Following the Quran Alone Is Disbelief?

The majority of sectarians (Hadith followers) say that those who only follow the Quran are “Kafir,” but does that ideology stand when we look at the Word of Allah?

Let’s see, according to the Quran, who is a true believer and who is the “Kafir.”

So, we already know that the Quran constantly tells us that the Messenger of Allah SWT followed only what was revealed to him.

"...I cannot change it on my own accord. I only follow what is revealed to me, for I fear, if I were to disobey my Lord, the punishment of a tremendous day."

"I do not say to you that I possess the treasuries of Allah, nor do I know the unseen, nor do I say to you that I am an angel. I only follow what is revealed to me."

"And when you do not bring them a sign, they say, ‘Why do you not select it?’ Say, ‘I only follow what is revealed to me from my Lord.’"

And we know that what was revealed to the Messenger as guidance for all of mankind was the Quran.

"What thing is the greatest testimony? Say: ‘Allah is a witness between me and you and this Quran was revealed to me that I may warn you with it and whoever it reaches.’"

So, we can see that the Messenger himself only followed the Quran. One Book. Not multiple. And his following only the guidance of Allah SWT made him a Muslim. But when a regular person does it, it makes them a Kafir?

What about the previous people? What did they follow? Did they follow Hadith narrations along with the Torah and the Injil, or did they only follow the guidance of Allah?

Well, Allah SWT says in 5:47:

"And let the people of the Injil judge by what Allah has revealed IN IT. And whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed, then it is those who are defiantly disobedient."

Allah said to the people of the Injil to judge by what was IN IT. In what? The Injil. Because that is what He revealed to them.

Then He said: “And whoever DOES NOT judge by what Allah has revealed, they are the ‘Fasiqun’ (Defiantly Disobedient).”

So, the people of the Injil were told to judge by the Injil because that was their revelation. And they could not judge by anything that was not revelation.

Also, before He mentions the people of the Injil, He mentions the Jews and what they used to judge by.

Allah said in 5:44:

"Indeed, We sent down the Tawrat, in which was guidance and light. The prophets who submitted to Allah judged by it for the Jews, as did the rabbis and scholars, by what they were entrusted with of the Book of Allah, and they were witnesses to it. So do not fear the people, but fear Me, and do not exchange My verses for a small price. And whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed—then those are the disbelievers."

So Allah said that the prophets and the Jews used to judge by the Tawrat, as did the rabbis and their scholars, by what they were entrusted with of the BOOK.

Then it says that whoever does NOT judge by what Allah has revealed, they are the disbelievers (Kafir).

So they needed to judge by their Book because it was revelation. And if they judged by something that was not revelation, that would make them Kafir.

So they were believers…Muslims, when they only followed what was revealed—the Tawrat and Injil.

Why is it that when it comes to the previous prophets and their people, they relied on the guidance revealed by Allah, and that was sufficient for them? Yet when it comes to Muhammad and his people, they say there are additional external sources outside of the Qur’an for religious guidance and rulings? If Allah’s revealed guidance was sufficient for the previous communities, why would Muhammad’s community need additional sources of religious guidance outside of what Allah revealed in the Qur’an? Clearly, something is not adding up here.

As those who only follow the Quran, we judge only by the revelation of Allah SWT. We don’t judge by anything else. We don’t believe in anything else unless it is the previous scripture, which Allah commands us to believe in.

We believe the Quran is fully detailed, as Allah tells us in 12:111.

"…And a detailed explanation of Everything (Kulli Shayin), and a guidance and mercy for a people who believe."

And we believe that because Allah revealed a fully detailed Book, there is no need to go to any other source for guidance.

We also believe that going to something other than the Quran for religious guidance is “seeking other than Allah as a judge.”

"Then is it other than Allah I should seek as judge while it is He who has revealed to you the Book explained in detail?"

Those who follow only the Quran—only the revelation—believe that the Quran is complete and that the religion of Allah is complete. That makes us like the Jews and the people of the Injil, whom Allah told to judge by the revelation.

When it comes to those who follow Hadith, they judge by other than the revelation for guidance and try to claim that Allah told them to do so.

Not only that, but they believe Allah SWT’s Book to be incomplete. They do not believe the Quran to be fully detailed, even though Allah explicitly states so.

They say there is missing information in regard to our rituals and mandatory acts of worship that we need to do for the religion.

They seek other than Allah as a judge.

They accept rulings, laws, and commandments that are not from Allah, nor did the Messenger deliver them as revelation. They are man-made.

They even have their own Tafsir, which they created, and it is influenced by the Hadith narrations.

They have divided their religion into sects—Sunni, Shia, Sufi, Salafi, etc.—even though Allah explicitly states not to.

"[Adhere to it], turning in repentance to Him, and fear Him and establish prayer and do not be of those who associate others with Allah, of those who have divided their religion and become sects, every faction rejoicing in what it has."

What is Allah telling us in these verses?

Allah is telling us that those who divide their religion into sects are the Mushriks (associators). But the sectarians are calling those who follow only the Quran and who refuse to separate into a sect… Kafir.

Instead of abiding by the guidance of Allah, they are judging by their man-made doctrine and, in turn, can’t see how wrong they are.

So, when it comes to someone who only follows the Quran, the revelation of Allah, versus someone who judges by something that is NOT revelation, it’s clear that according to the Quran, those who follow only the Quran would be considered believers, and those who follow Hadith would be considered disbelievers.