OBEYING THE PROPHET (Sallallaho Alaihe WaSallam)
MEANS OBEYING ALLAH (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa)

Sister Shariffa Carlo

I received an email the other day that was responding to another email wherein the writer had made reference to the large number of Ahaadeeth available to prove his point and how we could possibly ignore this body of evidence. The response in the second email was essentially that the problem was not the number of Ahaadeeth, but rather how we could possibly disobey a command from our beloved Prophet (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam) in even one Saheeh Hadeeth.

I was struck by this. We spend so much time arguing with each other over the issues of Islam that I sometimes wonder if the purpose is just to argue. We have forgotten that being Muslim means SUBMITTING. We are supposed to submit to Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa). We are supposed to also submit to the commands of our beloved Prophet (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam), because Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa) ordered us to do so. We can not take one without the other. For instance, Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa) orders us to offer Salaah (Prayers). We do not know what is involved in Salaah except by the commands and actions of our beloved Prophet (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam). So, if we obey the command in the Quraan, but ignore the Sunnah, our Salaah is invalid. We will offer Salaah as we feel like offering it, omitting the obligatory actions and words in Salaah. We have many examples of things which have been made Fardh (Obligatory) or Haraam (Prohibited) by Hadeeth only, like Hadhrat ‘Abdullah ibne Mas’ood (RadhiAllaho Anho) quoted this saying (Hadeeth) of the Prophet (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam) while he was delivering a sermon:

“May Allah curse the women who tattoo their bodies and those who pluck their eyebrows; those who separate their teeth to make them look more pretty and those who try to change the creation of Allah.”

A woman named Hadhrat Umm Yaqoob (RadhiAllaho Anhaa) from the tribe of Banu Asad came to know of these words. She approached Hadhrat Ibne 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 (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam), cursed and who are cursed in the Book of Allah as well.”

She said:

“I have read whatever is contained between the two covers (i.e. the whole Quraan).”

He replied:

“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.” (Surah Al-Hashr 59:7)

Here the principle is firmly established by the Sahaabah (Companions) of Prophet Muhammad (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam). He shows us what the Prophet (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam) said and explains to us that the commandment of the Prophet (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam) is equal to a commandment from Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa). This is not the only place this is written, Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa) has commanded us in many places in the Quraan to obey the Messenger (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam). A few of these are:

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

“Obey Allah and the Messenger; but if they turn back, then surely Allah does not love the unbelievers.” (3:32)

“And obey Allah and the Messenger; that you may obtain mercy.” (3:132)

“Those are limits set by Allah: those who obey Allah and His Messenger will be admitted to Gardens with rivers flowing beneath, to abide therein (for ever) and that will be the supreme achievement. But those who disobey Allah and His Messenger and transgress His limits will be admitted to a Fire, to abide therein: And they shall have a humiliating punishment.” (4:13-14)

How serious is this command? It is the most serious. Think about one act that we can not stop doing — whether the phone rings, your mom calls or anything short of a threat occurs. It is Salaah. When we begin Salaah, we should not stop unless there is a dire emergency. Yet, we have an example which shows that the call of the Prophet (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam) is and was more important than completing the Salaah.

Narrated Hadhrat Abu Saeed Al-Mualla (RadhiAllaho Anho):

While I was offering Salaah, the Prophet (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam) passed by and called me, but I did not go to him till I had finished my Salaah. When I went to him, he said:

“What prevented you from coming?”

I said:

“I was offering Salaah.”

He said:

“Didn’t Allah say, “O you who believes Give your response to Allah (by obeying Him) and to His Apostle. (8.24)...” (Saheeh Bukhari: Volume 6, Book 60, Number 226)

Here, we can clearly see the importance of obeying the Prophet (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam). Knowing this, how do we apply it?

First, we need to clear our minds of the misconception that we must fully understand everything in Islam.

Second, we acknowledge that we are supposed to blindly follow ONLY Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa) and His Prophet (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam). Blindly follow? This does not sound like Islam, does it? It is Islam. We can try to understand Islam, and one of the beauties of this religion is that we can understand so much, but we have to come to the realization that in all matters, after all the rationalizations are done, after all the angles have been explored, after all the rhetoric has been spun, we MUST obey Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa) and His Messenger (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa), whether we understand it or not. There is no other way.

An example of this is the saying of Hadhrat Ali (RadhiAllaho Anho). He stated (what means) that if Islam were by logic, we would not wipe over the (thick socks like one made-up of leather on) feet in Wudhu (Ablution), we would wipe under them.

Not everything is clear for us. At some point, we have to just say, Labaik! and submit. At some point we have to recognize that if we are true believers in Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa), that He is the Most Wise, the All knowing, that Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa) is the Truth then we have to concede our own inadequacies and submit to Him completely, even when it defies our limited logic to do so.

The best generation was the generation of the Sahaabah of our beloved Prophet (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam) because when they heard a command, the acted immediately. Two examples of this are:

Narrated Hadhrat Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri (RadhiAllaho Anho):

I heard Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa)’s Messenger (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam) addressing in Madinah. He said:

O people! Allah is giving an indication (of the prohibition) of wine, and He is probably soon going to give an order about it. So he who has anything of it with him should sell that, and derive benefit out of it.

He (the narrator) said:

We waited for some time that Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa)’s Messenger (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam) said:

“Verily Allah, the Exalted, has forbidden wine. So who hears this verse and he has anything of it with him, he should neither drink it nor sell it.”

