Teachings Based on the Man-Made Sources, Such As, Hadith, Sunna, Ijma, and Sharia³

The Quranic Verses Contradicting these Teachings, and Brief Discussions on Their Sources

Killing apos-tates, that is, those who leave Islam (read Sunni or Shiite), is commanded. Also anyone who verbally attacks or insults the prophet should be killed.

Muhammad sent a platoon at night to kill a woman poet who criticized or insulted him.

We are ordered to kill people until they declare "la ilaha illa allah" (there is no god but God)

Muhammad was not a tyrant. Islam promotes freedom of opinion, religion and expression. Muslims cannot use violence against even those who insult God (2:256; 4:140; 6:68; 10:99; 18:29; 88:21,22).

Critical studies on the history of hadith shows the origins of intolerant teachings found in hadith books to the Jewish scholars who claimed to have converted to Islam. Our intention is not to accuse Jews for the corruption, but to show the similarities and the common origin of the corruption. According to the Quran, every individual will be held responsible from his or her choices. So, no Muslim can save themselves on the Day of Judgment by pointing at a Jewish reporter of hearsay for their own betrayal of the Quran.

Even the Sunni and Shiite scholars acknowledge the great influence of Jewish teachings and practices have found their way into hadith and sunna. They called them Israiliyyat and wrote volumes of books to analyze and expose them. However, despite their efforts, still many of those teachings passed their poor and inconsistent filters. We are not claiming that the only source of violent teachings came from corrupt Jewish teachings, but the influence is one of the historically documented main factors.

Here are a few examples of intolerance and cruel punishment attributed to God through Moses (The Quran refers to the distortions made in the Bible: 2:59; 2:79; 5:13-15; 5:41-44) for those who harbor different opinions or choose different religious beliefs:

"The Lord said to Moses: 'Take the blasphemer outside the camp. All those who heard him are to lay their hands on his head, and the entire assembly is to stone him. Say to the Israelites: If anyone curses his God, he will be held responsible; anyone who blasphemes the name of the Lord must be put to death. The entire assembly must stone him. Whether an alien or native-born, when he blasphemes the Name, he must be put to death.... Then Moses spoke to the Israelites, and they took the blasphemer outside the camp and stoned him. The Israelites did as the Lord commanded Moses." (Leviticus 24:13-16)

"If your very own brother, or your son or daughter, or the wife you love, or your closest friend secretly entices you, saying, 'Let us go and worship other gods' ... Show him no pity. Do not spare him or shield him. You must certainly put him to death. Your hand must be the first in putting him to death, and then the hands of all the people. Stone him to death, because he tried to turn you away from the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out the land of slavery. Then all Israel will hear and be afraid, and no one among you will do such an evil thing again.” (Deu 13:6-11)

"Then shall thou bring forth that man or that woman, which have committed that wicked thing, unto thy gates, even that man or that woman, and shall stone them with stones, till they die." (Deuteronomy 17:5)

"These are the statutes and judgments, which ye shall observe to do in the land, which the LORD God of thy fathers giveth thee to possess it, all the days that ye live upon the earth. Ye shall utterly destroy all the places, wherein the nations which ye shall possess served their gods, upon the high mountains, and upon the hills, and under every green tree: And ye shall overthrow their altars, and break their pillars, and burn their groves with fire; and ye shall hew down the graven images of their gods, and destroy the names of them out of that place." (Deuteronomy 12:2-4)

The first five books of the Old Testament do not exactly correspond to the book given to Moses since they contain interesting clues about the distortions and additions made in the name of Moses. (Deuteronomy 34:5- 10; Numbers 12:3)

Ironically, the Jews are no longer following these instructions, and many of them do have no desire to resurrect them. They left them to the followers of hadith and sunna who are dreaming a world based on those fabricated Jewish instructions. No wonder, the minds and attitude of a Jewish zealot and a Sunni zealot are much alike, like twins. Yet, they hate each other.

Those who do not observe daily prayers should be beaten in public.

The Quran mentions daily contact prayers about 70 times, and nowhere has it instructed us to beat or harass those who do not observe them. Contact prayers are to be observed for the one and only God (20:14). This rule is an assault on dignity, which God has bestowed on humanity (17:70) and promotes the observance of prayer for fear of social chastisement rather than for God, as they should be (6:162).

