Hadith and Sunnah: a primary source of Islamic teachings

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Hadith and Sunnah: a primary source of Islamic teachings

By Dr Khalid Alvi

Sunnah or Hadith is the second source from which the teachings of Islam are drawn. Hadith literally means a saying conveyed to man, but in the terminology of the experts of Hadith (Muhaditheen), it means sayings of Prophet Muhammad (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam), his action or practice of his silent approval of the action or practice. Hadith and Sunnah are used interchangeably, but sometimes these are used for different meanings.

To deal with the topic, it is necessary to know the position of the Holy Prophet (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam) in Islam, because the indispensability of Hadith depends upon the position of the Holy Prophet (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam).

Analysing the problem, we can visualise three possibilities:

1. The duty of the Holy Prophet (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam) was only to convey the message and nothing more was required from him.

2. He had not only to convey the message but also to act upon it and to explain it. But all that was for the specified period and after his death the Holy Qur'aan is sufficient to guide the humanity.

3. No doubt he had to convey the Divine Message but it was also his duty to act upon it and to explain it to the people. His actions and explanations are a source of guidance forever. His sayings, actions, practices and explanations are a source of light for every Muslim in every age.

The learned men of the Muslim Ummah are of the unanimous view that only the third point is the correct assessment of the Holy Prophet's position in Islam.

The Holy Qur'aan contains dozens of reminders of the important position of the Holy Prophet. For instance, the Qur'aan says:

"And verily in the Messenger of Allah you have a good example for him who look unto Allah and the last day and remembers Allah much." (Ahzaab: 31)

According to this verse, every Muslim is bound to have the good example of the Holy Prophet (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam) as an ideal in life. In another verse, he has been made a 'Hakam' (judge) for the Muslims by Allah Almighty.

No one remains a Muslim if he does not accept the Prophet's decisions and judgments:

"But no, by thy Lord, they can have no real faith until they make thee judge in all disputes between them and find in their souls no resistance against thy decisions but accept them with the fullest conviction." (An-Nisaa: 65)

While explaining the qualities of the Muslims, the Holy Qur'aan says:

"The answer of the believers, when summoned to Allah and His apostle, in order that He may judge between them, is no other than this: They say: we hear and we obey." (Noor: 51)

In many places, the Holy Qur'aan has given its verdict on this issue. The Holy Qur'aan says:

"Obey Allah and obey the Messenger." (An-Nisa 59). And: "Whatever the Messenger giveth you take it and whatever he forbiddeth abstain from it." (Surah Hashr: 7)

The Holy Qur'aan is very clear in expressing its view on the position of the Holy Prophet (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam).

According to the Qur'aan, the Holy Prophet (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam) has four capacities and he must be obeyed in every capacity. He is 'Mu'allim' and 'Murabbi', "Shaarea'" (one who explains the Book), a law-giver and judge, and a ruler.

In all these capacities, he is an ideal example for the Muslims. I am quoting a few verses of the Holy Book just to give a hint of this topic:

"Allah did confer a great favour on the believers when He sent among them an apostle from among themselves rehearsing unto them the Signs of Allah, sanctifying them in Scripture and wisdom while, before that, they had been in manifest error." (Aal-e-'Imraan: 164)

"And We have sent down unto thee the Message that thou mayest explain clearly to men what is sent for them." (Surah Nahl: 44)

"For he commands them what is just and forbids them what is evil; he allows them as lawful what is good and pure and prohibits them from what is bad and impure.

He releases them from their heavy burdens and from the yokes that are upon them." (Aa'raaf: 157)

"O you who believe! Obey Allah and obey the Apostle, and those charged with authority among you.

"If ye differ in anything amongst yourselves refer it to Allah and His Apostle, if you believe in Allah and the last day." (Nisaa': 59)

"It is not fitting for a believer--man or woman--when a matter has been decided by Allah and His apostle to have any option about their decision. If anyone disobeys Allah and His Apostle, he is indeed on a clearly wrong path." (Ahzaab: 36)

In all these verses, the Holy Qur'aan has explained various aspects of the Holy Prophet's personality. One can judge the importance of the Holy Prophet (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam) from these verses.

I am reminded of another important verse of the Holy Qur'aan, which is actually a verdict against those who do not believe in Hadith as an authentic source of law:

"If anyone contends with the Holy Prophet (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam) even after guidance has been plainly conveyed to him, and follows a path other than that becoming to men of faith, We shall leave him in the path he has chosen and land him in Hell, what an evil refuge." (Nisaa': 110)

The Holy Qur'aan while pressing the Muslims to obey the Holy Prophet (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam), goes a step further when it announces that the prophethood of Prophet Muhammad (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam) is above all the limitations of time and space.

He is the last Prophet and is a Messenger of Allah for the whole of humanity for all time to come.

Hadith is nothing but a reflection of the personality of the Holy Prophet (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam), who is to be obeyed at every cost.

Any student of the Holy Qur'aan will see that the Holy Book generally deals with the broad principles or essentials of religion, going into details in very rare cases.

The details were generously supplied by the Holy Prophet (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam) himself, either by showing in his practice how an injunction shall be carried out, or by giving an explanation in words.

The Sunnah or Hadith of the Holy Prophet (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam) was not, as is generally supposed, a thing of which the need may have been felt only after his death, for it was very much needed in his lifetime.

The two most important religious institutions of Islam are prayer and Zakat; yet when the injunction relating to prayer and Zakat were delivered, and they were repeatedly revealed in both Makkah and Madinah, no details were supplied. Keep up prayers (Aqimoo-us-salaah) is the Qur'aanic injunction and it was the Holy Prophet (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam) himself who by his own actions gave the details of the prayer and said, "Pray as you see me praying."

Payment of Zakat is again an injunction frequently repeated in the Holy Qur'aan yet it was the Holy Prophet (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam) who gave the rules and regulations for its payment and collection.

These are but two examples; but since Islam covers the entire sphere of human activities, hundreds of points had to be explained by the Holy Prophet (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam) by his example in action and in words.

The Ulema have discussed the question of Hadith in detail as a "Wahyun Khafee" and prophetic wisdom.

I do not want to go through the details, but one thing must be stated clearly that there were cases when the Holy Prophet (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam), not having received a revelation, made a personal effort to formulate opinion through his own wisdom, either it was corrected by revelation or it was approved.

The importance of the Sunnah even as a second source of Islam was a settled issue for the Companions of the Holy Prophet (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam).

I quote only one of the many examples: that of Hadhrat Mu'az bin Jabal (Radhi Allaho anho) who said to the Holy Prophet (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam) that he would decide according to the Sunnah if he did not find the solution of a problem in the Book. To quote the late Dr Hamidullah:

"The importance of Hadith is increased for the Muslims by the fact that Prophet Muhammad (Sall Allaho alaihe wasallam) not only taught, but took the opportunity of putting his teachings into practice in all the important affairs of life.

"He lived for twenty-three years after his appointment as the Messenger of Allah. He endowed his community with a religion, which he scrupulously practised himself. He founded a state, which he administered as the supreme head, maintaining internal peace and order, heading armies for external defence, judging and deciding the litigations of his subjects, punishing the criminals and legislating in all walks of life. He married and left a model of family life.

"Another important fact is that he did not declare himself to be above the ordinary law, which he imposed on others.

"His practice was not mere private conduct, but a detailed interpretation and application of his teachings." (Introduction to Islam, page 23)

The man, therefore, who embraced Islam, stood in need of both the Holy Qur'aan and Sunnah. Actually Hadith is so important that without it one cannot fully understand the Holy Book and Islam or be able to apply it to one's life and practice.