Obey God and His Messenger = Obey Hadith
Probably the most typical argument against following the Quran alone is the argument that when the Quran says to “obey God and His messenger,” this means we have to uphold the Hadith. The fallacy in this argument is that the traditionalists who make this argument are presupposing that the Hadith are actual narrations from the prophet rather than conjecture that is being falsely attributed to the prophet.
For example, traditionalists love to cite the following verse for this argument.
[4:59] O you who believe, you shall obey GOD, and you shall obey the messenger, and those in charge among you. If you dispute in any matter, you shall refer it to GOD and the messenger, if you do believe in GOD and the Last Day. This is better for you, and provides you with the best solution.
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ أَطِيعُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا۟ ٱلرَّسُولَ وَأُو۟لِى ٱلْأَمْرِ مِنكُمْ فَإِن تَنَـٰزَعْتُمْ فِى شَىْءٍ فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ وَٱلرَّسُولِ إِن كُنتُمْ تُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلْـَٔاخِرِ ذَٰلِكَ خَيْرٌ وَأَحْسَنُ تَأْوِيلًا
Yet, they fail to notice the immediate next verse.
[4:60] Have you noted those who claim that they believe in what was revealed to you, and in what was revealed before you, then uphold the unjust laws of their idols? They were commanded to reject such laws. Indeed, it is the devil’s wish to lead them far astray.
أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى ٱلَّذِينَ يَزْعُمُونَ أَنَّهُمْ ءَامَنُوا۟ بِمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ مِن قَبْلِكَ يُرِيدُونَ أَن يَتَحَاكَمُوٓا۟ إِلَى ٱلطَّـٰغُوتِ وَقَدْ أُمِرُوٓا۟ أَن يَكْفُرُوا۟ بِهِۦ وَيُرِيدُ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ أَن يُضِلَّهُمْ ضَلَـٰلًۢا بَعِيدًا
In the book “Hadith Muhammad’s Legacy in Medieval and Modern World” by Professor Jonathan Brown, on page 165, it states:
“When Sunni legal theory matured in the eleventh century, it was accepted that, although ahad( i.e., non-massively transmitted) hadiths did not yield epistemological certainty (yaqin) that the Prophet had made that statement, they did yield a very strong probability ( zann ). This was sufficient for fixing law and ritual. While almost all legal hadiths were ahad, the Quran was epistemologically certain, massively transmitted from the time of the Prophet.“
Sunnis admit that their Hadith corpus, at best, is conjecture (zann / ظَّنَّ ), and what does the Quran tell us about conjecture (zann)?
[6:116] If you obey the majority of people on earth, they will divert you from the path of GOD. They follow only conjecture (l-ẓana); they only guess.
وَإِن تُطِعْ أَكْثَرَ مَن فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ يُضِلُّوكَ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ إِن يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا ٱلظَّنَّ وَإِنْ هُمْ إِلَّا يَخْرُصُونَ
[6:148] The idol worshipers say, “Had GOD willed, we would not practice idolatry, nor would our parents, nor would we prohibit anything.” Thus did those before them disbelieve, until they incurred our retribution. Say, “Do you have any proven knowledge that you can show us? You follow nothing but conjecture (zann); you only guess.”
سَيَقُولُ ٱلَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوا۟ لَوْ شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ مَآ أَشْرَكْنَا وَلَآ ءَابَآؤُنَا وَلَا حَرَّمْنَا مِن شَىْءٍ كَذَٰلِكَ كَذَّبَ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ حَتَّىٰ ذَاقُوا۟ بَأْسَنَا قُلْ هَلْ عِندَكُم مِّنْ عِلْمٍ فَتُخْرِجُوهُ لَنَآ إِن تَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا ٱلظَّنَّ وَإِنْ أَنتُمْ إِلَّا تَخْرُصُونَ
[10:36] Most of them follow nothing but conjecture (zann), and conjecture is no substitute for the truth. GOD is fully aware of everything they do.
وَمَا يَتَّبِعُ أَكْثَرُهُمْ إِلَّا ظَنًّا إِنَّ ٱلظَّنَّ لَا يُغْنِى مِنَ ٱلْحَقِّ شَيْـًٔا إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلِيمٌۢ بِمَا يَفْعَلُونَ
Additionally, a careful look at the Quran informs us that if we want to obey and follow the path of the messenger, the way we do this is by upholding the Quran alone.
[25:27] The day will come when the transgressor will bite his hands (in anguish) and say, “Alas, I wish I had followed the path with the messenger.
