Qur'anic Answers

The Qur'an sets simple, clear rules for what parts of the body should be covered. Modesty in the Qur'an is an ethical guardrail designed to protect marriage, preserve dignity, and prevent sexual misconduct. Yet over the centuries, men have decided the modesty rules of the Qur'an are not enough and have decided to create numerous strict dress rules that go far beyond what Allah has mandated.

An issue when examining the Qur'anic instructions on modesty is the precise definition of the term 'zinah' (commonly translated as "adornment" or "beauty"). Traditional interpretations often define zinah as referring to biological body parts of a woman. But what does the Qur'an actually mean when it uses this word? The meaning of zinah determines what the Qur'an actually requires women to conceal so precision here is essential.

A major difference between Muslims and Christians is what happened to Jesus at the end of his earthly life. For Christians, Jesus was crucified and then resurrected, which forms the central pillar of their faith. On the other hand, mainstream Islam teaches Jesus was never crucified but was instead raised alive by Allah. From afar, it seems difficult to reconcile how both communities can hold such unanimous and yet contradictory beliefs. So, does the Qur'an address this issue, and how does it actually present the death of Jesus?

Leaving Islam is one of the most serious actions a Muslim can commit, and in traditional circles, can even warrant the death penalty. Others believe in complete freedom of religion. But how does the Qur'an actually address this, and does it provide a clear answer on the matter.

A debatable issue within the Muslim community is with regards to the destiny of the parents of Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him). Some claim they were from among a tiny group of people called the Hanifs who practised a form of monotheism, so will be in paradise. Others claim they were polytheists and therefore will be in hell, and back this up with evidence from the hadith. But what does the Qur'an actually say on the matter and does it provide a clear answer to this question.

Each year as Ramadan begins, a familiar and sometimes heated debate resurfaces within the Muslim community. This is usually centered on the correct way to perform the night salat known as 'taraweeh' - a term we will now use for the remainder of this article. The arguments usually revolve around the number of rakats and whether taraweeh can be performed in congregation. This article investigates how the Qur'an has addressed this issue and established the real requirements of offering the night salat.

An issue of dispute among Muslim scholars past and present is about whether a person must perform wudhu before they can touch the Qur'an. The rulings for wudhu have always been derived on inference from a particular verse in the Qur'an as well as other materials from outside the Qur'an. In this article, we look at how the Qur'an addresses this issue.

Muslims claim to honour Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) by sending salutations on him, dressing like him, growing a beard and adopting a hairstyle to imitate his appearance, copying his sleeping and eating habits and many more aspects of his personal life.  This always originates from sincere devotion but is often based on questionable reports. Is this really what it means to honour Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him), or does the Qur'an provide the real method of honouring him.

During the nights of Ramadan, many people, particularly from the Sunni denomination, attend the night prayers in congregation, known as 'taraweeh'.  During these prayer sessions, some members of the congregation use a copy of the Qur'an to follow along with the recitation of the imam. The Arabic word for the Qur'anic text is mushaf and this is what we will use in this article. When referring to the mushaf, we are referring to the text in all its formats including digital formats like mobile phone devices. This issue leads to debates about whether it is permissible to use a mushaf and questions are even raised about the validity of the salat itself. This article looks at how the Qur'an addresses this matter.

Was there a reason Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) was sent " ...as a mercy to the world " (21:107)  in the sixth-seventh century or was it just a random event in history.  This article looks at the evidences from the Qur'an, together with the historical events leading up to the revelation to explain the timing for sending Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) at this precise moment.

For the vast majority of Muslims today, zakat is treated as a simple 2.5% calculation on certain types of wealth, once a year, above a minimum threshold defined in grams of gold or silver.  Yet when we return to the Qur'an itself, a very different understanding appears on the types of wealth subject to zakat and the rate itself. The Qur'an presents zakat as a tool designed to prevent wealth becoming the private property of the elite and it legislates a perfect system to achieve this.

A statement that is often made is 'we cannot pray the salat without the hadith'.  The claim is usually made as though the hadith provides all the details. But this understanding rests on the assumption that the hadith does indeed contains the rituals in detail, step-by-step. However, a closer look at the history of salat shows a very different story.

Many Muslims today think that all religious information is preserved with the same care as the Qur'an.  So when they hear or read something - usually on the internet - they take it to be the truth. This article is focussing on the preachers and how they have played a major part in diverting the Muslims away from the Qur'an and into the realms of fantasy. 

