Refutation of The Repugnant Doubt That The People Are Not Able To Follow What God Sent Down

“Say, ‘O People of The Book, why do you avert from God's Path those who believe, seeking crookedness, while you are witnesses? And God is not unaware of what you do.” The Qur’an 3:99

In The Name of God, The Vastly Merciful, The Merciful

God, The Exalted, said,

ٱتَّبِعُوا۟ مَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكُم مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا۟ مِن دُونِهِۦٓ أَوْلِيَآءَ قَلِيلًا مَّا تَذَكَّرُونَ

“Follow what has been sent down to you from your Lord and do not follow besides Him allies. Little do you remember.”

The Qur’an 7:3

And He said,

وَأَنزَلْنَآ إِلَيْكَ ٱلذِّكْرَ لِتُبَيِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ مَا نُزِّلَ إِلَيْهِمْ وَلَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ

“And We have sent down to you (Muhammad) The Remembrance that you make clear to the people what was sent down to them and that they might give thought.”

The Qur’an 16:44

So God has commanded us to follow what He sent down and has made clear to us what He has sent down to us.

Thus, when we seek knowledge, it is of God’s Book and The Way (Sunnah) of His Messenger, ﷺ.

And when someone asks you, then relay to them what has been authentically reported from God’s Book and The Sunnah.

This is simple, clear and easy.

So, for example, if there is someone who reads God’s Book, wherein He, The Exalted, has commanded us with The Prayer (Al-Ṣalāt) and The Obligatory Charity (Al-Zakāt) and they ask you, “How do we pray?” - then tell them,

“God said or it is authentically narrated that The Messenger of God said or The Companions of The Prophet said that The Prophet did, such and such,” with references to where they may verify its authenticity. Then remain silent.

And this has been made easy today with the availability of many books in which are collected Verses of The Qur’an and Narrations of The Prophet in particular topics, with their chain of narrations or references to where the chain of narrations can be verified.

So, for example, when asked about The Prayer, you might say,

“Here is a copy of Sahih Al-Bukhari, it is a collection of narrations from The Messenger of God, ﷺ, with their chains of narration, that Al-Bukhari considered to be authentic. Read The Chapters where narrations are collected about Purification and Prayer.”

Or, if you have memorised or collected something yourself in this regard then narrate or give this to them.

It is not said, however, at any point, that, “You don’t know, you have to follow so-and-so besides what God sent down!”

No, God, The Exalted, said,

ٱتَّبِعُوا۟ مَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكُم مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا۟ مِن دُونِهِۦٓ أَوْلِيَآءَ قَلِيلًا مَّا تَذَكَّرُونَ

“Follow what has been sent down to you from your Lord and do not follow besides Him allies. Little do you remember.”

The Qur’an 7:3

All of the people are commanded with following what God sent down, and abandoning the following of everything besides. And this is the Way of The Messenger of God, ﷺ, and his Companions.

Following other than what God sent down is a heresy and is going astray.

And how have their intellects commanded them with this?! When it is easier to learn and relate God’s Speech and The Way of His Messenger than it is to learn the statements of so-and-so from the people?!

As God, The Exalted, said,

أَفَحُكْمَ ٱلْجَٰهِلِيَّةِ يَبْغُونَ وَمَنْ أَحْسَنُ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ حُكْمًا لِّقَوْمٍ يُوقِنُونَ

“Then is it the judgement of (the days of) ignorance they desire? And who is better than God in judgement for a people who are certain?”

The Qur’an 5:50

And He said,

وَلَقَدْ يَسَّرْنَا ٱلْقُرْءَانَ لِلذِّكْرِ فَهَلْ مِن مُّدَّكِرٍ

“And indeed, We have made easy The Qur'an for remembrance, so is there any who will remember?”

The Qur’an 54:32

And He said about His Messenger, ﷺ,

بَلْ مَتَّعْتُ هَٰٓؤُلَآءِ وَءَابَآءَهُمْ حَتَّىٰ جَآءَهُمُ ٱلْحَقُّ وَرَسُولٌ مُّبِينٌ

“However, I (God) gave enjoyment to these and their fathers until came to them the truth and a clear Messenger.”

