The idea that corruption has crept into Islam is perhaps as old as the religion itself. The Qurʾān warns believers to remain steadfast in Islam (e.g., Q 31:22) and to remain loyal to their co-religionists (e.g., Q 5:51). Such warnings were perhaps meant primarily for those followers of Muḥammad who were in danger of leaving the community altogether, rather than to those who simply disagreed with early Islamic ideas. A famous ḥadīth , however, found in several authoritative collections, states that the Prophet claimed his community (