Critiquing Islam 2.0

Islam Isn’t What Muslims Say — It’s What the Quran Says

Don’t Judge Islam by Opinions — Judge It by Its Own Sources

Introduction: Understanding Islam Without Confusion

One of the most common mistakes people make when trying to understand Islam is this: they judge the religion by what Muslims say or do. But Muslims, like followers of any faith, are diverse. They come from different cultures, hold different beliefs, and practice their religion in different ways.

So how do you know what Islam really teaches? Simple — you go to the sources. The Quran, the Hadith (traditions of Muhammad), and the early Islamic history are where Islam is defined. Anything else is just someone’s interpretation.

In this post, we’ll look at why it’s a mistake to judge Islam by what Muslims say or do — and why the only way to know what Islam actually teaches is to go directly to its own sources.

1. Muslims Are Not a Monolith: Belief vs. Practice

A World of Diversity: There are nearly 2 billion Muslims in the world, and they don’t all believe or practice the same way. Sunni, Shia, Sufi, Salafi, Ahmadiyya, Quranist — each group has its own beliefs, interpretations, and practices.
Personal Interpretations: Some Muslims see Islam as a religion of peace, while others embrace strict interpretations of Sharia law. Some Muslims drink alcohol, while others consider it a grave sin. Some Muslims believe in freedom of religion, while others believe in punishing apostasy.
Local Cultures Matter: A Muslim in Indonesia might practice a very different form of Islam from a Muslim in Saudi Arabia, Somalia, or New Zealand. Local customs and cultural values often mix with religious beliefs, creating a wide variety of Islamic practices.

2. The Problem with “My Muslim Friend Said…”

Personal Beliefs vs. Islamic Teachings: Just because a Muslim says something about Islam doesn’t mean it is true. They might genuinely believe it, but that doesn’t make it accurate.
Contradictory Claims: You might hear one Muslim say “Islam is a religion of peace” while another says “Islam is a complete way of life, including laws for war and punishment.” Which one is right? Only the sources can answer that.
Cherry-Picked Verses: Some Muslims promote a peaceful image of Islam by quoting verses like “There is no compulsion in religion” (Quran 2:256). But they leave out verses like “Fight those who do not believe” (Quran 9:29). This selective quoting can create a misleading picture.

3. The Sources Tell the Real Story

If you want to understand Islam, you have to look at what its own texts say:

The Quran: Considered by Muslims to be the literal word of Allah, it is the foundation of Islamic belief. It is the final authority in Islam, the ultimate standard by which everything else is judged. It contains teachings on theology, morality, law, warfare, and the treatment of non-Muslims. What the Quran says in plain, black-and-white text is the final word — no human interpretation needed. But the other sources (Hadith, Sira, and history) are there to help clarify, expand, and explain its teachings.
The Hadith: These are collections of Muhammad’s sayings and actions, recorded by his followers. The two most trusted collections are Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, but there are many others. Hadiths cover everything from prayer to politics, diet to warfare. They provide context for Quranic verses and show how Muhammad applied them.
The Sira (Muhammad’s Biography): The earliest biographies of Muhammad, such as Ibn Ishaq’s “Sirat Rasul Allah,” provide a detailed account of his life — including his role as a religious leader, political ruler, and military commander.
Islamic History: The early caliphates (Rashidun, Umayyad, Abbasid) show how Islamic teachings were put into practice — both the peaceful and the violent aspects.

4. Why Judging by Muslims Leads to Confusion

Muslims Can Be Sincere but Misinformed: Not every Muslim is a scholar. Many Muslims have never read the Quran in their own language, let alone studied the Hadith. They often repeat what they have been taught.
Muslims Can Be Selective: Like anyone else, Muslims can focus on the parts of their religion they like and ignore the rest. Some focus on spiritual teachings, while others focus on strict laws.
Muslims Are Human: They are influenced by their culture, their upbringing, and their personal experiences. Just because a Muslim is kind or cruel doesn’t mean that is what Islam teaches.

5. What the Sources Actually Teach

If we judge Islam by its own sources — not by the behavior of Muslims — here is what we find:

On Peace and Conflict: The Quran has both peaceful and violent verses. “There is no compulsion in religion” (Quran 2:256) is balanced by “Fight those who do not believe” (Quran 9:29).
On Non-Muslims: The Quran calls Christians and Jews “People of the Book” (Quran 2:62), but it also commands Muslims to fight them until they pay the jizya tax in submission (Quran 9:29).
On Women: The Quran says men are a “degree above” women (Quran 2:228), allows a man to beat his wife (Quran 4:34), and gives a woman’s testimony half the value of a man’s (Quran 2:282).
On Freedom of Religion: While some Muslims point to “There is no compulsion in religion” (Quran 2:256), the Hadith and Sharia law prescribe death for apostates (Sahih Bukhari 6922).
On Sharia Law: The Quran and Hadith include punishments such as amputation for theft (Quran 5:38), flogging for adultery (Quran 24:2), and death for apostasy (Sahih Bukhari 6922).

6. What About the Good Muslims You Know?

Good People, Different Beliefs: Many Muslims are good, honest, and kind people. But that doesn’t mean their religion teaches what they believe.
The Human Factor: People often follow their conscience, even if it conflicts with their religion’s teachings. A Muslim might reject the harsh punishments of Sharia because they are a good person — not because Islam has changed.
The Difference Between People and Beliefs: A good Muslim might never harm anyone, but that doesn’t change the fact that Islamic texts include violent teachings. You cannot judge an ideology by the actions of its followers.

Conclusion: Judge Ideas by Their Sources, Not Their Followers

If you want to know what Islam teaches, don’t look at Muslims — look at the Quran, the Hadith, and Islamic history. The Quran is the final authority in Islam, and it is supposed to be clear in its teachings. What it says in black and white is what it teaches — no human interpretation needed. The Hadith and Sira exist to provide context, but they do not override the Quran.

Judging Islam by Muslims is like judging a book by the fans who read it. Some are kind, some are strict, some are peaceful, and some are not — but they don’t define the book. The book defines itself.

If Islam is true, it should be able to stand up to honest questions. If it cannot, then it has something to hide.