Why do we need to follow Hadeeth? Is the Qur’aan not enough?

by Asma bint Shameem

As Muslims we are supposed to believe in the Qur’aan AND the authentic ahaadeeth of the Prophet ﷺ.

That’s PART of being a Muslim. 

That’s PART of saying “La ilaaha ilallaah Muhammadur Rasoolullaah”

Islaam is not just what’s in the Qur’aan.

Islaam is ALSO following the Sunnah. 

The Qur’aan is the basic commands of Allaah. 

The Sunnah is the IMPLEMENTATION of those Orders. 

▪️Allaah said:

‎مَّن يُطِعِ الرَّسُولَ فَقَدْ أَطَاعَ اللَّهَ وَمَن تَوَلَّىٰ فَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ عَلَيْهِمْ حَفِيظًا

“He who obeys the Messenger, has indeed obeyed Allaah; but he who turns away, then we have not sent you (O Muhammad ﷺ) as a watcher over them.” 

(Surah an-Nisaa:80)

Allaah described obedience to the Prophet ﷺ as being a PART of obedience to Him. 

▪️And Allaah said:

‎وَمَا آتَاكُمُ الرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوهُ وَمَا نَهَاكُمْ عَنْهُ فَانتَهُوا وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ

“And whatsoever the Messenger (Muhammad ﷺ ) gives you, take it, and whatsoever he forbids you, ABSTAIN (from it) , and FEAR Allaah.

Verily, Allaah is Severe in punishment.”

(Surah al-Hashr :7)

So we’re supposed to ACCEPT whatever the Prophet ﷺ tells us to do and SUBMIT to that. 

That’s why in this Aayah, Allaah is WARNING those people who want to OPPOSE the instructions of the Prophet ﷺ and only follow the Qur’aan. 

Just look at the words.

Allaah is saying...

”FEAR Allaah. “

”Verily, Allaah is SEVERE in punishment.”

▪️Allaah says:

‎وَمَن يُشَاقِقِ الرَّسُولَ مِن بَعْدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُ الْهُدَىٰ وَيَتَّبِعْ غَيْرَ سَبِيلِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ نُوَلِّهِ مَا تَوَلَّىٰ وَنُصْلِهِ جَهَنَّمَ وَسَاءَتْ مَصِيرًا

"And whoever opposes the Messenger after guidance has become clear to him and follows OTHER than the WAY of the believers (meaning the Sahaabah)– We will turn him where he wants to turn and ROAST him in HELL, and evil it is as a destination" 

(Surah an-Nisaa':115)

How can one ignore all the Aayaat from the Qur’aan commanding us to obey the Prophet ﷺ?

In fact the Prophet ﷺ already warned us 1400 years ago about such people who will ONLY want to follow the Qur’aan so that they can follow their desires instead of submitting to Allaah and His Messenger ﷺ.

▪️He ﷺ said:

“Verily I have been given the Qur’aan and something similar to it along with it. (the Sunnah).

But soon there will be a time when a man will be reclining on his couch with a full stomach, and he will say, ‘You should adhere to this Qur’aan: what you find that it says is permissible, take it as permissible, and what you find it says is forbidden, take it as forbidden.’

But indeed, whatever the Messenger of Allaah forbids is like what Allaah forbids.”

(al-Tirmidhi 2664; hasan by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah 2870)

So as Muslims we’re supposed to follow the Qur’aan “AND” the Sunnah. 

Subhaan Allaah how do they then pray if hadeeth is not needed?

How do they know that Maghrib is three rak’aat and ishaa is four? 

How do they know Fajr is read out loud but Dhuhr and Asr aren’t?

How do they pay Zakaah?

There’s no mention of paying 2.5% in the Qur’aan. 

The Ahaadeeth are the PRACTICAL APPLICATION of the Qur’aan. 

In fact believing in the ahaadeeth is living the second part of the shahadah (Muhammad Rasool Ullaah)

Such a person who denies the ahaadeeth of the Prophet ﷺ is lost and misguided.

And they’re no longer muslim 

if they knowingly absolutely deny the ahaadeeth. 

▪️Ayyoob as-Sakhtiyaani said: 

“If a man is told about the Sunnah and he says, “Forget about that and tell us about the Qur’aan,” then you should know that he is misguided and is trying to mislead others.”

If only they read the Qur’aan carefully. 

The Qur’aan ITSELF tells them that they need the hadeeth of the Prophet ﷺ.

▪️Allaah says 

“But no, by your Lord, they can have no Faith, until they make you (O Muhammad ﷺ) judge in all disputes between them, and find in themselves no resistance against your decisions, and accept (them) with full submission”

[an-Nisa’ 4:65]. 

▪️And:

‎وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا مِن رَّسُولٍ إِلَّا لِيُطَاعَ بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ

“We sent no Messenger, but to be obeyed by Allaah’s Leave”

[an-Nisa’ 4:64]

▪️Imaam Ash-Shaafa‘i said regarding the above Aayah:

“With regard to every obligation that Allaah, may He be exalted, has enjoined in His book, such as Hajj, prayer and zakaah, were it not for the explanation of the Messenger, we would not know how to do it and it would not be possible for us to do any act of worship. 

