17:88 Say, “If all the humans and all the jinns banded together in order to produce a Quran like this, they can never produce anything like it, no matter how much assistance they lent one another.”
If you ask the average Muslim, “Do you think anyone could take up God’s challenge and create a competing Quran?” The answer would be a resounding “no.” This is because the Quran is unique and inimitable.
However, the Quran is not limited to this one name; it also has other names. For example, God calls the Quran Al-Furqan (The Statute Book).
25:1 Most blessed is the One who revealed the Statute Book to His servant, so he can serve as a warner to the whole world.
So, if we believe that no one will ever be able to meet God’s challenge of producing a Quran like this, this means that there will never be another Book of Law (Al-Furqan) like the Quran. There will never be another Reminder (Al-Zikr) like the Quran. And, there will never be another Scripture (Kitab) like the Quran.
So again, if we ask the average Muslim, do they ever think that if all the jinns and humans banded together to produce a Quran like this, we can be pretty confident that they would all unanimously agree that they cannot.
Yet, there is another name that the Quran references itself which is al-Hadith.
68:44 Therefore, let Me deal with those who reject this Hadith; we will lead them on whence they never perceive.
77:50 Which Hadith, other than this, do they believe?
فَبِأَىِّ حَدِيثٍۭ بَعْدَهُۥ يُؤْمِنُونَ
When traditionalists are asked if humans and jinns can produce Hadith like the Quran, they start to squirm. This is because they believe that humans not only could, but they did create Hadith like the Quran. Not only do they have many volumes of books of Hadith besides the Quran, but they often even uphold their man-made Hadith over the words of God in the Quran.
45:6 These are GOD’s revelations that we recite to you truthfully. In which Hadith other than GOD and His revelations do they believe?
45:7 Woe to every fabricator, guilty.
This gets quite uncomfortable for them, not only because God condemns these Hadith by name in His book, but the Quran tells us not only is no one capable of creating a Quran like His as a direct challenge to the non-believers, but He informs us that the Quran is our only source of religious law and the only book He gave us to study.
6:114 Shall I seek other than GOD as a source of law, when He has revealed to you this book fully detailed? Those who received the scripture recognize that it has been revealed from your Lord, truthfully. You shall not harbor any doubt.
6:115 The word of your Lord is complete, in truth and justice. Nothing shall abrogate His words. He is the Hearer, the Omniscient.
Yet, the man-made Hadith claims that Muhammad, in addition to the Quran, was given something similar to it.
Narrated by Abd al-Wahhab ibn Najdah, who said: Abu Amr ibn Kathir ibn Dinar narrated to us, from Hariz ibn Uthman, from Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Awf, from al-Miqdam ibn Madi Karib, who said that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “ Indeed, I have been given the Book and something like it with it. Soon, there will be a man who will be reclining on his couch, saying, ‘Adhere to this Qur’an: what you find permissible in it, consider it permissible, and what you find prohibited in it, consider it prohibited.’ Know that it is not permissible for you to eat the domestic donkey’s meat or any predatory animal with fangs, and no one should take the property of an ally unless its owner is no longer in need of it. And if anyone settles with a people, it is upon them to host him, but if they do not host him, he is entitled to take from them an amount equivalent to the hospitality due to him.”
Sunan Abi Dawud 4604
https://sunnah.com/abudawud:4604
The first part of this Hadith claims that in addition to the Quran, the prophet was also given something similar to it. This is presumed to be the Hadith.
“ Indeed, I have been given the Book and something like it with it...
Notice the similarity between the phrase and the verse from the Quran, which challenges humans and jinns to produce a Quran like this.
17:88 Say, “If all the humans and all the jinns banded together that they bring a Quran similar to this, they can never bring anything like it, no matter how much assistance they lent one another.”
Yet, the idea that the prophet was given something similar to the Quran even contradicts the Hadtih corpus itself, which states that the only thing the prophet left was the Quran.
