97)
5. Islamic Law (Sharia)
Sources:
Qur’an
Hadith/Sunnah
Consensus (ijma’)
Analogy (qiyas)
Hudud Penalties:
Theft – Hand amputation (Qur’an 5:38)
Adultery – 100 lashes (Qur’an 24:2), stoning in Hadith
Apostasy – Death (Bukhari 9:83:17)
Alcohol – Lashes (Hadith-based)
6. Jihad: Armed Struggle
Definitions:
Greater jihad – Inner struggle (Sufi origin)
Lesser jihad – Warfare in God’s name
Key Verses:
Qur’an 9:5 – "Kill the polytheists..."
Qur’an 9:29 – Fight People of the Book until they pay jizya
Hadith: "I have been commanded to fight the people..." (Muslim 20:4696)
Classical View:
World divided into Dar al-Islam (House of Islam) and Dar al-Harb (House of War)
7. Slavery in Islam
Qur'anic Basis:
Permitted: Qur’an 4:3, 24:33
Sex with female slaves: Qur’an 4:24, 70:30
Encouraged manumission: Qur’an 90:13
History:
Millions enslaved across Africa, Europe, Central Asia
Notable event: Zanj Rebellion (869–883 CE) in Iraq
8. Status of Women
Legal Inferiority:
Inheritance – Half of male share (Qur’an 4:11)
Testimony – Two women = one man (Qur’an 2:282)
Marriage:
Polygamy (up to 4 wives): Qur’an 4:3
Beating wives allowed: Qur’an 4:34
Modesty:
Veil instructions: Qur’an 24:31, 33:59
9. Islam and Non-Muslims
Dhimmi System:
People of the Book tolerated under Islamic rule
Must pay jizya (Qur’an 9:29)
Limited rights: no new churches, must show deference
Apostasy and Blasphemy:
Qur’an does not mandate punishment
Hadith and classical jurists: death penalty
Still enforced in several modern Muslim states
10. Qur'anic Manuscript Evidence
Key Manuscripts:
Birmingham Manuscript: Radiocarbon dated 568–645 CE
Sana’a Palimpsest: Early variant layers beneath current Uthmanic text
Topkapi, Samarkand: Standardized 8th-century texts
Conclusion:
Uthmanic codex became dominant, but not original
Early textual variation confirmed by archaeology
This source-based review offers a high-resolution snapshot of Islam’s doctrine, practice, and historical development—without speculation or embellishment. The aim is clarity through documentation, not ideology.
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