𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐚𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈𝐭𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐐𝐮𝐫’𝐚𝐧
𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐚𝐡 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐮𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐡 ﷺ. 𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐟𝐬𝐢𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐐𝐮𝐫’â𝐧.* 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨 𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐚𝐡*; 𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐭.* 𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐬,* 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐦𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟𝐟 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐬.
Explanation by Shaykh Dr. Rabee' ibn Haadee Al- Madkhalee:
*As for the statement [𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐚𝐡 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐮𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐡]: I pose the question: 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒖𝒏𝒏𝒂𝒉? Al Imâm Ahmad says 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐚𝐡 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐡 (ﷺ). 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐡𝐢𝐬 (ﷺ) 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬, 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐬. 𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐰𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐥𝐥â𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐚𝐡.
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐚𝐡? 𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐡 (ﷺ), 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬, 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐬, 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐀𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐡 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐮𝐩𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐮𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐦𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰.
*Al-Imâm Ahmad says, as he clarifies the status of the Sunnah and its connection with the Qur’ân, [𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐚𝐡 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐚𝐟𝐬î𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐐𝐮𝐫'â𝐧] as Allah says in His Noble Qur’ân: “..𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐖𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 (𝐎 𝐌𝐮𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐝 ﷺ) 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 (𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐐𝐮𝐫’â𝐧), 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦.”
[An-Nahl: 44]
Also, in another verse, Allâh states:
“..(𝐚𝐧𝐝) 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐬𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐬, 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐀𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐌𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫...” [An-Nisa: 59]
To return a dispute back to Allah, it is to return it to the Book of Allah. To return it to the Messenger (ﷺ) it is to return it directly to him in his lifetime, (ﷺ) but after his death it is to return to his Sunnah (ﷺ). For indeed the Sunnah is a source for mankind, a reference. And just like the Qur’ân, the Sunnah can be used as a proof in issues of 'Aqîdah, legislative rulings, halal and harâm, and all other affairs of the Religion, indeed it is a source like the Qur’ân. For this reason, if a question was posed to the early generation of Muslims pertaining to the 'Aqidah or anything other than that, they would respond based on what came to their mind using either a verse from the Qur’ân or (a narration) from the Sunnah, not separating between the two. An example of this will come (later on) from situations involving 'Umar, Abû Bakr, Ibn 'Umar, and other Companions (radiallahu anhuma).
[𝐈𝐭 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐐𝐮𝐫’â𝐧]: The Prophetic Sunnah clarifies and gives detail to that which is general from Qur'ân. It clarifies the ambiguous, restricts the unrestricted, and specifies that which is general. The Sunnah offers us details about the Salâh, its times, its description, its frequency, what we should recite, and what we should say while bowing and prostrating. All of this is found in the Sunnah. Allah says often in the Qur’ân:
"𝐄𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲."
The Sunnah clarifies these verses, providing detail.
𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐚𝐡 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐮𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐡 ﷺ. 𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐟𝐬𝐢𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐐𝐮𝐫’â𝐧.* 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨 𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐚𝐡*; 𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐭.* 𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐬,* 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐦𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟𝐟 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐬.
Explanation by Shaykh Dr. Rabee' ibn Haadee Al- Madkhalee:
*As for the statement [𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐚𝐡 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐮𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐡]: I pose the question: 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒖𝒏𝒏𝒂𝒉? Al Imâm Ahmad says 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐚𝐡 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐡 (ﷺ). 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐡𝐢𝐬 (ﷺ) 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬, 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐬. 𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐰𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐥𝐥â𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐚𝐡.
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐚𝐡? 𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐡 (ﷺ), 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬, 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐬, 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐀𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐡 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐮𝐩𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐮𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐦𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰.
*Al-Imâm Ahmad says, as he clarifies the status of the Sunnah and its connection with the Qur’ân, [𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐧𝐚𝐡 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐚𝐟𝐬î𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐐𝐮𝐫'â𝐧] as Allah says in His Noble Qur’ân: “..𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐖𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 (𝐎 𝐌𝐮𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐝 ﷺ) 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 (𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐐𝐮𝐫’â𝐧), 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦.”
[An-Nahl: 44]
Also, in another verse, Allâh states:
“..(𝐚𝐧𝐝) 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐬𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐬, 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐀𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐌𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫...” [An-Nisa: 59]
To return a dispute back to Allah, it is to return it to the Book of Allah. To return it to the Messenger (ﷺ) it is to return it directly to him in his lifetime, (ﷺ) but after his death it is to return to his Sunnah (ﷺ). For indeed the Sunnah is a source for mankind, a reference. And just like the Qur’ân, the Sunnah can be used as a proof in issues of 'Aqîdah, legislative rulings, halal and harâm, and all other affairs of the Religion, indeed it is a source like the Qur’ân. For this reason, if a question was posed to the early generation of Muslims pertaining to the 'Aqidah or anything other than that, they would respond based on what came to their mind using either a verse from the Qur’ân or (a narration) from the Sunnah, not separating between the two. An example of this will come (later on) from situations involving 'Umar, Abû Bakr, Ibn 'Umar, and other Companions (radiallahu anhuma).
[𝐈𝐭 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐐𝐮𝐫’â𝐧]: The Prophetic Sunnah clarifies and gives detail to that which is general from Qur'ân. It clarifies the ambiguous, restricts the unrestricted, and specifies that which is general. The Sunnah offers us details about the Salâh, its times, its description, its frequency, what we should recite, and what we should say while bowing and prostrating. All of this is found in the Sunnah. Allah says often in the Qur’ân:
"𝐄𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲."
The Sunnah clarifies these verses, providing detail.