In part three we demonstrated the authority of the Sunnah from the hadeeth. In part four we explain the various roles of the Sunnah in Islam. Without the Sunnah it is impossible to understand the Qur’an.
The Sunnah is the second source of Islamic law.
The verse, “And We have revealed to you the Reminder, so that you may explain to mankind what has been revealed to them” (Nahl 44) is a proof that one of the roles of the Sunnah is to explain the Qur’ān. Shaikh Albanee says that this verse means two things:
1. First, that the Messenger of Allah is not conceal any of the revelation that he has received but he must convey it to all of mankind. just as Allah, The Blessed Almighty, has revealed “O Messenger proclaim what is revealed to you from your Lord.” [5:67] Sayyida Ayesha (ra) is reported to have said “Whosoever says that Muhammad (sallalahu alayhi wa sallam) concealed something which he was commanded to communicate, has perpetrated a great lie against Allah.” Then she read the above mentioned verse. (Bukhari and Muslim). And according to the narration of Muslim: “If the Messenger (sallalahu alayhi wa sallam) of Allah had concealed something which he was commanded to communicate, he would have concealed the saying of The Almighty: “And [remember, O Muhammad], when you said to the one on whom Allah bestowed favor and you bestowed favor, “Keep your wife and fear Allah ,” while you concealed within yourself that which Allah is to disclose. And you feared the people, while Allah has more right that you fear Him..” (33:37)
2. Secondly, the Messenger of Allah has the duty of explaining the finer details of the Quran and how the Quran is to be applied.
Now, if Allah commanded the Messenger to explain the Quran then without a doubt, He also gave him the necessary knowledge to explain the Quran. Thus whenever the Messenger of Allah explained the Quran either verbally or through his action, he was acting upon the knowledge that Allah bestowed upon him. Allah says in Surah Qiyyamah about the Quran: Then upon Us is its clarification [to you].
If the Messenger did not have this role of explaining the Quran, then there would infact be no need to send the Messenger. Allah could have revealed the Quran on a mountain and then left us interpret ourselves. This explanation occurs in a number of ways.
The Prophet implemented non detailed commands in the Quran – giving them the needed detail.
The injunctions regarding prayer, fasting, zakāt hajj, marriage ,divorce, jihad and other acts of worship are not detailed regarding their implementation. The Sunnah provides the necessary details for these injunctions. For example the verse:
“Establish prayer and practice regular charity”. All issues related to the prayer, such as the required number of daily prayers, the number of prayer rak’at and the recitation in each prayer, as well as how to perform the prayer from beginning to end, are explained by the sunnah. The Prophet, (sallalahu alayhi wa sallam), said: “Pray as you have seen me pray.” [Bukhari]
Similarly, all issues related to the poor zakat, such as the minimum amount on which zakat becomes payable, the percentage paid, the kinds of wealth, goods, and animals on which zakat is obligatory, etc. are clearly explained by the sunnah of the Prophet (sallalahu alayhi wa sallam).
The Prophet qualified the unrestricted and particularised the general.
Example 1
For example “ The male thief and female thief cut off their hands” (5:38). In this verse, the thief is general like the hand. Without the explanation from the hadith, this verse would imply that all thieves are to have their hands cut off. The hadith restricts it by ‘as-sareq’ (the thief) who steals something worth a fourth of a Dinar according to the saying of the Prophet (sallalahu alayhi wa sallam), “There is no cutting – of the hand – unless the thing stolen is worth a fourth of a Dinar or more1.” (Bukhari & Muslim) the two shaikhs have recorded this Hadeeth.
Secondly the word yad, can mean anything from the hand up to the armpit. Again, the other is explained by the action of the Prophet (sallalahu alayhi wa sallam) or the action of his companions and his confirmation. They used to cut the hand of the thief from the wrist as is known in the work of Hadeeth.
