link?
link?
It's a book written by an apostate and praised by Daniel Pipes of all the devils..here's a Wikipedia ink, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Why_I_Am_Not_a_Muslim
I just wanted to know if there's anyone here who's read it and what their thoughts were...
just from the topics im guessing its a man who finds islam to be uncompromising
and that it most certainly is!
^ lol thats a total give away ! obviously when you believe something is the truth you'll follow it through from the depths of your heart ! and try to spread it as far and wide as you can believing in its beauty!The Totalitarian Nature of Islam
I think i might buy it just to see, if i do buy it, I will let you know what i think!!
sounds a bit narrow minded to me, but have a look around!
^ it will be misquotations upon misquotations followed by lies and slanders.
i do hope you wont waste your money on it, its like supporting itthese people are attention seekers, right an anti-islamic book - get attentoin and lots of money ! thats how it is..
Dont waste your time reading garbage like that. i haven't even bothered looking at the link.
good point, will see if i can find a link to have a flick tho, i like to hear others opinions, i wont listen to it tho, i have judged this religion myself and see no wrong doing in it at all, its a beautiful religion far better than some.i dont use others opinions to judge, i like to make my decisions on things through my own experiences and this forum in one day made my decision. i just like to know what others think!!
^ lol it will be to feed your curiosity.
although you gotta post up any doubts you have here, so i can show you the whole context
It will no doubt confuse you by using out of context verses and Hadith's. Be sure to post any concerns you have here to get facts.format_quote Originally Posted by buddy1
good point, will see if i can find a link to have a flick tho, i like to hear others opinions, i wont listen to it tho, i have judged this religion myself and see no wrong doing in it at all, its a beautiful religion far better than some.i dont use others opinions to judge, i like to make my decisions on things through my own experiences and this forum in one day made my decision. i just like to know what others think!!
Peace
I know about about Ibn Warraq(I believe that's the author's name).
Based on acadamic journal articles of some of his books he has the potential to do goos scholarship, but is often faulted for the pejoratives and lack of balance that permiate his books on Islam.
Maybe I should write a book on "Why I'm not Sunni, Shi'a, or Ibadi".
Then again, all it would do is make 99% of Muslims hate me.
^ your with the submitters? (quran only people)
Not the submitters international. I consider them filthy for declaring Rashad Khilafa a prophet, astaghfirullah. I'm a free thinker. I believe the Qur'an is the only true and authentic source for Islam. Anything else is unnecessary or a fabrication.
format_quote Originally Posted by wth1257
I've read some reviews and everyone seems to think his work is ridiculously biased, everyone but Daniel Pipes that is.
Buddy1 if you want to read it, go for it. I'm starting this week and if I do have any questions I'll definitely come here..I'll ask Skye (salaam sis)
then your in quite a predicament lol, because the Quran commands us to obey and follow the prophet, and how can we do that if we dont accept hadith>format_quote Originally Posted by The Khan
btw have you read up on the preservation of the sunnah? researched it? because i dont see how you can possibly find it to be unnecessary or a fabrication after properly looking into it!
you doopy guy,format_quote Originally Posted by The Khan
so the quran was revealed to the prophet (saw) and you don't follow his narrations.
The quran clearly states obey Allah and obey his rasool.
[S]thats not necessary[/S]format_quote Originally Posted by Brother_Mujahid
is alkafi a fabrication or just unnecessary?format_quote Originally Posted by The Khan
wa salam
Really? If so, I have a question: Why is that, until Caliph Umar II, the 11th Caliph, all the previous Caliphs has absolutely forbidden any compilation of the Qur'an? Abu Bakr, Umar I, Uthman, Ali, Muawiya, even Yazid forbade compilation of hadith!format_quote Originally Posted by Mz
I shall quote this long line of text from another website explaining my view, as I don't have the energy to type so much today (sickness).format_quote Originally Posted by Brother_Mujahid
The hadith followers in their earnest attempt to advocate the legality of following the hadith and sunna of the prophet, play on a corrupted interpretation of the Quranic command to "obey God and obey the Messenger". They claim that obeying God is to obey the Quran while as obeying the Messenger is to obey his hadith (personal sayings) and his sunnah (methods). They add that if obeying the Messenger was the same thing as obeying God's Quran, then God would have only said Obey God. Thus to their understanding, God's inclusion of "obey the Messenger" implies that the Messenger has his own set of religious teachings outside of the Quran that we must obey.
