The following is a request from a close friend of mine. This is an article that briefly reminds the true believer of the authority of the Sunnah of Muhammad ('alaihis-salaatu was-salaam). I pray that Allah accepts this from me and that He forgives me and my family and that He increases me in beneficial knowledge. Ameen.

Bismillaah walhamdulillaah was-salaatu was-salaamu 'ala ashrafil anbiya' wal-mursaleen. Nabiyyinaa Muhammad b. Abdillaah.

Amma ba`d.

On the authority of Abu Ruqayyah, Tameem bin Aws ad-Daree (may Allah be pleased with him) who reported that the Prophet ('alaihis-salaatu was-salaam) said (what means): "The Deen is an-NaSiHah (sincerity/advice)." We said, "For whom." He said, "For Allah, his Book, His Messenger, and for Muslim leaders and commoners." (Muslim)

To my fellow Muslims, let me take a moment of your time and remind each of us of a very important aspect of our daily lives - Sunnati Muhammad ('alaihis-salaatu was-salaam). From the aformentioned hadeeth, sincerity to Allah's Messenger ('alaihis-salaatu was-salaam) means to firmly believe in the prophecy of Muhammad ('alaihis-salaatu was-salaam) and to firmly obey his commands. It also means to follow his actions and to avoid what he has prohibited for his ummah. In addition, it means to give full loyalty and support to those who gave their loyalty and support to him ('alaihis-salaatu was-salaam). Thus, this would include the SaHaba and those that followed them.

In the 20th century, Islaam has been attacked from all angles lately. One of the primary sources of attack happens to come from some people who have used their finite intellect to conclude that the Sunnah need not be an authoritative entity in the lives of every Muslim. They are under the impression that the Qur'aan is a sufficient the Muslim. Since these people feel this way, then let us use the Qur'aan to remind these persons (and may Allah guide them and us to full obedience, Ameen) of the Sunnah in a three-fold fashion: its status, obedience (iTaa`a) and following (ittiba`).

Status of the Sunnah

Messengers were not sent to simply deliver Allah's message. They were sent to explain the divine Book that was revealed to them, interpret it, expound upon it, demonstrate the ways of its application and to present a practical example of its contents. Allah says (what means):

"Allah has surely blessed the believers with His favour when He raised in their midst a Messenger from among themselves, who recites to them His verses and makes them pure and teaches them the Book and the wisdom, while they were, earlier, in an open error." (3:164)

The same functions were attributed to Prophet Muhammad ('alaihis-salaatu was-salaam) in the prayer of Khalillullaah Ibraheem ('alaihis-salaatu was-salaam) when, in the Qur'aan, he prayed: "Our Lord, raise in their midst a messenger from among themselves who recites to them Your verse and teaches them the Book and the wisdom and purifies them." (2:129)

With these ayat, we see that the Qur'aan leaves no ambuguities in the fact that the Prophet ('alaihis-salaatu was-salaam) is not to merely recite the verses and then leave the interpretation according to conjecture and frivolous applications. Instead, he was ordained to do four tasks:

(a) To be the authority in the way the Book has to be recited.
(b) To be the final word in the interpretation of the Book.
(c) To be the only source at which the wisdom based on divine guidance can be learned.
(d) To be entrusted with the practical training of the people to bring his teachings into practice.

These functions cannot be carried out unless his teachings (oral, practical, etc.) are held to be authoritative for his followers; and the Muslims who are given under his training are made bound to obey and follow him.

Obedience to the Messenger

There are many places in the Qur'aan where Allah uses the phrase (what means), "Obey Allah and obey His Messenger..." Here are three ayaat which illustrate this: "Say, Obey Allah and the Messenger but if they turn their bakcs, Allah loves not the disbelievers." (3:32)

"And obey Allah and the Messenger so that you may be blessed." (3:132)

"O you believe, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you. (And) if you differ in anything amongst yourselves, refer it to Allah and His Messenger if you believe in Allah and in the Last Day. This is better and more suitable for final determination." (4:59)

The obedience of the Prophet Muhammad ('alaihis-salaatu was-salaam) is not a new principle. This principle was applied to all of the previous prophets and messengers. Allah says (what means):

"And we sent no messenger, but that he should be obeyed by the leave of Allah." (4:64)

The Qur'aan also clarified that the obedience to the Messenger ('alaihi salaatu was-salaam) is actually obedience to Him. As we find in the Qur'aan (what means):

"And whoever obeys the Messenger, thereby obeys Allah." (41:80)

Conversely, we find that Allah warns against disobedience to His Messenger:
"And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger, for him there is the fire of Jahannam. There they will remain forever." (72:23)

So, we see from all of this the uncompromising obligation that every Muslim must obey the Messenger ('alaihis-salaatu was-salaam). If this is not enough proof, then refer to the following list of ayaat:

8:1, "So fear Allah and set things right between you and obey Allah and His Messenger if you are believers."

