CAN WE TREAT THE TEACHINGS OF ANY SCHOLAR AS A SOURCE BESIDE THE QURAN?
By Sanaa (Revised for Universal Quran-Only Context)
Believers who follow the Quran recognize that God commands us not to uphold any source beside His revelation. The Quran also states that it is complete, fully detailed, and the only primary source of religious law and guidance.
God makes this principle clear:
• “Recite what is revealed to you of your Lord’s scripture. Nothing shall abrogate His words, and you shall not find any other source beside it.” (18:27)
• “Shall I seek other than God as a source of law, when He has revealed to you this book fully detailed?” (6:114)
• “A scripture whose verses are fully detailed…” (41:3)
These verses establish that the Quran stands alone as God’s authoritative revelation.
Why This Question Matters
Throughout history, sincere believers have studied the Quran and shared their insights in books, lectures, and recorded materials. These contributions can be valuable and beneficial.
But this raises an important question: How should we treat the teachings or interpretations of individuals who study the Quran? Are we allowed to learn from them? And at what point do we cross the line into upholding a source beside the Quran?
Primary vs. Secondary Sources
In academic study:
• Primary sources are firsthand, original materials.
• Secondary sources interpret, analyze, or explain the primary source.
Example: Diaries written during historical events are primary sources. Books analyzing those diaries are secondary sources.
The Quran is the only primary source in Islam—direct revelation from God, containing firsthand accounts and commandments.
Where Believers Can Go Astray
We violate God’s command when we treat a secondary source as if it were a primary source. This occurs when someone:
• Accepts an interpretation without verifying it in the Quran
• Treats another person’s understanding as authoritative
• Uses a scholar’s writings as a basis for religious law
• Quotes human sources to establish doctrine
• Gives human analysis the same weight as revelation
This is the essence of upholding a source beside the Quran.
Secondary Sources Are Not Forbidden
The Quran does not forbid learning from other believers. In fact, God encourages sincere study and teaching:
“A group from each community should devote themselves to gaining understanding of the religion and teach their people when they return…” (9:122)
We may benefit from sermons, commentary, research, and explanations. But everything must be verified in the Quran:
“Do not accept any information unless you verify it for yourself.” (17:36)
This protects believers from hearsay, inherited traditions, and reliance on human authority.
A Balanced Approach
We may listen to sermons, read commentary, study research, and learn from scholars. But we must not:
• Treat their words as infallible
• Follow them blindly
• Use them as religious law
• Elevate them to authoritative status
• Allow interpretations to override the Quran
The Quran is complete and fully detailed. Secondary sources may help us think, but the Quran must always decide.
The Real Danger
Many religious communities originally received pure revelation but later elevated scholars, adopted traditions, and treated human interpretations as sacred. This led to fragmentation and distortion.
The Quran warns repeatedly against turning human understanding into an authority beside God.
Final Principle
We fall into error when we treat human interpretation as equal to divine revelation.
Secondary sources—no matter who writes them—are fallible, interpretive, and human.
The Quran is perfect, preserved, primary, complete, and divine.
The distinction must always remain clear.
As one wise maxim states:
“The moment we seek guidance from anything besides the Quran—no matter how ‘right’ it seems—we risk replacing God’s words with human ideas.”
PREFACE
The following essay presents a Quran-based discussion on how believers should understand the relationship between the Quran and other forms of religious commentary. It reflects a thoughtful perspective on maintaining the Quran as the sole primary source of guidance while recognizing the value of scholarly reflection as secondary material. This article is included here as a contribution to the broader conversation about Quran-centered study and the principles that protect the integrity of God’s revelation.