How Sources Are Used

Religious teaching should be accurate, traceable and clear about its limits.

Source order

1. The Qur’an is the primary source.
2. Hadith material must be traceable to an identified collection and carry an appropriate authenticity assessment.
3. Translations, tafsir, Arabic language works and scholarly explanations must be named and must not be presented as though they are the revealed text itself.

Evidence we use and evidence we withhold

Qur’an references must identify the surah and ayah. English wording must name its translator; translations explain the meaning and are not the Arabic revelation itself. Paraphrase, tafsir and editorial application must be distinguished from a quotation.

Hadith used to establish a teaching must have an exact collection reference and a traceable Sahih or Hasan assessment, with the grading authority named where applicable. A grade applies to the wording and transmission assessed, not automatically to every additional phrase or parallel report. We do not use weak, fabricated, unverified or unresolved disputed narrations as proof for a recommended practice, promised reward or religious obligation. Such a report may be mentioned only to explain why it is not relied upon, with its uncertainty made explicit. Unsupported claims are removed or narrowed to what reliable evidence supports.

A familiar quotation, a traditional list or an existing webpage is not itself proof. Where source checking cannot resolve a material doubt, the claim is withheld pending qualified guidance. This policy is the standard for correction; it is not a claim that every item has received independent scholarly approval.

How sources are presented

• Qur’an and hadith: quotations and references are linked to their named sources.
• Context: explanations state their limits, and disputed interpretations are not silently presented as consensus.
• Arabic and translation: Arabic, transliteration and named translations are kept distinct.
• Clear teaching: explanations use plain language and avoid unsupported claims.
• Search information: page titles and descriptions should describe the material readers can actually find.

Corrections

A material error should be corrected promptly. Where evidence is uncertain or qualified, the page should state that honestly.

Responsible use of tools

Research tools may assist discovery and organisation, but they are not religious authorities. Published teaching should remain traceable to its named sources.