With the guidance of the Quran, the error in this claim can easily be exposed. In the light of the Quran it can easily be seen that to "obey the Messenger" is to obey the message he delivered (the Quran) and nothing else.
1- The necessity to say "obey the Messenger":
The inclusion of the phrase "obey the Messenger" after "Obey God" serves a number of important causes:
A- Who among the companions of the Prophet ever heard any of God's revelations directly from God? No one! Consequently, they cannot obey God except through Muhammad's delivery of the Quran. This once again makes it necessary for God to command people to obey the messenger since he is the one who delivers to them God's message. Moreover, the messenger did not just deliver the Quran and vanish! The prophet spent all his years from the time he first received the revelation till his death inviting all people to believe in and follow the Quran. Hence it is necessary for God to say to all humans to obey the messenger who is inviting them to follow the Quran.
B- The Quran was revealed to Muhammad in order that he would deliver it to a community which was primarily composed of idol worshippers but also some followers of the previous scripture like the Jews and the Christians (Nasara). Once again, and for the benefit of the followers of the scripture that we understand the neccessity of the phrase "obey the Messener". To make this clear, let us assume that the command in the Quran did not contain the phrase "obey the Messenger" but was only a command to "Obey God". Immediately, the Jews and the Christians (Nasara) would say : But we already obey God, God has sent us the scripture and we obey it!" Hence, the phrase "obey the messenger" which is enclosed in the message he (Muhammad) delivered to them (Quran) endorses the Quran itself as being the last revelation form God to all humans. The Quran was revealed to mankind so as to supercede all previous scripture:
"Then we revealed to you (O Muhammad) this scripture, truthfully, confirming previous scriptures, and SUPERSEDING them." 5:48
2- The duty of the Messenger:
"And obey God and obey the messenger and be cautious; but if you turn back, then know that the SOLE DUTY of the messenger is the deliverance (of the message)" 5:92
"And obey God and obey the messenger, but if you turn back, then upon Our messenger is the SOLE DUTY of the clear delivery (of the message)" 64:12
Now, if we look at these Ayaat, we notice that God has clearly pointed out the ONLY duty of the Messenger, i.e. that he must DELIVER the message (Quran).
The word Messenger is derived from the word Message. A Messenger delivers a Message. If there were no message there would not be a messenger. To Obey the Messenger would thus mean to obey the message he is delivering.
3- Is it obey "Muhammad" or "obey the Messenger"?
God is the most efficient in expressing any meaning. All Quranic words are chosen by God to convey a precise meaning.
We never read anywhere in the Quran words like "Obey God and obey Muhammad" or obey Jesus, or Moses..........always the word messenger........this is to emphasise once again that what is to be obeyed is the "message" of God and not the personal words or views of the messenger.
As mentioned earlier, the word Messenger is derived from the word Message. If there were no message there would not be a messenger. To Obey the Messenger would thus mean to obey the message he is delivering.
4- The only "message" revealed to Muhammad was the Quran:
In reply to this Quranic truth, the proponents of hadith claim that they have no problem with the fact that the only duty of Muhammad was to deliver the message, but they quickly add that the hadith and sunna of Muhammad are part of the "message" and were inspiration from God! They base such claim on a corrupted interpretion of 53:3-4. As a matter of fact, they claim that besides the hadith of Muhammad (which they claim was inspired) they claim that Muhammad received additional revelation directly from God outside the Quran which they call the 'Hadith Al-Qudsy' or the 'sacred hadith'!
For more info on the corruption of 53:3-4, please see:
The corruption of 53:3-4
With the guidance of the Quran we can quickly establish that Muhammad did not receive ANY revelation from God other than the Quran. Yes the prophet was inspired by God in certain personal matter, an example of that is found in 66:3 where God inspired the prophet regarding the truth of a domestic issue. However, this was mere inspiration from God and not revelation. The difference between inspiration and revelation is that God inspires all humans (note how God inspired the mother of Moses). God also inspires the animals (example of that is in 16:68 where God tells us how He inspires the bees). This is different from revelation which is specificaly an inspired scripture which contains religious laws and prohibitions.