The hadith reports again follow the Jewish tradition imposing severe penalties for those who commit sins or do not observe their expected religious rituals. For instance, those who violate the Sabbath, according to the Old Testament must be stoned to death (Numbers 15:32-36).

Married adulterers should be stoned to death (al-rajm).

Stoning-to-death is never recommended in the Quran as a punishment for any crime. It was a Jewish practice which found its way into the practice of the so-called Muslims centuries after the revelation of the Quran, through hadith and sunna. The God who legislated a hundred lashes for married adulterers who accept the jurisdiction of Islam (24:1-10; 4:25) is the same God who made the Quran clear (24:1), who does not have any shortage of words (31:27), who is the best legislator (5:50), who does not forget (19:64), and who has detailed the Quran (11:1; 6:114; 12:111).

Ironically, the word rajm is used in the Quran not for stoning but for rejecting and excommunicating. This is a common threat used by pagans against monotheists (11:91; 19:46; 36:18; 18:20).

The Old Testament instructs a stoning-to-death penalty for various sins and crimes, including witchcraft; blasphemy, violating the Sabbath, and murder:

"Again, thou shall say to the children of Israel, Whosoever he be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel, that gives any of his seed unto Molech; he shall surely be put to death: the people of the land shall stone him with stones." (Leviticus 20:2)

"A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death: they shall stone them with stones: their blood shall be upon them." (Leviticus 20:27)

"And he that blasphemes the name of the LORD, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him: as well the stranger, as he that is born in the land, when he blasphemes the name of the LORD, shall be put to death.” (Leviticus 24:16)

"And the LORD said unto Moses, The man shall be surely put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp.” (Numbers 15:35)

"And if he smite him with throwing a stone, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.” (Numbers 35:17)

"But if this thing be true, and the tokens of virginity be not found for the damsel: Then they shall bring out the damsel to the door of her father's house, and the men of her city shall stone her with stones that she die: because she hath wrought folly in Israel, to play the whore in her father's house: so shalt thou put evil away from among you." (Deuteronomy 22:20-21)

Exodus chapter 21 has many more stoning-to-death instructions. Even animals get their share of this stoning penalty:

"If a bull gores a man or a woman to death, the bull must be stoned to death, and its meat must not be eaten." (Exodus 21:28)

According to the Old Testament, a rapist should be forced to marry the girl he violated. This rule punishes the victim to share the rest of her life with the violent and shameless man who violated her (Deuteronomy 22:28-30). How can this and many other unjust laws be imposed by a Just God?

There was a Quranic verse instructing stoning to death for married adulterers, but it was eaten by a hungry holy goat after Muhammad's death. Though these verses were abrogated through the goat, they are still legally binding and their meaning is valid.

This is an absurd lie. There is no abrogation in the Quran. 4:82; 6:21; 15:9; 15:90-99; 2:85; 6:19,38,43,112-115; 7:52; 10:15,37; 16:89; 18:27; 41:42.

Omar, the second Caliph, wanted to restore the Quran by reinserting the verses eaten by the goat; but he could not do it because of his fear of what people would say.

It is most likely a lie attributed to Omar. Regardless, the Quran is not left to be tempered by someone's decision, including Muhammad (15:9; 74:30; 41:41,42; 9:127; 75:17-19). A Muslim reveres God and is not afraid of what other people would say (3:175; 5:54; 32:16; 39:36; 50:45; 74:53).

Those who are caught consuming alcohol for the fourth time should be killed.

The Quran suggests society penalize crimes that incur injustice or harm another person; the Quran does not ask us to penalize immorality or personal sins. People may regulate or restrict the consumption of alcohol or drugs. This should not be done in the name of God, which gives it absolute power. Human experience shows that production, sales, and consumption of alcohol or drugs should not be prohibited by the society. People should have freedom to choose to be stupid, to commit sins, including the biggest one, which is, setting partners up with God (2:256; 18:29).

It is no coincidence that we find many Jewish customs (such as circumcision), stories (such as ascension to the seventh heaven), penalties (such as stoning to death), etc., entering Islam through hadith narrations, since many Jewish scholars, became respected figures after their "conversion."

