Sheikh Muhammad al-Qannâs
One of the false ideas still being advanced by the enemies of Islam is that of the categorical rejection of the Sunnah. The argument that they advance is that it is enough to rely exclusively on the Qur’ân, since it is indeed a “book explaining all things.” [
Sûrah al-Nahl: 89] Their objective in doing this is nothing less than to destroy Islam and overturn its teachings.
The Sunnah is explanatory of the Qur’ân and any vilification of Sunnah is consequently a vilification of the Qur’ân and a call to abandon several texts of the Qur’ân.
This claim appeared for the first time at the end of the Companions’ era. It developed until the time of the Western occupation.
The colonial powers, during their heyday, employed a number of Orientalists and Muslim pseudo-scholars to promote this idea as well as other deviant beliefs in the Muslim world.
The Companions, in their day, had confronted these claims. Al-Hasan al-Basrî related the following incident:
`Umrân b. Husayn was sitting with his peers. One of them said to him: “Do not speak to us using anything except the Qur’ân.”
`Umran told him: “Come closer.” When the man approached `Umrân asked him: “If you and your colleagues had nothing but the Qur’ân, would you find out that the Zuhr prayer is four units, the `Asr prayer is four units, and the Maghrib prayer is three units and that in it you read loudly in the first two units? Would you know that the tawâf around Ka`bah is completed in seven circuits and that the tawâf between Safâ and Marwah is seven?”
Then `Umrân said: “O people take this from me or otherwise you will be misguided.”
[Al-Bayhaqî in Madkhal al-Dalâ’il (1/25) al-Khatîb in al-Kifâyah (48) and Ibn `Abd al-Barr in al-Jâm`]
Scholars in the past were confronted with many similar ideas and expounded upon the evidence indicating the authority of the Sunnah. Al-Shâfi`î , for example, clearly explained this issue in his book Jimâ` al-`Ilm, wherein he devotes a chapter to discussing the claims of those who reject the Sunnah.
The Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him) has to be followed as a source of Islamic knowledge. Allah commands us to do so, saying: “O ye who believe, obey Allah, and obey the Messenger, and those charged with authority among you. If ye differ in anything among yourselves, refer it to Allah and His Messenger, if ye do believe in Allah and the Last Day; that is best and most suitable for final determination” [Sûrah al-Nisâ’: 59]
Maymûn b. Mahrân explains:
The phrase “refer it to Allah” means to refer it to His Book, while the phrase “…and His Messenger” means to refer to him personally during his lifetime and to his Sunnah after his death.
Allah says: “Say: If ye do love Allah, follow me: Allah will love you and forgive you your sins.” [Sûrah Âl-`Imrân: 31]
He says: “He who obeys the Messenger, obeys Allah.” [Sûrah al-Nisâ’: 80]
He says: “So take what the Messenger gives you and refrain from what he prohibits you.” [Sûrah al-Hashr: 7]
Allah makes it clear that obedience to His Messenger is obedience to Him. At the same time, He warns us not to disobey His Messenger. Allah says: “Let those beware who disobey the Messenger’s order, lest some trial befall them, or a grievous chastisement be inflicted on them.” [Sûrah al-Nûr: 64]
If the orders of the Prophet (peace be upon him) were not important or obligatory, Allah would not warn against the disobedience by grievous chastisement.
Emulation of the Messenger is described in the Qur’ân as a condition of faith and a means of salvation. Allah says: “You have indeed in the Messenger of Allah as excellent example for him whose hopes are in Allah and the final day” [Sûrah al-Ahzâb: 21]
He says: “But no, by your Lord, they can have no (real) faith, until they make you judge in all disputes between them and find in their souls no resistance against thy decisions but accept them with the fullest conviction.” [Sûrah al-Nisâ’: 65]
The Companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) understood from these verses that they refer to the Sunnah and they acted accordingly. `Abd Allah b. Mas`ûd said: “Allah curses women who apply tattoos and who get themselves tattooed, women who pluck their eyebrows, and women who file their teeth to make gaps for beauty, altering Allah's creation!” A woman who heard him say this took him to task for invoking such a curse. To this he replied: “Why should I not curse those whom the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) cursed when that is in the Book of Allah? Allah Almighty says: ‘ So take what the Messenger gives you and refrain from what he prohibits you. ’” [Sahîh al-Bukhârî and Sahîh Muslim]
This understanding was articulated by Mu`âdh b. Jabal when the Prophet (peace be upon him) sent him to Yemen :
The Prophet (peace be upon him) asked him: “How will you judge among the people?”
Mu`âdh said: “By Allah’s book.”
The Prophet (peace be upon him) asked him: “What if do not find a ruling for it therein?”
He said: “By the Sunnah of Allah’s Messenger.”
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “What if do not find a ruling for it therein?”
He said: “I will employ my opinion to the best of my knowledge and will not hesitate.”
