بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

‘Sunnah’ means practice and ‘hadith’ means narration, report or incidence. Generally not much distinction is made between these two terms. Both are thought to be solely related to prophet Mohammad (pbuh) and his companions. Common perception is that the ‘hadith’ books contain the sayings of prophet Mohammad (pbuh) and his companions and the ‘sunnah’ is the actions of the prophet also described in those books.

There are seven recognized hadith books in a major sect of Islam (Sunni sect) which are considered mostly ‘sahih’/authentic grade. These books narrate incidences and events about prophet Mohammad (pbuh) and his companions. In another major sect of Islam (Shia sect), there are four popular hadith books. While some of the hadiths are agreed upon or common in both sects, majority of the sectarian hadiths are rejected by the other sect.

In this post we will see what Allah mentions in Al-Quran about His Sunnah/Practice, the sunnah of the prophets and that of the people. We will also review what is the status of man-written hadith books according to Al-Quran.

4:26 يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيُبَيِّنَ لَكُمْ وَيَهْدِيَكُمْ سُنَنَ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ وَيَتُوبَ عَلَيْكُمْ ۗ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ

Allah intends to make clear to you and guide you to the sunnah/practice of the people before you; and to turn to you. And Allah is All-knowing, All-wise.

A key practice of the prophets of God, is stated in below ayat:

3:79 مَا كَانَ لِبَشَرٍ أَن يُؤْتِيَهُ اللَّهُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحُكْمَ وَالنُّبُوَّةَ ثُمَّ يَقُولَ لِلنَّاسِ كُونُوا عِبَادًا لِّي مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ وَلَٰكِن كُونُوا رَبَّانِيِّينَ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تُعَلِّمُونَ الْكِتَابَ وَبِمَا كُنتُمْ تَدْرُسُونَ

It is not for a man whom is given the Book, and Wisdom, and the Prophethood; should say to people. “Be you my servants rather than Allah’s”. On the contrary (He would say) “Be you the servants of the Lord. For you teach the Book and you have studied it.”

The prophet (pbuh) would never ask the people to consider him as their master and people become his servants, but would ask people to be focused on Allah and study and teach Allah’s Book.

7:2 كِتَابٌ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ فَلَا يَكُن فِي صَدْرِكَ حَرَجٌ مِّنْهُ لِتُنذِرَ بِهِ وَذِكْرَىٰ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ

A Book revealed to you (O’ Messenger), it should not cause any tightening in your chest,- that you warn (the people) with it, and it is remembrance for the believers.

The sunnah of the messenger (pbuh) is to remind and warn people with the Book of Allah. Any account of the messenger in which he tells some thing about Allah without a reference to the Book of Allah, therefore cannot be true.

27:92 وَأَنْ أَتْلُوَ الْقُرْآنَ ۖ فَمَنِ اهْتَدَىٰ فَإِنَّمَا يَهْتَدِي لِنَفْسِهِ ۖ وَمَن ضَلَّ فَقُلْ إِنَّمَا أَنَا مِنَ الْمُنذِرِينَ

And that I recite the Quran, and if any one accept guidance, he does it for the good of his own self, and if anyone goes astray, say “I am only a warner”.

The sunnah of the messenger (pbuh) described in Al-Quran is to recite the Quran to people and let those who want to take guidance from it, take guidance. Those who would like to take their guidance from any where else, they are to go astray and messenger clearly warned them.

Obligation vs following practice (Farz & Sunnat):

We have heard that certain items are mandatory (Farz) in Islam (often referred as pillars of Islam). Then there are others which may not be mandatory (Farz) but are practice of the messenger (Sunnah of the prophet) and therefore are near mandatory. Other than these two, there are ‘Nafal’ (additional) for getting extra benefit.

However, in Al-Quran only one thing is mentioned with the word ‘Farz’ (mandatory) which is Al-Quran itself. Meaning all instructions and orders in Al-Quran are Farz (mandatory). The prophet follows all orders of Al-Quran and following these orders become sunnah/practice of the messenger (pbuh). However, not all things touted as sunnah in the society are actual ‘sunnah’ of the prophet. The source of sunnah and where it is established is actually stated in Quran as discussed further in this post.

28:85  إِنَّ الَّذِي فَرَضَ عَلَيْكَ الْقُرْآنَ لَرَادُّكَ إِلَىٰ مَعَادٍ ۚ قُل رَّبِّي أَعْلَمُ مَن جَاءَ بِالْهُدَىٰ وَمَنْ هُوَ فِي ضَلَالٍ مُّبِينٍ

Surely He, Who has ordained as mandatory the Qur’an for you, will definitely restore you to a place of return(To a place you are accustomed to). Say. “My Lord knows best who it is that brings true guidance, and who is in manifest error.”

Quran is mandatory on the messenger with all his do’s and don’ts and therefore in his sunnah to all believers.

As for the ‘Nafal’ (additional), the striving and making efforts in Al-Quran during the night is stated to be the additional effort, worth doing as per below ayat:

17:79 وَمِنَ اللَّيْلِ فَتَهَجَّدْ بِهِ نَافِلَةً لَّكَ عَسَىٰ أَن يَبْعَثَكَ رَبُّكَ مَقَامًا مَّحْمُودًا

And in some hours of the night, strive with it (Quran), This is additional for you, so it may be that your Lord will raise you to a standing position of praise.

Perception: All practices of Islam e.g Salat, Hajj, Umra, funeral prayers, Traweeh prayers, Aitekaaf etc we got from prophet Mohammad (pbuh). If we don’t take guidance from the hadith books which describe how prophet Mohammad performed rites of Islam, we will be left with nothing in Islam.

The practice of Salat, Hajj, Umra, Aitekaf etc. had been established in the Holy Mosque (Masjid ul Haram) for all times i.e even before prophet Mohammad’s time. Prophet Ibrahim (a.s) and Ismail (a.s) were tasked to cleanse the sacred House of Kaaba to establish these sunnah/practices (2:125). The cleansing required of the House of Allah is that people had been fed notions that at some point in time, this House was littered with Idols, therefore was not the guidance for mankind during those times. These notions needed to be cleansed and the fact stated in Quran to be reiterated, that the House of Allah had been the guidance for man-kind in all times. After these false notions are cleansed in people’s mind, they are able to receive guidance from the House of the Lord. The ayat of Quran is true for all times, past and present, and there could never be idols in the House of Allah.

The hadiths books in existence today are not the source of sunnah established in the House of the Lord , as prophet Mohammad (pbuh) was not the originator of these practices. When Allah orders mankind to take guidance from the House of Allah (3:96) it is evident that the sunnah/practices of Salat, Hajj, Umra, Tawaf, funeral prayers, Traveeh prayers, Aitekaf i.e activities going on in the Sacred mosque are all preserved for guidance of mankind by divine means. People in all times can refer to the sunnah established in the Holy mosque without being concerned about who is in-charge of the mosque, as Allah confirms that the people in-charge of this Mosque are ‘mutaqqin’ i.e those who take guard (8:64). All prophets and messengers in all times have performed these practices according to the divine system established there. The source of the procedural books and booklets on Salat, Hajj and Umra is the system already preserved at the Holy mosque. The evidence of this sunnah/practice established in the Holy mosque is given in ayahs of Quran, where Allah orders the prophet to follow the religion of Ibrahim (16:123), the prophet confirms that he does not bring any new doctrine in the religion (46:9), Allah informs the prophet (pbuh) that nothing is said to him that has not been said to messengers before him (41:43) and asks the prophet (pbuh) to follow the guidance of prophets passed before him (6:90). From where the prophet and all mankind is instructed to take this established guidance, is in ayat 3:91 which states that the first House of the Lord is the guidance for mankind.

41:43 مَا يُقَالُ لَكَ إِلَّا مَا قَدْ قِيلَ لِلرُّسُلِ مِن قَبْلِكَ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَذُو مَغْفِرَةٍ وَذُو عِقَابٍ أَلِيمٍ

“Nothing is said to You (O’ Messenger) that was not said to the messengers before you: verily your Lord has at His command (all) forgiveness as well as the most grievous penalty.”

The ayat very clearly states that the messenger (pbuh) does not get any doctrine and order which the messengers before him did not get. Nothing new or additional was said to him. The messenger states that he does not bring any new doctrine or practice different from previous messengers before him. 

46:9 قُلْ مَا كُنتُ بِدْعًا مِّنْ الرُّسُلِ وَمَا أَدْرِي مَا يُفْعَلُ بِي وَلَا بِكُمْ إِنْ أَتَّبِعُ إِلَّا مَا يُوحَى إِلَيَّ وَمَا أَنَا إِلَّا نَذِيرٌ مُّبِينٌ

“Say (O’ Messenger) “I am no bringer of new doctrine among the messengers, nor do I know what will be done with me or with you. I follow but that which is revealed to me by inspiration; I am but a warner open and clear.”

Allah inspired the messenger (pbuh) to follow the religion of Ibrahim (a.s) in ayat 123 of Sura 16:

16:123 ثُمَّ أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْكَ أَنِ اتَّبِعْ مِلَّةَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ حَنِيفًا وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ

“Then We inspired thee (O’Mohammad), Follow the religion of Ibrahim, the true in faith, and he was not from the polytheists.”

The context of below ayat 6:90, is that, Allah mentioned earlier prophets by their names, and then asked messenger Mohammad (pbuh) to follow the guidance they had received.

6:90 أُولَٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ هَدَى اللَّهُ ۖ فَبِهُدَاهُمُ اقْتَدِهْ ۗ قُل لَّا أَسْأَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ أَجْرًا ۖ إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا ذِكْرَىٰ لِلْعَالَمِينَ

Those were the people who received Allah’s guidance: Thus follow them in their guidance; Say: “No reward for this do I ask of you: This is no less than a message/reminder for all worlds.

An important point to note is that Allah’s order is to follow guidance of the previous prophets which they had received from Allah, and not imitating their physical forms i.e how they dressed, their hairstyle or their dressing preferences.

3:96 إِنَّ أَوَّلَ بَيْتٍ وُضِعَ لِلنَّاسِ لَلَّذِي بِبَكَّةَ مُبَارَكًا وَهُدًى لِّلْعَالَمِينَ

The first House appointed for mankind is that at Bakka/Makkah: Full of blessings and of guidance for all worlds.

Again to summarize, the sunnat/practice which is established in the House of the Lord and the sacred Mosque, is not dependent upon the hadith books in existence today. Hadith books are not source of this sunnah established in Masjid-ul-Haram. The procedure booklets describe the procedure of Salat and Hajj from the sunnah already established and not from hadith books.

Muslims have utmost respect for the messenger Mohammad (pbuh) and the term ‘hadith’ is a sensitive matter for them although majority of Muslims have little knowledge of the science of ‘hadith’. The knowledge of hadith for most of them is mostly some popularly circulating selected ‘ahadith’.

The hadiths were not written in the messenger (pbuh) era, but a couple of hundred years after his death. . The scholars of hadith are aware that even the authentic ahadith don’t capture the actual words of Mohammad (pbuh) but the essence of what he said in the words of the narrators of the hadith. General public, more or less take it for granted that prophet has actually said the words or acted as mentioned in the ‘hadith’ books. On the basis of ‘hadith’ books many religious injunctions are passed by the scholars as well.

