Comparative Analysis of Contemporary Extremist Qurʾānists’ Approach to the Sunnah in Iran and the Indian Subcontinent

   The expansion of the extremist branch of the Qurʾānists (Qurʾāniyyūn) in the contemporary period—and the activities associated with it—has generated significant concern among scholars and intellectuals. A comparative examination of this movement in Iran and the Indian subcontinent, focusing on its origins, doctrinal foundations, and inherent problems, can help clarify its current status in Iran. The extremist Qurʾānist trend in Iran emerged largely through imitation and was influenced by developments in other countries, particularly India. The fundamental bases for rejecting the Sunnah (sunnah)—as well as the problems associated with this trend—include both shared and region-specific elements across Iran and the subcontinent. The reasons for opposing ḥadīth and transmitted reports, or for denying and disregarding the Sunnah, are numerous in both contexts. The findings indicate that in many cases—such as critiques of the transmission chains of the Sunnah, the unavailability of reliable Sunnah, the claim that the Qurʾān alone is sufficient, the emphasis on Muslim unity, and divergent conceptions of “Sunnah”—the two regions share similar foundations. However, certain arguments have been advanced exclusively by subcontinental Qurʾānists, such as the alleged non-revelatory nature of the Sunnah, its supposed lack of legal authority, and the claim that adherence to the Sunnah hinders societal progress. This study employs a descriptive-analytical methodology, and its data have been collected through library research.