Chapter 20 of Leviticus contains a list of very severe punishments for various sins. The severity of the prescribed punishments, however, is harsher and more diverse than what we find in hadith. The following examples will provide an insight regarding deformation. For instance,

• cursing one's own father of mother would prompt death penalty;

• a man marrying a woman together with her daughter must be burned in the fire.

• homosexual men must be put to death.

• people found guilty of bestiality, together with the animals must be put to death.

And many more penalties of death. The following penalty prescribed by the Old Testament is both bizarre and unjust:

"If two men are fighting and the wife of one of them comes to rescue her husband from his assailant, and she reaches out and seizes him by his private parts, you shall cut off her hand. Show her no pity." (Deuteronomy 25:11-12)

There were three Jewish tribes in Medina: Banu Qaynuqa, Banu al-Nadir and Banu Qurayza. They provoked Muslims and the first two tribes were forced to leave the city with their transportable possessions. However, prophet Muhammad did not forgive Banu Qurayza; their necks were struck and their children were made slaves. Estimates of those killed vary from 400 to 900.

The Quran refers to the event and never mentions killing or enslaving them, which is in direct contradiction of many verses of the Quran. The Quran, in the Chapter known as Exodus, informs us that a group from "The People of the Book" were forced to leave the territory because of their violation of the constitution and secretly organizing war together with the enemies against Muslims (59:1-4). Verse 59:3 clearly states that they were not penalized further in this world.

The credibility of the story of Muhammad massacring Bani Qurayza Jews has been the subject of controversy since the time it was published by Ibn Ishaq. Ibn Ishaq who died in 151 A.H., that is 145 years after the event in question, was severely criticized by his peers for relying on highly exaggerated Jewish stories. He was also harshly criticized for presenting forged poetry attributed to famous poets. Some of his contemporary scholars, such as Malik, called him "a liar." However, his work was later copied by others without critical examination. This is an example of hearsay used by dubious reporters for propaganda purposes.

Modern scholars found astonishing similarities between Ibn Ishaq and the account of the historian Josephus regarding King Alexander, who ruled in Jerusalem before Herod the Great, hung upon crosses 800 Jewish captives, and slaughtered their wives and children before their eyes. Many other similarities in details of the story of Banu Qurayza and the event reported by Josephus are compelling.

Besides, the lack of reference or justification in the Quran for such a massacre of great magnitude and the verses instructing principles for Muslims to abide by removes all credibility from this story (35:18: 61:4). The Quran gives utmost importance to human life (5:32) and considers racism and anti-Semitism evil (49:11-13).

The prophet gave permission to kill children and women in war.

There is no such permission in the Quran. This instruction, which is used by Sunni or Shiite terrorists to justify their killing of innocent people for their cause, contradicts one of the most often repeated Quranic principles of not holding responsible one person for the crimes of another (6:164; 17:15; 35:18; 39:7; 53:38). The Quran, which condemns the ingrates for attacking weak men, women and children (4:75), would not justify the same action for Muslims.

This and many other vicious instructions found in the so-called "authentic" hadith books, including Bukhari, had a major motive: to provide religious justification for aggression, atrocities, and massacres committed by the Umayyad and Abbasid kings and their governors.

Another source of these instructions for violence and terrorism comes from Jewish literature, which found its way into hadith books through the Jewish scholars who supposedly converted to Islam. The Old Testament contains numerous instructions for violence and terror, which cannot be attributed to a benevolent and just God. They are mixed and introduced together with beautiful and constructive instructions:

"And they devoted the city to the Lord and they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox, and sheep, and ass, with the edge of the sword." (Joshua 6:21)

"Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass." (1Samuel 15:3)

Also see the following verses from the Old Testament:

Exodus 22:18-19. Kill witches, perverts, polytheists.

Leviticus 20:1-27. Stone to death anyone gave offspring to Molech. Kill anyone cursing father or mother. Kill the adulterers. Kill homosexuals. Kill and burn those committing incest. Kill those who commit bestiality and their animals. Kill the fortune-tellers.

Leviticus 21:16-23. Lynch and stone the blasphemer to death.

Leviticus 24:13-18. Stone the blasphemer to death.

