Why Don’t Some Muslims Obey the Prophet

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Question:

Why don’t some Muslims follow Prophet Muhammad when the Quran commands it? - An exploration of why some Muslims do not strictly follow the Prophet Muhammad despite Quranic commands. :::

Answer:

Muslims should beware of the Quranists as it is agreement among the scholars that the one who rejects the Sunnah is a Kaafir.

It is mentioned in the Quran “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.” (Quran 16:44)The above verse PROVES that prophet Muhammad saws role was not only to deliver the revelation but also to explain it clearly to mankind and present a model and example for the Muslims to follow. Implicitly meaning that to understand the revelation mankind needs the explanation of the revelation by Prophet Muhammad saws as understood by the sahabas R.A which is preserved in the hadith.

Now if someone does not stick to the explanation of Messenger saws then he will interpret things wrongly and go astray.

Quran states: And the Most High said, “And we have not neglected anything in the Book ” (An’aam 6:38). What is meant by “the Book” here is the Preserved Tablet (al-Lawh al- Mahfooz) as occurs in the saying of Ibn ‘Abbaas, who said, “We have not left anything, except that We have written it in the Umm ul-Kitaab (the Mother of the Book, i.e. the Preserved Tablet) . And Qataadah and Ibn Zaid followed him in this. (An-Nahl 16:44)So if we try to understand the above verse on our own we may get deviated - but when we refer to the understanding of the Sahabas then it refers to the mother of the book.Muslims should note that Ibn ‘Abbaas R.A was known as the “Scholar of the Ummah” and for whom Prophet saws had himself prayed to Allah for bestowing him Knowledge of the Quran.Volume 1, Book 3, Number 75 :Narrated by Ibn ‘AbbasOnce the Prophet embraced me and said, “O Allah! Bestow on him the knowledge of the Book (Qur’an).”

Quran Says: Your companion (Muhammad SAW) has neither gone astray nor has erred. (An-Najm 53:2); Nor does he speak of (his own) desire. (An-Najm 53:3); It is only an Inspiration that is inspired. (An-Najm 53:4)

Some verses from Quran which prove that it is mandatory to obey the prophet and follow his Sunnah:

The Qur’ân says that “Whoever obeys the Messenger, obeys Allah”.

Allah says: “No, by your Lord, they do not believe until they submit to your adjudication in all disputes between them, then they do not find themselves oppressed with your decisions and they completely submit.” Qur’ân (4:65)

Again, Allah says: “When a matter has been decided by Allah and His Messenger, it does not behoove a believer, man or woman, to have choice in their matter. One who disobeys Allah and His Messenger, he is indeed on a clearly wrong Path.” Qur’ân (33:36)

Furthermore, Allah says: “What the Messenger teaches you, take it; and what he forbids you, avoid doing it.” Qur’ân (59:7)

In Saheeh Muslim is it narrated from Jabir that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said in his Farewell Sermon: “I am leaving behind among you something which, if you adhere to it, you will not go astray after that. It is the Book of Allah.” The version narrated by al-Hakim says “The Book of Allah and my Sunnah.” (Classed as saheeh/authentic by al-Albani in Saheeh al-Jami’, 2937).

THE DEVIATION OF THOSE WHO ARE SATISFIED WITH THE QURAN TO THE EXCLUSION OF AHAADEETH By Shaykh Muhammad Naasir-Ud-Deen al-Albaanee is an excellent analysis on this subject; Following are the links to the article:

THE DEVIATION OF QURANITES – I

The Deviation of those who are satisfied with The QurAn To the exclusion of Ahaadeeth - By Shaykh Muhammad Naasir-Ud-Deen al-Albaanee

It is a matter of regret that according to the interpretation found in the works of some commentators and modern authors, that it is permissible to do what is stated in the last two examples.

[“In the this example, if not for the Ahaadeeths, some of which have been mentioned, we would have considered lawful what Allah has made unlawful through the dictum of the holy Prophet (sallallaahu`alaihiwasallam) like predatory animals, and the birds which have claws.

