Those who claim Muslims idolize Muhammad following his hadith and sunnah written about 200 years after his death without reflecting to the fact that there was no existence of his sayings and deeds when the Quran was being revealed to him. But the present generation has reached a high in idolizing him including his residence, furniture, clothes, other materials used by him, even his shoes that we cannot think of their idolization. We can find enough proofs that these alleged hadith and sunnah are innovations and big lies, not only from the Quran but also from the historical perspective. However, God has given opportunity for those who idolize him if they could reflect from knowing the Quran, a scripture to hold fast to Him (7:170) to get rid of it to avoid a painful punishment in the Hereafter; but it is unfortunate that the idolizers could not realize while they are idolizing other than God taking equal to Him except on a day of the Judgment when whom they have idolized will disown them and their destination is Hell because of nullifying their all works and they will not be given any chance to exit it (2:165-167):
[2:165] And among the people whoever takes other than God equals, they love them as love for God, while those who have believed have much more love for God. If he could see those who have wronged when they would see the punishment that all power belongs to God, and that God is severe in the punishment.
[2:166] When has disowned those who have been followed of those who have followed them, and they have seen the punishment, and have cut off the relations with them.
[2:167] And those who have followed said, “If that there is any return for us, we would disown from them, as they disown from us.” Thus that God will show them their deeds as regrets for them, and they are those who are not coming out of the Fire.
However, the so called scholars refer to certain verses from the Quran to support the alleged hadith and sunnah being teachings of Islam misinterpreting them to continue their business with the religion disregarding what will happen to them or to their followers on a day of the Judgment, are detailed below:
Core verses
The following verses in the Quran are frequently referred to stem to have support from God to follow Muhammad’s sayings and deeds and to idolize him:
[3:31] Say: “If you have pledged to love God, you shall follow me.” Then God will love you and will forgive for you your sins, and God is Forgiving, Merciful.
Note: This order is from God for the contemporary believers to follow the prophet for the message what has been sent down to Muhammad i.e., the Quran when he had a direct contact with the people. Hence, the order for us now is very simple to follow the message (Quran) what he left for us but none can find any logic to interpret it to be an order from God for the believers of the subsequent generations to praise him or follow his sayings or the way he had led his family life.
[7:157] Those who follow the messenger, the gentile prophet whom they find written in the Torah and the Gospel with them. He enjoins them with the right, and forbids them from the evil, and makes lawful for them the good things, and makes unlawful for them the bad things, and relieves from them their burdens and the shackles which has been upon them. So, those who have believed in him, and have honored him, and have supported him, and have followed the light which has been sent down with him, those – they are the successful ones.
Note: The verse has addressed the contemporary Jews and Christians to believe and follow what has come down to gentile prophet who had no knowledge of the Torah and the Gospel, and if they do, they will see their success in the Hereafter. But none can find any logic to interpret it to be an order from God for the believers of the subsequent generations to praise him or follow his sayings or how he had led his family life
[7:158] Say, “O people; indeed, I (Muhammad) am a messenger of God to you all, the One to Whom belong sovereignty of the heavens and the earth. There is no god except He. He gives life and causes death.” So, you shall believe in God and His messenger, the gentile prophet who believes in God and His words. And you shall follow him that you may be guided.
Note: The verse has addressed all the people to believe and follow what has come down to gentile prophet who had no knowledge of the previous scriptures, and if they do, they will see their success in the Hereafter. However, none can find any logic to interpret it to be an order from God for the believers of the subsequent generations to praise him or follow his sayings or how he had led his family life as well.
[33:40] Muhammad has not been a father of anyone of your men, but has been a messenger of God and a seal of the prophets. And God has done being Knower of everything.
Note: It is unfortunate that Muslims all over the world idolize Muhammad following his hadiths and sunnah claiming him the final prophet giving his status superior to all prophets and messengers, even superior to prophet Abraham who has been named as a father of Muslims, but in the verse there is a confirmation that what has been given to him is a messenger of God and the final edition of God’s scripture.
[33:56] Indeed, God and His angels support the prophet. O you who have believed, you shall support him, and shall greet him with due greeting.
Note: This verse has been made the central focus for praising prophet Muhammad through the misinterpretation of the Arabic word, “salluu” to ‘send blessings’ for the prophet instead of ‘help or support’ the prophet. It was an order from God for the contemporary believers to support the prophet at his lifetime as both physical and financial support was required in spreading of God’s message. It has also been confirmed from the word “prophet” (Nabi) consistently referring to Muhammad in the Quran only when he was alive NOT after his death. However, the order for us to respect him now when he is not among us is to follow the message (Quran) what he left for us.
[62:2] He is the One who has raised a messenger (Muhammad) in the gentiles among themselves to recite His revelations to them, and to purify them, and to teach them the scripture and the wisdom, even if they have been before surely, in clear astray.
Note: Prophet Muhammad recited God’s revelations to teach the scripture to his people to purify them Not hadiths and sunnah, which were invented after about 200 years of his death.
Obey God and obey the messenger
The phrase is repeated many times in the Quran, which is misinterpreted by the ignorant scholars to be an order from God to follow Muhammad to convince their followers to idolize Muhammad accepting his hadiths and sunnah considering him as a person but not as a messenger or a prophet associating with him scripture or Quran, which is a guidance for mankind and statute book (2:185) consisting of best hadith being consistent to each other (39:23):
[3:32] Say, “You shall obey God and the messenger.” Then if they have turned away, then indeed, God does not love the disbelievers.
[3:132] And you shall obey God and the messenger so that you may be given mercy.
[4:13] That is of God’s limits, and whoever obeys God and His messenger, He will admit him to gardens flowing the rivers of their underneath as dwellers in them. And that is the greatest success.
