No Islam Without Hadith

Published by Shakiel on 2005/9/21 (2790 reads)

Allah, the Most High, said:

“Verily, We, it is We Who have sent down the Dhikr and surely We will
guard it.” [Soorah Al-Hijr 15:9]

The Prophet Muhammad said: “I have left for you two things: The Book of
Allah and my Sunnah.”

The sources of Islam are the Quran and authentic Sunnah/Hadith of the
Prophet Muhammad :saw:.

However, today there are some who proclaim that the precious words of
the Prophet Muhammad :saw: are not amongst the sources of Islam nor
were they preserved. This incorrect belief is mostly propagated by the
Quraniyoon, who state that Islam is based only on the Quran and that the
auspicious statements of the Prophet Muhammad :saw: have no place in
Islam.

The Sunnah/Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad :saw: are an integral part

of Islam. The following points elucidate this briefly:

I. The "Dhikr" Is The Quran and Hadith

Allah said:

“Verily, We, it is We Who have sent down the Dhikr and surely We will
guard it.” [Soorah Al-Hijr 15:9]

In the above ayah, the preservation of the Dhikr is mentioned. What is

the Dhikr ? Is it the Quran only or is it the Quran and Hadith ?

Allah has called the Quran Dhikr:

“And this is a blessed Dhikr which We have sent down” [Soorah Al-
Anbiyaa 21:50]

Allah has also mentioned the statements of the Prophet Muhammad :saw:
as Dhikr:

“And We have also sent down unto you the Dhikr, that you may explain
clearly to mankind what was sent down to them, and that they may give
thought.” [Soorah An-Nahl 16:44]

Allah mentioned that He sent down the Dhikr to the Prophet

Muhammad :saw: so that he may explain to mankind what was sent
down to them, i.e. the Quran. The, Sunnah/Hadith of the Prophet
Muhammad explains the Quran. Thus, Allah called the statements of the
Prophet Muhammad :saw: Dhikr.

Therefore, the Dhikr in the ayah:

“Verily, We, it is We Who have sent down the Dhikr and surely We will
guard it.” [Soorah Al-Hijr 15:9]

is the Quran and Hadith. The exclusion of the Sunnah/Hadith from being
the Dhikr does not stand as a valid interpretation. In order for the Dhikr
to mean only the Quran there must be evidence stating that only the
Quran is meant excluding the Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad :saw:
since the hadith was called dhikr as well.

II. What Is The Revealed Hikmah ?

Allah said:

“Allah has revealed to you the the Book and the Hikmah, and taught you
that which you know not.” [Soorah An-Nisaa 4:113]

“He it is Who sent among the unlettered ones a Messenger from among
themselves, reciting to them His ayaat, purifying them, and teaching
them the Book and the Hikmah. And verily, they had been before in
manifest error” [Soorah Al-Jumuah 62:2]

Here, two things are being revealed, the Book and the Hikmah. The Book
is the Quran, but what is the Hikmah? The Hikmah is the Ahadith of the
Prophet Muhammad :saw:. The following ayah proves it:

“And remember (O you members of the Prophet’s Family), that which is

recited in your houses of the Aayaat of Allah and the Hikmah.” [Soorah
Al-Ahzab 33:34]

Besides the Quran, the only thing that was revered and recited in the
houses of the wives of the Prophet Muhammad :saw: was his Ahadith.
Thus, the Hikmah is the Sunnah/Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad :saw:.

III. The Preservation Of The Quran Without The Hadith Has No

Meaning

Allah is All-Wise. Every action done by Allah is done so with the highest
degree of wisdom. The Quran tells us to pray:

“And perform/establish As-Salah…” [Soorah Al-Baqarah 2:43]

However, the Quran does not tell us the amount of the units of prayer
(rakah) for the Fajr, Dhuhr, ‘Asr, Maghrib, and ‘Ishaa prayers.

Allah, the All-Knowing, did not forget to reveal it, He says:

“And your Lord is never forgetful” [Soorah Maryam 19:64]

The amount of the units of prayer is only found in the ahadith of the
Prophet Muhammad :saw:. Thus, without the ahadith of the Prophet
Muhammad :saw: a critical pillar of Islam, the Salah, can never be
performed. The same is true for many other acts of worship like the
paying of Zakah, Hajj rites, etc.

How can one fulfill the command, “Establish Prayer” without knowing the
number of its units or the manner in which it is to be performed ? Thus,
the preservation of the Quran by itself has no meaning.

Would Allah, the All-Wise, preserve the Quran without preserving the
statements of the Prophet Muhammad :saw: that explain to us the
manner in which the acts of worship are to be performed ? The All-Wise
would not do such a thing because:

1. Allah is All-Wise, All-Knowing. Thus, He would do everything with full

knowledge and wisdom.

2. Allah will take us into account for not praying and that could only be so
if the manner of praying and its units have been revealed and preserved.

3. The idea that Allah preserved the command, “Establish Prayer” without
telling us how to pray or the units of prayer is a belittlement of Allah’s
Wisdom and Knowldege. Allah is above the deficiencies that they ascribe
to him !

In conclusion, Islam can not exist without the Sunnah/Hadith of the

Prophet Muhammad :saw:. Anyone who completely rejects the
Sunnah/Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad :saw: in reality is rejecting
Islam.

The enemies of Islam know well that the destruction of Islam lies in
destroying its sources. Why start with the hadith ? Well, the hadith
explains the Quran. Do away with the hadith and then you have done
away with Islam, because then you can explain any command in the
Quran in any manner you like. Once incorrect understandings and
interpreteations have been allowed to be the source of Islam, then the
commands in the Quran have no meaning anymore. Ponder over it !

And Allah Knows Best.