a deen is not a religion

Introduction Most readers and traditional readings of the Qur'an assume verse 4:3 permits men to marry multiple wives, but the Arabic text says otherwise. The verse speaks about fairness and responsibility toward dependents, not marriage. When read contextually, fa-inkiḥū  means “formalize agreements,” and mā ṭāba lakum  refers to what is proper or manageable — not women. Together with 4:129, the passage limits overextension and demands justice, dismantling the idea of Qur’an

Introduction The phrase “Abrahamic religion”  suggests that Judaism, Christianity, and Islam form a single religious family tracing back to Abraham. The Qur’an, however, never uses this term and does not group guidance in that way. It presents one dīn  — a just and upright system of truth — revealed to all communities through different messengers, languages, and contexts. Limiting this universal message to an “Abrahamic” lineage distorts what the Qur’an repeatedly emphasises:

What is Code 19? In the 1980s, Rashad Khalifa claimed that the Qur’an contains a hidden mathematical structure based on the number 19. He...

Pre-history References to same-sex relationships, behaviors, and roles appear in texts and records older than the Torah. Here’s a...

For the longest time, I've wondered why the Qur'an is called a "Reminder". Because we know God doesn't use words frivolously, this word...

What does the Qur'an mean when it talks about Nisāʾ and Rijāl, and contrast this with Unthā and Dhakar to elicit what the guidance is.

Introduction The traditional translation of verse 4;59 is as follows Believers, obey God and obey the Messenger وَأُولِي الْأَمْرِ (and...

The Qur'an's attitude towards science and scientific evidence can be examined by considering its use of reasoning, observation, and...

Most blessed is He who revealed to His servant the Criterion of right and wrong so that it might be a warning to the entire world. (25:1)...

Original article assembled by brother Irfan Shaikh Introduction: A Shift in Understanding For many years, I stopped giving talks. It...

Let's start with what the Qur'an declares إِنَّا أَنْزَلْنَاهُ فِي لَيْلَةٍ مُبَارَكَةٍ ۚ إِنَّا كُنَّا مُنْذِرِينَ We have revealed it...

In collaboration with Adam Saiyid. The Qur'anic term ٱلدِّينِ (ad-dīn) is often translated as "religion," but this translation does not...

2:170 When it is said to them, "Follow what God has revealed", they say, "Nay! We will follow the ways of our ancestors.” What! Even...

The Qur'an is guidance for all of humanity who would turn to God, not just a faction of those identifying themselves with a particular...

Principles The reminders were revealed to humanity through the various messengers, but in all of them the target audience was humanity,...

These days, people seek "religious" guidance from any number of "authorities" and ulemas purportedly knowing more about religion than the...

What does this word mean in the Qur'anic context? Firstly, "polytheism" or "idol worship" is a poor, narrowband translation of "shirk"...

by Irfan Shaikh How did the ‘very first human being’ come into being? The first thing that needs to be noted is that the idea of...

Role of Religious Scholars The Qur'an doesn't validate the role of a "religious scholar" because it says that we are to follow those who...

Originally published in nation.com.pk on 22 Feb 2016, written by Aamir Butt and extracted from The Wayback Machine I am sure these days...