وَيَوْمَ يَعَضُّ ٱلظَّالِمُ عَلَىٰ يَدَيْهِ يَقُولُ يَـٰلَيْتَنِى ٱتَّخَذْتُ مَعَ ٱلرَّسُولِ سَبِيلًا
[25:28] “Alas, woe to me, I wish I did not take that person as a friend.
يَـٰوَيْلَتَىٰ لَيْتَنِى لَمْ أَتَّخِذْ فُلَانًا خَلِيلًا
[25:29] “He has led me away from the message after it came to me. Indeed, the devil lets down his human victims.”
لَّقَدْ أَضَلَّنِى عَنِ ٱلذِّكْرِ بَعْدَ إِذْ جَآءَنِى وَكَانَ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ لِلْإِنسَـٰنِ خَذُولًا
[25:30] The messenger said, “My Lord, my people have deserted this Quran.”
وَقَالَ ٱلرَّسُولُ يَـٰرَبِّ إِنَّ قَوْمِى ٱتَّخَذُوا۟ هَـٰذَا ٱلْقُرْءَانَ مَهْجُورًا
Additional articles explainng how obeying the messenger does not mean following the Hadith can be found below.
Hikma = Sunnah
Another common argument is that when it is stated that the messenger delivered the scripture (Kitab) and wisdom (Hikma), the Hikma is implying the Sunnah.
The word Hik’ma ( الْحِكْمَة ), which is typically translated as wisdom, throughout the Quran is almost always mentioned in association with the scripture (kitab) (See: 2:129, 2:151, 2:231, 3:48, 3:81, 3:164, 4:54, 4:113, 5:110, 6:89, 45:16, 62:2).
[2:129] “Our Lord, and raise among them a messenger to recite to them Your revelations, teach them the scripture and wisdom, and purify them. You are the Almighty, Most Wise.”
رَبَّنَا وَابْعَثْ فِيهِمْ رَسُولًا مِنْهُمْ يَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِكَ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ
But Hikma is not something external to the Quran, but something contained within the Quran. An article on this topic can be found below.
Hadith Prophesized and Warned About Quran Alone
Traditionalists love to refer to the following Hadith to argue that the Hadith warns of those who want to follow the Quran alone.
Narrated Al-Miqdam ibn Ma’dikarib: The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Beware! I have been given the Qur’an and something like it, yet the time is coming when a man replete on his couch will say: Keep to the Qur’an; what you find in it to be permissible treat as permissible, and what you find in it to be prohibited treat as prohibited. Beware! The domestic ass, beasts of prey with fangs, a find belonging to confederate, unless its owner does not want it, are not permissible to you If anyone comes to some people, they must entertain him, but if they do not, he has a right to mulct them to an amount equivalent to his entertainment.
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَهَّابِ بْنُ نَجْدَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَمْرِو بْنُ كَثِيرِ بْنِ دِينَارٍ، عَنْ حَرِيزِ بْنِ عُثْمَانَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ أَبِي عَوْفٍ، عَنِ الْمِقْدَامِ بْنِ مَعْدِيكَرِبَ، عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنَّهُ قَالَ “ أَلاَ إِنِّي أُوتِيتُ الْكِتَابَ وَمِثْلَهُ مَعَهُ أَلاَ يُوشِكُ رَجُلٌ شَبْعَانُ عَلَى أَرِيكَتِهِ يَقُولُ عَلَيْكُمْ بِهَذَا الْقُرْآنِ فَمَا وَجَدْتُمْ فِيهِ مِنْ حَلاَلٍ فَأَحِلُّوهُ وَمَا وَجَدْتُمْ فِيهِ مِنْ حَرَامٍ فَحَرِّمُوهُ أَلاَ لاَ يَحِلُّ لَكُمْ لَحْمُ الْحِمَارِ الأَهْلِيِّ وَلاَ كُلُّ ذِي نَابٍ مِنَ السَّبُعِ وَلاَ لُقَطَةُ مُعَاهِدٍ إِلاَّ أَنْ يَسْتَغْنِيَ عَنْهَا صَاحِبُهَا وَمَنْ نَزَلَ بِقَوْمٍ فَعَلَيْهِمْ أَنْ يَقْرُوهُ فَإِنْ لَمْ يَقْرُوهُ فَلَهُ أَنْ يُعْقِبَهُمْ بِمِثْلِ قِرَاهُ ” .
Yet the problem with referencing this Hadith as an argument against following the Quran alone is that there are many more Hadith that go against following Hadith than there are ones warning about following the Quran alone. Like the example below.
Here is an article for additional anti-Hadith Hadith.