Numbers 15:32-36. Stone to death the man who collected sticks on the Sabbath.

Numbers 31:1-18. Children of Israel killed all the males of Midianites and took all the women of Midian captives, their little ones, their property. Then burned all their cities, and killed all the little boys.

Deuteronomy 13:6-10. Stone to death any of your relatives who serve the gods of other tribes.

Deuteronomy 17:2-7. Stone to death man or woman who served other gods after two or three witnesses testifies against them.

Deuteronomy 20:16-17. Kill every living being in the cities of Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, and utterly destroy their cities.

Deuteronomy 22:23-24. Stone to death the adulterers.

Deuteronomy 25:11-12. Cut of a woman's hand if she holds the balls of another man while her husband is fighting with.

Joshua 6:20-21. Joshua and his men utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, ox, sheep and ass, with the edge of the sword.

Judges 1:4-12. Judah killed ten thousand men from Canaanites and Perizzites; and cut off the thumbs and toes of their leaders. Judah fought against Jerusalem and set it on fire. Then, Judah slew Sheshai, Ahiman,Talmai, and then attacked the inhabitants of Debir.

Judges 3:22-29. The people of the Israel were saved by an assassin who deceptively reached to the King Eglon of Moab and stabbed him to death. Ehud led a gang of Israelis to Moab and killed 10,000 of their men.

1 Samuel 15:3. God sent Samuel to smite Amalek and utterly destroy all they have, sparing nothing, slaying both men and women, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.

2 Kings 2:23-24. When the little children of Bathel called Elisha 'baldhead' he cursed them and soon two bears came out and mauled 42 of the children.

2 Chronicles 15:13. Whosoever would not seek the Lord God of Israel should be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman.

Psalms 58:10-11. The righteous shall rejoice when he sees the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.

Psalms 137:9. Happy is he who dashes the infants of Babylon to the rocks.

Psalms 149:6-9. Praise God and execute vengeance with a two edged sword against heathens.

Isaiah 13:13-16. Their infants will be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses will be looted and their wives ravished.

Jeremiah 48:10. Whoever keeps his sword from bloodshed is cursed.

Jeremiah 51:10-24. Israel is God's battle axe and weapons of war. Ambush Babylon and destroy them to take vengeance. With Israel God will break the nations in pieces, will break the man and woman, the old and young in pieces,

Ezekiel 9:5-6. Go to Jerusalem and kill, without showing pity or compassion. Slaughter old men, young men and maidens, women and children, but do not touch anyone who has the mark.

Ezekiel 23:25. Israel's God will direct his jealous anger against Babylonians, Chaldeans, Pekod, Shoa, Koa, and the Assyrians, and they will be dealt with in fury. Their noses and ears will be cut off, and they will fall by the sword. Their sons and daughters will be taken, and those who are left will be consumed by fire.

Zephaniah 3:8. The fire of God’s jealous anger will consume the whole world.

The New Testament, however, contains a different teaching. Nevertheless, since the New Testament relies on many verses of the Old Testament and there are ambiguities regarding the degree of its validity for Christians, Christians have justified many barbaric acts, atrocities, and torture by using and abusing the verses of both Old and New Testaments.

• Mat 5:17-19, 29-30;

• Mat 10:34;

• Mat 19:12;

• Mat 21:19;

• John 15:6 (was abused by the church and used together with Exodus 22:18 to burn witches)

• 1 Peter 2:13-14 (following this instruction, many atrocities and wars were committed by Christians)

When Muhammad was 53 years-old, he married Aisha who was only 9 years-old.

This is another lie by the enemies of God and His messenger. They tried to create a moon-splitting, tree-moving, child-crippling superman with the sexual power of 30 males (Verse 24:11-12 with its non-specific language, prophetically addresses this lie too). Muhammad was an honorable person and would not have a sexual relationship with a child (68:4; see 4:5-6). Discrepancies in the historical account show a deliberate attempt to reduce Aisha's age. This lie is perhaps produced to justify the sexual excesses of kings and the wealthy. They tried to justify their violence, oppression, injustice, sexual transgressions, and many other crimes through the fabrication and promotion of hadith.