Note here that hadith followers uphold the hadith and sunna as the second source of Islamic law besides the Quran, and by doing so they elevate the hadith to the status of revelation.
We are told in the Quran that the prophet did not receive any revelation from God other than the Quran:
"Say (Muhammad): What thing is 'Akbar Shahada' (greatest testimony)? Say: God is a Witness between me and you; this QURAN has been revealed to me by inspiration that with it I may warn you and all whom it reaches (BALAGHA)" 6:19
This testimony which God describes as "Akbar Shahada" "Greatest Testimony" commands Muhammad to testify that He received the Quran from God. This testimony speaks of only one revelation received by Muhammad from God which is the Quran. If Muhammad truly received other revelation from God other than the Quran, would we not find any mention of it in the Quran? Would God hide the fact that He gave Muhammad revelation outside the Quran and then command us to obey it?
Moreover, to insist that every word uttered by the prophet was even inspiration (let alone revelation) is once again to show ignorance with the Quran. We are given in the Quran six different cases where the prophet committed errors for which he was reprimanded by God.
The question here is how can someone who's every word is inspired by God commit ANY errors? Could God be inspiring mistakes to His prophet!!!
5- God promises to preserve the Quran and nothing else:
"Absolutely, we have revealed the 'Zhikr' (Quran), and, absolutely, we will preserve it." 15:9
These words proclaim God's promise to preserve the Quran. We do not read anywhere else in the Quran that God would preserve the personal sayings of the messenger. In actual fact, God did not preserve His Own previous scripture (Torah and Injeel), why would He preserve the human words of one of His servants? Is God elevating His servant to be a legislating god besides Him when God tells us that the SOLE duty of the messenger is to deliver His message?
But that is not all, we are told in the Quran that anything which is not from God would ultimately contain many contradictions and corruptions:
"If it were from other than God, they would have found in it numerous contradictions." 4:82
Despite these clear ayat, the followers of hadith have made claims that their cherished hadith books (primarily Bukhari and Muslim) are fully authentic (Sahih) and without corruption!
Do they not believe God's words in 15:9 and 4:82?
6- The command to follow the Quran and nothing else:
In the Quran God commands all believers to follow the Quran Alone, this command is found in numerous verses, the following are examples:
"These are God's revelations that We recite to you truthfully. In which Hadith other than God and His revelations do they believe?" 45:6
"Shall I seek other than God as a source of law, when He has revealed to you this book fully detailed?"6:114
This clear command once again confirms that obeying the messenger is confined to obeying the "message" he delivered from God (Quran) and nothing else.
7- Are we commanded to follow the Sunna of Muhammad?
The followers of hadith and Sunna use a corrupted meaning of 33:21 to imply that we should follow the methodology of the messenger and thus we need to follow his Sunna!
To expose the corruption and manipulation in such claim, let us first read 33:21
"The messenger of God has set up a good example for those among you who seek God and the Last Day, and constantly think about God." 33:21
From these words we note that God is very specific in describing the capacity in which the prophet has set a good example. The good example lies in his constant thinking of God and how he sought God and the last day.
Sadly, the worshippers of hadith and Sunna have reduced this glorious ayat so as to imply that we should eat as the prophet ate, sleep as he did and even enter the toilet with the same foot which he used!!! .... this is among many other ridiculous do's and do not's that fill the books of hadith.
To make the issue undisputable, God has told us in the Quran that the only Sunna is the Sunna of God. No where in the Quran is there any mention of the Sunna of Muhammad!!!!
"You will find that the Sunna of Allah is the only Sunna" (33:62....35:43.....48:23)
8- Was the messenger authorised by God to issue any teachings besides the Quran?