Narrated Abdul Aziz bin Rufai’: Shaddad bin Ma’qil and I entered upon Ibn `Abbas. Shaddad bin Ma’qil asked him, “ Did the Prophet (ﷺ) leave anything (besides the Qur’an)?” He replied. “He did not leave anything except what is Between the two bindings (of the Qur’an).” Then we visited Muhammad bin Al-Hanafiyya and asked him (the same question). He replied, “The Prophet (ﷺ) did not leave except what is between the bindings (of the Qur’an).
Sahih al-Bukhari 5019
https://sunnah.com/bukhari:5019
If we continue with the second part of the Hadith, it continues by warning people from following the Quran alone and that there are laws that one must follow that are outside of the Quran.
Narrated by Abd al-Wahhab ibn Najdah, who said: Abu Amr ibn Kathir ibn Dinar narrated to us, from Hariz ibn Uthman, from Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Awf, from al-Miqdam ibn Madi Karib, who said that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “Indeed, I have been given the Book and something like it with it. Soon, there will be a man who will be reclining on his couch, saying, ‘Adhere to this Qur’an: what you find permissible in it, consider it permissible, and what you find prohibited in it, consider it prohibited.’ Know that it is not permissible for you to eat the domestic donkey’s meat or any predatory animal with fangs, and no one should take the property of an ally unless its owner is no longer in need of it. And if anyone settles with a people, it is upon them to host him, but if they do not host him, he is entitled to take from them an amount equivalent to the hospitality due to him.”
Sunan Abi Dawud 4604
https://sunnah.com/abudawud:4604
These false prohibitions, as expected, contradict the direct verses of God in the Quran.
6:145 Say, “I do not find in the revelations given to me any food that is prohibited for any eater except: (1) carrion, (2) running blood, (3) the meat of pigs, for it is contaminated, and (4) the meat of animals blasphemously dedicated to other than GOD.” If one is forced (to eat these), without being deliberate or malicious, then your Lord is Forgiver, Most Merciful.
Some say that the prohibitions on donkey meat and animals with fangs came after the verse to try to prove that there isn’t a contradiction. Except, the dietary prohibitions are spelled out four times in the Quran (2:173, 5:3, 6:145, and 16:115), and verse 5:3 was one of the last verses revealed to the prophet. This verse not only respecifies the dietary prohibitions mentioned in 6:145 but also states, “Today, I have completed your religion.” Yet, it does not mention donkey meat or animals with fangs.
5:3 Prohibited for you are animals that die of themselves, blood, the meat of pigs, and animals dedicated to other than GOD. (Animals that die of themselves include those) strangled, struck with an object, fallen from a height, gored, attacked by a wild animal—unless you save your animal before it dies—and animals sacrificed on altars. Also prohibited is dividing the meat through a game of chance; this is an abomination. Today, the disbelievers have given up concerning (the eradication of) your religion; do not fear them and fear Me instead. Today, I have completed your religion, perfected My blessing upon you, and I have decreed Submission as the religion for you. If one is forced by famine (to eat prohibited food), without being deliberately sinful, then GOD is Forgiver, Merciful.
But we also find this Hadith contradicted by another Hadith where the prophet supposedly condemned people for upholding laws outside of the Quran.
Narrated by Abu al-Yaman, Shu’aib informed us, from al-Zuhri, that Urwah ibn al-Zubayr reported that Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said: Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) came to me and I told him about the slave-girl (Barirah) Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “Buy and free her, for the Wala (loyalty) is for the one who frees.” In the evening the Prophet (ﷺ) got up and glorified Allah as He deserved and then said, “Why do some people impose conditions which are not present in Allah’s Book (Laws)? Whoever imposes such a condition as is not in Allah’s Laws, then that condition is invalid even if he imposes one hundred conditions, for Allah’s conditions are more binding and reliable.”
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْيَمَانِ، أَخْبَرَنَا شُعَيْبٌ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، قَالَ عُرْوَةُ بْنُ الزُّبَيْرِ قَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ ـ رضى الله عنها دَخَلَ عَلَىَّ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَذَكَرْتُ لَهُ، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ” اشْتَرِي وَأَعْتِقِي، فَإِنَّ الْوَلاَءَ لِمَنْ أَعْتَقَ ”. ثُمَّ قَامَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم مِنَ الْعَشِيِّ، فَأَثْنَى عَلَى اللَّهِ بِمَا هُوَ أَهْلُهُ، ثُمَّ قَالَ ” مَا بَالُ أُنَاسٍ يَشْتَرِطُونَ شُرُوطًا لَيْسَ فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ، مَنِ اشْتَرَطَ شَرْطًا لَيْسَ فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ فَهْوَ بَاطِلٌ، وَإِنِ اشْتَرَطَ مِائَةَ شَرْطٍ، شَرْطُ اللَّهِ أَحَقُّ وَأَوْثَقُ ”.
