Life of Ahmad — Page 269
as THE PHARISEE OF BATALA 269 It is this kind of Hadith which cannot go against the Quran which says: 'The Prophet does not speak anything out of his own desire, it is nothing but revelation from on High'. (Al-Najm 53:4, 5) The Holy Prophet sa also says: 'Nothing proceeds from me but truth. ' Darmy tells us on the authority of Hasan that Jibr i l used to bring the Sunna to the Prophet sa as he used to bring the Quran. This is why Darmy, Imam Ya h y a bin Ab i Kath i r, Imam Sha‘rn i and others have gone to extremes in asserting that: 'Sunna is superior in authority to the Book of Allah. ' But it must be remembered that the Hadith at its best and in its entirety does not really teach us anything over and above the Quran which says about itself: 'And we have sent down the Book upon you which contains everything'. (Al-Na h l 16:90) Again it says: 'We have left no deficiency in the Book regarding anything'. (Al-An‘ a m 6:39) The only difference as a matter of fact is that what appears to be an addition to the Quran in the opinion of the uninitiated erudite is nothing but a true interpretation and application of the Quran and the spirit of the Quran itself in the eyes of the elite and the chosen ones of God. To understand and interpret the Holy Book in this manner requires, however, a very high standard of spiritual excellence.