At first glance, it may seem that because this website places such a strong emphasis on the Qur'an, we are somehow diminishing the role of the Prophet Muhammad. That is not the case. On the contrary, it is precisely through understanding the Prophet's role that we conclude the Qur'an must remain the primary criterion when examining religious questions.
The Prophet occupies a central place in Islam. Through him, Allah conveyed His revelation to humanity. Without his mission, mankind would not have received the Qur'an and, consequently, would not have known Islam. Respecting the Prophet and following him are therefore essential parts of the Islamic faith. The real question is not whether Muslims should follow the Prophet, but what following him actually means.
The Qur'an repeatedly commands believers to obey Allah and His Messenger. At the same time, it explains the nature of the Messenger's mission. The Prophet did not speak on religious matters from his own authority; rather, he followed and conveyed what Allah revealed to him:
"I follow only what is revealed to me."
(Qur'an 6:50)
For this reason, when the Qur'an commands obedience to the Messenger, it does not separate him from the revelation he delivered. The Prophet's mission was to convey Allah's message, live according to it, and apply it within society. It therefore makes little sense to separate the "Islam of the Prophet" from the "Islam of the Qur'an." They are one and the same religion.
The difficulty arises later, when different categories of sources become merged together. Over time, the Qur'an itself, historical reports about the Prophet's life, elements of seventh-century Arabian culture, and later legal interpretations developed by various schools all came to be viewed as a single religious system. However, this is the result of historical development within Islamic thought rather than something explicitly established by the Qur'an itself.
In our approach, it is important to distinguish between these different levels.
The Qur'an is revelation, and according to the Qur'an itself, it is under Allah's protection:
"Indeed, We have sent down the Reminder, and surely We will preserve it."
(Qur'an 15:9)
Alongside the Qur'an exists a large body of early Islamic reports, including hadith collections. These reports contain narrations attributed to the Prophet describing his statements, actions, decisions, and various events from his life. They are of considerable historical value and often help us better understand the world in which Islam first emerged. However, they were transmitted by people, recorded long after the Prophet's death, and evaluated by human scholars. For this reason, within our methodology they are treated as historical and contextual material that deserves careful analysis rather than as a source automatically possessing the same authority and certainty as the Qur'an.
This is why we do not equate following the Prophet with mechanically reproducing every detail found in later historical reports. For example, the fact that the Prophet broke his fast with dates does not, by itself, make dates a universal religious obligation for every people and every generation. That practice may simply reflect the food available in his region, the local climate, and the practical realities of everyday life. In such cases, understanding the purpose behind an action is often more important than copying its external form.
The same principle applies to many other aspects of daily life in seventh-century Arabia. The Qur'an repeatedly reminds us that Allah created humanity as different peoples and nations:
"We created you into nations and tribes so that you may know one another."
(Qur'an 49:13)
From this, we understand that the universality of Islam does not require every culture to imitate the outward customs of one particular society. Rather, what is universal are the principles that Allah Himself established as part of the religion.
For us, following the Prophet therefore means first and foremost following the revelation that he delivered. Historical reports may help us understand how that revelation was lived and applied in the circumstances of his time, but they do not eliminate the need to distinguish between divine revelation and human transmission of historical information.
We believe this distinction allows us to preserve profound respect for the Prophet while also recognizing the immense value of the Islamic historical tradition, without placing it on the same level as the Qur'an. In our view, this does not diminish the Prophet's role. On the contrary, it allows us to appreciate that role exactly as the Qur'an presents it.