The Prophet (peace be upon him) slapped on his chest and said: “All praise is due to Allah that He guided the messenger of Allah’s Messenger to what pleases Allah and His Messenger.” [Sunan Abî Dâwûd (3592)]
The hadîth that support the obligation to follow Sunnah are numerous.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Verily I was given the Qur’an and something else like it. It is feared that a man will sit fully satiated on his sofa and say: ‘You only have to abide by the Qur’an. Whatever you find lawful, take it as lawful, and whatever you find unlawful take it as unlawful’. Nay! It is unlawful for you to eat the flesh of donkeys and carnivores possessing fangs. If you find something that belongs to someone who lives under (peace) treaty with Muslims, do not take it unless it is given up by its owner…” [Sunan Abî Dâwûd]
Imam al-Khattâbî discusses this hadîth saying: “The Prophet (peace be upon him) warns against opposing the Sunnah that is not mentioned in the Qur’ân. This was actually the practice of the Khawârij and Shî`ah who used to adhere to the apparent meanings of the Qur’ân and abandon the Sunnah that explains the Qur’ân. This was, in fact, the cause of their misguidance.”
Moreover, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Hold fast my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the righteous guided Caliphs, seize onto it with your molars.” [Sunan al-Tirmidhî]
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Satan has despaired from being worshiped in your land, but he has reconciled himself to be obeyed in other issues that you do not feel are very important. Beware, I have left among you that which, if you adhere to them, you will never go astray: Allah’s book and His Prophet’s Sunnah.” [al-Muwatta’]
The need to follow the Sunnah, is one of the matters that the Qur’ân has explained to us and made clear to us. Indeed, Allah says: “And We have sent to thee the book explaining all things.” [Sûrah al-Nahl: 89]
The description of Qur’ân as “an explanation” does not mean that there is no need for further explaining, since Allah says: “And We have sent down unto you (O Muhammad) the Message; that you may explain clearly to men what is sent for them, and that they may give thought.” [Sûrah al-Nahl: 44].
Matters explained in the Qur’ân are of two kinds:
1. Those matters that are fully explained to us and expounded in such detail that they require no further explanation.
2. Matters that are mentioned in the Qur’ân, but that need further elaboration in order to be carried out, such as our prayers, our fasting, the Hajj, and `itikâf .
For example, with respect to prayer, we find that the exact times of those prayers and the manner of their performance need elaboration. The Sunnah explains all of that. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Pray as you see me praying”. If we consider the Qur’ân as the sole source of information, we would not know how to pray. The same thing can be said about the other pillars of Islam.
The Qur’ân speaks to us very generally about the Pilgrimage. However, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said to the people during his final pilgrimage: “Take from me your rites of Hajj”.
Imam al-Shâfi`î writes:
The obligations stated in Allah’s book may be precisely explained, not needing any further elaboration. In some other contexts, the fulfillment of these obligations requires obedience to Allah’s Messenger. It is Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) who explains how such obligations are set forth, on whom they are required, and when someone might be exempted from carrying them out.
Some other obligations were set forth by the Prophet (peace be upon him) that you will not find a stated in the Qur’ân. Yet, Allah has made it obligatory on us to obey His Messenger (peace be upon him). Hence, whoever accepts what the Prophet (peace be upon him) has brought will be accepting what Allah has obliged him to accept.”
Imam al-Khattâbî mentions Allah’s words: “And We have sent to thee the book explaining all things.” [Sûrah al-Nahl: 89], then writes:
Allah tells us that He did not leave out anything regarding His religion and that He has stated everything in His book. However, the explanations of the Qur’ân may be clear or they might contain subtle implications. For this second aspect, the Prophet (peace be upon him) was authorized to explain it.
This is confirmed by Allah’s saying: “And We have sent down unto thee (also) the Message; that you may explain clearly to men what is sent for them, and that they may give thought.” [Sûrah al-Nahl: 44].
Whoever gathers between Qur’an and the Sunnah has attained both aspects of the explanation of the Qur’ân.
Imam Ahmad wrote a book about obeying the Prophet (peace be upon him). He replied to the people who want to apply only the apparent texts of the Qur’ân in order to reject the Sunnah. He said in the introduction:
Allah sent Muhammad “…with guidance and the religion of truth that He make it prevail over all religion even though the pagans may detest (it)” He revealed His book to him and made the Prophet (peace be upon him) a guidance in all aspects of the subtle and clear, the general and particular, the effected and abrogated rulings. The Prophet (peace be upon him) was the one who was to explain the meaning of Allah’s book. The Companions witnessed all of this and passed on all that the Prophet (peace be upon him) understood, so that it would become the source to explain the Qur’ân after him.
Jâbir said: ‘While Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) was among us and the Qur’an was being revealed, he was the one who knew its interpretation. Whatever he did, we do.” [`Ilâm al-Muwaqi`în (2/290)]
And may Allah guide us all.
