Prophet Muhammad
Did Prophet Muhammad follow the Quran in addition to his own hadith?
Many Muslims believe that, in addition to the Quran, Prophet Muhammad followed his own day-to-day sayings (hadith) and therefore, Muslims should also follow the prophet’s hadith.
However, Muhammad says in the Quran that he himself only follows what was revealed to him in the Quran. He doesn’t follow his own hadith for religious purposes.
وَإِذَا تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتُنَا بَيِّنَاتٍ ۙ قَالَ الَّذِينَ لَا يَرْجُونَ لِقَاءَنَا ائْتِ بِقُرْآنٍ غَيْرِ هَٰذَا أَوْ بَدِّلْهُ ۚ قُلْ مَا يَكُونُ لِي أَنْ أُبَدِّلَهُ مِن تِلْقَاءِ نَفْسِي ۖ إِنْ أَتَّبِعُ إِلَّا مَا يُوحَىٰ إِلَيَّ …And when Our verses are recited to them as clear evidences, those who do not expect the meeting with Us say, “Bring us a Qur’an other than this or change it.” Say, [O Muhammad], “It is not for me to change it on my own accord. I only follow what is revealed to me. … (10:15)قُلْ مَا كُنتُ بِدْعًا مِّنَ الرُّسُلِ وَمَا أَدْرِي مَا يُفْعَلُ بِي وَلَا بِكُمْ ۖ إِنْ أَتَّبِعُ إِلَّا مَا يُوحَىٰ إِلَيَّ وَمَا أَنَا إِلَّا نَذِيرٌ مُّبِينٌSay (O’ Muhammad), “I am not something original among the messengers, nor do I know what will be done with me or with you. I only follow what is revealed to me, and I am not but a clear warner.” (46:9)قُل لَّا أَقُولُ لَكُمْ عِندِي خَزَائِنُ اللَّهِ وَلَا أَعْلَمُ الْغَيْبَ وَلَا أَقُولُ لَكُمْ إِنِّي مَلَكٌ ۖ إِنْ أَتَّبِعُ إِلَّا مَا يُوحَىٰ إِلَيَّ ۚ قُلْ هَلْ يَسْتَوِي الْأَعْمَىٰ وَالْبَصِيرُ ۚ أَفَلَا تَتَفَكَّرُونَSay, [O Muhammad], “I do not tell you that I have the depositories [containing the provision] of Allah or that I know the unseen, nor do I tell you that I am an angel. I only follow what is revealed to me.” Say, “Is the blind equivalent to the seeing? Then will you not give thought?” (6:50)وَإِذَا لَمْ تَأْتِهِم بِآيَةٍ قَالُوا لَوْلَا اجْتَبَيْتَهَا ۚ قُلْ إِنَّمَا أَتَّبِعُ مَا يُوحَىٰ إِلَيَّ مِن رَّبِّي ۚ هَٰذَا بَصَائِرُ مِن رَّبِّكُمْ وَهُدًى وَرَحْمَةٌ لِّقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَAnd when you, [O Muhammad], do not bring them a sign, they say, “Why have you not contrived it?” Say, “I only follow what is revealed to me from my Lord. This [Qur’an] is enlightenment from your Lord and guidance and mercy for a people who believe.” (7:203)
What was revealed to Muhammad was the Quran. This is proven in 6:19. There is no proof anywhere that indicates that the sayings of the prophet Muhammad (hadith) besides what’s in the Quran are a revelation from God.
… وَأُوحِيَ إِلَيَّ هَٰذَا الْقُرْآنُ لِأُنذِرَكُم بِهِ وَمَن بَلَغَ …… this Qur’an was revealed to me that I may warn you thereby and whomever it reaches … (6:19 part)
Furthermore, if the hadith of the prophet Muhammad were so important that it needed to be followed just as the Quran is to be followed, why didn’t Muhammad have his day-to-day sayings written down in a book while he was alive? Even after the prophet died, none of his companions made any effort to preserve the prophet’s hadith. What they preserved was only the Quran.The prophet left us nothing except for the Quran because the prophet and everyone else are only allowed to follow the Quran. There is even a sahih Bukhari hadith (Sahih al-Bukhari Book 66, Hadith 41) that states that the prophet didn’t leave anything for his people except the Quran. https://sunnah.com/bukhari/66/41
Conclusion
The above verses make it clear that Prophet Muhammad himself only follows what was revealed to him and nothing else. Verse 7:203 and 6:19 also make it clear that what was revealed to him was the Quran.
