critica
the canon, deconstructed.
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critica is a critical study companion covering the primary sourcebase of Islam across five tabs: the Quran, the major Hadith collections, the Sira (Muhammad's biography), classical Fiqh (jurisprudence across the four Sunni madhabs and Twelver Shia), and the classical Tafsir tradition. Every entry is broken into short, readable sections and annotated with what mainstream academic Islamic-studies scholarship has documented — contradictions, historical context, archaeology, ethics, and more.

Every annotation includes a specific citation — an ayah (Q surah:verse), a hadith number, a sira page, or a madhab manual — so any claim can be verified in any translation or edition.

Frequently asked

Is this a Quran reader?

No — critica is a companion to the Islamic sourcebase, not a Quran reader. It assumes you have access to a Quran and other primary sources (printed, web, or another app). Every section in critica includes specific references so you can read the passage in your preferred translation.

Who wrote the content?

The content draws on mainstream academic Islamic-studies scholarship. Key sources include the work of Patricia Crone (Princeton, IAS), Michael Cook (Princeton), John Wansbrough (SOAS), Gerd-R. Puin (Saarland — Sana'a palimpsest), Christoph Luxenberg, Tom Holland, Robert G. Hoyland (NYU), Fred Donner (Chicago), Joseph Schacht, G.H.A. Juynboll, Ignaz Goldziher, Jonathan Brown (Georgetown), Wael Hallaq (Columbia), and standard reference works in the academic study of religion. The classical sources cited directly include the Six Books of Sunni hadith (Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Nasa'i, Ibn Majah), al-Kafi (Twelver Shia), Ibn Hisham's recension of Ibn Ishaq, al-Tabari's history, and the classical tafsirs of Tabari, Ibn Kathir, Qurtubi, Razi, Tabarsi, and Zamakhshari.

Is critica anti-religious?

No. critica presents what academic Islamic-studies scholarship has documented about the texts of Islam. It neither endorses nor attacks any religion. The app is appropriate for religious-studies students, comparative-religion enthusiasts, and reflective readers of any background — including practicing Muslim readers interested in critical scholarship.

What translation is used?

References point to standard ayah numbers (Q surah:verse) and standard hadith numbering, which can be looked up in any translation. Where a translation choice is itself the subject of scholarship (e.g., Q 4:34 idribuhunna), critica notes the underlying Arabic and the competing translations from classical exegetes (Tabari, Ibn Kathir, Qurtubi) and modern reformist readings.

Does critica collect data?

No. critica is fully offline. No account, no sign-in, no tracking, no analytics, no ads. Your reading history stays on your device. See the privacy policy for the full statement.

Are Sunni and Shia sources both covered?

Yes. The Hadith tab covers the six canonical Sunni books (Kutub al-Sittah: Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Nasa'i, Ibn Majah) and the most authoritative Twelver Shia collection (al-Kafi). The Fiqh tab covers the four Sunni madhabs (Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i, Hanbali) and the Twelver Ja'fari school. The Tafsir tab includes both Sunni exegetes (Tabari, Ibn Kathir, Qurtubi, Razi) and the leading Twelver Shia tafsir (Tabarsi), plus the rationalist Mu'tazilite Zamakhshari.

Will there be other religions?

The current version covers the primary sourcebase of Islam. A sibling app, Decanon, applies the same critical-edition treatment to the 66-book Protestant Bible. If you'd like a specific tradition covered, write in.

I found an error or want to suggest content.

Email omar.critica@gmail.com. Corrections are taken seriously — every claim in critica ties to a citation, so if something is misattributed or misread, please point it out.

How do I switch app icon appearance?

iOS handles this. Long-press your Home Screen wallpaper, tap "Customize," then choose Light, Dark, or Tinted. critica ships with all three appearances and the right one is picked automatically.

How do I restore my Full Access purchase?

Open critica → tap the info button (top right) → scroll to "Restore Purchases." If you've previously bought Full Access on the same Apple ID, your unlock will be restored. Full Access supports Family Sharing.


Contact

General questions, content corrections, accessibility feedback, or press:
omar.critica@gmail.com