The Status of Sunnah
in Islam
by Muhammad Nasir-ud-deen Al-Albaani.
Introduction
Praise be to Allah,
Benediction and Peace be on the Messenger of Allah, his family, his
companions, and his adherents.
This is a lecture which I
delivered in the city of Doha, the capital of Qatar, in the blessed month of
Ramadhan 1392 A.H. Some of my friends have suggested to me to publish my
lecture on account of need of the Muslims to a work of its kind. In response
to their request, I am printing it for general propagation on account of its
advantage, having regard for the reminiscences and history. I have added some
separate titles to assist the reader to collect the main ideas. I pray to
Allah, the Mighty, the Glorious, to write me among those who defend the
religion and those who help enact the law; and to reward me for it. Surely he
is the most generous in responding to my prayer.
Damascus 22 Muharram-al-Haram
1394 A.H.
The Status of Sunnah in Islam:
A Declaration that it cannot
dispense with The Qur'an
All Praise be to Allah, we
praise Him, seek His help and His forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allah from
the evils of our souls and evils of our deeds. One whom Allah guides, none can
lead him astray, and one whom He misguides, none can guide him. I bear witness
that there is no god(1) but Allah, and I bear
witness that Muhammad (SAW) is His servant and His messenger.
O you who believe.
Fear Allah truly, and don't die except in a state of Islam
(3:102).
O Men fear your Lord
who created you from one soul, and created its partner, and from them spread
men and women in numbers. Take care, Allah will question you about it and the
kinship. Surely, Allah is ever watchful of your deeds
(4:1).
O those who believe.
Fear Allah and say what is correct so that it fits you. He will forgive your
sins. Whoever obeys Allah and His messenger that is a great achievement
(33:70-71).
The best of speech is the
speech of Allah. That is The Book of Allah. The best of guidance is the
guidance of Muhammad. Of all matters, the worst are innovations; and
everything new is an innovation, and every innovation is a deviation, and
every deviation leads to Hell-fire.
I do not think that I
will be able to offer this high ranking assembly - especially when there are
distinguished ulama (scholars) and professors present - some knowledge which
has not been dealt with before. If what I think is true, I will rest contented
that my address will be a reminder, as it says in the Qur'an
Remind, for the reminder would benefit the believers
(51:55).
I do not think that my talk
in this blessed month of Ramadhan, the month of importance, is an exposition
of something of its merits, rules and their practice, and the like, which
generally the preachers and instructors touch on, on account of the benefit
they give to the listeners, and procure for them good and blessing; but I have
chosen my talk to be a study of a general nature, surely it is one of the
roots of the Shari'ah (Islamic law). It is a declaration of the importance
attached to the Sunnah in the Islamic law.
The Role of 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 had ordered him to do, that is, to expound His message
to the people. Allah says, We have revealed to
you the Reminder (The Qur'an) to expound to people what was revealed to them
(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 what is
revealed to you from your Lord (5:67).
Sayyida 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 is a great calumny against Allah." Then she
read the abovementioned verse. (Bukhari and Muslim have stated it.)
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 Behold
thou didst say to one who had received the grace of Allah and thy favour:
Keep your wife to yourself and fear Allah. But thou didst hide in thy heart
that which Allah was about to make manifest; you did fear the people,
whereas Allah had a better right that you should fear Him
(33:37).
-
The explanation of the
meaning of the word or sentence or verse for which man needs an explanation,
most of which bear reference to 'Mujmal' (comprehensive) verses or 'Amah'
(general) verses or 'Mutlaq' (unbounded) verses.
Then comes the Sunnah and clarifies the sentences and specifies the verses
called 'Amah' and defines what is 'mutlaq' that is, in refernce to the
saying (Qaul) of The Prophet (SAW), his deed (Fi'l) and the act he confirmed
(Iqrar).
The necessity of Sunnah to understand The
Qur'an and Parables on that
Allah says
The male thief and female thief cut off their hands
(5:38) is a fitting example of that. The thief in it is general like the hand.
The oral tradition explains
the first of them and restricts it by 'as-sareq' (the thief) who steals
something worth a fourth of a Dinar(2) 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 Hadeeth.
