A typical argument traditionalists make against those who follow the Quran alone is that the Hadith is needed to make sense of the verses. Some go so far as to claim that the Quran is not understandable without the Hadith. In the book Hadith and Sunnah Ideals and Realities p. 135, under the article title “The Living Sunnah and al-Sunnah wa’l Jama’ah” by Fazlur Rahman, he states:
“But the Quran is obviously not intelligible purely by itself— strictly situational as its revelations are…Nothing can give coherence to the Qur’anic teaching except the actual life of the Prophet and the environment in which he moved…”
Except the Hadith does not explain the Quran. For example, one will not find any Hadith that provides a detailed tafsir of three consecutive verses of the Quran. This is because the Hadith is not a Tafsir of the Quran. According to Bukhari, when individuals study the Quran and reach an impasse in understanding, it does not state that they should go to the prophet, the companions, or the Hadith. It simply states to take a break.
Narrated Jundab bin `Abdullah: Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “Recite (and study) the Qur’an as long as you are in agreement as to its interpretation and meanings, but when you have differences regarding its interpretation and meanings, then you should stop reciting it (for the time being.) (See Hadith No 581, Vol. 6)
Sahih al-Bukhari 7364
https://sunnah.com/bukhari:7364
Additionally, a field of Hadith known as Asbab al-Nuzul ( أسباب النزول) is meant to explain the context of the verses when they were revealed. The word “Asbab” means the “occasions” or “causes,” and al-Nuzul means “the dissension” but is meant in reference to “the revelation.” This term describes the historical context and specific events that supposedly prompted the revelation of particular verses or passages in the Quran.
Two primary works in this field are “ Lubab al-Nuqul fi Asbab al-Nuzul” by Al-Suyuti (d. 1505 CE), a comprehensive work compiling the occasions of revelation for many Quranic verses, and “ Asbab al-Nuzul” by Al-Wahidi (d. 1075 CE), one of the earliest and most authoritative works on the subject, providing detailed explanations for the circumstances of many revelations.
Al-Wahidi mentions about 570 verses out of the 6234 verses of the Quran, which is less than 10% of the Quran’s verses. Al-Suyuti is slightly better and covers just over 800 verses, which is ~13% of the Quran. This means that the Asbab al-Nuzul literature does not cover most Quranic verses.
Additionally, there are other major problems with this field of Hadith. Firstly, even the verses that it covers are riddled with conflicting reports. For example, these reports are unclear regarding the shift in Qibla’s direction (2:142-145) or what the prophet prohibited for himself to please his wives (66:1). Some narrations claim it was honey, while other narrations claim it was intercourse. Aside from this, there are contradicting Hadith to what the first verse revealed, the last verse revealed, the last sura revealed, as well as numerous other contradictions.
Asbab al-Nuzul is also considered less reliable than the standard narratives found in the six canonized books of Hadith (Kitab al-Sittah). Most of this material was derived from the early biographies of the prophet (Sirah) and the histories of the prophet’s campaigns (Maghazi) literature, which often contain many less reliable reports.
The most notable of this work is the biography of the prophet “Sirat Rasul Allah,” originally attributed to Ibn Ishaq (704–768 CE), whose recension we have attributed to Ibn Hisham (d. 833 CE). Interestingly, Ibn Hisham’s birth is unknown, but it is understood that he and Ibn Ishaq were not contemporaries. One of the primary concerns among muhaddithun is the reliability of the isnad (chain of transmission) used by Ibn Ishaq. Some of his sources were considered weak or unreliable. Renowned hadith scholars like Imam Malik and Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal expressed reservations about the reliability of Ibn Ishaq’s narrations. For example, Imam Malik criticized Ibn Ishaq for including reports from sources he deemed unreliable. Critics argue that Ibn Ishaq sometimes included reports and anecdotes without rigorous scrutiny, mixing weak and strong narrations. This approach contrasts with the stricter methodologies applied by hadith scholars.
