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<metadesc>Qur'anists are a small group who reject the hadith and sunnah, a critical component of Islam. They are rejected as apostates by mainstream Muslims.</metadesc> | <metadesc>Qur'anists are a small group who reject the hadith and sunnah, a critical component of Islam. They are rejected as apostates by mainstream Muslims.</metadesc> | ||
Within [[Islam]] the two largest sects are the [[Sunni]]s (up to 90%)<ref name="rl"></ref><ref>[http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/295507/Islam Islām] - Encyclopædia Britannica (2010)</ref><ref>[http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/574006/Sunnite Sunnite] - Encyclopædia Britannica (2010)</ref><ref name="pew">[http://pewforum.org/Muslim/Mapping-the-Global-Muslim-Population%286%29.aspx Mapping the Global Muslim Population: A Report on the Size and Distribution of the World’s Muslim Population] - Pew Research Center, October 7, 2009</ref><ref name="pew2">Tracy Miller - [http://pewforum.org/newassets/images/reports/Muslimpopulation/Muslimpopulation.pdf Mapping the Global Muslim Population: A Report on the Size and Distribution of the World's Muslim Population] - Pew Research Center, October 2009</ref> and [[Shiites|Shi'ite]]s (approximately 10-20%).<ref name="rl">[http://www.religionfacts.com/islam/comparison_charts/islamic_sects.htm Comparison of Sunni and Shia Islam] - ReligionFacts</ref><ref>[http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/540503/Shiite Shīʿite] - Encyclopædia Britannica Online (2010)</ref><ref name="pew"></ref><ref name="pew2"></ref> Together they make up almost the entirety of Islam. However, there is a small | Within [[Islam]] the two largest sects are the [[Sunni]]s (up to 90%)<ref name="rl"></ref><ref>[http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/295507/Islam Islām] - Encyclopædia Britannica (2010)</ref><ref>[http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/574006/Sunnite Sunnite] - Encyclopædia Britannica (2010)</ref><ref name="pew">[http://pewforum.org/Muslim/Mapping-the-Global-Muslim-Population%286%29.aspx Mapping the Global Muslim Population: A Report on the Size and Distribution of the World’s Muslim Population] - Pew Research Center, October 7, 2009</ref><ref name="pew2">Tracy Miller - [http://pewforum.org/newassets/images/reports/Muslimpopulation/Muslimpopulation.pdf Mapping the Global Muslim Population: A Report on the Size and Distribution of the World's Muslim Population] - Pew Research Center, October 2009</ref> and [[Shiites|Shi'ite]]s (approximately 10-20%).<ref name="rl">[http://www.religionfacts.com/islam/comparison_charts/islamic_sects.htm Comparison of Sunni and Shia Islam] - ReligionFacts</ref><ref>[http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/540503/Shiite Shīʿite] - Encyclopædia Britannica Online (2010)</ref><ref name="pew"></ref><ref name="pew2"></ref> Together they make up almost the entirety of Islam. However, there is a small but growing group, considered heretics by the others, who are collectively known as "Qur'anists" (also referred to as ''Quraniyoon'', ''Ahle Quran'', or by their critics, ''hadith rejectors''). They reject the [[Hadith]] (oral traditions) and the [[Sunnah]] (example) of [[Muhammad]], an integral part of Islam, and are viewed by mainstream Islam in much the same way as the Jehovah's Witnesses are viewed by mainstream Christianity (i.e. Catholics, Protestants, Orthodox etc). Their views have some similarities with those of ''modernist'' or ''progressive'' Muslims, who do not reject hadiths entirely, but draw on modern academic scholarship in taking a historical-critical view of the hadith corpus as well as skepticism towards traditional interpretations and jurisprudence. | ||
===Rejected as Apostates=== | ===Rejected as Apostates=== | ||
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The Grand Mufti of Pakistan {{wp|Muhammad Rafi Usmani}} has also criticised Qur'anists in his lecture Munkareen Hadith (refuters of Hadith); he states: | The Grand Mufti of Pakistan {{wp|Muhammad Rafi Usmani}} has also criticised Qur'anists in his lecture Munkareen Hadith (refuters of Hadith); he states: | ||
