The Status of Sunnah inIslam

Introduction
Praise be to Allah, Benediction and Peace be on the Messenger of
Allah, his family, his companions, and his adherents.
This is a lecture which I delivered in the city of Doha, the capital
of Qatar , in the blessed month of Ramadhan 1392 A.H. Some of my
friends have suggested to me to publish my lecture on account of need
of the Muslims to a work of its kind. In response to their request, I
am printing it for general propagation on account of its advantage,
having regard for the reminiscences and history. I have added some
separate titles to assist the reader to collect the main ideas. I pray
to Allah, the Mighty, the Glorious, to write me among those who defend
the religion and those who help enact thelaw; and to reward me for it.
Surely he is the most generous in responding to my prayer.
Damascus 22 Muharram-al-Haram 1394 A.H.
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The Status of Sunnah inIslam
A Declaration that it cannot dispense with TheQur'an
All Praise be to Allah, we praise Him, seek His help and His
forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allah from the evils of our souls and
evils of our deeds. One whom Allah guides, nonecan lead him astray,
and one whom He misguides, none can guide him. I bear witness that
there isnothing worthy of worship(1) except Allah, and I bear witness
that Muhammad (SAW) is His servant and His messenger.
Oh you who believe, Fear Allah Truly, and do not die except as Muslims. (3:102).
O Men fear your Lord who created you from one soul, and created its
partner, and from them spread men and women in numbers. Take care,
Allah will question you about it and the kinship. Surely, Allah is
ever watchful of your deeds (4:1).
O those who believe. FearAllah and say what is correct so that it fits
you. He will forgive your sins. Whoever obeys Allah and His messenger
that is a great achievement (33:70-71).
The best of speech is the speech of Allah. That is The Book of Allah.
The best of guidance is the guidance of Muhammad. Of all matters, the
worst are innovations; and everything new is an innovation, and every
innovation is a deviation,and every deviation leadsto Hell-fire.
I do not think that I will be able to offer this high ranking assembly
- especially when there aredistinguished ulama (scholars) and
professors present - some knowledge which has not been dealt with
before. If what I think is true, I will rest contented that my address
will be a reminder, as it says in theQur'an: Remind, for the reminder
would benefit the believers (51:55).
I do not think that my talk in this blessed monthof Ramadhan, the
month of importance, is an exposition of something of its merits,
rules and their practice, and the like, which generally the preachers
and instructorstouch on, on account of the benefit they give to the
listeners, and procurefor them good and blessing; but I have chosen my
talk to be a study of a general nature, surely it is one of the roots
of the Shari'ah (Islamic law). It is a declaration of the importance
attached to the Sunnah in the Islamic law.
The Role of Sunnah Towards The Qur'an
You all know that Allah, The Blessed and Mighty, chose Muhammad (SAW)
as His Prophet and pickedhim to deliver the final message. The Qur'an
was revealed to him and commanded him to obey all what He had ordered
him to do, that is, to expound His message to the people. Allah says:
Wehave revealed to you the Reminder (The Qur'an) to expound to people
what was revealed to them (16:44 ).
I think that the declaration mentioned inthe verse contains two orders:
1. Declaration of the word and its arrangement. It is the
communication of the Qur'an and its non-concealment, and itspursuit to
Mankind just as Allah, The Blessed Almighty, has revealed to the heart
of the Prophet (SAW) which is the intent of His saying O
Messengerproclaim what is revealed to you from your Lord (5:67).
Sayyida Ayesha (may Allah be pleased with her) is reported to have
said"Whosoever says that Muhammad (SAW) concealed something which he
was commanded to communicate, is is a great calumny against Allah."
Then she read the abovementioned verse. (Bukhari and Muslim have
stated it.)
And according to the narration of Muslim: "If the Messenger of Allah
(SAW) had concealed something which he was commanded to communicate,
he would have concealed the saying of The Almighty: Behold thou didst
say to one who had received the grace of Allah and thyfavour: Keep
your wife toyourself and fear Allah. But thou didst hide in thyheart
that which Allah was about to make manifest; you did fear the people,
whereas Allah had a better right that you should fear Him (33:37).
2. The explanation of the meaning of the word or sentence or verse for
which man needs an explanation, most of which bear reference to
'Mujmal' (comprehensive)verses or 'Amah' (general) verses or 'Mutlaq'
(unbounded) verses.