When people claim that you cannot follow Islam without hadith, they always forget the one man who did exactly this: Abu Hanifa.  Today, the largest school in the Muslim world, the Hanafi school, keeps the name of its founder, but no longer follows his methodology. It has become 'hadithified' to the extent that modern Hanafi followers often use the methods of the people of hadith (hadith-first) instead of Abu Hanifa's methods.  We must note that our research has relied on reports which themselves have come through later hadith compilations. The hadith numbers are as referenced in the book 'Kitab-As-Sunnah' by Abu-Abdir-Rahman Abdullah ibn Ahmad ibn Hanbal - the son of Ahmed ibn Hanbal, the founder of the Hanbali school. We only use the reports to analyse the attitudes and cultures of the time and not as unquestionable historical truth in every detail.

To demonstrate that certain Qur'anic verses have been abrogated by other verses, some people show the example of the early Muslims facing Jerusalem before changing direction towards Mecca as abrogation.  They show that this is proof that a later verse instructing to face Mecca was revealed which abrogated the previous verse instructing to face Jerusalem. They usually  cite the verse " ...We did not make the focal point that you came on except that We may know who is following the messenger from those who will turn on their heels... " (2:143) to support their position.  We cover the concept of abrogation in detail in the Qur'an  here .

It is often argued that we must trust the hadith because the same companions who gave us the Qur'an also gave us the hadith.  This appears to make complete sense on the surface level. However, when studied even a little, the historical and logical facts show that this claim is not only misleading but actually false. Some of the people most responsible for the Qur'an's preservation were the same ones who actively suppressed and discouraged the narration of hadith.

What does it mean to follow the sunnah of Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him)?  The question for today is are we really following the sunnah of Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) or has his sunnah been reduced to only following the culture of the 7th century Arabs? For clarity, the use of the word sunnah in this article is referring to the sayings, teachings, actions, appearances, habits and silent approvals of Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) as understood in classical Sunni tradition, and not to be confused with the 'sunnat-Allah' mentioned in the Qur'an.

Across Islamic history, a scholarly class emerged and gradually positioned itself as the primary interpreter and guardian of the religion of Allah.  Their authority has grown over the centuries, shaping how Muslims understand Islam. But is this truly how Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) intended for people to access their religion?

For many Muslims today, the ultimate dream is to visit Makkah for Hajj and Umrah and see the Kaaba.  It is the direction of salat for all Muslims and a symbol of unity. But when we witness what happens around it, a difficult question arises: has the Kaaba shifted from being our direction of salat and a symbol of unity to now becoming an object of devotion itself?

Islam is a practical religion that acknowledges the realities of human life.  While marriage is sacred, Islam recognises that not all marriages can last. Divorce is therefore permitted as a reality of life, and this permission itself is a mercy, for it prevents prolonged unhappiness by allowing people to end marriages that have become a source of pain rather than peace.

The early years of Islam after Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) reveal a very interesting insight into how Divine Law was preserved. The earliest generation of Muslims based their understanding on the principle that the Qur'an was the only source of religious law. This narrative challenges later traditions which elevated the Hadith to equal authority with the Qur'an when it came to legislation. The reason for the early Muslim community's sole focus on the Qur'an is because of the Book's own claim to being complete and fully detailed. This generation contrasts with the later generations who claimed the Qur'an was an abstract things which needed explaining from a second body of law: the hadith.

A claim about the Qur'an is that it contains abrogation of verses; that some verses were revealed by Allah only to be cancelled or replaced by later ones. If true, this would suggest an evolving Qur'an, raising doubts about its consistency and divine origin. Yet when read carefully in its own context, this idea can no longer be supported. The Qur'an does not describe its verses as temporary or replaceable. Instead, it presents itself as the final revelation, superseding all previous scriptures including the Torah and the Gospel, while affirming their original truths.

The Qur'an prohibits sexual immorality in all forms.  This article presents a detailed analysis of the prohibition, the proofs required to obtain conviction, and the subsequent punishments. 

Disagreement and hostility have always been the realities of human history.  Muslims encounter them in many forms: political movements that thrive on division, public acts of provocation such as burning the Qur'an, offensive cartoons of Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him), or the disputes that unfold on social media. These situations can stir anger and frustration, yet the Qur'an tolerates offensive and provocative speech as " there is no compulsion in the system... " (2:256). Rather than commanding believers to suppress such speech, the Qur'an teaches them how to respond to it with restraint, wisdom, and dignity.