There are also people who don’t believe in the existing ‘ahadith’ books as a reliable source of information which can be the basis of religious injunctions. Majority of these people are not refuting or disregarding the prophet Mohammad (pbuh), but the hadith books which were compiled by people couple of hundred years after prophet’s death. To them the account of prophet Mohammad (pbuh) in these books may or may not be accurately captured by people who collected this information relying on oral transmission for a period of time approx. 200 years. Especially so when the account of the messenger in these hadith books is against the personality of messenger (pbuh) described in Al-Quran. A major question for them is , can we trust the authenticity of these reports, as they were originally oral traditions and after about 200 years of prophet death, were collected by some individuals who made up their own criterion of selecting about 3% and rejecting 97% of ‘ahadith’ in circulation at that time. For the compiler of hadith books, the major criteria for authenticating hadith is from the chain of narration. The chain of narration is considered certification of hadith. Later on, an additional knowledge-base of people (ilm ul rijjal) was created with the help of which an individual person the narrator of hadith, was determined to be either truthful or otherwise. From the knowledge of the science of communication in modern times, we know that distortions in communication are bound to happen when passed on from person to person even within the same room and within a span of short period of time. Also, in today’s time, if we attempt to determine a person to be truthful or otherwise, its difficult to do so, even with the help of expensive lie detecting machines.

For majority of Muslims, the belief in the man-written ahadith books however is made an obligatory part of belief as if the authors of these books were immune from making errors and whatever is in these books is accurate. The frequently quoted perceptions in advocacy of hadith books and response to them, are given below:

1. Quran states in 16:44 that Allah sent the messenger (pbuh) to explain the Quran to people. So, if we don’t have account of the messenger (pbuh) in Hadith books, then how can we know what the messenger explained from Quran.

All messengers and prophets explained from Al-Kitab/the Book (2:213) and asked people to revert to Book of Allah and stop mixing orders of Allah with other things. If the intention was that the prophet (pbuh) was to explain the Quran with some additional information, then as the world was to continue without any live prophet later on, God would have commanded to record his words and prophet would have made efforts to do that too. It would not have been left on the discretion of later people who have not themselves reached the prophet to do so. If that is not so, then it means that prophet did not explain outside of Quran and there was no need for him to order recording of his lectures/actions/deeds. Instead Quran states that prophet does not write anything, making sure that no prophet of Allah should leave any of his writings behind (29:48). The Book of Allah is meant to be the only written Word for divine guidance of mankind in their religious injunctions.

Also, it is clearly understood by the scholars of ‘hadith’ that the hadith in existence don’t represent the actual words of the prophet (pbuh) but the intention. However, actual words are so important in divine matters that Allah has kept the institute of ‘Salat’ to preserve the actual words of Al-Quran.

The below ayat states that Allah has sent a detailed book to people, then why there should be a need to ask for further judgements on it.

6:114 أَفَغَيْرَ اللَّهِ أَبْتَغِي حَكَمًا وَهُوَ الَّذِي أَنزَلَ إِلَيْكُمُ الْكِتَابَ مُفَصَّلًا ۚ وَالَّذِينَ آتَيْنَاهُمُ الْكِتَابَ يَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّهُ مُنَزَّلٌ مِّن رَّبِّكَ بِالْحَقِّ ۖ فَلَا تَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْمُمْتَرِينَ

Say. “Shall I seek a judge other than Allah? – and He is Who has sent unto you (people) the Book, explained in detail.” The people whom we gave the Book, know fully well, that it has been sent down from your Lord in truth. Thus you, never be of those who doubt.

If Al-Quran was not sufficient for people then Allah would not ask this question specifically, ‘Is the Book, not sufficient for them?’, so that they seek other means.

29:51 أَوَلَمْ يَكْفِهِمْ أَنَّا أَنزَلْنَا عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ يُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِمْ ۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَرَحْمَةً وَذِكْرَىٰ لِقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ

And is it not enough for them that we have sent down to you the Book which is rehearsed to them? Verily, in it is mercy and a reminder to those who believe.

2: Messenger’s function is to provide explanation of Quran (16:44), he is not merely a postman. Hadiths record the explanation provided by prophet Mohammad (pbuh). Without hadith we cannot have the explanation provided by the prophet.

16:44 بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ وَالزُّبُرِ ۗ وَأَنزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ الذِّكْرَ لِتُبَيِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ مَا نُزِّلَ إِلَيْهِمْ وَلَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ

(We sent them) with Bayyinat/Clear Signs and Zubur/Pieces; and We have sent down unto you the Zikr/remembrance that you explain clearly to people what is sent for them, and that they may reflect on it.

16:64 وَمَا أَنزَلْنَا عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ إِلَّا لِتُبَيِّنَ لَهُمُ الَّذِي اخْتَلَفُوا فِيهِ ۙ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةً لِّقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ

And We sent down the Book to you for the express purpose, that you should make clear to them those things in which they differ, and that it should be a guide and a mercy to those who believe.

In the above ayahs, Allah informs that the purpose of the messenger (pbuh) is to provide explanation of the Quran to people. If the assumption is that the explanation, the prophet (pbuh) provided of the Quran is something outside the Quran saved in Hadith books, then please note anything which is man written is bound to have a lot of contradiction in it. Allah provides the explanation of the Quran within Quran. Below ayahs explains how the messenger provides explanation of Quran:

10:37 وَمَا كَانَ هَٰذَا الْقُرْآنُ أَن يُفْتَرَىٰ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ وَلَٰكِن تَصْدِيقَ الَّذِي بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ وَتَفْصِيلَ الْكِتَابِ لَا رَيْبَ فِيهِ مِن رَّبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ

And this Al-Quran / The Reading is not that can be produced from other than Allah, but it is a confirmation of what is between his hands and the explanation of Al-kitab/The Book, there is no doubt in it from the Lord of the worlds.

17:41 وَلَقَدْ صَرَّفْنَا فِي هَٰذَا الْقُرْآنِ لِيَذَّكَّرُوا وَمَا يَزِيدُهُمْ إِلَّا نُفُورًا

We have explained things thoroughly in this Qur’an, so that they may receive admonition, but it only increases their hate/flight.

Al-Kitab is the perfect book. The other books in the world cannot be perfect. Is it logical to assume that the imperfect books can explain the perfect Book while the imperfect books are bound to contain lot of discrepancies? The best of explanation (tafseer) is contained within Allah’s Book.

25:33 وَلَا يَأْتُونَكَ بِمَثَلٍ إِلَّا جِئْنَاكَ بِالْحَقِّ وَأَحْسَنَ تَفْسِيرًا

And no example do so they bring to you but We bring to you the truth and the best tafseer / explanation.

The below ayat states that anything not from Allah and man written, is bound to contain a lot of contradiction.

4:82 أَفَلَا يَتَدَبَّرُونَ الْقُرْآنَ ۚ وَلَوْ كَانَ مِنْ عِندِ غَيْرِ اللَّهِ لَوَجَدُوا فِيهِ اخْتِلَافًا كَثِيرًا

Do they not consider/ponder The Quran (The Reading) if it had been from other than Allah, they would surely have found therein much contradiction.

The following ayat informs how the messenger explains a topic from Quran. The believers who are asked by Allah to ponder over ayahs of Quran are expected to use the same procedure to get explanations from Quran and not to seek explanation from man made books frozen in time.

16:101 وَإِذَا بَدَّلْنَا آيَةً مَّكَانَ آيَةٍ ۙ وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا يُنَزِّلُ قَالُوا إِنَّمَا أَنتَ مُفْتَرٍ ۚ بَلْ أَكْثَرُهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

When We substitute the place of one ayat with another ayat and Allah knows best what He reveals ,- they say, “You are but a forger”, but most of them do not understand.

The above ayat informs about the prophet’s method of providing explanation from the Quran for clarification of a certain topic. The topic was explained from ayahs from various chapters (sura), not necessary in their original order in the Book. For example ayahs related to a topic are scattered in various chapters of Quran, which needs to be collected and reviewed in order to get understanding of the topic. So when by this method the topic is clarified and if it were not according to the wishes of the people, they would say that the messenger (pbuh) made this up.

3: Lets say that the prophet explained something from Quran which was not known to masses before. If we don’t keep a record of that explanation, then obviously this explanation will not reach the people who come in times when prophet is no more in the world.

There a lot of things which are discovered in Quran which were not known before nor the prophet informed the people. The scientific knowledge about the Universe and human body was discovered when the World was ready to receive the information. Quran instructs not to be hasty with Quran and not to mix other things with it and to ponder on its ayahs. Then Allah clarifies His ayahs provided they are not mixed with non Quranic instructions. We cannot consider man written hadiths books and explanations/tafseer as divinely inspired, as Hadith and Tafseer literature of yore is filled with bizarre explanation of the Universal phenomenon, such as the orbit of sun and earth being held over cow’s head etc. Allah’s prophets’ major emphasis is always not mixing anything with Allah’s orders and His Word. The responsibility of providing guidance is on Allah, provided we sincerely don’t mix man made literature and explanations with Allah’s Word even when it is assumed to be prophet’s sayings. Same is the case with Bible. It is man written but its followers assume its contents are inspired by God, although lot of unscientific, lascivious and contradictory information can be found within Bible as a manifest sign that this book cannot be inspired by God.

4. The messenger should have said other things than Quran. Where are these sayings recorded?

The messenger would recite ayahs from Al-kitab to make clear to them in what they are differentiating. Even then people would say bring a reading other than this (Al-Quran). However, there is nothing else to be brought other than this Quran which is inspired on the messenger. (Cannot bring any other reading or book). Sura Al-Haqa says, if the messenger would have said things about Allah, Allah would have cut off his jugular vein.

69:40-48 إِنَّهُ لَقَوْلُ رَسُولٍ كَرِيمٍ وَمَا هُوَ بِقَوْلِ شَاعِرٍ ۚ قَلِيلًا مَّا تُؤْمِنُونَ وَلَا بِقَوْلِ كَاهِنٍ ۚ قَلِيلًا مَّا تَذَكَّرُونَ تَنزِيلٌ مِّن رَّبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ وَلَوْ تَقَوَّلَ عَلَيْنَا بَعْضَ الْأَقَاوِيلِ لَأَخَذْنَا مِنْهُ بِالْيَمِينِ ثُمَّ لَقَطَعْنَا مِنْهُ الْوَتِينَ

(69:40-46) That this is verily the saying of an honourable Messenger; it is not the saying of a poet: Little is you believe! Nor is it the saying of a soothsayer: little is it that you take heed! It is a revelation from the Lord of the Worlds. And if he (the messenger), had said sayings concerning Us, We assuredly had taken him by the right hand and then severed his jugular vein.

What the messenger says in the capacity of messenger of Allah is Al-Quran i.e the official message from Allah to the believers. There is a personal life of the messenger as well, in which he says things and conducts life as a human. Interference in his personal life and seeking hadiths of this personal life causes pain and misery to the messenger as stated in below ayat 33:53. So it is evident that his true followers would never do it i.e seek information about his life and his home and record these as hadiths.

33:53 يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَدْخُلُوا بُيُوتَ النَّبِيِّ إِلَّا أَن يُؤْذَنَ لَكُمْ إِلَىٰ طَعَامٍ غَيْرَ نَاظِرِينَ إِنَاهُ وَلَٰكِنْ إِذَا دُعِيتُمْ فَادْخُلُوا فَإِذَا طَعِمْتُمْ فَانتَشِرُوا وَلَا مُسْتَأْنِسِينَ لِحَدِيثٍ ۚ إِنَّ ذَٰلِكُمْ كَانَ يُؤْذِي النَّبِيَّ فَيَسْتَحْيِي مِنكُمْ ۖ وَاللَّهُ لَا يَسْتَحْيِي مِنَ الْحَقِّ ۚ وَإِذَا سَأَلْتُمُوهُنَّ مَتَاعًا فَاسْأَلُوهُنَّ مِن وَرَاءِ حِجَابٍ ۚ ذَٰلِكُمْ أَطْهَرُ لِقُلُوبِكُمْ وَقُلُوبِهِنَّ ۚ وَمَا كَانَ لَكُمْ أَن تُؤْذُوا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَلَا أَن تَنكِحُوا أَزْوَاجَهُ مِن بَعْدِهِ أَبَدًا ۚ إِنَّ ذَٰلِكُمْ كَانَ عِندَ اللَّهِ عَظِيمًا

O you who believe! Do not enter the prophet’s houses,- until permission is granted to you,- for a meal, (and then) not to wait for its preparation. But when you are invited, enter; and when you have taken your meal, disperse, without showing fondness for hadith/ narrations/vain talks. Such (behaviour) persecutes the Prophet. He is ashamed to dismiss you, but Allah is not ashamed (to tell you) the truth. And when you ask (his ladies) for anything of value (Prophet’s hadith), ask them from behind a screen. That makes for greater purity for your hearts and for theirs. Nor is it right for you that you should persecute Allah’s messenger, or that you should marry his spouses after him at any time. Truly such a thing is in Allah’s sight an enormity (sin).