Then comes the Sunnah and clarifies the sentences and specifies the
verses called 'Amah' and defines what is 'mutlaq' that is, in refernce
to the saying (Qaul) of The Prophet (SAW), his deed (Fi'l) and the act
he confirmed (Iqrar).
The Necessity of Sunnah to Understand
The Qur'an and Parables on that...
Allah says: The male thief and female theif cutt of their hands (5:38
) is a fitting example of that. The thief in it is general like the
hand.
The oral tradition explains the first of them and restricts it by
'as-sareq' (the thief) who steals something worth a fourth of a
Dinar(2) according to the saying of the Prophet (SAW) There is no
cutting - of the hand - unless the thing stolen is worth a fourth of a
Dinar or more(Buhkari & Muslim) the two shaikhs have recorded this
Hadeeth.
Again, the other is explained by the action of the Prophet (SAW) or
the action of his companions and his confirmation. They used to cut
the hand of the thief from the wrist as is known in the work of
Hadeeth. The oral tradition explains the hand mentioned in the verse
on Tayammum (dust ablution) And rub therewith your faces and hands
(5:6) is also the palm of the hand as is stated in a Hadeeth Tayammum
is the wiping of the face and the hands recorded by the two shaikhs
and Ahmad and others from a tradition reported by Ammar bin Yasir (may
Allah be pleased with them).
There are other verses that cannot be completely understood except
through Sunnah. They are:
1. It is whose who believeand confuse not their beliefs with
wrong,'dhulm'that are(truly) in security for they are on(right)
guidance (6:82).
The companions of the Prophet (SAW) understood the word 'dhulm' in its
general sense to mean every wrong doing, even if it be little. On this
account the verse is regarded as dubious and they said, "OMessenger of
Allah, which of us did not involve his faith with obscurity?" He (SAW)
said; It is not that. It is only the 'shirk'(3). Have you not heard
what Luqman said: Verily Shirk is a very great sin (dhulm) (31:13).
The two shaikhs have recorded it with others.
2. Allah says: When you travel on earth, there is no blame on you to
shorten your prayer, for fear the unbelievers will persecute you
(4:101). It is obvious from this versethat fear is a pre-requisite for
the shortening of prayers. Some of the Prophet's companions asked him:
"Why do we shorten our prayers while we feel safe?" He said: It is a
charity from Allah, so accept it (Muslim).
3. Allah says: The carcass and it's blood are forbidden to you (5:3).
In explanation of this verse, the corpse of locusts, fish,the livers,
spleen of bloodare lawful. So the Prophet (SAW) said: He has made two
dead things and blood lawful: the locusts and the fish, the liver and
the spleen.
Baihaqi and others have recorded it as 'marfu' type of hadeeth as also
'mauquf' type. The 'isnad'od 'mauquf' is authentic and it is as good
as 'marfu' tradition, since it is not stated in the form of a 'ra'y'
(decision basedon one individual's judgement not on Qur'anand Sunnah).
4. Allah says: I find not in the message received by me by inspiration
any (food) forbidden to be taken by one who wishesto, unless it is
dead meat or blood poured forth or the flesh of swine, for it is an
abomination, or what is impious (meat) on which a name has been
invoked other thatnAllah's (6:145).
The Sunnah has forbidden many things not mentioned in the verse
mentioned above, as for example in the saying of the Holy Prophet
(SAW): All predatory animals with tusk and every bird with claw are
forbidden for consumption. There are other traditions which have
forbidden the consumption of such animals as the Prophet (SAW) is
reported to havesaid on the Day of Khayber: Allah and His Messenger
have prohibited the consumption of domesticated asses, for they are
filth. The two shaikhs have reported it.
5. Allah says: Who has forbidden the adornmentof Allah which He has
produced for His servants, and the things clean and pure (which hehas
provided for sustenance) (7:32 ).
The Sunnah, too, has forbidden some adornments, and this is evident
from the Prophet(SAW) who is reported to have met some of his
companions, and had a silk garment in one hand,and gold in the other,
and said: These are prohibited to Muslim males, lawful to females. The
hadeeths in their interpretation are many and well known in both the
authentic collections of hadeeths, and others and the like of many
examples well known to scholars familiar with hadeeth and Islamic
Jurispudence.
From what has been stated above, O Muslim Brethren, you can see
theimportance attached to Sunnah in Islamic Law. When we divert our
intention again to the exaples mentioned beside others not mentioned,
we are certain that there is no way to understand the Qur'an correctly
except inassociation with the interpretation of the Sunnah.