Is the hadith a revelation from God?
Many Muslims believe that, in addition to the Quran, the hadith of the Prophet Muhammad was also a revelation from God. They often cite verse 53:3 which reads
وَمَا يَنْطِقُ عَنِ الْهَوَىand he does not speak from his own desire.(53:3)
Their argument is that if Muhammad didn’t speak from his own desire, then his speech must have been a revelation. However, the mistake most Muslims make is they take individual verses out of context. The very following verse (53:4) reads
إِنْ هُوَ إِلا وَحْيٌ يُوحَىIt is nothing less than a inspiration that is inspired to him (53:4)
This verse clearly indicates that there was a thing (it) that Muhammad did not speak from his own desire but rather by inspiration / revelation. The thing, referenced as “it” in verse 53:4, is obviously the Quran. Therefore, the Quran which Muhammad spoke was inspired or revealed to him and wasn’t from his own desire. It wasn’t his day-to-day hadith that was not from his own desire.
Verse 66:1 of the Quran further proves that not everything Muhammad said was a revelation from God. This verse describes God as questioning Muhammad as to why he forbade something that God never forbade.
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ لِمَ تُحَرِّمُ مَا أَحَلَّ اللَّهُ لَكَ ۖ تَبْتَغِي مَرْضَاتَ أَزْوَاجِكَ ۚ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ …O Prophet, why do you forbid what Allah has made lawful for you, seeking the approval of your wives? … (66:1 part)
Muhammad had the capacity to say a lie
In verses 69:44–46, God threatened to kill Prophet Muhammad if Muhammad ever made false statements about God. This proves that not everything Muhammad said was a revelation from God since if everything was, God would not have needed to make this threat.
وَلَوْ تَقَوَّلَ عَلَيْنَا بَعْضَ الْأَقَاوِيلِ لَأَخَذْنَا مِنْهُ بِالْيَمِينِ ثُمَّ لَقَطَعْنَا مِنْهُ الْوَتِينَAnd if Muhammad had made up about Us some [false] sayings, We would have seized him by the right hand; Then We would have cut from him the aorta. (69:44–46)
Conclusion
The verse above makes it very clear that not everything Muhammad said was a revelation from God. Since Muhammad only follows what was revealed to him (10:15, 46:9, 6:50, 7:203) and that what was revealed to him was only the Quran (7:203), then Muslims are only allowed to follow the Quran and not the prophet’s hadith.
Was Prophet Muhammad’s job just to deliver the Quran or more than that?
Many Muslims believe that the job of the Prophet Muhammad was to do more than just deliver the Quran. However, God says in the Quran that the job of the Prophet Muhammad was only to deliver the message (the Quran) and nothing more.
مَّا عَلَى الرَّسُولِ إِلَّا الْبَلَاغُ ۗ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا تُبْدُونَ وَمَا تَكْتُمُونَ …Not upon the Messenger is [responsibility] except [for] notification. And Allah knows whatever you reveal and whatever you conceal. …(5:99)فَإِنْ أَعْرَضُوا فَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ عَلَيْهِمْ حَفِيظًا ۖ إِنْ عَلَيْكَ إِلَّا الْبَلَاغُ …But if they turn away — then We have not sent you, [O Muhammad], over them as a guardian; upon you is only [the duty of] notification. …(42:48 part)وَإِن مَّا نُرِيَنَّكَ بَعْضَ الَّذِي نَعِدُهُمْ أَوْ نَتَوَفَّيَنَّكَ فَإِنَّمَا عَلَيْكَ الْبَلَاغُ وَعَلَيْنَا الْحِسَابُAnd whether We show you part of what We promise them or take you in death, upon you is only the [duty of] notification, and upon Us is the account. (13:40)
One might think that this “message” is the “hadith” but it’s not. The “message” is obviously the “Quran” as stated in verse 6:19.
