During interactions with people in inter-faith programmes, I have come across questions where people wish to know if the Quran contains the teachings of the Prophet. The Quran and the Hadith are the two fundamental scriptures of Islam and it is imperative that people have an understanding of their sources if they wish to know Islam.

The Quran is the Book of God. God is the sole author of this book. There are about 6500 verses in the Quran revealed over a period of 23 years. The Prophet received these revelations from God and they were immediately memorized and put to writing. It has been preserved in its entirety for all time to come. The objective of the Quran is to make man aware of the creation plan of God. That is, to tell man why God created this world; what is the purpose of settling man on earth; what is required from man in his pre-death lifespan, and what he is going to confront after death.

The Quran is a book of divine warning. A combination of lessons and admonitions, it would be even more appropriately called a book of wisdom.

Teachings of the Prophet are known as Hadith and is totally separate from the Quran. Hadith meaning a ‘statement’ or ‘report’ is used as an Islamic term for the records kept of the words and deeds of the Prophet. In English the word ‘traditions’ is also used to refer to the Hadith. The Hadith gives a full account of the life of the Prophet, and serves as the commentary to the Quran as the Prophet lived out his life in accordance with the Quran.

The Quran principally deals with basics. It is the Hadith that gives the details and necessary explanations of the Quranic injunctions. For instance, the Quran says: 'Say your prayers regularly'. But it does not specify how this form of worship has to be performed. Not even the timings and units of prayers are clearly mentioned. We need the Hadith to give us complete information on this.

Even after knowing the details, it may not be possible to follow the divine injunctions contained in the Quran, for not everything can be properly understood by words alone. Therefore God’s Prophet demonstrated before the faithful how the practice of worship was to be performed. He said to the believers: ‘Look at me, see how I worship, and follow me.’ Thus the Prophet, besides teaching the believers about the divine commandments in a theoretical way, also put these teachings into practice in all matters pertaining to religion. He himself practised the divine injunctions scrupulously. His practice was not a private matter; it had the status of a detailed interpretation and application of the Quran.

The Quran repeatedly reminds us of the importance of Hadith, enjoining us to strictly follow the Prophet.

Obey God and obey the messenger...(4: 59)

Whatever the messenger gives you, take it and whatever he forbids you, abstain from it...(59: 7)

You have indeed in the Prophet of God a good example for those of you who look to God and the last Day, and remember God always. (33: 21)

The Quran thus provided the fundamentals of religion while the Hadith furnishes us with the necessary details and explanations. It is as if the Quran is the text and the Hadith its commentary; the Quran being theory and Hadith being the practice. Both the Quran and Hadith are equally essential for the understanding of religion.