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THE AUTHORITY OF THE SUNNAH
In this article, the authority of the sunnah will be studied. In order to understand its importance, we will glance at the literal meaning of the sunnah and its classification throughout the Islamic history. Since the first centuries, sunnah has been classified in various ways. However, two of them are important for the subject we will deal with in this article. The first one is the classification of the sunnah from the viewpoint of its subject matter (matn) which will be named as structural classification. And the second one is the manner of its transmission (isnâd).
The Arabic word sunnah literally means “road”, “trodden path” or “beaten track” [1]. This meaning is used in a hadîth: “Whoever sets a good example (man sanna sunnatan hasanaten) he and all those who act upon it shall be rewarded until the day of resurrection; and whoever sets a bad example (man sanna sunnatan sayyi’atan) he and all those who follow it will carry the burden of its blame until the day of resurrection” [2].
In Islam, sunnah or the sunnah of the Prophet (s.a.w) has come to represent the way Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) lived his life. Since He has been sent as a blessing for all creations (rahmah lil ‘âlameen)[3], an excellent conduct (uswah hasanah)[4], and an excellent character (khuluqin ‘azîm)[5], His life means not only an ethical example but also a source of the legal proof next to the Qur’ân. In terms of its structure, sunnah is divided into three types: verbal (qawlî), actual (fi‘lî) and tacitly approved (taqrîrî). The verbal sunnah consists of His sayings on any subject such as the hadîth “actions are by intentions”[6]. The actual sunnah consists of His actual rituals such as the way He performed partial ablution, salâh and, hajj. Tacitly approved sunnah indicates all sayings and acts of the Companions which were approved or disapproved by the Prophet (s.a.w) such as described in the following instance: one of the companions said that in a campaign he had had a wet dream in the night, but because of the extreme cold he didn’t take a bath. Then he performed the salâh al-fajr with tayammûm and upon his return to al-Madinah he related the story to the Prophet (s.a.w). Rasulallah (s.a.w) laughed and didn’t say anything. Hence it became an approval sunnah[7].
Moreover, in terms of its transmission, the hadîth is divided into mutawâtir (consecutive hadîth), mashhûr (well-known hadîth), and âhâd (solitary hadîth). Mutawâtir hadîth means a report by a significant number of narrators at each level in the chain of narration that they cannot be expected to agree upon a lie, all of them together. The authority of mutawâtir hadith is equivalent to that of the Qur’ân. Examples of mutawatir are such as the five daily prayers and the hadîth “whoever invents a lie and attributes it to me intentionally, must prepare his seat in the Hell-fire”[8]. The second one is the mashhûr that is defined as a hadîth which is originally reported by only one or two Companions, but become widely known later (among the companions’ successors and the successors to the successors) and narrated by an indefinite number of people. According to the Hanafî School of Law acting upon the mashhûr is obligatory, however, denying it doesn’t amount to disbelief. Therefore the mashhûr may qualify the general (‘âmm) of the Qur’ân. “the killer does not inherit”[9] is an example of the mashhûr hadîth. The third one is the âhâd hadîth (also known as khabar al-wâhid) which is one that is narrated by people whose number (single person or by odd individuals) does not reach that of the mutawâtir case. The saying of the Prophet (s.a.w) “surely, Allah does not regard your forms (looks) nor your wealth, but He scans your hearts and activities”[10] is the example of the âhâd hadîth[11].
The majority of the scholars have reached a consensus on the necessity of performance upon the sahîh hadîth. Moreover, since the first generations exemplified of the sunnah among the societies shows the actual consensus of the ummah. In addition, such as the other societies have ordered to follow their prophets, in various Qur’ânic verses Muslim society, as well, was commanded to follow Rasulallah (s.a.w). At the below paragraphs we will mention the authority of His sunnah around some âyahs.
“He who obeys the Messenger, obeys Allah”[12], “Obey Allah, and obey the Messenger, and beware (of evil): if ye do turn back, you should know that it is Our Messenger’s duty to proclaim (the message) in the clearest manner”[13]. In both âyahs the obedience of the Messenger (s.a.w) was vitally ordered, and the submission to Him is declared as submission to Allah. As a matter of fact, religious duties are considered as a whole body. It is clear that without submission to the Prophet (s.a.w), serving duties couldn’t be performed and, without obeying Him, obedience to Allah couldn’t be fulfilled. Compliance to the sunnah of Rasulallah (s.a.w), therefore, is accepted as a criteria of the affection of Allah. In the Qur’ân it is said that this affection merely could be showed by recognizing the authority of the sunnah: “Say (O Muhammad, to mankind) ‘If you do love Allah, follow me; Allah will love you and forgive you your sins: Allah is Forgiving, Most Merciful’”[14]. Thus, fondness and love between slave and Allah, and His forgiveness for creatures depends on allegiance of Rasulallah (s.a.w) and following of the right way, which He has showed to His ummah both with his life style and his sayings.
