When the Deniers of the Sunnah Contradict Themselves: A Scholarly Critique of the Claim to Dispense with the Prophetic Sunnah

The Qur’an and Sunnah: Inseparable Companions

How astonishing are those who seek to separate the Qur’an from the Sunnah! Do they think that the One who revealed the Qur’an and commanded us to follow it left His Messenger to speak from his own desires? Or do they assume that the words of the Prophet ﷺ and his explanation of the Qur’an are not from Allah?

This is an old yet recurring misconception, revived in every era by those who aim to strip Islam of its essence and empty it of its rulings and details. They claim, “The Qur’an is sufficient for us!”—pretending to venerate the Book of Allah while failing to realize that by rejecting the Sunnah, they are in fact rejecting the Qur’an itself.

This is a glaring fallacy that becomes evident to anyone who looks with insight. How can one believe in the Book of Allah while rejecting the Prophet’s ﷺ explanation of it? How can we possibly know how to perform prayer, give zakāh, fast, or perform ḥajj if we turn away from the Sunnah of the chosen Messenger?

Come, let us lift the veil on this misconception and see how the Sunnah is an inseparable part of revelation—how the Qur’an itself commands us to follow it and take from it.

The Prophetic Sunnah: The Illuminating Light That Clarifies the Qur’an

Before responding to this misconception, it is essential to establish the inseparable connection between the Qur’an and the Sunnah. They are like the soul and the body—one cannot be separated from the other, nor can either stand on its own.

First Qur’anic Texts Affirming the Authority of the Sunnah

Here, we are addressing those who claim that the Qur’an alone is sufficient, so we will present evidence from what they acknowledge—the Qur’an itself. The Qur’an is filled with verses that establish the authority of the Sunnah and confirm that it is divine revelation. Let us reflect on some of these definitive Qur’anic texts:

First Evidence: The Prophet’s ﷺ Speech is Revelation. Allah says:

Nor does he speak from his own inclination. It is nothing but a revelation revealed.

al-Najm: 3-4

This verse explicitly states that everything the Prophet ﷺ says regarding religion is revelation from Allah. Notice how Allah negates the possibility of him speaking from desire and then affirms that his words are divine revelation. Can we then reject anything he said under the pretext that it is not in the Qur’an?

Second Evidence: The Obligation of Absolute Obedience. Allah says:

And whatever the Messenger gives you, take it; and whatever he forbids you, abstain from it.

al-Ḥashr: 7

Observe the unrestricted nature of this command: Whatever the Messenger brings, take it! It does not say, Whatever he brings in the Qur’an, take it. The criterion is what comes from the Messenger ﷺ. How then can someone claim that they will only accept what is in the Qur’an?

Third Evidence: Obedience to the Messenger is Obedience to Allah. Allah states:

Whoever obeys the Messenger has indeed obeyed Allah.

al-Nisā’: 80

This verse establishes a great truth: obedience to the Messenger ﷺ is inseparable from obedience to Allah. It is impossible to truly obey Allah without obeying His Messenger. Anyone who claims to follow Allah while rejecting the Messenger is, in reality, not following Allah at all.

Fourth Evidence: The Prophet ﷺ is the Clarifier of the Qur’an Allah says:

And We have sent down to you the Reminder so that you may clarify to the people what has been revealed to them.

al-Naḥl: 44

This verse defines a fundamental role of the Prophet ﷺ: he is the one who clarifies the Qur’an. How can we properly understand the Qur’an while rejecting the explanation of the one whom Allah Himself chose to clarify it? Are we more knowledgeable than the Companions, who would ask the Prophet ﷺ to explain the meanings of the Qur’an?

Fifth Evidence: The Warning Against Those Who Oppose the Prophet ﷺ. Allah gives a severe warning to those who contradict the Prophet’s ﷺ commands:

Let those who oppose his command beware, lest a trial afflict them or they be struck with a painful punishment.

al-Nūr: 63

After such a grave warning, how can anyone dare to reject his Sunnah and refuse his teachings?

These verses—and many others—establish an undeniable truth: the Sunnah is divine revelation, it carries the same authoritative weight as the Qur’an, and rejecting the Sunnah is equivalent to rejecting the Qur’an itself.

