Significance of Sunnah

No devout Muslim would ever dare to go against the teachings of the Qur'an and Sunnah, but it is regrettable to note that some of the liberal elite tend to raise the slogan that the Book of God (i.e. the Qur'an) is enough and that there is no need at all for the Sunnah of the Prophet, may the peace and blessings of God be upon him. Slogans like this are raised mainly by people who want to get rid of the Islamic Law (Arabic: Sharee`ah) completely.

The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, himself was well-aware that such ill-natured opinions would arise and hence gave a clear warning of this as reported by Al-Miqdam Ibn Ma'di Karib, one of his Companions: "I have indeed been given the Qur'an and something similar to it besides it. Yet, the time will come when a man leaning on his couch will say, 'Follow the Qur'an 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, what the Messenger of God has forbidden is like what God has forbidden." (Reported by Abu Dawood and Darimi.)

In fact, ANYONE WHO REJECTS THE SUNNAH OF THE PROPHET, PEACE BE UPON HIM, DOES NOT BELIEVE IN THE QUR'AN, for Almighty God Himself has emphasized the importance of the Sunnah in many verses, of which a few are given below.

"O you who believe! Obey God and obey the Messenger and those charged with authority among you; and if you differ in anything among yourselves, then refer it to God and the Messenger if you do believe in God and the Last Day. That is best and most suitable for final determination." (Surat Al-Nisa' 4:59)

"The answer of the believers, when summoned to God and His Messenger in order that he may judge between them, is no other than this: they say, 'We hear and we obey'. It is such as these who will attain success." (Surat Al-Nur 24:51)

"But no, by your Lord! (O Muhammad) They cannot be believers until they make you judge in all disputes between them, and find in their souls no resistance against your decisions, but accept them with the fullest submission." (Surat Al-Nisa' 4:65)

Ana’s reported that the Messenger of God said: "I have left among you two things; you will never go astray as long as you hold fast to them: the Book of God and my Sunnah." (Reported by Haakim.)

The Companions of the Prophet, peace be upon him, used to hold the commandments given by the Prophet, peace be upon him, in a very high esteem, making no distinctions between them and those given by God.

Once 'Abdullah Ibn Mas`ood quoted this saying of the Prophet (hadeeth) while he was delivering a sermon: "May God curse the women who tattoo their bodies and those who pluck their eyebrows; those who separate their teeth to make them look prettier and those who try to change the creation of God." A woman named Umm Yaqub from the tribe of Banu Asad came to know of these words. She approached Ibn Mas`ood and said: "O Abu 'Abd ar-Rahman! It was reported to me that you have cursed such and such women." He said: "Why should I not curse those whom the Prophet, peace be upon him, cursed and who are cursed in the Book of God as well." She said: "I have read whatever is contained between the two covers (i.e. the whole Qur'an)." Had you been a good reader, you would have discovered it. Did you not read the following verse?

"So take whatever the Messenger gives you and keep away from what he forbids you." (Surat Al-Hashr 59:7)

Let us see what the four great Imams (i.e. religious scholars) have said about the authority of the Sunnah.

a) IMAM ABU HANIFAH was asked: "What do we do if we find a saying of yours opposing the Book of God?" He replied: "Leave my saying and stick to the Book of God." The questioner asked: "What if it contradicts a saying of the Prophet?" Abu Haneefah said: "Leave my saying in the face of the Prophet's saying." Again he was asked: "What if it goes against the saying of a Companion?" Again he said: "Leave my saying in the face of the Companion's saying." (Reported in Al-Qawl al-Mufeed by Shawkani.) Imam Abu Haneefah also declared: "My way (Arabic: madhhab) is whatever hadeeth (saying of the Prophet) that is proved to be authentic." (Shami 1:50, Al-Fulani in Iqaz, p. 62.)

b) The saying of IMAM MALIK IBN ANAS is well-known: "The saying of any person can be accepted or rejected, except for the Prophet of God, peace be upon him." (Reported by Ibn 'Abd al-Barr and Ibn Hazm. Also in Al-Yawaqeet WA Al-Jawahir 2:96.) He also said: "I am just a mortal; sometimes 1 am wrong, sometimes I am right - so check my opinions. Whatever agrees with the Book (i.e. the Qur’an) and the Sunnah, accept it; whatever disagrees with them, reject it." (Reported by Al-Fulani in Iqaz, p. 72.)