In the past similar pain has been caused to prophet Moosa (a.s) with the collection of sayings and actions in stories from Jewish and Christian sources which are referred to Israelites/’Isra’iliyyat ‘.

33:69 يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَكُونُوا كَالَّذِينَ آذَوْا مُوسَىٰ فَبَرَّأَهُ اللَّهُ مِمَّا قَالُوا ۚ وَكَانَ عِندَ اللَّهِ وَجِيهًا

O you who believe! Do not become like those who persecuted Moosa, but Allah cleared him (Moosa) of their sayings,  and he was honorable in Allah’s sight.

Those people who get inspired and fascinated with the supposed golden words are even termed as enemy of the prophet.

6:112 وَكَذَٰلِكَ جَعَلْنَا لِكُلِّ نَبِيٍّ عَدُوًّا شَيَاطِينَ الْإِنسِ وَالْجِنِّ يُوحِي بَعْضُهُمْ إِلَىٰ بَعْضٍ زُخْرُفَ الْقَوْلِ غُرُورًا ۚ وَلَوْ شَاءَ رَبُّكَ مَا فَعَلُوهُ ۖ فَذَرْهُمْ وَمَا يَفْتَرُونَ

And likewise ,We have made for every Prophet the shayateen/satans of mankind and the shayateen/satans of jinkind an enemy, some of them inspire golden words (as sayings of prophets) on some, for the purpose of delusion, and if your Lord had willed they would have not done it, so leave them and what they have invented.

5. If you don’t have ahadith then how would you pray/Salat and perform Hajj as these procedures are not in Al-Quran:

A very frequent question. There is a difference between Sunnah and Hadith. Sunnah means practice. The practice of ‘Salat’ and ‘Hajj’ have been established in the Masjid-ul-Haram by Allah for all times. All prophets before messenger Mohammad (pbuh) have established Salat and Hajj by the established sunnah at the House of Allah. This sunnat does not originate from the hadith books. The books about procedure of Salat and Hajj are written from the procedures already established at Kaaba and not from the Hadith books.

The people who ask this question assume that the procedure of salat is in hadith books. Little they know that it is not and from hadith books you would have conflicting ways to pray. Still different sects and schools of thought have variations in prayer method, although all are supposed to come from the prophet (pbuh). To circumvent this problem the sectarians say that prophet prayed with all these different methods. Then the question arises, if the prophet used to pray salat with these different methods then his sunnat practice is to pray with all different methods. Then why do people stick to the way their particular sectarian Imam has instructed them to do so. This is a manifest sign that these people pay lip service to following the prophet (pbuh) while in effect they are just following the teachings of the particular sect in which they were born. While in previous post on this site, it is explained how Quran gives the procedure of salat and all prophets before prophet (pbuh) were praying salat with this method. Quran informs in the most succinct way to take guidance from the House of Lord and take the ‘Mussala’ i.e the system of salat from there.

3:96 إِنَّ أَوَّلَ بَيْتٍ وُضِعَ لِلنَّاسِ لَلَّذِي بِبَكَّةَ مُبَارَكًا وَهُدًى لِّلْعَالَمِينَ

The first House appointed for mankind is that at Bakka/Makkah: Full of blessings and of guidance for all worlds.

2:125 وَإِذْ جَعَلْنَا الْبَيْتَ مَثَابَةً لِّلنَّاسِ وَأَمْنًا وَاتَّخِذُوا مِن مَّقَامِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ مُصَلًّى ۖ وَعَهِدْنَا إِلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ أَن طَهِّرَا بَيْتِيَ لِلطَّائِفِينَ وَالْعَاكِفِينَ وَالرُّكَّعِ السُّجُودِ

And when We made the house a place of reward and safety for people, and you take from the standing position of Ibraheem, the ‘Mussalah’ / prayer performed. And We covenanted with Ibrahim and Ismaeel that both of you purify My house for those who go around and those who intent upon (do Aetikaf) and those who bow and prostate.

The sunnat of salat/hajj was established before prophet (pbuh). This sunnat is established by God and mankind is to take this guidance from the first house established by God.

6. So if everything is to be deduced from Quran then why prophets and messengers were sent to people? Wasn’t the book enough for the mankind to take guidance?

The mission of the messenger of Allah is to release humanity from the heavy burdens and the shackles that are upon them (7:157). He demonstrated this by implementing the divine values decreed in the Book of Allah. But the mis-guided ones, hatched up concepts and doctrines and injected them among the people which resulted in completely changing the ‘Message’ brought by the messenger and instead replaced it with man-made ritualistic and myopic religion.

The prophets were sent repeatedly to mankind to revert them again and again towards the Book of God, as people had a tendency to add and mix things to the book of Allah per their desires. Every messenger who addresses the nation of submitters via Quran, his first message is ‘don’t add any associater with Allah’. Yet people do not to take the pure form of Allah’s order, they always mixed something with it. That is why Allah says in 12:96, majority of those people who believe in Allah, don’t do so without associating others with it. With these additional teaching other than the Book of Allah, people are divided into different groups and sects. Allah asks all the people who adhere to the Book of Allah, to come to the common Kalima/Word of Allah. The common Kalima in all the sects is the Quran.

3:64 قُلْ يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ تَعَالَوْا إِلَىٰ كَلِمَةٍ سَوَاءٍ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمْ أَلَّا نَعْبُدَ إِلَّا اللَّهَ وَلَا نُشْرِكَ بِهِ شَيْئًا وَلَا يَتَّخِذَ بَعْضُنَا بَعْضًا أَرْبَابًا مِّن دُونِ اللَّهِ ۚ فَإِن تَوَلَّوْا فَقُولُوا اشْهَدُوا بِأَنَّا مُسْلِمُونَ

Say O people of the Book, come to a Kalima/Word that is equal between us and you, that we serve none except Allah, that we associate nothing with him and that we do not take from among ourselves Lords other than Allah. If then they turn back say you bear witness that we are muslims / submitters.

If the people have one common Word of Allah with them, there will be no sects in Islam. Its is however the other teachings and other books with the Book of Allah, which divides people into different sects. Satan has made their bad acts alluring to them so these sectarian teachings looks very alluring to the people who keep adhering to their sects.

30: 32 مِنَ الَّذِينَ فَرَّقُوا دِينَهُمْ وَكَانُوا شِيَعًا ۖ كُلُّ حِزْبٍ بِمَا لَدَيْهِمْ فَرِحُونَ

Those who split up their Din/Judgment, and become Groups/Sects,- each party rejoicing in that which is with itself!

However, those who do so and adhere to their sectarian teachings, they don’t have any association with the messenger (pbuh)

6:159 إِنَّ الَّذِينَ فَرَّقُوا دِينَهُمْ وَكَانُوا شِيَعًا لَّسْتَ مِنْهُمْ فِي شَيْءٍ ۚ إِنَّمَا أَمْرُهُمْ إِلَى اللَّهِ ثُمَّ يُنَبِّئُهُم بِمَا كَانُوا يَفْعَلُونَ

Surely those who differred in their Din/Judgment and become sects/groups, you (messenger) doesn’t have anything to do with them, surely their affair is towards Allah, then He will tell them with what they used to do.

The sunnat/practice of the messenger (pbuh) is as given below:

27:92 وَأَنْ أَتْلُوَ الْقُرْآنَ ۖ فَمَنِ اهْتَدَىٰ فَإِنَّمَا يَهْتَدِي لِنَفْسِهِ ۖ وَمَن ضَلَّ فَقُلْ إِنَّمَا أَنَا مِنَ الْمُنذِرِينَ

And that I  recite the Quran, and if any one accept guidance, he does it for the good of his own self, and if anyone goes astray, say “I am only a warner”.

Also it is the practice of the messengers to make manifest those parts of the Al-Kitab which normally religious leaders hide from the masses.

5:15 يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ قَدْ جَاءَكُمْ رَسُولُنَا يُبَيِّنُ لَكُمْ كَثِيرًا مِّمَّا كُنتُمْ تُخْفُونَ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ وَيَعْفُو عَن كَثِيرٍ ۚ قَدْ جَاءَكُم مِّنَ اللَّهِ نُورٌ وَكِتَابٌ مُّبِينٌ

O people of The Book! There has come to you our Messenger, revealing to you much that you used to hide in The Book, and passing over much: There has come to you from Allah a light and a perspicuous Book.

Allah asks the question, isn’t the Book enough for them:

29:51 أَوَلَمْ يَكْفِهِمْ أَنَّا أَنزَلْنَا عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ يُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِمْ ۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَرَحْمَةً وَذِكْرَىٰ لِقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ

And is it not enough for them that we have sent down to you the Book which is rehearsed to them? Verily, in it is mercy and a reminder to those who believe.

7: Hadiths explain the Quran. Hadith books describe the way that Prophet (pbuh) has explained Quran and conducted his life as per instructions in Quran. People can follow him from the account given in hadith books.

The above perception would have been correct if really the explanation recorded in Hadith Books would be actually what the prophet (pbuh) has explained. However, sadly the hadith collectors had not reached the prophet themselves and they recorded the sayings and actions of prophet and his companions from human commentary approx. couple of hundreds years after him. The collectors of these hadith have made some criteria for filtering authentic hadith from fabricated ones as well. In fact Quran warns of exactly these two things i.e listening from people who have not reached the messenger and making criteria for filtering them in below ayat. Actually these people who do so, become ‘jews’ in the eyes of the Lord because the explanation they provide is deviant from the actual Spirit of the Word of Allah:

5:41 يَا أَيُّهَا الرَّسُولُ لَا يَحْزُنكَ الَّذِينَ يُسَارِعُونَ فِي الْكُفْرِ مِنَ الَّذِينَ قَالُوا آمَنَّا بِأَفْوَاهِهِمْ وَلَمْ تُؤْمِن قُلُوبُهُمْ ۛ وَمِنَ الَّذِينَ هَادُوا ۛ سَمَّاعُونَ لِلْكَذِبِ سَمَّاعُونَ لِقَوْمٍ آخَرِينَ لَمْ يَأْتُوكَ ۖ يُحَرِّفُونَ الْكَلِمَ مِن بَعْدِ مَوَاضِعِهِ ۖ يَقُولُونَ إِنْ أُوتِيتُمْ هَٰذَا فَخُذُوهُ وَإِن لَّمْ تُؤْتَوْهُ فَاحْذَرُوا ۚ وَمَن يُرِدِ اللَّهُ فِتْنَتَهُ فَلَن تَمْلِكَ لَهُ مِنَ اللَّهِ شَيْئًا ۚ أُولَٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ لَمْ يُرِدِ اللَّهُ أَن يُطَهِّرَ قُلُوبَهُمْ ۚ لَهُمْ فِي الدُّنْيَا خِزْيٌ ۖ وَلَهُمْ فِي الْآخِرَةِ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ

O Mesenger! let not those grieve you, who race into unbelief. among those people who say “We believe” with their lips but whose hearts have no faith; and among the Jews,- people who are listeners to lies,- they listen from other party who has never reached you. They change the words from their places. they say, “If you are given this, take it, but if not, avoid!” If Allah intends to indulge any in fitna/temptation, you have no authority in the least for him against Allah. For such – it is not Allah’s will to purify their hearts. For them there is disgrace in this world, and in the Hereafter a heavy punishment.

