ِأَهَمِّيَّةُ اتبِّاَعِ السُّنَّة

The Noble Prophet SAW has said as narrated by Sayyiduna Anas RA: "I have left for you two things if you hold fast onto them you will never go astray: the Book of Allah and my Sunnah."

Anyone who does not follow the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet SAW and says that the Book of Allah is enough and that there is no need to follow the Sunnah of the Prophet SAW does not believe in the Book of Allah, for Almighty Allah Ta'aala Himself says in the Holy Qur'aan: "Oh you who believe! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those charged with authority amongst you; and if you have difference amongst yourselves in anything then refer it to Allah and the Messenger, if you believe in Allah and the Last Day. That is best and most suitable for final determination."

The Holy Qur'aan is the Book of guidance from Allah Ta'aala for mankind. If we follow the Holy Qur'aan we will be rightly guided and it is ordained in the Holy Qur'aan for us to obey and follow the practices (the Sunnah) of the Holy Prophet SAW and if we disobey the Prophet SAW we will be severely punished by Allah Ta'aala.

Allah Ta'aala says in the Holy Qur'aan: "He who obeys the Messenger has indeed obeyed Allah."

Allah Ta'aala labels all those who refuse to obey and follow the Prophet SAW as disbelievers (kuffaar). He says in the Qur'aan: "Indeed, those who reject Allah and His Messengers and they wish to separate Allah from His Messengers saying: We believe in

some but reject others; and those that wish to adopt a way in between, they are undoubtedly unbelievers and We have prepared for the unbelievers a humiliating punishment. And those who believe in Allah and His Messengers and they make no distinction between any of them Messengers, We shall soon reward them. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."

Allah Ta'aala warns us that if we go against the Prophet SAW we will be inflicted with a painful torment, for He says: And caution (warn) those that oppose the commands of the Prophet, lest some inflictions (trials, tribulations) befall them, or they will be inflicted with a painful torment."

The Sunnah is the second source of Islamic Law and it is an explanation of the Qur'anic Injunctions, which cannot be understood or followed except by understanding or following the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet SAW.

Allah Ta'aala says in many verses of the Holy Qur'aan: "Establish regular prayer and practice regular charity (zakaat)", but the Qur'aan does not specify the required number of daily prayers, nor does it specify the number of prayer units (rak'aat), nor does it explain what must be recited in each prayer, or in which manner or form the prayer must be performed. All these aspects are understood and explained by the Sunnah. The Holy Prophet SAW said: "Pray as you have seen me pray."

Also, in the same verse with regards to the Zakaat (Poor Due), all aspects of zakaat such as the minimum amount on which zakaat becomes compulsory (waajib), the kinds of wealth, goods, animals on which zakaat is obligatory, are clearly explained in detail by the Holy Prophet SAW.

Other forms of worship as well, such as the hajj (Pilgrimage), the ablution, the Friday prayer (Jum'ah) cannot be comprehended or understood without the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet SAW.

Following the Sunnah is a form of worship to Allah Ta'aala and it is obligatory for us to keep on following it.

Imaam Maalik RA compared the Sunnah of the Prophet SAW to the ark of Nabi Nuh AS and said: "The Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad SAW is like the ark of Nuh AS , whoever embarks upon it reaches salvation and whoever refuses it is drowned."

There are many specific laws which are not discussed or addressed by the Holy Qur'aan, but it is addressed and discussed in the traditions of the Holy Prophet SAW.

The Holy Prophet SAW has prohibited us from Mu'ta (which is temporary marriage), which is not spoken about in the Holy Qur'aan, but the Holy Prophet SAW made it haraam for his Ummah to practice Mu'ta.

Also, the Sunnah warns us not to indulge in eating the meat of a donkey, yet there is no mention of it in the Holy Book. We can understand from this that Allah Ta'aala wants us to resort to the Sunnah of His prophet ? in order for us to receive guidance and for us to fully comprehend His sacred law.