Example 2
Allah says: “The carcass and it’s blood are forbidden to you.” (5:3) In explanation of this verse, the corpse of locusts, fish, the livers, spleen of blood are lawful. So the Prophet (sallalahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “He has made two dead things and blood lawful: the locusts and the fish, the liver and the spleen.” Without this explanation, the Muslims would have prohibited for themselves these food products.
Example 3
Allaah says what means: “Say: ‘Who has forbidden the adornment of [i.e., from] Allaah which He has produced for His servants and the good [lawful] things of provision?...” [Quran: 7:32]. But the Sunnah has forbidden some ‘adornments’, and this is evident from the saying of the Prophet : “The wearing of silk and gold has been made unlawful for males and lawful for the females of my nation.” [At-Tirmithi]
Example 4
Allaah says what means: “Say: ‘I do not find within that which was revealed to me [anything] forbidden to one who would eat it unless it be a dead animal or blood spilled out or the flesh of swine – for indeed, it is impure – or it be [that slaughtered in] disobedience, dedicated to other than Allaah…” [Quran: 6:145]
But the Sunnah has forbidden many things not mentioned in the above mentioned verse; an example of this lies in the saying of the Prophet : “All predatory animals with tusks and every bird with claws are forbidden for consumption.” There are other narrations that have forbidden the consumption of such animals, such as the one where the Prophet is reported to have said: “Allaah and His Messenger have prohibited the consumption of domesticated donkeys, for they are filth.” [Al-Bukhaari & Muslim]
Example 5
In surah an-Nisa’ (Chapter 4) verse 11, the share of children in inheritance is given: “Allah directs you as regards your children’s inheritance …”The general ayah on inheritance is specified by the ḥadīth which states that “the Muslim does not inherit from the kāfir, nor does the kāfir inherit from the Muslim.”
The sunnah can establish a specific meaning when a number of meanings are possible.
Example 1
For example the verse, ‘And eat and drink until the white thread becomes distinct from the black thread of dawn’ was explained by the Prophet to refer to the distinction between dawn and the night, and not literally to the distinction between a black and white thread.
Example 2
Allah says: “It is whose who believe and confuse not their beliefs with wrong, ‘dhulm’ that are (truly) in security for they are on (right) guidance.” (6:82)
The companions of the Prophet (sallalahu alayhi wa sallam) understood the word ‘dhulm’ in its general sense to mean every wrong doing, even if it be little. On this account the verse is regarded as dubious and they said, “O Messenger (sallalahu alayhi wa sallam) of Allah, which of us did not involve his faith with dhulm (wrong)?” He (sallalahu alayhi wa sallam) said; It is not that. It is only the ‘shirk’. Have you not heard what Luqman said: “Verily, ‘shirk’ is a very great sin (dhulm).” (31:13) (Bukhari)
So the understanding of the sahabah of dhulm mentioned in the verse was in its general sense, despite the fact that they were, as stated by Ibn Mas’ud: “The best of this community, most pious, profound in learning, least of dissimulation.” Yet with all that they erred in their understanding of that. Were it not for the Prophet (sallalahu alayhi wa sallam), who held them back from their mistaken notion, and explained the correct meaning of ‘dhulm’ in the context is shirk we too would have followed in their wrong thinking. Allah, The Blessed and The Most High saved us from that wrong notion by the grace of the right direction of the Prophet and his Sunnah.
Example 3
Allah says: “When you travel on earth, there is no blame on you to shorten your prayer, for fear the unbelievers will persecute you.” (4:101) The apparent meaning of this verse that when travelling , fear is a pre-requisite for the shortening of prayers. Ie if you are not in a state of fear, you may not shorten your prayers. This was the meaning that some of the Companions understood from this verse. Some of the Prophet’s (sallalahu alayhi wa sallam) companions asked him: “Why do we shorten our prayers while we feel safe?” The Messenger of Allah cleared up their misunderstanding and said “It is a charity from Allah, so accept it.” (Muslim) So in this verse – the fear was not a condition for shortening the prayer, rather it was alluding to a common occurrence at that time.