8:20, "O you who believe. Obey Allah and His Messenger if you are believers."

8:46, "And obey Allah and His Messenger and do not quarrel with each other, so as to lose heart."

24:54, "Say, 'Obey Allah and obey the Messenger; then if you turn away, upon him rests what is laid on him, and upon you rests what is laid on you. If you obey him, you will be guided."

47:33, "O you who believe, obey Allah and the Messenger and do not make your deeds go in vain."

58:13, "So establish salaah and pay zakaah and obey Allah and His Messenger."

64:12, "And obey Allah and obey the Messenger, but if you turn your backs, Our Messenger has only to deliver the clear message."

4:13, "And whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger, Allah shall admit him in the Gardens underneath which rivers flow."

4:69, "And whoever obeys Allah and the Messenger - they are in the company of those whom Allah has blessed."

24:52, "All that the believers say, when they are called to Allah and His Messenger that he may judge between them, is that they say, 'We hear, and we obey:'It is these who are successful. Whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger and fears Allah and has awe of Him - it these who are the winners."

33:71, "And whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger, he has won great success."

49:14, "If you obey Allah and His Messenger, He will not diminish you anything of your deeds."

4:64, "And we sent no messenger, but that he should be obeyed by the leave of Allah."

9:71, "And the believers, men and women, are friends of each other, they enjoin the good and they fobid the evil; they establish salaah and pay zakaah and they obey Allah and His Messenger. These are those upon whom Allah shall have mercy; Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise."

4:14, "And whoever diobeys Allah and His Messenger and trangresses His limits, He shall admit him in the Fire where he shall remain there forever."

33:36, "And whoever diobeys Allah and His Messenger has clearly gone astray."

72:23, "And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger, for him there is the fire of Jahannam. There they shall remain forever."

8:13, "And whoever makes a breach with Allah and His Messenger, then Allah is severe in punishment."

9:63, "Did they not come to know that whoever opposes Allah and His Messenger, for him there is the fire of Jahannam."

24:56, "And establish salaah and pay zakaah and obey the Prophet, so that you may be blessed."

24:54, "And if you obey him (the Prophet), you shall find the right path."

4:42, "On that day those who disbelieved and disobeyed the Messenger will wish that the earth might be levelled with them."

4:115, "And whoever makes a breach with the Messenger after the right path has become clear to him, and follows a way other than that of the believers, We shall let him own what he chose and shall admit him in the Jahannam, and what an evil place."

42:51, "And it is not possible for a human being that Allah should speak to him, except by revelation, or from behind a curtain, or that He shold send a messenger and he reveal by His leave what He wills."

4:80, "And whoever obeys the Messenger indeed obeys Allah."

53:3, "And he (the Prophet) does not speak our of his own desire. It is not but a revelation revealed (to him)."

Ittiba` (following) of the Prophet ('alahis-salaatu was-salaam)

We will now remind each other of the necessity to follow our noble Prophet ('alaihis-salaatu was-salaam). Allah says in the following ayaat (what means):

"Say, if you love Allah, then follow me and Allah will love you and forgive you your sins." (3:31)

"Those who follow the Messenger, the unlettered Prophet whom they find written down with them in the Torah and Injeel..." (7:157)

"O Prophet, sufficient to you for you is Allah and whose who followed you of the believers." (8:64)

The Prophet ('alaihis-salaatu was-salaam) was sent to the people to set a practical example of what he teaches and preaches. His acts were not confined to just talk. Rather, his acts demonstrate to the Muslims the proper way of living. This is supported by the following ayah:

"Surely in the Messenger of Allah there is an excellent example for the one who hopes (to meet) Allah in the Hereafter, and remembers Allah abundantly." (33:23)

Here are some other references that one can find proof of the obligation to follow Muhammad b. Abdillaah b. Abdil-MuTTalib ('alaihis- salaatu was-salaam):

9:117, "Allah has surely relented towards the Prophet and the Emigrants and the Helpers who followed him in an hour of difficulty."

