The Quranic command to follow the 'millat' of Abraham
By: A. Mohamed

The Quran contains a number of verses which include a command for all believers to follow the 'millat' of Abraham, the following is one example:

Then We inspired you to follow the 'millat' (creed) of Abraham. He was a monotheist and was not one of the mushrikeen (those who associate others with God). 16:123

The purpose of this research is first, to confirm the Quranic definition of the word 'millat', and secondly, to demonstrate how the use of an inaccurate definition can lead believers to follow various non Quranic practises.

Some believers have interpreted the word 'millat' in such verses to mean the religion as a whole. This would include all the religious practises (Salat, Zakat, Hajj, etc). As a result, they conclude that to follow the 'millat' of Abraham would mean to follow all the religious practises which were first given to Abraham. By following such a definition of the word 'millat' many sincere believers, who made the decision to follow the Quran alone, have been led to follow a number of religious practices which are
not found in the Quran with the excuse that they were given to Abraham! Considering that these believers advocate that we should all uphold the Quran, the whole Quran and nothing but the Quran, then a clear contradiction becomes apparent.

An immediate reference must be made to 6:114 where it is stated very clearly that all the details of our religion are given in the Quran, and to
6:38 where it is stated that nothing has been left out of the Book. It is clear that there is no exception to the totality of this rule given in any of these two verses. In other words these verses do not say that all the details are in the Book except what was given to Abraham! As a result, the totality in meaning of these two verses must be respected, and it means that all the lawful rituals decreed upon us are found in the Quran even if they were first given to Abraham.
Sadly, some believers who claim to believe God's words which confirm that the Quran has all the details (6:114) and that nothing has been left out (6:38), have been heard saying: The Quran does not list all the details but only the corrections to what has
been corrupted!

All the following rituals are in question since none of them are found in the Quran:

- The stoning during Hajj: All the rituals of Hajj are listed in the Quran but there is no mention of this ritual. Moreover, the only mention of stoning in the Quran is associated with idol worshippers (for details see: Hajj in the Quran).

- The 2.5% rate for Zakat: Not only does the Quran not specify a fixed rate for Zakat but we also have a clear Quranic evidence that God left the rate of Zakat open to each individual (for details see: Zakat in the Quran).

- The 5 daily Salat: The Quran has only three names for Salat (for details see: Three Salat).

- The 24434 raka format for the Salat: The word raka means a cycle of standing, bowing then 2 prostrations. Not only is the 24434 format not found anywhere in the Quran, but more important, the whole concept of raka is not in the Quran and the word raka does not appear in the Quran. The Quranic Salat is a sequence of standing, bowing then prostrating without any mention of the need to repeat this cycle.

- The sermon during the Friday Prayer: Once again is a ritual without any Quranic authorisation.

It must be said here that besides the fact that none of these rituals are found in the Quran, there is no Quranic evidence that these specific rituals were even given to Abraham! Indeed the Quran tells us that God gave Abraham the Salat, Zakat (21:73) and the Hajj (22:27)
. However we will not find in the Quran details about what exactly God gave Abraham. How many Salat did God decree for Abraham? What times of the day? What rules to follow? None of these details or any other details of the Salat given to Abraham are mentioned in the Quran. It follows that if we wish to follow what Abraham was given, we would have no choice but to follow other sources besides the Quran. In such a case, all claims of following the Quran, all the Quran and nothing but the Quran become hollow and insincere.

1- The Quranic definition of 'millat Ibrahim'

FIRST

What is the meaning of the word 'millat'? Does it mean the religion as a whole as some suggest, or does it have a narrower meaning? If the word 'millat' is synonymous with the word religion, why does God use the word religion (deen) in some verses, then the word millat in other verses?

We read about 'millat Ibrahim' in a number of verses such as 16:123 (above) and also in 2:135, 3:95 and others.

The first observation is that in all the verses that mention the words 'millat Ibrahim' these words are followed by the words 'he was a monotheist and was not one of the mushrikeen'.

It is obvious that God is giving us the definition of the words 'millat Ibrahim' as being monotheism and the refrain from associating partners with God. Consequently, when God commands Muhammad, and all of us, to follow 'millat Ibrahim', God is commanding us to follow monotheism and refrain from shirk (associating partners with God).

