Exposing Islam

Why Do Quranists Reject Hadiths?

Quranists argue that only the Quran is authoritative, and Hadiths are human inventions added long after Muhammad. Their reasoning comes from within Islam itself, based on theological, historical, and logical arguments.

1️⃣ The Quran Says It’s Complete & Self-Sufficient

Quranists base their rejection of Hadiths on verses that emphasize the Quran’s completeness:

Surah 6:38 – "We have neglected nothing in the Book."
Surah 16:89 – "We have sent down the Book as a clarification for all things."

💡 If the Quran itself says it contains everything needed, then why would Hadiths be necessary? If Allah wanted Hadiths to be essential, wouldn’t He have included them in the Quran itself?

2️⃣ The Quran Warns Against Following Other Books

Some Quranic verses seem to directly warn against following anything other than the Quran:

Surah 45:6 – "Then in what statement after this [Quran] will they believe?"
Surah 7:185 – "In what discourse after this will they believe?"

📌 Quranists interpret this as a rejection of Hadiths—because Hadiths are literally “other statements” that came after the Quran.

3️⃣ Hadiths Were Compiled 200+ Years After Muhammad

Historically speaking, the first major Hadith collections (Bukhari, Muslim, etc.) appeared over two centuries after Muhammad’s death.

Before that, Hadiths were passed orally, increasing the chances of fabrication and distortion.
Even Imam Bukhari, the most respected Hadith compiler, rejected 99% of what he collected, meaning the majority of Hadiths were fabricated.
If so many Hadiths were false, how can anyone be sure even the "authentic" ones are real?

🤨 Logical problem: If Hadiths were truly necessary for Islam, why were they not written down during Muhammad’s lifetime like the Quran?

4️⃣ Hadiths Contradict the Quran

One of the biggest reasons Quranists reject Hadiths is that some of them outright contradict Quranic teachings.

Example: Apostasy Punishment

Quran (2:256) – “There is no compulsion in religion.”
Hadith (Sahih Bukhari 6922) – “Whoever changes his religion, kill him.”

💡 The Hadith commands execution for apostasy, while the Quran clearly says faith should be a choice. Quranists argue that since Allah’s word is unchangeable, this Hadith must be false.

Example: Stoning for Adultery

Quran (24:2) – Punishment for adultery = 100 lashes
Hadith (Sahih Muslim 1691, Abu Dawood 4411) – Punishment for adultery = stoning to death

💡 Nowhere in the Quran does Allah mention stoning for adultery, yet Hadiths add this punishment. Quranists argue that if Allah intended stoning, He would have included it in the Quran.

5️⃣ Sectarian Differences on Hadiths Show Their Subjectivity

Even among Sunni and Shia Muslims, they don’t even agree on which Hadiths to trust.

Group	View on Hadiths
Sunnis	Follow Bukhari & Muslim as the most authentic.
Shias	Reject most Sunni Hadiths, only trust those from Ahlul Bayt (Muhammad’s family).
Quranists	Reject all Hadiths—only the Quran matters.

📌 If Hadiths were truly divinely protected, there wouldn’t be this much disagreement about which ones are reliable.

Counterarguments – Do Quranists Have It Wrong?

Most mainstream Islamic scholars reject the Quranist view and argue that Hadiths are necessary for understanding the Quran.

🚨 Mainstream Islamic Argument:
👉 "The Quran doesn’t contain all the details on how to pray, fast, or perform Hajj. We need Hadiths for practical guidance."

🤨 Quranist Response:
👉 "If the Quran is truly complete (6:38, 16:89), then it should contain everything necessary for worship. If something is missing, that means Allah didn’t think it was important enough to include."

📌 The big question: If Allah really intended for Hadiths to be followed, why didn’t He mention them even once in the Quran?

Final Verdict – Do Quranists Have a Point?

✅ From a Quranic perspective: Their argument is strong—the Quran repeatedly emphasizes that it is complete and warns against following anything else.

✅ From a historical perspective: They also have a solid case—Hadiths were collected centuries later, mostly through oral tradition, and many were proven to be fabricated.

❌ From a traditional Islamic perspective: Rejecting Hadiths means abandoning the details of prayer, fasting, and law—which mainstream Muslims argue are necessary.

🚨 But here’s the key issue:

If Hadiths contradict the Quran, that’s a huge red flag.
If Hadiths were fabricated, that means Islam has been practicing laws not originally commanded by Allah.
And if Hadiths were truly necessary, Allah would have commanded their preservation—but He didn’t.

📌 Final thought? Quranists might be on to something—and their argument raises serious questions about the legitimacy of Hadiths as divine guidance.