Need Hadith to judge
One common argument made for justification for the upholding of Hadith besides the Quran is that it was the messenger’s job to judge, and it is the duty of the believers to obey his judgment. Some of the strongest verses in the Quran used to attempt to justify these points can be found in the following two verses.
[4:65] Never indeed, by your Lord; they are not believers unless they come to you to judge in their disputes, then find no hesitation in their hearts whatsoever in accepting your judgment. They must submit a total submission.
فَلَا وَرَبِّكَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ حَتَّىٰ يُحَكِّمُوكَ فِيمَا شَجَرَ بَيْنَهُمْ ثُمَّ لَا يَجِدُوا۟ فِىٓ أَنفُسِهِمْ حَرَجًا مِّمَّا قَضَيْتَ وَيُسَلِّمُوا۟ تَسْلِيمًا
[33:36] No believing man or believing woman, if GOD and His messenger issue any command, has any choice regarding that command. Anyone who disobeys GOD and His messenger has gone far astray.
وَمَا كَانَ لِمُؤْمِنٍ وَلَا مُؤْمِنَةٍ إِذَا قَضَى ٱللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُۥٓ أَمْرًا أَن يَكُونَ لَهُمُ ٱلْخِيَرَةُ مِنْ أَمْرِهِمْ وَمَن يَعْصِ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ ضَلَـٰلًا مُّبِينًا
The error made in thinking these verses support the upholding of Hadith besides the Quran can be understood by asking, “by what mechanism did the messenger judge?” Or put another way, did the messenger judge by the Book of God, or did he judge by some other means that is not contained in the book of God? What we find when we research the Quran is that the messenger judged by the Quran alone.
More articles on this topic can be found below:
Muhammad Received Revelations outside of Quran
There are numerous examples in the Quran that the prophet received revelations referenced in the Quran that occurred outside the Quran. Below are three examples.
- Changing of the Qibla (2:142-145)
- One of the prophet’s wives spread a hadith from the prophet (66:3)
- The prophet commanded to marry the divorced wife of his adopted son (33:37)
The argument typically goes that since there were revelations outside of the Quran, therefore, we are obliged to accept Hadith. Again, this is a nonsequitur because it presupposes that the Hadith we have today are actual sayings from the prophet rather than the conjecture they actually are.
But that aside, the simple rebuttal to this argument is that if we were with the prophet, we would have to obey any command he gave us. This was the responsibility of the people who lived with him, but these revelations that he received were only relevant for his immediate time and place. Any revelation that is binding to people of the future generations will all be encompassed in the Quran. The lessons we are to take from these revelations he received outside of the Quran are all contained within the Quran.
Additionally, there is a field of Hadith known as Asbab al-Nuzul, which is meant to explain the context of the verses when they were revealed. The irony is that these Hadiths often contradict one another. For example, even for the examples above, Hadith is unclear regarding the shift in Qibla direction or what the prophet prohibited for himself to please his wives (66:1). Some narrations claim it was honey, while other narrations claim it was intercourse. Aside from this, there are contradicting Hadith to what the first verse revealed, the last verse revealed, the last sura revealed, as well as numerous other contradictions. So, if the Hadith corpus is sketchy on the items that one would assume should be the best understood, how less reliable are the Hadith for all other matters.
More articles on this topic can be found here:
Hadith is NeEded to explain Quran
If you ask most Muslims: who explains the Quran? They will claim that the prophet explained the Quran through the Hadith. This is because traditionalists believe that without the Hadith, the Quran is incomprehensible. Except the Hadith does not explain the Quran. You will not find any Hadith that provides a detailed tafsir of three consecutive verses of the Quran. This is because the Hadith is not a Tafsir of the Quran. The Hadith not only does not explain the Quran it confuses the Quran for people.
Upon careful analysis of the Quran, we see that God Himself explains the Quran, as God is the Teacher of the Quran.
[55:1] The Most Gracious.
[55:2] Teacher of the Quran.
(١) ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنُ
(٢) عَلَّمَ ٱلْقُرْءَانَ
God informs us that the sole duty of the messenger was to deliver the message, which is the scripture and not some other source.
[5:99] The sole duty of the messenger is to deliver the message, and GOD knows everything you declare and everything you conceal.
مَا عَلَى الرَّسُولِ إِلَّا الْبَلَاغُ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا تُبْدُونَ وَمَا تَكْتُمُونَ
[21:10] We have sent down to you a scripture containing your message. Do you not understand?
لَقَدْ أَنزَلْنَآ إِلَيْكُمْ كِتَـٰبًا فِيهِ ذِكْرُكُمْ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ
More artilces on this topic can be found below:
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