A Study of the Conflict between Verses and Narrations in Divine Laws

(The law of absolute individual responsibility for each person's actions as a model)

Abstract

The principle of individual responsibility, derived from the Quranic verse "No bearer of burdens shall bear the burden of another" (Quran, 6:164), is a cornerstone of divine justice in Islam. It emphatically states that every person is accountable only for their own deeds. However, certain prophetic traditions (Hadith) appear to contradict this principle, such as those concerning "whoever establishes a bad practice" (man sanna sunnatan sayyi’ah), the status of children born out of wedlock (walad al-zina), and the duty of enjoining good and forbidding evil. This study aims to analyze these seemingly conflicting traditions by employing exegetical and jurisprudential methodologies. It draws upon the interpretations of both Shi'a and Sunni scholars, examining key narrations that have raised questions. The research concludes that the apparent contradiction is not genuine. These traditions either elaborate on instances of indirect responsibility, such as causation (tasbib), misguidance (idlal), and complacency with sin (rida), or they pertain to customary practices (sunan 'urfiya) that carry their own consequential effects. Ultimately, these narrations reinforce, rather than contradict, the foundational principle of individual responsibility and divine justice.