… وَأُوحِيَ إِلَيَّ هَٰذَا الْقُرْآنُ لِأُنذِرَكُم بِهِ وَمَن بَلَغَ …… this Qur’an was revealed to me that I may warn you thereby and whomever it reaches … (6:19 part)
Conclusion
The verses above make it very clear that Prophet Muhammad had one job and one job only which was to deliver the Quran.
They ask you about … Say
In the Quran, there are many occurrences of “They ask you (Muhammad) about…, Say…”. People were asking Prophet Muhammad about something and God was telling Muhammad what to tell them. For example, in verse 2:222, people were asking Muhammad about menstruation. God then told Muhammad what to tell them.
وَيَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الْمَحِيضِ ۖ قُلْ هُوَ أَذًى فَاعْتَزِلُوا النِّسَاءَ فِي الْمَحِيضِAnd they ask you about menstruation. Say, “It is harm, so keep away from wives during menstruation. … (2:222 part)
The fact that Muhammad is always being told what to tell everyone emphasizes the fact that only God is allowed to make Islamic laws. Muhammad only relays God’s message which is whatever is in the Quran. Muhammad himself wasn’t allowed to make up laws on his own.
Is Prophet Muhammad exclusive and superior to the other prophets?
Many Muslims believe that prophet Muhammad is more special than the other prophets.
However, the Quran makes it clear that all prophets are equal and that Muhammad is no more special than the other prophets.
آمَنَ الرَّسُولُ بِمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْهِ مِن رَّبِّهِ وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ ۚ كُلٌّ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَمَلَائِكَتِهِ وَكُتُبِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ لَا نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ مِّن رُّسُلِهِ ۚ وَقَالُوا سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا ۖ غُفْرَانَكَ رَبَّنَا وَإِلَيْكَ الْمَصِيرُThe Messenger has believed in what was revealed to him from his Lord, and [so have] the believers. All of them have believed in Allah and His angels and His books and His messengers, [saying], “We make no distinction between any of His messengers.” And they say, “We hear and we obey. [We seek] Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the [final] destination.” (2:285)قُلْ مَا كُنتُ بِدْعًا مِّنَ الرُّسُلِ وَمَا أَدْرِي مَا يُفْعَلُ بِي وَلَا بِكُمْ ۖ إِنْ أَتَّبِعُ إِلَّا مَا يُوحَىٰ إِلَيَّ وَمَا أَنَا إِلَّا نَذِيرٌ مُّبِينٌSay (O’ Muhammad), “I am not something original among the messengers, nor do I know what will be done with me or with you. I only follow what is revealed to me, and I am not but a clear warner.” (46:9)
Conclusion
The verses above make it clear that Muhammad is not a new messenger that preached a different religion than the previous messengers. They also prove that Muslims are not allowed to differentiate between any of the messengers. In other words, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Muhammad, and all other messengers must be considered equal.
How did the prophet guide his people?
Many Muslims believe that being guided by the prophet is done by following the hadith. However, God instructed Muhammad to guide people with the Quran, not with anything else.
نَّحْنُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا يَقُولُونَ ۖ وَمَا أَنتَ عَلَيْهِم بِجَبَّارٍ ۖ فَذَكِّرْ بِالْقُرْآنِ مَن يَخَافُ وَعِيدِWe are most knowing of what they say, and you are not over them a tyrant (forceful leader). Therefore remind by the Qur’an whoever fears My threat. (50:45)… وَأُوحِيَ إِلَيَّ هَٰذَا الْقُرْآنُ لِأُنذِرَكُم بِهِ وَمَن بَلَغَ …… this Qur’an was revealed to me that I may warn you thereby and whomever it reaches … (6:19 part)
Conclusion
The verses above make it clear that Muhammad guided people using the Quran and not any of his hadith that were not captured in the Quran. Therefore, if Muhammad guided people with nothing but the Quran, why are Muslims today not doing the same and using nothing but the Quran for guidance?