When Joseph declared that he follows 'millat Ibrahim' he quickly added that it dictates to them (Joseph and his people) not to associate anything/anyone with God:

And I have followed the millat of my fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It is not for us to associate anything with God. That is from God's favour upon us and upon the people, but most people do not give thanks. 12:38

Should we accept God's definition of the word 'millat' (creed), or should we devise a looser definition of this word to mean all the religious rituals, rules and detailed regulations of Islam? The deliberate insertion of the words 'he was a monotheist and was not one of the mushrikeen' after the words 'millat Ibrahim' in all the verses which contain the words 'millat Ibrahim' compels us to accept that the words 'millat Ibrahim' refer to Abraham's creed which is Monotheism.

SECOND

Further evidence confirming that the word 'millat' does not mean religion, but that it means 'creed' is found in the following verse:

I have abandoned the millat of a people who do not believe in God, and with regard to the Hereafter, they are disbelievers. 12:37

These words, which were uttered by the prophet Joseph, speak of the 'millat' of those who were atheists, they did not believe in God nor the Hereafter. Atheists do not have a religion but they have a creed (atheism). Equally, as per 12:37, the word 'millat' cannot be speaking of the rituals and practices since atheists do not have religious practices.

THIRD

Further evidence confirming that the word 'millat' does not mean religion but that it means 'creed' is found in the following verse:

Those who disbelieved said to their messengers, "We will drive you out of our land unless you return to our millat."
14:13

Another concrete evidence that the word
'millat' does not mean religion, but it means creed. The disbelievers do not have nor follow any religion. However, they do have a creed which is atheism. Creed simply means a belief or conviction. The belief that there is no God is a creed and not a religion.

FOURTH

Further evidence for the definition of the word 'millat' can be found in the following Quranic words:

Neither the Jews nor the Christians will approve of you until you follow their millat. 2:120

God is the speaker in 2:120, and as far as God is concerned the religion given to all people (Jews, Christians and Muslims) is one and the same, and God calls it Islam (3:19). It is the only religion authorised and accepted by God. Prophet Abraham for example was a Muslim and not a Jew or Christian In addition (3:67), and so were all the other prophets.

Since the religion given to all people is one and the same, there would be no reason why the Jews or Christians would not be pleased with the religion given in the Quran, this is assuming that the word 'millat' means religion.
The words in 2:120 would make little sense if the word 'millat' meant religion.

However, if we consider the correct meaning of 'millat', which is 'creed', then the words in 2:120 would make much better sense. The Jews and Christians have each fabricated their own man-made creeds when they strayed away from the teachings of their original Scriptures.

We must also pause here and understand why God in 2:120 used the word creed and not religion? Why did not God say:

'Neither the Jews nor the Christians will approve of you until you follow their 'deen' (religion).' 2:120

As we know, the only religion authorised by God is Islam (Submission to Him) 3:19.

1- We do not find the word Judaism in the Old Testament, nor do we find the word Christianity in the New Testament.
This absence of the two words tell us that these titles were never authorised by God in the Scriptures but were man-made. In addition, these titles were never used by Moses and Jesus respectively. The names of Judaism and Christianity came into use after the death of Moses and Jesus respectively.

2-
God shows us in the Quran that He never approved these names (Judaism and Christianity) as names of religions authorised by Him.
As we have seen in 2:120, God spoke about the Jews and Christians, but then he did not refer to "their religion", but God used the words "their creed".

This is clearly to tell us that He does not recognise Judaism and Christianity as names of lawful religions that He approved of. These are man-made creeds which are deviations from the one religion decreed by God (Submission).

The deen (religion) authorised in the Quran is one and the same as the religion authorised in the Torah and the Injeel. It is the man-made creeds that differ.

So what are the creeds of the Jews and Christians which are deviations from what God gave them in their Scriptures?

With the Jews, their millat (creed) is structured around their man-made traditions as well as the interpretations of the Rabis. In addition to the law of God, given to them in the Torah, they added what they call the 'Oral Law' which is contained in the Talmud (Mishnah and Gemara). In upholding the Talmud, they have set up a man made source of law besides the God given Torah.