{{Quote||The Qur’aan, which they claim to follow, denies the faith of the one who refuses to obey the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and does not accept his ruling: “But no, by your Lord, they can have no Faith, until they make you (O Muhammad) judge in all disputes between them, and find in themselves no resistance against your decisions, and accept (them) with full submission.” [al-Nisa’ 4:65 – interpretation of the meaning]}} | {{Quote||The Qur’aan, which they claim to follow, denies the faith of the one who refuses to obey the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and does not accept his ruling: “But no, by your Lord, they can have no Faith, until they make you (O Muhammad) judge in all disputes between them, and find in themselves no resistance against your decisions, and accept (them) with full submission.” [al-Nisa’ 4:65 – interpretation of the meaning]}}[https://lote.org.uk/sh-nooruddeen-rashid/ Shaykh Noorud-deen Rashid] of the Lote Tree Foundation in the United Kingdom, answering on the islamanswers.co.uk website question "Are Hadith rejectors (Quranists) Kafir?" (22.04.24) ''Yes, Hadith rejectors (Quranists) are Kafir. People who reject the entirety of the Sunnah are Kafir. As opposed to those who reject individual Sahih Hadith. People who reject all Hadith have clearly opposed Quran, Hadith and the consensus of credible Muslim scholars (Ijma).''<ref>[https://islamanswers.co.uk/question/are-hadith-rejectors-quranists-kafir/ Are Hadith rejectors (Quranists) Kafir?] Islam Answers</ref> | ||
==Problems with Quranism== | ==Problems with Quranism== | ||
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===Other verses=== | ===Other verses=== | ||
{{Quote|{{Quran|4|59}}|O believers! Obey Allah <b>and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you. Should you disagree on anything, then refer it to Allah and His Messenger,</b> if you ˹truly˺ believe in Allah and the Last Day. This is the best and fairest resolution.}}{{Quote|{{Quran|9|71}}|But the faithful, men and women, are comrades of one another: they bid what is right and forbid what is wrong and maintain the prayer, give the zakat, <b>and obey Allah and His Apostle.</b> It is they to whom Allah will soon grant His mercy. Indeed Allah is all-mighty, all-wise.}}{{Quote|{{Quran|16|44}}|(We sent them) with Clear Signs and Books of dark prophecies; and We have sent down unto thee (also) the Message; '''that thou mayest explain clearly to men what is sent for them''', and that they may give thought.}} | |||
{{Quote|{{Quran|16|44}}|(We sent them) with Clear Signs and Books of dark prophecies; and We have sent down unto thee (also) the Message; '''that thou mayest explain clearly to men what is sent for them''', and that they may give thought.}} | |||
The message (Qur'an) is explained and elaborated upon by the Prophet. Preserving the message (Qur'an) also requires preserving the Sunnah which explains the message, as the previous verse states. | The message (Qur'an) is explained and elaborated upon by the Prophet. Preserving the message (Qur'an) also requires preserving the Sunnah which explains the message, as the previous verse states. | ||
{{Quote|{{Quran|59|6}}|Whatever Allah has restored to His Messenger from the people of the towns, it is for Allah and for the Messenger, and for the near of kin and the orphans and the needy and the wayfarer, so that it may not be a thing taken by turns among the rich of you, and '''whatever the Messenger gives you, accept it, and from whatever he forbids you, keep back''', and be careful of (your duty to) Allah; surely Allah is severe in retributing (evil)}} | {{Quote|{{Quran|59|6}}|Whatever Allah has restored to His Messenger from the people of the towns, it is for Allah and for the Messenger, and for the near of kin and the orphans and the needy and the wayfarer, so that it may not be a thing taken by turns among the rich of you, and '''whatever the Messenger gives you, accept it, and from whatever he forbids you, keep back''', and be careful of (your duty to) Allah; surely Allah is severe in retributing (evil)}} | ||
This verse asks Muslims to follow everything Mohammad gives them, and abstain from everything he forbids. That means they are commanded by Allah to follow the Sunnah. | This verse asks Muslims to follow everything Mohammad gives them, and abstain from everything he forbids. That means they are commanded by Allah to follow the Sunnah. | ||
The following verse also describes him as “a good exemplar (uswatun ḥasanatun) for those who place their hope on God and the Last Day and invoke God often”, suggesting followers emulate him in general,<ref>Sinai, Nicolai. “''[https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:34ef078e-0bb9-422e-8fd7-a42c8d1bdf1b/files/m73f645bb4eda180c5d419565b2b19ce0 Muhammad as an Episcopal Figure.]''” Arabica, vol. 65, no. 1-2, Brill Academic Publishers, 2018, pp. 1–30. ''PP13.'' | |||
https://doi.org/10.1163/15700585-12341480</ref> which is of course impossible to do without his personal traits and actions (which rarely alluded to in the Qur'an alone) being recorded as extra-Qur'anic traditions. | |||
{{Quote|{{Quran|33|21}}|There is certainly a good exemplar for you in the Apostle of Allah—for those who look forward to Allah and the Last Day, and remember Allah much.}} | |||
