Using Hadith to Judge the Qur’an

Unlike the Qur’an, a hadith may or may not be authentic—meaning it may or may not represent genuine Sunna. Furthermore, the true function of the Sunna has always been to explain and support the Qur’an. Yet, one damaging practice in Islamic scholarship has been giving primacy to hadith over the Qur’an, effectively allowing hadiths to override the Qur’anic text. Sadly, there are many such instances.