This excerpt is taken from the book by Fazilat-ul-Sheikh Abdul Salam Rustami From Denial of Hadith to Denial of Quran.
Seventh Doubt: Completion of Religion through the Quran
Allah Almighty said:
الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ
“Today I have perfected for you your religion.”
Reference: (5-Al-Ma'idah:3)
Hafiz Aslam writes in the interpretation of the above verse: “When the religion was completed, then what need remained for Hadith? The status of Hadith is only historical and speculative, which were written much later. If Hadith were also part of the religion, then how was the religion complete during the era of the Companions without the half or more of the religion that is contained in the Hadith?”
Answer:
In this verse, the completion of the religion means the same as previously explained in the Quran under the phrase "وَتَفْصِيلًا لِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ" (a detailed explanation of everything). The time of revelation of this verse was during the Farewell Pilgrimage in the 10th year of Hijra, at the place of Arafat, on the day of Arafah. Until that time, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) had not only recited the Quran but had also explained and detailed it both verbally and practically, which is called Hadith. Allah Almighty has declared all of these as part of the religion in this verse. The religion that was completed includes the Hadith as well.
✿ The last sentence of Hafiz Aslam’s Tafsir is:
"This half or more than half of the religion that is recorded in the Hadith, how was the religion complete during the era of the Companions without it?" There is a lot of confusion in this sentence. The answer is that the Hadith of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) were received through the mediation of the Companions, so the religion recorded in the Hadith was complete during the time of the Companions, and this completion had already taken place on the day of the Farewell Pilgrimage. The detailed discussion on the historical and internal status of the remaining Hadith will, God willing, come later.