The menstruating women should not touch the Quran, should not pray and should not enter the mosques.

This is based on a misunderstanding of at least two verses. Verse 56:79 is not an inscriptive but a descriptive verse about understanding of the Quran. The only verse mentioning menstruation forbids sexual intercourse during menstruation since it is considered a painful period (2:222), and does not forbid women from praying or reading the Quran.

The Quran prohibits sexual relationship with a menstruating woman, not because she is dirty, but because menstruation is painful. The purpose is to protect women's health from being burdened by the sexual desires of their husbands. However, the male authors of the Old Testament, exaggerated and generalized this divine prohibition so much so that they turned menstruation to a reason for their humiliation, isolation, and punishment. (Leviticus 15:19-33)

Despite the Quranic rule, the followers of hadith and sunna adopted Jewish laws that consider a woman unclean, and treat her like dirt for fourteen straight days of every month. According to the fabricated rules of the Old Testament, a menstruating woman is considered unclean for seven days, and during that period wherever she sits will be considered unclean; whoever touches her or sits where she sits must wash and bathe. After she finishes the menstruation, she has to wait for seven more days to be considered clean for ceremonial purposes. (Leviticus 15:19-33)

Women should not lead congregational prayers, and it is not recommended for them to participate either.

The verse instructing those who acknowledge the truth to gather for congregational prayer does not exclude women (62:9). The Quranic expression, "O you who acknowledge…" includes both men and women. Thank God, we have ended this misogynistic rule since 1999 and women have been leading congregational prayers and giving speeches ever since. The end of the world did not come, nor did anything bad happen. To the contrary, we are now blessed with being members of a balanced congregation.

Women are mentally and spiritually inferior to men.

If a donkey, a dog, or a woman passes in front of the praying person the prayer is nullified.

Hell will be filled with mostly women; women are deficient in intelligence and religion.

These are male chauvinist statements that reflect a diabolic arrogance, and lack appreciation of half of the human population, who are the mothers, sisters, friends, and wives. (9:71; 33:35)

This is another misogynistic statement falsely attributed to Muhammad by so-called "authentic" hadith books. If we measure the level of intelligence by people's response to those who questioned their dogmas and superstitious beliefs, men have not scored better than women. Most of those who committed violence against the messengers and prophets were the male leaders, and most of those who distorted their message after their departure, again were all male religious leaders.

With a few exceptions based on biological differences or special conditions, men and women are considered equal in every aspect. The Quran expressly states the equality of man and woman, by the expression "you are from each other" (4:25). Furthermore, it reminds us of the common origin of both sexes and the purpose of why God created us as male and female, is the purpose being love and care (30:21). Hadith sources do not reflect a loving and caring relationship between man and woman, but an arrogant, chauvinistic and patronizing attitude towards women. Unfortunately, when consultation and election was replaced by monarchy and satanic khilafa (theocratic rule), the rights women enjoyed with the revelation of the Quran were taken one by one, and within two centuries after Muhammad, Muslims reverted to the misogynistic attitudes and practices of the pre-Islamic days of ignorance.

The rights of women during the time of prophet Muhammad is reflected with all its power in verse 58:1, where a Muslim woman argues with Muhammad regarding her husband. God does not reprimand that woman; to the contrary, God sides with the grievances of the woman and criticizes the superstition. A critical study of hadith and history books will reveal that even those books contain many hints regarding the individual, social and political rights enjoyed by women during the era of revelation and even decades afterwards. History books report that Aisha, Muhammad's wife, in her old age became the leader and commander of a major faction that participated in a civil war that took place thirty years after the departure of Muhammad.