==== The Sahabah / Companions of the prophet ==== | |||
Alongside instructions to obey Muhammad, we see his followers are also to function as an exemplary beacon for the rest of humanity<ref>''al-ʿālamūn pl. | the world-dwellers Entry.'' Sinai, Nicolai. Key Terms of the Qur'an: A Critical Dictionary (p. 526). Princeton University Press. | |||
''Instead, it is preferable to understand the assumed universal role of Muhammad and his followers in line with Q 2:143, 22:78, and 3:110: the Qur’anic believers are to function as an exemplary beacon for the rest of humanity, as “the best community ever brought forth for people, enjoining right and dissuading from wrong” (Q 3:110: kuntum khayra ummatin ukhrijat li-l-nāsi taʾmurūna bi-l-maʿrūfi wa-tanhawna ʿani l-munkari), and as a “middle” or “intermediate” community (ummah wasaṭ) who will be “witnesses” over the remainder of humankind, just as the Qur’anic Messenger functions as a “witness” (shahīd) over the Qur’anic believers (Q 2:143, similarly 22:78).'' </ref> in the Qur'an, giving way to mawqūf hadith, i.e. hadith from the companions of Muhammad / aṣ-ṣaḥābah,<ref>[https://muftiwp.gov.my/en/artikel/irsyad-al-hadith/1114-irsyad-al-hadith-series-76-mawquf-hadith ''IRSYAD AL-HADITH SERIES 76: MAWQUF(الموقوف) HADITH'']''.'' MUHAMMAD MUSHFIQUE BIN AHMAD AYOUP. 2016. Mufti of Federal Territories Office.</ref> often referred to as 'The Sahabah' (where the isnad does not go all the way to Muhammad directly). As recordings of this are needed for future generations to know what the community was doing at the time. | |||
{{Quote|{{Quran|2|143}}|And thus <b>we have made you a just community that you will be witnesses over the people and the Messenger will be a witness over you.</b> And We did not make the qiblah which you used to face except that We might make evident who would follow the Messenger from who would turn back on his heels. And indeed, it is difficult except for those whom Allah has guided. And never would Allah have caused you to lose your faith. Indeed Allah is, to the people, Kind and Merciful.}}{{Quote|{{Quran|3|110}}|<b>You are the best nation produced [as an example] for mankind.</b> You enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and believe in Allah. If only the People of the Scripture had believed, it would have been better for them. Among them are believers, but most of them are defiantly disobedient.}}{{Quote|{{Quran|22|78}}|And strive for Allah with the striving due to Him. He has chosen you and has not placed upon you in the religion any difficulty. [It is] the religion of your father, Abraham. Allah named you "Muslims" before [in former scriptures] and in this [revelation] that <b>the Messenger may be a witness over you and you may be witnesses over the people.</b> So establish prayer and give zakah and hold fast to Allah. He is your protector; and excellent is the protector, and excellent is the helper.}} | |||
==Five Pillars of Islam== | ==Five Pillars of Islam== | ||
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== Other issues == | == Other issues == | ||
=== | ===Characters in the Quran=== | ||
There are also characters supposedly contemporary to Muhammad such as [[Abu Lahab]] ({{Quran|111|1}} (and his wife {{Quran|111|4}})) and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zayd_ibn_Haritha_al-Kalbi Zayd] ({{Quran|33|37}}), who have no equivalents in biblical literature to refer to, that are named but not introduced formally - so the meaning of the verses and who they are is highly obscure (if not impossible to understand fully) without secondary literature. | There are also characters supposedly contemporary to Muhammad such as [[Abu Lahab]] ({{Quran|111|1}} (and his wife {{Quran|111|4}})) and [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zayd_ibn_Haritha_al-Kalbi Zayd] ({{Quran|33|37}}), who have no equivalents in biblical literature to refer to, that are named but not introduced formally - so the meaning of the verses and who they are is highly obscure (if not impossible to understand fully) without secondary literature. | ||
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=== Verses that have no meaning and/or make no sense === | === Verses that have no meaning and/or make no sense === | ||
