Registered first gahh

[Selma1]

 

Firstly, salam and Ramadan Kareem everyone
I thought that I had to sign up first, get approved, then make a post in the
introduction (which I thought was the GB). Whoops. I didn't notice the section titled "guestbook". And the ID "Selma" is reserved but that is me.

I am a 16 y/o girl living in Washington state. About half a year ago I made the decision to reject any extra-Qur'anic literature, although I've always been uncomfortable with Hadith for as long as my memory extends. Since my worries were never confirmed by anyone, I carried on believing and practicing Sunni traditions.
When I first started dabbling with the concept of just following the Qur'an, several times I second-guessed myself. Tariq Ramadan was visiting the masjid that we attend. During his lecture he said something to the extent of "...and all you people who are not sure of Hadith, well you're wrong because without it you wouldn't be able to pray. /smug grin". Not really sure what he was talking about before, but I remember that distinctly. At the time it made me feel foolish for even considering it.

Of course from what my family and the Muslim community told me, I was never really sure what came from Hadith and what came from the Qur'an as it was all one in the same to them. Upon becoming "Quranist" (aka just Muslim) many of my previously held beliefs were abandoned. It wasn't difficult, but a little startling to realize how much is actually not derived from the Qur'an, but shaky, unreliable, un-Islamic sources. To name of few that were surprising, the belief in al-Mahdi, 2nd coming of Jesus, al-Israa wil Miraj. At least to me they were because they seem pretty significant.

Now a little background. I come from a Sunni family. They are not overtly strict, but just your typical moderate Egyptian family. Still, Hadith is ingrained in their practice of Islam.
One day I decided to tell my mom that I don't believe in Hadith, because I thought naturally she should know. Wellll, big mistake. At first she asked which ones (lol), but then it dawned on her that I meant entire damned thing, and she literally went ahead and called me a Kaafira and continued on rampage on how she wishes she never raised me in America and that the internet is corrupting my mind and all sorts of lovely things, and we were in public too! 

We have fought about this numerous times to the point she wanted the imam talk with
me. Another thing, my mom has always been interested in the arts, and piano is her passion. I ask her if Hadith is so important why does she listens and plays music when its forbidden? And her reply is always vague and sketchy. She tries so justify it but at the same time admit that its a fault, I mean, I don't really know why she's so surprised I'm not Sunni. Sunni Muslims rarely practice what they preach, and they'll justify what is difficult for them to give up (i.e Music). I reckon since its easy not to own a dog, that's why they're called impure and najis.

I know many-a Sunni women who tweeze their eyebrows and wear perfume, and plenty men who don't have a beard and almost everyone listens to music, but God forbid someone challenges the institution of hadith. Are they outright admitting they have no problem committing haram? I don't think any of the above is haram, but by their standards it is. I can't blame them sometimes, how can any of it be taken seriously??
If anyone's heard of Al-Maghrib institute, they organize 2-day weekend workshops all around the USA. A cumulative number of attendances can earn a degree.
Anywho, I attended "the Fiqh of Food and Clothing" presented by Sheikh Yasir Qadhi. As the class reached the portion about the man's beard, the Sheikh had us open our binders (that were given to the students before class) to a page with this:



We had to circle which beards were acceptable and which were not. HAH! Funniest thing ever.

On a more serious note, some Hadith I've found to be downright insulting to the Rasul.
Like this one
Abu Hurayra (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: "the Messenger of Allah said,
‘No prayer is harder for the hypocrites than the morning and the night prayers and if they knew the reward for these prayers at their respective times, they would certainly present themselves in the mosques even if they had to crawl." The Prophet added, "Certainly I decided to order the muadhdhin to pronounce adhan and order a man to lead the prayer and then take a fire flame to burn all those who had not left their houses so far for the prayer along with their houses.’” (Bukhari, Adhan 29, Husumat 5, Ahkam 52; Muslim, Masajid 252, (651); Muwatta, Salatu'l-Jama'a 3, (1, 129-130); Abu Dawud, Salat 47, (548, 549); Tirmidhi, Salat 162, (217); Nasai, Imamah 49, (2, 107).
taken from here:
http://www.questionsonislam.com/question/burning-house-prophet-pbuh-if-prayer- congregation-not-attended

