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Quranism () is an Islamic denomination that generally rejects the authoritative role of hadiths, and considers the Quran to be the only dependable religious text. Quranist Muslims believe that the Quran is clear and complete and can be fully understood without recourse to external sources.
Quranists are often divided into two main branches: those who believe the Quran is the primary source and consider external sources such as the hadith, sunnah, and tradition as secondary and dependent, and those who accept no texts other than the Quran and disregard tradition altogether. The extent to which Quranists reject the authenticity of the sunnah varies, though the most established groups of Quranism have thoroughly criticised the hadith, the most prevalent being the Quranist claim that the hadith is not mentioned in the Quran as a source of Islamic theology or practise, was not recorded in written form until two centuries after the death of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, contains perceived errors and contradictions, and promotes sectarianism, anti-science, Irrationalism, and misogyny.Ahmad, Kassim. "Hadith: A Re-evaluation", 1986. English translation 1997 Quranists also believe that previous revelations of God have been tahrif, and that the Quran is the only book of God that has valid divine significance.
As they believe that hadith, while not being reliable sources of religion, can serve as historical records, Quranists cite some early Islamic writings in support of their positions, including those attributed to Muhammad, caliph Umar (r. 634–644) and materials dating to the Umayyad and Abbasid caliphates. Modern scholarship holds that controversy over the sufficiency of the Qur'an as the only source of Islamic law and doctrine dates back to the early centuries of Islam, where some scholars introduced followers of the Quran alone as Mu'tazilites or sects of the Kharijites, such as the Muhakkima and the Azariqa. Though the Quran-only view waned during the Classical Islam, it re-emerged and thrived with the modernist thinkers of the 19th century in Egypt and the Indian subcontinent. Quranism has since taken on Political Islam, reformist, fundamentalist, and militant dimensions in various countries.
In matters of faith, jurisprudence, and legislation, Quranists differ from Ahl al-Hadith, who consider the hadith (Kutub al-Sittah) in addition to the Quran. Unlike the Sunni Islam and Shia Islam sects, the Quranist view argues that Islam can be practised without the hadith. Whereas hadith-followers believe that obedience to Muhammad entails obedience to hadiths, Quranists believe that obedience to Muhammad means obedience to the Qur'an. In addition, several extra-Qur'anic traditions upheld by Sunnis, such as kissing the Black Stone, the symbolic Stoning of the Devil, and the Tashahhud during the Salah, are regarded as idolatry (shirk) or possible idolatry by Quranists. This methodological difference has led to considerable divergence between Quranists and both Sunnis and Shias in matters of theology and Sharia as well as the understanding of the Quran. Despite this, aspects of Quranism have been adopted by non-Quranists, such as some Shia reformist scholars.Said Amir Arjomand, Authority and Political Culture in Shi'ism, State University of New York Press, 1998, pp. 160–161 and 166–167 Pillars, proofs and requirements of the Quran-Sufficiency Theory, along with its criticism , Profdoc.um.ac.ir, Accessed June 22, 2020
This methodology differs from tafsir bi'r-riwāyah, which is the method of commenting on the Quran using traditional sources, and , which refers to interpreting the Qur'an with/through the Bible, generally referred to in quranic studies as the Tawrat and the Injil.