And so is the this example, if not for the Ahaadeeths, in regard to this question, we would have considered lawful what Allah has prohibited through the words of His Prophet Muhammad (sallallaahu`alaihiwasallam) like gold and silk.

It is for this, some fore bearers (AS-SALAF) say that ‘Sunnah’ pronounces Judgement of The Book (Al-Qur’ân)

Consumption of the predatory animals, and the wearing of gold and silk by referring their interpretation only to The Qur’ân.

Today, a sect exists, called “Qur’ânites” who comment according to their whims and fancies; without seeking the explanation of the authentic Sunnah. They only accept and follow the Sunnah which suit their desires, the rest they throw behind. Prophet Muhammad (sallallaahu`alaihiwasallam) is reported to have said that: “None of you reclines on his bed, the order comes to him on an affair which I am commanded to do or not to do, he says: ‘I do not know, what is found in the Book of Allah, we follow.” (Tirmidhi).

According to another report: “What is found in The Book of Allah as ‘Haram’ we pronounce it ‘Haram’ (forbidden). Surely, I am given The Qur’ân and its example with it.’ Yet, according to another report: “What the Messenger of Allah has forbidden, Allah has prohibited it.”

It is a matter of regret that one renowned scholar has written a book on Islamic Law and its dogma, and in its preface, he says that he has written it and that he has made reference only to the Qur’ân.

This true Ahaadeeth gives positive evidence that the divine law of Islam – As-Sharee’ah – is not mere Qur’ân, But Qur’ân and Sunnah. Therefore, whoever hold fast ton one source for reference to the exclusion of the other, he held fast to none of them, since both complement each other.

The Qur’ân says “Whoever obeys the Messenger, obeys Allah”.

Furthermore, Allah says: “What the Messenger teaches you, take it; and what he forbids you, avoid doing it.” Qur’ân (59:7)

In connection with this verse, I am marveled by what is corroborated by Ibn Masoud (Allah be pleased with him) that is, A woman came to him and told him: “You who says: May Allah’s curse be on Al-Namisat [a woman who plucks hers or others eye-brows – to be a thin line – to seek beauty. Such an act is forbidden. It is a mean to change the form of Allah’s creation] and Al-Motanamisat [a woman who asks others to do it for her] and those who tattoo.” He said: “Yes.” She said, “I read the Book of Allah (Al-Qur’ân) from its beginning to its end, I did not find what you have said.” He told her: “If you have read it, you would have found it. As for your reading what the Messenger teaches you, take it, and what he forbids you, avoid doing it.” She said: “Certainly”. He said: “I have heard the Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu`alaihiwasallam) says: “May Allah’s curse be on Al-Namisat.” (Bukhaaree & Muslim)

THE DEVIATION OF QURANITES – II

Smashing the Brains of The Perweizite Deceivers Khalifites (19ers) And Rejecters of the Sunnah

Introduction On the Necessity of the Sunnah Amongst Those Who Have Defended The Sunnah The Ruling on the Rejecters of the Sunnah The First Doubt The Second Doubt The Raid of the Faithful Believers1 in Smashing the Brains of the Perweizite Deceivers

Being a serialisation of the excellent refutation of them by Dr. Uthmaan bin Mu’allim Mahmood Bin Shaikh Ali (of The Qur’an Printing Complex, Madinah al-Munawwarah)

All Praise is due to Allaah, we praise Him, seek His aid and His Forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allaah from the evils of our souls and the evils of our actions. Whomsoever Allaah guides there is none to misguide and whomsoever Allaah misguides there is none to guide. I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, alone, without any partners and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and messenger.

This is a serialisation of “Shubuhaat ul-Qur’aaniyyeen” by Dr. Uthmaan bin Mu’allim, and is something that is greatly needed in the English language, due to the proliferation of the Perweizites and their filthy and repugnant doctrines. Indeed, the vast majority of these Perweizites, from experience and interaction with them, are amongst the lowliest and most despicable of people, characterised by lying, pretence, deceit and taqiyah, the most irreligious of people, seekers of the world and its glitter, they are the supporters, allies and defenders of all the groups of bid’ah – alongside their great and compound ignorance of the deen of our Lord, and of the sciences that pertain to it.