Also, the traditions of the Prophet SAW explain some historical events in detail, which are explained very briefly in the Qur'aan. Allah Ta'aala states in the Holy Qur'aan: "Behold, Allah has promised you one of the two enemy parties, that it should be yours, you wished that one of the unarmed shall be yours, but intended to justify the Truth according to His words and to cut off the roots of the unbelievers."

Which are these two parties that are mentioned in the Holy Book and which one of them is unarmed? Only by reading the traditions of the Noble Prophet SAW we learn that the verse mentioned above refers to the battle of Badr.

The Sunnah expounds on the Qur'anic injunctions such as the prohibition of marrying a woman and her aunt at the same time. The Qur'aan has prohibited marrying two sisters at the same time, but it is the Prophet SAW that has declared that to marry a woman and her aunt at the same time is also prohibited.

The Sunnah of the Holy Prophet SAW is a necessity to understand Sharee'ah (Islamic Law), as the verses of the Holy Qur'aan are a lot of times comprehensive (mujmal), unbounded (mutlaq), or general ('aam), and through the traditions of the Holy Prophet SAW we can clarify which verses are unbounded (mutlaq) and which are bounded (muqayyad), which are general ('aam) and which are specified (khaas).

Allah Ta'aala says in the Holy Book: "The male thief and the female thief, cut off their hands."

The word 'thief' in this verse is 'aam (general) as well as the word 'hand'. The Sunnah of the Holy Prophet SAW explains that the word 'thief' is restricted to one who steals a fourth of a 'dinar'. The Prophet SAW said: "There is no cutting of the hand, unless the thing stolen is worth a fourth of a dinar or more."

The word 'hand' as per the action of the Prophet SAW refers to the wrist, as the Prophet SAW or his companions used to cut off the hand of a thief from his wrist and not the entire arm.

The Noble Prophet SAW conveyed the Divine Message and he acted upon it and explained to the people. His traditions and seerah (life history) is a source of illuminating light and guidance to mankind.

Allah Ta'aala says in the Holy Qur'aan: "Verily, in the Messenger of Allah you have the best example for those who looketh unto Allah and the Last Day and remember Allah much."

By understanding this verse we see that every Muslim must take the Holy Prophet SAW as his best example to immulate and follow and no one remains a Muslim if he does not accept the Prophet's SAW decisions and commands. Allah Ta'aala says: "But no, by thy Lord, they have no real faith until they make thee judge in all disputes between them, and find in their souls no resistance against thy decisions but accept them with the fullest convictions."

The Sahaabah (Allah Ta'aala be pleased with them) followed the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet SAW to the best they could; that is why Allah Ta'aala raised them to such great positions.

Sayyiduna 'Abdullah Ibn Mas'ood RA quoted the Noble Prophet SAW while delivering one of his sermons: "Make Allah Ta'aala curse the women who tattoo their bodies and those who pluck their eyebrows; those who separate their teeth to make them look more pretty and those who change the creation of Allah."A woman by the name of Umm Ya'qoob from the tribe of Banu Asad questioned 'Abdullah Ibn Mas'ood RA by saying: "Oh Abu 'Abdur Rahmaan, it was reported to me that you have cursed such and such women." He replied to her: "Why should I not curse those whom the Holy Prophet SAW has cursed and are cursed in the Holy Qur'aan?" She replied that she has read the entire Qur'aan and has not found such a verse in the Holy Qur'aan. Sayyiduna  'Abdullah Ibn Mas'ood RA recited for her the verse that Allah Ta'aala says in the holy Book: "So take whatever the Messenger gives you and keep away from what he forbids you."

We can understand that whatever the Holy Prophet SAW has commanded us with, it is the command of Allah Ta'aala, for the Holy Prophet SAW did not command except that which Allah Ta'aala has ordered him to say. The Noble Prophet SAW foretold and warned us about those that disregard his Sunnah. He SAW said to one of his companions: "I have indeed, been given the Qur'aan and something similar to it besides it. Yet, a time will come when a man will say leaning on his couch: Follow the Qur'aan only, what you find in it as halaal, take it as halaal, and what you find in it as haraam, take it as haraam. But Truly whatever the Messenger has forbidden is like what Allah Ta'aala has forbidden."

by Moulana Muhammad Farouq Soofie