The knowledge
of the Sunnah has reached us via means of the hadeeth of the
Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam). The hadeeth
refers to a combination of a text and a chain of narration (isnaad)
beginning from the Prophet (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) and ending at
the scholar who recorded that hadeeth.
THE GREATEST MAN IN THE WORLD
Submitted by: Mirza Ferdous
The time is 600 A.D. The place, Arabia, the valley of Mecca. He sees a market
place, crowded with people from all walks of life. He sees children fighting
with each other, men bargaining over bread and meat. There are a few
malnutrioned slaves being sold at one side, and ofcourse the camels. The dust
from their hoofs covers everyone and everything. It seems to him like a place
of chaos, where morality has been traded in for power, and decency for
pleasure. The sun is about to set, and he walks towards the marketplace. He is
not a tall man, by most standards of average height, with broad shoulders. His
slightly curled long hair is flowing in the wind, and his arched eyebrows are
staring at the ground. Maybe its his flowing beard, or the very fast pace of
his walk, but his presence is fealt in the marketplace immediately. Most people
are too busy to turn around and pay attention to this one man, who is not
distracted by any of what they have to offer, but they feel his presence
nonetheless. Some turn around, only to see him walking away. Where is that man
going...they wonder.
The sun is setting in the horizon, and the man is seen briskly climbing the
steps of Mount Hira. He stands atop the mountain and faces the people. He seems
sad as he turns his back to them and stands atop the mount, his head bowed as
if in shame. He looks like a mirage in the setting sun, long hair flowing in
the wind and a handsome face bowed down. He slowly climbs down from the top and
walks into a cave. He sits there alone in contemplation, are those tears in his
eyes ?......The man has fallen asleep, on the ground.
He feels a presence in the cave and opens his eyes only to be surrounded by a
bright light. Never has he seen a light so pure. He becomes very afraid. As he
stands up, he hears a voice...
"Muhammad read !!! "
The man is astonished. He mumbles " I am not of those who read "
He feels a warm embrace, nothing like that he has ever fealt. The voice repeats
itself..."Muhammad read ! ". This time, slightly louder..."I am
not of those who read "...... It seems to him that the voice does not hear
him, for it says to him again " Muhammad read !!! ".....The man is scared,
he is tembling. He gathers all his courage and says " what shall I read
?".............
"read in the name your Lord, who has created man from a clot of
earth..........."
and so begins the journey of the greatest man in the world, whose name even to
this date, bring a sixth of the world to their knees, and the story of his life
brings tears in their eyes.
Four years after the death of Justinian, A.D. 569, was born in Mecca, in
Arabia, the man who, of all men, has exercised the greatest influence upon the
human race to date. He was destined to be the religious head of many empires,
to guide the daily life of one-third of the human race, and speaking for a
non-religious point of view, may perhaps justify the title of a Messenger of
God. The following is a commentary on Mohammad SAWS, our prophet. The
commentary is based on some of the most famous non-muslim philosophers of our
time, and their views as well as mine.
Never had a man set for himself, voluntarily or involuntarily, a more
impossible aim, since this aim was superhuman; to subvert superstitions which
had been imposed between man and his Creator, to render God unto man and man
unto God, to restore the rational and sacred idea of divinity amidst the chaos
of the material and disfigured gods of idolatry in pagan Arabia. Never has a
man undertaken a work so far beyond human power with so feeble means, for he
(Muhammad SAWS) had in the conception as well as in the execution of such a
great design, no other instrument than himself and no other aid except a
handful of men living in a corner of the desert. Finally, never has a man
accomplished such a huge and lasting revolution in the world, because in less
than two centuries after its appearance, Islam, in faith and in arms, reigned
over the whole of Arabia, and conquered, in all Mighty Allah's name, Persia
Khorasan, Transoxania, Western India, Syria, Egypt, Abyssinia, all the known
continent of Northern Africa, numerous islands of the Mediterranean Sea, Spain,
and part of Gaul. He came to mankind as a warner, and a bringer of glad tidings
for those who believed in the oneness of Allah, the creator. His first speech
was made in front of a tribe in ancient Arabia ( the Quraish) and he was
shunned by everyone present. His follwers at that time were three. His last
speech was made infront of 250,000 believers, such was the miracle of Muhammad
SWAS.
