A Response to Those Who Are Content with Evidence from the Qur'an Alone
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner:
May Allah reward you. Honorable Shaykh, there are those who, when discussed on the details of acts of worship, or when the topic is fasting, or on some detailed matters of belief, demand evidence from the Qur'an. They say, "If I find evidence in the Qur'an, I will follow it, whether it is a clear command or a clear prohibition; otherwise, I will not." How do we respond to such people?
The Shaykh:
In most cases, he does not want to comply; rather, he wants to create difficulty.
The presenter:
It is argumentation.
The Shaykh:
And argumentation. Indeed, the best evidence from the Qur'an is the speech of Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He. However, not all the laws are in the Qur'an; the laws are in the Sunnah, the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). The Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) explains the Qur'an and interprets the Qur'an. It may contain rulings that are not in the Qur'an, which Allah revealed to His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him).
And it is obligatory to act upon revelation, whether it is from the Qur'an or from the Sunnah. The Sunnah is the second revelation from Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, as He, the Exalted, said:[An-Najm 53:3-4] He, the Exalted, said: [Al-Hashr 59:7] He, the Exalted, said: [An-Nisa 4:113] The Book is the Qur'an, and the Wisdom is the Prophetic Sunnah.
So the one who says, "I do not accept evidence except from the Qur'an," is misleading and arguing with falsehood. Because evidence comes from the Qur'an, and there is no doubt that this is the first of the evidences. It also comes from the Sunnah, the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). It also comes from the consensus (ijma') of the Ummah of Muhammad. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: So the sources of evidence are many. The most important of them, and those upon which there is consensus, are these three: the Book, the Sunnah, and the consensus. He, the Exalted, said: [An-Nisa 4:115] And His statement, "and follows other than the path of the believers," is the proof of consensus. That is, if the believers agree upon something, then it is a decisive proof. Yes.
The fourth piece of evidence is qiyas (analogical reasoning), which is valid evidence. Although there is disagreement from the Zahiris and others, the majority of the ummah (the Muslim community) holds to the position of qiyas. This is applying a branch to a root because of a shared cause, or applying a branch to a root in ruling because of a shared cause between them. This is the view of the majority of scholars. That is, what is not explicitly stated in the text is measured against what is explicitly stated if it shares the same 'illah (operative cause), and it takes on the same ruling. So, the evidence is not limited to the Qur'an. Yes, there is evidence other than the Qur'an, some of which is agreed upon and some of which is disputed. The one who says, "I do not act by the Qur'an," is a liar, because if he does not act by the Sunnah, he has not acted by the Qur'an, for Allah says:[Al-Hashr 59:7]. And He the Exalted says: [An-Nur 24:63], regarding the command of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him): [An-Nur 24:63].
Also, the Qur'an contains generalities. The command for prayer came in a general form, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is the one who detailed it, specifying the number of rak'ahs, the times, and its rulings. Zakah came in the Qur'an in a general form, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is the one who specified the wealths in which it is obligatory, the conditions for the obligation of zakah, such as the nisab and the completion of the lunar year, and the amount that is paid out, which is one-tenth, half of one-tenth, or a quarter of one-tenth. He (peace and blessings be upon him) specified these matters in his Sunnah. So the Qur'an contains general rulings, and the Sunnah detailed and clarified them. Yes.
Also, as we mentioned, there are rulings that did not come in the Qur'an but came in the Sunnah of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), such as marrying a woman and her paternal aunt, or a woman and her maternal aunt. This is what came in the Qur'an: only the prohibition of marrying two sisters at the same time. Yes. And such as his saying (peace and blessings be upon him):Sahih Muslim 1445i This is more comprehensive than His saying (Glorified and Exalted is He): [An-Nisa 4:23]. Yes.
May Allah reward you. Honorable Shaykh, there are those who, when discussed on the details of acts of worship, or when the topic is fasting, or on some detailed matters of belief, demand evidence from the Qur'an. They say, "If I find evidence in the Qur'an, I will follow it, whether it is a clear command or a clear prohibition; otherwise, I will not." How do we respond to such people?
The Shaykh:
In most cases, he does not want to comply; rather, he wants to create difficulty.
The presenter:
It is argumentation.
The Shaykh:
And argumentation. Indeed, the best evidence from the Qur'an is the speech of Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He. However, not all the laws are in the Qur'an; the laws are in the Sunnah, the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). The Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) explains the Qur'an and interprets the Qur'an. It may contain rulings that are not in the Qur'an, which Allah revealed to His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him).