I actually used this in one of my arguments with my mom. I always try to assure her
that by rejecting hadith, one is rejecting all the slander directed at Prophet Mohamed
(PBUH) and that one of the purposes of Hadith was to conspire against thus ruining
his reputation. Needless to say she thought I was nuts. I showed her the Hadith above
and she was like "uuhhhh, uhmmm. Well...maybe he did say that...uhm". 2 days later she
tells me she talked with a Sheikh and he told her the reason why the Prophet would say
this is to emphasize the importance of going to the masjid to pray fajr and Isha. My
mom is an intelligent woman, so I don't know how she buys into this. I'll be honest, before I knew that Hadith was garbage, I felt ambivalence towards the Prophet.
I knew he was supposed to be great man that we revere, but certain Hadith made me
doubt the his moral character (so basically they succeeded  ). I feel very embarrassed to admit it, but I wasn't able to bite the bullet like other Muslims, but now I know these Hadith are false.

Since a couple months ago, I've stopped opening up these discussions with my mom. They
are too much trouble. All I want her is to respect and tolerate my beliefs but I don't see that happening so I keep quiet. It gets difficult sometimes. Like right now I'm going through my monthly cycle (sorry if it sounds crude) and I have to prevent my mom from finding out or else I have to pray in secret and not act like I absolutely cannot eat (ex: when asking me to taste her cooking to see if the salt is good). Every day of Ramadan I've tried to wait until dark to break my fast so I slip away after Maghrib prayer for 30 minutes or so to not get asked to break my fast. I tried mentioning to my mom casually that the Qur'an literally states to break fast at nightime, and she replied with "That's what the Shia do. And the Rasul broke his fast at sunset so that's what we're doing".

I'm sorry for complaining so much, but right now there is no one that is suporting me.
Besides my mom, I've told my older brother, dad, and some friends. My dad agrees with
me I guess, but I suspect this stems from his apathy towards Hadith. Basically he's
not on the offensive (strongly against Hadith) but isn't a proponent of it either.
Remember how I said that I used to not differentiate between Qur'anic and extra-
Qur'anic commands? Well this is the case with my dad. Since he's not actively against
Hadith, he's still bound by some Sunni tradition. I hope that makes sense. Despite
this, I'm more comfortable talking about religion with him than my mom, and by a long shot. Unfortunately he lives far away from me in another state.
My brother is a open-minded individual so perhaps he agrees with me, but at the very least he respects my views.
The rest of my family...I dread the day I will have to confront them :c I don't even know.
As for my close friends, none of them are Muslim so there. They couldn't care less.
 

I've contemplated joining the free-minds forum but after browsing I'm not so sure.
One member tried to bring up points against human evolution and he was hurled at with
insults. Anyone who disagrees with their quasi-liberal ideology is usually told more or less "you display typical Sunni-like behavior" and will most likely be exiled off the forum. Not to
Some members outright don't believe in the infallibility of the Qur'an (why are they Muslim?)

I wanted to have a prominent Qur'anist come to the masjid and speak so the Qur'an-alone viewpoint gets more visibility. Some people I've considered were Kassem Ahmed and Ahmed Subhi Mansour but they both seem to be the "anti-jihad" type.I don't want the Qur'an-alone stance to be seen as one that is the product of Western influence.

So far, Muslimvilla is the only resource I'm getting my Islamic knowledge from. Since I'm "not that great" at Arabic, I can't read and interpret the Qur'an very well. I use the Pickthall translation.

Sometimes at night I've laid on my bed talking to Allah, and I ask Him if I'm doing it all wrong. What if I'm wrong and the majority is right? There is no one in my life presently who can give me guidance I'm looking for or even exchange information with me. For most of Islamic history, Qur'an-alone followers have been comparingly few. My mom has called me vain and egoistical to think that I am right and Ahl al Sunna wal Jamaa are wrong, who are most and have been most since Hadith first weasled its way into Islam.
I think this forum has the only like-minded individuals. I wish it weren't Read-Only but this is probably the only way it stays safe and free from corrupted information.

Oh well. Nice to meet you all.
Peace.

[Ozcan]

Mash'Allah, you are 20 years younger than me. You could have been my daughter, and yet you sound very wise and mature. Welcome little sister.

[Heba E. Husseyn]

Walaikum Salam and peace, sister Selma.   Ramadan Kareem to you too. 

Thank you very much for using our guestbook and mentioning all the issues of your life concerning Faith.  You seem to be a very intelligently perceptive person following the right path as Allah has ordained for all His slaves.