Verse 60:12 informs us of the rights and privileges enjoyed by women in the early Muslim community during the life of Prophet Muhammad. In that verse, the prophet acknowledges women's right to vote, by taking the pledge of believing women to peacefully surrender themselves to God alone and lead a righteous life. The word "BaYA'" used in the verse implies the political nature of the pledge; they accepted the leadership of the prophet individually, with their free choice. This verse is not about some pagan or mushrik women embracing Islam, but rather about a group of Muslim women publicly announcing their allegiance to Muhammad who became a founder of a federally secular constitutional government in central Arabia. This is a historical document that Muslim women were not considered default appendices of their decision-making husbands, brothers, fathers or male guardians, but Muslim women were treated as independent political entities who could vote and enter into social contract with their leaders. Unfortunately, many of the human rights recognized by Islam were later one by one taken away from individuals, especially from women, by the leaders of Sunni and Shiite religions; they replaced the progressive teaching of the Quran and practices of the early Muslims with hearsay fabrications thereby resurrecting the dogmas and practices of the days of ignorance. It took humanity centuries to grant women their God-given rights. For instance, the US recognized the right of women to vote in 1919 by passing the 19^th Amendment, exactly, 13 centuries after it was recognized by the Quran. As for the region that once led the world in human rights and freedom, it is more than 13 centuries behind! After women, the men too lost their dignity to elect their leaders. What a regression!

According to the Quran, Mary was a sign for the world just as Jesus was (21:91). The Quran reports that Abraham's wife together with her husband welcomed male guests, participated in conversation, and laughed loud in their presence. She was not reprimanded for participating. To the contrary, at that meeting, God blesses her with the good news of pregnancy with Ishaq (11:71).

Verse 49:13 unequivocally rejects sexism and racism, and it reminds us that neither male nor female, neither this race nor that race is superior over the other. The only measure of superiority is righteousness; being a humble, moral and socially conscientious person who strives to help others.

The Quran is filled with verses referring to men and women in a neutral language that treats them equally (3:195; 4:7,25,32,124; 9:68-72; 16:97; 24:6-9; 33:35-36; 40:40; 49:13; 51:49; 53:45; 57.18; 66:10; 75:37-39; 92:3).

The Old Testament and St. Paul's Letters in the New Testament contain many misogynistic instructions. I recommend comparing Torrey's index for entries on ‘Man’ and ‘Woman.’ The comparison will show how the Old Testament and St. Paul are biased against women. St. Paul's misogynistic teaching is a reflection and extension of a historical trend. The Old Testament contains many man-made misogynist teachings. For instance, a woman is considered unclean for one week if she gives birth to a son, but unclean for two weeks if she gives birth to a daughter (Leviticus 12:1-5).

Here are some of the misogynistic Biblical verses that changed the so-called Muslims’ attitudes towards women centuries after the Quran:

• Woman was created from Adam's ribs (Genesis 2:21-22).

• Woman was deceived by Satan (Genesis 3:1-6; 2 Corinthians 11:3; 1 Timothy 2:14).

• Woman led man to disobey God (Genesis 3:6,11-12);

• Woman was cursed (Genesis 3:16);

• Woman is weaker than man (1 Peter 3:7);

• Woman is subordinate to man (1 Corinthians 11:7).

Women should be covered from head to toe under a veil. Women should be confined in their homes. Women should be segregated in public places.

Societies, on certain occasions, times, or places might choose to segregate the sexes, but none can sanctify those decisions in the name of God.

After a brief period of freedom and progress women enjoyed during the revelation of the Quran and several decades afterwards, they lost many of their human rights because of the fabricated misogynistic teachings introduced under the title of hadith, sunna, and sharia of various sects (3:195; 4:19,32; 9:71; 2:228).

The word "KHuMuR" in 24:31 is a plural noun that comes from the root word of "KHaMaRa" which means, "to cover." It is used for any cover, not exclusively for headscarves. An extensive Arabic dictionary, Lisan-ul Arab, informs us that the word was even used for rugs and carpets, since they cover the floor. The singular form of the same word "KHaMR," has been used for intoxicants, which "cover" the mind (5:90). In verse 24:31, God advises female Muslims to maintain their chastity and put their covers on their chests, not their heads! Additionally, the word "fel yedribne = they shall put, they shall cover" is significant in that verse. If KHuMuR meant head cover, the verb, "fel yudnine = they shall lengthen," (like in 33:59) would be more appropriate.

Another distortion involves the word "ZiYNa" of verse 24:31. Muslim clergymen have abused this word to cover women from head to toe. They considered almost all parts of female body as ZiYNa. Reflecting on the rituals of ablution for the daily prayers, one can easily infer that women can publicly open their faces, hair, arms, and feet as an act of worship (5:6). Therefore, opening their faces and arms is indeed an act of worship; and they are not required to worship in secret or segregated places (17:110). If a man stares at a woman who is taking ablution and is sexually aroused it is not her fault, but it is either a symptom of his psychological problems or an indication of the deep-rooted problems in that society. By requiring women to cover any of these parts of their body, religious scholars have turned a religious ritual into a matter of sexual expression.