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 work of Hadeeth. The oral tradition 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 Hadeeth 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 Sunnah. They are:
-
It is whose who believe
and confuse not their beliefs with wrong, 'dhulm' that are (truly) in
security for they are on (right) guidance
(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 is 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 sin (dhulm)
(31:13). The two shaikhs have recorded it with others.
-
Allah says:
When you travel on earth, there is no blame on you
to shorten your prayer, for fear the unbelievers will persecute you
(4:101). It is obvious from this verse that fear is a pre-requisite 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 hadeeth as also 'mauquf'
type. The 'isnad' od '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:
I find not in the message received by me by
inspiration any (food) forbidden to be taken by one who wishes to, unless it
is dead meat or blood poured forth or the flesh of swine, for it is an
abomination, or what is impious (meat) on which a name has been invoked
other thatn Allah's (6:145).
The Sunnah has forbidden many things not mentioned in the verse mentioned
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:
Who has forbidden the adornment of Allah which He
has produced for His servants, and the things clean and pure (which he has
provided for sustenance) (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, lawful to females. The hadeeths in their
interpretation are many and well known in both the authentic collections of
hadeeths, and others and the like of many examples well known to scholars
familiar with hadeeth and Islamic Jurisprudence.
From what has been stated
above, O Muslim Brethren, you can see the importance attached to 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 the (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 hadeeth 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 hadeeth, 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 hadeeths, 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 hadeeths 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
forbearers (as-salaf) say that 'Sunnah' pronounces judgement of The Book (al-Qur'an).
The Deviation of those who are satisfied
with The Qur'an to the exclusion of Hadeeth
It is a matter of regret that
according to the interpretation found in the works of some commentators and
moders authors, that it is permissible to do what is stated in the last two
examples: Consumption of the predatory animals and the waearing 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 hadeeth gives
positive evidence that the divine law of Islam - As-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, No, by your Lord they do not
believe until they submit to your adjucation in all disputes between them,
then they do not find themselves oppressed with your decisions and they
completely submit (4:65). Again, Allah says
When a matter has been decided by Allah and
His Messenger, it does not behove a believer, man or woman, to have choice in
their matter. One who disobeys Allah and His Messenger, he is indeed on a
clearly wrong Path (33:36). Furthermore,
Allah says What the Messenger teaches you,
take it, and what he forbids you, avoid doing 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 says: 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 and 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 Qur'an should be interpreted by the Qur'an
itself as welll as the Sunnah, then by the sayings of the Sahabah... etc.
(5)
It is here that the cause of
deviation of scholastic theologians (Ahlu-el-Kalam) become clear, both ancient
and modern, and their opposition to the forbears 'As-salaf' (May Allah be
pleased with them) in their doctrines not to speak of their laws. They are far
from Sunnah, and knowledge of it, and rely on their intelligence and desires
to decide on the verses of attributes and others.
What is best is what was
written down in the exposition of Tahawi's doctrine (page 212 Fourth Edition):
When one is not
well-informed of The Book and Sunnah, what would he say about the
Fundamentals of Religion (usulu-d-din)? 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 'opprehensive 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, submissiveness, 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 !!!
It is self-evident after this
that I say:
The Sunnah which has an
important bearing on Islamic Law is only the Sunnah confirmed by scientific
channels, and authentic chains of narrations known to the learned in regard to
hadeeths and the background of the narrators.
It is not the one which is
found in different works of Tafseers (commentaries of The Qur'an) and Islamic
jurisprudence (fiqh), and in different writings of longing, intimidation,
advices, and admonitions, etc...
They contain weak, spurious,
and fabricated hadeeths, of which Islam absolves, like the story of 'Harut and
Marut,' and the sotry of 'gharanik.' I have a special letter which makes it
void and it is printed(6). A major part of it is
recorded in two huge books namely "A chain of weak and fabricated hadeeths and
their evil impact on the community." Their number up to date have reached
approximately four thousand hadeeths(7).
It is obligatory on the
learned, especially those who spread the knowledge of fiqh and legal opinions
among the public, that they shouldn't dare to argue with hadeeth unless it is
well-attested. Books of jurisprudence, which they refer to, are normally
filled with traditions which are not well-attested, nor have any bases, as is
well-known to the learned.