Homosexuality is one of the hardest topics for Muslims to talk about but the Qur'an doesn't avoid it.  This article breaks down what the Qur'an actually says, and how to understand it without the confusion prevalent today. Key to this discussion is the recurring story of Prophet Lot and his people; a narrative that appears in multiple chapters of the Qur'an and is described consistently with clarity and deliberate language. 

The Qur'an offers a clear guide on the practice of ablution, known as wudhu, the ritual cleansing performed before salat.  This practice exclusively tied to prayer and not to general cleanliness. In this article, ablution will be referred to as wudhu. The Qur'an itself provides the instructions on how to perform wudhu and the conditions attached to it.

The Qur'an is extremely clear that " Allah condemns usury ..." (2:276) as one of the worst sins. In Islam, most people understand the term 'riba' to mean all interest.  However, in todays society where the global financial industry is based on interest, how can Muslims obey the divine command to avoid 'riba' and at the same time function in the modern world. This article looks at 'riba' according to the Qur'an and tries to understand whether the inherited understanding is actually correct. 

The phrase 'Allah and His messenger' appears repeatedly in the Qur'an, especially in contexts involving obedience, law, and authority.  It is commonly interpreted as an order to follow two distinct sources: Allah—understood as the Qur'an—and the messenger—understood as the hadith. However, this reading imposes two separate sources of law that the Qur'an itself does not support.

The Qur'an does not treat menstruation as a taboo, nor does it surround it with ambiguity; rather, it addresses the topic directly and with precision.  Yet, menstruation has been mischaracterised as a barrier to all worship, leading to widespread confusion about what is actually prohibited, what is conditionally suspended, and what remains fully permitted.

The claim that the Qur'an fails to provide sufficient detail for rituals is often levelled against those who rely exclusively on the Book.  However, the Qur'an presents a clear framework for the rituals of worship in Islam. It's role is not as a manual for the mechanical movements of rituals, but as a restorer of the ancient covenant and a legislator for new ones. 

It is often claimed that alcohol and gambling were prohibited gradually in Islam which the Qur’an first discouraged, then restricted, and finally banned.  This narrative is widespread, but it rests on a fragile foundation. It assumes that Allah took into account human addiction to ease social transition and withheld legal clarity to avoid backlash in the early days of Islam. But does this actually make any sense? We discuss the full prohibition of alcohol here .

In Islam, the prohibition on intoxicants including alcohol is well known. However, sometimes there are debates in the Muslim world into whether some small quantities of intoxicants may be deemed acceptable as long it does not lead to intoxication. But what does the Qur'an actually tell us on the prohibition of alcohol and what are the reasons for it being labelled as haram.

The verses of the Qur'an establish that the salat is a scheduled practice with specific timings throughout the day and night, defined by natural celestial events.  The verses collectively delineate five main times: before dawn (Fajr), at midday (Zuhr), in the afternoon before sunset (Asr), just after sunset (Maghrib), and at night (Isha). Finally, the concept of a 'middle salat' is mentioned. In addition to the five prescribed daily salat, the Qur'an details a voluntary, additional night salat for reflection and reading of the Qur'an. This night salat is encouraged but its difficulty is also acknowledged by Allah, with a pardon for those unable to maintain it. A specific weekly congregational salat is also proscribed for 'the day of congregation' (Friday), requiring believers to cease commerce and hasten to the remembrance of Allah upon hearing the call. All timings are consistently described using natural celestial events such as the rising and setting of t...

Traditional understanding has long held the view that the word 'ummi' means someone who is illiterate.  The Muslims have used this understanding to determine the Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) could not read nor write. However, this article looks exclusively to the Qur’an to establish the actual meaning of 'ummi' and to assess whether the traditional understanding holds up to Qur'anic scrutiny.

The prohibition of consuming pork is one of the most widely known in Islamic dietary law. Traditionally, this has been understood as a total ban on the pig, making the animal itself unclean and haram. But what does the Qur'an actually say about the pig?

Fasting during Ramadan is an obligation of abstinence, originating in the Qur'an, that aims not at physical deprivation but at obtaining righteousness.  It is not simply about enduring hunger or avoiding marital intimacy, but about getting closer to Allah.

This article provides a clear and straightforward explanation of the dietary rules in Islam, designed for anyone new to the topic.  Based on the Qur'an, these laws form a complete system that is clear in its rules and merciful in times of need.