God asserts to all believers that prophet Muhammad was commanded not to teach any other teachings, otherwise he would incur severe punishment from God:
"It (the Quran) is a revelation from the Lord of the universe. Had he (Muhammad) uttered any other teachings, We would have grabbed him by the right, and We would have severed his Wateen (Major artery of the heart), none of you could have helped him."69:43-47
Those who insist that the prophet left us a second source of religious law (hadith) are either accusing the prophet of disobeying God's commands in 69:43-47, or do not really understand the Quran.
9- The instructions left by the prophet
In accordance to 6:114, 69:43-47 and many other clear cut ayat, prophet Muhammad himself commanded his people not to write his own hadith, this is documented in Muslim and other books:
"Do not write down anything of me except the Quran. Whoever writes other than that should delete it" (Ahmed, Vol. 1, page 171.....also Sahih Muslim)
For the first 200 years after the death of the prophet, and in accordance with his instructions, the writing of his hadith was forbidden. The first one to document a comprehensive collection of hadith was Al-Bukhari (Note that Al-Bukhari was born in the year 194 After Hijrah).
Even if we were to follow the hadith (which we are not), how accurate can a collection of sayings documented two centuries after the death of the prophet be?
The peculiar matter here is that the followers of hadith do not wish to obey the Quran nor do they want to obey the instructions left by the prophet! In their blind and stubborn adherence to the tales told by the likes of such narrators as Abu Huraira and others they make an astonishingly ridiculous claim. They claim that the prophet issued these instructions (not to write his hadith) only in the first period of revelation and only because he was worried that his hadith would be mixed up with the Quran! They add that these instructions were cancelled in his later years! Well, if that was the case, why did they wait two whole centuries before documenting the hadith? Did it take two centuries to prepare a copy of the Quran that did not have hadith mixed with it!!!
Moreover, by saying this ridiculous claim (that the prophet was afraid that his hadith would be mixed up with the Quran) they once again show their ignorance with the Quran. In Sura 75 we are assured that God would secure the safe collection of the Quran:
"It is WE who will collect it into Quran." 75:17
This promise from God about the safe collection of the Quran, plus the promise in 15:9 for the preservation of the Quran reduces the claim of the hadith followers (that the prophet was worried that his words would get mixed up with the Quran) to utter nonesense. It is either they do not believe God or they do not believe the prophet's trust in God's ability!
10- Did the prophet really follow other than the Quran?
The answer to this question is decisively dealt with in the Quran. We read:
"Then we revealed to you this scripture, truthfully, confirming previous scriptures, and superseding them. You shall rule among them in accordance with God's revelations, and do not follow their wishes if they differ from the truth that came to you" 5:48
God's command to the prophet to follow what was revelaed to him (Quran) is loud and clear. The importance of this command is emphasised as the same words "You shall rule among them in accordance with God's revelations" are repeated in ayat 49.
If we are to follow the prophet we must thus follow what he was commanded to follow, and that is the Holy Quran.Many people site the Quraanic Verses that command us to Obey Allah and Obey the Messenger, and say that Obeying Allah and obeying the Messenger are two different things - Obeying Allah is to obey the Quraan and obeying the Messenger is to obey the books of Hadith. They point that if obeying the Messenger was the same thing as obeying Allah's Quraan, then Allah would have only said Obey Allah. These people say that Allahs inclusion of obey the Messenger implies that the Messenger is saying EXTRA things outside of the Quraan that we must obey.