In the centuries following Muhammad's death, Quranists did not believe in .Daniel W. Brown, Rethinking Tradition in Modern Islamic Thought, Cambridge University Press, 1996, pp. 16–17 The scholar Dirar ibn Amr's Quranist belief led him to deny in the Dajjal, Punishment of the Grave, and Shafa'a in the 8th century.Josef Van Ess, Theology and Society in the Second and Third Centuries of the Hijra. Volume 3, Brill, 2018, pp. 56–58 The scholar Muhammad Abu Zayd's Quranist commentaries led him to reject the belief in the Isra and Mi'raj in the early 20th century. In his rationalist Quran commentary published in 1930, which uses the Quran itself to interpret the Quran, he claimed that verse 17:1 was an allusion to the Hijrah and not Isra and Mi'raj.J. J. G. Jansen, The Interpretation of the Koran in Modern Egypt, E.J. Brill, 1980, pp. 87–89 Egypt's Quest for Cultural Orientation , Mafhoum.com, Accessed May 26, 2020
Syed Ahmad Khan argued that, while the Quran remained socially relevant, reliance on Hadith limits the vast potential of the Quran to a particular cultural and historical situation.Brown, Rethinking tradition in modern Islamic thought, 1996: p.65
The extent to which Quranists reject the authority of the Hadith and Sunnah varies, but the more established groups have thoroughly criticised the authority of the Hadith and reject it for many reasons. The most common view being the Quranists who say that Hadith is not mentioned in the Quran as a source of Islamic theology and practice, was not recorded in written form until a century after the death of Muhammad, and contain internal errors and contradictions as well as contradictions with the Quran. For Sunni Muslims, the Sunnah, i.e the Sunnah (the way) of the prophet, is one of the two primary sources of Islamic law, and while the Quran has verses enjoining Muslims to obey the Messenger, the Quran never talks about Sunnah in connection with Muhammad or other prophets. The term Sunnah appears several times, including in the phrase (way of God), but not (way of the prophet) – the phrase customarily used by proponents of hadith.Brown, Rethinking tradition in modern Islamic thought, 1996: p.8
The concept of has also been advocated by Quranists such as Rashad Khalifa, who believed that previous revelations of God, such as the Bible, contained contradictions due to human interference. Instead, he believed that the beliefs and practices of Islam should be based on the Quran alone. Another Quranist who believes the Bible contains contradictions is Edip Yüksel.
Several extra-Qur'anic traditions upheld by Sunnis, such as kissing the Black Stone, the symbolic Stoning of the Devil, and the Tashahhud during the Salah, are regarded as idolatry (shirk) or possible idolatry by Quranists.
The blessings for Muhammad and Abraham, which are part of the traditional ritual, are not practiced by most Quranists in the call to prayer and in the prayer itself, arguing that the Quran mentions prayers are only for God, and the Quran tells believers to make no distinction between any messenger.Vgl. Nguyen: United Submitters International. 2007, S. 624.; Haddad und Smith: Mission to America. 1993, S. 162.
There are other minor differences: for Quranists, menstruation does not constitute an obstacle to prayer,Kerem Adıgüzel: "Menstruation und Beten im Islam, Fasten während der Menstruation...." 18.7.2018. men and women are allowed to pray together in a mosque and that there is no catching up later once a prayer is missed.Haddad und Smith: Muslim Minority Groups in American Islam. 2014, S. 153.; "Die erfundene Religion und der Koran – Kapitel 36 (1): Gebet." 15.5.2020.
Modern scholarship holds that controversy over the sufficiency of the Qur'an as the only source of Islamic law and doctrine dates back to the early centuries of Islam, where some scholars introduced followers of the Quran alone as Mu'tazilites or the Kharijite sect, the Muhakkima.
Some of the Kharijites rejected the punishment of adultery with stoning. Although the Qur'an does not prescribe this penalty, Sunnis hold that such a verse existed in the Qur'an, which was then abrogated. A hadith is ascribed to Umar, asserting the existence of this verse in the Qur'an. These Kharijites rejected the authenticity of such a verse. The heresiographer al-Ash'ari attributed this position to the Kharijite sect, the Azariqa, who held a strict scripturalist position in legal matters (i.e. following only the Qur'an and rejecting commonly held views if they had no Qur'anic basis), and thus also refused to enforce legal punishment on slanderers when the slander was targeted at a male.
In the following years, the taboo against the writing and following of hadiths had receded to such an extent that the eighth Umayyad caliph Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz () ordered the first official collection of Hadith. Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad ibn Hazm and Ibn Shihab al-Zuhri, were among those who wrote Hadiths at Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz's behest.
Under the Abbasid caliph Al-Ma'mun (r. 813-833), the adherents of Kalam were favoured and the supporters of Hadith were dealt harshly. Al-Ma'mun was inclined towards rational inquiry in religious matters, supported the proponents of Kalam and persecuted the adherents of Hadith. His two immediate successors, Al-Mu'tasim (r. 833-842) and Al-Wathiq (r. 842-847), followed his policies. Unlike his three predecessors, Al-Mutawakkil (r. 847-861) was not inclined to rational inquiry in religious matters, and strove to bolster the Hadith as a necessary source of the Sunnah.