It is up to women to cover themselves for their own protection. It is not up to men or moral police to mandate or impose this divine instruction on women, since the instruction is personal and specific to women. Besides, the language of the instruction is deliberately designed to accommodate different cultures, norms, conditions, and individual comfort level. A divine recommendation to protect women from the harassment of unrighteous men should not be abused to justify the harassment and oppression of self-righteous misogynistic men.

Verse 33:52 informs us that Muhammad was attracted to the physical beauty of women. No reasonable man is attracted to the "beauty" of women walking in black sacks. Despite this verse informing us that Muslim women during the time of Muhammad were interacting with men, their faces open, those who tried to deprive women from social and political life and from their individual and group identity, went to the extreme and issued religious fatwas mandating a veil to cover their faces. The veil is a satanic innovation designed to turn women into the slaves of men who claim to be lords and masters.

Verse 60:12 mentions the practice of another role model, prophet Muhammad. Muhammad did not receive any divine warning regarding the danger of the devil during this face-to-face interaction! Furthermore, the Quran permits men and woman to eat together or to help each other (24:61; 3:195; 9:71).

The Quran, for important political reasons, advises to the wives of the Prophet not to mingle with people as they used to (33:32-33). The advice is due to protecting Muhammad and his spouses from the defamation campaign started by the unappreciative crowd (8:30-31; 24:11-20).

Ironically, the followers of hadith ignore their own history regarding the condition of women during the time of Muhammad and the four "guide leaders": Aisha, Muhammad's wife, is reported to lead a faction of Muhammad's companions after his departure. How could have Aisha lead men and women, in peace and war, if she did not interact and communicate with them, if she did not have her own identity, if she was imprisoned in her home or in her black veil?

The Quran provides several examples of women being active role models in their societies and interacting with men, such as Abraham's wife (11:69-71; 60:4-6), Muslim women in Madyan with one whom Moses married (28:23-28), the Queen of Sheba who later surrenders to the will of God (27:34:40), and Mary (19:16-30; 3:42-43; 66:11-12). Muslim women were so outspoken that they could engage in debate with Muhammad (58:1), and women pledged allegiance and voted for Muhammad's leadership (60:12).

Therefore, segregating men and women has no Islamic basis; it is a un-Quranic practice imported from misogynistic teachings of St. Paul and the Old Testament.

Segregation in places of worship existed as an innovation among Jews (Exodus 38:8; 1 Samuel 2:22) and reached its zenith with additional condemnation and degradation with St. Paul who condemned women for Adam's sin and silenced them in the public arena.

"Let your women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but they are to be submissive, as the law also says." (I Corinthians 14: 34)

"For a woman is not covered, let her also be shorn. But if it is shameful for a woman to be shorn or shaved, let her be covered. For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man. For man is not from woman, but woman from man. Nor was man created for the woman, but woman for the man." (I Corinthians 11:6-9)

"Let a women learn in silence with all submission. And do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. Nevertheless, she will be saved in childbearing if they continue in faith, love and holiness, with self-control." (I Timothy 2:11-15)

The followers of hadith and sunna adopted the misogynistic teachings of St. Paul, and still many of them clung onto them as their religion, while most of Christendom has meanwhile mutated many times and quietly ignored and abandoned those teachings. In the Christian world, St. Paul's teachings have been partially rejected; women no longer cover their heads, and they no longer stay silent in churches. It is ironic that today's Sunnis and Shiites follow more seriously many of the teachings of Judaism and Christianity than the Jews and Christians themselves.

A woman cannot divorce her husband on her own.

Verse 2:228 establishes equal rights to both genders. By associating and even preferring numerous collections of lies and innovations to the Quran, the followers of hadith and sunna denied Muslim women the right to divorce and turned them into slaves of male despotism.

A man can divorce his wife by uttering some words three times.