The translation of this work is by the permission of the author, and the work was sent to us for this purpose. We pray that Allaah benefits the Ummah with it and rewards the author with a great reward for his effort, just as we ask all Muslims to spread and distribute this series so that the Sunnah and its people are uppermost and that the Perweizites, their filth, and their Orientalist backers are humiliated and scorned…

Salafi Publications 30th August 2001

The Introduction

To proceed, verily the best speech is the Book of Allaah and the best of guidance is the guidance of Muhammad (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam). And the worst of affairs are the newly invented matters, every newly-invented matter is an innovation, every innovation is misguidance and all misguidance is in the Hellfire.

The Most High said, “Say (O Muhammad): “O mankind! Verily, I am sent to you all as the Messenger of Allâh – to Whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth. Lâ ilâha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He); It is He Who gives life and causes death. So believe in Allâh and His Messenger (Muhammad), the Prophet who can neither read nor write (i.e. Muhammad) who believes in Allâh and His Words [(this Qur’ân), the Taurât (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel) and also Allâh’s Word: “Be!” – and he was, i.e.‘Iesa (Jesus) son of Maryam (Mary),], and follow him so that you may be guided.” (A’raaf 7:158)

And He, free of all imperfections said, “Say (O Muhammad): “Obey Allâh and the Messenger (Muhammad).” But if they turn away, then Allâh does not like the disbelievers. (Aali Imraan 3:32)

And the Mighty and Exalted said, “O you who believe! Obey Allâh, and obey the Messenger (Muhammad) and render not vain your deeds. (Muhammad 47:33) And the Mighty said, “Verily, We have sent you (O Muhammad) as a witness, as a bearer of glad tidings, and as a warner. In order that you (O mankind) may believe in Allâh and His Messenger, and that you assist and honour him, and (that you) glorify (Allâh’s) praises morning and afternoon. (Fath 48:8-9)

And He, free of all imperfections said, “And whatsoever the Messenger (Muhammad) gives you, take it, and whatsoever he forbids you, abstain (from it), and fear Allâh. Verily, Allâh is Severe in punishment. (Hashr 59:7)

And the Most High said, Say (O Muhammad to mankind): “If you (really) love Allâh then follow me (i.e. accept Islâmic Monotheism, follow the Qur’ân and the Sunnah), Allâh will love you and forgive you of your sins. And Allâh is Oft- Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (Aali Imraan 3:31)

And He, free of all imperfections said, “Say: “Obey Allâh and obey the Messenger, but if you turn away, he (Messenger Muhammad) 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).” (Nur 24:54)

And the Messenger (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) encouraged holding firm to his Sunnah after his death, so he said, “Verily, whoever amongst you lives for long after me will see much controversy. Hence, you must adhere to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Caliphs. Bite on to it with your molar teeth”. And he also cautioned against innovating (into the religion), that which entails abandonment of the Sunnah, so he said after the aforementioned words, “And beware of the newly introduced matters, for every newly introduced matter is an innovation and every innovation is misguidance” [SAHEEH: Ahmad in al- Musnad (4/127), Abu Dawud (4607), at-Tirmidhi (2676), Ibn Majah (43)].

Just like he also informed about the ones who surround themselves in luxury, those who would come after him and reject matters from his Sunnah. So he said, “Let me not find one of you reclining upon his couch, then an order from amongst my orders comes to him, amongst that which I have commanded or prohibited, and then say, “I do not know (this), but what we have found in the Book of Allaah, we have followed it” [SAHEEH: Abu Dawud (4605), at- Tirmidhi (2663), al- Haakim in al- Mustadrak (1/108) who said it is Saheeh upon the conditions of the two Shaikhs (Bukhaaree and Muslim)].

And Allaah informed His Prophet as to what will happen in his Ummah, and then what He informed actually happened, this being evidence for his Prophethood and Messengership. So the Astray Sects rejected his Sunnah and abolished the commandments of the Sunnah – in greater or lesser amounts – from the very first century to this day of ours.

