Can We Really Just Believe In The Qur’ān And Put Aside The Sunnah?

In today’s Muslim world, there are a number of deviant sects, beliefs and practices, as predicted there would be by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). One of the most dangerous ones are those who claim they only follow the Qur’ān and they aren’t in need of the Sunnah since they reckon not all of the Ahadeeth are authentic, thus they say they only follow the Qur’ān. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) warned us of these people:

“Soon there will come a time that a man will be reclining on his pillow, and when one of my hadiths is narrated he will say: ‘The Book of Allah is (sufficient) between us and you. Whatever it states is permissible, we will take as permissible, and whatever it states is forbidden, we will take as forbidden.’ Verily, whatever the Messenger of Allah has forbidden is like that which Allah has forbidden.” [1]

Here are two Ahadeeth along with Quranic evidence and Tafsir which refutes this blasphemous stance and others who try to change the religion with innovative practices.

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:

“When I order you with something, then do as much of it as you can, and when I forbid you from something, then avoid it.” [2]

A woman came to the Sahabi, Abdullah ibn Masud (radi Allahu anhu), and said, “I have heard that you forbid tattooing and the use of false hair – is that something that you have found in the Book of Allah or from the Messenger (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam)?”

He said, “Rather it is something which I have found in the Book of Allah and from the Messenger (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam).”

She said, “By Allah, I have read the mus-haf (Quran) from cover to cover and I have not found in it what you say.”

He said, “Did you not find in it, ‘And take what the Messenger gives you and refrain from what he forbids you’ [59:7]?”

She said, “Yes.”

He said, “Certainly, I have heard the Messenger forbid the use of false hair, tattooing and plucking out facial hair.”

She said, “Perhaps it is present in some of your family.”

He said, “Then enter and look.”

So she entered and looked – then left. She said, “I did not see anything (objectionable).”

So he said to her, “Have you not memorized the testament of the righteous servant, ‘I do not wish to do in opposition to you concerning what I forbid you to do.’” [3]

By this answer Abdullah ibn Masud (radi Allahu anhu) pointed out that this Ayat is so comprehensive that it embodies all the orders and prohibitions of the Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam), and since the questioned prohibitions were enforced by the Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) they form part of this Ayat, though indirectly.

Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) made it obligatory on us to obey the Messenger (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) in whatever he commanded us with; do as he told us to do and keep away from whatever he ordered us to stay away from. This is as necessary as the obedience of Allah, because the latter has always been mentioned in the Quran combined with the former (“Whosoever obeys Allah and His Messenger…”).

Whenever “the obedience of Allah” is mentioned in the Quran, it is always followed by “the obedience of the Messenger.” There is no Ayat in the entire Quran where “the obedience of Allah” has been mentioned alone with no reference to “the obedience of the Messenger.”

This is because the obedience of the Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam), in practical terms, is the obedience of Allah; and the latter cannot be carried out except through the former. The Quran commands obedience of the Messenger (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) as it is only through him that we understand how to implement the commands of the Quran. The “Quran only” approach to Islam is nothing but an attempt to castrate the religion, since the details of Islam, and its practical manifestation is in the Sunnah. For example, the Quran orders us to pray, but the method is in the Sunnah. And the best way to understand and see how we should implement the Qur’ān and the Sunnah is to look to how the Sahaba (may Allah be pleased with them all) did it.

To read more into the origins and ideology of the Quranists or Quraniyoons click here.

We ask Allah to protect us from such fitna and to guise all those who have been trapped by it.

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References

[1] Ahmad, Abu Daawood, Ibn Maajah and at-Tirmidhee, who declared it hasan. Al-Albaanee declared it saheeh in Saheehul-Jaami’ (no.8186))
[2] Sahih Bukhari
[3] Ibn Katheer in his Tafseer
Source: DailyHadith