DOUBTS ABOUT SUNNAH?

Part-I

Those who doubt the Sunnah say that the Quran is preserved because it is protected by Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aalaa), as He said in the Holy Quraan:

“Surely We have revealed the Reminder and We will most surely be its guardian.”(15:9)

This is true. For It is the word of Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aalaa). Its letters are firm. Even the rules of reciting are preserved. The whole scripture were stored in the chests of many Muslims during all the ages and the same is transferred to the next generations.

The Holy Quraan is a complete guidance and sufficient for us. Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aalaa) has said:

“………We have not neglected anything in the Book,…” (6:38)

Also He said:
“……..and We have revealed the Book to you explaining clearly everything…”(16:89)

So, why do we need the Sunnah for? Since the Quraan has explained everything and is sufficient.

The skeptics add that the Divine pledge to preserve the Holy Quraan does not include the Sunnah which is the words of Prophet Mohammad (SallAllaho Alaihe wa Sallam) that is not preserved, and since Prophet Mohammad (SallAllaho Alaihe wa Sallam) was a human, so he could forget like any other human, and anger like any other one who might anger, so how can we document all of his actions and worship Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aalaa) with them? Since there‘s no prove in the Holy Quran about them!

Adding that Prophet Mohammad (SallAllaho Alaihe wa Sallam) has cautioned by himself the danger of lying against him, in the following Hadeeth:

“Let him hold his position in hell fire, he who intentionally lies against me.”

Here are some of the replies:
1- please prove your assumption from the Holy Quraan:
If the skeptics’ understanding of the revelation of Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aalaa) is true that the Quraan did not abandon anything, explained everything, then they have to prove their assumption by taking the Quraan as a sufficient and exclude the Sunnah from the Quraan.

This is the Holy Quran, where are the verses that tell us just to count on the Quraan and at the same time ask us to renounce the Sunnah of our Prophet (SallAllaho Alaihe wa Sallam). 

We have learned this demand from the Quraan:
“……..Say: Bring your proof if you are truthful.” (2:111)

Also in Hadeeth, the Prophet (SallAllaho Alaihe wa Sallam) said:
“whoever assumes something , must prove it.”

2- The Quraan & The Sunnah are from the same resource:
The Holy Quraan is the word of Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aalaa), revealed at once to the lowest heaven, then in sequent periods brought down by the Archangel Gabriel to the Prophet Mohammad (SallAllaho Alaihe wa Sallam), as Allah has said:

“Your companion does not err, nor does he go astray. Nor does he speak out of desire. It is naught but revelation that is revealed. The Lord of Mighty Power has taught him.”(53:2-5)

So, Prophet Mohammad (SallAllaho Alaihe wa Sallam) does not err, and he does not speak but the truth; since it is revealed to him from the Lord of the Mighty power, the Lord of the heaven and the earth.

Yes. The Sunnah is the words and the actions of Prophet Mohammad (SallAllaho Alaihe wa Sallam). He does not act anything out of his own desires but by an inspiration from Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aalaa) revealed to him through Gabriel and whoever reads the books of Sunnah and Seerah (Biography of Prophet Mohammad, SallAllaho Alaihe wa Sallam) would notice that Gabriel has descended to him in several incidents - uncountable ones - to set rules or to reveal hidden facts.

In the following Hadeeth which is narrated by Hadhrat Abu-Hurairah, the Sahaabah (Companions) of the Prophet (SallAllaho Alaihe wa Sallam) said:

“O prophet of Allah! Are you joking with us.”

He replied:
“I do not speak but what is true.”

The final revelation has to be preserved in order to be forwarded to people no matter what era they live in. Many people may mistake when they think that Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aalaa) has preserved only the Holy Quraan, when He said:

“Surely We have revealed the Reminder and We will most surely be its guardian.”(15:9)

If it is only the Holy Quraan then the verse could be:
Surely we have revealed the Quran and we will most surely be its guardian.

Tough Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aalaa) knows the best but it looks that choosing the word “Reminder” instead of “the Quran” is for a great wisdom. For “the Reminder” is to announce and explain everything revealed from Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aalaa) including the Quraan and the Sunnah.

The preservation of the Quraan is done directly by Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aalaa) Himself. Whereas, the preservation of the Sunnah is done through the Ulamaa of Sunnah (Muhadditheen) who laid down the foundations and the standards to distinguish authentic from non-authentic narrators and reporters in the chain, thus categorizing Hadeeth into various levels of authentication, even they disclosed the fabricated ones on the basis of the set criterion.

