Sunnah Authority1

7/29/2019 Sunnah Authority1

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The Authority of

SunnahA Brief Overview

Prepared by: Sheikh Mohammed-Umer Esmail(based on the dictations of Shaikh Muhammad Taqi Uthmani)


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Aims & Objectives

1. Sunnah; the 2nd source of Shariah

2. Definition of Sunnah

3. Status of the Prophet in the Quran4. Itaah Obedience of the Prophet

5. IttibaaFollowing of the Prophet


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Sunnah: The Second Source ofIslamic Law

Next in importance only to the Holy Qurn

This status of the sunnahhas remainedunchallenged and undisputed throughout the

centuries

Despite the differences among Muslims in their

juristic opinions, the authority of the Holy Qurn

and the Sunnahof the Holy Prophet wasnever denied by any jurist.


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Definition of Sunnah

A word spoken, or an act done,

or a confirmation given by the Holy Prophet

Muhammad Confirmation is termed in Arabic as Taqreeri.e.

somebody said something, or acted in a

particular manner, and his saying or act cameto the knowledge of the Holy Prophet and heeither confirmed it in express words orremained silent without giving any indication of

disapproval


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The Status of the Holy Prophet

He is not a postman who, after delivering theletter, has no concern with it. The prophets are

not sent merely to deliver or recite the word of

Allh. They are also required to: explain the divine Book

to interpret it

to expound it to demonstrate the ways of its application

to present a practical example of its contents

and requirements


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1. Allh has surely blessed the

believers with His favor when

He raised in their midst a

Messenger from amongthemselves, who recites to

them His verses and makes

them pure and teaches them

the Book and the Wisdom,

while they were, earlier inopen error. (3:164)

2. He (Allh) is the One who

raised up, among theunlettered, a Messenger from

among themselves who recites

the verses of Allh, and makes

them pure, and teaches them

the Book and the Wisdom.(62:2)


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Our Lord, raise in their midst

a messenger from among

themselves who recites to

them Your verses andteaches them the Book and

the Wisdom and purifies

them (2:129)

These verses of the Holy Qurn describe the following

functions of the Holy Prophet :

1. He is the authority in the way the Qurn has to be recited.

2. He has the final word in the interpretation of the Book.3. He is the only source at which the wisdom based on divine

guidance can be learned.

4. He is entrusted with the practical training of the people to

bring his teachings into practice.


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These functions of the Holy Prophet can never be carried outunless his teachings, both oral and practical, are held to beauthoritative for his followers, and the Muslims are made boundto obey and follow him.

The teaching of the Book and Wisdom require that his sayingsshould be binding on the followers.

Practical training requires that his actsshould be anauthoritative example for the Ummah, and the Ummahshouldbe bound to follow it.

The Holy Qurn in a large number of verses has given theMuslims a mandatory command to obey and follow him.

The Holy Qurn has used two different terms, itaaah (toobey) and ittibaa (to follow).

The first term refers to the orders and sayings of the HolyProphet

The second relates to his acts and practice.

By ordering the Muslims both to obey and to follow the Holy

Prophet ,the Holy Qurn has given an authority to both hissayings and acts.


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The Command to Obey (Itaaah) the

Messenger

1. Say: Obey Allh and the

Messenger, but if they turn

their backs, Allh loves not the

disbelievers. (3:32)

2. And obey Allh and the

Messenger so that you may

be shown mercy. (3:132)

3. O those who believe, obey

Allh and obey the Messenger

and those in authority among

you. (4:59)


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4. And obey Allh and obey the

Messenger and beware 5:92

5. So fear Allh and set things

right between you, and obey

Allh and His Messenger if

you are believers. (8:1)

6. O those who believe, obey

Allh and His Messenger and

do not turn away from him,while you are listening. (8:20)

7. And obey Allh and His

Messenger and do not quarrel

with each other, and so loseheart. (8:46)

8. So establish salah and pay

zakah and obey Allh and His

Messenger. (58:13)


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9. Say: Obey Allh 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. And If youobey him, you will be guided.

24:54

10. O those who believe, obeyAllh and obey the Messenger

and do not make your deeds

vain. (47:33)

11..And obey Allh and obey the

Messenger but if you turn your

backs, Our Messenger has

only to deliver the manifestmessage. (64:12)


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Results of Obedience1. If you obey Allh and His

Messenger, He will not

diminish you anything ofyour deeds. (49:14)

2. And whoever obeys Allhand His Messenger, he haswon a great success. (33:71)

3. All that the believers say,when they are called to Allhand His Messenger that hemay judge between them, is

that they say, We hear andwe obey: it is these who aresuccessful. Whoever obeys

Allh and His Messengerand fears Allh and has awe

of Him: it is these who arethe winners. 24:52


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4. And whoever obeys Allh and

His Messenger, Allh shall

admit him in the Gardens

underneath which rivers flow.

