Author: Mehmet Kırkıncı, 09-5-2006

‘Sahih (authenticated) Muslim’ summarizes the importance of Sunnah as, “The Apostle of God (peace be upon him), whatever or whenever he conducted or said something on anything, he did it as a Prophet. Everything that he did is far from being ‘Dalalat’ (state of perplexity) and ill. All his words and actions were kept within the limitations of God’s design. Therefore, everyone should follow and imitate every moment of his life. His life is a live Qur’an, and a sum of Divine Laws.”

There are so many verses and Hadiths in Qur’an and in hadith books, which precisely states that adhering to Sunnah is the fundamental basis of religion. Some of these are:

“O you who believe! Obey God and obey the Messenger, and those from among you who are invested with authority; and if you are to dispute among yourselves about anything, refer it to God and the Messenger, if indeed you believe in God and the Last Day. This is the best (for you) and fairest in the end.” (An-Nisa Surah, 4:59)

Commentary scholars of Qur’an interpret the command, “refer it to God and the Messenger” as “consult to Qur’an and Sunnah.”

Bediuzzaman Said Nursi interprets the verse, “Say (to them, O Messenger): "If you indeed love God, then follow me, so that God will love you and forgive you your sins." God is All-Forgiving, All-Compassionate” (Al-‘Imran Surah, 3:31) as, “If you believe in God (May His Glory be exalted), you will surely love Him. Since you love God, you will act in the manner He loves. To do that, you must resemble the one God loves. And he may be resembled by following him. Whenever you follow him, God will love you too. Anyway you have to love God so that He shall love you.”

‘These phrases form only a brief and concise meaning of the verse. It means that the most exalted goal for man is to receive Almighty God's love. The verse shows that the way of achieving this elevated aim is by following God’s Beloved and his Practices. If at this station Three Points are proved, the above truth will become completely clear.’ (11.Flash, 10. Point)

Al Maududi expresses below statements about the Sunnah Saniya:
“Leaving Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad even on a small scale, could lead you to be loved less by God and His messenger. First condition of love and affection is absolute submission. One who loves Messenger of God; Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) should submit him/herself to him and should obey his commands.”

In this connection, I would like to mention some of the parts which is about ‘adhering to the Sunnah’ from Risale-i Nur Collection.

The sources of the Noble Prophet's Illustrious Practices are three: his words, his acts, and his conduct. And there are three categories of each of these three: obligatory, voluntary, and laudable.

It is imperative to follow those that are obligatory and compulsory, and there are penalties and punishment for giving them up. Everyone is charged with following them. As for the voluntary sort, as laudable, the believers are again charged with following them, but there is no penalty or punishment for giving them up. However, there is great merit in acting in accordance with them and following them. And to change them is innovation, misguidance, and a great error. To follow and imitate the Prophet's customary actions is extremely laudable and in accordance with wisdom, and is beneficial for both personal life and social life and for human kind. For in all his habitual actions are numerous things beneficial for life, and furthermore, through following them, such conduct and actions become like worship.

Yes, since as both friend and foe agree, the person of Muhammad (PBUH) manifested the highest degrees of moral virtues; and since as all are agreed, he is the most famous and excellent individual in the human race; and since as indicated by his thousands of miracles, and testified to by the World of Islam that he founded and its achievements, and affirmed by the truths of the Qur'an of which he was the herald and interpreter, he was the most excellent Perfect Man and most excellent guide; and since as the fruit of following him, millions of the people of perfection have advanced through the degrees of attainment and reached the happiness of both worlds; for sure his Practices and actions are the finest examples to be followed, and the safest guides, and the soundest laws to be taken as principles. Happy is the one whose share of following the Practices of the Prophet (PBUH) is great. While those who are lazy and do not follow them suffer vast loss, and those who consider them to be unimportant commit a great crime, while if they criticize them, which infers denying them, it is serious misguidance. (11. Flash, 11. Point First Matter)

“O Friend! When I was making my way with apprehension and full of anxiety, I witnessed that Prophet Muhammad’s Sunnah was serving as stars and lamps. Each one of Sunnah or sharia law shines as sun bright over the oppressive rebellion ways against God’s design. If a man, even, least bit discards and departs from that straight path (of God’s) of sunnah; he becomes a puppet of Satan, a stage that ‘fears’ and ‘misdeeds’ exhibited, and a mount loaded the burden of mountains.” (Mesnevi-i Nuriye Katre 66)

The Practices of the Prophet (PBUH) are courtesy. There is no matter among them beneath which a light, and courtesy, is not to be found. The Noble Prophet (Upon whom be blessings and peace) said:

“Those who obey God and His messenger will be in the company of prophets, devotees, martyrs, and the ones that God bestowed His benefaction and gifts. How beautiful friends are those!”

“One whoever obeys His messenger, he/she obeys God.”

“Eddebenî Rabbî bi-ahseni Te’dibî,” the interpretation of it is, "My Sustainer taught me good conduct, and how well he taught me." Yes, one who studies the Prophet's biography and knows his Practices will certainly understand that Almighty God gathered in His Beloved all the varieties of courtesy and good conduct. One who gives up the Practices abandons courtesy. He verifies the rule, "The ill-mannered person is deprived of Divine favor," and is discourteous in a way that causes him loss. (11. Flash, 7. Point)

“There is a beautiful straightness for the ones among you who wish for the hereafter and recall the name of God often by submitting oneself to God.”

“The importance of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and his Sunnah were embroidered like a golden string in the verses by God.”

The Hadiths that demonstrates the concrete connection between Qur’an and Hadiths:

It is narrated on the authority of Irbad ibn Sariyah by Abu Dawud:

“AbdurRahman ibn Amr as-Sulami and Hujr ibn Hujr said: We came to Irbad ibn Sariyah who was among those about whom the following verse was revealed: "Nor (is there blame) on those who come to you to be provided with mounts, and when you said: "I can find no mounts for you."

We greeted him and said; we have come to see you to give healing and obtain benefit from you.

Al-Irbad said: One day the Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him) led us in prayer, then faced us and gave us a lengthy exhortation at which the eyes shed tears and the hearts were afraid.

A man said: Apostle of Allah! It seems as if it were a farewell exhortation, so what injunction do you give us?

He then said; I enjoin you to fear Allah, and to hear and obey even if it be an Abyssinian slave, for those of you who live after me will see great disagreement. You must then follow my Sunnah and that of the rightly guided caliphs. Hold to it and stick fast to it. Avoid novelties, for every novelty is an innovation, and every innovation is an error.”