c) Once IMAM SHAFI'I narrated a saying of the Prophet (hadeeth). Someone from the audience said: "Do you say so as well?" On hearing this, the Imam was enraged. His face turned pale and he said: "Woe to you! Which earth would carry me, which sky would shelter me if I narrate a saying of the Prophet, peace be upon him and do not hold the same view! Do you see a zunnar (belt worn by non-Muslims) on me? Or have you noticed me coming out of a church? How can I report something from the Prophet, peace be upon him, and not agree with?!!"

d) IMAM AHMAD IBN HANBAL said: "Do not follow me or Maalik or Shaafi or Auza'i or Thawree, but take from where they took (i.e. from the Qur’an and authentic Sunnah)." (Reported by Al-Fulani and Ibn al-Qayyim.) He also said: "He, who is on the verge of destruction rejects a saving of the Messenger of God, May the peace and blessings of God be upon him." (Reported by Ibn al-Jauzi.)

The Prophet (PBUH) also has stressed the importance of his Sunnah. During the course of Khutbah al Wada'ah (Farewell Sermon) the Prophet (PBUH) is reported to have said:"I leave behind two things, if you hold fast unto them you shall never go astray: the Book of Allah and my Sunnah."

He also asked his Companions to convey others what they have learned from him saying:"Haddithu 'anni" (relate my saying to others)

Furthermore, he implored his Sunnah to uphold his way of life saying:'Alaykum bi sunnati' (follow my example)'.

The Holy Qur'an forbids ignoring or opposing any of the explanations or commands given by the Prophet (PBUH):"And as for him, who opposes the Messenger after guidance has been made clear, follows a path other than that of a believer."

Qur’aanic revelation and the precepts of the Prophet (PBUH) constitute the primary sources of Islamic Law.Generally the Holy Qur'an lays down the broad aspects of the Law and Sharee`ah obligations which cannot be fulfilled without resorting to the Sunnah of the Prophet the Prophet (PBUH).

For instance, the Holy Qur'an orders Muslims to pray but does not provide its specific timings; also it does not explain the way Muslims should pray. The details are found in the Sunnah. Again, the Holy Qur'an allows one to bequeath a share from one's estate to any person and does not stipulate the maximum limit for such a bequest. The Prophet (PBUH) is the one who fixed its maximum limit at one third of one's estate only.In other words then, the Prophet (PBUH) interpreted the verses of the Holy Qur'an and explained their meanings and implications to his companions to apply them in their lives. In the process he (PBUH) also made provisions for those aspects of the Law which were not specifically provided for in the Holy Qur'an. Likewise, all rules pertaining to Fasting, Hajj (Pilgrimage to Makkah) and Zakaat (compulsory charity) were laid down by the Prophet (PBUH).

A Friend Asked

A friend asked:

Hi! I'm curious again to know a couple of things. 1.) How come in our religion it says to attendPeople’s funerals, it's very important? Why? 2.) Sunni's do not allow the woman to attend theBurial site, why? Shiites permit woman to attend, butI was informed several months ago that Sunnis do notPermit a woman to ever attend. Why is that? Are womenSeen as too evil and dirty to attend or they're tooFragile and sensitive to attend???

I would like to answer these questions in the simplest of answers because if you get in details it may lead to confusion. May Allah help me give the right answer.. Ameen

Firstly, in our religion it is important to attend funeral prayers as the Prophet (Pbuh) said:
“The rights of one Muslim over another Muslim are six… When you meet him, you greet him with the salaam (i.e. to say: “As-Salamu alaykum”), when he invites you, you accept his invitation, when he consults you in a matter, you give him sincere advice, when he sneezes and praises God, you ask God to have mercy on him, when he is sick, you visit him, and when he passes away you accompany him (through his funeral).” Related by Abu Hurayra in Saheeh Bukhari

In this Prophetic narration; we find that the Muslim is encouraged with concern for his brother in Islam during the three phases of his worldly existence: his health, sickness and his death.
Whilst in good health, the Muslim is obliged to greet his brother in faith with the greetings of peace and protection, to accept his invitations and to give him sincere advice.

Then, when the Muslim is suffering from a cold, an allergy or whatever else is causing him to sneeze, his brother in Islam is obliged to ask God to have mercy on him. Likewise, when the Muslim’s sickness is such that he is incapacitated, his brother in Islam is obliged to visit him.
Finally, when the Muslim passes away from this life, his brother in faith is obliged to accompany his funeral procession, prayer and burial.

Islam is a very logical religion in itself, if you see the logical and moral reasons for attending a funeral you would notice that if a person attends a funeral, there are all benefits and no harm at all:

Few Reasons:

You give respect to the dead and pray for his soul to rest in peace
You show brotherhood with a person even if he rest in peace
You bond with the family of the deceased and give them strength.
You remember your own death which has to come, so you can prepare for it.