If greatness of purpose, smallness of means, and astonishing results are the
three criteria of a human genius, who could dare compare any great man in
history with Muhammad SWAS? The most famous men created arms, laws, and empires
only. They founded, if anything at all, no more than material powers which
often crumbled away before their eyes. But this man moved not only armies,
legislations, empires, peoples, dynasties, but millions of men in one-third of
the then inhabited world; and more than that, he moved the altars, the gods,
the religions, the ideas, the beliefs and the souls. Even to this day, over
nine billion people upon prounciation of his name, bow down in respect.
On the basis of a Book, the Noble Quran, every letter which has become law, he
created a spiritual nationality which blend together peoples of every tongue
and race. He has left the indelible characteristic of this Muslim nationality
the hatred of false gods and the passion for the One and Immaterial God. This
avenging patriotism against the profanation of Heaven formed the virtue of the
followers of Muhammad; the conquest of one-third the earth to the dogma was his
miracle; or rather it was not the miracle of man but that of reason.
The idea of the unity of God, proclaimed amidst the exhaustion of the fabulous
theogonies, was in itself such a miracle that upon it's utterance from his lips
it destroyed all the ancient temples of idols and set on fire one-third of the
world. His life, his meditations, his heroic revelings against the
superstitions of his country, and his boldness in defying the furies of
idolatry, his firmness in enduring them for fifteen years in Mecca, his
acceptance of the role of public scorn and almost of being a victim of his
fellow countrymen: all these and finally, his flight his incessant preaching,
his wars against odds, his faith in his success and his superhuman security in
misfortune, his forbearance in victory, his ambition, which was entirely
devoted to one idea and in no manner striving for an empire; his endless
prayers, his mystic conversations with God, his death and his triumph after
death; all these attest not to an imposture but to a firm conviction which gave
him the power to restore a dogma. This dogma was twofold the unity of God and
the immateriality of God: the former telling what God is, the latter telling
what God is not; the one overthrowing false gods with the sword, the other
starting an idea with words.
Our Prophet was a philosopher, Orator, Apostle, Legislator, Conqueror of Ideas,
Restorer of Rational beliefs.... The founder of twenty terrestrial empires and
of one spiritual empire that is ISLAM. As regards all standards by which human
greatness may be measured, we may well ask, is there any man greater than
he?.... the greatest man in the world....Muhammad SWAS, the seal of the
prophets. My endless salam and respect to you, and my endless thanks for Allah,
the most merciful, for making us muslims. To end this segment, maybe the words
of Yusuf Islam are the most appropriate in showing respect to the prophet.
" if you ask me who my prophet is
I will say haven't you heard ?
His name is Muhammad (swas),
He is a mercy to the world
a mercy to the world "
If I have ever done anything in this world to please Allah, may Allah give me
as a reward to learn more about this man, to whose name I cannot but feel
tremendous respect and love.
If you like my writing I will continue to write more, about the prophet's life,
and about his followers. Please contact me some form of feedback so I know that
I am on the right track. May Allah be pleased with you.
Thank you,
Mirza Ferdous [email protected]
Salamalaikum!!
Granted beard alone cannot ensure a true iman but at the
same time i strongly beleive that a man with true imaan always wears a beard.
Taking about Hijaab and Beard, i have certainly been annoyed with what prevails
in our society. So often we ignore beard by labelling it as only a Sunnah and
not Fard. If beard does not appear in Quran doesnt mean that its not one of the
essentials of a muslim man. Because there are numerous thing which are not
distinctively mentioned in the Quran. Like the number of Rakahs one ahs to
offer in his/her salah or the way to offer ones salah etc. But Quran says that
for eternal sucess we ought to follow the prophet SAW. There are numerous
benefits of beard. First of all apart form appearing as mulsim beard ensure you
respect from people of all the age groups. In addition it makes your life as a
muslim easy to live.
Its a pity that there are muslim men who force their women
to wear Hijab but continue to remain free from obligations like beard for
themselves. Unfortunately there are muslim sisters also who intensely
discourage their men to look like a muslim.
Fe Aman Allah
THE STATUS OF SUNNAH IN ISLAM
The best of speech is the speech of Allah. That is the Book
of Allah. The best of guidance is the guidance of Muhammad(saw). Of all
matters, the worst are innovations; and everything newly introduced(to the
religion) is an innovation, and every innovation is a deviation, and every
deviation leads to Hell-fire.
