I am hoping to seek a final affirmed answer to a question that has plagued me for a long while.

Though i cannot claim myself to be a good muslim like most of the people here, i do hope that with your help and input i am able find answers.

I hope to attain the strength to be a better Muslim by your opinions.

We all understand that the Holy Quran was sourced or created by means of divinity. This is to say that the words of the Holy Quran have come directly from Allah and nowhere else. No muslims would deny that. All muslims agree that the Holy Quran are the words of Allah and thus it must command the utmost respect.

If all Muslims accept that the Holy Quran is the word of Allah then it must also be accepted that any rules, regulations or guidance set out to us by Allah via the Holy Quran must be followed….. unless of course you have already chosen Hell fire as your eternal abode.

One such rule, regulation or guidance (for want of a better word) stipulated within the Holy Quran prohibits ALL muslims from placing any written connotation on a par (whether level or not) with the Holy Quran. Though i can't recollect what part of the holy Quran this is contained in (perhaps someone would be kind enough to clarify this passage from the Holy Quran for me) it is abundantly clear that Allah forbids us from placing any material (written or otherwise) on the same pedestal as the Holy Quran. Neither should we take the words of another book or series of books in place or in the same Holy 'Sphere' of the Quran.

The New Testament (Bible) is a clear example of what can happen if this is allowed. The New Testament contains the Torah (Jewish Holy book) and Christian scriptures detailing events of Jesus' (Issa) life, his teachings form people who may or may not have encountered him. Aside form the Torah, these teachings were merely recollections at best from sources that were either good or bad depending on which side of the Christian denomination you sit on. This was open to misrepresentation and The New Testament was systematically and deliberately used for personal gain and slowly changed over a long period of time until it reached a point today whereby the message of Issa (peace be upon him) is completely mis-understood. Let's not forget it was a Roman emperor who put together the very first Bible. Not Jesus, not God. The Bible is a religious volume which contains the Torah (Old testament) and these scriptures (New Testament). The Roman Emperor, Augustos, determined which scriptures to use and which to leave out. So in essence it was his book, not the book of god.

Thus the dangers of intertwining the word of man with the word of God should be clear to us and we should not take it upon ourselves to add written works (however authenticated it may seem) to our 'holy bookshelf'. The Quran has all the answers. That is the point of the Quran. To have all of the answers. A divine book that can guide and teach us. If Allah felt we need to acquire additional knowledge by reading other materials, then those materials or subject matters would have been included in the Holy Quran? Allah is most wise and i simply cannot comprehend that he may have 'missed' things out or 'forgot' to include them.

Which brings me to my main point and the crux of my post…………..

If we agree with that the Holy Quran is the single most important source of information on how to be a Muslim properly and live your life accordingly, and also agree that we should only use the Holy Quran as a guide in our life as stipulated by Alllah Almighty………...then why do we place so much importance on the Hadith?

The Hadith (and i am talking about all of them from the most authenticated to the least) all share one common denominator……….they are not from Allah.

The hadith, a collection of written accounts on the Prophet, his life and teachings by various people from one of his wives to other people whom he may or may not have encountered, were all written after the the world was enlightened with the truth of the Quran.

Surely, if you place holy importance on the Hadith, then in essence what you are saying is that the Holy Quran isn't/wasn't as complete as it should be. If it was, you wouldn't need anything else.

This post is not meant to antagonise or disenfranchise anyone. I'm simply seeking answers to a contentious discussion point that has wrestled my mind for decades.

Im hoping with your input i shall finally find my answer.

Let's discuss.

Al-Saracen