1. Introduction
One of the key arguments of the Quraniyūn is that revelation is confined to the Quran and hence the Sunnah is not revelation. Therefore, we follow the Quran alone, and no other source.
The Qur’aniyūn believe that the only revelation received by the Prophet was the Qur’ān. To refute this argument, we will three things:
i) define revelation (wahy),
ii) proof that Prophet received revelation besides the Qur’ān,
iii) demonstrate that this ‘other’ revelation is the sunna.
2. What is wahy?
The Sharī’ah meaning of wahy is “the inspiration to the Prophets.” The Qur’an was inspired to the Prophet through the agency of the angel Jibril. However, this is only one of three types of wahy. The three types are explained in the following verse:
“It is not possible for any human being that Allah should speak to him, unless it be by inspiration, or from behind a veil, or (that) He sends a Messenger to reveal what He wills by His Permission1.”
- So revelation to the Prophets came in three ways:
- a) By inspiration
- b) From behind a veil
- c) Allah sends a Messenger to reveal what He wills
a) By inspiration
An example of revelation by inspiration is the righteous dreams that the Prophet had; “Indeed of a surety shall Allah fulfil the dream which He showed His Messenger, you shall enter the Masjid al-Ḥarām Al-Fath 48:27…” and also the dream of Prophet Ibraheem when he saw himself sacrificing his son Ismaeel is an excellent example of non-scriptural revelation.
b). From behind a veil
An example of ‘from behind a veil’ is when Allah spoke to the Prophet on his miraculous night journey.
c). Allah sends a Messenger to reveal what He wills
The revelation of the Qur’ān (recited revelation) is the third type of revelation mentioned in this verse, i.e. it was revealed to the Prophet through a Messenger – namely the angel Jibreel. However, the Prophet also received revelation via two other modes. Since the Qur’ān was not revealed in either of these two modes, they are known as ‘unrecited revelation’. Hence revelation is not just confined to the Qur’ān and these two types of revelations are revelations besides the Qur’ān.
3. Revelations other than the Qur’an.
There are many evidences from the Qur’ān that prove that there are revelations other than the Qur’an. I will give three examples:
a) The battle of Badr
“When Allah promised that one of the two groups shall be for you2” i.e. Allah promised that the Muslims would either gain the caravan of Abū Sufyān or defeat the army of Abū Jahl. However, this promise made by Allah is not found anywhere in the Qur’ān. It was conveyed to the believers by the Prophet. However, the verse states ‘Allah promised you’ and not ‘the Prophet promised you’. Hence the Prophet received the promise from Allah through unrecited revelation.
b) Changing of the Qibla
When the Muslims arrived in Madina, the Prophet commanded them to pray facing Jerusalam. This continued for seventeen months until Allah revealed, ‘So turn your faces towards Masjid al-Harām’. Baqarah 2:144 Some of the non-Muslims criticised this order and demanded to know why the Qiblah was originally Jerusalem but had now been changed. So Allah revealed: “And We did not appoint the Qiblah on which you were upon earlier, but that We might know the people who follow the Messenger as distinct from those who turn back on their heels3”
Allah attributes the appointment of the previous Qiblah to Himself, but nowhere in the Quran do we find the order to face the first qiblah. It was the Prophet who told the believers to face Jerusalem, based upon revelation from Allah. This revelation was not part of the Qur’ān, and hence was unrecited revelation.
c) Compliation of the Qur’an
Further proof that the Prophet received revelation other than the Qur’ān is that the compilation of the Qur’ān is not in its chronological order. Verses revealed in Makkah are found in Madanī chapters and vice versa. Likewise, chapters revealed in Madina come before chapters revealed in Makkah. The arrangement of verses within surahs, and the arrangement of the surahs within the Qur’ān could only have been done by the Prophet based upon revelation from Allah. As Allah commands the Prophet to say: “…it is not for me to change it of my own accord.”.4 However, given that this revelation does not occur in the Qur’ān, the method of compilation was based upon unrecited revelation.
Secondly, the names of the surahs; these are not mentioned in the Qur’ān, the Prophet could only have given these names based upon unrecited revelation.
Thirdly, Allah commanded the Prophet to listen to the Qur’ān5, and to follow its reading6. There are no verses that command the Prophet to preserve the Qur’ān in writing. Yet the Prophet did so, in compliance with the unrecited revelation.
Jibreel used to bring the Sunnah down to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) as he used to bring the Qur’an down to him.7
4. Revelation is not confined to the revealed Scriptures
We can further refute the concept that the only revelation the Prophet received was the Qur’ān by proving that revelation is not confined to the revealed Scriptures. One of the defining characteristics of every Prophet is that they received revelation.
Without receiving revelation, one cannot be called a Prophet. However, although every Prophet received revelation, not every Prophet received a Book. A proof for this is the verse: “And We have sent the revelation to you as We sent the revelation to Nūḥ and the Prophets after him. We sent the Revelation to Ibrahīm, Isḥāq, Ya’qūb, and Al-Asbāt, īsa, Ayyūb, Yūnus, Hārūn and Sulaymān, and to Dawūd We gave the Zabūr.8”
This verse states that the aforementioned Prophets all received revelation, but it is known that many of them did not receive a Book. If revelation was confined to the books, then every Prophet would have received one. The fact that many Prophets did not receive a book demonstrates that there exists revelation outside of these books.
5. Conclusion
To conclude on this point, revelation is not confined to the Quran. The Prophet received revelation other than the Quran. The authority of the Qur’ān lies in the fact that it is a revelation from Allah. Likewise,he authority of the sunna lies in the fact that it is a revelation from Allah.
Given that the Sunnah is revelation, it is inevitable that Allah will protect it, so as to preserve the religion from distortion and additions or subtractions. Allah says “Verily, We, it is We Who have sent down the Dhikr and surely, We will guard it (from corruption)9.” Hence the entire Sunna has been protected by Allah.
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