The thing that many proponents of Hadith forget is that Allah does not leave it to speculation as to what the people are to obey. The Ayaat do not end at Obey Allah and obey the Messenger, but they continue to include what the duty of the Messenger is:
And obey Allah and obey the messenger and be cautious; but if you turn back, then know that only a clear deliverance of the message is (incumbent) on Our messenger <wa ma_ alar rasu_li il lal balaghul mubin (5:92)
And Allah has made for you of what He has created shelters, and He has given you in the mountains places of retreat, and He has given you garments to preserve you from the heat and coats of mail to preserve you in your fighting; even thus does He complete His favor upon you, that haply you may submit. But if they turn back, then on you devolves only the clear deliverance (of the message) <wa ma_ alar rasu_li il lal balaghul mubin. (16:81-82)
And if you (o people) reject (the truth), nations before you did indeed reject (the truth); and nothing is incumbent on the messenger but a plain delivering (of the message) <wa ma_ alar rasu_li il lal balaghul mubin.(29:18)
And obey Allah and obey the messenger, but if you turn back, then upon Our messenger devolves only the clear delivery (of the message) <wa ma_ alar rasu_li il lal balaghul mubin.(64:12)
Say: Obey Allah and obey the messenger; but if you turn back, then on him rests that which is imposed on him and on you rests that which is imposed on you; and if you obey him, you are on the right way; and nothing rests on the messenger but clear delivering (of the message) <wa ma_ alar rasu_li il lal bala_ghul mubin. (24:54)
Now, if we look at these Ayaat, we notice that Allah has clearly pointed out the duty of the Messenger, i.e. that he must DELIVER the Clarity <Balaghul Mubeen. We have seen that the Clarity or the Message of the Messenger is the Quraan. Here we will look at another important term used in the Quraan. This term is Balagha, meaning the reaching, or delivery of the Messenger.
The word Messenger is derived from the word Message. A Messenger delivers a Message. To Obey the Messenger would thus mean to obey the message he is delivering. We have seen in the previous chapters that the Messenger is teaching, preaching, explaining and living by the Quraan.
Here again we will see that his delivery <Balagha is the Quraan:
Here is the <haza is a delivery <balaghu for Humans; let them take warning therefrom, and let them know that He is One God; let the People of Understanding take heed (14:52)
This Ayah points to IT <haza, meaning THIS IS (pointing to the Quraan itself) is the delivery of the Messenger. This is further clarified in the following Ayah:
Before this We wrote in The Zabur, after the Zikar: My righteous servants shall inherit the earth. Verily in this is a message <Balaghan for the servants of Allah (21:105-106)
However, some people says that 21:106 is pointing to 21:105 and not to the Quraan. They still have no answer to 14:52. However, we will not pursue this further as Allah does not leave His Message to speculation, but He Defines what He means. Let us continue to read the Quraan:
O Messenger! Proclaim <Baligh what is sent down to you <ma Unzila Ilaika from your Lord. If you do not, you would not have fulfilled and proclaimed His message: and Allah will defend you from people. For Allah Guides not those who Reject (5:67)
Here the Balagh is defined as that which is being sent down on the Prophet from Allah <unzila. We have seen in the previous chapters what was being sent down was nothing but the Quraan. However, a sick heart might still insist that there was EXTRA something that was sent down and that EXTRA something is in the Hadith books. Thus we continue to read the next Ayah after 5:67, where Allah further explains the nature of what was being sent down:
Say: O people of the Book! You have no grounds to stand upon unless you stand fast by The Torah and The Injeel and all the rest that has come down to you from your Lord. It is what is SENT DOWN to you that increases in most of them their obstinate blasphemy. But sorrow you not over people without faith (5:68)
Here what is being sent down on the Prophet is compared with the Torah and the Injeel, i.e. it is the Quraan. It is further explained that Allah has sent down<anzala the Book with the Prophets:Mankind was one single nation, and Allah established Prophets giving glad tidings and warnings, and with them He sent down <anzala The Book in Truth. (2:213)
It is He Who sent down <nazala to you, in Truth, the Book (3:3).
But people say that not only the Book was sent down but also an EXTRA revelation known as al-Hikma (The Wisdom) was also sent down. They site some Ayaat from the Quraan to this effect. One of them is related here:
For Allah has sent down <anzala to you the Book and the Wisdom and taught you what you knew not (4:113)
We will, inshaAllah deal with Al-Hikma later in another chapter. But for now, we will site a couple of Quraanic Ayaat to show that the Book is INCLUSIVE of the Hikmah, and the Al-Hikma that is being sent down is the Quraan:
Those who conceal what Allah has sent down<anzala in the Book , and purchase for them a miserable profit - they swallow into themselves nothing but fire; Allah will not address them on the Day of Resurrection, nor purify them : grievous will be their penalty (2:174)
Here we notice that the warning is ONLY given for concealing the Book, and not the Hikmah. Does this mean that those who conceal the Hikmah in the books of Hadith will not be punished No, but the answer is that The-Book is inclusive of the Hikmah and concealing the Book would automatically conceal the Hikmah.
