Part 4a: The importance of the Sunnah to the Sahabas

The Shaikh said: And he is the one who speaks from revelation that came from the sky (above the heavens), Allah has said: “And he doesn’t speak from his desires it is only a revelation being revealed (unto him)”.

Notes: This is clear proof that the Sunnah is revelation from Allah ta’ala because Allah has shown us that the Messenger (Salallahu alaihi wa sallam) didn’t speak from himself. Rather his statements came from what Allah has revealed to him. And to this Allah has said: “And we sent down the reminder to you to make clear to the people what was revealed.” Also the Prophet (Salallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “Verily I was given the Qur’an and something like it”. 

There are also many proofs from the Sunnah that it is revelation. One of the Hadeeths that clearly show this is as follows:

Imam Malik Ibn Anas said in his Muwatta : The book of the times of Salaat
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

He said : It was narrated to me from Yayha Ibn Yahya Al Laithi, on the authority of Malik Ibn Anas, on the authority of Ibn Shihab, That Umar Ibn Abdul Azeez delayed his prayer one day, urwah ibn zubair then entered and informed him that Mugheerah Ibn Shu,bah delayed his Salaat one day and he was in Kuufah, then Abu Mas’uud Al Ansari entered and said: What is this oh Mugheerah? Don’t you know that Jibreel was sent down and prayed, then the Prophet (Salallahu alaihi wa sallam) prayed. Then he prayed again, then the Prophet (Salallahu alaihi wa sallam ) prayed. Then he prayed again, then the Prophet (Salallahu alaihi wa sallam) prayed. Then he Prayed again, then the Prophet (Salallahu alaihi wa sallam prayed. Then he prayed again, then the Prophet Salallahu alaihi wa sallam prayed. Then he said: This  is what I have been ordered to deliver. Then Umar Ibn Abdul Azeez said: Know what you are speaking about Oh Urwa, is it that Jibreel came and demonstrated to the Prophet (Salallahu alaihi wa sallam) the times for Salaat? Urwa then said: This is what Basheer Ibn Abi Mas’uud Al Ansari Narrated to me from his father.

 

Bukhari  ( the book of the times of Salaat) Chapter : the times of salaat and its benfits. (This narration is more detailed)
Muslim (the book of Masjids and the places of Salaat) Chapter : the times for the 5 Salaat.
Benefits:
1) The realiance of the scholars of the past upon the chain of narration. Abdullah Ibn Mubarak said: “The chain of narrators is from the religion. And if there was no chain of narrators (by which the Qur’an and Sunnah were narrated by). The people would have said what they wanted to say.”
2)The fact that Jibreel was sent down by Allah to show the Prophet (Salallahu alaihi wa sallam) what times to pray.

3)The aformentioned fact, therefore, shows beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Sunnah isrevelation of Allah because the times for Salaat were not explained in the Qur’an in detail.

 

4)That Jibreel was ordered by Allah to demonstrate to the Prophet (Salallahu alaihi wa sallam) the times for Salaat.

5)That the Prophet (Salallahu alaihi wa sallam) narrated to his companions from which Jibreel revealed to him.

6)The meaning of the verse: “And we sent down a rememberence to make clear to the people that which was sent to them” Surah Nahl verse 54. And the statement of Imam Ahmad: The Sunnah clarifies the Qur’an.

7)We must believe every single authentic statement or action narrated from the Prophet (Salallahu alaihi wa sallam). And if it we were not to believe in his statements we would have no religion to practise.

The fact that the times for the Second most important pillar of Islam was revealed through the Sunnah. And as A Hadeeth narrates that the most loved action by Allah is Salaat at its legislated times.

 

9)That those who accept the Sunnah accept the practices of the deen and those who reject the Sunnah reject the religion.

10)Affirming the narration as Umar Ibn Abdul Azeez did in this Hadeeth.

Furthermore, the speech of the Salaf Us Salih affirm this matter.  Shaikh Muhammad Ali As Saayis said:

Imam Auza’ee narrated from Hassan Ibn Ateeyah: The revelation was sent to the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) and Angel Jibreel used to be present with the Sunnah which was used to explain the Qur’an, therefore whatever came from the Prophet (صلى الله علية و سلم) from his sayings, his actions or his permissions did not come except from revelation (Allah said) :” And he does not speak from desire. It is only a revelation unto him “.Secondly,  from the benefits of this verse is that the Prophet (Salallahu alaihi wa sallam) is free from fault in terms of delivering the religion. However he is not totally free from being incorrect in an Ijtihad of his which is outside of revelation. And this is from the Hadeeth found in Saheeh Muslim: “Verily you know more about your Dunya”.

The Shaikh said: And Allah ordered us to put him as a judge in every single matter of our lives: (Allah said): “By your Lord you will not truly believe until you put him (Muhammad {Salallahu Alaihi wa Sallam} as a judge in everything they disagree in then they do not find within themselves any rancour withing their hearts for what you have judged by and they submit peacefully”.

Notes: The Muslim looks toward the Qur’an and Sunnah as a judge in every single matter.  And those who do not judge by these two evidences they are astray. Allah has said: “And whoever does not judge by which Allah has revealed then they are Kuffar” {This is with certain conditions, return to the book of Shaikh ibn Baaz called: The correct creed and what is opposite to it}. And in two other verses they are wrongdoers and sinners.  And also Allah said: “Do they desire the ruling of Jahileeyah? And who is better than Allah in ruling for people of certainty”. And Allah has said: “And the ruling is for Allah”. Also Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal explained that in 33 verses of the Qur’an Allah has said: “Obey Allah and obey the Messenger”. 

And from the Sunnah. The Messenger (Salallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “I left you with two things if you hold on to it you will never go astray, the book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Messenger  (Salallahu alaihi wa sallam)”. And he said: “I left you upon clarity, the night of it is like the day of it, one does not go against it except he is destroyed”. And he said: “Upon you is my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the rightly guided Caliphs”.  

Neither Allah nor his Messenger (Salallahu alaihi wa sallam)  ordered the people to obey the Fiqh Madhab of Abu Haneefah, Imam Malik, Imam Ash Shafi’ee or Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal. He didn’t say to follow the Hizb of Ikhwaan Al Muslimeen or Jama’ah At Tableegh or Sufi Tareeqah X. Rather he told us to follow the two revelations. Allah said: “Follow that which has been sent to you from Allah…”. 

The Shaikh said: And he warned us from conflicting it he said: “Let those who go against his orders be warned of a great trail or that a great punishment befall them”.

Notes:  In this Ayah Allah wans us from the disobidience of the Messenger (Salallahu alaihi wa sallam). And the great trail spoken about in this verse is Shirk according to Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal. This is because if one rejects even some of the Sunnah of the Messenger (Salallahu alaihi wa sallam) for the statement of someone else Allah would destroy him.