As for the Christians, their creed which has largely deviated from the original message given to Jesus is based on such doctrines as the fictitious 'Trinity', the 'Atonement', the 'Salvation only through Jesus', the 'son of god', and the 'Resurrection of Jesus'. All these doctrines are the basis of a creed that was never approved by God, nor is in line with the teachings of the original Scripture given to them.

What 2:120 tells us is exactly what is happening today, the Jews and Christians will never be happy until others follow the creeds which they have invented.

FIFTH

Further evidence that the word 'millat' does not mean religion is in the fact that the word used consistently in the Quran for religion is 'deen' and not 'millat'. The fact that we find some Quranic verses (e.g 4:125 and 6:161) which actually contain both words 'millat' and also 'deen' confirms that these two words do not have the same meaning. This is not any different from the verses which use the words prophet (nabi) and messenger (rasool) in the same verse to confirm that these two words do not have the same meaning (e.g. 22:52).

The word 'millat' simply means a creed or a belief, but a religion is a complete and comprehensive set of religious laws which cover all the practises in addition to all the lawful and unlawful activities as prescribed by God.

In addition, it is not essential for a creed to be based on a belief in God, that is why atheism is a creed (belief) but not a religion (point 2 above). By definition, a religion must be centred around a belief in a god of some sort or another.

SIXTH

The interpretation of 'millat' to mean religion comes unstuck upon reading 6:161 where we find that both words, 'deen' and 'millat' are used.

Say, "My Lord has guided me to a straight path, a correct religion, the millat of Abraham. He was a monotheist and was not of the mushrikeen." 6:161

We know that the word 'deen' means religion. If both words (deen and millat) mean religion, wouldn't only one of them only be used?

2- Are we accountable to what was decreed for Abraham

FIRST

The Quran confirms that the practices of Islam are older than the Quran:

We made them leaders, guiding by Our command, and We inspired them to do good deeds, the observance of the Salat and the giving of the Zakat. They were worshippers of Us. 21:73

According to 21:73 and other verses we are told that the rituals of Islam are older than the Quran and that they were indeed first given to Abraham. However, the Quran does not tell us the details of what exactly was given to Abraham. How many daily Salat were given to Abraham, what rate Zakat was given to Abraham (if any) and so on.

SECOND

The second issue to resolve is whether we today are required to follow what was decreed for Abraham and those before us or not. To do so, let us read the following verse:

We brought down to you the Book (Quran) with truth, confirming what came before it of the Scripture and superseding it. So rule among them in accordance with what God has brought down ........ For each of you, We have decreed a law and a method. Had God willed, He would have made you one nation, but He tests you through what He has given each of you. 5:48

From the above Quranic words we derive 3 important messages related to our inquiry:

1- We have confirmation in the words above that we are commanded to follow what was revealed to us (Quran) and nothing else. The Quran is given the function of 'confirming what came before it of the Scriptures and superseding it'. This asserts the fact that what was given to those before us has now been replaced by the Quran. We are thus accountable only to what is revealed to us (Quran), and not what was given to Abraham or the others. To insist that we are to follow rituals that we inherited from as far back as Abraham is in violation of the words 'superseding it' that describe the Quran in 5:48

2- The words 'For each of you, We have decreed a law and a method' tell us that the rituals given to each people (including us) are not necessarily identical to the ones given to those before them. As a result, although we all follow the same creed of Monotheism and Submission to God (Islam), the specific rituals and practises are different for different people.

3-
Moreover, the words 'He tests you through what He has given each of you' provide a very important matter. These words confirm that God test every people and holds them accountable to what was given to each of them and not to what was given to those before them. With regards to us, we are not accountable to what was given to Abraham or any of those before us, but only to what was given to us which is the Quran.

THIRD

Not only did God inform us that each people were given a different set of 'Shira'a wa minhaja' (laws and methods), but also that every people were given different rituals:

For every nation, We have appointed a 'mansakan' (rite) they are to observe. So let them not dispute with you in the matter. You shall invite to your Lord; you are upon straight guidance. 22:67 (also 22:34).

