Quranites (those people who rejects sunnah and hadith with the false claim that Quraan is enough for them) usually point to the following ayats of the Quran in order to prove that the Prophet's only mission was to deliver the Qu'ran to the people:
" And obey Allâh and the Messenger (Muhammad SAW), and beware (of even coming near to drinking or gambling or AlAnsâb, or AlAzlâm, etc.) and fear Allâh. Then if you turn away, you should know that it is Our Messenger's duty to convey (the Message) in the clearest way." - Surah 5:92
Say: "Obey Allâh and obey the Messenger, but if you turn away, he (Messenger Muhammad SAW) is only responsible for the duty placed on him (i.e. to convey Allâh's Message) and you for that placed on you. If you obey him, you shall be on the right guidance. The Messenger's duty is only to convey (the message) in a clear way (i.e. to preach in a plain way)." - Surah 24:54
However, not only does the Prophet (peace be upon him) have to deliver the message of the Quran, but he has to deliver it clearly as well. Obviously the Prophet had to explain it to them and elaborate it to the people just as the next two ayats indicate:
With clear signs and Books (We sent the Messengers). And We have also sent down unto you (O Muhammad SAW) the reminder and the advice (the Qur'ân), that you may explain clearly to men what is sent down to them, and that they may give thought. - Surah 16:44
"And We have not sent down the Book (the Qur'an) to you (O Muhammad SAW), except that you may explain clearly unto them those things in which they differ, and (as) a guidance and a mercy for a folk who believe". - Surah 16:64
The next ayats will totally annihilate this false argument...
"Our Lord! Send amongst them a Messenger of their own (and indeed Allâh answered their invocation by sending Muhammad Peace be upon him ), who shall recite unto them Your Verses and instruct them in the Book (this Qur'ân) and Al-Hikmah (full knowledge of the Islâmic laws and jurisprudence or wisdom or Prophethood, etc.), and sanctify them. Verily! You are the All-Mighty, the All-Wise." - Surah 2:129
"Similarly (to complete My Blessings on you) We have sent among you a Messenger (Muhammad SAW) of your own, reciting to you Our Verses (the Qur'ân) and sanctifying you, and teaching you the Book (the Qur'ân) and the Hikmah (i.e. Sunnah, Islâmic laws and Fiqh - jurisprudence), and teaching you that which you used not to know". - Surah 2:151
See also: Surah 3:164 , Surah 62:2
The ayats clearly mention four roles of the Messenger:
1) To recite the revelations of Allâh unto the people (this is the only one that the Quranites accept)
2) To purify the people.
3) To teach them the Book (meaning the Qur'an).
4) Teaching them the wisdom.
The false argument about the Prophet's only role to deliver the Qur'an by only reciting it to the people is refuted by the Qur'an itself. Delivering the message also includes delivering its proper understanding and application and this has to be taught to us. The person of the Prophet is more important than just a deliveryman for the Qur'an is also shown by ayats where we are asked to believe in the Prophet. For example,
"Those alone are believers who believe in Allâh and his messenger ..." (49:15; see also 48: 9, 13).
"O believers! Believe in Allâh and his messenger and the book that he has sent down upon his messenger and the book which he revealed aforetime ... "(4:136).
Only the hypocrites tried to deny to take from the prophet(peace be upob him) as per Quraan:
"And when it is said to them, Come unto what Allâh has sent down and unto the messenger, you (O Prophet) see the hypocrites turn from you in aversion" (4:61).
Once again notice that coming unto the Prophet is something apart from coming unto what Allâh has sent down (Qur'an).
Mufti Taqi Usmani(r) devotes a whole chapter about the Prophet's authority. He says:
The Scope of the Prophetic Authority:
The Holy Qur'ân has not only stressed upon the "obedience of the Messenger" as a general rule or principle. It has also highlighted the different shades of authority in order to explain the scope of his obedience, and the various spheres where it is to be applied.
The Prophet's Authority to Make Laws:
"And My mercy embraces all things. So I shall prescribe it for those who fear Allâh and pay zakâh (obligatory alms) and those who have faith in Our signs; those who follow the Messenger, the unlettered Prophet whom they find written down in the Torah and the Injîl, and who bids them to the Fair and forbids them the Unfair, and makes lawful for them the good things, and makes unlawful for them the impure things, and relieves them of their burdens and of the shackles that were upon them. So, those who believe in him, and honour him, and help him, and follow the light that has been sent down with him- they are the ones who acquire success". (7:156-157)
The emphasized words in this ayat signify that one of the functions of the Holy Prophet is "to make lawful the good things and make unlawful the impure things."
"Fight those who do not believe in Allâh and the Hereafter and do not hold unlawful what Allâh and His Messenger have made unlawful". (9:29)
The underlined words signify that it is necessary to "hold unlawful what Allâh and His Messenger made unlawful," and that the authority making something unlawful is not restricted to Allâh Almighty. The Holy Prophet can also, by the will of Allâh, exercise this authority.
The Holy Qur'ân says: "No believer, neither man nor woman, has a right, when Allâh and His Messenger decide a matter, to have a choice in their matter in issue. And whoever disobeys Allâh and His Messenger has gone astray into manifest error". (33:36)
Here, the decisions of Allâh and the Messenger both have been declared binding on the believers. It is thus clear that the Holy Prophet has the legal authority to deliver decisions in the collective and individual affairs of the believers who are bound to surrender to those decisions.
The Holy Qur'ân says: "Whatever the Messenger gives you, take it; and whatever he forbids you, refrain from it". (59:7)
It will be interesting here to cite a wise answer of 'Abdullâh ibn Mas'ûd, the blessed companion of the Holy Prophet, which he gave to a woman. A woman from the tribe of Asad came to 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ûd and said, "I have come to know that you hold such and such things as prohibited. I have gone through the whole Book of Allâh, but never found any such prohibition in it." 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ûd replied, "Had you read the Book you would have found it. Allâh Almighty says: "Whatever the Messenger gives you, take it; and whatever he forbids you, refrain from it." (59:7). (Ibn Mâjah)
By this answer 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ûd pointed out that this ayat is so comprehensive that it embodies all the orders and prohibitions of the Holy Prophet and since the questioned prohibitions are enforced by the Holy Prophet they form part of this ayat, though indirectly.
The Holy Qur'ân says: "But no, by your Lord, they shall not be (deemed to be) believers unless they accept you as judge in their disputes, then find in their hearts no adayat feeling against what you decided, but surrender to it in complete submission". (4:65)
The ayat vehemently insists that the person who does not accept the verdicts of the Holy Prophet cannot be held to be a believer. This ayat gives the Holy Prophet not only the authority of a judge, but also confers upon him the authority to make laws, as binding on the Muslims as the divine laws.
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