“O people of the scripture, our messenger has come to you, to explain things to you, after a
period of time without messengers, lest you say, "We did not receive any preacher or warner."
A preacher and warner has now come to you. God is Omnipotent.”
5:19
As with many other Quranic verses presented in this section, the content of 5:19 has also been manipulated in order to legislate the upholding of the hadith of the messenger as a second source of religious law.
The claim is that the words “to explain to you” confirms that the we must follow all the teachings of the messenger which can be found in his hadith, for in the hadith we find the explanation to the Quran.
However, it can be shown in the light of the Quran that this claim is false. To do so, and when we read 5:19, we must also read the message in 16:64. This is because 5:19 on its own does not give the complete message regarding this issue but when we add the content of 16:64 the picture becomes complete.
16:64 says:
"We have revealed this book (Quran) to you, to point out for them what they dispute, and to provide guidance and mercy for people who believe."
The words in 16:64 clearly state that the messenger can only make things clear to the people by means of what is revealed to him in the book. This is also confirmed in 6:114 which states that the only source of law is the book. In addition, the messenger is prohibited from adding his own teachings to the message he received from God. If he does he would be committing a great error that would incur a severe punishment from God (see 69:44-46).
What this means is that the messenger is authorised only in delivering the message of the Quran and nothing else. All what he preaches to us from the Quran must be obeyed, but not any other teachings that do not have reference or authorisation in the Quran. To obey the messenger blindly in every word he ever uttered is the work of those who are intent on making an idol out of the messenger, and they do so by corrupting yet another Quranic verses which says “obey God and the messenger”.
Please see: “Obey God and obey the messenger”.
The moment they uphold the personal sayings of the messenger or any kind of personal teachings which are not authorised in the Quran they immediately become guilty of idol worship:
"They follow idols who decree for them religious laws never authorized by God. If it were not for the predetermined decision, they would have been judged immediately. Indeed, the transgressors have incurred a painful retribution." 42:21
One more claim made by the advocates of hadith is that the Quran contains the headlines only, and that the the hadith offers the guidance on how to apply the specific details of the religion.
Needless to say, not only does this claim show total disregard for the Quranic assurances that the book contains all the details (6:114), and that nothing has been left out of the book (6:38) and that the Quran has explanations for all things (16:89), but it also shows total disregard for the Quranic words which confirm that:
1- The only duty of the messenger is to deliver the message:
“the sole duty of the messenger is to deliver the message (Quran)” 5:92
2- The prophet Muhammad was commanded to specifically proclaim to the people that he cannot guide them:
“Say (O Muhammad), "I possess no power to harm you, nor to guide you." 72:21
“I only deliver God's words and messages." 72:23
Verily, if the messenger cannot guide the people, so much for the claim which states that the hadith offers guidance!