A Cordial letter to the “Quranists”

Abstract

There is a new wave of self proclaimed Muslims in today’s day and age who regard themselves as people who strictly follow the Quran solely. This implies that they completely reject and not believe in the literature of Prophetic sayings and lifestyle (hadith and sunnah). One of the label by which this sect goes is called “Quranists”. This letter is divided into three sections. The first section addresses the believers and followers of this thought, challenging their claim of following the Quran only i.e. if they follow the Quran they must follow the ways of Muhammad (PBUH) as well. In order to do this, five possible explanations are considered that a Quranist may have for its belief system, and then they are analysed from the lens of Quran and rationality. These include reasons that can be rooted in logic, emotions, ethics or simple malintent. Section two offers the audience possible consequences that the Quran itself promises those who disobey or reject the Prophet (PBUH) such as hellfire as their ultimate end. Lastly, the letter poses some questions for the quranist to ponder over and take action upon, rather than rationalising their actions, as that is the human essence of justifying the dissonance within ourselves.