Why Allah does not like these people who do the above mentioned acts, because it changes the intent of the message to some thing else and reduces its intended impact on people. Quranic orders are for all times but when a certain hadith explains an ayat in Quran in a certain context than the actual intention of the ayat is reduced to a very limited scope. People consider that ayat for a certain people in older times and do not feel much obligation to act on it as it was related to some people in the past.

8. We need to depend upon Hadith literature to get the correct explanation of Al-Quran

Quran is ‘Furqan’/the criteria for truth and false hood. With this criteria every other idea/philosophy/book will be examined whether to be true or false. If the criteria itself depends upon some other explanation then it can not be a criteria for the thing it depends upon. So if Furqan depends upon hadith literature for its explanation then logically it cannot be Furqan/criteria for the hadith literature. Therefore it is false to assume that Quran depends upon hadith for its explanation, as a ‘Furqan’ it simply cannot.

A counter question arises, does the collection of Ahadith has explanation of each ayat of Quran?

It does not, because in their opinion each ayat does not need explanation from prophet.

9. We don’t find explicit details of doing things in Quran i.e going to washroom, Istanja, duas and small details. Hadith provide these details.

Al-Quran mentions an incident of the cow in sura Baqara (2:67-71). In this incident prophet Moosa (a.s) communicated an order of Allah to his people, to slaughter a cow. Apparently this should be a simple thing to do, as obviously it was not the first time they were slaughtering a cow. But instead they adopted an attitude of over inquisitiveness. They started asking a lot of questions about the cow, and even stated their frustration at some point that things are getting confusing for them and they need more and more details about the order, as according to them, Allah’s order was missing in details. In the end, when they finally did what they were asked to do, they ended up doing it in such a way which was very cumbersome for them.

Can we relate this incident in our lives as well. There are a number of things we do in our lives which are fairly normal e.g taking a bath, dining, sleeping and relieving our selves. Do we really need to ask a lot of questions about how to carry out these activities from religious point of view. The religious ‘masail’ books contain a lot of detailed instructions for simple activities. Seems like people who wrote these were watching the prophet (pbuh) even in his most private time to obtain these detailed instructions, while ayat 33:53 gives a clear message to companions not to indulge unnecessary in prophet’s private life. When we relate the incident mentioned in the hadith of Cow in Quran, we can understand that the religion does not put too much obligations on people in terms of everyday ordinary matters. It is when the people become over inquisitive and over zealous, they impose un-necessary hardships on themselves.

The messenger while communicating the spirit of the Book to people relieves them from these self imposed hardships (7:157) by governing them with the ayahs of Quran while cancelling the non Quranic orders and ideas.

For those who ask for futile details:

5:101 يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَسْأَلُوا عَنْ أَشْيَاءَ إِن تُبْدَ لَكُمْ تَسُؤْكُمْ وَإِن تَسْأَلُوا عَنْهَا حِينَ يُنَزَّلُ الْقُرْآنُ تُبْدَ لَكُمْ عَفَا اللَّهُ عَنْهَا ۗ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ حَلِيمٌ

O ye who believe! Don’t ask questions about things which, if made clear to you, may cause you trouble. But if you ask about things when the Qur’an is being revealed, they will be made clear to you, Allah will forgive those. for Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Forbearing.

5:102 قَدْ سَأَلَهَا قَوْمٌ مِّن قَبْلِكُمْ ثُمَّ أَصْبَحُوا بِهَا كَافِرِينَ

Nation before you did ask them, and then they were rejecters with them.

10. The Qur’an specifically says in a number of verses to ‘follow the prophet’ e.g 3:32 and 4:80 and as Hadith have the account of prophet and his actions in life, therefore rejection of the Hadiths will make it impossible to follow the prophet as instructed in Quran:

3:32 وَأَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَالرَّسُولَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ

And obey Allah and the Messenger; that you may obtain mercy.

4:80 مَّن يُطِعِ الرَّسُولَ فَقَدْ أَطَاعَ اللَّهَ ۖ وَمَن تَوَلَّىٰ فَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ عَلَيْهِمْ حَفِيظًا

He who obeys the messenger, obeys Allah. But if any turn away, then We have not sent you as a watcher over them.

4:69 وَمَن يُطِعِ اللَّهَ وَالرَّسُولَ فَأُولَٰئِكَ مَعَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِم مِّنَ النَّبِيِّينَ وَالصِّدِّيقِينَ وَالشُّهَدَاءِ وَالصَّالِحِينَ ۚ وَحَسُنَ أُولَٰئِكَ رَفِيقًا

And whoever obeys Allah and the messenger, thus will be in the company of those on whom is the naimat/reward of Allah,- of the prophets, the truthfuls, the witnessers/testifiers, and the righteous (who do good). Ah! what a beautiful fellowship!

The above ayahs advise to follow the messenger (pbuh) and state that those who follow Allah and the messenger are with those who have been blessed by Allah. People assume that Quran has orders of Allah and the Bukhari Sharif (representative of Hadith books) has orders of the messenger. So following the prophet as depicted in Bukhari Sharif means following the messenger of Allah.

4:150 إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَكْفُرُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَيُرِيدُونَ أَن يُفَرِّقُوا بَيْنَ اللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَيَقُولُونَ نُؤْمِنُ بِبَعْضٍ وَنَكْفُرُ بِبَعْضٍ وَيُرِيدُونَ أَن يَتَّخِذُوا بَيْنَ ذَٰلِكَ سَبِيلًا

Those who reject Allah and His messengers, and wish to differentiate between Allah and His messengers and say ‘We believe in some but reject some’, and they wish to take a course midway between that.

So what is actually happening and the ayat 4:150 exactly points out to it, people are made to believe that Quran is Allah’s word and ‘hadith’ is messenger’s sayings and practice, which makes them different books. This is how people differentiate between Allah and his messengers. They also reject sectarian hadiths, one sect of people would not accept the hadith of other sects. Also for hadith collection there are criterion made, on the basis of which hadith are accepted and rejected and the criteria varies between different sects.

When Quran says follow the prophet it means follow the prophet of Allah in Al-Quran, not the prophet’s personality described in man written and compiled book. This topic is detailed in below link to a post:

Testifying/giving ‘shahada’ of the Messenger

33:21 لَّقَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ فِي رَسُولِ اللَّهِ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ لِّمَن كَانَ يَرْجُو اللَّهَ وَالْيَوْمَ الْآخِرَ وَذَكَرَ اللَّهَ كَثِيرًا

Without doubt for you, in the Rasool/Messenger of Allah is most beautiful pattern, who has hope in Allah and the last day and frequently remembers Allah.

People read the above ayat in Quran and then try to find the best practice of the messenger in man written books. The best practice of the messenger should be sought in Quran. The best practice of the messengers is stated in Al-Quran in ayat 60:4, is not to idolize anyone and get rid of idols in one’s psychology. If your parents insists that you include others beside Allah for divine guidance, then don’t obey them in this order but deal with them nicely and ask forgiveness for them.

60:4 قَدْ كَانَتْ لَكُمْ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ فِي إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَالَّذِينَ مَعَهُ إِذْ قَالُوا لِقَوْمِهِمْ إِنَّا بُرَآءُ مِنكُمْ وَمِمَّا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ كَفَرْنَا بِكُمْ وَبَدَا بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمُ الْعَدَاوَةُ وَالْبَغْضَاءُ أَبَدًا حَتَّىٰ تُؤْمِنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَحْدَهُ إِلَّا قَوْلَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ لِأَبِيهِ لَأَسْتَغْفِرَنَّ لَكَ وَمَا أَمْلِكُ لَكَ مِنَ اللَّهِ مِن شَيْءٍ ۖ رَّبَّنَا عَلَيْكَ تَوَكَّلْنَا وَإِلَيْكَ أَنَبْنَا وَإِلَيْكَ الْمَصِيرُ

Indeed there is for you, the most beautiful practice (Uswatun Hasana) in Ibrahim and those with him, when they said to their people: surely , We are clear of you and of whatever you serve besides Allah: We have rejected you, and there has begun, between us and you, enmity and rancor forever, unless you believe in Allah and Him alone, except saying of Ibrahimm for his father, Certainly I will ask forgiveness for you and I have no authority from Allah in anything for you, Our Lord! On you is our trust, and towards you we depute/represent, and towards you is our determination.

11: The believers are those who have been following the same mainstream Islam for 1500 years. Some one who forms a different belief, is deemed to be following a different path and Quran ayat 4:115 says that those will be doomed to fire.

4:115 وَمَن يُشَاقِقِ الرَّسُولَ مِن بَعْدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُ الْهُدَىٰ وَيَتَّبِعْ غَيْرَ سَبِيلِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ نُوَلِّهِ مَا تَوَلَّىٰ وَنُصْلِهِ جَهَنَّمَ ۖ وَسَاءَتْ مَصِيرًا

If anyone opposes the messenger after guidance has been clarified for him, and follows a path other than that of believers, We shall leave him in the path he has chosen, and land him in Hell,- what an evil refuge!

Do the mainstream sectarian Muslims assume that they are the believers while those who adhere to sects and sectarian teachings are categorically described to have nothing to do with the messenger. When we testify (give ‘shahada’) of the messenger (pbuh), ‘I bear witness that Mohammad (pbuh) is a messenger of Allah’, are we witnessing the messenger of Allah as Allah described him in Al-Quran or are we giving witness of a historical figure of Mohammad (pbuh) from sources other than Al-Quran? Please note that there are no sources as reliable as Al-Quran and ayat 23:69 warns about people not recognizing their messenger? If we are holding on to a personality of the messenger which is different from what is described in Al-Quran, then we are not witnessing for the messenger of Allah but a different personality of messenger which is a historical figure. In order to believe in the correct personality of Mohammad (pbuh), we need to believe that personality of messenger which is depicted in Al-Quran. Some people are so much into the alternate personality of the messenger of history, that when ayahs of Quran are presented to them about true personality of messenger (pbuh), they just refuse to believe in those ayahs.

The messenger of Quran does not like people to be infatuated with the hadiths about his household. Those people who read this ayat and still like to peak and indulge in hadiths about the private life, household and wives of the prophet (phuh), are definitely causing him anguish and are opposing the messenger.

33:53 يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَدْخُلُوا بُيُوتَ النَّبِيِّ إِلَّا أَن يُؤْذَنَ لَكُمْ إِلَىٰ طَعَامٍ غَيْرَ نَاظِرِينَ إِنَاهُ وَلَٰكِنْ إِذَا دُعِيتُمْ فَادْخُلُوا فَإِذَا طَعِمْتُمْ فَانتَشِرُوا وَلَا مُسْتَأْنِسِينَ لِحَدِيثٍ ۚ إِنَّ ذَٰلِكُمْ كَانَ يُؤْذِي النَّبِيَّ فَيَسْتَحْيِي مِنكُمْ ۖ وَاللَّهُ لَا يَسْتَحْيِي مِنَ الْحَقِّ ۚ

O you who believe! Do not enter the prophet’s houses,- until permission is granted to you,- for a meal, (and then) not to wait for its preparation. But when you are invited, enter; and when you have taken your meal, disperse, without showing fondness for hadith/ narrations/vain talks. Such (behaviour) persecutes the Prophet. He is ashamed to dismiss you, but Allah is not ashamed (to tell you) the truth.