Many verses lack any clear meaning without further context, a few (of many) are given below. For example it is impossible to know what the following verses are talking about by themselves (tafsirs generally link them to angels, though the third verse is sometimes also linked to humans reciting the Quran).<ref>''[https://quranx.com/Tafsir/Jalal/37.1 Tafsir Jalalayn on verse 31:1].'' Al Jalalayn / Jalal ad-Din al-Maḥalli and Jalal ad-Din as-Suyuti. Published in 1505.</ref><ref>''[https://quranx.com/Tafsir/Kathir/37.1 Tafsir Ibn Kathir on Verse 37:1-5]''. Ibn Kathir d 1373.</ref> | Many verses lack any clear meaning without further context, a few (of many) are given below. For example it is impossible to know what the following verses are talking about by themselves (tafsirs generally link them to angels, though the third verse is sometimes also linked to humans reciting the Quran).<ref>''[https://quranx.com/Tafsir/Jalal/37.1 Tafsir Jalalayn on verse 31:1].'' Al Jalalayn / Jalal ad-Din al-Maḥalli and Jalal ad-Din as-Suyuti. Published in 1505.</ref><ref>''[https://quranx.com/Tafsir/Kathir/37.1 Tafsir Ibn Kathir on Verse 37:1-5]''. Ibn Kathir d 1373.</ref>{{Quote|{{Quran|37|1-4}}|“By those ranged in ranks. | ||
{{Quote|{{Quran|37|1-4}}|“By those ranged in ranks. | |||
Then those who drive away with reproof. | Then those who drive away with reproof. | ||
And those who recite a reminder. | And those who recite a reminder. | ||
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{{Quote|{{Quran|9|36}}|The number of months with God is twelve in accordance with God's law since the day He created the heavens and the earth. Of these four are holy. | {{Quote|{{Quran|9|36}}|The number of months with God is twelve in accordance with God's law since the day He created the heavens and the earth. Of these four are holy. | ||
This is the straight reckoning. So do not exceed yourselves during them; but fight the idolaters to the end as they fight you in like manner; and remember, God is with those Who preserve themselves from evil and do the right.}} | This is the straight reckoning. So do not exceed yourselves during them; but fight the idolaters to the end as they fight you in like manner; and remember, God is with those Who preserve themselves from evil and do the right.}} | ||
Even the whole of Surah 105 (Surah of the Elephant) is left unexplained, which we have to look to traditions and commentaries for the meaning and what it is referring to.<ref>E.g. ''[https://quranx.com/Tafsir/Jalal/105.1 Tafsir Jalalayn on verse 105:1.]'' (Al Jalalayn / Jalal ad-Din al-Maḥalli and Jalal ad-Din as-Suyuti. Published in 1505.) summarises the general story.</ref> | Nor the Night of Determination (laylat-ul-qadr) - sometimes translated as the 'Night of Power'. | ||
{{Quote|{{Quran|97|1-5}}|We sent it down in the night of determination. <br>Do you know what the night of determination is?<br> The night of determination is better than a thousand months.<br> In it angels and the spirit descend by permission of their Lord in every matter.<br> It is a blessing until break of day!}} | |||
Nor the seven 'oft-repeated verses'. | |||
{{Quote|{{Quran|15|87}}|And We have certainly given you, [O Muhammad], seven of the often repeated [verses] and the great Qur'an.}} | |||
In Islamic tradition the consensus view is that these seven verses relate to the seven verses of the opening surah al-Fātiha, as to be used as units of every prayer; which nothing in the text itself suggests, and there have been other minority opinions.<ref>See Islamic commentaries for [https://quranx.com/tafsirs/15.87 ''verse 15:87'']</ref> Interestingly Allah is meant to be the speaker of all verses, so without extra-qur'anic material one would simply be left with a statement of prayer to himself, and no instruction/explanation of the reason for its inclusion (as a ritual prayer). | |||
{{Quote|{{Quran|1|1-7}}|1:1 In the name of Allah, the merciful and compassionate | |||
1:2 Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds | |||
1:3 The merciful and compassionate | |||
1:4 Ruler of the day of judgment | |||
1:5 [It is thee] we serve and [it is thee] we implore for help | |||
1:6 Guide us to (or show us) the path of the straight (i.e., righteous) | |||
1:7 Path of those whom you favor, not those who anger you and not those who have gone astray}} | |||
The same issue occurs with the final two 'prayer' surahs, 113 ({{Quran|113|1-5}}) and 114 ({{Quran|114|1-6}}), although these at least open with the statement 'say' (''qul'' قول')<ref>[https://lexicon.quranic-research.net/pdf/Page_2994.pdf قول] - Lane's Lexicon pp. 2294</ref> however there is no context given for why, when and where they are supposed to be said found in the Qur'an. | |||
In fact this happens to many verses throughout the Qur'an, where only later traditions clarify that the whole book is meant to be from Allah, and not just the parts of it that can be gained from reading the Qur'an alone; such as swearing oaths on himself, angels speaking, and the regular (and unnaturally sounding) third person voice. | |||
