Every Muslim familiar with Islamic history is also familiar with this statement and very well knows who said it, to whom, and when. In this article, we will try to analyse this statement, its validity and its implications, if believed to be true. As a basis for discussion, let us quickly review this narration.
The Incident
It is narrated from Ibn Abbas that when the last moments of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) approached, and certain individuals, including Umar Ibn Khattab, were present in his house, the Prophet (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) said: “Come, let me write something for you after which you will never go astray.”
Umar said: “The Prophet (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) is in a state of delirium, and you have the Qur’an with you. The Book of Allah is sufficient for us.”
The Ahlul Bayt (peace be upon them) objected to this sentence, and a debate arose. Some people said, “Come closer, so the Prophet (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) may write something for you after which you will never go astray,” while others agreed with Umar’s stance. The discussion escalated, differences arose, and the Prophet (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) ordered those people to leave.
Ubaydullah reported that Ibn Abbas used to say: “It was a great disaster that befell the Prophet (peace be upon him and his holy progeny), for he was not allowed to write because of the dispute and noise among the people.”
[Sahih Bukhari, Hadith 5669 — Source: https://sunnah.com/bukhari:5669]
Important Points from the Incident
Many aspects in this narration can be discussed in detail, but we will focus only on two sentences:
• “You have the Qur’an with you.”
• “The Book of Allah is sufficient for us.”
Was the Book of Allah available to them at that time?
Whenever someone makes a claim, they must have evidence to support it. A claim without proof has no validity. If a person claims to own a mansion but actually lives in a small rented accommodation, then his claim is false.
So, the real question is – when it was said, “We have the Qur’an,” and “The Book of Allah is sufficient for us,” did they actually have a compiled Qur’an or a Mushaf (book) like we have today?
The answer is a resounding ‘No,’ and the proof comes from their books. Let’s present three quick pieces of evidence:
- Only 4 people had compiled the Qur’an after
Anas Ibn Malik said: When the Prophet (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) passed away, no one had compiled the Qur’an except four people: Abu Darda, Mu’adh Ibn Jabal, Zaid Ibn Thabit, and Abu Zaid. We inherited the Qur’an that was with Abu Zaid (because he had no descendants).
[Sahih Bukhari, Hadith 5004 — Source: https://sunnah.com/bukhari:5004]
- Zaid Ibn Thabit Was Ordered to Compile the Qur’an
Zaid bin Thabit narrates in a lengthy narration: “Abu Bakr sent for me when the people of Yamama had been killed (i.e., a number of the Prophet’s Companions who fought against Musailama). (I went to him) and found Umar Ibn Khattab sitting with him. Abu Bakr then said (to me), “Umar has come to me and said: “Casualties were heavy among the Qurra’ of the Qur’an (i.e. those who knew the Qur’an by heart) on the day of the Battle of Yamama, and I am afraid that more heavy casualties may take place among the Qurra’ on other battlefields, whereby a large part of the Qur’an may be lost. Therefore, I suggest, you (Abu Bakr) order that the Qur’an be collected.”
I said to Umar, “How can you do something which Allah’s Apostle did not do?”
Umar said, “By Allah, that is a good project.”
Umar kept on urging me to accept his proposal till Allah expanded my chest for it and I began to realize the good in the idea which Umar had realized.”
Then Abu Bakr said (to me), “You are a wise young man and we do not have any suspicion about you, and you used to write the Divine revelation for Allah’s Messenger (peace be on him and his progeny). So, you should search for (the fragmentary scripts of) the Qur’an and collect it in one book.”
By Allah If they had ordered me to shift one of the mountains, it would not have been heavier for me than this ordering me to collect the Qur’an. Then I said to Abu Bakr,
“How will you do something which Allah’s Messenger (peace be on him and his progeny) did not do?”
Abu Bakr replied, “By Allah, it is a good project.”
Abu Bakr kept on urging me to accept his idea until Allah expanded my chest for what He had opened the chests of Abu Bakr and Umar. So, I started looking for the Qur’an and collecting it from (what was written on) palm stalks, thin white stones and also from the men who knew it by heart, till I found the last Verse of Surat at-Tauba (Repentance) with Abu Khuzaima Al-Ansari, and I did not find it with anybody other than him. The verse is: ‘Verily there has come unto you an Apostle (Muhammad) from amongst yourselves. It grieves him that you should receive any injury or difficulty… (till the end of Surah Taubah (9): Verses 128-129). Then the complete manuscripts (copy) of the Qur’an remained with Abu Bakr till he died, then with Umar till the end of his life, and then with Hafsa, the daughter of Umar.
[Sahih Bukhari, Hadith 4986 — Source: https://sunnah.com/bukhari:4986]
Note:
• The Battle of Yamama was fought after the martyrdom of Holy Prophet (peace be on him and his progeny)
• This narration proves that until the Battle of Yamama, the Qur’an was not compiled. Else, why would Zaid Ibn Thabit be ordered to compile it?
• A notable point is that the ruler, as well as Zaid, were not prepared to compile it initially.
