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The Obligation of Adhering to the Sunnah
Shaykh Alee bin Abdur Rahman Al Hudhayfee [(Rabee'uth Thaanee 09, 1425 (May
28, 2004)]
All praise is due to Allaah, Lord of all the
worlds. Peace and blessings be upon the Messenger, his household and companions.
Fellow Muslims! Fear Allaah as He should be feared and obey Him. That is better
for you in this world and the Hereafter.
Dear Muslims! Know that Allaah has done mankind a great favour by sending
Muhammad, blessings and peace be upon him, to them as a Messenger. Allaah says,
“We sent thee not, but as a mercy for all creatures.”
(Al-Anbiyaa 21:107)
The Muslim is specially blessed with the message of Muhammad because he followed
it and acted upon it; and the disbeliever is also generally blessed with the
message of Islaam because Muslims’ adherence to the teachings of their religion
prevents the evil of the disbelievers and dries up the sources of great
corruption that could have occurred in the land. Allaah says,
“And did not Allah check one set of people by means of
another, the earth would indeed be full of mischief: but Allah is full of bounty
to all the worlds.”
(Al-Baqarah 2:251)
Allaah revealed the greatest Book to His Messenger and He revealed to him the
greatest explanation for that Book in form of the Sunnah. He undertakes the
protection of the Qur’aan and the Sunnah from interpolations and changes and
protects them from perverted ideas and interpretations. Allaah established proof
against mankind through the leader of all Messengers. He guided Muhammad to the
best guidance and made easy for him the best of all paths. Allaah says,
“And We will make it easy for thee (to follow) the
simple (Path).”
(Al-A‘laa 87:8)
Allaah’s Messenger said, “The best speech is the Book of Allaah. The best
guidance is that of Muhammad, blessings and peace be upon him. The worst of all
affairs are the innovations and every innovation is erroneous.” (Muslim)
The Messenger of Allaah fulfilled his as far as levels of acts of worship;
levels of the religion and level of meritorious deeds are concerned. He has
fulfilled his obligation as best as possible. The Messenger of Allaah is the
model for the worshipper, model for the caller for the way of Allaah, model for
the teacher, model for the ruler, model for the leader, model for the soldier,
and model for the husband and father. He is exemplar per excellence in human
interactions and in all aspects of human endeavours. Allaah says,
“You have indeed in the Messenger of Allaah a beautiful
pattern (of conduct) for any one whose hope is in Allaah and the Final Day, and
who engages much in the praise of Allaah.”
(Al-Ahzaab 33:21)
‘Aaishah said, “The Prophet’s [code of] conduct is the Qur’aan.” This means, he
used to follow the injunctions of the Qur’aan in everything that he had to do
and he abstained from all that the Qur’aan prohibits.
Fellow Muslims! The Sunnah of Allaah’s Messenger is the only guide to the
straight path that the Muslims should follow. The Sunnah of Allaah’s Messenger
entails all that is good. He who abandons the Prophet’s Sunnah will be deprived
of all blessings and he who abandons some of the Sunnah has missed blessings
that are in proportion to the Sunnah that he missed.
If this is the virtue of the Sunnah and the lofty place it occupies Islaam, what
then is the meaning of this Sunnah?
Sunnah, in Arabic language means: the trodden path and the followed norm. Allaah
says,
“(This was Our) way with the Messengers We sent before
thee: thou wilt find no change in Our ways.”
(Al-Israa 17:77)
In Islaam, Sunnah means: holding fast to and following the path of the Prophet,
his rightly guided successors and his companions in matters of belief and in
their words and deeds. Sunnah is also used to describe the sayings, deeds and
approvals of the Messenger, for these are the source of the Muslim’s belief and
deed.
Dear brethren! The situation of the Muslims today is a source of grief for every
believer in the oneness of Allaah. The enemies formed a confederation against
them and they make them taste severe torment. Muslims’ honour is violated in
many lands and they are subjected to ignominy in many places.