Because Allah sent down<nazala the Book in Truth, but those who seek causes of dispute in the Book are in a schism far (2:176)
If Hikmah is separate from the Book, then it means that it would be ok to seek causes of dispute in the Hikmah as it is ONLY the Book that is mentioned above. Here, I digress. Let me get back to the word Balagha.
There is no point in dwelling on speculations when one has the weightiest evidence
Say: What thing is most weighty in Evidence Say: Allah is a Witness between me and you; this QURAAN has been revealed to me by inspiration that with it <BIHI I may warn you and all whom it reaches <BALAGHA (6:19)
Here the Messenger clearly establishes what his BALAGHA is It is the Quraan. Thus to insist without proof that the Messenger was supposed to deliver something else besides the Quraan is to oppose the Quranic verdict itself that he was to deliver the Message of the Quraan only.
But the argument does not end here. People point out that Obey Allah and Obey the Messenger should mean that obedience to the Messenger is separate from Obedience to Allah. This is absurd, as the Messenger does not have any authority except for the reason that he is SENT by Allah. Had Muhammad not been a Messenger of Allah would people obey him The answer is NO. Thus Obedience to the Prophet is BECAUSE he is the Messenger of Allah. Thus the two are NOT mutually exclusive obedience - one is highly dependent on the other. It is the same as saying eat an apple and eat its nutrition. Here is further Evidence from the Quraan that they are the same:
And an announcement from ALLAH AND HIS MESSENGER to the people on the day of the greater pilgrimage that ALLAH AND HIS MESSENGER are free from liability to the idolaters; therefore, if you repent, it will be better for you, and if you turn back, then know that you will not weaken Allah; and announce painful punishment to those who disbelieve (9:3)
Now, did the people hear Allah giving this announcement of immunity The answer is No!. It was only from the LIPS of His Messenger, Muhammad, that they heard this announcement of immunity. Yet it is supposed to come from both Allah and His Messenger. Or do people think that one announcement came from Allah and ANOTHER came from the Messenger Allah does not speak to all the people. What He does is that He chooses a human being as His instrument and communicates through that instrument.
Who among the companions of the Prophet ever heard any of Allahs commandments from Allah DIRECTLY NONE!. How can they OBEY Allah then In that case, according to your twisted logic all Allah had to do was say Obey the Messenger as it is ONLY through the LIPS of the Messenger that they are hearing the Quraan.
The following Ayah again establishes that Obedience to Allah and His Messenger is ONE and the SAME thing:
O you who believe! Obey Allah and Obey the Messenger and do not turn back from HIM <anhu while you hear (8:20)
Here the believers are identified to be those who were listening to the Messenger who delivers the Quraanic laws to them, as the singular pronoun anhu (from him) indicates. This confirms that Allah and His Messenger are not two separate sources of law to be obeyed, but that the source of Divine law to be obeyed is ONLY Allah and ONLY the people are able to hear these divine laws through the LIPS of His Messenger.