I have approved your registration.  Welcome to MV.

I will quote and comment on some of the contents of your intro with the view to help you further. 

  the belief in al-Mahdi, 2nd coming of Jesus, al-Israa wil Miraj.

While belief in return of Mahdi and second coming of Essa must be taken as false as they are not given nor referred in the Quran, the event of Isra and Meraj is very true and contained in the Noble Quran.  Of course the Hadith traditionalists have added many bits of imaginary stories into this event  that are completely unwarranted in the Noble Quran.   Those bits need to be discarded.  We have put up a post about Isra and Meraj with only the information contained within the Noble Quran concerning it.   This is of course totally authentic and needs to be remembered.  You will find it in the following link:

No hardship in religion / Description of Meraj

"One day I decided to tell my mom that I don't believe in Hadith, because I thought naturally she should know. Wellll, big mistake. At first she asked which ones (lol), but then it dawned on her that I meant entire damned thing, and she literally went ahead and called me a Kaafira and continued on rampage on how she wishes she never raised me in America and that the internet is corrupting my mind and all sorts of lovely things ...."

LOL ,, it's nothing unusual.  Fortunately we here at MV come from Quran alone families so we're fine at home.  But we aren't fine when we talk to our mainstream brethren outside our homes.    I've also been told a lot of similar stuff while discussing/debating with them either online or at our community center.  Once a lady seriously thought I was under some spell of "black magic."    Of course I've gotten used to ignoring them.  No compromises when it comes to the Quran.   The Quran must be followed by keeping it pure and not mixing it up with Hadith or any man-written laws not contained within the Quran.

"Sunni Muslims rarely practice what they preach, and they'll justify what is difficult for them to give up (i.e Music). I reckon since its easy not to own a dog, that's why they're called impure and najis"

Agree with you 100% sister Selma 

Al-Maghrib institute, they organize 2-day weekend workshops all around the USA. A cumulative number of attendances can earn a degree.

This one about the workshop at al-Maghrib inst. and choosing the right sort of beard was indeed absurd and crazy but not surprising.  I've heard lectures of these bizarre imams going to the extent of saying that wearing a 'sunnah' beard can annul one's ill deeds and make them worthy of Paradise or those men not wearing a 'sunnah' beard condemned to go to Hell.   I've now reached a point when I just ignore these idiots.  It's really pointless talking to them.    Their deviation and their complacency over it have gone too far.   After all, each one of us will have to answer to Allah Almighty for our own deeds only.  Therefore, as long as we don't follow them and remain focused only on the Quran, we have nothing to worry. 

Moreover, Allah grants guidance and forgiveness on the basis of our intentions, sincerity and the extent of our efforts to reach out to Him alone.  Allah does not consider how many diplomas and certificates we've gathered and hung on the walls from 'prestigious' institutions or Islamic universities.  Without the right perception and intention, these certificates & diplomas are useless.   

On a more serious note, some Hadith I've found to be downright insulting to the Rasul.
Like this one ..............

And yeah sister, that Hadith you quoted is one of the most foul ones I've ever read.  But it's only the tip of the iceberg.  The entire accursed Hadith literature is peppered with such nonsensical lies that slander the exemplary character of our great and beloved Prophet (pbuh).   We have already put up that Hadith you quoted for discussion at  Who is a greater liar - Bukhari or Abu Huraira?   On this link you can also scroll down and find the link to sister Zeynab's blog to read many more comments.

Sister Zeynab also consulted someone claiming to be a "scholar" from Al-Azha university about this Hadith.  He said he would check and come back with an explanation the following day but he never did.  That's another tactic of theirs, to slip out of the back door when they don't have an answer.  Then, there was another imam who said the same as that guy told your mom, that the purpose of this Hadith is to emphasize on Fajr and Isha prayers.  But that's a lame & lousy excuse for justifying this false & offensive narration.  The Prophet (pbuh) was known for his infinite kindness and politeness, he was known for his humility and honesty, and he never exaggerated any aspect of our lives.   The Noble Quran itself tells not to exaggerate in religion.  The Prophet (pbuh) would surely NEVER even dream of exaggerating a law to the extent of giving permission to commit arson for the purpose of making people obey.  That is IMPOSSIBLE!  The Noble Quran praises the Prophet's character by stating that the Prophet has a "tremendous" character.  Would Allah speak so highly of a person who gives order to burn the homes of others who don't turn up in the masjid for Fajr and Isha ??   The answer is NO.  The Quran mentions that Allah chose and sent the Prophet as a mercy for humanity.  And indeed, the beloved Prophet was a mercy for humankind .. one of the most wonderful examples of kindness and understanding.  This Hadith is a shameless LIE.  Anyone who believes such explanations given by our imams against the Prophet (pbuh) for the purpose of defending Bukhari & co. are just as complicit in the crime of Hadith as the narrators, compilers and the imams themselves.    The Prophet (pbuh) only conveyed to the people to offer Fajr and Isha prayers at the given times.   Anyone who doesn't offer will have to answer for themselves to Allah.   The decision rests with Allah alone.  That's it.