Ideological differences, political bigotry, nationalism of the days of ignorance
and innovated acts of worship have tore apart the ranks of the Muslims and
weakened them. Their weakness and degeneration are not attributable to fewness
of their numbers. They are rather the greatest in number of all the adherents of
religions. Their calamity therefore lies in their negligence in implementing the
injunctions of their religion. Allaah says,
“Verily never will Allah change the condition of a
people until they change it themselves (with their own souls). But when (once)
Allaah wills a people's punishment, there can be no turning it back, nor will
they find, besides Him, any to protect.”
(Ar-Ra‘d 13:11)
Brethren in faith! The situation in which the Muslims find themselves today has
awaken those with high-mindedness and given warning alarms and sincere
admonition that Muslims should return to their Lord in repentance, hold fast
unto their religion and put to practice the Book of their Lord and the Sunnah of
their Prophet, so that Allaah may show mercy to them and remove their calamity.
The diseases of the Muslims are many and the causes of their degeneration are
numerous. The matter can even become worse than they are now but the good ending
is eventually for Islaam.
The only remedy for this disease is to follow the Sunnah. Following the Sunnah
and adhering to the path of the righteous predecessors are the remedy for the
diseases the Muslims are suffering from. Implementing the Sunnah of Allaah’s
Messenger is also the only way to blessings.
Adhering to the Sunnah means shunning differences. It means unity of purpose.
Adhering to the Sunnah brings about victory over the enemies and the people of
error and desire.
Some scholars said, “Any country whose inhabitants follow the Sunnah and in
which the light of the Sunnah illuminates is always given victory over its
enemies. And any country in which the light of the Sunnah is suppressed, will be
defeated by the enemy.”
Allaah’s Messenger said, “My provision is put under the shade of my spear,
ignominy and disgrace are made the lot of whoever disobeys my command and
whoever emulates a people has become one of them.”
Aboo Daawood and At-Tirmidhee reported on the authority of Al-Irbaad ibn
Saariyah that he said, “Allaah’s Messenger gave us an exhortation at which the
eyes shed tears and the hearts were afraid. A man said: Allaah’s Messenger! It
seems as if it were a farewell exhortation, so what injunction do you give us?
He then said: I enjoin you to fear Allaah, and to hear and obey even if it be a
slave, for those of you who live after me will see great disagreement. You must
then follow my Sunnah and that of the rightly guided successors. Hold to it and
stick fast to it. Avoid novelties, for every novelty is an innovation, and every
innovation is an error.”
Calling unto the Sunnah is the obligation of every Muslim. The Muslim should
invite his brother to make up for the Sunnah he has missed. He has to reminds
whenever he becomes heedless and to teach him whenever he forgets. He should
cooperate with him in doing good deeds and warn him against evil deeds.
The Muslim should call a non-Muslim to Islaam by showing him the beauty of
Islaam and establishing the proof for him. The Muslim should be an embodiment of
Islaamic teachings.
As for you, the Muslims of this country, you need to thank Allaah for His many
favours upon you. Beware of the evil with which others were afflicted and beware
of being indifferent to sins for it is a cause of punishments.
The Muslim must endeavour to make his today better than his yesterday and his
morrow better than his today. He should not be pleased by lacking in acts of
obedience to Allaah and being indifferent to sins.
Fellow Muslims! Beware of things that could hinder your adherence to the Sunnah.
The greatest hindrance is to follow the desire. Allaah says,
“But if they hearken not to you, know that they only
follow their own lusts: and who is more astray than one who follows his own
lusts, devoid of guidance from Allaah? For Allaah guides not people given to
wrong-doing.”
(Al-Qasas 28:50)
The righteous predecessors call the people of innovations followers of desires
because their disagreement with the Sunnah.
Beware also of the temptations of this world and its lusts for all that prevents
from following the Sunnah. Allaah says,
“Nay, you prefer the life of this world, although the
Hereafter is better and more lasting.”