And amongst those straying sects is the Jamaa’ah that has taken “Ahl ul-Qur’an” as its name, and yet this Jamaa’ah is actually devoid (of the true reality required) of this ascription.

This Jamaa’ah first emerged in the first quarter of the fourteenth century hijrah in the Indian subcontinent at the hands of one of the residents of that land, which later divided into three separate states.

And the founders of this thought were amongst those who became affected and influenced by Western [Orientalist] thought and so they considered adherence to the Sunnah to be an impediment to progress and advancement and as something that weakened the Islamic [nation]. So they then came with what no one before them from the misguided people had come with, and rejected the authority of the Sunnah in totality, and considered following the Sunnah to be tantamount to Shirk. They did not differentiate between what is mutawaatir (successively transmitted by a large number of people), and agreed upon, and what is other than that. Rather, they only took one approach, which was one of rejection and refusal. So they then stood to befriend the various Muslim organisations and to author books, magazines, leaflets, in order to prevent from the Sunnah and to bring about doubts about it. Yet Allaah caused whomever He willed from the People of Knowledge to repel them, and so they authored books and pamphlets and also issued verdicts pronouncing takfir of them and cautioning from them.

And amongst those who became aware of their great danger, at a very early stage, was the Allaamah, ‘Abdul-’Azeez bin ‘Abdullaah bin Baaz (rahimahullaah). And he issued – around forty years ago – a verdict in which he made takfir of their founder and late spokesman, the Lahoree in origin, Ghulaam Ahmad Parweiz [he perished in 1985H], and this verdict was printed in the Saudi newspapers at that time. And this shows the great perception of the Scholars of this land in repelling the fitnah of the rejection of the Sunnah, and fortifying the Ummah against its poison, and protecting the Noble Qur’an from the playing about of the idle ones, the distortions of the deviants, those who efforts in the life of this world are wasted, the while they think that they are working righteousness.

And since their danger is a continuous one and they do not hold back from calling people to their misguidance, and some people who have become deceived by them have not realised and separated from them, I loved that I should share in warning against them, perhaps that Allaah might benefit whomever He wills from His servants by what I write, so that they may take caution against the Rejecters of the Sunnah, and so that they do not fall into their traps, or become deceived by their sweet and appealing words.

And let no one understand from the naming of this sect as “the Qur’aaniyyoon” that this is a praise of them or that it is an expression of their severe attachment to the Qur’aan. Never! Rather, the reality is that this label has come to them in that they reject the Qur’aan and have rejected what is established therein of the necessity of following the Messenger (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam), and giving obedience to him – and from this great misguidance has occurred in fulfilling the commands of the Qur’aan. And so by this, they (the Rejecters) have left the main body (Jamaa’ah) of the Muslims, and hence they have been called “the Qur’aaniyyoon” from this angle.

And this has some similarity with the naming of the sect of the Qadariyyah, as they were called as such not because they affirmed al-Qadr and submitted to it, but because they rejected it and denied it. [Then I saw that Dr. Muhammad Amaan (al-Jaamee) preceded me in this in his book, “The Sunnah and Its Position in Islamic Legislation”].

And what this sect has written is not from knowledge at all, or any research, since knowledge is either a truthful report, or the research of a verifier, and whatever is besides that is but irrational talk that is flowered up.

Rather, in what they have written in the various papers, they have traversed the way of the foolish ones, the deviant, astray zindeeqs (heretics), and nor are their doubts and deviations something that they have given preference or carefully intended (after thought and reflection), but they are from their own blindness and from the Satanic whisperings, the desires of the soul, and due to working for the [aims and objectives of the] Colonialists. [This has been alluded to Dr. Muhammad Mustafa al- A’dhami in his book “Studies in Hadeeth Literature” pp. 28-29, 41, and also Khaadim Ilaahi Bakhsh in his book “The Effects of Western Thought in the Deviation of Muslim Society in the Indian Peninsula” pp.359-360]

So I sought Allaah’s aid in refuting their falsehood and I prepared this investigation in the form of an introduction and two main chapters. As for the introduction, then it has nearly ended, and as for first chapter, it consists of three investigations:

On the Necessity of Depending Upon The Sunnah For the Correct Understanding of the Qur’aan.
A Mention Of the Defence of The People of Knowledge For The Sunnah.
On the Ruling Upon The Rejecters of The Sunnah

As for the second chapter, then it deals with the doubts of the sect of the Qur’aaniyyeen, the Rejecters of the Sunnah of the Indian Peninsula, and refuting them, and they are eight doubts in total.