In South Asia during the 19th century, the Ahl-i Quran movement formed partially in reaction to the Ahl-i Hadith whom they considered to be placing too much emphasis on Hadith. Many Ahl-i Quran adherents from South Asia were formerly adherents of Ahle Hadith but found themselves incapable of accepting certain hadiths. Abdullah Chakralawi, Khwaja Ahmad Din Amritsari, Chiragh Ali, and Aslam Jairajpuri were among the people who promulgated Quranist beliefs in India at the time.
Like some of their counterparts in Egypt such as Muhammad Abu Zayd and Ahmed Subhy Mansour, some reformist scholars in Iran who adopted Quranist beliefs came from traditional institutions of higher learning. Shaykh Hadi Najmabadi, Mirza Rida Quli Shari'at-Sanglaji, Mohammad Sadeqi Tehrani, and Ayatollah Borqei were educated in traditional Shia Islam universities in Najaf and Qom. However, they believed that some beliefs and practices that were taught in these universities, such as the veneration of Imamzadeh and a belief in Raj'a, were irrational and superstitious and had no basis in the Quran. And rather than interpreting the Quran through the lens of hadith, they interpreted the Quran with the Quran ( tafsir al-qur'an bi al-qur'an). These reformist beliefs provoked criticism from traditional Shia scholars like Ayatollah Khomeini, who attempted to refute the criticisms made by Sanglaji and other reformists in his book Kashf al-Asrar., Pdmag.info, Accessed June 22, 2020 Quran-centered beliefs have also spread among Muslims like Iranian American, Ali Behzadnia, who became Deputy Minister of Health and Welfare and acting Minister of Education shortly after the Iranian Revolution. He has criticized the government in Iran for being undemocratic and totally alien to the "Islam of the Quran".Edip Yuksel, Critical Thinkers for Islamic Reform: A Collection of Articles from Contemporary Thinkers on Islam, Brainbow Press, 2009, pp. 188–189
The "Ankara School" was characterised by historical criticism and a revivification of Mu'tazilite rationality. The origin of its approach is traced to the 1980s, when Edip Yüksel, invoking critical hadith studies to question the reliability of the sunnah's transmission, proposed a Quran-only formula.
Quranism also took on a political dimension in the 20th century when Muammar Gaddafi declared the Quran to be the constitution of Libya. Gaddafi asserted the transcendence of the Quran as the sole guide to Islamic governance and the unimpeded ability of every Muslim to read and interpret it. He had begun to attack the religious establishment and several fundamental aspects of Sunnism. He purged the ulama in mid-1978, and questioned the authenticity of the hadith, and thereby the sunna, as a basis for Islamic law. Gaddafi was also critical of the various schools of jurisprudence, such as the Hanafi school, Maliki school, and Hanbali school, charging that they are the product of a struggle for political power and unconnected with either Islam or the Quran.
Quranism also took on a militant dimension in the 20th century, with the Yan Tatsine movement, founded by Mohammed Marwa, better known by his nickname Maitatsine, which publicly adopted the slogan "Qur'an only" as the foundation of the religion.
According to Dr. Aisha Y. Musa, Quranists in Egypt and elsewhere have stirred heated discussions in the Muslim world. Quranism has been criticised by Sunni Islam and Shia Islam. The Sunni belief is that "the Quran needs the Sunnah more than the Sunnah needs the Quran". The Sunni and Shia establishment argues that Islam can not be practised without hadith. Sunnis have often described Quranists as Khawarij.
Chakralawi established a Quranist mosque with the financial assistance of his disciple Shaykh Muhammad Chittu (d. 1911) in Lahore. Mohammad Ramadan was a student of Chakralawi who established the Quranist sect "Omaht Moslem" and the Quranist institution "Ahl al- Zekr va al-Quran". Another Quranist sect in Amritsar was founded by Khajeh Ahmad ad-Din Amritsari, who later founded the "Omeh Moslemeh Association" in Lahore.
In 2024, the Quranist population in India was estimated to be one million.
Previously in Nigeria, Quranism took on a militant dimension, with the Yan Tatsine movement, founded by Mohammed Marwa, better known by his nickname Maitatsine, which publicly adopted the slogan "Qur'an only" as the foundation of the religion.