(Al-A‘laa 87:16-17)
Allaah also says,
“Then, there has succeeded them a posterity who have
given up As-Salât (the prayers) (i.e. made their Salât (prayers) to be lost,
either by not offering them or by not offering them perfectly or by not offering
them in their proper fixed times) and have followed lusts. So they will be
thrown in Hell.”
(Maryam 19:59)
Among things that hinders the adherence to the Sunnah is emulating the misguided
and misleading people. Allaah says,
“(Say (O Muhammad (peace be upon him)) to these
idolaters (pagan Arabs) of your folk:) Follow what has been sent down unto you
from your Lord (the Qur'aan and Prophet Muhammad's Sunnah), and follow not any
Auliyâ' (protectors and helpers who order you to associate partners in worship
with Allaah), besides Him (Allaah). Little do you remember!”
(Al-A‘raaf 7:3)
Ignorance also prevents adherence to the Sunnah. The Prophet said, “He whom
Allaah wants to bless, He gives him the understanding of the religion.”
Dear Muslim brother! You should not therefore allow anything to prevent you from
following the Sunnah. For none is saved from evils and punishments and none is
favoured with blessings and Paradise except those who follow the path of the
Prophet and his companions.
Allaah says,
“Say (O Muhammad (peace be upon him) to mankind): "If
you (really) love Allaah then follow me (i.e. accept Islaamic Monotheism, follow
the Qur'ân and the Sunnah), Allaah will love you and forgive you your sins. And
Allaah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."”
(Aal ‘Imraan 3:31)
Allaah also says,
“O you who believe! Obey Allaah and His Messenger, and
turn not away from him (i.e. Messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him)) while you
are hearing. And be not like those who say: "We have heard," but they hear not.
Verily! The worst of (moving) living creatures with Allaah are the deaf and the
dumb, those who understand not (i.e. the disbelievers). Had Allaah known of any
good in them, He would indeed have made them listen; and even if He had made
them listen, they would but have turned away with aversion (to the truth).”
(Al-Anfaal 8:20-23)
Dear brethren! The diseases from which the Muslims are suffering and the
punishment in this world and the Hereafter are caused by their negligence of the
Prophet’s Sunnah and his right path. Allaah says,
“And whatever of misfortune befalls you, it is because
of what your hands have earned. And He pardons much.”
(Ash-Shooraa 42:30)
The clash of desires and opinions and the widespread dissentions are all caused
by ignorance of the Sunnah and its negligence on the part of the Muslims. The
Messenger of Allaah said, “I am leaving for you two things if you hold fast to
them you will never go astray: the Book of Allaah and my Sunnah.”
The Prophet also said, “The Jews were split up into seventy-one sects; and the
Christians were split up into seventy-two sects; and my community will be split
up into seventy-three sects. All but one of these sects shall go to Hell.” The
companions said, “Messenger of Allaah! Which one shall not go to Hell?” He
answered, “The one that follows my path and that of my companions.”
The cause of emergence of all sects, like khawaarij and others, throughout the
history of Islaam is undoubtedly ignorance of the Sunnah of the Prophet and the
negligence in practicing it in the part of the Muslims. Adherence of these sects
misunderstood the Sunnah of Allaah’s Messenger and they were misled in their
interpretation of the texts of the Qur’aan.
The khawaarij of today also misunderstood the Sunnah and keep away from the
scholars who have better knowledge of the Sunnah. These khawaarij then regard
their fellow Muslims as disbelievers and violate the sanctity of their lives and
properties as their predecessors had done. These fellows are oblivious of the
fact that they are practically executing the plans of the enemies of Islaam and
thereby causing great evil in the land as a result of their destructive
ideologies.
Fellow Muslims! Go back to the Sunnah of your Prophet in terms of learning,
teaching and implementation. Hold fast unto the path of the righteous
predecessors. That is the only remedy for the disease of the Ummah. Rein in all
mischief-makers who want to destroy your life and your religion and fear Allaah
in all your undertakings.
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