The Qur’an 43:29

So say to those whom God has blessed by guiding them to Islam and practising,

God, The Exalted, said,

ٱتَّبِعُوا۟ مَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكُم مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا۟ مِن دُونِهِۦٓ أَوْلِيَآءَ قَلِيلًا مَّا تَذَكَّرُونَ

“Follow what has been sent down to you from your Lord and do not follow besides Him allies. Little do you remember.”

The Qur’an 7:3

And He said,

وَأَنزَلْنَآ إِلَيْكَ ٱلذِّكْرَ لِتُبَيِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ مَا نُزِّلَ إِلَيْهِمْ وَلَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ

“And We have sent down to you (Muhammad) The Remembrance that you make clear to the people what was sent down to them and that they might give thought.”

The Qur’an 16:44

So follow what He sent down, which He has made clear for us.

And He said,

وَلَا تَقْفُ مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِۦ عِلْمٌ إِنَّ ٱلسَّمْعَ وَٱلْبَصَرَ وَٱلْفُؤَادَ كُلُّ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ كَانَ عَنْهُ مَسْـُٔولًا

“And do not pursue what you do not have knowledge of. Indeed, the hearing, the sight and the heart, each of those about which will be questioned.”

The Qur’an 17:36

So only follow what has been authentically reported from God and His Messenger, ﷺ, and be patient.

And to those whom God has blessed with years upon Islam, then understand The Saying of God, The Mighty and Majestic,

مَا كَانَ لِبَشَرٍ أَن يُؤْتِيَهُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ وَٱلْحُكْمَ وَٱلنُّبُوَّةَ ثُمَّ يَقُولَ لِلنَّاسِ كُونُوا۟ عِبَادًا لِّى مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ وَلَٰكِن كُونُوا۟ رَبَّٰنِيِّۦنَ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تُعَلِّمُونَ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ وَبِمَا كُنتُمْ تَدْرُسُونَ

“It is not for a human that God give him The Book and The Hukm and The Prophethood then he say to the people, ‘Be slaves to me besides God,’ rather, be nurturing scholars because of what you have taught of The Book and because of what you have studied.”

The Qur’an 3:79

And His Saying, The Exalted,

قُلْ هَٰذِهِۦ سَبِيلِىٓ أَدْعُوٓا۟ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ عَلَىٰ بَصِيرَةٍ أَنَا۠ وَمَنِ ٱتَّبَعَنِى وَسُبْحَٰنَ ٱللَّهِ وَمَآ أَنَا۠ مِنَ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ

“Say, ‘This is my way; I (Muhammad) invite to God upon insight, I and those who follow me. And exalted is God; and I am not of the Polytheists.’”

The Qur’an 12:108

So call to your Lord upon insight, that is the way of your Messenger. Call to what your Lord has sent down or remain silent.

And if you do not, and insist on calling to other than your Lord, whether to people or principles, then understand His Speech, The Exalted,

قُلْ يَٰٓأَهْلَ ٱلْكِتَٰبِ لِمَ تَصُدُّونَ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ مَنْ ءَامَنَ تَبْغُونَهَا عِوَجًا وَأَنتُمْ شُهَدَآءُ وَمَا ٱللَّهُ بِغَٰفِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ

“Say, ‘O People of The Book, why do you avert from God’s Path those who believe, seeking crookedness, while you are witnesses? And God is not unaware of what you do.”

The Qur’an 3:99

And you who have believed, consider His Speech, The Exalted,

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِن تُطِيعُوا۟ فَرِيقًا مِّنَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ يَرُدُّوكُم بَعْدَ إِيمَٰنِكُمْ كَٰفِرِينَ

“O you who have believed, if you obey a party of those who were given The Book, they would turn you back, after your belief, unbelievers.”

وَكَيْفَ تَكْفُرُونَ وَأَنتُمْ تُتْلَىٰ عَلَيْكُمْ ءَايَٰتُ ٱللَّهِ وَفِيكُمْ رَسُولُهُۥ وَمَن يَعْتَصِم بِٱللَّهِ فَقَدْ هُدِىَ إِلَىٰ صِرَٰطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ

“And how could you disbelieve while The Verses of God are being recited upon you and among you is His Messenger? And whoever holds firmly to God has indeed been guided to a straight path.”

The Qur’an 3:100-1