{{Quote|Bell, Richard., and W. Montgomery. Watt. Introduction to the Quran. Edinburgh, 1977. pp. 66-67|The assumption that God is himself the speaker in every passage, however leads to difficulties. Frequently God is referred to in the third person. It is no doubt allowable for a speaker to refer to himself in the third person occasionally, but the extent to which we find the Prophet apparently being addressed and told about God as a third person, is unusual. It has, in fact, been made a matter of ridicule that in the Quran God is made to swear by himself. That he uses oaths in some of the passages beginning, “I swear (not)…” can hardly be denied [e.g., 75.1, 2; 90.1].…“By thy Lord,” however, is difficult in the mouth of God…. Now there is one passage which everyone acknowledges to be spoken by angels, namely 19.64: “We come not down but by command of thy Lord; to him belongs what is before us and what is behind us and what is between that; nor is thy Lord forgetful, Lord of the heavens and the earth and what is between them; so serve him, and endure patiently in his service; knowest thou to him a namesake?” | |||
In 37.161-166 it is almost equally clear that angels are the speakers. This, once admitted, may be extended to passages in which it is not so clear. In fact, difficulties in many passages are removed by interpreting the “we” of angels rather than of God himself speaking in the plural of majesty. It is not always easy to distinguish between the two, and nice questions sometimes arise in places where there is a sudden change from God being spoken of in the third person to “we” claiming to do things usually ascribed to God, e.g., 6.99; 25.45.}} | |||
Not mentioned are also verses that seem to be spoken by the jinn in surah 72 (surah al-jinn)<ref>Durie, Mark. The Qur’an and Its Biblical Reflexes: Investigations into the Genesis of a Religion pp. 25. (pp. 116 Kindle Edition). Lexington Books. | |||
..There are conversations reported between the Messenger and others and between believers and disbelievers, and there are often rapid switches between different conversations. ''There are even conversations where jinn speak to each other (Q72)...''</ref> beginning from verse 8 onwards, which one would not see as coming from Allah without extra-Quranic appeals.Even the whole of Surah 105 (Surah of the Elephant) is left unexplained, which we have to look to traditions and commentaries for the meaning and what it is referring to.<ref>E.g. ''[https://quranx.com/Tafsir/Jalal/105.1 Tafsir Jalalayn on verse 105:1.]'' (Al Jalalayn / Jalal ad-Din al-Maḥalli and Jalal ad-Din as-Suyuti. Published in 1505.) summarises the general story.</ref> | |||
{{Quote|{{Quran|105|1-5}}|Have you not regarded how your Lord dealt with the army of the elephants? | {{Quote|{{Quran|105|1-5}}|Have you not regarded how your Lord dealt with the army of the elephants? | ||
Did He not put their scheme into ruin? | Did He not put their scheme into ruin? | ||
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And you (are) free (to dwell) in this city. | And you (are) free (to dwell) in this city. | ||
And the begetter and what he begot. | And the begetter and what he begot. | ||
Certainly, We have created man (to be) in hardship.}} | Certainly, We have created man (to be) in hardship.}}Archer (2024) summarises many of the issues, looking at {{Quran|96|8-10}} and others.<ref>''The Prophet’s Whistle: Late Antique Orality, Literacy, and the Quran. pp. 64–67.'' 2024. Archer, George</ref> | ||
{{Quote|<i>The Prophet’s Whistle: Late Antique Orality, Literacy, and the Quran. pp. 43–44.</i>Archer, George|..yet the fact remains that the early Quran is extraordinarily elliptical; it implies identities but almost never identifies. Consider this brief passage from the famous ninety-sixth sura called either “the Clot” (al-ʿAlaq) or “Recite” (Iqraʾ): | |||
<i>Surely to your Lord is the return. Have you seen the one who forbids a slave when he is praying? (Q 96:8–10)</i> | |||
Imagine we were to read this passage cold, without any previous knowledge of the Quran, Muhammad, or Islam. What are the pronouns telling us? We have “your Lord” (rabbika, using the singular possessive your). Who is the you implied here? The whole audience being spoken of but in the singular? The narrator speaking about himself in the second person? Someone in the audience who already affirms this single God as their own? Is this the same “you” implied by “Have you seen” (araʾayta) in the following verse? Does this mean a particular singular person has literally seen a servant who isn’t allowed to worship freely? Does it mean that the narrator of the Quran has seen this happen? Does it mean generally that one sees this sort of thing happen? Likewise, is “the one