The reservation of this religion must include the Sunnah as well, since the Sunnah explains the Holy Quraan, as mentioned in Soorah Al-Nahl. This is approved by the majority of the Ulamaa of Islam.

How could it be possible to preserve the explained and not to preserve the explainer?

If the Sunnah has faced some excluded Ahaadeeth which proved to be wrong, that does not mean it is not preserved. This brutal attack on the Sunnah is the greatest prove for its preservation. If it did not face such attacks, the preservation by Allah would not have appeared. The same as the Quraan, it faced many attempts of modifications. But Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aalaa) has preserved it & protected his Prophet (SallAllaho Alaihe wa Sallam) and revealed the plans of the wicked.

Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aalaa) said:
“O Messenger! Deliver what bas been revealed to you from your Lord; and if you do it not, then you have not delivered His message, and Allah will protect you from the people; surely Allah will not guide the unbelieving people.”(5:67)

As we know that many attempts to kill the Prophet (Sall-Allaho Alaihe wa Sallam) had failed as in the case of Bani Al-Nazeer, and the poisoning by the Jew lady. This protection of Prophet (SallAllaho Alaihe wa Sallam) by Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aalaa) was not explained but with those attempts.

3- The Sunnah was revealed to all prophets from their lord.  

What kind of revelation that the other prophets had? Let‘s try to read the following verses:

“And keep to mind what is recited in your houses of the revelations of Allah and the wisdom; surely Allah is Knower of subtleties, Aware.”(33:34)

“Our Lord! And raise up in them a Messenger from among them who shall recite to them Thy revelations and teach them the Book and the wisdom, and purify them; surely Thou art the Mighty, the Wise.” (2:129)

“Even as We have sent among you a Messenger from among you who recites to you Our revelations and purifies you and teaches you the Book and the wisdom and teaches you that which you did not know.”(2:151)

“……. and remember the favor of Allah upon you, and that which He has revealed to you of the Book and the Wisdom, admonishing you thereby….”(2:231)

“Certainly Allah conferred a benefit upon the believers when He raised among them a Messenger from among themselves, reciting to them His revelations and purifying them, and teaching them the Book and the wisdom, although before that they were surely in manifest error.”(3:164)

“……….. and Allah has revealed to you the Book and the wisdom, and He has taught you what you did not know, and Allah’s grace on you is very great.”((4:113)

“This is of what your Lord has revealed to you of wisdom, and do not associate any other god with Allah lest you should be thrown into hell, blamed, cast away.”(17:39)

“He it is Who raised among the inhabitants of Makkah a Messenger from among themselves, who recites to them His revelations and purifies them, and teaches them the Book and the Wisdom, although they were before certainly in clear error,”(62:2)

And the Quraan says in the case of Prophet Jesus:
“When Allah will say: O Jesus son of Mary! Remember My favor on you and on your mother, when I strengthened you with the holy Spirit, you spoke to the people in the cradle and when of old age, and when I taught you the Book and the wisdom and the Torah and the Bible; and when you determined out of clay a thing like the form of a bird by My permission, then you breathed into it and it became a bird by My permission, and you healed the blind and the leprous by My permission; and when you brought forth the dead by My permission; and when I withheld the children of Israel from you when you came to them with clear arguments, but those who disbelieved among them said: This is nothing but clear enchantment.” (5:110)

In the case of Prophet Abraham, the Quraan reveals:
“Or do they envy the people for what Allah has given them of His grace? But indeed We have given to Abraham’s children the Book and the wisdom, and We have given them a grand kingdom.”(4:54)

The holy Quraan quotes Prophet Noah, as saying:
“I deliver to you the messages of my Lord, and I offer you good advice and I know from Allah what you do not know.”(7:62)

Citing the efforts of Prophet Saleh, the Quraan says:
“Then he turned away from them and said: O my people! I did certainly deliver to you the message of my Lord, and I gave you good advice, but you do not love those who give good advice.”(7:79)

When thinking of the previous verses, one would realize that wisdom is added to the Book, which means that wisdom is different than the Book, because to add something it means that it is different, and Prophet Mohammad (SallAllaho Alaihe wa Sallam) did not offer any Book other than the Quraan which proves that the wisdom is the Sunnah.
(Continued)