Ask an Alim

Wa Alaykumussalam

Thank you for your query.

There is a lot to be spoken about the group who tries to take only Qur’an and leave the Ahlul Bayt(as) but I will mention some of the points in brief here below.

1. Surah Nahl verse 44:

بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ وَالزُّبُرِ ۗ وَأَنْزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ الذِّكْرَ لِتُبَيِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ مَا نُزِّلَ إِلَيْهِمْ وَلَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ

Qarai: [We sent them] with manifest proofs and scriptures. We have sent down the reminder to you so that you may clarify for the people that which has been sent down to them, so that they may reflect.

Shakir: With clear arguments and scriptures; and We have revealed to you the Reminder that you may make clear to men what has been revealed to them, and that haply they may reflect.

What do these so called Qu’ranists understand from the above verse? Isn’t it clearly said to the Prophet to explain this Qur’an for the people. The wordذکر  in the verse is referring to the Holy Qur’an. Therefore, we understand that Allah swt has asked Prophet Muhammad(s.a.w.w) to explain the Qur’an to the people which means we must learn from the Prophet and then Ahlul Bayt after him.
2. Hadith of Thaqalayn:

وَ قَالَ صَلَّى اَللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ: إِنِّي تَارِكٌ فِيكُمُ اَلثَّقَلَيْنِ مَا إِنْ تَمَسَّكْتُمْ بِهِمَا لَنْ تَضِلُّوا بَعْدِي كِتَابَ اَللَّهِ وَ عِتْرَتِي أَهْلَ بَيْتِي وَ إِنَّهُمَا لَنْ يَفْتَرِقَا حَتَّى يَرِدَا عَلَيَّ اَلْحَوْضَ .

Prophet Muhammad(s.a.w.w) said:

Verily, I leave behind among you two weighty things, the Book of Allah and my Progeny, my Ahle Bayt and they are two successors after me and they will not separate till they reach me at the Pond. Irshad al-Quloob, vol1, page 131

It is narrated by Abu Saeed Khudri in Akmaluddeen, Maniul Akhbar and Khisal that the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.w) said: I am leaving behind me for you two heavy things one of which is more precious than the other. One is the Book of Allah which is a rope stretched from the sky to the earth and other is my Progeny (Progeny). Surely these two will not get separated from one another until they come to me on the Hauz (Pond) of Kauthar.

The narrator says: I asked Abu Saeed: Who is his Progeny? He said: His family members (Ahlul Bayt a.s.).

There is no doubt in the authenticity of the above mentioned hadith from even Sunnis. As the hadith clearly says Quran and Ahlul Bayt will not separate  till they reach at the pond of Kawthar, this clearly shows that both can’t be separated and we can’t leave one and take the other one. If those two can’t be separated then who are we to separate them and take one according to our own will?

3. Ask these Qur’anists why do they pray Fajr 2 rak’at, Zuhr/Asr/Isha 4 rak’ats and Maghrib 3 rak’ats? They would definitely say, it is taught by Prophet because we don’t have it mentioned in Qur’an. The same way there are other things which are mentioned in general in Qur’an but the explanation is given by Ahlul Bayt(as).

4. Surah Nahl/43:

وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا مِنْ قَبْلِكَ إِلَّا رِجَالًا نُوحِي إِلَيْهِمْ ۚ فَاسْأَلُوا أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ

We did not send [any apostles] before you except as men to whom We revealed. Ask the People of the Reminder if you do not know.

The verse clearly says to ask the people if you do not know. The same way we visit doctor when we are sick, we seek guidance and knowledge when we are ignorant and we ask the one who knows it. As we cannot extract the Islamic rulings ourselves, we seek guidance and ask the Maraje. أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ are Ahlul Bayt(as), how can they move away from the Ahlul Bayt(as).

This shows they don’t believe what the Holy Qur’an says, otherwise they would accept its teachings and start following to live a life what Allah(swt) wants. And on the other hand we see the Akhbaris who just follow the hadith and leave the Qur’an. We can neither leave Ahlul Bayt(as) and just take Qur’an as a guidance, nor can we leave Qur’an and just take Ahlul Bayt(as) for guidance.

