The Truth About Surah An-Nisa 4:59 – No Justification for Hadith-Based Laws or Religious Authority

Islam is built on the foundation of La ilaha illa Allah—there is no god but Allah. This means that only Allah has ultimate authority in both this life and the next. When we recite Al-Fatihah every single day, we declare, “Maliki yawmid-din” (1:4)—Allah is the only Master of the Day of Judgment. No one else holds religious authority, not scholars, not Hadith collectors, not rulers. Yet, this very principle has been undermined by those who inserted additional laws and claimed religious power over people’s lives.

One of the most abused verses to justify this power grab is Surah An-Nisa 4:59, which says:

“O you who have believed, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you. And if you disagree over anything, refer it to Allah and the Messenger, if you believe in Allah and the Last Day. That is the best [way] and best in result.”

This verse has been twisted to claim that Muslims must follow Hadith and scholars as a secondary source of law. But when you break it down word for word, it becomes clear that this verse is not about religious authority but about governance and justice in society. Let’s dismantle the distortion.

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Breaking Down the Verse Word for Word

1. “Obey Allah and obey the Messenger”

The first thing to notice is that Allah repeats the command ‘obey’ twice—once for Himself and once for the Messenger. However, when it comes to “those in authority,” the command ‘obey’ is not repeated. This is deliberate.

• Obedience to Allah is absolute because He is the Lawgiver.
• Obedience to the Messenger is absolute because he was delivering Allah’s message—the Qur’an.
• Obedience to rulers is conditional—it is not an independent authority. It is only valid if it aligns with Allah and His Messenger (the Qur’an).

Had Allah intended religious scholars or Hadith to be an authority, He would have said “Obey Allah, obey the Messenger, and obey those in authority.” But He didn’t. Because religious authority belongs to Allah alone.

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2. “And those in authority among you”

Who are “those in authority”? This refers to tribal leaders, rulers, judges, and those responsible for governance. It is about maintaining order in society, not religious lawmaking.

At the time of revelation, society was tribal, and leadership was decentralized. People had rulers and chieftains who made decisions. Today, this extends to governments, community leaders, and even heads of households. The verse tells believers to obey these authorities in matters of governance—not in creating religious laws outside of the Qur’an.

This is why the verse immediately follows with a condition.

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3. “And if you disagree over anything, refer it to Allah and the Messenger”

This destroys the idea that obedience to rulers is absolute. If a ruling or law is unjust, it must be referred back to Allah and the Messenger.

But think about it:

• You can’t refer back to Allah directly—no one can dispute with Him.
• You can’t refer back to the Messenger ﷺ anymore—he has passed away.

So what’s left? The Qur’an.

Because the Messenger’s entire role was to deliver Allah’s message, referring back to the Messenger means referring back to what he was sent with—the Qur’an. At the time, people could go to him directly because the Qur’an wasn’t compiled yet. Now that it is, there is no need for any other source.

If Hadith was a secondary source of law, why didn’t Allah say ‘refer it to Allah, the Messenger, and those in authority’? He didn’t, because Hadith and scholars were never meant to have religious authority.

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The Hadith Agenda – Why They Needed an Alternative System

The Qur’an was enough. Allah says the religion is complete (5:3), the Qur’an is fully detailed (6:114), and nothing is left out (6:38). But they couldn’t change the Qur’an—Allah protected it (15:9). So instead, they created a parallel religious system outside of it.

Hadith became the perfect loophole for man-made laws, personal opinions, and fabricated rulings that undermined what the Prophet ﷺ actually stood for. It allowed rulers, scholars, and patriarchal elites to reverse the rights and justice that the Qur’an established.

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How They Used Hadith to Destroy Qur’anic Justice

The biggest incentive for distorting Islam was power and control. The Prophet ﷺ’s message gave justice to the oppressed—especially women, orphans, and the poor. But powerful men wanted to take back that control.

1. They Weakened Women’s Rights
   • The Qur’an gave women the right to choose their spouse (4:19), inherit (4:7), divorce (2:229), and keep their own wealth (4:32).
   • But Hadith introduced male guardianship (wali) in marriage, restricting a woman’s right to choose her husband.
   • The Prophet ﷺ gave women equal say in divorce, but Hadith brought “men can divorce in one breath, but women need a judge’s permission.”
2. They Justified Child Marriage
   • The Qur’an says pure men are for pure women (24:26), meaning a mature, conscious choice is required for marriage.
   • But Hadith claimed Aisha was married at 6, making child marriage a ‘Sunnah.’
   • Why? To let powerful men legally marry young girls while ignoring Qur’anic maturity (4:6).
3. They Gave Men Flexibility to Abandon Their Responsibilities
   • The Qur’an makes fathers responsible for their children’s financial support (2:233), even if the mother has custody.
   • The Qur’an also states mothers can only retain custody until remarriage, and fathers must remain the providers.
   • But Hadith softened this stance, allowing men to dump children onto women while avoiding financial responsibility.
   • Instead of holding men accountable for their duties, Hadith introduced flexibility that favored men abandoning their hostage (custodial) responsibilities.

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Islam Was Never Meant to Be This Complicated

The Prophet ﷺ came with a simple, clear message: Worship Allah alone and follow His Book. But after he passed, Islam was turned into a scholar-controlled, Hadith-based legal system that had little to do with the Qur’an.

Allah tells us to refer everything back to Him and His Messenger (4:59). But now that the Messenger is gone, what’s left? The Qur’an.

If you truly believe La ilaha illa Allah, then you accept that only Allah has the right to legislate laws—not scholars, not Hadith collectors, not rulers. The Qur’an is complete (5:3), clear (16:89), and protected (15:9). There is no need for additions, modifications, or secondary sources.

Islam is perfect without Hadith.

And that’s why they worked so hard to make people believe they couldn’t understand the Qur’an without it.