The Role of the Sunnah Towards the Qur'an
You all know that Allah, The Blessed and Mighty, chose Muhammad (saw) as His
Prophet and picked him to deliver the final message. The Qur'an was revealed to
him and commanded him to obey all what He(Allah) had ordered him to do, that
is, to expound His(Allah) message to the people. Allah says, "..We have
also sent down unto you the reminder and the advice(the Qur'an), that you may
explain clearly to men what is sent down to them, and that they may give
thought" (16:44).
I think that the declaration mentioned in the verse contains
two orders:
Declaration of the word and its arrangement. It is the
communication of the Qur'an and its non concealment, and its pursuit 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 Messenger! Proclaim (the
Message) which has been sent down to you from your Lord"(5:67). 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 a great calamity against Allah". Then she read the above mentioned
verse. (Bukhari & Muslim)
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 "And when you said to
him(Zaid bin Harithah) on whom Allah has bestowed Grace and you have done
favour, " Keep your wife to yourself, and fear Allah." But you did
hide in yourself that which Allah will make manifest, you did fear the people
whereas Allah had a better right that you should fear Him"(33:37).
Then comes the Sunnah and clarifies the sentences and
specifies the verses called 'Amah' and defines what is 'mutlaq' that is, in
reference to the saying of The Prophet (saw), his deed and the act he
confirmed.
The necessity of the Sunnah to understand the Qur'an and
Parables
Allah says "Cut off the hand of the thief, male or
female"(5:38) is a fitting example of that. The thief in it is general
like the hand.
The Sunnah explains the first of them and restricts it by
'as-sareq' (the thief) who steals something worth a fourth of a dinar 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 (Bukari &
Muslim) the two shaikhs have recorded this hadith.
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 works of hadith. The
Sunnah 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 hadith, 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 the Sunnah. They are:
"It is those who believe and confuse not their beliefs
with 'dhulm' (wrong), for them there is security and they are the guided"
(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 was regarded as dubious and they said, "O
Messenger 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 dhulm(wrong)
indeed" (31:13). The two shaikhs have recorded it with others.
Allah says: And when you(Muslims) travel in the land, there
is no sin on you if you shorten your prayer if you fear that the disbelievers
may attack you, verily the disbelievers are ever unto you open enemies"
(4:101). It is obvious from this verse that fear is a prerequisite 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).
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 blood are 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
hadith as also 'mauquf' type. The 'isnad' and 'mauquf' is authentic and it is
as good as 'marfu' tradition, since it is not stated in the form of a 'ra'y'
(decision based on one individual's judgement not on Qur'an and Sunnah).
Allah says: "Say(O Muhammad)'I find not in that which
has been inspired to me anything forbidden to be eaten by one who wishes to eat
it, unless it be a dead animal or blood poured forth(by slaughtering or the
like), or the flesh of swine, for that surely is impure, or impious (unlawful)
meat which is slaughtered as a sacrifice for others than Allah' "
(6:145).
The Sunnah has forbidden many things not mentioned in the
verse 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 have said 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.
Allah says: Say(O Muhammad) 'Who has forbidden the adoration
with clothes given by Allah, which He has produced for His servants, and the
lawful of food?' (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, and lawful to females. The hadiths
in their interpretation are many and well known in both the authentic
collections of hadiths, and others and the like of many examples well known to
scholars familiar with hadith and Islamic Jurisprudence.
From what has been stated above, O brothers, you can see the
importance attached to the Sunnah in Islamic Law. When we divert our intention
again to the examples mentioned beside others not mentioned, we are certain
that there is no way to understand the Qur'an correctly except in association
with the interpretation of the Sunnah.
In the first example, the understanding of the 'Sahabah' of
'dhulm' mentioned in the verse is on its general sense, despite the fact that
they (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 hadith 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 of fear 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 hadith, we would have
forbidden ourselves the consumption of good things made lawful to us: locusts,
fish, liver, and the spleen.
In the fourth example, if not for the hadiths, 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 hadiths 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 of the predecessors (as-salaf) say that
the 'Sunnah' pronounces judgement of the Book (al-Qur'an).