3:53, "(The believers say:) Our Lord, we have come to believe in what YOu revealed, and followed the Messenger. So, write us among those who bear witness."

12:108, "Say, 'This is my way. I call to Allah with sure knowledge, I and whoever follows me.'"

3:68, "The closest of the people to Ibraheem are those who follow him."

57:27, "And We set in the hearts of those who followed him (Jesus) tenderness and mercy."

14:44, "And warn the people of the day when the punishment comes on them and those who did evil shall say, 'Our Lord, defer us to a near term; and we shall respond to Your call and shall follow the messengers.'"

2:143, "And We did not appoint the Qiblah on which you were earlier, but that We might know the people who follow the Messenger, as distinct from those who turn back on their heels."

36:20, "He said, 'My people, follow the messengers!'"

20:90, "(Moses said:) And your Lord is the RaHmaan (the All-Merciful). So follow me and obey my command."

54:24, So, they (the disbelievers) said, 'Shall we follow a single human being from among us?' Then, indeed we should be in error and insanity.'"

O Muslims! It is not conceivable that Allah would have sent a Prophet and not mentioned the need to follow him. As in (33:23), we find that for the one who is a Muslim, one must follow the Prophet ('alaihis-salaatu was-salaam). Why? To be avoid the wrath of Allah in this world and in the Hereafter. For those who insist on not obeying and following the Prophet ('alaihis-salaatu was-salaam), then know that the he/she is walking a path of destruction. The same Qur'aan that some people claim is sufficient for them did not read these ayaat that we have cited in this article. Therefore, we advise these people to look at the Qur'aan again and fear Allah!

Verdict regarding those who deny the Authority of the Sunnah

From the previous portions of this paper, we gave proof from the same Qur'aan that the so-called "Qur'aaniyyoon" use to deny the authority of the sunnah. We showed an abundant number of evidence about the need to obey and follow the Prophet (`alahi salaatu wa salaam). So, the question is now asked, "What about the one who denies the authority of the sunnah in obedience and following?" The answer is based on the following two ayaat in the Qur'aan.

Allah says in Surah An-Nisaa' Ayah 65(what means):
"But no, by your Lord, they can have no Faith until they make you (i.e., Prophet Muhammad (`alaihis- salaatu was-salaam)) judge in all disputes between them, and find in themselves no resistance against your decisions, and accept them with full submission."

Allah also says in the same surah in ayah 61 (what means):
"And when it is said to them: 'Come to what Allah has sent down and to the Messenger,' you see the hypocrites turn away from you with aversion."

Thus, the one who refuses to acknowledge that the Sunnah is an authoritative entity in the lives of the Muslim has committed unbelief (Arabic: "kufr"). So, this person or persons is not a Muslim. He or she has negated his shahadah because he does not accept the Sunnah to be an authoritative entity in his Deen (way of life).

If we say that the Qur'aan is the source of legislation and only take portions of the Qur'aan but disregard others like the Qur'aaniyyoon, then one has in essence stated that the Qur'aan is incomplete and contradictory in its diction. Thus, one is stating that Allah contradicts Himself! Again this is kufr.

In addition, the shahadah is the statement that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. The one who states this openly, but hates the Sunnah by refusing to accept its authority is a hypocrite whose destination is the lowest depths of the Hell-Fire, for eternity.

We advise the ignorant one to return to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (`alaihis- salaatu was-salaam) and stop utterring the words of the deviant disbelievers who deny the authority of the Sunnah. As for the one who refuses to repent to his Lord, may we remind you of an ayah in the Qur'aan - the Book which these deviants say they follow:
"And whoever contradicts and opposes the Messenger after the Right Path has been shown clearly to him, and follows other than the believers' way, We shall keep him in the path he has chosen, and burn him in Hell - what an evil destination." (Surah An-Nisaa (#4) Ayah 115)

The choice is yours!

O Allah, the turner of the hearts, please keep our hearts firmly to your obedience!

O Allah, forgive us.

O Allah have mercy on us.

O Allah, pardon us of our sins.

O Allah bestow abundant and infinite bounties on Your beloved Messenger ('alaihis-salaatu was-salaam).

Ameen.

was-subHaanaka-Allahumma wa biHamdika. Ash-hadu an laa ilaaha illa anta. Istighfiruka wa 'atoobu ilaik.

was-salaamu 'Alaikum wa RaHmatullahi wa Barakaatuh