Then peoples ignorance of the Quraan is further exposed when in desperation they site the examples of other Prophets like Nuh, Lut, Hud and Salih in the Quraan and say that in Ash Shuara ( Surah 26) people are commanded to obey these Prophets. People say that since these Prophets did not have a book, then to obey them would mean that obedience to Messenger is DIFFERENT from Obedience to Allah. The Quraan refutes this claim as I have shown above already. But in addition, the Quraan confirms that at each time in history Allah has given a Book. Either the Prophets themselves were given Books, or there already was a Book by a previous Prophet to which they were calling the people:
And those to whom We have given the Book rejoice in that which has been revealed to you, and of the confederates are some who deny a part of it. Say: I am only commanded that I should serve Allah and not associate anything with Him, to Him do I invite (you) and to Him is my return. And thus have We revealed it, a true judgment(HUKMAN) in Arabic, and if you follow their low desires after what has come to you of knowledge, you shall not have against Allah any guardian or a protector. We did send messengers before thee, and appointed for them wives and children: and it was never the part of a messenger to bring an Ayah except as Allah permitted (or commanded). For each PERIOD IS A BOOK (revealed). (13:36-38)
In no uncertain terms has Allah announced here that each Prophet had a Book in his time. Prophethood and Book is always tied together:
It is not (possible) that a man, to whom is given the Book, and Wisdom, and the prophetic office, should say to people: Be ye my slaves rather than Allah's: on the contrary (He would say) Be ye slaves of Him Who is truly the Cherisher of all: For ye have taught the Book and ye have studied it earnestly. (3:79)
This Ayah ties Prophethood to the Book. Otherwise, if we take the baseless claim that certain Prophets came without any Book then this Ayah would be limited Only to those Prophets who came with the Book, and therefore those Prophets who came without the Book can still tell people to be their slaves rather than Allahs Further the Quraan explicitly tells us that Allah gave the Book to Nuh and Lut and their Progeny:
We gave him Isaac and Jacob: all (three) guided; and before him, We guided NUH, and among his progeny, David, Solomon, Job, Joseph, Moses, and Aaron. Thus do We reward those who do good; and Zakariya and John, and Jesus and Elias: all in the ranks of the righteous. And Isma'il and Elisha, and Jonas, and LUT; and to all We gave favor above the nations. (To them) and to their fathers, and progeny and brethren: We chose them, and we guided them to a straight way. This is the guidance of Allah: He giveth that guidance to whom He pleases, of His worshippers. If they were to join other gods with Him, all that they did would be vain for them. These are they to whom We gave the BOOK and the wisdom and the prophecy; therefore if these disbelieve in it We have already entrusted with it a people who are not disbelievers in it (6:84-89)
And certainly We sent Nuh and Ibrahim and We gave to their offspring the (gift of) prophecy and the Book; so there are among them those who go aright, and most of them are transgressors (57:26)
The above Ayaat make it clear that ALL Prophets came with Allahs Message in some form of a Book, and that obedience to the Messenger is obedience to Allahs Words that the Messengers are delivering. Whether these words are preserved or not is another matter. But as far as the Quraan is concerned the Book has been recorded and preserved. And as I have shown before that the revelation delivered by the Prophet Muhammad was nothing but the Quraan, and therefore, to obey the Messenger we must obey the Quraan. Besides, the speculation that obedience to Allah and obedience to the Messenger are separate conflicts with the explicit Quraanic statement that Allah does NOT share anyone in His Law or Hukm:
Surely the Hukm (Law and Judgment) is for none but Allah (12:40)
He does not make anyone His associate in His Hukm (Law and Judgment) (18:26)
The Messenger himself is made to testify that the Law and the Judgment is only from Allah as revealed through the Messenger in His Book:
Shall I seek a Law-giver other than Allah When He it is Who has revealed to you the Book distinctly elucidated. (6:114)
Thus, the proponents of Hadith are only relying on conjecture when they say that obey the Messenger means to obey EXTRA commandments outside of the Quraan; they have no evidence from the Quraan to back up this claim - only conjecture:
Most of them follow nothing but conjecture: truly conjecture can be of no avail against truth. Verily Allah is well aware of all that they do. (10:36)Well, I hope that's enough.In confronting the Sunni and Shia sectarians who claim to be affiliated with God’s great system of submission “Islam,” the topic that most comes up is the one about “obeying God and obeying the messenger.”
While the sects reluctantly acknowledge that the Quran is fully detailed and complete as God has said it is (see 6:114-115, 11:1, 16:89), they quickly point to the many verses in the Quran which speak of “obeying God and obeying the messenger” and point out that such verses clearly mean there are two sources of information to be followed: “Obey God” meaning the Quran, and “Obey the Messenger” meaning the Hadith.
