Role of the Prophet Muhammad
“The messenger's sole duty is to deliver the message.”
The Prophet's sole mission was to deliver the Quran — the whole Quran, and nothing but the Quran (; –; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ).
Delivering the Quran was such an important and all-consuming duty that the Prophet had no time for other activities. Furthermore, he was strongly forbidden from offering any religious teachings beyond the Quran (–) or from explaining it (–). God alone is the teacher of the Quran (–).
The Quran: The Best Hadith
The Quran itself is described as the best Hadith (, ). Any religious source outside of it was neither sanctioned nor delivered by the Prophet.
Hadith & Sunna: A Later Fabrication
Hadith and Sunna attributions did not surface until the second century after the Prophet's death. The Quran predicted this fabrication (–) and warns that attraction to these sources indicates false belief ().
Two Hadith quotes themselves confirm that the Prophet instructed his followers to write down only the Quran, and to avoid recording his other statements during his lifetime.
Key Verses
- ·– — The Prophet was forbidden from teaching beyond the Quran.
- ·– — God Himself explains the Quran; the Prophet was not to do so.
- ·– — The Most Gracious; He taught the Quran.
- ·, — The Quran is the best Hadith; what other Hadith after God and His revelations do they uphold?