We note that the word 'mansakan', which is used in this verse, is different from the words which are used in 5:48. Whilst the words 'Shira'a wa minhajan' (in 5:48) may be related to the laws explaining the methodology of performing the rituals, the word 'mansakan' is speaking of the rituals themselves. We are told that these are not the same for different people. Consequently to claim that we are to follow the exact rituals that were given to Abraham is in violation of 22:67.

Now let us take a closer look at verses 67 to 72 of Sura 22:

For every nation, We have appointed a 'mansakan' (rite) they are to observe. So let them not dispute with you in the matter. You shall invite to your Lord; you are upon straight guidance.
And if they argue with you, then say, "God knows best what you are doing.
God will judge between you on the Day of Resurrection regarding that in which you used to differ."
Do you not know that God knows what is in the heaven and the earth? That is in a Book. Indeed, that is easy for God.
They worship besides God that which He did not bring down authorisation for, and of which they have no knowledge! The transgressors will have no supporter.
When Our clear revelations are recited to them, you detect evil in the faces of those who disbelieve. They almost assault those who recite Our revelations to them! Say, "Shall I inform you of what is worse than that? The Fire! God has promised it for those who disbelieved; what a miserable destination!" 22:67-72

We note from these glorious verses a number of important messages:

1- As mentioned, the word 'mansakan' speaks of rituals and how they are not the same for every people.

2- The words 'If they argue with you, then say, "God knows best what you are doing' " are indeed very significant. The question is 'why would the disbelievers argue with the believers in this context?' The answer is that they will argue with them because the believers choose to follow the rites given in the Quran and nothing else. The believers are not interested in rites that are inherited to them and labelled "came from Abraham"! The believers believe God, and they are content that the Quran contains all the details of the religion they are required to follow.

3- These words are then followed by yet equally potent words, these are:

They worship besides God that which He did not bring down authorisation for, and of which they have no knowledge! The transgressors will have no supporter. 22:71

With these words, God is asserting the fact that those people are idolising others besides God. All those who do not believe God when He confirms that the Quran contains all the details of our religion, regardless of what was decreed for those before us or what we inherited, they are indeed transgressors. They are following rules and rites from outside the Quran, thus they have set up other gods to follow besides God.

4- God's words of truth continue:

When Our clear revelations are recited to them, you detect evil in the faces of those who disbelieve. They almost assault those who recite Our revelations to them. 22:72

FOURTH

If we take a look at the verses leading to 5:48 we note that God holds the receivers of every Scripture accountable only to what they were given in their Scripture, and not to what was given to those before them:

In 5:44 we read that God gave the prophets of Israel the Torah and commanded them to rule with it:

We have brought down the Torah, containing guidance and light. The prophets who submitted ruled with it over the Jews. So did the rabbis and the priests by what they were entrusted with in God's Book, and they were witnesses over it. 5:44
The receivers of the Torah ruled with it. The last words in the same verse say:
'those who do not rule by what God has brought down, they are indeed the disbelievers'.

Then in verse 46 God says that He gave Jesus the Injeel and once again (in verse 47) God states that the people of the Injeel were to rule with it, then God issues the same warning:

And the people of the Injeel shall rule in accordance with what God has brought down therein. Those who do not rule by what God has brought down, they are indeed the wicked ones. 5:47

Then in verse 48 God tells Muhammad:

And We brought down to you the Book with truth, confirming what came before it of the Scripture and superseding it. So rule among them in accordance with what God has brought down.

God brought the Quran down to Muhammad and commanded him to rule with it. Prophet Muhammad was not to rule by what was given to those before him, but by the Quran that was given to him. The same command is repeated in verse 49.

