[Q 665] Rejecting All Hadith Completely

QUESTION:

If a person rejects all Hadith entirely yet still believes and takes from the Quran does this give grounds to takfir or is it just classed as major deviancy? Jazakallah khayr

ANSWER:

A person who completely rejects the blessed Ahadith is a Kafir (disbeliever) and is outside the fold of Islam. Such a person must immediately repent, recite the Kalimah again to re-enter Islam, and believe in all the fundamental beliefs and rulings of the Shari‘ah, including both the Qur’an and the Hadith, and live in accordance with them.

In reality, a person who rejects the blessed Ahadith is also rejecting the Noble Qur’an. This is because the Qur’an commands obedience to and following of Aaqa Karim صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم, and this can only be fulfilled by believing in the Ahadith and acting upon their rulings. By rejecting the Ahadith and refusing to follow their rulings, it becomes impossible to act upon the Qur’an. Allah تبارك وتعالى has mentioned the fundamental principles of human success in the Qur’an, but not every detail is explicitly stated therein. Even the method of performing Salah (prayer) cannot be established from the Qur’an alone. Therefore, the explanation, clarification, and practical implementation of these rulings are not possible without the blessed Ahadith.

Allah تبارك وتعالى says:

وَ اَطِیْعُوا اللّٰهَ وَ الرَّسُوْلَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُوْنَۚ (132)

Tarjama-e-Kanz-ul-Irfan“And obey Allah and His Messenger that you may be endowed with mercy. (Surah Aal ‘Imran, 3:132)

In another place, Allah تعالى says:

قُلْ اَطِیْعُوا اللّٰهَ وَ الرَّسُوْلَۚ-فَاِنْ تَوَلَّوْا فَاِنَّ اللّٰهَ لَا یُحِبُّ الْكٰفِرِیْنَ(32)

Translation (Kanz al-Irfan): “Say, “Obey Allah and His Messenger”, then if they turn away; so Allah does not like the disbelievers. (Surah Aal ‘Imran, 3:32)

Likewise, if the blessed Ahadith are not accepted as authoritative and are rejected, a person will not only be deprived of the guidance brought by Aaqa Karim صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم, but will also lose the guidance of the Noble Qur’an. Allah تبارك وتعالى revealed the guidance in the Qur’an, but entrusted the explanation of its meanings and the teaching of its rulings to Aaqa Karim صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم. This is not possible without acting upon the Ahadith. Indeed, even understanding the Qur’an itself depends upon the Ahadith, and Allah عزوجل has stated this in the Qur’an.

Allah تعالى says:

لَقَدْ مَنَّ اللّٰهُ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِیْنَ اِذْ بَعَثَ فِیْهِمْ رَسُوْلًا مِّنْ اَنْفُسِهِمْ یَتْلُوْا عَلَیْهِمْ اٰیٰتِهٖ وَ یُزَكِّیْهِمْ وَ یُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتٰبَ وَ الْحِكْمَةَۚ-وَ اِنْ كَانُوْا مِنْ قَبْلُ لَفِیْ ضَلٰلٍ مُّبِیْنٍٜ (164)

Tarjama-e-Kanz-ul-Irfan: Indeed, Allah bestowed a great favour upon the believers when He sent to them a Messenger from among them. He recites the verses of Allah before them, purifies them, and teaches them the Book and Wisdom eventhough, prior to this, they certainly had been in clear misguidance. (Surah Aal ‘Imran, 3:164)

It is stated in Fatawa Ridawiyyah:

“Whoever rejects the Hadith is, in reality, rejecting the Prophet صلى الله تعالى عليه وسلم. Whoever rejects the Prophet صلى الله تعالى عليه وسلم is rejecting the Noble Qur’an. Whoever rejects the Noble Qur’an is rejecting Allah, the One, the Almighty. Whoever rejects Allah is an explicit apostate and disbeliever. And one who is an apostate disbeliever has no right to interfere in Islamic rulings…

Allah تعالى says:

فَلَا وَ رَبِّكَ لَا یُؤْمِنُوْنَ حَتّٰى یُحَكِّمُوْكَ فِیْمَا شَجَرَ بَیْنَهُمْ ثُمَّ لَا یَجِدُوْا فِیْۤ اَنْفُسِهِمْ حَرَجًا مِّمَّا قَضَیْتَ وَ یُسَلِّمُوْا تَسْلِیْمًا(65)

Tarjama-e-Kanz-ul-Irfan: So ˹Dear Beloved Prophet,˺ by your Lord! They will not become believers until they make you a judge in that which they dispute among themselves[1] and do not find within their hearts any unease regarding that which you decide and wholeheartedly accept (Prophetic judgement). (النساء، آیت 65)

The commands regarding Salah, Sunnah, Janazah, Tashahhud, and Durood are all explicitly found in the Book of Allah. However:

وَ مَنْ لَّمْ یَجْعَلِ اللّٰهُ لَهٗ نُوْرًا فَمَا لَهٗ مِنْ نُّوْرٍ۠ (40)

Translation from kanz ul Irfan: “He for whom Allah does not create light, there is no light for him.” (سورہ نور :40)

First, let the denier explain where the proof for the five daily prayers is found in the Book of Allah. Where does the Qur’an specify that Fajr consists of two Rak‘ahs, Maghrib of three, and the others of four? Where does it mention the order of Salah—that one first stands, then recites, then bows, then prostrates, then sits? Where are the beginning and ending times of the prayers detailed—for example, that Fajr begins at true dawn and ends at sunrise, or that Zuhr begins after the sun passes its zenith until the shadow reaches a certain length? Where are the nullifiers of Wudu and Ghusl, or the actions that invalidate Salah, explained in detail in the Qur’an?

When he is unable to answer these questions, admits his ignorance and error, and repents, then we shall explain to him that all the matters he denies are indeed established from the Noble Qur’an. We shall also ask him how he came to accept that the Qur’an currently in his possession is the exact Qur’an revealed by Allah. Did Allah Himself place it directly into his hands? If not, then let him produce his evidence. He should understand that whatever is established by that evidence must also be accepted. Otherwise, he will lose even the Qur’an. In reality, he has already lost it, and even his verbal claim of believing in it will prove meaningless.”

(Fatawa Ridawiyyah, vol. 14, p. 314, Raza Foundation)

Answered by: Mubashir Attari (AskMufti Scholar)
Verified by: Mufti Sajid Attari
Translated answer
Date: 25th June 2026.