The deviation of those who are satisfied with the Qur'an to
the exclusion of hadith
It is a matter of regret that according to the interpretation found in the
works of some commentators and modern authors, that it is permissible to do
what is stated in the last two examples: Consumption of the predatory animals
and the wearing of gold and silk by referring their interpretation only to the
Qur'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 reclines on his bed, the order comes to him on an affair
which 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" (Tirmithi). 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 he has made reference only to the Qur'an.
This true hadith gives positive evidence that the divine law
of Islam - Ash Shari'ah - is not merely Qur'an, but Qur'an and 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, "But no, by your Lord, they can have no faith until they make you(O
Muhammad) judge in all disputes between them, and find in themselves no
resistance against your decisions, and accept (them) with full submission"
(4:65). Again, Allah says "It is not for a believer, man or woman, when
Allah and His Messenger have decreed a matter that they should have any option
in their decision. And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger, he has indeed
strayed in a plain error.(33:36). Furthermore, Allah says "And whatsoever
the Messenger gives you, take it, and whatsoever he forbids you, abstain(from
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 say: 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 the Messenger of Allah (saw)
say may Allah's curse be on the Al-Namisat." (Bukhari & 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 Arabic scholarship 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 verses quoted above when they relied on
language alone.
It is self evident that a man well informed of the Sunnah 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
the Qur'an should be interpreted by the Qur'an itself as well as the Sunnah,
then by the sayings of the Sahabah... etc. (5)
When one is not well informed of the Book and the Sunnah,
what would he say about the fundamentals of religion (usool ud deen)? He only
receives the assertion of someone. If he says that he takes it from the Book of
Allah, he does not study the commentary of the Qur'an on the basis of prophetic
traditions, and reflects over it, nor what the companions (Sahabah), and the
following generations narrated, which is transmitted to us from the authorities
whom the critics chose. They have not transmitted the system and arrangement of
the Qur'an, but its poetic expression and meaning. They did not learn the
Qur'an like children, but studied it with meaning. One who does not follow in
their footsteps, speaks on his own accord. One who does that thinks it be the
religion of Allah, and does not study the Book of Allah, he sins, even if he is
right.
One who studies the Qur'an and the Sunnah, he is rewarded, even if he goes
wrong, but if he is right in his opinion, his reward is doubled. Then he says:
What is obligatory, is submission to the Messenger (saw)
carrying out his saying and accepting his saying with satisfaction and belief
without contradicting it with false ideas called 'apprehensive faculty'
(Ma'qul) bearing doubt or complaint, or offering the opinions of men and the
garbage of their intellect. We unite with the Prophet (saw) in judgement,
submission, obedience and compliance, just as we have unison with Allah, glory
be to Him, by worshipping Him by humility, submission, repentance and reliance.
In short, what is obligatory on all Muslims is that they do not separate
between Qur'an and Sunnah; whereas, it is obligatory to take both of them and
to formulate the law on both of them.
This is a safeguard for them, so that they won't fall right
or left; and that they won't fall back in error as explained by The Prophet
(SAW): I leave behind me two things. You will never go astray if you hold fast
to them: The Qur'an and my Sunnah.
CAUTION
The Sunnah which has an important bearing on Islamic Law is
only the Sunnah confirmed by scientific channels, and authentic chains of
narration known to the learned in regard to hadiths and the background of the
narrators.
.The Sunnah is not with the Qur'an in the same manner as
'Ar-Ra'e' with the Sunnah. No, definitely not. It is rather necessary to regard
the Qur'an and Sunnah as being one source with no discrimination between the
two whatsoever. This is indicated in a saying of the Prophet (saw): Certainly I
have come with the Qur'an and its like (meaning the Sunnah). He said They are
never separated until they come to the Basin(9). The compilation mentioned
between them is not correct because the separation between them is void as we
have explained.
This is what I wish to draw attention to. If I am right, it
is from Allah; if wrong, it is from me. I ask Allah Almighty to protect us and
you from errors and from all that displeases him. I conclude my praising with
"al hamdulillahi rabbil alameen" - Praise be to Allah, The Lord of
the Worlds.
KHALID
BIN UMAR AL HASHIMI
"READ HADITH AND SP-READ HADITH "
The knowledge
of the Sunnah has reached us via means of the hadeeth of the
Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam). The hadeeth
refers to a combination of a text and a chain of narration (isnaad)
beginning from the Prophet (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) and ending at
the scholar who recorded that hadeeth.
ASPIRANT OF YOUR DUA : KHALID BIN UMAR AL HASHIMI