This command, together with the fact that the Quran supersedes the older Scriptures, confirms that we are not required to follow the previous Scriptures which were revealed to previous people, nor are we required to follow any rituals or practices contained in the previous Scriptures that may have come to us across the generations. Those who insist on following inherited rituals and practices that have no authorisation in the Quran are the subject of the following verse:

And when it is said to them, "Follow what God has brought down (Quran)", they say, "No, we only follow what we found our fathers upon." What! Even if their fathers did not understand anything and were not guided? 2:170

FIFTH

In another Quranic verse, the same truth is asserted. Our accountability on Judgement Day will only be to what was revealed to us (Quran) and nothing else. The following Quranic words confirm this meaning:

It (Quran) is a Reminder for you and your people, and you will all be questioned. 43:44

SIXTH

The Quran categorically prohibits us from following any rituals by way of inheritance, but to follow only what God has brought down to us (Quran). The call to follow what we inherited from our parents because they came to us preserved from the time of Abraham is in total violation of the message in 2:170.

And when it is said to them, "Follow what God has brought down," they say, "No, we only follow what we found our fathers upon." What! Even if their fathers did not understand anything and were not guided? 2:170

SEVENTH

On Judgement Day, God will hold every people to account. Every people will have to answer to what God gave them in their own book and not the books of others:

You will see every nation kneeling.
Every nation will be called to its Book. "Today you are repaid for what you used to do. 45:28

3- Were the religious practises given to Abraham preserved, and

practised at the time of Muhammad? Were they preserved until today?

Even though it has already been concluded (above) that we are not accountable to what was given to Abraham, it is worthwhile to examine the claim that the practises that were given to Abraham, were preserved and were practised at the time of Muhammad. The proponents of this claim attempt to justify their claim by saying that God would not ask Muhammad to follow the religion of Abraham if the latter was not preserved and practiced at the time of Muhammad.

This claim is debunked in its infancy since God never instructed Muhammad to follow the religion of Abraham, but only the creed of Abraham, monotheism. As for the religion, Muhammad was commanded to follow the Quran and nothing but the Quran:

Say (O Muhammad), "I am not a novelty among the messengers, nor do I know what will happen to me or to you. I follow nothing other than what is revealed to me (Quran). I am no more than a clear warner. 46:9

With the correct understanding of the phrase 'millat Ibrahim' (creed of Abraham) it becomes obvious that all God asked of Muhammad, and all receivers of the Quran, was to follow monotheism and refrain from idol worship. After that, all the details of our religion are authorised in the Quran.

Now we come to the issue of whether there were in fact a group of people who were practising the same religious practises as given to Abraham, at the time of the revelation of the Quran.

If we stick to Quranic evidence we would quickly realise that this claim is totally unfounded.

1- We are told in the Quran of various groups of people at the time of the revelation of the Quran. God mentions the Jews, also the Nasara (Christians) in various verses. God also mentions the idol worshippers who worshipped stone idols, e.g. Allaat and Al-Uzzah (53:19). In all the Quran, there is never a mention of any group of believers at the time of Muhammad who followed the pure practises as given to Abraham. To claim that the practises given to Abraham were practised in their purity at the time of Muhammad is a claim that has no Quranic support whatsoever.

2- We are told in the Quran repeatedly how the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) have corrupted the Scriptures given to them (see 4:46, 3:78, 2:75, 5:41). If the Scriptures given to them were subject to corruption, how can there be any justification to say that the rituals and practices, which are derived from the Scriptures, were intact and without corruption?

3- We are also told that the rituals, and specifically the Salat, were lost by generations that followed one another. The claim that the rituals, and specifically the Salat, were preserved and passed down generation to generation contradicts the Quranic evidence:

Then after them, there came successors who lost the Salat and pursued the lusts, and so perdition awaits them. 19:59

The significance of points 2 and 3 above cannot be overlooked. Not only do these two points confirm that the people of the previous Scriptures have corrupted their Scriptures, but they also lost the Salat. Therefore to still insist that the Salat and religious practises were preserved from the time of Abraham is in total contradiction to Quranic evidence.

4- We are told in the Quran that although there was some kind of prayer observed by various factions at the Kaaba (at the time of Muhammad) that the prayer was totally corrupt:

Their Salat at the House was no more than whistling and clapping. So taste the punishment for what you disbelieved in. 8:35

Obviously, a Salat that is described by God as being no more than whistling and clapping could hardly be the same Salat that was given to Abraham. This Prayer could not be regarded in any sense as a testimony to the preservation of the Salat since Abraham.

