Hadith

Question:If my recall is correct, there are over 40 volumes of hadith. how does one know which are inspired and which are not?
Answer: Difficult, if not impossible, indeed. Even the Sahih Hadith collection (that which scholars narrow down as the only reliable ones) contain contradictions.
The best thing to do is perhaps check it with the Quran, if it is consistent with the message, then its probably reliable.
I don't know... scholars do attach a lot of importance to it, as they say that it is compulsory to obey the Prophet. My position is that the Prophet brought the Quran and asked us to follow it. Why not concentrate on that? The breadth and scope of the Quran is quite extensive, and every re-read adds to understanding. Besides, if we can just folllow the edicts in it, won't we be following the Prophet as he was the ideal and exemplary follower of the Quran?
The Prophet Muhammad has been directed in the Quran to follow the 'hadith' of Prophet Abraham. There was no written record of that. I understand that the concept is to follow the essence of their purity of faith, worshipping solely the only God, and submitting willingly and completely. The Quran contains many broad guidelines and just following them would make anyone an ideal human being.
Moreover, we have been directed to not to try and make religion difficult. There are examples of the Bani Israel (Jews) in the Quran where they asked so many unneccessary questions that they made practice of their religion more and more difficult for themselves. If my religion is good and easy and based upon common sense and a healthy conscience, why complicate it? After all, religion is for all human beings in all sorts of situations all over the globe, not just for a privileged few.
May Allah guide me and correct me where I may be wrong,