Authority of the sunnah of the Prophet is one of the central concept which is emphasized in the Qur’ân when Rasulallah (s.a.w) is mentioned. This obedience to the Prophet is commended in many different âyahs as a sign of submission to Allah, and as a way of avoiding His punishment. For instance the âyah reads, “Take what the Messenger assigns to you, and deny yourselves that which he withholds from you. And fear Allah. For Allah is strict in punishment”[15]. According to this âyah believers don’t have a choice to reject what the messenger of Allah, who has been sent as blessing for all creations (rahmah lil ‘âlameen), assigns to them. Rasulallah (s.a.w), as well stressed on this fact in this hadîth: “none of you believes until his desire follows what I have brought”[16]. There is only one way: obedience with inner calm. If a believer takes the life style of the Prophet (s.a.w) as an example and makes effort to live like him, ultimately he could reach the consent of Allah. This is the purpose of the institution of prophethood. Refusing what He orders, on the other hand, means perversity and strict punishment of Allah. The âyah reads clearly: “It is not fitting for a believer, man or woman, when a matter has been decided by Allah and His Messenger to have any option about their decision: if any one disobeys Allah and His Messenger, he is indeed on a clearly wrong path”[17].
In conclusion, the life of the Prophet (s.a.w) is shown as an excellent dynamic model for those who want the consent of Allah. As it is reported Rasulallah (s.a.w) said, “I have left two things among you. You shall not go astray so long as you hold on to them: the Book of Allah and my sunnah”[18]. His sunnah, in other words, his life is his inheritance and the love of the Prophet depends on claiming that legacy.
Necmettin KIZILKAYA
necmettink@hotmail.com
[1] Ibn al-Mandhûr, Lisân al-‘Arab, “snn”, Lebenon, Dâr Sader, n.d.
[2] Ibn Mâjah, Abu ‘Abdallah Muhammad ibn Yazid al-Qazwinî, Sunan Ibn Mâjah, ed. Muhammad Fuad Abdul Baqî, Beirut, Dâr al-Fikr, Muqaddemah, 36; Shawkânî, Muhammad Ibn Ali Ibn Muhammad, Irshad al-Fuhûl, ed. Muhammad Saîd al-Badrî, Beirut, Dâr al-Fikr, 1992/1412, I, 67.
[3] Al-Anbiyâ’, 21: 107.
[4] Al-Ahzâb, 33: 21.
[5] Al-Qalam, 68: 4.
[6] Al-Bukhârî, Muhammad b. Ismâ‘îl, Sahîh al-Bukhârî, ed. Mustafa Deeb al-Bugâ, Beirut, Dâr Ibn Kasîr, 1987/1407, Bad’ al-Wahy, 1.
[7] Kamali, Mohammad Hashim, Principles of Islamic Jurisprudence, Cambridge, The Islamic Texts Society, 1991, pp. 50-51.
[8] Muslim, Abû al-Husayn ibn Hajjâj al-Nîsâbûrî, Sahîh Muslim, ed., Mohammad Fuad Abdalbâqî, Beirut, Dâr Ihyâ Al-Turâs Al-‘Arabî, n.d., Muqaddemah, 2.
[9] Ibn Mâjah, Sunan, al-Diyât, 14.
[10] Ibid, al-Zuhd, 9.
[11] For details see Ibn Salâh, Abû Amr Uthmân ibn Abd al-Rahmân, Muqaddemah, ed. Nur al-Deen Itr, Beirut, Dâr al-Fikr al-Mu‘âsir, 1977, p. 265-267; Ibn al-Hajar, Ahmad ibn Ali, Nuhbah al-Fikar fî Mustalah Ehl al-Asar, Beirut, Dâr Ihyâ Al-Turâs Al-‘Arabî, n.d., I, 1; al-Suyûtî, Abd al-Rahman ibn Ebi Bakr, Tadrîb al-Râwî, ed., Abd al-Wahhab Abd al-Lateef, Reyâd, Maktaba al-Reyâd al-Hadîse, n.d., II, 173-176.
[12] Al-Nisâ’, 4: 80.
[13] Al-Mâidah, 5: 92.
[14] Âli ‘Imrân, 3: 31.
[15] Al-Hashr, 59: 7.
[16] Ibn Rajab al-Hanbalî, Zain ad-Dîn Abu al-Faraj al-Baghdâdî, Jâmi‘ al-‘Uloom wal-Hikam, ed. Shuaib Al-Aranout, Beirut, Muassasah al-Resâlah, 1997, I, 386-387.
[17] Al-Ahzâb, 33: 36.
[18] Mâlik b. Enes, Abû Abdallah al-Asbahî, Muwatta’, ed. Muhammad Fuad Abdul Baqî, Egypt, Dâr Ihyâ Al-Turâs Al-‘Arabî, n.d., Qadar, 1.