12. Muslim Ummah will loose the explanations provided by prophet (pbuh) if it were not for the hadith books?

Was prophet supposed to arrange and write down his explanation of Quran? If it was not supposed to be ,then this is the way it should be because Allah says that Quran is explained by Him and people should ponder over it. There are hadiths which state that prophet refrained people from writing down his sayings. So there is obvious wisdom in it that hadiths should not be written down. If this was the case that hadiths should be available to explain Quran, then prophet should have laid extreme emphasis is getting his sayings written down and ensuring it is canonized and Allah would be protecting the hadith as well. It is definitely not that the prophet (pbuh) and his companions were myopic and could not see that if explanation is not written down by them and canonized for later generations, the later generations will loose them. It would not be left for some people to verify and compile hadiths after couple of hundred years from hundreds of thousands of forged hadiths.

Quran is clear in that Allah is protecting his Kalima/Word only and not man written account of the prophet for the guidance of mankind.

In traditional Islam, many ayahs which really need explanation, they are without explanation from hadith, e.g ‘kalalah’, huruf muqatiat, etc. And adadith exists which counter the text of Quran, e.g Quran says that the Universe was created in six periods of time, while hadith says Allah created universe in seven days, an obvious contradiction in Bukhari.

45:6 تِلْكَ آيَاتُ اللَّهِ نَتْلُوهَا عَلَيْكَ بِالْحَقِّ ۖ فَبِأَيِّ حَدِيثٍ بَعْدَ اللَّهِ وَآيَاتِهِ يُؤْمِنُونَ

Those are the ayahs of Allah, which We rehearse to you in Truth; then in what Hadith/narration they will believe after Allah and His ayahs?

55:1-2 الرَّحْمَٰنُ عَلَّمَ الْقُرْآنَ

(Allah) Most Gracious! has taught AL-QURAN.

It is Ar-Rehman who gives knowledge of the Quran. Provided you approach the Quran with a purified heart. With the contamination of psychological idols in one’s heart, there will be no knowledge and Sprit of Al-Quran transmitted to any one. The responsibility of providing guidance is on Allah to one who seriously shuns the idols in his psychology. The first statement of Kalima- tauheed is that ‘there is no idols but Allah’. So, one should carefully search his soul not to idolize any human, in order to start receiving guidance from Allah and Al-Quran.

92:12 إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا لَلْهُدَىٰ

Surely, on Us is the guidance

13: If they say that Hadith is corrupted then how can they verify that the Quran is not corrupted while both are passed down to us from same previous generations.

Answer: Because of the challenge in Quran that its’ content cannot be changed and there is no evidence of any sura added spuriously in it. While we know that weak and false hadith had been added to the collection of ahadiths.

And we know Allah has guaranteed to protect his ‘Kalima’ only and not man-written account of the prophet for the guidance of mankind.

Below is the copy of some points from a blog post whose link is given below, which states that if Quran would have been passed on to Muslims with the same methodology as of hadiths, what would you may have expected with Quran:

https://islamquran.quora.com/A-detailed-explainer-Why-Quran-and-not-Hadith

“IF THE QURAN HAD BEEN TRANSMITTED AND COMPILED IN THE SAME MANNER AS THE AHADITH

1. There would be an alleged ‘sanad’ (support) or an ‘isnad’ (supporting) with every Quranic verse.

2. The Quranic verses would have been arguably collected by fallible compilers representing a completely different sectarian, socio-political milieu, centuries after the death of the prophet.

3. The compilers would have allegedly travelled many miles to other individuals who had never met the prophet but claimed they possessed isolated Quranic verses based on hearsay, allegedly passed on to them through numerous generations through primarily oral tradition.

4. The majority, if not all the Quranic verses would be based on what one companion had heard and not corroborated by any other.

5. Different students of the later compilers would have captured different variants of the Quranic verses and argued over its veracity.

6. The Quranic verses would have been canonized much later into a recognized corpus arguably after the death of the initial fallible compilers.

7. There would arguably been a classification of Quranic verses such as ‘Sahih’ (sound) verses, ‘Hasan’ (good) verses, ‘Da’if’ (weak) verses and ‘Maudu’ (fabricated / forged) verses.

8. There would have arguably been disagreements of the links of isnad of the Quranic verses and terms such as ‘Musnad’ (supported), ‘Muttasil’ (continuous), ‘Munqati’ (broken), ‘Mu’allaq’ (hanging), ‘Mu’dal’ (perplexing) and ‘mursal’ (hurried) would have been applied to them.

9. There would have been vociferous exchanges and disagreements regarding the reliability and trustworthiness of the reporters of the Quranic verses.

10. There would arguably be ‘sectarian’ Quranic Books with different compilations and verses.

11. There would have been raging debates of the authenticity of the Quranic verses and the corpus throughout Muslim history.

Thank God the Quran was NEITHER transmitted NOR compiled in the same manner as Ahadith”

14. If we don’t have hadith, every body would develop his own explanation of Quran. We see that that people who adhere to Quran alone have many different explanations and beliefs so which explanation can one follow?

7:52 وَلَقَدْ جِئْنَاهُم بِكِتَابٍ فَصَّلْنَاهُ عَلَىٰ عِلْمٍ هُدًى وَرَحْمَةً لِّقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ

And we have come to them with a Book, which We explained in detail with knowledge,- a guidance and a mercy to the believing nation.

Allah has made good explanation which exists within the book and has given intelligence to mankind.

There are hadiths with absurd explanations of universe etc, which should open people eyes about blind hadith followers. Why would Allah ask believers to ponder in Quran if things are explained in Hadith books and people are not allowed to use their intelligence.

4:82 أَفَلَا يَتَدَبَّرُونَ الْقُرْآنَ ۚ وَلَوْ كَانَ مِنْ عِندِ غَيْرِ اللَّهِ لَوَجَدُوا فِيهِ اخْتِلَافًا كَثِيرًا

Do they not ponder The Quran/The Reading, if it had been from other than Allah, they would surely have found therein much discrepancy/contradictions.

Allah does not ask believers to divide into groups whether be Quran-alone or sectarians. He demands not mixing any thing with Him and his orders. He does not allow idolizing any personality. He has provided a Book for guidance and invokes his Spirit/messenger in psychology/nafoos of people. A key to recognize the true explanation of ayahs of Quran is that, the explanations of any ayat should not be in contradiction with other ayat of Quran. If it does, then there is a problem in explanation and a more pondering is required in explanation of that ayat.

15. Quran asks to make the messenger a judge even for believers personal matters. How would we know that the messenger judged between matters of believers which came during his time and how we can take guidance from his judgements without consulting hadith books?

Quran says unless they get you as judge between them they cannot attain faith.

4:65 فَلَا وَرَبِّكَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ حَتَّىٰ يُحَكِّمُوكَ فِيمَا شَجَرَ بَيْنَهُمْ ثُمَّ لَا يَجِدُوا فِي أَنفُسِهِمْ حَرَجًا مِّمَّا قَضَيْتَ وَيُسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا

Thus no, by your Lord, they will not believe, until they make you judge in disputes between them, and find in their souls no resistance when you have decided the matter, but accept it with the fullest conviction.

People have Taurat with Allah’s orders in it but they turn away from the orders of Allah. What they turn away to, is something other than Allah’s orders.

5:43 وَكَيْفَ يُحَكِّمُونَكَ وَعِندَهُمُ التَّوْرَاةُ فِيهَا حُكْمُ اللَّهِ ثُمَّ يَتَوَلَّوْنَ مِن بَعْدِ ذَٰلِكَ ۚ وَمَا أُولَٰئِكَ بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ

And how can they can make you (Mohammad pbuh) a judge? As they have the At-Taurat/the Law with them, in it is hukum / order of Allah. Then after that they turn away and they are not with the believers.

The sunnah of the messenger is not to seek any judge when a detailed book is sent down on them.

6:114 أَفَغَيْرَ اللَّهِ أَبْتَغِي حَكَمًا وَهُوَ الَّذِي أَنزَلَ إِلَيْكُمُ الْكِتَابَ مُفَصَّلًا ۚ وَالَّذِينَ آتَيْنَاهُمُ الْكِتَابَ يَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّهُ مُنَزَّلٌ مِّن رَّبِّكَ بِالْحَقِّ ۖ فَلَا تَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْمُمْتَرِينَ

Say. “Shall I seek a judge other than Allah? – and He is Who has sent unto you (people) the Book, explained in detail.” The people whom we gave the Book, know fully well, that it has been sent down from your Lord in truth. Thus you, never be of those who doubt.

So, again Allah’s messenger judges with Quran and so the believers who follow his sunnah, should seek the particular injunction in Quran and act in their particular situation according to judgement given in the Quran.

5:45 وَأَنِ احْكُم بَيْنَهُم بِمَا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ وَلَا تَتَّبِعْ أَهْوَاءَهُمْ وَاحْذَرْهُمْ أَن يَفْتِنُوكَ عَن بَعْضِ مَا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ إِلَيْكَ ۖ فَإِن تَوَلَّوْا فَاعْلَمْ أَنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ أَن يُصِيبَهُم بِبَعْضِ ذُنُوبِهِمْ ۗ وَإِنَّ كَثِيرًا مِّنَ النَّاسِ لَفَاسِقُونَ

And Judge/order among them by what Allah has revealed, and do not follow their vain desires, but beware of them lest they beguile you from any of that (teaching) which Allah has sent down to you. And if they turn away, be assured that for some of their sins it is Allah’s intention to put them into difficulty. And certainly the majority of the people are Fasiqeen/evil doers.

The messenger was a judge among the people, but his judgements and decisions were not by his own self, but he governed by the Book of Allah so people following his practice should do the same.

16. What is the harm in believing in hadith. Some hadiths can actually be true as people can write true account. Not all of it can be false.

The biggest problem that Hadith create is that they compromise the authority of Quran. Some Hadith which are considered Sahih, state that companions read Quran in different ways. E.g 43:61 وَإِنَّهُ لَعِلْمٌ لِّلسَّاعَةِ, which means that ‘indeed he (prophet Essa a.s) is the knowledge of the Hour’. But due to a certain continuous chain of Hadith, the hadithers also accept that some Sahaba recited this ayat like Wa Innahu la alamul Sa’aa, i.e ‘indeed he is a sign of the hour’.

It means that Matuater ahadith has gained the supreme power of compromising Quran. A different Quran is acceptable to them due to a hadith. Another hadith states that Quran was revealed in seven dialects. Can a different dialect mean a different word? Who they are befooling? Can they change the words of Allah on the pretext of different dialects?

And even then, now they except ten recitations of Quran even when the hadith says seven Qirat. How absurd ?

Another damage Hadith does is to divide Muslims into different sects. All sects pay lip service to the word ‘Hadith’ however, they reject other sect’s Hadiths.
The Hadith prophesizing about the Muslim Umma to be divided into 72 sects and only one of these sects will be the guided one, actually gives legitimacy to sectarian Muslims to keep clinging to their sect believing that by a stroke of great luck they are fortunate enough to be born in the right sect. This Hadith gives them the legitimacy to actually cling to their sect while rejecting below ayat of Quran:

6:159 إِنَّ الَّذِينَ فَرَّقُوا دِينَهُمْ وَكَانُوا شِيَعًا لَّسْتَ مِنْهُمْ فِي شَيْءٍ ۚ إِنَّمَا أَمْرُهُمْ إِلَى اللَّهِ ثُمَّ يُنَبِّئُهُم بِمَا كَانُوا يَفْعَلُونَ

Surely those who differred in their Din/Judgment and become sects/groups, you (messenger) doesn’t have anything to do with them, surely their affair is towards Allah, then He will tell them with what they used to do.