And everything that I have mentioned of the doubts of the Qur’aaniyyeen then it is from “The Qur’anites and their Doubts Concerning the Sunnah”, and as for what is besides that then I took it from the original sources. Whatever is correct in my research then it is from Allaah alone, He is the One who bestows it, and whatever it contains of error and then it is from me and Shaytaan, and Allaah and His Messenger are free from it.

On the Necessity of the Sunnah

The Necessity of Depending Upon the Sunnah For the Correct Understanding of the Qur’aan

Allaah revealed the Qur’aan as an exposition (tibyaan) “every single thing from the affairs of the religion, either by way of textually stating it, or by way of conveying something that necessitates knowledge, such as the explanation of the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam), or the Ijmaa (consensus) of the Muslims”.

This is how Ibn al- Jawzee [in Zaad ul-Mayseer 4/482] explained the saying of the Most High, “And We have sent down to you the Book (the Qur’an) as an exposition of everything” (Nahl 16:89), and he also ascribed this (explanation) to the scholars (in general), by way of its meaning.

And the Most High said, “And we have not neglected anything in the Book ” (An’aam 6:38). What is meant by “the Book” here is the Preserved Tablet (al-Lawh al- Mahfooz) as occurs in the saying of Ibn ‘Abbaas, who said, “We have not left anything, except that We have written it in the Umm ul-Kitaab (the Mother of the Book, i.e. the Preserved Tablet) . And Qataadah and Ibn Zaid followed him in this.

It has also been explained to be in reference to the Qur’aan in the second of the sayings of Ibn ‘Abbaas, who said, “We have not left anything except that We have explained it to you”. Ibn al- Jawzee said, “Based upon this, it (i.e. this aayah) is from the ‘aamm (general) by which the khaass (specific) is desired or intended, hence the meaning becomes: We have not left anything that you are in need of (knowing) except that We have explained it in the Book, either explicitly stating it (nassan), or in general terms (mujmalan), or by way of indication (dalaalatan).” [Zaad ul-Mayseer 4/482].

And al-Qurtubee said, “We have not left anything of the affairs of the religion except that we have indicated it in the Qur’aan, either by way of a clearly explained statement, or by way of a general statement whose explanation is derived from the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam), or by way of Ijmaa’ (consensus), or by way of a qiyaas (analogy) that is established by a text from the Qur’aan. Allaah, the Most High said, “And We have sent down to you the Book (the Qur’an) as an exposition of everything” (Nahl 16:89). And He also said, “And We have also sent down unto you (O Muhammad) the reminder and the advice (the Qur’ân), that you may explain clearly to men what is sent down to them ” (Nahl 16:44). And He also said, “And whatsoever the Messenger gives you, take it, and whatsoever he forbids you, abstain (from it)” (Hashr 59:7). Hence, He made a generalised statement in this verse and also in the verse in an-Nahl (to cover) what He did not textually state amongst those things He did not (specifically) mention. Hence, the report of Allaah is true, in that He did not leave anything out of the Book, except that He mentioned it, either explicitly, in detail, or by way of its foundation (i.e. in principle). And He said, “This day have I perfected for you, your religion” (Maa’idah 5:3)”. [Al-Jaami’ Li Ahkaam il-Qur’aan 6/420).

Also, after my abundant referral to the books of tafseer in order to uncover the meaning of these two verses (an-Nahl 16:89, An’aam 6:38), I did not see anyone from them who understood that the Qur’aan does not require the explanation of the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam). And whoever opposes what the Mufassiroon have united upon, then his deviation and heresy is apparently clear.

And the Companions used to be the Chiefs and Masters of the Arabic Language, its eloquence, and of intuition, and they were not in need of the various sciences required by the later people (to help them understand), and despite that they depended upon the tafseer, explanation of the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam).