Moreover, verse 8:35 and the verses before it speak specifically about the idol worshippers. Hence the reference to their prayer could not be used to imply that the correct prayer was practised at the time of Muhammad. How could the prayer of idol worshippers be a correct prayer? And since the dwellers of the Kaaba and Mecca shaped the climate in which Muhammad was born and raised, how could we say that Muhammad had access to the uncorrupted Salat as given to Abraham from those around him?

From where exactly could Muhammad receive the claimed preserved Salat (as given to Abraham) which the proponents of this claim suggest? The Quran does not speak or hint of any group of people at the time of Muhammad who followed the uncorrupted rituals that were given to Abraham!

4- Does the Quran only detail laws that have been changed or

corrupted? Is the Quran merely an 'Amendment book'?

This is another claim made by some people. They say that the Quran does not detail everything, but only what has been changed or corrupted. Once again the Quranic evidence indicates contrary to this claim.

Nowhere in the Quran do we read any indication that the Quran addresses only changes and corruption! As a matter of fact the words 'fully detailed' in 6:114, the words 'We did not leave anything out of the Book' in 6:38 and the words that describe the Quran as giving 'explanation for all things' in 16:89 all indicate that the Quran contains a complete and comprehensive law, and not just the changes.

If the Quran contains only the changes (as they claim) then we would be compelled to enquire into the Quranic details of all the rituals given in the Quran.

Let us consider the case of Hajj. The Quran lists all the rituals of Hajj that are authorised by God, and they are:

1- The visit and prayers at the Masjid Al-Haram (5:3)

2- The Safa and Marwah (2:158)
3- The animal offering (22:36)
4- Mount Arafat (2:198).

There is no mention anywhere in the Quran of the stoning ritual which Muslims consider to be an integral part of Hajj.

If we are to believe that the Quran lists only the corrections then we would have to say that the 'stoning' ritual was the only ritual preserved from the time of Abraham, and thus was not mentioned in the Quran, yet all the other rituals were subject to corruption and thus were re-instated in the Quran!

On the other hand, if we assume that these Quranic Hajj rituals are additions to what was given to Abraham, and thus needed to be given in the Quran, then what exactly was the nature of the Hajj decreed for Abraham if it had none of these rituals? In that case, did the Hajj decreed to Abraham comprise nothing other than stoning?

When we apply the same concept to the Zakat we must also conclude that paying the Zakat as soon as we receive the money (6:141) and paying it to the recipients specified in the Quran (2:215), are all changes, and that the only detail that has not been changed since Abraham was the one not mentioned in the Quran; the 2.5% rate! The same would apply to the Salat.

In essence, if the Quran only deals with the changes as is claimed by some, then God's command in 6:114 to accept no laws from outside the Quran would necessarily mean that the religion we are following is incomplete, since it would be no more than a collection of amendments and corrections!

Needless to say, this line of thought is full of holes and clearly violates the attributes of the Quran being 'complete' and 'fully detailed' (6:114-115).

The attempt by some to reduce God's assurance that the Quran contains all the details and nothing has been left out of the Book to mean the Quran only deals with the changes/corruptions is indeed a great error.

When God says 'all the details, He means all the details.

5- Does the Quran outline only the main concepts while the details

are passed down to us from the time of Abraham?

This is one more claim echoed by some believers. Strange as it seems, the same ones who echo these ideas are the ones who spent years correcting the Sunni claim which states that the Quran only deals with the highlights and that the details can only be found in the hadith and sunna!
The only change this new group has made is that they substituted the phrase 'details found in the hadith and sunna' with the phrase 'the details were inherited across the generations from the time of Abraham'!
To support this claim they add:
The command to observe the Salat was given to Muhammad very early in the revelation. This was as early as the 3rd sura to be revealed which is sura 73:

Read what you can of it (Quran), observe the Salat, give the Zakat, and lend God a good loan.
73:20

They add that at this early stage of the revelation Muhammad did not have all the details of the Salat, which were revealed in the later Suras, and as a result, they claim that Muhammad would not have been able to obey the command for Salat unless the preserved Salat (as given to Abraham) was known and practised at the time, and before the full Quran was revealed.
They are fond of saying: God would not command Muhammad to observe something that was not known to him!
Through this claim, they add that the full details of the Salat are not given in the Quran because they were inherited across the generations since Abraham.
There is a clear Quranic reply to this claim:
The Quran tells us that God commanded Muhammad not to be impatient with the revelation but to wait until it is all revealed to him.

