INVESTIGATING ISLAM

The Problematic Elevation of Hadith Over the Qur’an:

A Critical Polemic Response to “Why Do Islamic Scholars Sometimes Prioritize Hadith Over Qur’anic Verses?”

Introduction: The Qur’an or the Hadith — Which Truly Commands Authority?

Islamic scholarship claims the Qur’an is the ultimate, unaltered word of God. Yet, the very same scholars often insist that hadith—the human-recorded sayings and actions of Muhammad—sometimes override or clarify the Qur’an itself. This contradictory stance raises serious questions about textual integrity, theological consistency, and the real source of Islamic law and morality.

If the Qur’an is “the Book about which there is no doubt” (Qur’an 2:2), why do we find thousands of rulings and laws being sourced primarily from hadith, often at the expense of clear Qur’anic principles? This post critically examines the logic, consequences, and hidden assumptions behind this practice.

1. The Qur’an’s Primacy Is Undermined by Overreliance on Hadith

While the Qur’an commands obedience to the Prophet (Qur’an 3:132), it never explicitly grants hadith the power to supersede or abrogate itself. The classical justification—that hadith serve only as explanation or detail—is often a veneer masking a deeper problem:

The Qur’an’s terse and often ethical, universal statements are replaced with specific, often punitive rulings found exclusively in hadith.
This results in an overreliance on human reports subject to errors, contradictions, and fabrications.
It makes the authenticity and authority of Islam contingent on centuries-old human testimony rather than divine revelation alone.

2. The Hadith Corpus Is a Minefield of Contradictions and Fabrications

The hadith collections—especially those deemed “sahih” (authentic)—contain numerous contradictions, historical inaccuracies, and impossible scenarios:

The vast majority of hadith were compiled centuries after Muhammad’s death, passed through multiple narrators with conflicting chains (Brown, 2009).
Entire schools of thought accept mutually exclusive hadith on important legal and theological points (Ibn Warraq, 1995).
Hadith about practices such as stoning (rajm), slavery, or harsh punishments often contradict Qur’anic spirit or explicit text, raising the question: why prioritize fallible human reports over the Divine word?

3. The Case of Stoning (Rajm) Exposes The Problem Clearly

The Qur’an prescribes 100 lashes for adultery (Qur’an 24:2) but never mentions stoning. Yet, hadith collections narrate the Prophet ordering stoning for married adulterers (Sahih al-Bukhari 6814; Sahih Muslim 1695).

Scholars accept this hadith and enforce stoning, thereby contradicting the Qur’an’s explicit penalty.
This reveals a disturbing dynamic where hadith-based rulings override Qur’anic prescriptions, contradicting claims of Qur’anic supremacy.
It also shows how a violent and archaic legal interpretation is preserved under the banner of tradition rather than divine mandate.

Historically, this led to stoning being applied in early Islamic states despite the absence of Qur’anic endorsement. Jurists like Imam Malik accepted these hadith as binding, exemplifying the tension between Qur’anic text and legal tradition (Al-Mawardi, Al-Ahkam al-Sultaniyya).

4. The Principle of Abrogation (Naskh) Is Abused to Justify Hadith Over Qur’an

Islamic scholars rely heavily on the principle of naskh (abrogation) to resolve contradictions by claiming some Qur’anic verses were superseded by others or by hadith.

The Qur’an itself says:
“We do not abrogate a verse or cause it to be forgotten except that We bring forth [one] better than it or similar to it.” (Qur’an 2:106)
Yet, the abrogating hadith are not divine revelation but human reports—how can human words abrogate God’s words?
The abuse of naskh has led to the sidelining of numerous Qur’anic verses that promote mercy, justice, and reason, replaced by harsher, more rigid hadith rulings (Brown, 2009; Ibn al-Qayyim, I‘lam al-Muwaqqi‘in).

For example, early Islamic jurists used abrogation to justify replacing Qur’anic verses about forgiveness and patience with harsher punishments found in hadith, sidelining the Qur’an’s overall ethical tone.

5. The Prophet’s Example Is Not Always Ethical or Consistent

The insistence on following the Prophet’s example (Qur’an 33:21) assumes his actions and sayings are morally perfect and eternally applicable.

However, many hadith portray Muhammad commanding actions inconsistent with Qur’anic values such as justice and compassion.
Examples include instructions for military executions, treatment of prisoners, and marriage to a captive, often justified by hadith but debated from a Qur’anic ethical standpoint (Ibn Warraq, 1995; Bewley, 2005).
Scholars often engage in selective hermeneutics to dismiss problematic hadith or reframe them as context-specific, yet rarely question the entire premise that fallible human reports can override direct divine instruction.

6. The Danger of Legalism and Loss of Qur’anic Spirit

The reliance on hadith as legal and theological authority fosters:

A legalistic mindset prioritizing ritual, punishment, and dogma over the Qur’an’s emphasis on mercy, sincerity, and spiritual connection.
An inflexible system where nuances and evolving human contexts are ignored in favor of rigid application of centuries-old reports.
The silencing of Qur’anic principles that conflict with established hadith-based norms, such as gender equity, freedom of conscience, and ethical treatment of others.

Examples include the strict gender segregation and limits on women’s testimony, justified primarily from hadith rather than clear Qur’anic injunctions (Qur’an 2:282; Brown, 2009).

7. Conclusion: Restoring Qur’anic Primacy Is Imperative

The elevation of hadith over the Qur’an in many Islamic rulings is a crisis of authenticity and authority:

It makes Islam dependent on historical human testimony, subject to corruption and bias, rather than solely on divine revelation.
It encourages legalism, repression, and contradiction, often to the detriment of justice and compassion.
A truly Qur’anic Islam demands re-examining hadith critically, restoring the Qur’an’s clear commands, and rejecting questionable hadith-based innovations.

Without this, Islam risks becoming a religion shackled by tradition and human fallibility rather than a dynamic, divine guidance fit for all times.

References

Qur’an 2:2, 2:106, 24:2, 33:21, 3:132
Sahih al-Bukhari 6814, Sahih Muslim 1695 — on stoning
Ibn al-Qayyim, I‘lam al-Muwaqqi‘in
Al-Mawardi, Al-Ahkam al-Sultaniyya
Jonathan A.C. Brown, Hadith: Muhammad’s Legacy in the Medieval and Modern World (2009)
Ibn Warraq, Why I Am Not a Muslim (1995)
Aisha Bewley, The Truth About Muhammad (2005)
Robert Spencer, The Truth About Muhammad: Founder of the World's Most Intolerant Religion (2006)