Sahih al-Bukhari 2155
https://sunnah.com/bukhari:2155
Again, we see another Hadith in the History of al-Tabari, where the prophet says he strictly prohibited only what was prohibited in the Quran.
God informs us that what makes the Quran miraculous is that it does not contain contradictions.
4:82 Why do they not study the Quran carefully? If it were from other than GOD, they would have found in it numerous contradictions.
Yet, the Hadith is riddled with contradictions—so much so that many books have been written to reconcile and harmonize these contradictions. Because of these obvious contradictions, we get the trope, “For every hadith, there is an equal and opposite Hadith.” The Quran uses this fact to show people that they should not follow these baseless Hadiths.
39:23 GOD has revealed herein the best Hadith; a book that is consistent, and points out both ways (to Heaven and Hell). The skins of those who reverence their Lord cringe therefrom, then their skins and their hearts soften up for GOD’s message. Such is GOD’s guidance; He bestows it upon whomever He wills. As for those sent astray by GOD, nothing can guide them.
39:29 GOD cites the example of a man who deals with disputing partners (Hadith), compared to a man who deals with only one consistent source (Quran). Are they the same? Praise be to GOD; most of them do not know.
Followers of the Quran are therefore faced with the choice to follow the Hadith of God, which was actually delivered by the prophet, or the false narrations attributed to him. The upholders of the lies attributed to the prophet claim that the Hadith must be followed because they have a chain of narrators who each supposedly bore witness to what they heard, yet God tells us that this is how the prophet and true believers would respond to such claims.
6:19 Say, “Whose testimony is the greatest?” Say, “GOD’s. He is the witness between me and you that this Quran has been inspired to me, to preach it to you and whomever it reaches. Indeed, you bear witness that there are other gods beside GOD.” Say, “I do not testify as you do; there is only one god, and I disown your idolatry.”
The connection between following a testimony other than God’s as a source of law is that if anyone takes what any other source said for their religious guidance over the words of God, then that other entity will become that person’s partner with God and thus turn that person into an idol worshiper.
6:121 Do not eat from that upon which the name of GOD has not been mentioned, for it is an abomination. The devils inspire their allies to argue with you; if you obey them, you will be idol worshipers.
6:93 Who is more evil than one who fabricates lies and attributes them to GOD, or says, “I have received divine inspiration,” when no such inspiration was given to him, or says, “I can write the same as GOD’s revelations”? If only you could see the transgressors at the time of death! The angels extend their hands to them, saying, “Let go of your souls. Today, you have incurred a shameful retribution for saying about GOD other than the truth, and for being too arrogant to accept His revelations.
Unfortunately, most people who are stuck in idol worship will be in denial till they face God on the Day of Judgment.
6:22 On the day when we summon them all, we will ask the idol worshipers, “Where are the idols you set up?”
6:23 Their disastrous response will be, “By GOD our Lord, we never were idol worshipers.”
6:24 Note how they lied to themselves, and how the idols they had invented have abandoned them.
34:31 Those who disbelieve have said, “We will not believe in this Quran, nor in the previous scriptures.” If you could only envision these transgressors when they stand before their Lord! They will argue with one another back and forth. The followers will tell their leaders, “If it were not for you, we would have been believers.”
34:32 The leaders will say to those who followed them, “Are we the ones who diverted you from the guidance after it came to you? No; it is you who were wicked.”
34:33 The followers will say to their leaders, “It was you who schemed night and day, then commanded us to be unappreciative of GOD, and to set up idols to rank with Him.” They will be ridden with remorse, when they see the retribution, for we will place shackles around the necks of those who disbelieved. Are they not justly requited for what they did?