I have begun an important
project, and I think it will be of use to those occupied with jurisprudence,
and I will name it: "Weak and Fabricated Hadeeths in the Major Jurisprudence 'fiqh'
Books," by which I mean:
-
Al-Hidayah, by Al-Marghinani,
in Hanafi fiqh,
-
Al-Modawwanah, by
Ibnil-Qasim, in Maliki fiqh,
-
Sharhul-wajeez, by Al-rafiee,
in Shafiee fiqh,
-
Al-Mughni, by Ibn Quddamah,
in Hanbali fiqh, and
-
Bidayatul Mujtahid, by Ibn
Rushd-al-Andalusi, in comparative fiqh.
I regret that I did not get
the opportunity to finish it, because the journal "Al-Wa'e-al-Islami" of
Kuwait which promised to publish it, when perused it, didn't print it.
Although I missed this
opportunity, perhaps I will succeed on another occasion, Allah willing, to
offer to my bretheren occupied with jurisprudence a precise learned course to
help them to facilitate their knowledge of the different categories of hadeeth
with reference to various sources from books on hadeeth, with an explanation
of its special nature and character and reliance on them. Allah is the source
of success.
Weakness of Hadeeth of Muadh in the
opinion And its disapproval
Before I conclude my talk, I
think I must direct the attention of brethren present to a well known hadeeth.
It is devoid of one of the books of jurisprudence on account of its weakness
in respect of its chain of narration (isnad) and its contrdiction with what we
have concluded in this talk, regarding the illegitimacy of discrimination in
law between The Qur'an and Sunnah; and the necessity of taking both.
It is a hadeeth of Muadh bin
Jabal (May Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (SAW) said to him when
he sent hin to Yaman: By what source will you decide? He said, "By the
book of Allah." He then asked, If you don't find any guidline? He said,
"I will make an effort to form my own opinion." He said, Praise be to Allah
who makes success the effort of the envoy of the Messenger of Allah, to what
The Prophet likes.
As for the weakness of its 'isnad,'
there is no scope for its explanation now. But I have explained it clearly in
the above mentioned chain(8).
It would suffice now to
mention that the Commander of the Believers in the hadeeth 'Imam Al-Bukhari'
(may Allah have mercy on him) says that the hadeeth is not recognized (munkar).
After this I am permitted to begin to explain the conflict which I pointed.
The tradition of Muadh gives
the ruler a method of three stages which does not permit to search for any
rule with regard to 'Ra'e' (personal opinion) except that he does not find it
in the Sunnah, nor in the Sunnah, except that after he does not find it in The
Qur'an. It is in relation to 'Ra'e' a genuine method with all the learned (ulama),
so that they say, "Where there is a tradition relating the deeds and
utterances of The Prophet (SAW), personal opinion is void." But in relation to
Sunnah, it is not true, because Sunnah dictates The Qur'an and and clarifies
its doctrines. It is then essential to search for a ruling in Sunnah, even if
he thinks it is found in The Qur'an as we have mentioned it.
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 indicatied 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 by "Al-Hamdu-lillahi rabbil-alameen" - Praise be
to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds.
Footnotes
-
i.e.: There is
no true god - but Allah - who really deserves to be worshipped by Mankind
-
Dinar: A form
of currency
-
Shirk is to
disbelieve in the oneness of Allah, or to offer any form of worship to other
than Allah.
-
Namisah: a
woman who plucks hers or others eyebrows - to be a thin line - to seek
beauty. Such an act is forbidden. It is a means to change the form of
Allah's creation.
Motanamisah: a woman who asks others to do it for her.
-
This states
other than what is known by many of the learned: to comment on The Qur'an
itself if there is not any Sunnah, then by the Sunnah. This will be
explained in at then end of this treatise on the hadeeth of Muadh bin Jabal
- may Allah be pleased with him.
-
Its title is
"Pitch of majaniq to demolish the story of gharaniq" printed by Al-Maktabul-e-Islami
Story of gharaniq: is a fabricated story found in some commentaries,
claiming that a verse in The Qur'an acknowledged the polytheists in their
beliefs.
-
The number at
present [1394 A.H.] has exceeded five thousand and may Allah make easy its
publication in the near future. So far only five hundred have broken into
print.
-
No. 885 of the
chain mentioned, and we hope that the volume which includes it will be
published shortly, 'insha Allah.'
-
i.e. until the
Day of Judgment.
