NOTICE: This article is a reproduction from Submitters Perspective No 24, January 1987.
During the violent storm that followed Kassim Ahmad’s outstanding book Hadith: A Re-evaluation (see the August 1986 issue of MUSLIM PERSPECTIVE), Brother Kassim issued a six-point challenge to the ‘Ulama:
(1) What was the divine scripture that was brought to mankind through Prophet Muhammad – the Quran alone or the Quran and the Hadith?
(2) Is the Quran complete, perfect and detailed or not?
(3) Are not many of the Hadith in the so-called authentic collections contradictory to the clear teachings of the Quran, common sense and scientific and historical evidence?
(4) Are the reported words of the Prophet (Hadith) on par with the words of God – the Quran?
(5) Are the ‘Ulama prepared to add another article of faith, i.e., belief in Hadith/Sunnah, to the present six articles of the Muslim faith?
(6) Is it wrong for anyone to exhort the Muslims back to the Quran?
Mr. Suhaimi is the Deputy Rector of the International Islamic University of Malaysia. In his reply to Kassim’s challenge, he, as a typical representative of today’s Muslim ‘Ulama, exhibited pitiful ignorance of Quran, and demonstrated God’s intervention to block the minds of disbelievers and idol worshipers (Quran 17:45–46 & 18:57). Mr. Suhaimi proved that he is not aware of the Prophet’s function as stated repeatedly in Quran: that his sole function was to deliver Quran.
Hereunder are the original Arabic texts from Quran declaring in the strongest possible assurances, and employing the double-negative, that the Prophet had NO function EXCEPT delivering Quran. Moreover, Verses 15-19 of Sura 75 specifically forbid the Prophet from explaining Quran. Mr. Suhaimi rejects God’s own assertions and conveys on his idol additional functions, as if delivering Quran to humanity is a menial job.
Suhaimi’s reply to Kassim’s third point exposed Suhaimi’s rejection of the Quranic law that contradictions constitute a sign of ungodliness (see Quran 4:82). He confesses that Hadith is contradictory to Quran, science, common sense and even itself. Yet, he insists upon the shameful act of upholding Hadith.
فَما أَرسَلنٰكَ عَلَيهِم حَفيظًا إِن عَلَيكَ إِلَّا البَلٰغُ
Quran 42:48 …we did not send you as their guardian. Your sole mission is delivering the message.
فَإِنَّما عَلَيكَ البَلٰغُ وَعَلَينَا الحِسابُ
Quran 13:40 …your sole mission is to deliver (the message). It is us who will call them to account.
ما عَلَى الرَّسولِ إِلَّا البَلٰغُ
Quran 5:99 The sole duty of the messenger is to deliver the message…