Sectarian scholars who ignored the Quran and upheld volumes of books of hadith and sunna, issued laws (sharia) allowing the marriage contract to be terminated with several words coming from the husband's mouth. Divorce is an event lasting several months; it is not just an oral declaration of the male spouse. A wife cannot be divorced by announcing, "I divorce you three times." This ease and one-sided divorce created miserable marriages and destroyed many families. Many men, who "divorced" their wives by uttering the magical word "talaq" (divorce) unintentionally or in the heat of anger, desperately looked for a solution (fatwa), and found mullahs and religious judges selling fatwas to save their marriage! The class that created the problem in the first place became the benefactor of the solution (2:226-230; 9:34-35; 33:49).

The New Testament takes the opposite direction; divorce is considered a great offense and after the marriage, none should divorce, except for reasons of adultery. Marriage after divorce is committing adultery (Matthew 5:32; 19:9).

Polygamy up to four women is permitted. One can marry four previously unmarried women. Men do not need the consent of his wife(s) for polygamy.

The Quran does not limit the number of women. Though the Quran allows polygamy (4:3), it discourages its practice by requiring certain conditions: a man can marry more than one, only to the widows with children and should try to treat them equally (4:19-20, 127-129). Besides the consent of the former wife(s) is essential since they have the right to object or divorce their husbands. Unfortunately, verse 4:127 has been traditionally mistranslated as to allow marriage with juvenile orphans rather than their mothers. The word "ibkar" in verse 66:5 too has been mistranslated. For discussion on verses, 4:127 and 66:5 please see the notes.

It is an injustice to blame the Quran for advising us to care about the orphaned children and their widowed mothers. These verses primarily advocate the economic interests, psychological and biological needs, and social status of orphans, especially during war. Unfortunately, the enemies of the last prophet who attributed volumes of fabrications to him (6:112-116), have distorted the meaning and purpose of these wonderful divine precepts.

Muhammad's marriages to widows had political and social reasons. Unfortunately, the permission for polygamy was distorted and it became a means to satisfy the libido of the rich and dominant males. The all-male scholars, to achieve their goal used hadith and distorted the meaning of verses, such as 4:3-6, 4:127 and 66:5.

Here, we should note that exaggerated examples of polygamy, explicit details of sexual affairs, and stories of incest have been inserted into the Bible. We find much similarity between stories in hadith books and those Biblical stories. For instance, 1 King 11:3 claims that Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines. Anyone familiar with the current versions of the Bible would know that it contains numerous textual problems, translational errors, and contradictions. Numbers in the Bible are easily subjected to distortion, exaggeration, or simple scribing errors. For instance, we see a big difference in the number of charioteers killed by David. It is 700 according to II Samuel 10:18 and it is 7000 according to I Chronicles 19:18. Note that both numbers are whole numbers and the discrepancy is ten times.

A little attention to the numbers of wives and concubines attributed to Solomon would reveal a deliberate attempt to make it as round as possible. 700+300=1000. Total of seven zeroes! Most likely Solomon had a few wives. Contrary to the Quran that exhorts muslims to help widows, the misogynistic Rabbinical teachings inserted to the Old Testament put them in the category of harlots, and finds them unworthy of marriage by the privileged class, priests (Leviticus 21:14).

Dividing into sects is a good thing, as long as they are authorized by kings and their paid scholars.

Between Shiite and Sunni sects and among many branches of each sect, there are numerous contradictory rules. History is full of fights and persecution by one sect against another. Division into sects and factions is a symptom of ignorance and polytheism (3:19; 3:64,84-85; 6:159; 23:52-56; 30:32; 42:13-14; 68:36-38).

Pilgrims must cast stones at the devil.

Every year hundreds of pilgrims are killed and injured while an agitated crowd stampedes each other to death trying to cast stones and their shoes at a pillar representing Satan. The practice of stoning the devil during pilgrimage comes from the distortion made in the meaning of the word rajm. According to the Quran, God indeed did 'rajm' Satan. The word rajm, according to the Quran, does not necessarily mean ‘stoning,’ but rather means ‘rejecting’ or ‘excommunicating.’ God did not stone Satan to death but excommunicated or rejected him from His presence. The word rajm simply means excommunication or rejection (3:36; 11:91