The importance of Sunnah

By Sidrah Unis
Friday, 11 Feb, 2011

BE it worship or social security, be it financial transactions or environmental degradation, the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) along with the Holy Quran provides guidance on all matters. Both the Holy Quran and the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet are regarded as primary sources of Islamic law.

On founding the Islamic commonwealth in Madina, in 622 AD, the Prophet not only acted as a spiritual leader but also as a political leader of the community. Also, as supreme judicial authority in the state, cases were brought before him for adjudication. These were decided in the light of the Quran. Yet, where the Quran was silent on an issue, or where further interpretation was required, the Prophet gave a decision which was based on ratiocination.

The exercise of this authority by the Holy Prophet has been recognised in the Quran: “…And whatever the Messenger gives you, accept it, and whatever he forbids you, abstain (therefrom)…” (59: 7) Whereas the authority of the Sunnah is derived from the Quran, the former serves to strengthen and clarify the structure of Islamic law. The two sources are interwoven in such a way that they cannot be separated from each other.

The following are a few examples which shall serve to illustrate that the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet covers various areas or aspects of life. Islam
has put a lot of stress on the acquisition of knowledge: The Holy Prophet said: “Allah opens the path of Paradise to one who takes a step on the path of the acquisition of knowledge.” Also, the Islamic faith enjoins that knowledge once attained should be put to fruitful use and should be acquired to benefit others.

The Holy Prophet once said: “He who learns for the sake of haughtiness dies ignorant. He who learns only to talk, rather than to act, dies a hypocrite. He who learns for the sake of debating dies irreligious. He who learns only to accumulate wealth, dies an atheist. He who learns for the sake of action, dies a mystic.”

Anas reported that the Messenger of Allah once said, “Search for knowledge is compulsory for every Muslim man and woman.” Islam not only makes the acquisition of knowledge compulsory, it also makes it so for both men and women so that both are equal in this respect.

Islam propagates the virtues of justice and fairness. The following statement made by the Holy Prophet while he was deciding the case of a noblewoman who had committed theft clearly illustrates the importance of justice in Islam: “Verily those who were before you were destroyed because when a nobleman from among you committed theft, they passed no sentence upon him. By Allah, had Fatima, the daughter of Muhammad, committed theft, I would have cut off her hand.”

The Holy Prophet once said, “Judges are of three types, one of whom will go to Paradise and the other lot to Hell. The one who will go to Paradise is a man who knows what is right and gives judgment accordingly; but a man who knows what is right and acts tyrannically in his judgment will go to Hell; and a man who gives judgment for people when he is ignorant will go to Hell.”

The concept of social security has been firmly embedded in the social fabric of the Islamic faith.

The Holy Prophet said: “If a Muslim clothes another Muslim in his nudity, God will clothe him with the green freshness of Paradise; and if a Muslim feeds a Muslim who is hungry, God will give him to eat of the fruits of Paradise; and if a Muslim gives a drink to a thirsty Muslim, God will let him drink from the fountain of Paradise.”

Islam promotes religious tolerance and very clearly lays down that the rights of non-Muslims should be protected.

The Holy Prophet said: “Beware on the Day of Judgment; I shall myself be the complainant against the one who wrongs a non-Muslim citizen of a Muslim state, or lays on him a responsibility greater than he can bear or deprives him of anything that belongs to him.”

Islam prohibits the taking of riba (interest). According to Anas Ibn Malik, the Holy Prophet said: “When one of you grants a loan and the borrower offers him a dish, he should not accept it; and if the borrower offers a ride on an animal, he should not ride, unless the two of them have been previously accustomed to exchanging such favours mutually.”

Abu Sa’id al-Khudri relates on his authority that the Holy Prophet once said that gold must be exchanged for gold, like for like, from hand to hand. Any increase, fadl, in one commodity over the other is riba. Silver must be exchanged for silver, like for like, from hand to hand, and any increase
is riba.

Islam forbids murder, be it of one or many. The Prophet of Islam during Hajjat-al-Wida addressed the people and said: “Do not [become infidels] revert to disbelief after me by striking the necks [cutting the throats] of one another [killing each other].”