Repeatedly in the Quran, God informs us that the only source for our religious laws should come from the Quran alone.
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.
Usually the immediate argument from followers of Hadith and Sunnah is that without the Hadith and Sunnah, that is attributed to the prophet, that we would not know how to perform Salat.
This is usually a cop out because these individuals do not care if it was mentioned in detail how to perform the Salat in the Quran they would still not follow it. The way you can confirm this is by asking them if they would perform it exactly as prescribed in the Quran if you show it to them? If they say, ‘yes’, then ask them how do they perform the wudu (ablution). If they are honest they will probably tell you something like the following:
Start with the right niyyah (intention), say Bismillah.
Washing hands three times, begin with right hand.
Wash mouth three times.
Rinse nose three time.
Wash face three times.
Wash arms three times, begin with right arm from fingertips to just above elbow.
Wipe head once and clean ears once.
Wash feet three times, begin with right foot from tip of toenail to just above ankle.
Except the Quran tells us specifically how to perform the wudu (ablution) in the following verse:
5:6 O you who believe, when you observe the Contact Prayers (Salat), you shall: (1) wash your faces, (2) wash your arms to the elbows, (3) wipe your heads, and (4) wash your feet to the ankles….
So where did they get these other steps? Where did the washing the right before the left or three times, or the washing fo the nose, ears, or mouth come from? Are we to believe that Muhammad disobeyed God’s command to him? That he followed another source of religious law?
69:40 This is the utterance of an honorable messenger. 69:41 Not the utterance of a poet; rarely do you believe. 69:42 Nor the utterance of a soothsayer; rarely do you take heed. 69:43 A revelation from the Lord of the universe. 69:44 Had he uttered any other teachings. 69:45 We would have punished him (seized him by the right hand). 69:46 We would have stopped the revelations to him (cut him off by the aorta). 69:47 None of you could have helped him. 69:48 This is a reminder for the righteous.
33:36 No believing man or believing woman, if GOD and His messenger issue any command, has any choice regarding that command. Anyone who disobeys GOD and His messenger has gone far astray.
But really what are followers of Hadtih really wanting to uphold that they think it is lacking in the Quran? Because the exact details of the Salat cannot be found in the Hadith or Sunnah and even where it is mentioned it contradicts itself and even the Quran. So what is it that they are wishing to preserve?
99% of the Hadith collected were already disregarded by their collectors as untrustworthy and of the ones remaining the vast majority are ridiculous.
Individuals who follow Hadith are following fabrications never authorized by God.
40:73 They will be asked, “Where are the idols you used to worship, 40:74 “beside GOD?” They will say, “They have abandoned us. In fact, when we worshiped them, we were worshiping nothing.” Thus does GOD send the disbelievers astray. 40:75 This is because you used to rejoice in false doctrines, on earth, and you used to promote them.
Promoting of such doctrines in defiance of God’s commands in the Qruan is idol worship, because we are accepting a false narration over the proven word of God in the Quran.
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.
96:9 Have you seen the one who enjoins. 96:10 Others from praying? 96:11 Is it not better for him to follow the guidance?
The motte-and-bailey fallacy (named after the motte-and-bailey castle) is a form of argument and an informal fallacy where an arguer conflates two positions that share similarities, one modest and easy to defend (the “motte”) and one much more controversial (the “bailey”). The arguer advances the controversial position, but when challenged, they insist that they are only advancing the more modest position. Upon retreating to the motte, the arguer can claim that the bailey has not been refuted (because the critic refused to attack the motte)or that the critic is unreasonable (by equating an attack on the bailey with an attack on the motte). In the case of defenders of Hadith, they will typically focus a Hadith that aligns with the Quran, yet try to avoid attention to the vast majority that contradict the Quran or themselves.
Not only do Hadith make a mockery of God’s religion and contradict the Quran, they also contradict their own narrations. How can people promote such nonsense over the perfect words of God in the Quran?
Some make the argument that in the Quran Muhammad received wahi (inspiration) in addition to the Quran e.g. directives for battle, or visions, etc. So because of this we need to follow the Hadith. The argument against this is that yes the people at the time were obligated to follow any commandment that Muhammad gave them as a messenger of God, but if this was pertinent to us today that God would have included such commandments in the Quran. This is clarified in the Quran, because it tells us what Muhammad is going to say about his people on the Day of Judgment.
25:30 The messenger said, “My Lord, my people have deserted this Quran.”
Notice that Muhammad’s claim is not that people deserted the Hadith or Sunnah attributed to him, but only the Quran is mentioned. Additionally, we see that Muhammad’s message for the world was collected in the scripture and not in the Hadith.
21:10 We have sent down to you a scripture containing your message. Do you not understand?
4:60 Have you noted those who claim that they believe in what was revealed to you, and in what was revealed before you, then uphold the unjust laws of their idols? They were commanded to reject such laws. Indeed, it is the devil’s wish to lead them far astray.
The second someone upholds a religious law from other than God then they are committing the worst sin, that of idol worship. So by upholding the Hadith they have turned the collectors of Hadith e.g. Bukhari as their idol.
The fact is that the Quran leads to enlightenment while Hadith leads to confusion.
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.
39:27 We have cited for the people every kind of example in this Quran, that they may take heed. 39:28 An Arabic Quran, without any ambiguity, that they may be righteous.
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.
39:30 You (Muhammad) will surely die, just like they will die. 39:31 On the Day of Resurrection, before your Lord, you people will feud with one another. 39:32 Who is more evil than one who attributes lies to GOD, while disbelieving in the truth that has come to him? Is Hell not a just requital for the disbelievers? 39:33 As for those who promote the truth, and believe therein, they are the righteous. 39:34 They will get everything they wish, at their Lord. Such is the reward for the righteous. 39:35 GOD remits their sinful works, and rewards them generously for their good works.
[ 39:36] Is GOD not sufficient for His servant? They frighten you with the idols they set up beside Him. Whomever GOD sends astray, nothing can guide him.
God warned the followers of the Quran that the Hadith, false narrations attributed to the prophet, were allowed to proliferate to test if people believe in God’s word in the scripture or not. What this test has proven is that the majority of people are idol worshipers, don’t believe in God, or His word in the scripture, and therefore don’t believe in the Hereafter (6:113)
6:109 They swore by GOD, solemnly, that if a ayat came to them, they would surely believe. Say, “ Ayat come only from GOD.” For all you know, if it did come to them, they would continue to disbelieve.
6:110 We control their minds and their hearts. Thus, since their decision is to disbelieve, we leave them in their transgressions, blundering. 6:111 Even if we sent down the angels to them; even if the dead spoke to them; even if we summoned every miracle before them; they cannot believe unless GOD wills it. Indeed, most of them are ignorant.
6:112 We have permitted the enemies of every prophet—human and jinn devils—to inspire in each other fancy words, in order to deceive. Had your Lord willed, they would not have done it. You shall disregard them and their fabrications. 6:113 This is to let the minds of those who do not believe in the Hereafter listen to such fabrications, and accept them, and thus expose their real convictions.
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.
Despite these clear verses the last argument people make is that how could so many people be wrong, since the majority of the Muslim ummah uphold the Hadith, and for that God has the following response:
6:116 If you obey the majority of people on earth, they will divert you from the path of GOD. They follow only conjecture; they only guess.
18:54 We have cited in this Quran every kind of example, but the human being is the most argumentative creature.