Hence, he explained that:

“…the dhulm, oppression that is mentioned in His saying, “…and who do not mix, confuse their Imaan with dhulm…” (6:82) that it is Shirk. Also that “al-Hisaab al- Yaseer (the Easy Reckoning)” (Inshiqaaq 84:8) that this actually refers to being examined and questioned (on the Day of Judgement), and that the “the white and black thread” is actually in reference to the whiteness of the day and the darkness of the night, and that the one whom he (the Messenger, sallallahu alaihi wasallam) saw for the second time at Sidrat ul-Muntahaa, was actually Jibreel. Also he explained the saying of Allaah, “…or (the day) when some of the signs of Allaah come…” that it is the rising of the sun from the West (i.e. not tawbah is accepted after that), and he also explained the saying of Allaah, “And the example of a good tree…” to be the date-palm tree, and he also explained the saying of Allaah, “Allaah will make firm those who believe with an established and firm saying in the life of this world and the Hereafter…” that this is in reference to when a person is asked who is his Lord and what is his religion, whilst in the grave. And also he explained ar-Ra’d, as occurs in Surah Ra’d, to be in reference to the Angel who is entrusted with the clouds, and he explained the taking of the People of their Book, their priests and rabbis as Lords besides Allaah to be their treating as halaal whatever they made halaal for them (from those things that were haraam) and their treating as haraam whatever they made haraam for them (from those things that were halaal). And he also explained the saying of Allaah, “Whoever does an evil, will be recompensed for it…” that it is what befalls the servant (of Allaah) in the life of this world of worry, anxiety, fear, distress and hardship. And he explained “ziyaadah” in the saying of Allaah, the Most High, “For those who have done good is the best(reward, i.e. Paradise) and even more…”, that it refers to looking at the Noble Face of Allaah” [Ibn al-Qayyim in I’laam al-Muwaqqi’een 2/315].

And all of these things, as you have seen, are meanings that cannot be arrived at merely with deep knowledge and precision of the Arabic language. If the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) had not explained them, we would be in ignorance with respect to them.

The Sunnah therefore, explains the generalities of the Qur’aan. Allaah the Most High said, “And establish the prayer and give the zakaah”, and He, free is He from all imperfection, said, “Fasting has been prescribed to you”, and the Majestic said, “And to Allaah upon the people is the pilgrimage to the House, for the one who can find his way (i.e. has the means).” So the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) explained with his sayings and actions that the obligatory prayers are five in a day and night and he explained the number of the rak’aat, the conditions and pillars of these prayers, then he said, “Pray as you have seen me praying”, and he also explained that the woman in her menses does not have to pray during her menses and nor does she have to make the missed prayers up afterwards.

Similarly with Zakaah, he explained is nature and reality and upon whom it is obligatory and he also explained the shares of it that are due, and that it is also taken for gold and silver, and for camels, sheep, cows (livestock) once in every year, and he also made it obligatory on some of the types of produce that come out from the earth. [As-Sunnah of al- Marwazi p.36].

“And he also explained that fasting is holding back, with firm intention and resoluteness in refraining from that which refraining has been commanded, from the break of dawn until the night enters.” [As-Sunnah of al-Marwazi p.37].

And he also made it obligatory upon those who reach the age of puberty from those who are free and those who are slaves, both the male and the female, except the women in their menses, who make up the missed fasts in other days (after Ramadaan).

And the Messenger (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) also explained that Hajj is only obligatory once in a lifetime, and he also explained what the is to be worn by the Muhrim (on that has entered into the Hajj rituals) and what is not to be worn by him and he also defined and specified the times for Hajj and Umrah and explained the number of times tawaaf is to be made and how it is to be made. And the explanation of all of this is not to be found in the Qur’aan.

And Allaah, free is He from all imperfection, also made obligatory the cutting of the hand of the thief, so He said, “And the male and female thief, cut off their hands…” and the Sunnah explains that the hand is not to be cut except for the theft of a quarter dinar or more, and that the hand is to be cut from the wrist.