Previously, in 2018, Saudi Quranist scholar Hassan al-Maliki was arrested and charged with capital crimes for his political views, opposition to the more strict Saudi Wahhabism ideology, and for promoting ideas that have been described as "Quranist", "moderate", "tolerant".Kamel Abderrahmani, The reform of Islam and the Koranists, persecuted in Saudi Arabia , asianews.com, Accessed February 15, 2019 Other Saudi intellectuals, like Abd al-Rahman al-Ahdal, continue to advocate for the abandonment of hadith and a return to the Quran. Saudi writer calls for removal of Hadith books from heritage , Middleeastmonitor.com, Accessed May 26, 2020
The "Ankara School" was characterised by historical criticism and a revivification of Mu'tazilite rationality. The origin of its approach is traced to the 1980s, when Edip Yüksel, invoking critical hadith studies to question the reliability of the sunnah's transmission, proposed a Quran-only formula.
Quranists have responded to the criticisms of the Turkish people Directorate of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) with arguments and challenged them to a debate.Alper Bilgili, Quran, Hadiths or Both? Where Quranists and Traditional Islam Differs ,, patheos.com, Accessed February 10, 2019
The organization "United Submitters International" (USI) founded by Khalifa has its center in Tucson and has published a monthly newsletter with the title "Submitter's Perspective" since 1985. The movement popularized the phrase: "The Quran, the whole Quran, and nothing but the Quran." Among those influenced by Khalifa's ideas include Edip Yuksel, Ahmad Rashad,Murray Olderman, Rashad Made A Name For Himself. . . Twice. , The Pittsburgh Press, Accsessed February 16, 2019 and Nigerian High Court Judge, Isa Othman.
A Turkish people (of Kurdish descent) activist, Edip Yüksel, initially campaigned for a Quranist-Islamic revolution in Turkey, which is why he was imprisoned.Musa: The Qur’anists. 2010, S. 18. Later he met Khalifa and joined the organisation after witnessing the "19 miracle".Musa: Ḥadīth as Scripture. 2008, S. 100. In 1989 he had to leave the country because of this and joined the headquarters in Tucson.Haddad und Smith: Muslim Minority Groups in American Islam. 2014, S. 153. Yüksel and two other authors created their own translation of the Quran.Edip Yüksel; Layth Saleh al-Shaiban; Martha Schulte-Nafeh: Quran: A Reformist Translation. Brainbow Press, 2007. In some points, however, his views differ from those of Khalifa.Yüksel; al-Shaiban; Schulte-Nafeh: Quran: A Reformist Translation. 2007, S. 507.
Around the world
In the 21st century, Qur'anist rejection of the hadith has gained traction among modernist Muslims who want to throw out any hadith that they believe contradicts the Qur'an. Both modernist Muslims and Qur'anists believe that the problems in the Islamic world come partly from the traditional elements of the hadith and seek to reject those teachings. Rejecting the hadith has become a growing trend in the Middle East and North Africa, such as in Egypt and Morocco.
Egypt
In Egypt, Quranists are a religious minority. The Quranist intellectual trend began in 1977, when Quranists took the initiative to debunk Sahih al-Bukhari and its assumed sanctification inside Al-Azhar Mosque. Quranists who have been vocal in their criticism of hadiths include Ahmed Subhy Mansour, Ibrahim Eissa, Islam al-Behairy, Khaled Muntaser, and Ahmed Abdo Maher.
India
Quranism gained a significant following in India in the 19th century. The movement introduced by Syed Ahmad Khan was the most influential and coordinated effort in the formation of Quranism. Another ground for the creation of Quranism was opposition to Ahl al-Hadith. Another influential Quranist during this period was Chirag Ali. Two movements started in the Indian subcontinent after the publication of Ahmad Khan's and Chirag Ali's beliefs. The center of the first movement was in Lahore, led by Abdullah Chakralawi. Chakralawi founded the Ahl al-Quran movement, which has been described by Aziz Ahmad and Dietrich Reetz as a "fundamentalist splinter group of Ahl-i-Hadith" while Francis Robinson has described it as puritanical. Alongside his criticism of hadiths, Chakralawi opposed Sufism and vehemently condemned the shrine-based practices and piri-muridi traditions of the time.