He (the narrator) said:

The people then brought whatever they had of it with them on the streets of Madinah and spilt that. (Saheeh Muslim: Book 9, Number 3835)

Narrated Hadhrat Safiyah binte Shaibah (RadhiAllaho Anha):

Hadhrat ‘Aaishah used to say:

“When (the Verse) — They should draw their veils over their necks and bosoms, — was revealed, (the ladies) cut their waist sheets at the edges and covered themselves with the cut pieces.” (Saheeh Bukhari: Volume 6, Book 60, Number 282)

They spilt the wine. They covered themselves. No excuses. No questioning. No disobedience.

In short, we have to stop taking excuses when we hear the book of Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa) or the statements of the Prophet (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam). Even, when we follow our mazhabs, we need to recognize that only Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa) is perfect, and we can only take the Quraan and the statements of His beloved Prophet (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam) without questioning them. Anyone else can make mistakes. Our Prophet (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam) was protected by Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa) from making mistakes in this Deen (Religion). Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa) says:

“(The Prophet) does not speak of his own desire. It is no less than Inspiration sent down to him.” (53:3)

Everyone else can make mistakes, and when we find that they have made a mistake, we must go back to the most authentic evidences from the Quraan and the Sunnah without hesitation. Our great scholars have confirmed this:

Imam Abu Hanifah was asked: “What do we do if we find a saying of yours opposing the Book of Allah?”

He replied:

“Leave my saying and stick to the Book of Allah.”

The questioner asked:

“What if it contradicts a saying of the Prophet?”

Imam Abu Hanifah 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 Sahaabi?”

Again he said:

“Leave my saying in the face of the Sahaabi’s saying.” (Reported in Al-Qawl al-Mufeed by Shawkani)

Imam Abu Hanifah also declared:

“My way (Arabic: mazhab) is whatever Hadeeth (saying of the Prophet) that is proved to be authentic.” (Shami 1:50, Al-Fulani in Iqaz, p. 62.)

Imam Malik bin Anas said:

“The saying of any person can be accepted or rejected, except for Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa)’s Messenger (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam).” (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 I am wrong, sometimes I am right — so check my opinions. Whatever agrees with the Book (i.e. the Quraan) and the Sunnah, accept it; whatever disagrees with them, reject it.” (Reported by Al-Fulani in Iqaz, p. 72.)

Once Imam Shafi’i narrated a saying (Hadeeth) of the Prophet (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam). 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 (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam), 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 (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam), and not agree with ?!!”

Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal said:

“Do not follow me or Malik or Shafi’i or Auza’i or Thawri, but take from where they took (i.e. from the Quraan and authentic Sunnah).” (Reported by Al-Fulani and Ibn al-Qayyim.)

He also said:

“He who is on the verge of destruction rejects a saying (Hadeeth) of Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa)’s Messenger (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam).” (Reported by Ibn al-Jauzi.)

Sunnah does not simply mean that which is not obligatory. That is one of the meanings, but the Sunnah is in essence the sayings, approvals, disapprovals, commands, and characteristics of the Prophet (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam). So, within the Sunnah we have the “Sunnah” (those we have a choice about) acts and the “Fardh” (those we have no choice about) acts. We can not be like the Christians and the Jews and take our religion like a buffet, “I’ll take a little of this and a little of that — but I don’t want any of that...” We have to accept the words of Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa) and the Commands of our Prophet (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam) as they come, no picking and choosing. Islam is not for us to design, it is complete.

Hadhrat Anas (RadhiAllaho Anho) reported that Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa)’s Messenger (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam) said:

“I have left among you two things; you will never go astray as long as you hold fast to them: the Book of Allah and my Sunnah.” (Reported by Haakim.)

Brothers and sisters, I adjure you and I adjure myself, do not allow Shaitaan (Satan) to keep you from a commanded act. Fear Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa), Love Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa) and Obey Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa). Do not be caught up with this scholar or that scholar who do not persuade us to act upon religion; instead they try to alter religion to please us. Please, obeyed the Prophet (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam), and if it turns out that the act was only Sunnah, not Fardh, you will find with Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa) two rewards, one for the act and another for simply obeying. Is that not infinitely better than to find two sins, one for not performing the act, and the other for disobeying? Think prophets and the truthful and the martyrs and the good, and a goodly company are they!” (4:69)

“The answer of the believers, when summoned to Allah 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.” (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.” (4:65)

“Obey Allah, and obey the Messenger, and beware (of evil): if you turn back, know that it is Our Messenger’s duty to proclaim (the message) in the clearest manner.” (5:92)

“They ask thee concerning (things taken as) spoils of war. Say: “(such) spoils are at the disposal of Allah and the Messenger: So fear Allah, and keep straight the relations between yourselves: Obey Allah and His Messenger, if you believe.” (8:1)

“O ye who believe! Obey Allah and His Messenger, and turn not away from him when ye hear (him speak).” (8:20)

“O you who believe! Answer (the call of) Allah and His Messenger when he calls you to that which gives you life; and know that Allah intervenes between man and his heart, and that to Him you shall be gathered.” (8:24)

“So take whatever the Messenger gives you and keep away from what he forbids you.” (59:7)

“You have indeed in the Messenger of Allah a beautiful pattern (of conduct) for anyone whose hope is in Allah.” (33:21)

“He who obeys the Messenger, obeys Allah.” (4:80)