17: Whatever is said by the prophet pbuh is a Wahi from Allah therefore the Hadiths which describe prophets sayings is also inspired from Allah.

53:3-4 وَمَا يَنطِقُ عَنِ الْهَوَىٰ إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا وَحْيٌ يُوحَىٰ

Nor does he say of (his own) desire, It is only the Wahi/inspiration sent to him.

The above ayat refers to Al-Quran which is Wahi and inspiration from Allah on the messenger (pbuh). However, in Quran Allah has admonished the prophet (pbuh) for some of his actions, which clearly states that if everything that prophet says and does, was a Wahi then there would not have been a need for admonishing the prophet.

9:43 عَفَا اللَّهُ عَنكَ لِمَ أَذِنتَ لَهُمْ حَتَّىٰ يَتَبَيَّنَ لَكَ الَّذِينَ صَدَقُوا وَتَعْلَمَ الْكَاذِبِينَ

Allah forgave thee! Why didst thou grant them until those who told the truth were seen by thee in a clear light, and thou hadst known the liars?

If everything said by the prophet be a revelation from God, then the below ayat would not identify the objection of unbelievers as to why the messenger (pbuh) has not selected the revelation by himself, as the assumption is, whatever he speaks is considered as revelation from Allah. Allah has identified Quran which is the revelation that the messenger brings, and not everything he said as a human being:

7:203 وَإِذَا لَمْ تَأْتِهِم بِآيَةٍ قَالُوا لَوْلَا اجْتَبَيْتَهَا ۚ قُلْ إِنَّمَا أَتَّبِعُ مَا يُوحَىٰ إِلَيَّ مِن رَّبِّي ۚ هَٰذَا بَصَائِرُ مِن رَّبِّكُمْ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةٌ لِّقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ

If you don’t come to them with a revelation, they say. “Why don’t you yourself chose it be (a revelation)?” Say. “I but follow what is revealed to me from my Lord. This is (nothing but) enlightened perception from your Lord, and Guidance, and mercy, for those who have faith.”

6:19 قُلْ أَيُّ شَيْءٍ أَكْبَرُ شَهَادَةً ۖ قُلِ اللَّهُ ۖ شَهِيدٌ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَكُمْ ۚ وَأُوحِيَ إِلَيَّ هَٰذَا الْقُرْآنُ لِأُنذِرَكُم بِهِ

Say what thing is greatest evidence, say Allah is witness between me and you and only this Quran is inspired to me to warn all of you with it

Point to note in above ayat is the ‘Isme Ishara’ with Quran (هَٰذَا الْقُرْآنُ) which makes the emphasis only the Quran is inspired/Wahi on me. No Wahi, other than Quran was made on the messenger.

34:50 قُلْ إِن ضَلَلْتُ فَإِنَّمَا أَضِلُّ عَلَىٰ نَفْسِي ۖ وَإِنِ اهْتَدَيْتُ فَبِمَا يُوحِي إِلَيَّ رَبِّي ۚ إِنَّهُ سَمِيعٌ قَرِيبٌ

Say. “If I go astray, I only stray over my own self. But if I receive guidance, it is because of the inspiration of my Lord to me. It is He Who hears all things, and is (ever) near.”

The above ayat confirms that messenger (pbuh) is on the right guidance because of the Wahi/inspiration on him which per ayat 6:19 is only the Quran. Any thing which comes form the the messenger nafs/self and not from Wahi is not guaranteed to be Haq.

18. In Surah Al-Hashr, it is stated: “..So take what the messenger assigns to you and deny yourselves that which he withholds from you..” (59:7), Therefore this implies that whatever the Hadiths gives us as teaching we should accept and whatever they prohibits, we should refrain from.

59:7 مَّا أَفَاءَ اللَّهُ عَلَىٰ رَسُولِهِ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْقُرَىٰ فَلِلَّهِ وَلِلرَّسُولِ وَلِذِي الْقُرْبَىٰ وَالْيَتَامَىٰ وَالْمَسَاكِينِ وَابْنِ السَّبِيلِ كَيْ لَا يَكُونَ دُولَةً بَيْنَ الْأَغْنِيَاءِ مِنكُمْ ۚ وَمَا آتَاكُمُ الرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوهُ وَمَا نَهَاكُمْ عَنْهُ فَانتَهُوا ۚ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ ۖ إِنَّ اللَّهَ شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ

Whatever Allah has bestowed over His messenger from the people of the cities, it is for Allah and for the messenger and for the relatives and for the orphans and for the needy (who are reduced to poverty) and for the sons of the way, so that the wealth may not circulate only amongst the rich of your people and whatever the Messenger gives you so take it and whatever He forbids you about it, so forbid and take guard from Allah. Surely Allah is strong in punishment.

The context of the ayat is for amount of wealth distributed by messenger among the distributees and not for the teachings he is propagating.

Even if it considered for his teachings, what messenger gave the people, is the Quran. He never gave the people those other books these people get their inspirations from.

50:45 نَّحْنُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا يَقُولُونَ ۖ وَمَا أَنتَ عَلَيْهِم بِجَبَّارٍ ۖ فَذَكِّرْ بِالْقُرْآنِ مَن يَخَافُ وَعِيدِ

We know better what they say; and you are not a compeller over them. So remind (them) with the Qur’an those who fear My Warning!

6:114 أَفَغَيْرَ اللَّهِ أَبْتَغِي حَكَمًا وَهُوَ الَّذِي أَنزَلَ إِلَيْكُمُ الْكِتَابَ مُفَصَّلًا

Say. “Shall I seek a judge other than Allah? – and He is Who has sent unto you (people) the Book, explained in detail.”

6:19 قُلْ أَيُّ شَيْءٍ أَكْبَرُ شَهَادَةً ۖ قُلِ اللَّهُ ۖ شَهِيدٌ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَكُمْ ۚ وَأُوحِيَ إِلَيَّ هَٰذَا الْقُرْآنُ لِأُنذِرَكُم بِهِ وَمَن بَلَغَ ۚ أَئِنَّكُمْ لَتَشْهَدُونَ أَنَّ مَعَ اللَّهِ آلِهَةً أُخْرَىٰ ۚ قُل لَّا أَشْهَدُ ۚ قُلْ إِنَّمَا هُوَ إِلَٰهٌ وَاحِدٌ وَإِنَّنِي بَرِيءٌ مِّمَّا تُشْرِكُونَ

Say what thing is greatest evidence, say Allah is witness between me and you and this Quran is inspired to me to warn all of you with it and whoever propagates. Do you surely bear witness, that with Allah there are other gods, Say I do not bear witness, say surely He is one God and surely I am exempted from what you associate (with Him)

Quran ask messenger to say in above ayat that this Quran is inspired on me so that I warn you with it.

Messenger(pbuh) gave Al-Quran to people and at the same time forbade other books for the purpose of divine guidance.

28:49 قُلْ فَأْتُوا بِكِتَابٍ مِّنْ عِندِ اللَّهِ هُوَ أَهْدَىٰ مِنْهُمَا أَتَّبِعْهُ إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ

Say ,so come with a book from the nearness of Allah, which is more in guidance than both of them. I would follow it, if you are truthful

34:44 وَمَا آتَيْنَاهُم مِّن كُتُبٍ يَدْرُسُونَهَا ۖ وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا إِلَيْهِمْ قَبْلَكَ مِن نَّذِيرٍ

And We have not given them books from which they study. And before you We have not sent towards them from the warner

16:64 وَمَا أَنزَلْنَا عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ إِلَّا لِتُبَيِّنَ لَهُمُ الَّذِي اخْتَلَفُوا فِيهِ ۙ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةً لِّقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ

And We did not sent down the Book to you except that you should make clear to them those things in which they differ, and that it should be a guide and a mercy to those who believe.

Thus it is clear from the above ayahs, that the messenger passed judgement among the people by the Book of Allah and the differences and disputes were resolved by Allah’s Book as well, and not any other book or opinion.

19. Clergy is the expert in religion. Ordinary people should not attempt to understand Quran and religion on their own. Ordinary people if they try to take guidance on their own from Quran, they will go astray because it requires a lot of knowledge of fiqh, tafseer and what not. The Ulama provide the role of guidance for the ordinary people. When you are sick you go to doctor, similarly for understanding religion you should go to clergy who are expert in religious matters.

The above is the perception propagated by the clergy and common people accept it. We need to verify it with Quran. Lets review ayahs in Quran below:

3:7 اتَّبِعُوا مَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكُم مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا مِن دُونِهِ أَوْلِيَاءَ ۗ قَلِيلًا مَّا تَذَكَّرُونَ

Follow, the revelation given unto you from your Lord, and follow not, as Aulia /(spritual) protectors, other than Him. Little among you pay heed to admonition.

The below ayat informs that the majority of clergy eat people’s money and they restrict them from the path of the Lord. The path to the Lord is via His Book and majority of Ulama sits in that way and hinder from it.

9:34 يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنَّ كَثِيرًا مِّنَ الْأَحْبَارِ وَالرُّهْبَانِ لَيَأْكُلُونَ أَمْوَالَ النَّاسِ بِالْبَاطِلِ وَيَصُدُّونَ عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ ۗ وَالَّذِينَ يَكْنِزُونَ الذَّهَبَ وَالْفِضَّةَ وَلَا يُنفِقُونَهَا فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ فَبَشِّرْهُم بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ

O’ you who believe surely the majority from Ahbar / the scholars and Rohban / the terrorists definitely eat the wealth of the people with falsehood and they oppose about the way of Allah and, those people who hoard gold and silver, and they do not spend it in the way of Allah, then give them the tidings of the grievous punishment.

On the day of Judgement the ordinary people would regret following their Saadat, their chiefs their big political and religious leaders who lead them astray.

33:67 وَقَالُوا رَبَّنَا إِنَّا أَطَعْنَا سَادَتَنَا وَكُبَرَاءَنَا فَأَضَلُّونَا السَّبِيلَا

And they would say. “Our Lord! Verily We obeyed our Syeds/chiefs and our great ones, and they misled us as from the (right) Path.

The Ulama make sharia/Fiqh of in the religion. This sharia is absolutely not authorized by Allah and he terms them as His partners that people have made:

42:21 أَمْ لَهُمْ شُرَكَاءُ شَرَعُوا لَهُم مِّنَ الدِّينِ مَا لَمْ يَأْذَن بِهِ اللَّهُ ۚ وَلَوْلَا كَلِمَةُ الْفَصْلِ لَقُضِيَ بَيْنَهُمْ ۗ وَإِنَّ الظَّالِمِينَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ

Do they have partners, who have established for them ways in religion (Shariat) without the permission of Allah? Had it not been for the decree of Judgment, the matter would have been decided between them (at once). But verily the wrong-doers will have a grievous Penalty.

Ulamas belong to sects which are not allowed by Allah and they also issue fatwas/rulings and give the impression to general public that by acting upon the fatwa the responsibility of the their action will be on the scholar issuing the fatwa. This is not allowed by Allah as stated in below ayat and termed person doing that as Kafir/Coverer of Allah’s order.

29:12 وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّبِعُوا سَبِيلَنَا وَلْنَحْمِلْ خَطَايَاكُمْ وَمَا هُم بِحَامِلِينَ مِنْ خَطَايَاهُم مِّن شَيْءٍ ۖ إِنَّهُمْ لَكَاذِبُونَ

And the people who did Kufr/covered said to the people who believed. “Follow our path, and we will certainly bear the burden of your faults.” and they shall not be bearing the burden of their faults. Certainly they are liars.

The impression that a lot of knowledge is required to understand Quran e.g grammar, fiqh, logic and what not. But in fact Quran states that not even the Arabic language is necessary. It is guidance and cure for the people who believe in it. For those who believe in all other things and mix all sort of things and depend upon scholars to spoon feed it to them, would not be able to get the Spirit of Al-Quran.