In the first example, the understanding of the 'sahabah' of 'dhulm'
mentioned in the verse ison its general sense, despite the fact that
the (Allah be pleased with them) were, as stated by Ibn Mas'ud: "The
best of this community, most pious, profound in learning, least of
dissimulation." Yet with all that they erred in their understanding of
that.
Were it not for the Prophet (SAW), who held them back from their
mistaken notion, and made them take the step in the right direction in
that the correct meaning of 'dhulm' in the context is shirk
(association of partnership with Allah), we too would have followed in
their wrong thinking. Allah, The Blessed and The Most High saved us
from that wrong notion by the grace of the right direction of the
Prophet (SAW) and his Sunnah.
In the second example - with Allah's guidance - if not for the hadeeth
mentioned above, we would have been in doubt at least with regard to
the shortening of prayer (qasr-as-salat) during a journey while secure
- if we did stipulate the condition offear as obvious in the verse -
till the companions saw the Prophet (SAW) shorten the prayers when it
was safe and secure.
In the third example, if not for the hadeeth, we would have forbidden
ourselves the consumption of good things made lawful to us: locusts,
fish, liver, and thespleen.
In the fourth example, if not for the hadeeths, some of which we have
mentioned, we would have considered lawful what Allah has made
unlawful through the dictum of the holy Prophet (SAW) like predatory
animals, and the birds which have claws.
And so in the fifth example, if not for the hadeeths in regard to this
question, we would have considered lawful what Allah prohibited
through the words of His Prophet (SAW) like gold and silk.
It is for this, some forbearers (as-salaf) say that 'Sunnah'
pronouncesjudgement of The Book (al-Qur'an).
The Deviation of Those Who are Satisfied with The Qur'an to the
Exclusion of Hadeeth
It is a matter of regret that according to the interpretation found in
the works of some commentators and moders authors, that it is
permissible to do what is stated in the last two examples: Consumption
of the predatory animals and the waearing of goldand silk by referring
theirinterpretation only to theQur'an.
Today, a sect exists called"Quranites" 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. The Prophet (SAW) is reported to
have said that: None of you reclineson his bed, the order comes to him
on an affairwhich I am commanded to do or not to do. He says: "I don't
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'an 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 hehas made reference only to The Qur'an.
This true hadeeth gives positive evidence that the divine law of Islam
- As-Shari'ah - is not merely Qur'an, but Qur'anand Sunnah. Therefore,
whoever holds fast to one source for reference to the exclusion of the
other, he held fast to neither of them, since both complement each
other. The Qur'an says: Whoever obeys the Messenger, obeys Allah.
Allah says, [color=green] No, by your Lord they do not believe until
they submit to your adjucation in all disputes between them, then
theydo not find themselves oppressed with your decisions and they
completely submit (4:65). Again, Allah says: When a matter has been
decided by Allah and His Messenger, it does not behove 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 (33:36).
Furthermore, Allah says: What the Messenger teaches you, take it, and
what he forbids you, avoid doing it (59:7).
In connection with this verse, I am marvelled by what is corroborated
by Ibn Mas'ud (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' and
'Al-Motanamisat'(4) and those who tattoo." He said "Yes." She said, "I
read the Book of Allah (Al-Qur'an) from 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 theMessenger of Allah (SAW) say
May Allah's Curse be on the Al-Namisat." (Bukhari and Muslim)
Inadequacy of Philology to understand The Qur'an
From what has been stated above, it is clear that there is no scope
for anyone with all his ArabicScholarship to understand the glorious
Qur'an, without the help of the Sunnah of the Prophet (SAW), his
sayings and actions.
The companions of the Prophet (SAW) were the most knowledgeable in the
language, which The Qur'an was revealed in, when it was not blemished
by the incorrectness of the common folks knowledge or their
grammatical mistakes. Yet, they erred in understanding the
versesquoted above when they relied on language alone.
It is self-evident that a man well-informed of theSunnah is more
appropriate to understand The Qur'an and deduce the rules from it than
one who is ignorant of it. How can it be a source to one who does not
reckon it and does not make reference to it?
For this reason, it is part of the rules agreed upon that Qur'an
should be interpreted by the Qur'anitself as welll as the Sunnah, then
by the sayings of the Sahabah... etc.