All such Ahadith are a set of false, stinking junk and those responsible for slandering our Prophet (pbuh) with such wicked humbug will have to pay dearly on the Day of Judgment.  Never for a minute doubt the Prophet's character.  He was a great man and if he came back to earth just for day to see how much the Muslims have deviated and how many forgeries they have invented in his name, his gentle and humble soul would collapse with shock!

"I've contemplated joining the free-minds forum but after browsing I'm not so sure.......Kassem Ahmed and Ahmed Subhi Mansour but they both seem to be the "anti-jihad" type.   .I don't want the Qur'an-alone stance to be seen as one that is the product of Western influence."

Sister Zeynab and I spent almost 6 months at Free Minds.  That's not the right place either, they're just as obnoxius as the Hadithists .. they're both on two different extremes.  Free Minds is simply using the term "Quran" or "Quranist" to given leverage to their far-fetched 'modernist' ideas based on their selfish motives that have nothing to do with the Quran.  Excuse me, I don't mean to be judgmental but unless I'm not truthful, I won't be of any help either.  Furthermore, free minds also consists of many supporters of the Rashid khalifa group, a real terrible lot one needs to beware of.   

Free minds still keep sending us chat invitations to participate in their weekend group discussions online.  But we never go there.  It's pointless.  They are not our type. 

As for Kassem Ahmed, his research on the root causes that led to the formation of the Hadith culture are informative & useful, some of which we have put up here.  But not beyond that.  As for Subhi Mansour, we really don't know much about him.  He once spoke to Sister Zeynab requesting her to write for his website but she declined for she already has enough to take care of here.

You're absolutely right.  The most accurate Quran alone stance is one that's focused on the Quran independently with an unmotivated intent and without the influence of any human ideologies, be it traditional or modern. 

When someone calls themselves a "Quran alone follower" don't take it for granted that they are genuine, because many of them simply use the title of the Quran to promote their selfish ideas by misinterpreting the English translations of the Quran.  Thus, one really needs to be careful and do one's research of every source before trusting them.  The best way to go about with one's research to investigate the authenticity of a source is to use the Glorious Quran as our Sole Criterion and Standard of Judgment.  Anything that tallies with the direct commandments or principles or the ideology as elucidated in the Quran is right, otherwise not.  As simple as that.

"There is no one in my life presently who can give me guidance I'm looking for or even exchange information with me.   Sometimes at night I've laid on my bed talking to Allah, and I ask Him if I'm doing it all wrong. What if I'm wrong and the majority is right?"

Don't worry sister.  Trust me, you are not alone in feeling this way.  Quran alone followers always face isolation and loneliness.  It's much the same with us though we've been following the Quran alone by dumping the Hadith for more than 10 years now.  But the moment we step out of our homes and mix with the mainstream Muslims, we often feel deeply incompatible.  We have found very few who can genuinely be called followers of the Quran alone without any ulterior motives. 

And no, you are not doing it wrong at all.  You are absolutely on the right path as shown by Allah in His Final Message.  Be assured about that.  Allah judges us by the sincerity of our hearts and to what extent we uphold the path of guidance shown by Him alone.  And the only path of guidance shown by Him is the Noble Quran and nothing else.  Thus, Allah says in the Quran that we must not choose any other path of guidance lest we get separated from His path.

