Thus I swear by the twilight. And by the night and what constellates. (The Splitting, 84:16-17)

What proof does twilight provide? What does the night and the constellations therein tell me that I cannot figure out on my own, such that its Lord would speak to me directly in my language? And why do these two signs seemingly reverse the creative activity described at the beginning of the surah? Continue reading →

The following  ahadith are from the collection of widely known prophetic sayings (mutawātirah) as categorized by the 14th century scholar Imam Jalalludin al-Suyuti. There is no consensus on the criteria for mutawātir, but in theory they constitute what scholarly communities today would consider common knowledge and need no further evidence. Mutawātira are exceedingly rare, and according to many scholars non-existent. The two types are lafẓī and ma’nāwī: verbatim and semantic, or in meaning only. Continue reading →