who” (alladhī) a particular person, and the audience knows exactly who this is? Is this one in the audience? Did the narrator’s eyes dart toward them when he said this, or toward their house? Or is this a general discussion of a type of person? And then who is the “slave” (ʿabd): a slave of God, so any of God’s servants? Slaves or other lower-class people generally? A certain slave whom everyone in town knows? The narrator himself (now in the third person)? <br><br> These questions can go on, and most of them can be at least partially resolved using contextual clues and later Quranic commentaries. Indeed, one of the major functions of so much classical Islamic writing—prophetic epic-biographies, anecdotes, and commentary literatures—is to give the Quran context. But we aren’t asking here who is implied by these sorts of pronouns, conjugations, and possessives; we are asking why there are so many ungrounded implications in the first place. The weight and excess of such indeterminate personal or place markers, without names or even much detail, tells us that the Quran in its early manifestations is quite oral. The divine speech is embodied and conversational. A passage like Q 96 makes no sense without contextualization. The Prophet thought this passage was going to be spoken on a particular date and in front of particular people. The context of the passage is thus assumed. Oral performances must do this; pure literature doesn’t (and often can’t). You are reading or hearing this right now. I have no meaningful idea about who you are, and you don’t know where I am writing this passage. But when the Quranic narrator says, “No, I swear by this land and you are a lawful resident in this land,” the listener knows they personally are “you,” can see the “I,” and are standing on the “land.”<sup>8</sup> This kind of speech is entirely situational; it only makes sense in a very precise context.}} | |||
==Criticism of hadiths== | ==Criticism of hadiths== | ||
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The entire method of verifying isnads<ref>https://www.britannica.com/topic/isnad</ref> (a chain of narrators leading back to the prophet or his companions), and therefore the hadith, as being classed as authentic, good, weak or fabricated is also never mentioned in the Qur'an. These tell the reader whether they should be followed or not, so are of utter importance to the religion. However as Britannica notes, these are also a non-contemporary (to Muhammad or early companion's of his) invention:{{Quote|{{cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/isnad |title=Britannica entry on 'Isnads'}}|During Muhammad’s lifetime and after his death, hadiths were usually quoted by his Companions and contemporaries and were not prefaced by isnāds; only after a generation or two (c. 700 CE) did the isnād appear to enhance the weight of its text. In the 2nd century AH (after 720 CE), when the example of the Prophet as embodied in hadiths—rather than local custom as developed in Muslim communities—was established as the norm (sunnah) for an Islamic way of life, a wholesale creation of hadiths, all “substantiated” by elaborate isnāds, resulted. Since hadiths were the basis of virtually all Islamic scholarship, especially Qurʾānic exegesis (tafsīr) and legal theory (fiqh), Muslim scholars had to determine scientifically which of them were authentic. This was done by a careful scrutiny of the isnāds, rating each hadith according to the completeness of its chain of transmitters and the reliability and orthodoxy of its authorities.}}This has resulted in many different large collections across different books, which examining them all and personally scrutinising these chains being such an enormous task, it is usually simply left to scholars to issue rulings on matters, rather than a personal reading. | The entire method of verifying isnads<ref>https://www.britannica.com/topic/isnad</ref> (a chain of narrators leading back to the prophet or his companions), and therefore the hadith, as being classed as authentic, good, weak or fabricated is also never mentioned in the Qur'an. These tell the reader whether they should be followed or not, so are of utter importance to the religion. However as Britannica notes, these are also a non-contemporary (to Muhammad or early companion's of his) invention:{{Quote|{{cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/isnad |title=Britannica entry on 'Isnads'}}|During Muhammad’s lifetime and after his death, hadiths were usually quoted by his Companions and contemporaries and were not prefaced by isnāds; only after a generation or two (c. 700 CE) did the isnād appear to enhance the weight of its text. In the 2nd century AH (after 720 CE), when the example of the Prophet as embodied in hadiths—rather than local custom as developed in Muslim communities—was established as the norm (sunnah) for an Islamic way of life, a wholesale creation of hadiths, all “substantiated” by elaborate isnāds, resulted. Since hadiths were the basis of virtually all Islamic scholarship, especially Qurʾānic exegesis (tafsīr) and legal theory (fiqh), Muslim scholars had to determine scientifically which of them were authentic. This was done by a careful scrutiny of the isnāds, rating each hadith according to the completeness of its chain of transmitters and the reliability and orthodoxy of its authorities.