So Allah, who is the most Merciful and The most Beneficent, rewards you in return for doing a good deed. Family of the deceased or the dead himself may not be able to thank your for attending the Funeral but Allah does that for them. Quiet logical I guess!

Secondly, the friend asked what Sunnis think about women visiting graves, are women evil or dirty to attend a funeral or they are weak, fragile and sensitive?

If women were evil or dirty they wouldn’t be our mothers, sisters, wives, daughters, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) wouldn’t have married them or would have killed his daughters like people of Makkah who used to bury their daughters alive. One of the evil pre-Islamic traditions was the practice of burying baby girls alive. This practice was stopped when the Prophet Muhammad came with the message of Islam. This pre-Islamic time is commonly known as the era of ignorance because the people lived without the knowledge of the values and principles of Islam. For this reason, the birth of a baby girl was something for a man to be ashamed of. Men thought that sons would bring more honor on them, their families, and their tribes while girls could potentially bring them and their tribes dishonor; therefore, many men buried their daughters alive.

If you study Islam carefully you would see great importance and respect given to women, whoever says otherwise is telling a lie and fabricating according to their own needs. Women should be treated with respect and in return women should also understand the importance of certain things which are prohibited for them, like not wearing a veil, or body hugging clothes etc. There is always a logical reason behind every prohibition be it for men or women…….

Likewise there is a reason for prohibiting women from visiting graves:

The correct view is that it is not allowed for women to visit graves, because of the hadeeth mentioned. It was narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) cursed women who visit graves. Women should stop visiting graves.

The woman who visited a grave out of ignorance (of this ruling) is not to blame, but she should not do it again. If she does so, she has to repent and seek forgiveness, and repentance cancels out whatever came before. Visiting graves is only for men.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Visit graves, for they will remind you of the Hereafter.” At the beginning of Islam, visiting graves was not allowed for men and women alike, because the Muslims were new in Islam and came from a background where grave-worship and attachment to the dead were widespread. So they were forbidden to visit graves as a preventative measure, to avoid evil and prevent shirk.

But once Islam was well-established and they understood Islam, Allah prescribed visiting the graves because of the lessons and reminders of death and the Hereafter involved in that, and so that they could make Dua’ for the deceased and pray for mercy for them.

Then Allah forbade woman to do that – according to the most correct of the two scholarly opinions – because they may present a temptation to men and even to themselves, and because they have little patience, Muslim scholars agree that weeping for the dead is permissible, whereas crying out loud and wailing are not.

The Prophet (s.a.w) said: "The one who is wailed for is tortured on account of it." Abu Musa is reported to have said: "I declare my disavowal of all that Allah's Messenger disavowed. The Messenger of Allah disavowed publicly a woman who mourns loudly, one who shaves her head, and the one who tears her clothes in mourning." they get too upset. So by His mercy and kindness towards them, Allah forbade them to visit graves. This is also a form of kindness towards the men, because if they were all to gather at the grave, this might cause fitnah (trial for men). So by His mercy, Allah forbade women to visit graves.

But with regard to the prayer (women praying the funeral prayer), there is nothing wrong with that. Women may join the funeral prayer. The prohibition applies only to visiting the graves.

Thirdly, Why Shiites Allow women to visit graves? Hmm this issue is a never ending story between Shia’s and Sunni’s, all I can say is if you have faith in Allah and The Prophet Muhammad( pbuh) then you don’t have to follow or listen to anyone else. When Allah said that He would protect Quran Himself, then we should have faith that no one can change it and we have to believe in it and if we believe in Prophet Muhammad’s character then we also have to believe that he wouldn’t make a mistake in choosing his wives and his companions. If we don’t believe in Prophet’s wives and his companions then we don’t believe in him. So, people have to make a choice Do you believe in Allah’s word, the Judgment of Prophet in choosing his wives and companions who preserved Islamic teachings. If yes then we should respect Aisha, Umar, Uthman, Abu Baker who Allah chose for the Prophet and these are the People who Prophet chose for himself.

The reason for mentioning the last part is that if your believe in all of them then there wont be any issues and conflicts regarding the Sayings of the Prophet, which make Islam very clear and if you just disrespect one of the Person from the companions for example Aisha (R.A) who was the most beloved wife of the Prophet after his wife Khadija then most of the laws will change cause Aisha has narrated most of his sayings. She was a great scholar of Prophets time.

Rest I leave you to decide…..

May Allah Guide us all to the straight path.. Ameen.