41:44 وَلَوْ جَعَلْنَاهُ قُرْآنًا أَعْجَمِيًّا لَّقَالُوا لَوْلَا فُصِّلَتْ آيَاتُهُ ۖ أَأَعْجَمِيٌّ وَعَرَبِيٌّ ۗ قُلْ هُوَ لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا هُدًى وَشِفَاءٌ ۖ وَالَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ فِي آذَانِهِمْ وَقْرٌ وَهُوَ عَلَيْهِمْ عَمًى ۚ أُولَٰئِكَ يُنَادَوْنَ مِن مَّكَانٍ بَعِيدٍ

And if We have made Quran/Reading, non-Arabic, they would have said. “Why are not its ayahs explained in detail? “What! Non-Arabic or Arabic?” Say. “It is a Guidance and a Healing for those who believe; and for those who believe not, there is a deafness in their ears, and over them is blindness, and They are those who are being called from distant place.

20: There is Ijtihad of the Muslim Ummah on Hadith literature. The Majority of Ummah cannot err on this important matter of Hadith of the prophet.

Please take guidance from Quran. Quran never says that majority of the Muslims would be on the correct path. On the contrary it says that majority of the people who believe will be associating others with Allah.

12:106 وَمَا يُؤْمِنُ أَكْثَرُهُم بِاللَّهِ إِلَّا وَهُم مُّشْرِكُونَ

And the majority of them, do not believe in Allah  without associating with Him!

Also, it says that majority will always be unthankful and following the majority will lead you astray.

6:116 وَإِنْ تُطِعْ أَكْثَرَ مَنْ فِي الْأَرْضِ يُضِلُّوكَ عَنْ سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ ۚ إِنْ يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا الظَّنَّ وَإِنْ هُمْ إِلَّا يَخْرُصُونَ

If you were to follow majority of people on earth, they will lead you away from the way of Allah. They follow nothing but conjecture. they do nothing but fabricate.

The people who follow the prophets have been less in number in all times except for prophet Yunus as informed by Quran.

Ijtihad of Ummah has no standing against what is decreed in Quran.

25:30 وَقَالَ الرَّسُولُ يَا رَبِّ إِنَّ قَوْمِي اتَّخَذُوا هَٰذَا الْقُرْآنَ مَهْجُورًا

And the Messenger will say, O my Lord! Surely, my people took this Al-Quran and abandoned it.

And the messenger (pbuh) is surely going to complain to Allah that his nation took the Quran, and left it while paying lip service to believing in it.

Examples of Hadith:

Does Hadith literature really explain the Quran or add to confusions, lets see some examples to see if we are better off without this kind of explanation:

Explanation of Universal phenomenon:

The ayat 36:38 informs about the sun movement around its orbit.

1. (36:38) And the Sun runs its decreed course. That is the decree of (Allah) the Exalted in Might, the All-Knowing.

Bukhari (Ref: 4.421), narrated Abu Dhar:

The Prophet asked me at sunset, “Do you know where the sun goes (at the time of sunset)?” I replied, “Allah and His Apostle know better.”

He said, “It goes (i.e. travels) till it prostrates itself underneath the Throne, and takes the permission to rise again, and it is permitted and then (a time will come when) it will be about to prostrate itself but its prostration will not be accepted, and it will ask permission to go on its course, but it will not be permitted, but it will be ordered to return whence it has come and so it will rise in the west. And that is the interpretation of the statement of Allah.”

Character assassination of the prophet:

2. Bukhari (Ref: 9.130) Narrated Anas bin Malik:                   

Allah’s Messenger used to visit Um Haram bint Milhan and she was the wife of Ubada bin As-Samit. One day the Prophet visited her and she provided him with food and started looking for lice in his head. Then Allah’s Messenger slept and afterwards woke up smiling[…]

To approach women during their menses, for sexual purposes, is forbidden in the Qur’an. It is impossible to imagine that the Prophet was unaware of this injunction in the Qur’an and yet Mr. Bukhari, it appears, has been able to unearth the most intimate private affairs of the Prophet.  He claims the authority of Hazrat Aisha in order to make it look authentic.

Bukhari (Ref: 1.298); narrated Aisha:

4. The Prophet and I used to take a bath from a single pot while we were junub [the unclean state after sexual intercourse]. During the menses, he used to order me to put on an izar (dress worn below the waist) and used to fondle me. While in itikaf (see note below) he used to bring his head near me and I would wash it while I used to be in periods (menses).

Note: Aitikaf is seclusion in a mosque for the purpose of worshipping Allah and Quran has a prohibition for intercourse with women during Aitikaf.

Bukhari (Ref: 1.299) Narrated Abdur Rahman bin Al-Aswad:

5. Aisha said: “Whenever Allah’s Messenger wanted to fondle anyone during her periods (menses), he used to order her to put on an izar and start fondling her.” Aisha added “None of you could control his sexual desires as the Prophet.”

Contrast this with specific Qur’anic injunction: 

(2:222) They question thee (O Muhammad) concerning menstruation. Say: It is a vulnerable condition, so let women alone at such times and go not unto them till they are cleansed. And when they have purified themselves, then go unto them as Allah hath enjoined upon you.         

6.

46: 9قُلْ مَا كُنتُ بِدْعًا مِّنَ الرُّسُلِ وَمَا أَدْرِي مَا يُفْعَلُ بِي وَلَا بِكُمْ ۖ إِنْ أَتَّبِعُ إِلَّا مَا يُوحَىٰ إِلَيَّ وَمَا أَنَا إِلَّا نَذِيرٌ مُّبِينٌ 

Say (O’ Mohammad) “I am no bringer of new doctrine among the Messengers, nor do I know what will be done with me or with you. I follow but that which is revealed to me by inspiration; I am but a Warner open and clear.” 

When the messenger (pbuh) clearly says that he doesnot know what will happen to him and to you people, then how come there are so many hadiths when the messenger is telling people about happenings in future and happening in the hereafter.

7. Narrated Abu Huraira:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Every Prophet was given miracles because of which people believed, but what I have been given, is Divine Inspiration which Allah has revealed to me. So I hope that my followers will outnumber the followers of the other Prophets on the Day of Resurrection.”

حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، حَدَّثَنَا اللَّيْثُ، حَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدٌ الْمَقْبُرِيُّ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ “‏ مَا مِنَ الأَنْبِيَاءِ نَبِيٌّ إِلاَّ أُعْطِيَ مَا مِثْلُهُ آمَنَ عَلَيْهِ الْبَشَرُ، وَإِنَّمَا كَانَ الَّذِي أُوتِيتُ وَحْيًا أَوْحَاهُ اللَّهُ إِلَىَّ فَأَرْجُو أَنْ أَكُونَ أَكْثَرَهُمْ تَابِعًا يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ ‏”‏‏.‏

Reference	: Sahih al-Bukhari 4981
In-book reference	: Book 66, Hadith 3
USC-MSA web (English) reference	: Vol. 6, Book 61, Hadith 504
(deprecated numbering scheme)

Comment: Quran clearly says that all prophets were given Al-Kitab. The above Hadith is implying previous prophets were given miracles and only Mohammad (pbuh) was given a revelation of Book, which is incorrect per Quran.

8: Bukhari Vol.4, Book 055, Hadith # 635.
Narated By Abu Huraira : The Prophet said, “Solomon (the son of) David said, ‘Tonight I will sleep with SEVENTY ladies each of whom will conceive a child who will be a knight fighting for “Allah’s Cause.’ His companion said, ‘If Allah will.’ But Solomon did not say so; therefore none of those women got pregnant except one who gave birth to a half child.” The Prophet further said, “If the Prophet Solomon had said it (i.e. ‘If Allah will’) he would have begotten children who would have fought in Allah’s Cause.” Shuaib and Ibn Abi Az-Zinad said, “Ninety (women) is more correct (than seventy).”

Character assassination of prophets of Allah. Implying multitude of wives and concubines for prophet. Sleeping with 70 women in one night, some one with really lascivious mind would have thought of forging this hadith.

Projecting Un-hygienic, uncouth false personality of the prophet :

9. Sahih Bukhari Volume 4, Book 54, Number 537: Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet said If a house fly falls in the drink of anyone of you, he should dip it (in the drink), for one of its wings has a disease and the other has the cure for the disease.

10. Sahih Bukhari Volume 7, Book 65, Number 366: Narrated Ibn Abbas: The Prophet said, When you eat, do not wipe your hands till you have licked it, or had it licked by somebody else.

Absurdities

10. Sahih Bukhari Volume 9, Book 87, Number 124: Narrated Abu Qatada: The Prophet said, A good dream is from Allah, and a bad dream is from Satan. So whoever has seen (in a dream) something he dislike, then he should spit without saliva, thrice on his left and seek refuge with Allah from Satan, for it will not harm him, and Satan cannot appear in my shape.

11. Sahih Bukhari Volume 2, Book 21, Number 245: Narrated Abdullah : A person was mentioned before the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) and he was told that he had kept on sleeping till morning and had not got up for the prayer. The Prophet said, Satan urinated in his ears.

Sahih Bukhari Volume 4, Book 54, Number 516:

12. The climate of Medina did not suit some people, so the Prophet ordered them to follow his shepherd, i.e. his camels, and drink their milk and urine (as a medicine). So they followed the shepherd that is the camels and drank their milk and urine till their bodies became healthy. Sahih Bukhari 7:71:590

13. Narrated Abu Huraira:

The Prophet said, ?If anyone of you rouses from sleep and performs the ablution, he should wash his nose by putting water in it and then blowing it out thrice, because Satan has stayed in the upper part of his nose all the night.?

14.

Sahih Bukhari Volume 1, Book 5, Number 277:

Narrated Abu Huraira:

The Prophet said, The (people of) Bani Israel used to take bath naked (all together) looking at each other. The Prophet Moses used to take a bath alone. They said, ?By Allah! Nothing prevents Moses from taking a bath with us except that he has a scrotal hernia.? So once Moses went out to take a bath and put his clothes over a stone and then that stone ran away with his clothes. Moses followed that stone saying, ?My clothes, O stone! My clothes, O stone! till the people of Bani Israel saw him and said, ?By Allah, Moses has got no defect in his body. Moses took his clothes and began to beat the stone.? Abu Huraira added, ?By Allah! There are still six or seven marks present on the stone from that excessive beating.?

15.

Sahih Bukhari Volume 7, Book 62, Number 33:

Narrated Usama bin Zaid:

The Prophet said, ?After me I have not left any affliction more harmful to men than women.?

16.

Breast Feeding an adult male in Islam:  

Sayyida A�isha (Allah be pleased with her) reports that Sahla bint Suhayl came to the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) and said: �O Messenger of Allah! I see on the face of Abu Hudhayfa (signs of dislike) on the entering of Salim, who is an ally, (into our house). The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) said: �Suckle him.� She said: �How can I suckle him as he is a grown-up man? The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) smiled and said: �I already know that he is a young man.  � (Sahih Muslim, no: 1453)

Very popular notion about the sectarian Sunni Muslims is a hadith that Allah’s messenger’s said he is leaving behind two weighty things, Alla’hs Book and his ‘Sunnah’. However the authentic version of this hadith in ‘Sahih Muslim’, mentions ‘Ahle-Bait’ instead of ‘Sunnah’. However, majority of the Sunni sect because of deep rooted bias with Shia sect, will not propagate the authentic version of this hadith but rather stick to the alternate version.

17. Hadith Saqlain: (Prophet saying he is leaving two weighty things behind him)

The text of the report transmitted by Ahl-e Sunnah in Sahih Muslim, Sahih Timidhi and Musnad of Ahmad bin Hanbal is as such: “The Book of Allah and my progeny (‘itrah)” This is the famous version of the tradition found in their books.