And if we were to be left alone with our intellects, we would not have known these rulings. Hence, it becomes clear that we cannot do without the Sunnah in understanding the Qur’aan, and the Companions used to know this only too well. For they used to give the Sunnah its due worth and estimation. Jaabir bin Abdullaah said while he was narrating the description of the Prophet’s Hajj, “…and the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) was amongst us, the Qur’aan would be revealed upon him and he would know its explanation, and then whatever he acted upon from it, we acted upon it likewise”. [Saheeh Muslim no.1218].

And from Ibn ‘Umar who said that Allaah’s Messenger (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) said, “Grant permission to the women for going to the Masjid at night (for the prayers)”, so one of his sons, who was called Waaqid, said, “But then they will use it as a pretence (for entering upon corruption)”. So he struck him on the chest and said, “I narrate to you from Allaah’s Messenger (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) and you say, “No”!”. [Saheeh Muslim 422].

And it is reported from Imraan bin Hussain (radiallaahu anhu) that he mentioned Shafaa’ah (Intercession) and so a man from amongst the people said to him, “O Abaa Nujayd, you narrate to us hadeeth for which we do not find any basis in the Qur’aan”. So Imraan became angry and said to the man, “Have you read the Qur’aan?” He said, “Yes”. He said, “And did you find in it that the Isha prayer has four rakaa’aat, Maghrib has three, the morning prayer has two, Dhuhr has four and Asr has four?”. The man said, “No”. So he said, “From whom then have you acquired this? Have you not taken it from us and we took it from the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam)? Have you found in the Qur’aan that one in every forty sheep is for zakaah, and likewise one in every such and such camel, and similarly for every such and such dirham, such and such amount?” The man replied, “No”. So he said, “From whom have you taken this? Did you not take it from us, and we took it from the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam)… Have you not heard Allaah, He said in in His Book, “And whatsoever the Messenger gives you, take it, and whatsoever he forbids you, abstain (from it)”?!! For we have taken matters from the Messenger of Allaah which you have no knowledge from.” [Reported by Ibn Battah in al-Ibaanah, Kitaab ul-Imaan (pp.234-235), Al-Aajurree in ash-Sharee’ah (1/417), al-Haakim in al-Mustadrak (1/109), Ibn Abdul-Barr in Jaami’ Bayaan ul-Ilm (2/1192), and the Muhaqqiq of al-Ibaanah said, “There is no harm problem in its isnaad” and the Muhaqqiq of Jaami’ Bayaan ul-Ilm declared it strong”].

And from Ayyoob as- Sakhtiyaanee that a man said to Mutarraf bin Abdullaah bin ash- Shikhkheer, “Do not narrate to us except with the Qur’aan”. So Mutarraf said to him, “By Allaah, we do not seek a replacement for the Qur’aan, but we seek one who is more knowledgeable of the Qur’aan than us”. [Ibn Abdul-Barr in Jaami’ Bayaan ul-Ilm (2/1193) and its Muhaqqiq authenticated its isnaad].

Therefore, by the Salaf let us guide us ourselves, and let the Sunan be venerated in our hearts, and let us nurture our generations upon respect for them and acting upon them. So whatever was not considered to be deen (religion) then it will never be considered deen today, so where then do the Qur’aaniyyoon take their religion from?! And who exactly is their Imaam in this bid’ah of their’s? Let them repent to Allaah and let them return to their deen before the day comes when there will be no ransom and nor intimate friendship.

Amongst Those Who Have Defended The Sunnah

A Summary Of The Efforts Those Who Have Preceded Us In Defending The Sunnah

Ash-Shaafi’ee authored the book [1] “ar-Risaalah” and he is the one who has the precedence in this regard, and he is the one who excelled and was skilled in what he wrote, and then Imaam Ahmad followed him and authored [2] “Taa’at ur-Rasool” (Obedience to the Messenger) [this book is mentioned by Ibn al-Qayyim in I’laam al- Muwaqqi’een 2/290], and he refuted the ones who use the apparent meanings of the Qur’aan to contradict the Sunnah of Allaah’s Messenger (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) and who abandoned seeki