Exposing Islam

The Qur’an Does Not Rule Over the Sunnah; the Sunnah Rules Over the Qur’an

Introduction: The Hidden Hierarchy in Islam

In mainstream Islamic discourse, the Qur'an is proudly paraded as the ultimate, unchallengeable word of God—a complete, final, and preserved revelation. Muslims are taught that it stands above all else, including the sayings and actions of Muhammad, known collectively as the Sunnah. But is that actually true in practice? Or is this hierarchy reversed behind the scenes?

This post investigates the power dynamic between the Qur’an and the Sunnah from a purely evidence-based perspective, exposing a startling truth: in Islamic orthodoxy, it is not the Qur’an that governs the Sunnah, but the Sunnah that overrides, interprets, limits, and even abrogates the Qur’an.

This has massive theological implications. If true, it undermines the Qur’an’s claim of completeness (Qur'an 6:114), self-sufficiency (Qur'an 16:89), and clarity (Qur'an 12:111). Worse still, it exposes a structural inconsistency in Islam's foundation: the so-called "eternal word of God" is subordinate to historical hearsay.

Part I: Defining the Players — Qur’an vs. Sunnah

What is the Qur’an?

The Qur’an is the book believed by Muslims to be the literal word of God, revealed to the Prophet Muhammad over 23 years. It is seen as perfect, eternal, and complete.

What is the Sunnah?

The Sunnah is the record of Muhammad's words, actions, and approvals, preserved in the Hadith literature. The most canonical Sunni Hadith collections (e.g., Sahih Bukhari, Sahih Muslim) were compiled over 200 years after Muhammad's death based on oral reports, often with inconsistent chains of transmission and varying authenticity.

The Core Claim of the Qur’an

The Qur’an itself makes some bold declarations:

Self-sufficiency: "We have not neglected anything in the Book" (Qur'an 6:38)
Clarity: "This [Qur'an] is a clear explanation for mankind" (Qur'an 12:111)
Final authority: "Shall I seek other than God as a judge when He has sent to you the Book explained in detail?" (Qur'an 6:114)

These verses strongly imply that the Qur’an is the final authority in Islam. But now let's test that claim against historical, legal, and theological reality.

Part II: The Sunnah as Interpretive Lens

1. The Qur’an Is Not Allowed to Speak for Itself

Mainstream scholars routinely claim that the Qur’an cannot be understood without the Sunnah. For example, Saudi Sheikh Ibn Baz stated:

“It is obligatory upon the Muslim to take the interpretation of the Qur’an from the Sunnah.”

Thus, even if a verse in the Qur’an is self-explanatory, Islamic orthodoxy insists it cannot be acted upon unless corroborated by the Sunnah.

2. The Sunnah Overrides the Literal Meaning of the Qur’an

Take the verse on ablution:

Qur'an 5:6 clearly prescribes washing the feet. But the Hadith in Sahih Muslim (Book 2, Hadith 464) describes the Prophet merely wiping over leather socks.

This variance is accepted in fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) because the Sunnah "clarifies" the Qur'an. But if the Qur’an is truly clear, why does it need correction?

3. Legal Authority Is Derived from the Sunnah, Not the Qur’an

Out of the roughly 6,236 verses in the Qur’an, fewer than 500 pertain to law. The majority of Islamic jurisprudence is derived from Hadith. The Qur’an gives no punishment for apostasy or stoning for adultery—yet both are enforced via Hadith.

This inversion places the Sunnah above the Qur’an in actual practice.

Part III: The Sunnah Abrogates the Qur’an

1. Doctrine of Naskh (Abrogation)

Islamic law holds that some Qur'anic verses cancel others (Qur’an 2:106). But more troubling is the fact that Hadith can cancel Qur’an.

2. Stoning vs. Lashing

Qur'an 24:2: "The woman and the man guilty of adultery or fornication, flog each of them with a hundred stripes."
Sahih al-Bukhari 6830: "The married adulterer is to be stoned."

Here, a Hadith abrogates a Qur'anic verse. Scholars like Al-Shafi’i explicitly argue that the Sunnah can abrogate the Qur’an.

3. Missing Verses in Hadith

Umar ibn Al-Khattab is reported to have said: "The verse of stoning was revealed, but we did not write it down." (Sahih Bukhari 6829)

If verses can disappear but the rulings remain through Hadith, how is the Qur'an supreme?

Part IV: Political and Sectarian Utility of Sunnah Supremacy

1. Power Consolidation

The Sunnah became a tool for expanding clerical control. Because Hadith are more ambiguous and less verifiable than the Qur’an, scholars could justify wide-ranging interpretations.

2. The Sunnah as Legal Trojan Horse

Many draconian Sharia laws (e.g., stoning, apostasy death penalty, child marriage) have no Qur’anic basis. Their origin is Sunnah, yet they are enforced with the weight of divine law.

This allowed rulers and clerics to legislate harsh doctrines while deflecting blame onto "the religion."

Part V: Logical Consequences of Sunnah Supremacy

1. Contradiction of Qur’anic Claims

If the Qur’an is complete and clear, it should need no supplement. Yet the Sunnah is considered essential.

This yields a contradiction:

Premise 1: The Qur’an is complete and self-sufficient.
Premise 2: The Sunnah is essential to understand the Qur’an.
Conclusion: The Qur’an is not complete or self-sufficient.

Logical status: Contradiction (Reductio ad Absurdum).

2. Undermining Divine Preservation

Muslims claim the Qur'an is preserved perfectly (Qur'an 15:9). But if parts of its rulings were preserved only in Hadith—compiled generations later from oral reports—then the Qur'an alone is insufficient.

This collapses the doctrine of divine preservation.

Conclusion: A Religion Ruled by the Secondary Source

The evidence is overwhelming: in both classical jurisprudence and modern Islamic practice, the Sunnah—not the Qur’an—is the true legislative authority. It interprets, overrides, and even nullifies Qur’anic rulings. It fills in all the legal gaps the Qur’an supposedly didn’t leave, turning it from a "complete book" into a skeleton framework dependent on external scaffolding.

This reversal invalidates the Qur’an’s claims of being:

A clear guide
A fully detailed scripture
The final authority

It also exposes the deeply political nature of Islamic legal tradition. The Sunnah is a clerical wildcard—mutable, unverifiable, and easily manipulated. It grants immense interpretive power to scholars and rulers, undermining any notion of fixed divine law.

So let’s be clear: Islam does not operate as a Qur’an-based religion. It is a Hadith-based system that merely references the Qur’an when convenient.

Sources

Qur'an 6:114; 16:89; 12:111; 5:6; 24:2
Sahih al-Bukhari 6829, 6830; Sahih Muslim Book 2, Hadith 464
Al-Shafi’i, Risala, on the Sunnah abrogating the Qur’an
Jonathan A.C. Brown, Hadith: Muhammad’s Legacy in the Medieval and Modern World
G.H.A. Juynboll, The Authenticity of the Tradition Literature (Brill, 1969)
A.J. Wensinck, The Muslim Creed

Disclaimer This post critiques Islam as an ideology, doctrine, and historical system—not Muslims as individuals. Every human deserves respect; beliefs do not.