On January 28, 2022, Dr. Javad Hashmi interviewed Oxford Scholar Dr. Joshua Little on his YouTube channel, The Impactful Scholar. In the interview, Dr. Little presented 21 reasons historians are skeptical of Hadith.
At 56 minutes into the interview, Dr. Little presents his third reason: that the Hadith were full of contradictions. Below is the list of issues that Dr. Little cited for this point.
Dr. Hashmi followed these points with the following maxim, that for every Hadith, there is an equivalently valid opposite Hadith. Even the simplest facts are inconsistent. For example, how old was the prophet when he died, and how many years did he live in Mecca and Medina? Reports from just Bukhari and Muslim state that he was 60, 63, or 65. Some of these conflicting ages are also attributed to the same individual. This also carries to the ages of Abu Bakr and Uthman, which state that they all died when they were 63, which was not the case. If the Hadith that are deemed “authentic (sahih)” fail on these most basic facts, how reliable should they be considered for all the multitude of other topics they cover.
At the 1hr and 1min mark of the interview, Dr. Javad Hashmi says that he has done extensive research on the exegetical Hadith that attempts to contextualize the verses of the Quran ( Asbab al-Nuzul) and has concluded that these Hadith are all pure speculation.
“It is not uncommon for Ibn ‘Abbas hadiths to present three or even four contradictory interpretations of the same verse.”– Herbert Berg
Also, there is another problem with the idea that we need the Hadith to explain the Quran, as such an argument leads to an infinite regress. If we say we need the Hadith to explain the Quran, then we will also need another entity to explain the Hadith, and another entity to explain that, and…
Numerous times in the Quran we are informed that it is complete and has details and explanations of everything.
12:111 In their history, there is a lesson for those who possess intelligence. This is not fabricated Hadith; this (Quran) confirms all previous scriptures, provides the details of everything, and is a beacon and mercy for those who believe.
16:89 The day will come when we will raise from every community a witness from among them, and bring you as the witness of these people. We have revealed to you this book to provide explanations for everything, and guidance, and mercy, and good news for the submitters.
6:38 All the creatures on earth, and all the birds that fly with wings, are communities like you. We did not leave anything out of this book. To their Lord, all these creatures will be summoned.
God has given us hearing, eyesight, and a brain; we are responsible for using these faculties to understand. Still, if we disregard God’s words when He informs us that His book is complete and fully detailed, we will be deaf and blind to the wisdom in this profound book.
18:57 Who are more evil than those who are reminded of their Lord’s proofs, then disregard them, without realizing what they are doing. Consequently, we place shields on their hearts to prevent them from understanding it (the Quran), and deafness in their ears. Thus, no matter what you do to guide them, they can never ever be guided.
The Quran informs us that it is the devil’s allies who will attempt to lure people against this claim from God that His book is complete and fully detailed, and they will due this by means of fancy speech.
6:112 We have permitted the enemies of every prophet—human and jinn devils—to inspire in each other fancy words, in order to deceive. Had your Lord willed, they would not have done it. You shall disregard them and their fabrications.
6:113 This is to let the minds of those who do not believe in the Hereafter listen to such fabrications, and accept them, and thus expose their real convictions.
6:114 Shall I seek other than GOD as a source of law, when He has revealed to you this book fully detailed? Those who received the scripture recognize that it has been revealed from your Lord, truthfully. You shall not harbor any doubt.
6:115 The word of your Lord is complete, in truth and justice. Nothing shall abrogate His words. He is the Hearer, the Omniscient.
6:116 If you obey the majority of people on earth, they will divert you from the path of GOD. They follow only conjecture; they only guess.
The reality is that God informs us that the Quran is the best Tafsir.
25:31 We also set up against every prophet enemies from among the guilty. Your Lord suffices as a guide, a master.
25:32 Those who disbelieved said, “Why did not the Quran come through him all at once?” We have released it to you gradually, in order to fix it in your memory. We have recited it in a specific sequence.
25:33 Whatever argument they come up with, we provide you with the truth, and the best exegesis (tafsir).