I have been thinking of writing this topic from last few months, but every time I tried , I could not completed, because it is a vast subject and linked with many areas of our belief system. It hurts, really hurts when someone reads anything against his own long belief system. Human nature is very diverse. People tend to believe what he wants to believe, rather what is truth. People often try to defend his belief system rather justify it with open mind.
In religion, the situation is more serious. Often people believe and says one thing, and act completely opposite. The problem is found severe in blind followers. In every religion, there are some blind followers who don’t want to listen whatever goes against their belief.
My writing is not for the blind followers, rather for those who seeks truth by reasoning, analyzing facts from the authentic scripture.
Let me give you a brief example. If you ask a person who is a Muslim do you entirely believe in Quran? The immediate response is yes. But if you ask him any particular task and show him reference from Quran that Allah does not command to do that task, they most probable answer is Quran is not fully detailed, no ordinary man can understand it fully. So, this guy is actually relying on what the Mullah (The word Mullah is used to mean the religious leader such as imam, mufti, peer etc) says about some particular task. And the Mullah most of the time gives verdict according to his judgment and relate his judgment with some so called hadith.
This situation is similar to everywhere in our country. The obvious reason is…………..
1. People do not read Quran with knowing its meaning, they only recite
2. Mullah says Quran cannot be easily understood without knowing hadith
3. So, people blindly follow the Mullahs
4. And the Mullahs are divided in many sects
5. So, they teach according to their own belief, doesn’t care whether it goes against Allah or not
6. The long lasting tradition continues generations after generations, and we are departed from the original religion.
In religious aspect, I strongly believe that it does not matter what people believe or love to believe, it only matters what you are commanded to believe by Allah.
The history of hadith literature, nature of its collection, how it is used as a tool of conspiracy is a long discussion. I am not going details here. My objective of writing is also not this. On the contrary, I will try to emphasis on Quran and try to explain some verse of Quran that long Mullah used to justify their hadith.
Two Source of Religion?
Many of us heard from our childhood that the religion of Islam has two sources
1. The Quran
2. The Hadith and/or Sunnah.
In supporting this view, Mullah generally use reference from both Quran and hadith and also their own saying. Let’s analyze their claim and which verses Quran the Mullah used to support their hadith literature:
1. The Quran is not details and cannot be easily understood. Therefore hadith is required to understand Quran
2. Besides Quranic revelation, Muhammad (s) got another revelation similar, sometimes more powerful than Quran, and this revelation is called hadith.
3. Muslim must follow the Sunnah of Prophet (s) since Allah says in Quran “There has certainly been for you in the Messenger of Allah an excellent pattern for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Last Day and [who] remembers Allah often.”(33:21)
4. In many places in Quran, Allah says “Obey Allah and Obey His Messenger…” (3:32, 5:92, 8:20, 8:46, 24:54, 47:33, 64:12)
So let’s analyze and see what Allah says in His Quran in response to the Mullah’s claim.
The Quran is fully detailed and self-explanatory:
This is something that I have been long to write. Many of us heard about Quran like the following things in different way
1. The Quran is not complete. Thus it needs further explanation
2. The Quran is not detailed. Thus we need other books to get its proper explanation
3. The Quran does not mention everything details. So we need supplemental books
4. The Quran is very hard to understand. So we need other books to get explanation
The theme of these opinion came from the so called “Mullah” who are now assuming the sole agent of our religious faith. I myself also used to hear such things for long and also believed without question as many of our Muslim brothers and sisters doing today. However, by the mercy of Allah, I have been able to overcome such misconception
I assume, the reader must know what Quran is. Therefore, I will not cover what is Quran (Its source, authenticity, preservation etc). In my writing I will not give the examples of how Quran explain itself in different matters, because this is beyond the scope of my writing here, rather, I will try to quote some verses from Quran to show what Allah says about the “details and explain everything” of Quran.
As a Muslim, we MUST obey Allah and His divine message. Nothing can supersede it.
What Allah says about Quran?
1. Clear Guidance:
The month of Ramadhan [is that] in which was revealed the Qur’an, a guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and criterion…….. (2:185)
This [Qur’an] is a clear statement to [all] the people and a guidance and instruction for those conscious of Allah (3:138)
“So there has [now] come to you a clear evidence from your Lord and aguidance and mercy” ……. (6:157)
“And certainly We have brought them a Book which We have made clear with knowledge, a guidance and a mercy for a people who believe. (7:52)
“
“Blessed is He Who hath revealed unto His slave the Criterion (of right and wrong), that he may be a warner to the peoples.” (25:1)
“These are verses of the clear/clarifying Book” (26:2)
So, Quran is a guidance and the criteria to judge from right to wrong.
2. Clear Proof:
And We have certainly revealed to you verses [which are] clear proofs , and no one would deny them except the defiantly disobedient. (2:99)
And do not be like the ones who became divided and differed after theclear proofs had come to them. And those will have a great punishment (3:105)
So the Quran comes from Allah as a clear proof for mankind and tell us not to be divided. Now we look what Allah says about details and explanatory of Quran.
