1. The Qur’an itself commands Muslims to follow the Prophet ﷺ
While the Qur’an is the foundation of Islam, it also explicitly tells believers to follow the teachings and example of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
For example:
“Whoever obeys the Messenger has indeed obeyed Allah.”
(Qur’an 4:80)
“And whatever the Messenger gives you, take it; and whatever he forbids you, refrain from it.”
(Qur’an 59:7)
“Indeed, in the Messenger of Allah you have an excellent example (uswah hasanah) for whoever hopes for Allah and the Last Day.”
(Qur’an 33:21)
So — the Qur’an itself requires Muslims to obey the Prophet’s guidance. That means the Qur’an cannot be separated from the Sunnah (the Prophet’s sayings, actions, and approvals).
2. The Qur’an gives general principles, while the Sunnah explains the details
Many Islamic rulings in the Qur’an are brief and need explanation.
For example:
The Qur’an commands prayer (ṣalāh) — but it doesn’t specify how to pray (how many rak‘ahs, what to say, etc.).
→ The Prophet ﷺ demonstrated this: “Pray as you have seen me pray.” (Bukhārī)
The Qur’an commands zakāh — but doesn’t give the exact amounts or categories.
→ The Sunnah gives the details.
The Qur’an commands pilgrimage (ḥajj) — but doesn’t describe all its ritual steps.
→ The Prophet ﷺ said: “Take from me your rites.” (Muslim)
Without the Sunnah, these key practices would be impossible to perform correctly.
3. The role of Hadith and Sunnah
The Hadith are recorded reports of what the Prophet said or did; the Sunnah is his living example.
They preserve the practical implementation of Islam.
Rejecting them means rejecting the Prophet’s authority — which the Qur’an forbids.
4. The danger of “Qur’an-only” Islam
Those who claim to follow “Qur’an only” end up with:
Contradictory interpretations (since everyone reads it in their own way),
Loss of the Prophet’s example,
And a religion that no longer matches what the earliest Muslims practiced.
Islam as understood by the Prophet’s Companions (the Sahābah) always combined Qur’an + Sunnah.
1. The Qur’an itself commands Muslims to follow the Prophet ﷺ
While the Qur’an is the foundation of Islam, it also explicitly tells believers to follow the teachings and example of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
For example:
“Whoever obeys the Messenger has indeed obeyed Allah.”
(Qur’an 4:80)
“And whatever the Messenger gives you, take it; and whatever he forbids you, refrain from it.”
(Qur’an 59:7)
“Indeed, in the Messenger of Allah you have an excellent example (uswah hasanah) for whoever hopes for Allah and the Last Day.”
(Qur’an 33:21)
So — the Qur’an itself requires Muslims to obey the Prophet’s guidance. That means the Qur’an cannot be separated from the Sunnah (the Prophet’s sayings, actions, and approvals).
2. The Qur’an gives general principles, while the Sunnah explains the details
Many Islamic rulings in the Qur’an are brief and need explanation.
For example:
The Qur’an commands prayer (ṣalāh) — but it doesn’t specify how to pray (how many rak‘ahs, what to say, etc.).
→ The Prophet ﷺ demonstrated this: “Pray as you have seen me pray.” (Bukhārī)
The Qur’an commands zakāh — but doesn’t give the exact amounts or categories.
→ The Sunnah gives the details.
The Qur’an commands pilgrimage (ḥajj) — but doesn’t describe all its ritual steps.
→ The Prophet ﷺ said: “Take from me your rites.” (Muslim)
Without the Sunnah, these key practices would be impossible to perform correctly.
3. The role of Hadith and Sunnah
The Hadith are recorded reports of what the Prophet said or did; the Sunnah is his living example.
They preserve the practical implementation of Islam.
Rejecting them means rejecting the Prophet’s authority — which the Qur’an forbids.
4. The danger of “Qur’an-only” Islam
Those who claim to follow “Qur’an only” end up with:
Contradictory interpretations (since everyone reads it in their own way),
Loss of the Prophet’s example,
And a religion that no longer matches what the earliest Muslims practiced.
Islam as understood by the Prophet’s Companions (the Sahābah) always combined Qur’an + Sunnah.