(4:13)5. And whoever obeys Allh and the

Messenger, they are in the

company of those who Allh has

blessed. (4:69)

6. And the believers, men andwomen, are friends of each

other; they bid the fair and

forbid the unfair; they

establish salh and payzakah and they obey Allh

and His Messenger. These

are those upon whom Allh

shall have mercy; Allh is All-

Mighty, All-Wise. (9:71)


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The Purpose of Messengerhood And we sent no messenger,

but that he should be obeyedby the leave of Allh. (4:64)

The Message of all the Prophets

Fear Allah and obey me

In Sura As Shuara, the above verse has been quoted as the

statement of Nuh, Hud, Lut, Salih and Shuaib (peace be upon

them all)

Failure to comply led to their destruction


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Obedience of Messenger isObedience of Allah

And whoever obeys the Messenger, thereby obeys Allh.

(4:80) It is also clarified by the Holy Qurn that the prophets are

the spokesmen of Allhs pleasure.

Hence, the obedience of the prophet is actually obedience

of Allh Himself. Nowhere in the Quran is it mentioned to obey only what is

in the Quran.

If obeying what is in the Quran was sufficient, then there

was no need to add obey the messenger


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Disobedience of Messenger And whoever disobeys Allh and

His Messenger and transgressesHis limits, He shall admit him toFire where he shall remain forever.(4:14)

And whoever disobeys Allh andHis Messenger has gone astrayinto manifest error. (33:36)

And whoever disobeys Allh andHis Messenger, for him there is the

fire of Jahannam. There they shallremain forever. (72:23)

And whoever makes a breach withAllh and His Messenger, then

Allh is severe in punishment.(8:13)


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Verses with only Obedience toMessenger

And establish salah and pay zakahand obey the Prophet so that you

may be blessed (24:56)

And if you obey him (the Prophet), you

shall find the right path. (24:54)

On that day those who disbelieved anddisobeyed the Messenger will wish that

the earth might be levelled with them.

(4:42)

And whoever makes a breach with

the Messenger after the right path

has become clear to him, and followsa way other than that of the

believers, We shall let him own what

he chose and shall admit him in the

Jahannam, and it is evil as a

returning place. (4:115)


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Ittibaa (Following) of the Prophet Say, if you love Allh, follow

me and Allh will love you and

forgive you your sins. (3:31)

Those who follow theMessenger, the unlettered

Prophet, whom they findwritten down with them in theTorah and the Injeel (7:157)

Believe, then, in Allh and His

Messenger, the unletteredProphet, who believes in Allhand His words, and follow himso that you may be on the rightpath. (7:158)

Allh h l l t d


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Allh has surely relentedtowards the Prophet and theEmigrants and the Helperswho followed him in an hour

of difficulty. (9:117)O Prophet, sufficient for you is

Allh and those who followedyou of the believers. (8:64)

Our Lord, we have come tobelieve in what You revealedand followed the Messenger.So write us among those

who bear witness. (3:53)

Say: This is my way. I call toAllh with sure knowledge, Iand whoever follows me.

(12:108)

Th l t f th l t


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The closest of the people to

Ibrahim are those who follow

him. (3:68)

And We set in the hearts of those

who followed him (Jesus)tenderness and mercy. (57:27)

And warn the people of the day

when the punishment comes on

them and those who did evil shallsay: Our Lord, defer us to a near

term and we shall respond to Your

call and shall follow the

messengers. (14:44)

And We did not appoint the Qiblahon 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. (2:143)

He said: My people follow


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He said: My people, followthe messengers! (36:20)

(Hrn said:) And your Lordis the All-Merciful, so follow

me and obey my command.(20:90)

So they (the disbelievers)said: Shall we follow a singlehuman being from among

us? Then, indeed we shouldbe in error and insanity.(54:24)

There is surely a good

example for you in theMessenger of Allh, for theone who hopes (to meet)

Allh and the Hereafter andremembers Allh abundantly.

(33:21)

Th ti l d ti i t ffi i t f f i


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Theoretical education is not sufficient for reforming a

people

The natural way of reformation is to set a practical

example which people may follow. Mere reading of books cannot make a person perfect in

any science or art, unless he is simultaneously trained by

a senior scholar or a skillful artist of that field.

Medicine, law, mechanics are examples It clearly shows that human beings are always in need of a

practical example in order to learn an important subject.

The same is true in the matter of religious teaching and

training.

That is why every book was sent with a messenger.

Many prophets were sent without a new divine book.

But there was no divine book sent down without a prophet.

Documents

Sunnah Authority1