[4:59] O you who have believed, you shall obey God and obey the messenger, and possessors of authority among you. Then if you differ in anything, then you shall refer it to God and the messenger, if you have pledged to believe in God and the Last Day. That is good and better for determination.
[4:69] And whoever obeys God and the messenger, then those are with those whom God has bestowed favor upon them of the prophets, and the truthful, and the martyrs, and the righteous; and it has been excellent those as companion.
[5:92] And you shall obey God and shall obey the messenger, and shall beware. So if you have turned away, then you shall know that upon our messenger is the conveyance of the clarifying message.
[8:20] O you who have believed, you shall obey God and His messenger, and do not turn away from him while you hear.
[9:71] The believing men and the believing women are allies of them to other. They enjoin with the right and forbid from the evil, and establish the salat prayer and give the zakat, and obey God and His messenger. Those – God will have mercy on them. Indeed, God is Almighty, Wise.
[24:52] And whoever obeys God and His messenger, and fears God and is conscious of Him, then those – they are the successful ones.
[24:54] Say, “You shall obey God and shall obey the messenger.” So if they have turned away, then only upon him is what has been placed and upon you is what has been placed, and if you obey him, you will be guided. And it is not upon the messenger except the conveyance of the clarifying message.
[33:31] And whoever from you (prophet’s wives) be obedient to God and His messenger, and does as righteous, we will give her double of her reward, and we have prepared for her an honorable provision.
[33:66] A day will be turned about their faces in the Fire, they will say, “Oh, we wish we had obeyed God and had obeyed the messenger.”
[33:71] He will amend your deeds for you and will forgive your sins for you. And whoever obeys God and His messenger, then certainly, has achieved a great achievement.
[47:33] O you who have believed, you shall obey God and shall obey the messenger; and do not nullify your deeds.
[48:17] There has not been any blame on the blind, nor has there been any blame on the crippled, nor has there been any blame on the sick. And whoever obeys God and His messenger, He will admit him to gardens flowing the rivers of their underneath, but whoever turns away, He will punish him a painful punishment.
[49:14] The Arabs said, “We have believed.” You shall not say you believe, but say, “We have submitted,” while the faith does not enter into your hearts. And if you obey God and His messenger, He will not deprive you from anything of your deeds. Indeed, God is Forgiving, Merciful.
[58:13] Have you been afraid to offer charities before your consultation? then when you do not do, while God has been kind upon you. So you shall establish the salat prayer and shall give the zakat, and shall obey God and His messenger. And God is Cognizant of what you do.
[64:12] And you shall obey God and shall obey the messenger. So if you have turned away, then only upon our messenger is the conveyance of the clarifying message.
Disobey God and the messenger
The phrase is repeated several times in the Quran, which is misinterpreted by the ignorant scholars to be an order from God to follow Muhammad to convince their followers to idolize Muhammad accepting his hadiths and sunnah, while those who are disobedient to God and to His message will be in Hell as dwellers in it forever:
[4:14] And whoever disobeys God and His messenger, and transgresses His limits, He will admit him into Fire as a dweller in it, and for him there is a humiliating punishment.
[4:42] That day, those who have disbelieved and have disobeyed the messenger will wish if the earth were leveled with them, while they cannot hide any statement from God.
[58:9] O you who have believed when you have held secret counsel, then do not hold secret counsel for the sin, and the aggression, and disobedience to the messenger, but you shall hold secret counsel for the uprightness and the righteousness. And you shall fear God, the One to Him you will be gathered.
[72:23] Except a proclamation from God and His messages. And whoever disobeys God and His messenger, then indeed, for him there is Fire of Hell as a dweller in it forever.
Messenger sent with guidance and religion
God has made His religion prevail over any other religions by sending His messenger with the guidance and a religion of the truth being the scripture and the religion are two handholds to hold fast to Him (7:170, 2;256), but still the people have invented hadith and sunnah being a satanic trick to make them losers (6:112-113):
[9:33] He is the One who has sent His messenger with the guidance and a religion of the truth that He would make it prevail over the religion of any of it, even if has disliked the idolaters.
[48:28] He is the One who has sent His messenger with the guidance and a religion of the truth that He would make it prevail over the religion of any of it. And has sufficed with God as a Witness.
[61:9] He is the One who has sent His messenger with the guidance and a religion of the truth that He would make it prevail over the religion of any of it, even though has disliked the idolaters.
Conclusion
God has given us a dreadful warning in the Quran about idolizing anyone or anything making equal to Him, while the Muslims are idolizing Prophet Muhammad through innovation of hadiths and sunnah assigning them to him as Islamic teachings as well as excessive praising of him, even to establish God given rituals including his name, while all praise and prayer belong to God. The ignorant scholars find references to the above sets of verses in the Quran to support hadiths and sunnah as valid teachings of Islam misinterpreting the verses giving their logic that the Quran does not have details to establish many rituals given by God. But they do not reflect that God has confirmed the Quran to be detailed with truth, guidance and mercy (6:114, 7:52, 11:1 and 41:3) having in it what we need to remember Him (21:10), and it has every word that we need to do the righteous deeds as well (18:109, 31:27), while they forget that all religious rites that we practice today were first given to Abraham as a father of Muslims (22:78).
However, the ignorant scholars who find the references to support hadith and sunnah in the above sets of verses in Quran has no references of them except misinterpretation to deceive the people for making them losers in the Hereafter. But the careful review of these verses indicates that those who have believed in God and His words are the believers, while those who have turned away from His words are the disbelieves, and on a day of the Judgment their destination is Hell because of nullifying their all works. Thus, those who have ascertained about the Hereafter and expect their successful return should hold fast to God with two handholds: the scripture and the religion.
Peaceful Friday, salaam and God bless. Tafazzal (4/14/2023).