Muslim says:) Zuhayr ibn Harb and Shuja’ ibn Makhlad narrated to me from ‘Ulayyah that he said: Zuhayr said: narrated to us Isma’il ibn Ibrahim, from Abu Hayyan, from Yazid ibn Hayyan, who said: “I, Husayn ibn Sabrah and ‘Umar ibn Muslim went to see Zayd ibn Arqam. When we sat down with him, Husayn said to him, ‘O Zayd, you have been greatly fortunate. You have seen the Messenger of Allah, upon whom be Allah’s peace and benedictions, heard his speech, fought with him in battles and have prayed behind him. Indeed, O Zayd, you have been enormously fortunate. Narrate to us what you have heard from the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s peace and benedictions be upon him.’

“Zayd said: ‘O brother, by God, I have become aged and old and I have forgotten some of what I used to remember from the Messenger of Allah, upon whom be Allah’s peace and benedictions. So accept what I narrate to you and as to what I don’t, trouble me not regarding it.’ Then he said: ‘One day the Messenger of Allah, upon whom be Allah’s peace and benedictions, addressed us near a pond called Khumm between Makkah and Madinah. He praised God and extolled Him and preached and reminded (us). Then he said, “Lo, O people, I am only a human being and I am about to respond to the messenger of my Lord [i.e. the call of death]. I am leaving behind two precious things (thaqalayn) among you. The first of the two is the Book of Allah. In it is guidance and light. So get hold of the Book of Allah and adhere to it.” Then he urged and motivated (us) regarding the Book of Allah. Then he said, “And my Ahlul Bayt (family). I urge you to remember God regarding my Ahlul Bayt. I urge you to remember God regarding my Ahlul Bayt. I urge you to remember God regarding my Ahlul Bayt”‘” ….

 شاهده حديث سلمة بن كهيل عن أبي الطفيل أيضا صحيح على شرطهما (حدثنا) أبو بكر بن اسحاق أبو بكر بن إسحاق و دعلج بن أحمد السجزي قالا : أنبأ محمد بن أيوب ثنا الأزرق بن علي ثنا حسان بن إبراهيم الكرماني ثنا محمد بن سلمة بن كهيل عن أبيه عن أبي الطفيل عن ابن واثلة أنه سمع زيد بن أرقم رضي الله عنه يقول: نزل رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم بين مكة و المدينة عند شجرات خمس دوحات عظام فكنس الناس ما  تحت الشجرات ثم راح رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم عشية فصلى ثم قام خطيبا فحمد الله و أثنى عليه و ذكر و وعظ فقال ما شاء الله أن يقول ثم قال : يا أيها الناس إني تارك فيكم أمرين لن تضلوا إن اتبعتموهما وهما كتاب الله و أهل بيتي عترتي ثم قال : أتعلمون إني أولى بالمؤمنين من أنفسهم ثلاث مرات قالوا : نعم فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم : من كنت مولاه فعلي مولاه.

Al-Hakim says:) Narrated to us Abu al-­Husayn Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Tamim al-­Hanzali in Baghdad, from Abu Qallabah ‘Abd al-­Malik ibn Muhammad al-­Raqqashi, from Yahya ibn Hammad; also narrated to me Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Balawayh and Abu Bakr Ahmad ibn Ja’far al-­Bazzaz, both of them from ‘Abd Allah ibn Ahmad ibn Hanbal, from his father, from Yahya ibn Hammad; and also narrated to us Abu Nasr Ahmad ibn Suhayl, the faqih of Bukhara, from Salih ibn Muhammad, the hafiz of Baghdad, from Khalaf ibn Salim al-­Makhrami, from Yahya ibn Hammad; and Yahya ibn Hammad narrated from Abu ‘Uwwanah from Sulayman al-A’mash, from Habib ibn Abi Thabit, from Abu al-­Tufayl, from Zayd ibn Arqam, may God be pleased with him, who said: “The Messenger of Allah , may God’s peace and benedictions be upon him and his progeny, while returning from his last hajj (hijjat al-­wada’) came down at Ghadir Khumm and ordered (us) towards the big trees, and (the ground) underneath them was swept.

“Then he said, ‘I am about to answer the call (of death). Verily, I have left behind two precious things amongst you, one of which is greater than the other. The Book of Allah, the Exalted, and my ‘itrah (kindred). So watch out how you treat these two after me, for verily they will not separate from each other until they come back to me by the side of the Pond.’ Then he said ‘Verily, Allah, the Almighty and the Glorious, is my master (mawla) and I am the master of every believer (mu’min).’ Then he took ‘Ali, may God be pleased with him, by the hand and said, ‘This (‘Ali) is the master of whomever I am his master. O God, love whoever loves him and be the enemy of his enemy.'”

(Al-Hakim adds:) “This hadith is sahih in accordance with the conditions of sihhah laid down by the Shaykhayn (al-­Bukhari and Muslim), although they have not recorded it in its full length.”

Shia hadith

Just a few examples given below to give a taste of what can be expected in these books:

[1] Chapter: The Imams know when they will die, and they only die by their choice. ( AlKafi vol.1 p.258 )

[2] Chapter: The Imams have knowledge of the past and future; and nothing is hidden from them. ( AlKafi vol.1 p.260 )
[3] Alkileeni reported that Jabir asked AbuJa`far p.b.u.h : “Why `Ali ibn Aby Talib was named Amir-ul-Mumineen?” AbuJa`far replied : “Allah named him so, and He revealed in His Book ” And (remember) when your Lord brought forth from the Children of Adam, from their loins, their seed and made them testify as to themselves (saying): Am I not your Lord, Muhammad my messenger and `Ali Amir-ul-Mumineen ?…” ( AlKafi vol.1 p.412 )

[4] “Abu Baseer reported that he said to Imam Ja’far, “O Abu Abdullah(Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq) What is Mus-haf Fatimah?” He replied “It is a Qur’an containing three times what is found in your copy of the Qur’an; yet by Allah, it does not contain even a single letter from your Qur’an. ( AlKafi vol.1 p.457 )

[5] hadith in Al-Kafi, volume 5, book of marriages:

1. Ali Bin Ibrahim, from Ismail Bin Muhammad Al Makky, from Ali Bin Al Husayn, from Amro Bin Usman, from Al Husayn Bin Khalid, from the one who mentioned it, from Abu Al Rabie Al Shamy who said,

‘Abu Abdullah (asws) said to me: ‘Do not buy anyone from the Sudanese, and if it was inevitable, so (buy) from the Nubians, for they are from those for whom Allah (azwj) Mighty and Majestic Says [5:14] And with those who say, We are Christians, We made a Covenant, but they forgot a portion of what they were reminded with. But, they would be remembering that Covenant and they would be coming out with Al-Qaim from us, a brigade from them; and do not marry anyone from the Kurds, for they are a species from the Jinn, the cover having been Removed from them’. (Al Kafi – V 5 – The Book of Marriage Ch 27 H 2)

[6]. A number of our companions, from Sahl Bin Ziyad, from Musa Bin Ja’far, from Amro Bin Saeed, from Muhammad Bin Abdullah Al Hashimy, from Ahmad Bin Yusuf, from Ali Bin Dawood Al Haddad, (It has been narrated) from Abu Abdullah (asws) having said:

‘Do not marry (the people of) Al-Zanj (a coastal region of Africa) and Al-Khazar, because for them are wombs which evidence upon other than loyalty’. He (asws) said: ‘And the (people) of Al-Hind (India), and the (people) of Al-Sind (Pakistan), and (people of) Al-Qand (Afghanistan), there are no noble ones among them, meaning Qandahar’

[7](Al Kafi – V 5 – The Book of Marriage Ch 27 H 3)

Muhammad reported from Ahmad, from ibn Mahbub, from Jamil ibn Salih, from Aban ibn Taghlib, from Abu Abdullah i.e. Al-Sadiq (upon whom be peace), who said, I asked him about the earth, ‘Upon which does it stand forth? To which he replied: “It stands forth upon a whale.” I asked: “Upon which does the whale stand forth? To which he replied: “Upon water.” I asked: “Upon which does water stand forth?” To which he replied: “Upon a rock.” I asked: “Upon which does the rock stand forth?” To which he replied: “Upon a bull’s smooth horn.” I asked: “Upon which does the bull stand forth?” To which he replied: “Upon the ground.” I asked: “Upon which does the ground stand forth?” To which he replied: “What an idea? Therewith is lost the knowledge of the men of knowledge.” [Al-Kafi by Al-Kulayni, vol. 9, p. 89, hadith declared as sahih/authentic by Al-Majlisi in his ‘Mir’at Al-‘Uqul]

More interesting Hadith:

Volume 4, Book 55, Number 546: Sahih Bukhari

Narrated Anas:

When ‘Abdullah bin Salam heard the arrival of the Prophet at Medina, he came to him and said, “I am going to ask you about three things which nobody knows except a prophet: What is the first portent of the Hour? What will be the first meal taken by the people of Paradise? Why does a child resemble its father, and why does it resemble its maternal uncle” Allah’s Apostle said, “Gabriel has just now told me of their answers.” ‘Abdullah said, “He (i.e. Gabriel), from amongst all the angels, is the enemy of the Jews.” Allah’s Apostle said, “The first portent of the Hour will be a fire that will bring together the people from the east to the west; the first meal of the people of Paradise will be Extra-lobe (caudate lobe) of fish-liver. As for the resemblance of the child to its parents: If a man has sexual intercourse with his wife and gets discharge first, the child will resemble the father, and if the woman gets discharge first, the child will resemble her.” On that ‘Abdullah bin Salam said, “I testify that you are the Apostle of Allah.” ‘Abdullah bin Salam further said, “O Allah’s Apostle! The Jews are liars, and if they should come to know about my conversion to Islam before you ask them (about me), they would tell a lie about me.” The Jews came to Allah’s Apostle and ‘Abdullah went inside the house. Allah’s Apostle asked (the Jews), “What kind of man is ‘Abdullah bin Salam amongst you?” They replied, “He is the most learned person amongst us, and the best amongst us, and the son of the best amongst us.” Allah’s Apostle said, “What do you think if he embraces Islam (will you do as he does)?” The Jews said, “May Allah save him from it.” Then ‘Abdullah bin Salam came out in front of them saying, “I testify that None has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that Muhammad is the Apostle of Allah.” Thereupon they said, “He is the evilest among us, and the son of the evilest amongst us,” and continued talking badly of him.

Volume 4, Book 55, Number 548:

Narrated Abu Huraira:

Allah ‘s Apostle said, “Treat women nicely, for a women is created from a rib, and the most curved portion of the rib is its upper portion, so, if you should try to straighten it, it will break, but if you leave it as it is, it will remain crooked. So treat women nicely.”

Volume 4, Book 55, Number 555:Narrated Abu Said:
Allah’s Apostle said, “Noah and his nation will come (on the Day of Resurrection and Allah will ask (Noah), “Did you convey (the Message)?’ He will reply, ‘Yes, O my Lord!’ Then Allah will ask Noah’s nation, ‘Did Noah convey My Message to you?’ They will reply, ‘No, no prophet came to us.’ Then Allah will ask Noah, ‘Who will stand a witness for you?’ He will reply, ‘Muhammad and his followers (will stand witness for me).’ So, I and my followers will stand as witnesses for him (that he conveyed Allah’s Message).” That is, (the interpretation) of the Statement of Allah: “Thus we have made you a just and the best nation that you might be witnesses Over mankind ..” (2.143)

Volume 4, Book 55, Number 579:Narrated Um Sharik:
Allah’s Apostle ordered that the salamander should be killed and said, “It (i.e. the salamander) blew (the fire) on Abraham.”