The phrase "Judgment belongs only to Allah" is present in three verses of the Quran: one in Surah al-An'am and two in Surah Yusuf. The Khawarij used these verses as a slogan against Ali ibn Abi Talib to achieve their political goals. More recently, these verses have been used as evidence, again in the form of slogans, by the Qur'aniyyun school that emerged in India in the second half of the 19th century and its reflections in Turkey, to argue that "the source of Islam is only the Qur'an." According to this standpoint, acceptance of hadiths as valid religious sources in religion is regarded as a from of shirk, as it would mean seeing Prophet Muhammad as a source of judgment alongside Allah. Now, let us read these three verses within their context in the Qur'an and see why those interpretations are not accurate.
A thorough examination of the verses in question reveals that the interpretations both by the Khawarij and the Qur'aniyyun are inaccurate. In fact, the full meaning of verse 57 of Surah al-An'am is as follows:
"Say, (O Prophet,) 'Indeed, I stand on a clear proof from my God—yet you have denied it. Not in my power is that torment which [in your ignorance] you so hastily demand. It is only Allah Who decides its time. Judgment belongs only to Allah. And He is the Best of Judges."
As is apparent, the phrase "Judgment belongs only to Allah" in this verse cannot reasonably be interpreted to mean that the source of Islam is only the Qur'an. The verse states that the decision rests with Allah in response to the polytheists' demands for punishment. Indeed, the next verse confirms this: "(O Prophet!) Also Say to them: 'If the thing(punishment) you are hastening was in my hands, surely the matter between me and you would have been settled.'" (al-An'am, 6:58) It is an ideological approach to disconnect the verse from its context by citing this verse as evidence that the only source of Islam is the Qur'an because it mentions that Allah, not the Prophet, can decide on the punishment demanded by the polytheists and is therefore inaccurate.
The second verse containing the phrase "Judgment belongs only to Allah" is verse 40 of Surah Yusuf. The verse is preceded by the story of Prophet Yusuf inviting his fellow prisoners to believe in the Oneness of Allah. Prophet Yusuf addressed them as follows:
"O my companions in imprisonment! Which is more reasonable: Belief in the existence of numerous divine gods, each of them different from the other or Allah - the One, the Supreme?”(Yusuf, 12:39) And this invitation continues as follows: "All that you worship instead of Allah is nothing but names which you and your forefathers have invented for which Allah has bestowed no warrant. Judgment belongs only to Allah. He has commanded that you worship none but Him. That is the upright faith, but most people do not know.” (Yusuf, 12:40)
As can be seen, the phrase "Judgment belongs only to Allah" in the verse is explained within the same verse, specifying that it means to recognize only Allah as God and to worship only Him. This statement is Prophet Joseph's explanation to his fellow prisoners in the dungeon showing the baselessness of polytheism and the necessity of attributing divinity solely to Allah. Therefore, citing this verse as evidence that the source of Islam is only the Qur'an is again a distortion of its meaning, taken out of context.
Another verse containing the phrase "Judgment belongs only to Allah" is verse 67 of Surah Yusuf. In this verse, Prophet Jacob advises to his sons to enter Egypt through different gates during the years of famine, so as not to attract the attention of the Egyptians as a large foreign group.
"O my sons! Do not enter (the city) all through one gate, but through separate gates. I cannot help you against what is destined by Allah in the least. (Know that) Judgment belongs only to Allah." (Yusuf, 12:67)
In this verse, the words of Prophet Jacob, "The judgment belongs only to Allah," indicate that Allah's decree will be fulfilled regardless of the precautions taken. Indeed, the next verse confirms this: "But this precaution did not help them against 'the Will of' Allah;(His request) had served only to satisfy Jacob's heartfelt desire (to protect them)." (Yusuf, 12:68) In other words, Prophet Jacob reminds us that precautions cannot change divine destiny. Therefore, it is inaccurate to cite this verse as evidence that the source of Islam is only the Qur'an.
None of the three verses quoted above can be interpreted to mean that "Allah has mentioned all rulings in the Qur'an, and there is no need for any other evidence, especially hadiths." Therefore, the interpretation that the aforementioned verses mean that Allah is the sole authority in religion, that the Quran is the sole source, and that accepting hadiths and sunnah as a second source in religion is associating partners with Allah, which is shirk, is the result of an ideological approach that understands the verses without considering their context.
Indeed, various verses in the Qur'an explain that wisdom was given to our Prophet along with the book. (an-Nisa, 4:113) It is also mentioned that Allah entrusted the Prophet with teaching the book and wisdom to believers. (Al-i 'Imran 3/164; al-Jumu'ah 62:2) This evidence suggests that the Sunnah of the Prophet is a secondary source of religious instruction, in addition to the Qur'an.
Note: This article constitutes a component of a broad-perspective study conducted by the Meridyen Association, for the benefit of Muslims, particularly in the context of hadith, sunnah and related subjects. The issues addressed were discussed in detail by a group of experts in their respective fields, and each article was written independently by the relevant author. The following researchers were consulted for this study: Prof. Dr. Ahmet Yücel, Prof. Dr. Ayşe Esra Şahyar, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Fatma Kızıl, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Rahile Kızılkaya Yılmaz, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Dilek Tekin, and Dr. Betül Yılmazörnek.
Translated by Merve Tosun
