The book is a culmination of more than four years of research effort. Islam, as outlined in this book, is not only a powerful retort to its usual Western stereotyping (as fanatic and militant) but also a marked departure from its conventional interpretation. Conventional Islam is regrettably a mixed message borrowed from both the Quran and the Hadith. This book persuasively argues that the Hadith is "more a detractor of the Quran and

the Prophet [Muhammad] than a real guide" (Ahmad, Panaullah - full reference in the book.) It demonstrates with sufficient documentation why the Hadith surfacing more than two centuries after the Prophet's demise is not authentic and reliable enough, and how the Hadith falsely attributed to the Prophet's holy name, has long been misguiding Muslims in their religious beliefs and practices; and in their approaches to many issues such as the status of women relative to that of men, marriage and divorce, dispensation of criminal justice, and maintenance of justice, peace, and harmony in society.The ideas that seriously distort religious conceptions and practices, insult and at the same time idolize the Prophet of Islam, demonize and weaken women’s position in society, encourage fanaticism and fatalism, encourage archaic, barbaric or harsh punishments, block progress and modernization, encourage intolerance, violence and terror, and extol the virtues of aggressive jihad (“holy war”) against other communities—all come from the Hadith.

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