Repentance of the man who committed a hundred murders

Abu Sa'id Sa'd b. Malik b. Sinan al-Khudri says that the Prophet said: "There was a man among a people before you who committed ninety-nine murders. Then he inquired about the most knowledgeable man on earth and he was led to a monk. He went to him and told him that he had killed ninety-nine people and asked him if it was possible for him to repent.

The monk told him: 'NO!' So the man killed him also and completed his hundred. Then he inquired about the most knowledgeable man on earth and was led to a scholar. He went to him and told him that he had killed a hundred people and asked him if there was repentance for him. The man told him, 'Yes. And what can come in between you and repentance?' 'Then he told him, 'Go to such and such a town for in it live people who are devoted to God. Devote yourself there to God in their company and do not come back to your own town for it is an evil place.'

So the man started towards that town. However, while he was halfway through the journey death overtook him. The angels of 'mercy' and 'punishment' descended and began to argue over him. The angels of mercy said: 'This man had repented and was seeking his Lord, (therefore he is our share),' while the angels of punishment claimed that, 'he had never done a good thing in life,' (so he was their share). While they were thus arguing, another angel arrived in the form of a man. They decided to accept him as their arbitrator. He said: 'Measure the earth between the two towns and let him be assigned to the fate of the one he is nearer to.' When they measured they found him nearer to the town he was heading towards. So the angels of mercy took him away."

Another version has it that "he was nearer to the town of the righteous people by just the span of the hand." And another version of a trustworthy report has it that "the earth was ordered to stretch itself to become closer from this end and farther from the other. So that when they measured they found him nearer to the town (of the righteous) by virtue of which he was forgiven."

Now, what can come in between a man and repentance? O you who imagine that your sins are too great - do you think that your sins are greater than those of that man (the murderer of a hundred souls) to whom Allah turned in mercy? Why should you despair? Indeed crimes can be even greater than this and yet they will be forgiven (with true repentance). Consider this,: Says Allah, glorified be He: "(The true servants of Allah are those) who do not call upon another god with Allah, who do not slay the soul Allah has forbidden, save by right, and do not commit adultery. And whosoever does that shall meet the price of sin. His chastisement will be doubled on the Day of Reckoning and he will abide therein for ever - save him who repented, believed and did righteous deeds, such are those whose evil deeds will Allah change into good ones. Allah indeed is very Forgiving, very compassionate." (Al-Furqan:68-70)

Consider the words: "Such are those whose evil deeds will Allah change into good ones." It shows the magnanimity of Allah. And the scholars have said that the changing will be of two kinds. First, change of a man's evil qualities into good ones (in this world itself). For instance of polytheism into monotheism, adultery into chastity, untruthfulness into truthfulness, deceit into honesty, etc. And second, the change of evil deeds into good ones on the day of Judgment.
Also consider the words: "The evil deeds will be changed into good ones." Allah didn't specify whether He will change every evil deed into a good one of equal magnitude. Rather it was left open, and can be lesser, equal, or even greater - depending upon the quality and sincerity of repentance. This is yet another grace from our Lord.

The following hadith brings out this point:

Abdul Rahman bin Jubair narrates on the a Prophet , on whom be peace, (another report suggests that a very old man whose eye-lashes had fallen over his eyes stood before the Prophet supporting himself on a cane), and said: "What will you say of a man who did not leave an evil deed - major or minor - but he committed it. (Another report has it that there wasn't an evil deed that he left uncommitted to the extent that were they to be divided between the people of the world, they would destroy them all). Is there repentance for him?" The Prophet asked him: "Have you embraced Islam?" He said: "Yes! I testify that there is no god but Allah, and that you are His Messenger." The Prophet told him: "Do good deeds (now onwards) and stay away from evil. Allah will change all of them into good ones." The man said: "And my treacheries an debaucheries?" The Prophet said: "Yes (them too)". The man cried out: "Allah is great" and kept repeating until he disappeared from the sight.

Here a repenting man may ask. When I was in error and sins, not even doing my Prayers - an act that severed my links with Islam - I used to do some good things. Will I be rewarded for them after I have repented or are they lost to the winds? The Answer is in another hadith.
'Urwa b. Zubair reports Hakim b, Hizam as saying that he asked the Prophet , on whom be peace: "O Apostle of God! What is your opinion about those good deeds that I used to do in the days previous to Islam, such as spending in charity, liberating a slave, or being good to my relation. Are they to be rewarded for?" The Prophet told him: "It is culmination of those good deeds that led you to Islam."

So, with repentance the sins will be forgiven and evil deeds of the past will be changed into god ones. What more do you want?