“O you who believe, obey God and His messenger, and do not turn away from him while you have heard.” (8:20)
“Say: ‘Obey God and the messenger.’ But if they turn away, then God does not like the rejecters.” (3:32)
“And obey God and obey the messenger, and be aware. If you turn away then know that it is the duty of the messenger to deliver the clarity.” (5:92)
“And obey God and His messenger, and do not dispute else you will fail and your momentum will depart, and be patient. God is with the patient ones.” (8:46)
“Say: “Obey God, and obey the messenger.” But if they turn away, then he is only responsible for his obligation, and you are responsible for your obligations. And if you obey him, you will be guided. The messenger is only required to deliver clearly.” (24:54)
“O you who believe, obey God, and obey the messenger. And do not render your work in vain.” (47:33)
“Obey God and obey the messenger. And if you turn away, then it is only required of Our messenger to deliver clearly.” (64:12)
At first glance, the argument of the sects seems somewhat convincing, for surely if God had meant for us to simply follow the Quran He would have only need said “obey God” and that would have been sufficient. However, by God adding “and obey the messenger” the claim seems to have some support.
In verse 4:59 below we see the case for the sects further strengthened as the believers are told to “obey God” and “obey the messenger” and “obey those in authority” (seems to be 3 separate entities), however, if they dispute in any matter they shall ignore the opinion of “those in authority” and simply revert back to God and His messenger:
“O you who believe, obey God and obey the messenger, and those in authority amongst you. But if you dispute in any matter, then you shall refer it to God and His messenger if you believe in God and the Last Day. That is better and more suitable for knowing.” (4:59)
What has been presented thus far is the logic of the sects in justifying the opening of their Pandora’s Box where the definition of “what” the messenger delivered becomes a treasure hunt through the hundreds of thousands of old wives tales and stories all attributed to the messenger doing or saying something.
Is the Quran complete or not?
“Shall I seek other than God as a judge when He has sent down to you this Scripture fully detailed?” Those to whom We have given the Scripture know it is sent down from your Lord with truth; so do not be of those who have doubt.” (6:114)
“And the word of your Lord has been completed with truth and justice; there is no changing His words. He is the Hearer, the Knower.” (6:115)
This is now the question that is faced by all those who believe in the authority of the Quran alone. How can the Quran claim to be complete and detailed and yet, it refers to a source outside of itself?
Obey God and obey the messenger?
The answer for this entire issue is found once again in the Quran itself:
“Whoever obeys the messenger has obeyed God; and whoever turns away, We have not sent you as a guardian over them. “ (4:80)
While this may come as a shock to the sects, it is a natural answer for students of Quran who know and believe the word of God to be detailed and complete. We are told in no uncertain terms that whoever has “obeyed the messenger” has automatically met the requirement of “obeying God” (i.e. the two commands are one in the same).
A little thought by the sects would have led them to the same conclusion, for, after all, the Quran was never revealed to us by God directly, but was done through His inspiration to His messenger (i.e. the messenger, God, and the Quran are inseparable).
There is no external text to be sought; no Hadiths…There is only the words that the messenger delivered while being inspired by God.
What did the messenger deliver?
Now we have narrowed down our search to just one element which was delivered by both God and His messenger.
Is that one element the Quran?
Is that one element the Hadith?
Again, we will look to the words of God and His messenger for the answer:
“Say: “Which is the greatest testimony?” Say: “God is witness between me and you, and He has inspired to me this Qur’an that I may warn you with it and whomever it reaches, that you bear witness that along with God are other gods!” Say: “I do not bear witness!” Say: “He is only One god, and I am innocent of what you set up!” (6:19)
“And when Our clear revelations are recited to them, those who do not wish to meet Us said: “Bring a Qur’an other than this, or change it!” Say: “It is not for me to change it of my own accord, I merely follow what is inspired to me. I fear, if I disobey my Lord, the retribution of a great day!” (10:15)
Can it be any clearer than that? The messenger delivered the Quran and nothing but the Quran.
Let us remain true to the commands of God by obeying His messenger in that which he delivered, and not be like those who turned away and will be denied by the messenger himself on the day of days:
“And the messenger said: ‘My Lord, my people have deserted this Qur’an.’” (25:30)
There are many other reasons why I refuse to follow the hadith, such as the hadith that slander the prophet (S) and his companions, prophets like Musa (AHS), Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her), etc. And all of these are present in Sahih Bukhari and Muslim, the most "authentic" source of authority of Islam.
The noble Quran condemns following anyone blindly (2:170; 5:50,104; 10:78, 100; 17:36; 26:74; 31:21; 43:22,23).
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