Exalted is God, the King, the Truth. Do not rush the Quran before its revelation to you is concluded, and say, "My Lord, increase me in knowledge." 20:114

The question here is: why would Muhammad rush the revelation of the Quran? What was Muhammad impatient about? What was he commanded to wait for?

Obviously Muhammad was not impatient to know the details of how the universe was created (21:30), nor how the sky will one day be ruptured (84:1) nor how the earth will be levelled (84:3) and so on, but Muhammad would have been impatient to know the correct way to obey the specific command he received early in the revelation (73:20) to observe the
Salat and Zakat in specific, and to conduct the religious practises in general and how to follow the law of God.
In response to this impatience God told Muhammad not to be impatient. This meant that God would not hold Muhammad or the believers accountable for following any practise until all the details of that practise had been fully revealed:
The words in 20:114 are very clear. Muhammad should just ask God to increase his knowledge and not rush the revelation of the Quran. Once again, confirming that God would not hold Muhammad or the believers with him accountable to any Quranic practise until all its details had been revealed.

We also read:
Do not move your tongue with it to hasten it. 75:16
Indeed, upon Us is its collection and its recitation. 75:17
Once We recite it, you shall follow such a recitation. 75:18.

Once again, all the above words confirm that
Muhammad was not allowed to follow anything until it had been revealed to him. This applies to all what is in the Quran, and thus it includes the details of the Salat or any other Quranic command.

Sunnis say: "Quran does not have the details, Quran deals only with the highlights, the details are in hadith/sunna".

Promoters of "it came from Abraham" say
: "Quran does not have all the details, rather, the Quran deals only with the corrections. The details are inherited and passed down from the time of Abraham".

GOD SAYS: The Quran is 'fully detailed' (6:114), the Quran deals with 'everything' (16:89) and 'We did not leave anything out of the Book' (6:38).

6- Do we have any Quranic proof for what was given to Abraham?

Do we have any Quranic evidence to support the claim that God gave Abraham any of these rituals which cannot be found in the Quran (5 Salat, 24434 raka, 2.5% rate for Zakat, stoning during Hajj, sermon during the Friday Prayer)? The answer is a straight no.

Indeed we are told in the Quran that the Salat and Zakat were given to Abraham (21:73) and also the Hajj (22:27) but we are not told of the exact details. As a result, all who claim that Abraham was given any of the above un-Quranic practises must be relying on a source other than the Quran to make that claim.

It follows that all who quote verses such as 21:73 and 22:27 to enforce these un-Quranic practises are really missing the point. These verses speak about Salat, Zakat and Hajj in general but do not give the specific details which were given to Abraham in connection to any of these practises.

7- Should we rely on 'Universal Acceptance'?

Another argument used by those who uphold rules and practises which are not authorised in the Quran, is that the greatest number of Muslims all over the world agree on these practises and figures. Consequently, they claim that this must be a sign that these practises have been preserved.

Once again, and by consulting Quranic evidence, we realise that this argument is quite contrary to the Quranic truth.

First, God never instructed us to follow rituals because the majority of people follow them or approve of them, but to follow rituals because they are authorised by God in the Quran.

Second, God tells us the following about the majority issue:

If you were to obey the majority of those in the earth, they will mislead you away from the path of God. They follow nothing but conjecture; they only guess. 6:116

From these Quranic words, we are ascertained that the majority of people on earth will actually lead us away from the path of God, and that what they follow is no more than conjecture; should we follow them? This Quranic assertion immediately debunks the claim of 'universal acceptance'. Indeed, absolute truth is only in God's Scripture, anything obtained from other than the Quran is pure guesswork.

To conclude, we are given in the Quran firm confirmation that we must only follow what is authorised in the Quran, not what was given to Abraham nor what we "inherited".