}}This has resulted in many different large collections across different books, which examining them all and personally scrutinising these chains being such an enormous task, it is usually simply left to scholars to issue rulings on matters, rather than a personal reading. | ||
{{Quote|{{cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/isnad |title= Britannica entry on 'ʿilm al-ḥadīth'}}|Many scholars produced collections of hadiths, the earliest compilation being the great Musnad of Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, arranged by isnād. But only six collections, known as al-kutub al-sittah (“the six books”), arranged by matn—those of al-Bukhārī (died 870), Muslim ibn al-Ḥajjāj (died 875), Abū Dāʾūd (died 888), al-Tirmidhī (died 892), Ibn Mājāh (died 886), and al-Nasāʾī (died 915)—came to be recognized as canonical in orthodox Islam, though the books of al-Bukhārī and Muslim enjoy a prestige that virtually eclipses the other four.}} | {{Quote|{{cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/isnad |title= Britannica entry on 'ʿilm al-ḥadīth'}}|Many scholars produced collections of hadiths, the earliest compilation being the great Musnad of Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, arranged by isnād. But only six collections, known as al-kutub al-sittah (“the six books”), arranged by matn—those of al-Bukhārī (died 870), Muslim ibn al-Ḥajjāj (died 875), Abū Dāʾūd (died 888), al-Tirmidhī (died 892), Ibn Mājāh (died 886), and al-Nasāʾī (died 915)—came to be recognized as canonical in orthodox Islam, though the books of al-Bukhārī and Muslim enjoy a prestige that virtually eclipses the other four.}}[https://www.rug.nl/staff/j.j.little/?lang=en Dr Joshua Little], on [https://islamicstudies.harvard.edu/people/javad-hashmi Dr. Javad T. Hashmi]'s YouTube channel gives a brief overview of 21 core reasons historians are skeptical of their historical value and accuracy in the video [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bz4vMUUxhag Oxford Scholar Dr. Joshua Little Gives 21 REASONS Why Historians are SKEPTICAL of Hadith]. The list as he notes is in order of the weakest reasons to the strongest, i.e. the most damming points are found later in the video. As Joshua notes at 1:32:10, the first seven are the most trivial in comparison (though are still highly problematic and important to understand, and give context to the rest). If their historical value is of doubt then so are key parts of both Sunni and Shia scripture. | ||
<u>Timestamps:</u> | |||
* 0:00 Introduction | |||
* 4:43 Hadith compared to other sources of history | |||
* 12:15 Transmission of hadith vs Transmission of the Qur'an | |||
* 15:46 Difference between oral and written preservation | |||
* 18:42 Discussion on skepticism and revisionism | |||
* 35:42 Meta-historiography; traditionalist dismissal that skepticism is fringe and outdated | |||
# 42:22 Prior probability of false ascription in religious-historical material | |||
# 47:13 The earliest extant collections were recensions from the ninth century onwards | |||
# 56:23 Hadith are full of contradictions | |||
# 1:03:51 A large number of hadith suspiciously look exactly like later religious sectarian, political, tribal, familial, and other partisan, polemical and apologetic creations | |||
# 1:08:45 Hadith talking about later terms, later institutions, later events, and later phenomena. | |||
# 1:11:51 Putative supernatural explanations for texts have a vanishingly low prior probability of explaining the existence of these reports | |||
# 1:27:48 Reports of mass fabrication | |||
# 1:32:04 Isnads rose relatively late, and became widespread even later | |||
# 1:44:33 Early usage of the word Sunnah was a generic notion of sunnah as good practice, which was not specifically Prophetical, and was independent of hadith | |||
# 1:52:44 A rapid numerical growth in hadith can be observed | |||
# 1:57:01 Absence of Hadith in early sources | |||
# 1:59:49 Retrojection of hadith; ratio of cited hadith changes from mostly ascribed to followers then to companions