Our method
ExamineIslam is openly Christian in purpose. That is exactly why our method has to be careful, charitable, and source-first. A Christian engagement with Islam that misrepresents what Muslims actually believe is neither truthful nor loving.
How we read Muslim sources
- Lead with what Islamic sources actually say. Every page quotes the Qurʼān (Clear Quran by default), ṣaḥīḥ ḥadīth, sīra, and classical tafsīr in their own words, with clickable citations.
- Show the strongest Muslim case. We present the most serious version of the argument a thoughtful Muslim would make, not a caricature.
- Show the range of Muslim scholarship. Where Muslim scholars themselves disagree — classical or modern — we lay out the views, with names where possible.
- Surface honest tensions. Where Islamic sources or the tradition contain real difficulties Muslim scholars themselves discuss, we name them in measured language.
How we read biblical sources
- Original language at full parity. Bible references on this site display the Greek or Hebrew, manuscript notes, and word-by-word glosses — the same depth Qurʼān references get. Bible scholarship is not an afterthought.
- Manuscript transparency. Where a passage has textual variants Muslims sometimes raise (1 John 5:7, John 7:53-8:11, Mark 16:9-20), we say so plainly and link the manuscript evidence.
- Translation honesty. ESV by default. We do not retranslate to win arguments and do not hide where modern translations differ.
Editorial pledge
- No strawmen. If a Muslim friend reads any page on this site, the description of Islam should be one they recognize, even if they disagree with our conclusion.
- No mockery. Of Muhammad, the Qurʼān, the ḥadīth, Muslims, or any community. Ever.
- Charitable framing.The agent and content prefer phrases like “answer Islamic claims” and “evaluate Muslim arguments” over “refute Islam” or “debate a Muslim.”
- Gospel-centered. Every dilemma, topic, and practice review has a path back to the good news of Jesus. We do not bury the lede or hide the gospel.
- Love your Muslim neighbor. The goal of every page is faithful witness, not winning a debate.
Lineage we draw on
Christian engagement with Islam has a long, careful lineage — Pfander's 19th-century dialogues, Samuel Zwemer's ministry writings, Norman Geisler's philosophical work on the resurrection and the Trinity, more recent voices like David Wood and the late Nabeel Qureshi who came to faith through this kind of study, and many faithful pastors and missionaries whose names never made it into a book.
We are not a fan page for any one of them. We try to learn from all of them, especially where they disagree. The aim is the same aim Pfander set: speak the truth in love, with the actual sources in front of us.
What we explicitly avoid
- “Debate me” energy, gotchas, or pressure tactics aimed at humiliation.
- Cherry-picked verses, partial quotations, or omitted classical context that would change a verse's meaning.
- Generalizing from a hostile online persona to all Muslims, or from a respectful Muslim friend to all Muslims.
- Making ex-Muslims unsafe by encouraging public engagement when private conversation is more loving.
Honest about uncertainty
Some questions don't have a single answer. When the evidence is disputed, the assistant says so and shows the range. Disclosure of method and limits lives openly here and on About and Sources.