The claim that the Qur'an fails to provide sufficient detail for rituals is often levelled against those who rely exclusively on the Book. However, the Qur'an presents a clear framework for the rituals of worship in Islam. It's role is not as a manual for the mechanical movements of rituals, but as a restorer of the ancient covenant and a legislator for new ones.
Salat (prayer) and hajj (pilgrimage) are shown to have originated with Ibrahim, passed down through generations, and later purified by Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him). Although fasting was decreed "...as it was
decreed for those before you..." (2:183), it was no longer practiced nor known. The specific fasting during Ramadan, was introduced directly through the Qur'an and described in full, as it was not part of Ibrahim's covenant.
What is significant is that these rituals have remained consistent across centuries and cultures. Despite the many sects and divisions that have arisen within Islam, none have disputed the core practices of salat, hajj, or fasting. Their continuity demonstrates that these rituals were safeguarded by communal transmission rather than textual preservation, and that the Qur'an's role was to restore what had been lost and to establish new practices where required.
Ibrahim’s covenant
The Qur'an establishes that the foundation of worship was laid by Ibrahim. As for salat, Allah made the "...Masjid-al-Haram to be a model for
the people and a place of safety. And you shall take the station of
Ibrahim as an orientation for salat..." (2:125) and Allah commanded Ibrahim and Isma'il to "...purify My Sanctuary for those who
visit, and those who are devoted, and the kneeling, the prostrating" (2:125). Ibrahim prayed to Allah to make him and his descendants "... a
nation submitting to You..." (2:128) and he asked Allah to "...show us our rituals, and forgive
us..." (2:128). As for hajj, he was directed to "...call out to the people with the hajj, they will come to
you walking and on every transport..." (22:27).
This shows that salat and hajj were not innovations of Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him), but part of a covenant with Allah stretching back to Ibrahim. The Qur'an confirms continuity of the rituals since then. Maryum was commanded to "...prostrate and kneel with
those who kneel" (3:43), Zakariya was given glad tidings of a child when "...the angels called to him while he was standing, in salat, in
the enclosure..." (3:39), and even among the People of the Book there were some who were described as "...a
nation that is upright; they recite the revelations of Allah during
the night hours and they prostrate" (3:113). Even the polytheists of Arabia were still performing hajj when Allah questioned their hajj by asking "have you made the watering of the pilgrim and the maintenance
of the Masjid-al-Haram the same as one who believes in Allah and
the last day and he strives in the cause of Allah?..." (9:19). Ritual worship was therefore a living tradition across generations, safeguarded by practice rather than text.
The missing question
A significant Qur'anic observation reinforces that salat was an inherited and known practice: this is the absence of any questions about its movements. The Qur'an frequently addresses community queries using the phrase, 'they ask you...', to provide rulings on everything from new legal matters (e.g., fighting during the sacred month, treatment of orphans) to rites that required specific clarification (e.g., rulings related to the state of Ihram during pilgrimage). Given the central importance of salat, if the specific, physical steps of the ritual were unknown, controversial, or had been lost, the community would certainly have asked Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him), "how do we pray?" The Qur'an's silence on this fundamental query, contrasted with its detailed answers to other complex questions, suggests that the salat's physical form was already a known. The people did not need instructions on how to bow and prostrate, only the command to "hold the salat" (2:43), indicating that the Qur'an's role was to purify the existing salat, make it obligatory upon the believers and to restore the purpose of salat.
Mohammed (peace be upon him) the restorer
By the time of Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him), the rituals of Ibrahim had been corrupted. The polytheists had reduced salat to "...nothing but noise and
aversion..." (8:35) and were "...turning
others away from the Masjid-al-Haram, and they were never its
protectors..." (8:34). Their self‑appointed role as guardians was later removed when Allah declared that "...the polytheists are impure, so let them not
come near the Masjid-al-Haram after this calendar year of
theirs..." (9:28).
Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) was sent to cleanse these distortions and restore the purity of Ibrahim's rituals. The Qur'an clarifies specific points where correction was needed. Safa and Marwa were reaffirmed as "...for the rites of Allah..." (2:158), removing doubt about their legitimacy. The salat timings were introduced which we cover in detail here. Believers were instructed to balance their sound in salat by being "...not be too loud in your
salat, nor too quiet; but seek a path in between" (17:110), and ensure people are sincere without showing off by warning "...woe to those who do salat. But, to their salat they are absent minded. They only want to be seen" (107:4-6).
These clarifications demonstrate the Qur'an’s role is not to re‑introduce rituals already known, but to restore what had been lost or corrupted, and to dedicate worship to Allah alone. As the Qur'an tells us that "...generations came after them who lost the salat and followed desires..." (19:59). In light of this decline, Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) was sent to restore Ibrahim's inherited practices to their original purity.
Fasting introduced by the Qur’an
Unlike salat and hajj, fasting during Ramadan was not part of Ibrahim’s covenant. Although it had been "...decreed for you as it was
decreed for those before you..." (2:183), this practice had died out. It was re-introduced directly through the Qur'an and linked with the Qur'an's revelation, which describes the fasting rituals in full detail.
This level of detail is unique, because fasting was a new obligation for the Muslim community. The Qur'an itself had to establish it comprehensively, ensuring proper observance. It explains the spiritual purpose which is to attain righteousness and sets out the framework of days, exemptions, and compensations. Fasting therefore stands as the Qur'an's direct legislation, unlike salat and hajj which were inherited from Ibrahim and purified by Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him).
Fasting is discussed in detail here.
Preservation through generations
From Ibrahim to Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him), and from Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) to today, salat and hajj have been preserved by communal practice. These rituals were never dependent on written manuals; they were lived and transmitted directly through the community. Children learn salat by standing beside their parents, imitating the movements of bowing and prostration. Pilgrims learn hajj by joining the collective journey, following the steps of those before them. In this way, the practices are safeguarded by participation and not by documentation.
Even when piety is lost, the forms remain. A person may pray without deep devotion, yet the physical sequence of standing, bowing, kneeling, and prostrating is still preserved. A pilgrim may lack spiritual focus, yet the outward actions of hajj continue unchanged. This continuity is visible across centuries and nations: Muslims in every land perform salat in the same form, and pilgrims from every corner of the world gather for hajj in the same way.
Importantly, despite the many sects that have arisen within Islam; Sunnis, Shi'a, and countless smaller groups, none have ever disputed the outward physical motions of the core rituals established through Ibrahim. The visible sequences of salat, hajj, and fasting remain universally recognised and practiced across the Muslim world. This continuity of outward practice shows that these rituals are not later inventions derived from hadith, but divine institutions safeguarded through communal transmission.
Conclusion
The Qur'an establishes a complete framework for rituals. Salat and hajj originated with Ibrahim and were purified by Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him), whilst fasting in Ramadan was newly introduced and described in full detail. The varying level of instruction, coupled with the absence of a question about salat's rituals, demonstrates the Qur'an's sufficiency. It restores what was lost of inherited rituals and introduces new practices directly.
Specific fasting in Ramadan, introduced by the Qur'an, follows the same principle of preservation. Once the Qur'an established it, the community carried it forward year after year. This communal transmission is the safeguard of Islam's rituals. Unlike rules that rely on written traditions, these practices endure because they are embodied. The Qur'an restores what was lost, introduces what is new, and the community ensures continuity by living the rituals generation after generation, across sects, cultures, and centuries.