Morocco
In Morocco, rejecting the hadith has become a growing trend. Quranists who have been vocal in their criticism of hadiths include Ahmed Assid, Mohamed Lamsiah, and Rachid Aylal.
Niger and Nigeria
Kala Kato is a Quranist movement based in Niger and northern Nigeria. Kala Kato leaders established a mosque in Kaduna. In 2009, they engaged in skirmishes with Nigerian police at Zango village on the outskirts of Bauchi, resulting in the deaths of 38 people. Similar cases occurred in Maiduguri in 2004. In Niger, Sunni imams have urged the government to suppress Kala Kato, who have been described as militant.
Pakistan
Quranists are present in Pakistan. In 1920, the Lahore High Court gave legitimacy to the Ahl al-Quran group as a Muslim sect.
Russia
In 2018, the Russian Council of Muftis issued a fatwa that, contrary to its apparent intent, contained statements supportive of Quran-centric views. The fatwa, ostensibly aimed at defending Sunnah, actually criticized hadith-centrism and emphasized the primacy of the Quran. It suggested that an ideal Islamic society could be built solely on Quranic teachings, without the need for hadiths. This unexpected stance from a major Islamic authority in Russia sparked debate within the Muslim community, with some praising the fatwa's Quran-centric approach while others, particularly hadith-centrists, expressed concern over its implications for traditional Islamic scholarship.Рустам Батыр, «Совет муфтиев России объявил хадисы виновными в деградации ислама» Подробнее на «БИЗНЕС Online» , business-gazeta.ru, Accessed July 17, 2024
Saudi Arabia
In 2023, in a major departure from Wahhabism, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud ordered the establishment of an authority in Medina to scrutinise uses of the hadith that are used by preachers and jurists to support teachings and edicts on all aspects of life. According to Khmer Times, the reforms of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) have been influenced by the Ahl al-Quran group.
Sudan
In 2015, Quranist men in Sudan were imprisoned and sentenced to death for recognizing the Quran and rejecting the Hadith. After being arrested for more than five weeks, the men were released on bail.Zeinab Mohammed Salih: „Sudan Threatens Muslims With Death on Charges of Apostasy." In: The Guardian 21.1.2020.Zeinab Mohammed Salih, Sudan threatens 25 Muslims with death on charges of apostasy , theguardian.com, Accessed February 10, 2019
Syria
There is a Quranist community within Syria, whose early documentation began forming in the 19th century and followed the teachings set forth by the Indian theologian Syed Ahmad Khan and then spread to Syria soon afterwards via intermediary pilgrims. However, Quranist adherents precede these 19th century developments in the form of Mu'tazilites such as Ibrahim al-Nazzam, who lived for some period in these environs. Contemporary adherents of Quranism in Syria have included Muhammad Shahrur.Jafarli, D. "The rise of the quranist movement in Egypt (19th to 20th ctnturies): a historical approach." Гілея: науковий вісник 126 (2017): 181-185.
Turkey
In Turkey, Quranist ideas became particularly noticeable,Aisha Y. Musa, The Qur'anists , 19.org, Retrieved 6 July 2013.Mustafa Akyol, "Welcome to Islamic Reformation 101", Hurriyet Daily News 1 March 2008, Retrieved 26 January 2013. with portions of the youth either leaving Sunni Islam or converting to Quranism.Öztürk: Modern Döneme Özgü Bir Kur’an Tasavvuru. 2010, S. 24. There has been significant Quranist scholarship in Turkey, with there being even Quranist theology professors in significant universities, including scholars like Yaşar Nuri ÖztürkMustafa Akyol, Islam without Extremes: A Muslim Case for Liberty, W.W. Norton & Company, 2011, p. 234 and Caner Taslaman.
Notable organizations
Association Internationale des Musulmans Coraniques (AIMC)
The Association Internationale des Musulmans Coraniques (AIMC), or International Association of Quranic Muslims is a Quranist organisation founded by the Tunisian author, professor, and Islamologist Mohamed Talbi.Rachid Barnat, Tunisie-Islam : Le «musulman coranique» selon Mohamed Talbi , kapitalis.com, Accessed February 16, 2019Sadok Belaid, In memorium: Mohamed Talbi (1921–2017) – (Album photos) , leaders.com, Accessed February 16, 2019 The organisation aims to promote Quranism and counter the preaching of Salafism and Wahhabism.