5. Surah Jumu’a/2:

هُوَ الَّذِي بَعَثَ فِي الْأُمِّيِّينَ رَسُولًا مِنْهُمْ يَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِهِ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَإِنْ كَانُوا مِنْ قَبْلُ لَفِي ضَلَالٍ مُبِينٍ

He it is Who raised among the inhabitants of Mecca an Messenger from among themselves, who recites to them His communications and purifies them, and teaches them the Book and the Wisdom, although they were before certainly in clear error,

Allah(swt) is saying it’s the Prophet who teaches them the Book(Qur’an) then how do these people not learn from the Prophet?

6. Surah Hadid/25:

لَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا رُسُلَنَا بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ وَأَنْزَلْنَا مَعَهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْمِيزَانَ لِيَقُومَ النَّاسُ بِالْقِسْطِ ۖ وَأَنْزَلْنَا الْحَدِيدَ فِيهِ بَأْسٌ شَدِيدٌ وَمَنَافِعُ لِلنَّاسِ وَلِيَعْلَمَ اللَّهُ مَنْ يَنْصُرُهُ وَرُسُلَهُ بِالْغَيْبِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَوِيٌّ عَزِيزٌ

Certainly We sent Our apostles with manifest proofs, and We sent down with them the Book and the Balance, so that mankind may maintain justice; and We sent down iron, in which there is great might and uses for mankind, and so that Allah may know those who help Him and His apostles [with faith] in the Unseen. Indeed Allah is all-strong, all-mighty.

Does Monotheist accept the Prophet first and then his book or vice versa? So, if he accepts the Prophet first, how can he leave the Prophet after being familiar with the Book?!

7. Surah Nisa/59:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ وَأُولِي الْأَمْرِ مِنْكُمْ ۖ فَإِنْ تَنَازَعْتُمْ فِي شَيْءٍ فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَالرَّسُولِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ خَيْرٌ وَأَحْسَنُ تَأْوِيلًا

O you who have faith! Obey Allah and obey the Apostle and those vested with authority among you. And if you dispute concerning anything, refer it to Allah and the Apostle, if you have faith in Allah and the Last Day. That is better and more favourable in outcome.

Doesn’t the Qur’an explicitly state that in any dispute that arises, refer to the Messenger and the Almighty and see what they say? Why don’t these people seek guidance from the Prophet when there is a dispute.

8. Surah Isra/82:

وَنُنَزِّلُ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ مَا هُوَ شِفَاءٌ وَرَحْمَةٌ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ۙ وَلَا يَزِيدُ الظَّالِمِينَ إِلَّا خَسَارًا

We send down in the Quran that which is a cure and mercy for the faithful; and it increases the wrongdoers only in loss.

Therefore, the Holy Qur’an not only does not guide the oppressors, but also increases their misguidance and losses. And what oppression is higher than man taking the word of God in his hand and uttering it and interpreting whatever he wants?

9.  Sura An’am/21:

وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنِ افْتَرَىٰ عَلَى اللَّهِ كَذِبًا أَوْ كَذَّبَ بِآيَاتِهِ ۗ إِنَّهُ لَا يُفْلِحُ الظَّالِمُونَ

Who is a greater wrongdoer than him who fabricates a lie against Allah, or denies His signs? Indeed the wrongdoers will not be felicitous.
For this reason, we see those who thought that they could refer to the Qur’an and understand everything in person by omitting the Prophet and the Almighty (Sunnah, Hadith and Narration), without exception they deviated.

In addition, are the details of all the rules stated in the Qur’an? For example, how to pray? Or that God Himself has referred their understanding and implementation to follow the Messenger and اولی الامر(Ahlul Bayt)?

10. The revelation of the Holy Qur’an took 23 years and Prophet Muhammad(s.a.w.w) explained it so the people can grasp according to their capacity and after the demise of the Holy prophet, Ahlul Bayt(as) kept on teaching the Qur’an and its teachings. How is it possible to understand 6000+ verses ourselves without the help of hadith and tafsir?

When a person can’t drive without learning how to drive; can’t get the degree or certify without learning from teacher/professor then how can this person understand the Qur’an and its rules easily without leaving Ahlul Bayt(as)?

You can speak to these people and give some of the proofs I have mentioned above. If they are not stubborn and willing to accept the reality, they would accept it, otherwise they will walk on the same way they are.

May Allah(swt) keep us on the right path with Qur’an and Ahlul Bayt(as).

Wassalam,

Syed Haider