Because the Messenger is of such great importance with regard to sharee‘ah, obedience to him is in fact obedience to Allaah.”

[Al-Bahr al-Muheet (6/7, 8)]

▪️Ibn al-Qayyim said: 

“What every Muslim must believe is that there is nothing in the saheeh Sunnah of the Messenger of Allaah  

ﷺ, not even a single Sunnah, that is contrary to the Book of Allaah. 

Rather the Sunnah, in relation to the Book of Allaah, falls into three categories: 

1. That which is in agreement with and states the same as that which is stated in the revealed Book

2. That which explains the Book and clarifies what Allaah meant thereby, restricting that which is mentioned in broad terms.

3. That which contains a ruling that is not mentioned in the Book, so it explains and introduces something new.

It is not permissible to deny any of these three categories, and there is no fourth category of the Sunnah in relation to the Book of Allaah.”

▪️Someone asked Sheikh Ibn Baaz:

“Virtuous Sheikh, you talked about the obligation of taking from the Qur’aan and sunnah.

There is group which is called Qur'aanis, so what's our stance regarding them ?”

Shaikh Ibn Baaz said:

“As already mentioned, they are not Qur'aanis. Rather, they are LIARS and ENEMIES of the Qur’aan.

That’s because the Qur’aan commands with the sunnah and obeying the Prophet ﷺ.

Whosoever denies the sunnah has denied the Qur'aan.

Whosoever disobeys the Prophet ﷺ has disobeyed the Qur’aan.

They are not Qur'aanis, rather they are against the Qur'aan, and deviants.

In fact, they are disbelievers by the consensus of the people of knowledge .

Whosoever denies the sunnah, doesn't act upon it and claims that he will only act upon the Qur’aan is a liar.

He did not act upon the Qur’aan.

He is deviant, misguiding, and a disbeliever by the consensus of the people of knowledge.

I have written a treatise about this that is published, I have named it as "Wujūb al-amal bi as-sunnah"

(The Obligation of acting upon the sunnah)”

▪️The scholars said:

“It is not essential for every ruling to be mentioned in the Qur’aan. 

The evidence for sharee’ah is the Qur’aan AND Sunnah, not only the Qur’aan. 

The rulings of Allaah may be mentioned in the Sunnah and not in the Qur’aan, or they may be mentioned in the Qur’aan and not in the Sunnah, or the ruling may be mentioned in general terms in the Qur'aan and explained in detail in the Sunnah. 

There is no single verse in the Book of Allaah which says that we should follow what it says in the Qur’aan and not that which is in the Sunnah. 

The one who claims to follow the Qur’aan only and not the Sunnah should quote as evidence a verse which will support his method and understanding, but he will not be able to do that. 

Rather, in the Book of Allaah there is the command to follow that which the Prophet ﷺ  

has brought, and to abstain from what he forbids. 

Allaah says:

“And whatsoever the Messenger (Muhammad) gives you, take it; and whatsoever he forbids you, abstain (from it)”

[al-Hashr 59:7] 

“And obey Allaah and the Messenger (Muhammad), and beware (of even coming near to drinking or gambling or Al‑Ansaab, or Al‑Azlaam) and fear Allaah. 

Then if you turn away, you should know that it is Our Messenger’s duty to convey (the Message) in the clearest way”

[al-Maa’idah 5:92] 

‎يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَلَا تَوَلَّوْا عَنْهُ وَأَنتُمْ تَسْمَعُونَ

“O you who believe! Obey Allaah and His Messenger, and turn not away from him (i.e. Messenger Muhammad) while you are hearing”

[al-Anfaal 8:20]

The Sahaabah understood this important principle VERY WELL. 

That’s why Umar radhi Allaahu anhu said when he kissed the black stone:

"By Allaah, I know that you are a stone, you neither bring harm nor benefit, and if I had not seen the Messenger of Allaah ﷺ kiss you, I would never have kissed you." (al-Bukhaari)

The Sunnah is the wisdom (al-hikmah) that is mentioned in the Book of Allaah in many verses, such as the following:

“Similarly (to complete My Blessings on you), We have sent among you a Messenger (Muhammad) of your own, reciting to you Our Verses (the Qur’aan) and purifying you, and teaching you the Book (the Qur’aan) and the Hikmah (i.e. Sunnah, Islamic laws and Fiqh — jurisprudence), and teaching you that which you used not to know”

[al-Baqarah 2:151] 

“And treat not the Verses (Laws) of Allaah as a jest, but remember Allaah’s Favors on you (i.e. Islaam), and that which He has sent down to you of the Book (i.e. the Qur’aan) and Al-Hikmah (the Prophet’s Sunnah — legal ways — Islamic jurisprudence) whereby He instructs you.

And fear Allaah, and know that Allaah is All-Aware of everything”

[al-Baqarah 2:231]

The Qur’aan and Sunnah both come from the same source, both are Revelation (wahy) from Allaah. 

Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala says: 

“Nor does he speak of (his own) desire.

4. It is only a Revelation revealed.

5. He has been taught (this Qur’aan) by one mighty in power [Jibreel]”

[al-Najm 53:3-5]”

(Islamqa Fatwa #83417)

May Allaah enable us to follow the Prophet ﷺ and truly be Muslims.

And Allaah knows best

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