Refuting Islam

The Sacralization of the Irrational: When Islamic Scholars Declare Absurd Texts as Sacred Law

Introduction: When Absurdity Becomes Sacred

Islamic law, known as Sharia, is often presented as a perfect, divinely inspired system of justice, but beneath this polished image lies a disturbing reality. Many of the rules and doctrines of Sharia are based not on divine revelation, but on fabricated or absurd texts that have been declared "sacred" by religious scholars. From bizarre hadiths about drinking camel urine for health to legal rulings that violate basic human rights, Islamic jurisprudence has a long history of sacralizing the irrational.

This post will expose how Islamic scholars have elevated nonsense to the status of sacred law, creating a system where reason is replaced by blind obedience, and absurdity is enshrined as divine wisdom.

1. What Is Sacralization of the Irrational?

Sacralization of the Irrational is the process by which religious scholars take fabricated, dubious, or absurd texts and declare them sacred, binding them as part of Islamic law.
This process is most clearly seen in the collection and classification of Hadith (the sayings and actions of Muhammad) and the development of Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh).
Once a text is declared sacred, questioning it is considered blasphemy, and any attempt to reject or reform it is met with fierce resistance.

2. The Hadith Problem: Fabrications Elevated to Sacred Law

2.1. The Problem of Fabricated Hadiths

The Hadith are the second most important source of Islamic law after the Quran, but they are notoriously unreliable:
- Collected over 200 years after Muhammad's death.
- Thousands of hadiths were fabricated for political, sectarian, and personal reasons.
- Even the "authentic" collections (Sahih Bukhari, Sahih Muslim) contain many absurd or contradictory texts.

2.2. Absurd Hadiths Declared Sacred

Despite their dubious origins, many Hadith have been declared sacred and legally binding:
- Drinking Camel Urine for Health:
  - Sahih Bukhari 5686: Muhammad prescribed drinking camel urine as a cure for illness.
- The Sun Sets in a Muddy Spring:
  - Sahih Bukhari 3199: Muhammad claimed that the sun sets in a muddy spring.
- Satan Urinates in Your Ear:
  - Sahih Bukhari 1144: Muhammad said that if you sleep too long and miss prayer, Satan urinates in your ear.
- Satan Sleeps in Your Nose:
  - Sahih Muslim 563: Muhammad taught that Satan sleeps in the upper part of your nose at night.

2.3. Fabrications Used to Justify Oppression

Many fabricated Hadith have been used to justify oppression and violence:
- Women Are Deficient in Intelligence and Religion:
  - Sahih Bukhari 304: Muhammad said that women are deficient in intelligence and religion.
- Beating Disobedient Wives:
  - Sunan Abu Dawood 2142: Muhammad allowed men to beat their wives if they are disobedient.
- Death for Apostates:
  - Sahih Bukhari 6922: "Whoever changes his religion, kill him."
These hadiths are not just ancient texts — they are used to justify oppressive laws in many Muslim-majority countries today.

3. The Development of Absurd Fiqh: When Scholars Codify the Irrational

3.1. Sharia Law: A System Built on Absurd Texts

Islamic law (Sharia) is derived from four main sources:
- The Quran.
- The Hadith.
- Ijma (consensus of scholars).
- Qiyas (analogical reasoning).
But the reliance on Hadith has led to the sacralization of irrational teachings:
- Camel urine is declared a "cure" because of a hadith.
- Wife-beating is declared a right of husbands because of a hadith.
- Apostasy is punished by death because of a hadith.
Once these teachings are codified as Sharia, they become legally binding, and questioning them is forbidden.

3.2. The Madness of Islamic Jurisprudence: Absurd Legal Rulings

Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh) is filled with absurd rulings that violate reason and human rights:
- The Virginity Test: In some Islamic countries, women are subjected to "virginity tests" to prove their purity before marriage.
- Breastfeeding Adults (Rida’a al-Kabir):
  - A fatwa based on a hadith (Sahih Muslim 1453a) declared that a woman can "breastfeed" an adult man to establish a non-marital relationship.
- Necrophilia Ruling: In 2011, an Egyptian cleric declared that a husband can have "farewell intercourse" with his deceased wife.
- The Divorce of Triple Talaq: A husband can divorce his wife instantly by saying "Talaq" (I divorce you) three times, leading to severe hardship for women.

4. The Role of Religious Scholars: Gatekeepers of Irrationality

4.1. The Tyranny of the Ulema (Islamic Scholars)

Islamic scholars (Ulema) serve as gatekeepers of religious orthodoxy:
- They decide which Hadith are "authentic" and which are "weak."
- They issue fatwas (religious rulings) that can never be questioned by ordinary Muslims.
- They claim that their interpretation of Sharia is divinely inspired and cannot be challenged.
The Ulema use their authority to sacralize absurd teachings, transforming superstition into sacred law.

4.2. The Silencing of Reformers

Throughout Islamic history, rationalists and reformers who challenged absurd teachings were persecuted:
- Ibn Rushd (Averroes): A philosopher who defended reason but was exiled and his books were burned.
- Al-Razi (Rhazes): A Persian physician who criticized religion as a source of ignorance — his books were destroyed.
- Mu'tazila (Rationalists): A school of thought that emphasized reason over blind faith, violently suppressed by Sunni orthodoxy.
The Ulema ensure that absurd teachings are protected, and rational thinkers are silenced.

5. The Modern Impact: Absurdity Enforced as Law

5.1. Camel Urine as Medicine in the 21st Century

In Saudi Arabia, camel urine is still sold as a traditional "Islamic medicine."
Despite the complete lack of scientific evidence for its benefits, it is promoted as a cure for various diseases.

5.2. Apostasy Punished by Death

In many Muslim-majority countries, apostasy is punishable by death:
- Saudi Arabia: Apostasy is a capital crime under Sharia.
- Iran: Apostates are imprisoned, tortured, or executed.
- Pakistan: Blasphemy laws are used to punish those who question Islam.
These laws are based on the hadith that commands the killing of those who leave Islam.

5.3. Women Treated as Inferior

Islamic law declares that women are inferior to men:
- A woman’s testimony is worth half that of a man (Quran 2:282).
- Women are considered "deficient in intelligence and religion" (Sahih Bukhari 304).
- Women can be beaten by their husbands (Quran 4:34).

6. Conclusion: A Religion Built on Absurdity

Islam presents itself as a religion of knowledge, but the reality is far darker. Islamic scholars have sacralized the irrational, declaring absurd and fabricated texts as sacred law. From drinking camel urine for health to executing apostates, from treating women as inferior to silencing reformers, Islam’s sacralization of the irrational has transformed faith into a prison.

For those who value reason, evidence, and human rights, Islamic law is not a divine system of justice — it is a system of sacred absurdity.