- Even Zaid Ibn Thabit did not compile the Qur’an entirely
Narrated Kharija Ibn Zaid: Zaid Ibn Thabit said, “When the Qur’an was compiled from various written manuscripts, one of the Verses of Surah Ahzaab was missing, which I used to hear Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) reciting. I could not find it except with Khuzaima Ibn Thabjt Al-Ansari (Dhu al-Shahaadatain), whose witness was regarded by Allah’s Messenger (peace be on him and his progeny) as equal to the witness of two men. And the Verse was:
مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ رِجَالٌ صَدَقُوا مَا عَاهَدُوا اللهَ عَلَيْهِ
“Among the believers are men who have been true to what they covenanted with Allah.”
[Surah Ahzaab (33): Verse 23]
[Sahih Bukhari, Hadith 2807 — Source: https://sunnah.com/bukhari:2807]
This indicates that when the Prophet (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) passed away, the Muslims did not have a compiled Qur’an. So, how could it be claimed that the Qur’an was sufficient? How can something that is not even available be adequate? Sufficiency of the Qur’an is a different topic altogether. Even the current compiled Qur’an that we have with us is not sufficient to arrive at the method of reciting even two units (rak’ahs) of prayer. So, how could someone say the Qur’an is enough?
Implications of this statement
To claim the Book of Allah is sufficient implies:
• People can understand religion just by reading the Qur’an.
• There is no need to learn or understand it from anyone.
• It means, take the book and abandon the teacher.
Imagine the consequences if all schools and colleges were to tell parents, “Just buy the book and teach your children yourself because the book is sufficient”. If, for worldly education, a book alone is not sufficient, how can it be sufficient for the religion of Allah?
Understanding the Qur’an Is Not Easy
To comprehend the Qur’an, one must:
• Know Arabic grammar (Sarf and Nahw)
• Understand the context, occasion of revelation, interpretation and exegesis
• Derive beliefs, ethics, etiquette, and laws from it
• Avoid misinterpretation
• Know which verse is decisive (Muhkam), which is allegorical (Mutashaabeh)
• Know which verse was revealed in Macca, which in Madina, which during travel, which at home, during battle, or otherwise
Expecting an ordinary Muslim to understand all of the above by merely reciting the Holy Qur’an is like shooting in the dark.
Did the Qur’an ever say it is sufficient?
Can the validity of the claim “The Book of Allah is sufficient for us” be proven from the Qur’an itself? The Holy Qur’an states:
فَسْئَلُوا أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ لا تَعْلَمُونَ
“Then ask the people of remembrance if you do not know.”
[Surah Nahl (16): Verse 43]
Note:
• This verse itself proves that the Qur’an alone is not sufficient.
• Claiming the Qur’an is enough without knowledge is not a wise approach, as it goes against the teachings of the Qur’an itself.
• This verse means there are people to whom the Qur’an is entirely clear and who possess complete knowledge of it.
• Those who don’t know are commanded to ask those who do.
Who possesses complete knowledge of the Qur’an?
Debate of Mansoor Ibn Haazim
Mansoor Ibn Haazim said to Abu Abdillah, Imam al-Sadeq (peace be upon him): “Indeed, Allah is far greater and nobler to be known through His creation. Rather, creation is known through Allah.”
He replied: “You have spoken the truth.”
Mansoor continued: “Whoever knows that he has a Lord must also know that this Lord has likes and dislikes, which cannot be known except through revelation or a messenger. And whoever does not receive revelation must seek the messengers. Upon meeting them, he will know they are the proof and that their obedience is obligatory.”
I asked the people: “Do you believe that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) was Allah’s proof over His creation?”
They replied: “Yes.”
I further asked: “After the Messenger passed away, who was the proof over creation?”
They said: “The Qur’an.”
I said: “I examined the Qur’an and found that even the Murji’ite, Qadari, and atheist who do not believe in it argue using it and defeat others. So, I knew that the Qur’an is not a proof except with a custodian – someone whose word concerning it will be considered as the truth.
So, I asked: “Who is the custodian of the Qur’an?”
They said: “Ibn Mas’ood, Umar, Hudhayfah knew the Qur’an.”
I asked: “All of it?”
They said: “No.”
I said: “Then I found no one who was said to know it all except Ali (peace be upon him). When something was debated, the others said, “I don’t know,” except Ali (peace be upon him), who said, “I know.” Therefore, I testify that Ali (peace be upon him) was the custodian of the Qur’an, his obedience was obligatory, and he was the proof after the Messenger (peace be on him and his progeny). Whatever he said about the Qur’an was truth.”
[Al-Kaafi, vol. 1, pp. 168–169, H. 2]
The Qur’an Is Sufficient Only If…
Finally, there is just one condition under which one can say the Qur’an is sufficient.
Someone asked Imam Ali al-Naqi (peace be upon him):“Was the Qur’an not sufficient for the people?”
He replied: “Yes, if they found an interpreter for it.”
The questioner asked: “Did the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) not explain it?”
He replied: “Yes, but he explained it to only one man and clarified to the nation the position of that man — and he is Ali Ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him).”
[Behaar al-Anwaar, vol. 25, p. 72, H. 62]