Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus: A Devout Muslim Encounters Christianity

Qureshi’s family adheres to a Muslim sect called Ahmadiyya (members of which are called Ahmadis). In contrast to the two large and dominant Muslim blocks in the world—Sunni Islam and Shia Islam—Ahmadiyya is much smaller and relatively new. It is based on the teachings of a self-proclaimed prophet who lived during the British colonial period in India, and it adds several minor doctrines to the core traditions of Islam. While many Sunnis and Shias do not regard Ahmadiyya as an orthodox form of Islam, Ahmadis contend that they share all of the core beliefs which Muslims hold in common.

Hadith are early Islamic literary sources which relate traditions about the Prophet Muhammad’s life and teachings. In Islamic theology, hadith are considered to be the next highest texts after the Quran, but it is important to note that the Quran is in a category entirely of its own. Hadith are seen as helpful for interpreting the Quran’s meaning, but they are not inspired texts in their own right, and their perceived reliability depends in large measure on who the compiler of each collection was, and how robust was the chain of transmission upon which that compiler relied.