Also, 'majority' following a certain system is no guarantee of the correctness of that system.  Majority might be a show of strength and support because of their large numbers but that's no proof of righteousness.  In fact you will invariably find majority following their own whims and lusts away from truth & righteousness.  Those who follow the truth and the right path as shown by Allah are always much less in number, explaining why they feel isolated and alone.  In the pre-Islamic era, everyone followed polytheism after their ancestors.  But they were all wrong.   Our Prophet (pbuh) faced a lot of isolation and discrimination because his views were different from the majority but he remained steadfast.  Alhumdulilah.  Among the Christians of all denominations for example, majority believe in the very wrong & sinful concept of trinity.  Only a few Christians might believe in pure Monotheism (Tawheed) who are in the minority.  But the minority is right, the majority is wrong. 

"If you obeyed most of those on earth they would mislead you far from Allah's way." [Noble Quran 6:116]  

"So far, Muslimvilla is the only resource I'm getting my Islamic knowledge from.  I use the Pickthall translation."

Thank you sister Selma.  We also use Pickthall translation.   As mentioned, I have approved your registration.    Thanks again for taking the time to explain everything.  Make yourself comfortable here, browse through our boards and I'm sure you will find plenty to read that will answer many of your queries.   Also feel free to put up your questions, posts or to respond to any of our many existing posts.  InshAllah, we will do our best to clarify any confusion that still bothers you.  And you are right, it's better not to discuss this issue with your mother or any other Hadith follower.  There's no point constantly arguing about it.  It's a waste of time and can be very upsetting.  Let them keep their views personal to themselves and you keep yours personal to yourself.  InshAllah, if Allah wills, maybe some day your mom will be able to see the Truth and support you.  Ameen. ameen. 

[muslima]

  sister Selma welcome to mv 

[Selma]

I'll be posting beyond the Guestbook soon, just want to reply to you guys.

Welcome little sister.

Thank you, glad to join you all!

sister Selma welcome to mv 

Thank you for the warm welcome~

 the event of Isra and Meraj is very true and contained in the Noble Quran.  Of course the Hadith traditionalists have added many bits of imaginary stories...need to be discarded.  We have put up a post about Isra and Meraj with only the information contained within the Noble Quran concerning it.   This is of course totally authentic and needs to be remembered.  You will find it in the following link:

No hardship in religion / Description of Meraj

Ah! Thanks for the clarification sister Heba. The version of Israa wil Miraj that I've heard was the one where Prophet Mohamed (as) asked Allah to reduce the number of prayers of 50 to 5.
I will look at the link.

LOL ,, it's nothing unusual.  Fortunately we here at MV come from Quran alone families so we're fine at home. 

MashAllah that's so lovely. Entire Qur'an alone families!

Once a lady seriously thought I was under some spell of "black magic."

Wow lol. To believe in Hadith is to be under the worse spell of black magic. When I let go of it, in fact, it felt like a huge weight on my soul had been lifted. It's the same kinda irony when hadithers say qur'an alone followers "pick and choose" and quote this:

Hadith - Reported by Ahmad, Abu Daawood, Ibn Maajah and at-Tirmidhee, who declared it hasan. Al-Albaanee declared it saheeh in Saheehul-Jaami’ (no.8186).
The Prophet said, “There will come a time when a man sitting upon his couch is told a hadeeth and he replies, ‘Between us and you is the Book of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic. What we find in it to be lawful, we take as lawful and what we find in it to be forbidden, we take as forbidden.’ Indeed, what the Messenger of Allah has forbidden is like what Allah has forbidden.”

and forget

[Quran 7:185]Which Hadith, besides this (Quran) do they believe in?
Hadithers are the supreme reigning masters of irony. Their accusations fit no one best but themselves.

The Quran must be followed by keeping it pure and not mixing it up with Hadith or any man-written laws not contained within the Quran.

100% true.

Allah does not consider how many diplomas and certificates we've gathered and hung on the walls from 'prestigious' institutions or Islamic universities.  Without the right perception and intention, these certificates & diplomas are useless.

Yep. Something bothersome that happens on forums and in RL, if a Muslim expresses a dissenting opinion that goes against the mainstream one, in the end any argument they make is discredited by the fact that they aren't a scholar and don't have the, ehm, "expertise" to interpret religion. Allah gave us minds to use, but we shouldn't unless we have the correct accreditation? I agree, it is the sincerity of our hearts that stands with Him.