And it is obligatory to act upon revelation, whether it is from the Qur'an or from the Sunnah. The Sunnah is the second revelation from Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, as He, the Exalted, said:
(3) Nor does he speak from [his own] inclination. (4) It is not but a revelation revealed,
وَمَا يَنطِقُ عَنِ الْهَوَىٰ إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا وَحْيٌ يُوحَىٰAnd whatever the Messenger has given you - take; and what he has forbidden you - refrain from
وَمَا آتَاكُمُ الرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوهُ وَمَا نَهَاكُمْ عَنْهُ فَانتَهُواAnd Allah has revealed to you the Book and wisdom
وَأَنزَلَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَSo the one who says, "I do not accept evidence except from the Qur'an," is misleading and arguing with falsehood. Because evidence comes from the Qur'an, and there is no doubt that this is the first of the evidences. It also comes from the Sunnah, the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). It also comes from the consensus (ijma') of the Ummah of Muhammad. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
My Ummah will not agree upon misguidance,
لا تجتمع أمتي على ضلالة،And whoever opposes the Messenger after guidance has become clear to him and follows other than the way of the believers - We will give him what he has taken and drive him into Hell, and evil it is as a destination.
وَمَن يُشَاقِقِ الرَّسُولَ مِن بَعْدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُ الْهُدَىٰ وَيَتَّبِعْ غَيْرَ سَبِيلِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ نُوَلِّهِ مَا تَوَلَّىٰ وَنُصْلِهِ جَهَنَّمَ وَسَاءَتْ مَصِيرًاThe fourth piece of evidence is qiyas (analogical reasoning), which is valid evidence. Although there is disagreement from the Zahiris and others, the majority of the ummah (the Muslim community) holds to the position of qiyas. This is applying a branch to a root because of a shared cause, or applying a branch to a root in ruling because of a shared cause between them. This is the view of the majority of scholars. That is, what is not explicitly stated in the text is measured against what is explicitly stated if it shares the same 'illah (operative cause), and it takes on the same ruling. So, the evidence is not limited to the Qur'an. Yes, there is evidence other than the Qur'an, some of which is agreed upon and some of which is disputed. The one who says, "I do not act by the Qur'an," is a liar, because if he does not act by the Sunnah, he has not acted by the Qur'an, for Allah says:
And whatever the Messenger has given you - take; and what he has forbidden you - refrain from
وَمَا آتَاكُمُ الرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوهُ وَمَا نَهَاكُمْ عَنْهُ فَانتَهُواSo let those beware who dissent from the Prophet's order
فَلْيَحْذَرِ الَّذِينَ يُخَالِفُونَ عَنْ أَمْرِهِlest fitnah strike them or a painful punishment.
أَن تُصِيبَهُمْ فِتْنَةٌ أَوْ يُصِيبَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌAlso, the Qur'an contains generalities. The command for prayer came in a general form, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is the one who detailed it, specifying the number of rak'ahs, the times, and its rulings. Zakah came in the Qur'an in a general form, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is the one who specified the wealths in which it is obligatory, the conditions for the obligation of zakah, such as the nisab and the completion of the lunar year, and the amount that is paid out, which is one-tenth, half of one-tenth, or a quarter of one-tenth. He (peace and blessings be upon him) specified these matters in his Sunnah. So the Qur'an contains general rulings, and the Sunnah detailed and clarified them. Yes.
Also, as we mentioned, there are rulings that did not come in the Qur'an but came in the Sunnah of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), such as marrying a woman and her paternal aunt, or a woman and her maternal aunt. This is what came in the Qur'an: only the prohibition of marrying two sisters at the same time. Yes. And such as his saying (peace and blessings be upon him):
on account of fosterage as one is Mahram on account of consanguinity
يحرم من الرضاعة ما يحرم من النسبyour [milk] mothers who nursed you, your sisters through nursing
وَأُمَّهَاتُكُمُ اللَّاتِي أَرْضَعْنَكُمْ وَأَخَوَاتُكُم مِّنَ الرَّضَاعَةِ
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، 3 من 27|وقفات مع آيات الصيام|آيات الصيام|صالح الفوزان|فقه|كبار العلماء — youtube.com (8:04)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.