The Meaning of “Sunna” in the Qur’an
The term “sunna” occurs fourteen times in nine Qur’anic verses. It is used in four verses in the expression “sunnat al-awwalin” or the “sunna of…
The Meaning of “Hadith”
The term “hadith” is one of the most used Islamic terms by both Muslims and non-Muslims. But despite its importance there is often a good…
The Concept of “Ghayb” (Unseen) in the Qur’an
Many Qur’anic verses make it absolutely clear that faith is one of the foundations of the belief system of the Muslim. One Qur’anic term that…
The Best Tafsir (Interpretation) of the Qur’an
On the 15th of March 2010 I was invited to give a talk at an exhibition of the Qur’an organized at the University of Liverpool,…
The Difference Between “Qur’an” and “Mushaf”
Many Muslims and non-Muslims do not know the difference between the terms “Qur’an” and “mushaf (pronounced mus haf).” They often even confuse them and use…
The Oneness of God in the Qur’an
This article is extracted and adapted from chapter “The Qur’an’s Rejection of the ‘Sonship of God’” from the book Jesus The Muslim Prophet: History Speaks…
The Meaning of “Jew” in the Qur’an and the Old Testament
This article is extracted and adapted from the chapter “Scriptural Names of the Israelites” of the book The Mystery of Israel in Ancient Egypt: The…
Approaches to the Study of History in the Qur’an and the Bible
On the 13th of August 2009, I was in Kuala Lumpur for the launch of the Malaysian edition of my book The Mystery of the…
The Qur’an’s Concept of the “Best Nation”
This article is taken from the second edition of Jihad in the Qur’an: The Truth from the Source. The book is now in its third…
The Bible’s “Israelization” of God and Religion
This article is extracted from chapter “The Exodus in the Qur’an” of the book The Mystery of Israel in Ancient Egypt: The Exodus in the…
Contextual Displacement in Jewish and Christian Sources
In my book The Mystery of The Historical Jesus: The Messiah in the Qur’an, the Bible, and Historical Sources I coined the term “contextual displacement.”…
History in the Qur’an
This article is adapted from The Mystery Of The Historical Jesus: The Messiah in the Qur’an, the Bible, and Historical Sources Those who are familiar…
An Interpretation of Verse 20 of the Chapter of Joseph
Note that the words شَرَوْهُ “they sold him,” كَانُوا “they were,” and الزَّاهِدِينَ “disinterested in keeping” refer to the same plural pronoun implied in the…
One Night in a Cave that Changed History Forever
The oldest surviving biography of Prophet Muhammad is that of Ibn Hisham (died 833 CE), which is a freely edited version of Ibn Ishaq’s (ca.…
An Interpretation of Verse 19 of the Chapter of Joseph
In the verse above, the Qur'an takes us back to the place where Jacob's sons left their brother hoping that some travelers would help him…