Izgi Amal
İzgi amal () is a Quranist organization in Kazakhstan. It has an estimated 70 to 80 thousand members. Its leader, Aslbek Musin, is the son of the former Speaker of the Mazhilis, Aslan Musin. Личность и ислам (Начало. Интервью с Аслбеком Мусиным) , nm2000.kz, Accessed March 4, 2019Талгат Адилов, Казахстанские кораниты: элита будущего или ответ«Ак Орды» радикальному исламу , contur.kz, Accessed March 4, 2019
Kala Kato
Kala Kato is a Quranist movement whose adherents reside mostly northern Nigeria,Isa Sa'isu, Kala-Kato: Meet group with yet another perception of Islam , dailytrust.com.ng, Accessed February 10, 2019 with some adherents residing in Niger. International Religious Freedom Report 2009, state.gov, Accessed February 10, 2019 Kala Kato means a "man says" in the Hausa language, in reference to the sayings, or hadiths, posthumously attributed to Muhammad. Kala Kato accept only the Quran as authoritative and believe that anything that is not Kala Allah, which means what "God says" in the Hausa language, is Kala Kato.Aminu Alhaji Bala, , saspjournal.com, Accessed February 10, 2019
Quran Sunnat Society
The Quran Sunnat Society is a Quranist movement in India. The movement was behind the first ever woman to lead mixed-gender congregational prayers in India.Ziya Us Salam, 'I follow the Quran', frontline.thehindu.com, Accessed February 10, 2019 It maintains an office and headquarters within Kerala. There is a large community of Quranists in Kerala. One of its leaders, Jamida Beevi, has also spoken out against India's triple talaq law which is mostly based on the Sunni inspired Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act, 1937.Jiby J Kattakayam, ‘Quran has capacity to reflect and absorb changes in society over time … it did not discriminate between men and women’ , timesofindia.indiatimes.com, Accessed February 10, 2019 The most prominent predecessor to the Quran Sunnat Society in India was from the views put forth by Ahmed Khan in the 19th century.
Tolu-e-Islam
The movement was initiated by Ghulam Ahmed Pervez.Aisha Y. Musa, Hadith As Scripture: Discussions on the Authority of Prophetic Traditions in Islam, Palgrave MacMillan, 2008, pg. 86Aisha Y. Musa, The Qur'anists , Academia.edu, Accessed April 7, 2019Nadeem F. Paracha, The rise and fall of a spiritual rebel , Dawn.com, Accessed April 7, 2019Nadeem F. Paracha, Crazy diamonds – V , Dawn.com, Accessed April 7, 2019 Ghulam Ahmed Pervez did not reject all hadiths; however, he accepted only hadiths that "are in accordance with the Quran or do not stain the character of the Prophet or his Sahabah". The organization publishes and distributes books, pamphlets, and recordings of Pervez's teachings. Tolu-e-Islam does not belong to any political party, nor does it belong to any religious group or sect.
United Submitters International
In the United States, at the end of the 20th century, the Egyptian Quranist biochemist Rashad Khalifa, who is known as the discoverer of the Quran code (Code 19), which is a hypothetical mathematical code in the Quran, developed a theological doctrine that influenced Quranists in many other countries. With the aid of computers, he performed a numerical analysis of the Quran that, according to his claims, demonstrated its divine origin.Musa: The Qur’anists. 2010, S. 13. The number 19, which is mentioned in chapter 74 of the Quran as being "one of the greatest miracles" played the fundamental role,Q 74:30: „Über ihr sind neunzehn." Übersetzung von Hartmut Bobzin: Der Koran. 2017. which according to Khalifa can be found everywhere in the structure of the Quran.Khan: Nineteen. 2010, S. 112. Some objected to these beliefs and, in 1990, Khalifa was assassinated by someone associated with the Sunni Islam group Jamaat ul-Fuqra. Historic House: The story behind that building with the words 'Happiness Is Submission to God' , Tucsonweekly.com, Accessed July 7, 2020
Notable individuals
Individuals with full or partial Quranistic ideas include:
See also
Sources
Further reading
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