Second The Contradictions of Those Who Reject the Sunnah

Anyone who examines the arguments of those who reject the Sunnah will find glaring contradictions and major inconsistencies that cannot be resolved. Let us consider some of the most evident issues:

1. The Contradiction in Accepting the Qur’an

One of the first contradictions in the stance of those who reject the Sunnah is their acceptance of the Qur’an while simultaneously denying the Sunnah. Some may argue: “We believe in the Qur’an because it carries intrinsic evidence of its divine origin, not merely because the Prophet ﷺ informed us that it is from Allah.”

However, this argument does not resolve the issue—it only strengthens it! The Qur’an itself affirms the truthfulness of the Prophet ﷺ in everything he conveys from his Lord, and rational evidence also supports his truthfulness. How, then, can one accept the Qur’an while rejecting the widely transmitted reports that his Sunnah is also divine revelation? Was he not the same Prophet ﷺ who said: “Indeed, I have been given the Book and something like it along with it” (Abū Dāwūd: 4604)?

This is a glaring contradiction that cannot be justified in any way.

2. The Impossibility of Practicing Islam Without the Sunnah

A second major issue faced by those who reject the Sunnah is the practical impossibility of applying Islam without it. Where in the Qur’an can one find the precise details of prayer? Where is the number of rak‘ahs for each prayer? Where are the prescribed times for the prayers? Where are the obligatory amounts and thresholds of zakāh? Where are the specifics of ḥajj rituals?

Let us go further: where are the detailed rulings on trade and financial transactions? Where are the regulations on leasing, agency contracts, and collateral? Where are the laws of marriage and divorce? How do we know the precise wording of the adhān that we hear five times a day?

None of these essential rulings exist in the Qur’an alone.

3. The Fallacy of Practical Consensus (Tawātur ‘Amalī)

Some deniers of the Sunnah attempt to escape this dilemma by claiming: “We derive these rulings from what has been practically transmitted among Muslims.”

This is a major fallacy. The real question is: where did this practical transmission originate? How did the first generation—the Companions—come to know these rulings?

There was no prior consensus before the Companions, so where did they learn these rulings? Undoubtedly, they learned them directly from the Prophet ﷺ. This leads to a crucial question: where did the Prophet ﷺ himself receive these rulings? There are only two possibilities: either one claims that he legislated them from his own accord—which contradicts the very foundation of prophethood—or one acknowledges that they were revealed to him by Allah. If the latter is true, then it logically follows that his Sunnah must be accepted in its entirety.

This is why ‘Imrān ibn Ḥuṣayn (may Allah be pleased with him) responded to someone who said, “Leave aside the ḥadīth and bring us the Book of Allah” by saying: “You are a fool! Do you find in the Book of Allah a detailed explanation of prayer? Do you find in the Book of Allah a detailed explanation of fasting?[105]”

The reality is that the claim that the Qur’an alone is sufficient without the Sunnah is a fragile argument that collapses under rigorous scrutiny. It is an attempt to strip Islam of its legal framework and to render its rulings void—something no rational person who sincerely seeks the truth can accept.

Third Refuting the Arguments of Sunnah Deniers—A Comprehensive Response

One of the main arguments presented by those who reject the Sunnah is their citation of the verse:

And We have sent down to you the Book as an explanation for everything.

al-Naḥl: 89

They argue: “Since the Qur’an explains everything, there is no need for the Sunnah!”

This is an invalid claim for several reasons. Let us analyze them in detail:

1. The Qur’an Itself Refers to the Sunnah

One of the most ironic aspects of this argument is that those who reject the Sunnah use the Qur’an itself to justify their position, even though the Qur’an commands adherence to the Sunnah in numerous verses. Among the Qur’an’s own explanations is that it refers us to the Sunnah repeatedly. Consider the verse:

And whatever the Messenger gives you, take it; and whatever he forbids you, abstain from it.

al-Ḥashr: 7

And:

Whoever obeys the Messenger has indeed obeyed Allah.

al-Nisā’: 80

How can someone claim to follow the Qur’an while contradicting its explicit command to follow the Messenger? This is astonishing! It is as if someone is saying: “I obey the Qur’an in everything—except where it commands me to obey the Messenger!” Is this not a blatant contradiction?