Then, there was another imam who said the same as that guy told your mom, that the purpose of this Hadith is to emphasize on Fajr and Isha prayers.  But that's a lame & lousy excuse for justifying this false & offensive narration.  The Prophet (pbuh) was known for his infinite kindness and politeness, he was known for his humility and honesty, and he never exaggerated any aspect of our lives.   The Noble Quran itself tells not to exaggerate in religion.  The Prophet (pbuh) would surely NEVER even dream of exaggerating a law to the extent of giving permission to commit arson for the purpose of making people obey.  That is IMPOSSIBLE!  The Noble Quran praises the Prophet's character by stating that the Prophet has a "tremendous" character.  Would Allah speak so highly of a person who gives order to burn the homes of others who don't turn up in the masjid for Fajr and Isha ??   The answer is NO.  The Quran mentions that Allah chose and sent the Prophet as a mercy for humanity.  And indeed, the beloved Prophet was a mercy for humankind .. one of the most wonderful examples of kindness and understanding.  This Hadith is a shameless LIE.  Anyone who believes such explanations given by our imams against the Prophet (pbuh) for the purpose of defending Bukhari & co. are just as complicit in the crime of Hadith as the narrators, compilers and the imams themselves.    The Prophet (pbuh) only conveyed to the people to offer Fajr and Isha prayers at the given times.   Anyone who doesn't offer will have to answer for themselves to Allah.   The decision rests with Allah alone.  That's it.

That's a great explanation 

He was a great man and if he came back to earth just for day to see how much the Muslims have deviated and how many forgeries they have invented in his name, his gentle and humble soul would collapse with shock!

yea it's so sad. What the Prophet wanted most for people to follow Allah and His message, and took extra precautions to prevent his own words being written down. YET people still don't care. How can anyone claim to love the him by brazenly ignoring his plea, and encouraging the very Hadith that give non-Muslims every reason to mock and defame his character. Due to the anonimity of the internet, people can hold nothing back. The Prophet has been called atrocious things thanks to Hadith. And because Sunni Islam is more or less the narrow definition of "Islam" today, any attempt to point out Hadith is not historically accurate is labeled a cop-out and evasive tactic because Hadith, you know, "sheds light" on the true character of Prophet Mohamed (pbuh) /eyeroll

As for Kassem Ahmed, his research on the root causes that led to the formation of the Hadith culture are informative & useful, some of which we have put up here.  But not beyond that.  As for Subhi Mansour, we really don't know much about him.  He once spoke to Sister Zeynab requesting her to write for his website but she declined for she already has enough to take care of here.

No doubt, their Hadith criticism is thorough. There were a couple red flags
Kassim Ahmad's blog:

We originate from lifeless matter many millions of years ago, and we are on a long evolutionary journey, becoming living matter, evolving from a simple cell into more complex entities...

The Universe is a manifestation of God. It is Nature and therefore natural. God is immanent in Nature. [8] But Nature is not God, as God in more than Nature. Thus God is both natural and supernatural.

Dr. Ahmad Subhi Mansour is maybe ok, but he critiques "jihad". Well I donno...
Don't mean to rag on them, they are probably nice people but I don't agree with some of their stances.

And no, you are not doing it wrong at all.  You are absolutely on the right path as shown by Allah in His Final Message.  Be assured about that...
"If you obeyed most of those on earth they would mislead you far from Allah's way." [Noble Quran 6:116]  

Thanks sister. I am grateful that Allah SWT has guided me, but I've always wondered why. I'm not an exceptionally good Muslim at all nor is there anything special about me. My mistakes are plenty yet He has graced me with the Truth.

As mentioned, I have approved your registration.    Thanks again for taking the time to explain everything.  Make yourself comfortable here, browse through our boards and I'm sure you will find plenty to read that will answer many of your queries.   Also feel free to put up your questions, posts or to respond to any of our many existing posts. InshAllah, if Allah wills, maybe some day your mom will be able to see the Truth and support you.  Ameen. ameen. 

JazakAllah for approving. Hopefully I can be a helpful and contributing member.
InshAllah she will.

[Zainab_M]

Salaam and welcome to our forum sister Selma.  Many thanks for your very thoughtful comments / feedback.  

Your observation about Kassem Ahmed is very correct.  His Hadith research is fine but there are several red flags involving other aspects.  Thus, apart from his writings that are strictly based on the history of hadith, we don't take any other contents from his works.  

And yes, Subhi Mansur sounded quite rational to me .. though thanks for informing about his Jihad views.  I didn't know that.  

InshAllah, hope to see more of your posts on our boards.  Allah bless.