3. Details and Full explanation:
Let’s see what Allah says about the Quran regarding its clarity, detailness and explanatory matters in some few verses from Quran
This Quran is not such as can be produced by other than God; on the contrary it is a confirmation of (revelations) that went before it, and a fuller explanation of the Book – wherein there is no doubt – from the Lord of the worlds. (10:37)
“A.L.R. These are the verses of the clear/clarifying Book.” (12:1)
Alif, Lam, Ra. These are the Ayats of Revelation,- of a Quran that makes things clear. (15:1)
And We have sent down to you the Book as clarification for all thingsand as guidance and mercy and good tidings for the Muslims. (16:89)
Not only this, Allah further says He explains everything with clear similitude/examples:
We do relate unto thee the most beautiful of stories, in that We reveal to thee this (portion of the) Quran: before this, thou too was among those who knew it not.(12:3)
We have explained (things) in various (ways) in this Quran, in order that they may receive admonition, but it only increases their flight (from the Truth)! (17:41)
And We have explained to man, in this Quran, every kind of similitude:yet the greater part of men refuse (to receive it) except with ingratitude! (17:89)
We have explained in detail in this Quran, for the benefit of mankind, every kind of similitude: but man is, in most things, contentious. (18:54)
Now a final word from Allah
And We have indeed made the Quran easy to understand and remember: then is there any that will receive admonition? (5:17)
But We have indeed made the Quran easy to understand and remember:then is there any that will receive admonition? (5:22)
And We have indeed made the Quran easy to understand and remember:then is there any that will receive admonition?(5:32)
And We have indeed made the Quran easy to understand and remember:then is there any that will receive admonition? (5:40)
Now after reading the verse above, no Muslim should hesitate to accept the fact that
1. The Quran is from Allah
2. The Quran is guidance, clear proof
3. It explains details what is needed to mankind
4. The book alone is sufficient enough for guidance (for above the three reasons)
Since the Quran is complete and fully details as we saw in Quran, there is no book on the face of earth that is needed to explain Quran. For example, if book A is required to be understood and explained by book B, then book A is either not fully understandable or not complete. Since Allah claims that Quran is fully understandable, “We have not instructed the (Prophet) in Poetry, nor is it meet for him: this is no less than a Message and a Quran making things clear” (36:69), Muslim DOES NOT NEED to follow any other books (like Hadith, Fiqh, other Scholars opinion on different matters) for his complete code of life (Deen)
However, because of long lasting misconception about Quran and the teaching of so called Mullah, Muslim
brothers and sisters find it difficult to accept the truth. Even they accept it, most of them do not act like that. A common question is asked even today that was asked 1400 years ago—
Are all our scholars, religious leaders, our forefathers wrong?
Allah answers in Quran
They take their priests and their anchorites to be their lords in derogation of God, and (they take as their Lord) Christ the son of Mary; yet they were commanded to worship but One God: there is no god but He. Praise and glory to Him: (Far is He) from having the partners they associate (with Him).(9:31)
And when it is said to them, “Follow what Allah has revealed,” they say,“Rather, we will follow that which we found our fathers doing.” Even though their fathers understood nothing, nor were they guided? (2:170)
When it is said to them: “Come to what God hath revealed; come to the Apostle”: They say: “Enough for us are the ways we found our fathers following.” what! even though their fathers were void of knowledge and guidance? (5:104))
Those who give partners (to God) will say: “If God had wished, we should not have given partners to Him nor would our fathers; nor should we have had any taboos.” So did their ancestors argue falsely, until they tasted of Our wrath. Say: “Have ye any (certain) knowledge? If so, produce it before us. Ye follow nothing but conjecture: ye do nothing but lie.” (6:148))
When they do aught that is shameful, they say: “We found our fathers doing so“; and “God commanded us thus”: Say: “Nay, God never commands what is shameful: do ye say of God what ye know not?” (7:28))
Conclusion:
From the above discussion and based on the verses of Quran those have already mentioned above, we can easily and safely draw the following conclusions with the pre-assumption that , “We obey Allah and His message with utmost importance and respect”.
1. The Quran covers everything that we need (Allah knows best what need, and Allah provide us those things in Quran)
2. The Quran is full details and self-explanatory
3. Even Quran uses every kind of similitude to make us understand
4. Muslim should strictly follow ONLY Quran for everything
5. Muslim should not seek any other book (like Hadith, fiqh, etc) as a source of law
6. Anything that contradict with Quran, should be rejected
7. Anything that confirm Quran should be accepted
So you can read any book for your own purpose, but should not seek/take as a source of law/Deen/Religion which is not confirmed by the Quran.
“Shall I then seek a Ruler other than Allah? When He it is Who has revealed to you the Book (Qur’an, which is) distinctly detailed” (6:114)
These are the Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, revelations, etc.) of Allah, which We recite to you (O Muhammad SAW) with truth. Then in which speech after Allah and His Ayat will they believe? (45:6)
Allah help us to understand and act on His way.(collected)