To clarify that the Qur’an’s role as an explanation does not negate its referral to other sources, consider this analogy: if a king issues a decree stating, “We have included in the personal status law everything you need,” and within that law itself there are multiple references to established societal customs, would anyone claim that these references contradict the law’s comprehensiveness? Similarly, the Qur’an’s referral to the Sunnah is part of its clarity and completeness.

2. The Impossibility of Practicing Worship Without the Sunnah

If the Qur’an alone were sufficient in explaining everything, we would find within it the complete details of every act of worship. Yet, the reality is that many fundamental acts of worship cannot be practiced based on the Qur’an alone.

Take prayer as an example:

• Where in the Qur’an is the method of prayer described?
• How many rak‘ahs are in each prayer?
• What are the conditions of prayer?
• What invalidates prayer?
• How do we perform prayer while traveling?
• How do we pray in cases of illness?

The same applies to zakāh:

• On which assets is zakāh obligatory?
• What is the threshold (niṣāb) for each type of wealth?
• When does zakāh become due?
• What percentage must be given for each category of wealth?

None of these necessary details exist in the Qur’an alone.

3. The Understanding and Application of the Companions

If the Qur’an alone was sufficient in explaining all matters, then the Companions—who were the most eloquent Arabs and the most knowledgeable about the Qur’anic language—would not have needed to ask the Prophet ﷺ about its meanings and rulings. However, we find that the Companions were constantly asking the Prophet ﷺ about the details of their religion, learning from him, memorizing his Sunnah, and conveying it to others.

Even ‘Umar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb (may Allah be pleased with him)—known for his eloquence and deep understanding—did not know the meaning of the word

Or that He takes them gradually (takhawwuf).

al-Naḥl: 47

, until he asked an Arab Bedouin for its explanation, as mentioned in the commentary of Ṭabarī.

This demonstrates that even the earliest and most linguistically adept Muslims relied on external clarification to fully grasp the meanings of the Qur’an—clarifications that came primarily from the Prophet ﷺ himself.

Fourth The Correct Understanding of the Verse

The phrase “as an explanation for everything” in the verse refers to everything people need concerning their religion. This explanation includes what is detailed explicitly in the Qur’an and what the Qur’an has referred to the Sunnah for further clarification. Thus, the Sunnah is part of this explanation, not separate from it.

This is why Imām ash-Shāfi‘ī stated: “There is no issue that arises for a believer in Allah’s religion except that the Book of Allah contains guidance for it.[106]”. This is because the Book of Allah directs us to the Sunnah, and whatever is established in the Sunnah is part of what the Qur’an has indicated.

With this, it becomes evident that the argument of those who reject the Sunnah based on this verse is entirely false. It is refuted by the Qur’an itself, by practical reality, by the understanding of the Companions, and by the correct interpretation of the verse.

Conclusion: The Sunnah is Divine Revelation That Cannot Be Rejected

Thus, it becomes clear to any sincere seeker of truth that the Sunnah holds a position in Islam akin to that of the soul to the body. Claiming that the Qur’an is sufficient without the Sunnah is like claiming that laws can be understood without explanation or that instructions can be applied without interpretation.

The deniers of the Sunnah fall into a glaring contradiction: they affirm the Prophet’s ﷺ truthfulness in conveying that the Qur’an is from Allah, yet they deny his truthfulness when he informs us that his Sunnah is also revelation! They claim to follow the Qur’an alone, yet they contradict the Qur’an’s explicit command to obey the Messenger! They pretend to understand Islam, yet they fail to explain even how Muslims perform their daily prayers across the world!

The truth is that rejecting the Sunnah is nothing but a desperate attempt to undermine Islam and strip it of its essential teachings. But such efforts will always fail, for Allah has promised to preserve His religion. The Prophetic Sunnah will remain a guiding light for the seekers of truth, an illumination that exposes falsehood, and an irrefutable proof that dismantles the doubts of skeptics.