then to the Prophet | |||
# 2:09:02 Various peculiar correlations, descriptions, and content that don't make sense as a product of genuine historical transmission but make more sense as a product of later debates and later ascription preferences | |||
# 2:17:45 Hadith contradicting earlier literary and archeological sources | |||
# 2:21:08 Orality means less precision in transmission | |||
# 2:31:17 Extreme variation, early rapid mutation and distortion across the hadith corpus | |||
# 2:34:28 Artificial literary or narrative elements; Recurring topoi | |||
# 2:37:53 Hadith exhibit telltale signs of storyteller construction | |||
# 2:40:25 Exegetical reports about the context of the Quran are exegesis in disguise | |||
# 2:45:32 Recurring disconnect between the Hadith and the Qur'an in terms of historical memory | |||
# 2:50:30 There was no effective method for distinguishing between authentic and inauthentic hadith | |||
* 2:58:03 Conclusion | |||
In a separate video on the channel Sképsislamica, Joshua Little defends accepting a historical Muhammad as being the founder of Islam despite the issues with hadith, called [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tm9QU5uB3To Did Muhammad Exist? An Academic response to a Popular Question], where from ~20:00 - 1:37:39, he elaborates on these, but this time focusing on biographical hadith, with the points raised adding even more weight to the arguments against their accuracy. | |||
== Additional Points == | |||
=== Differences between the Meccan - Medinan Split === | |||
As Mark Durie notes, there are stark differences between the Meccan and Medinan split of the role of Muhammad, in which he goes from a mere 'warner' to a military leader of a new theocracy requiring complete obedience alongside God. | |||
{{Quote|Durie, Mark. The Qur’an and Its Biblical Reflexes: Investigations into the Genesis of a Religion (pp. 174-177). Lexington Books.|Before the Eschatological Transition the Messenger is “only” a “bringer of good news” (bashīr) and “a warner” (nadhīr) (Q7:188; Q17:105; Q25:1), with no “authority” or “lawful power” (sulṭān), just like previous messengers (Q14:11). Other pre-transitional descriptions of the Messenger are in the same vein: he is neither a “watcher” (ḥafīẓ; Q6:104, 107; Q11:86; Q42:48), nor a “guardian” (wakīl; Q6:66, 107; Q10:108; Q11:12; Q17:54; Q25:43; Q39:41; Q42:6), nor a “controller” or “record-keeper”12 (muṣayṭir; Q88:21–22), nor a “tyrant” (jabbār; Q50:45) over believers, nor does he himself guide them (Q28:56),13 so “nothing of their account (falls) on you” (Q6:52).14 For believers, the emphasis at this stage is on believing the signs of Alla¯h, trusting in Alla¯h, rejecting association (shirk), and being eager to do good deeds, including making contributions (zakat), and performing daily prayers [...] | |||
[...] After the transition, the community of believers becomes dissociated from disbelievers, who are not to be taken as “allies.” The believers are a more regulated community, which now “commands right and forbids wrong,” exercising authority even over disbelievers. The Messenger’s function also changes after the transition, when he assumes a position of command over believers, whose duty is no longer merely to listen to the Messenger and believe, but to obey, giving him their total personal allegiance (Sinai 2015–2016, 68). The community is now to “obey Alla¯h and (obey) His/the Messenger,” for “Whoever obeys the Messenger has obeyed Alla¯h” (Q4:80).15 It is striking that the formula “obey Alla¯h and (obey) His/the Messenger” appears 21 times in post-transitional sūrahs but never in pre-transitional sūrahs. The phrase “Alla¯h and the/his Messenger” joins the authority of the Messenger to that of Alla¯h.16 “Alla¯h” is conjoined with “the/his Messenger” (and sometimes “messengers”) 97 times after the transition, in 16 of the 23 post-transitional sūrahs, but only twice before the transition (Q72:23 and Q7:158). [...] | |||
[...] Before the transition the emphasis is on believing Alla¯h’s warnings through the Messenger, and responding to these warnings by doing good deeds. After the transition the emphasis is on obedience in conformity to the specific instructions—the “limits”—brought by the Messenger, who is paired with Alla¯h in authority over believers.}} | |||
Which is when the Qur'an shows this development, creating problems for Quranists. Critics content this change in theology shows a man-made difference in response to the surrounding circumstances rather than a consistent God as is claimed in {{Quran|35|43}} ''(But you will never find in the way of Allah any change, and you will never find in the way of Allah any alteration''). | |||
==See Also== | ==See Also== | ||