The above examples show that even if an individual has excelled in the Arabic language, and he is familiar with all of the verses of the Quran – he will not be able to understand the Quran without recourse to the Sunnah. The fact that the Companions were unable to understand certain verses, without aid of the Prophet, proves this.
The Sunnah clarifies which verses of the Qur’ān are nāsikh and which are manṣ̣ūkh.
Example 1
If any of your women are guilty of lewdness (adultery), take the evidence of four witnesses from amongst you against them; and if they testify, confine them to houses until death do claim them, or Allah ordain for them some (other) way. Surat al-Nisaa’ 15. Ibn `Abbas said, “The early ruling was confinement, until Allah sent down the following verse in Surat An-Nur which abrogated that ruling with the ruling of flogging (for fornication) or stoning to death (for adultery).
The [unmarried] woman or [unmarried] man found guilty of sexual intercourse – lash each one of them with a hundred lashes, and do not be taken by pity for them in the religion of Allah , if you should believe in Allah and the Last Day. And let a group of the believers witness their punishment.(Nur: 2)
The Prophet (sallalahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “Allah has ordained for them a way, stoning for adulterers, and lashing for fornicators.”.
The Sunnah explain some historical events in detail since they are mentioned only briefly in the Qur’an.
Example 1
Behold! God promised you one of the two (enemy) parties, that it should be yours; ye wished that the one unarmed should be yours, but God intended to justify the Truth according to His words and to cut off the roots of the unbelievers.” al-Anfal: 7:
Which two parties are meant? Which of them is unarmed? From books of ahadith we learn the relevant details about the Battle of Badr, which is the incident referred to in the above verses.
Example 2
“Allah turned in mercy) to the three who were left behind;” Surah at-Tawbah, 118. Who were these three people, and why did they remain behind? Again, the books of ahadith explain this.
Example 3
“He frowned and turned away, because there came to him the blind man.”‘Abasa verses 1-2: Who frowned and turned away, and why? Who was the blind man? The details are furnished by the books of ahadith.
Also Surah Burooj is explained in detail by the Messenger in the hadith of the boy and the king.
The Sunnah is also an independent source of law
This is explained in the verse in Sūrah Al–Arāf: ‘He makes lawful for them the good things, and makes unlawful for them the corrupt things’ Examples of this include the prohibition of consuming the domestic donkey, wearing of silk and gold for men, and the giving of zakāt al fitr the prohibition of marrying a woman and her aunt, the janaza prayer and the athaan.
In conclusion it is impossible to understand many of the verses of the Quran, without the explanation of the Prophet. There is ijmaa that the first source in explaining the Quran is the Quran itself, and the second source is the statements and actions of the Prophet – the Sunnah. Whenever the Prophet explained the Quran it was based upon revelation from Allah – ie the understanding that Allah had given to him
Hence when Saeed ibn Jubair narrated some hadith of the Prophet, a man came to him and said: The Quran differs from what you have said. Saeed ibn Jubair replied: The Messenger of Allah knows the Book of Allah better than you do” (Suyuti: Miftaah)
The second caliph Umar said: A people will come to you who will argue with you based upon the ambigious verses of the Quran. Restrict them by the sunnah, for the people of the sunnah are the most knowledgeable of the Book of Allah. (Ibn Qayyim, I'laam al-Muwwaqi’in)
The Prophet Muhammad as a model of behaviour
There is indeed a good model for you in the Messenger of Allah – for the one who has hope in Allah and the Last Day, and remembers Allah much.” Surah Al-Ahzab:21.
All the Messengers had the same attributes as the other human beings to whom they were sent, including physical bodies which needed food, drink and rest. They had experiences similar to that of other human beings; they enjoyed health and suffered from sickness, they were exposed to trials and tribulations and they also faced death. They had no special divine qualities, power or strength. Thus, they could become a living example of the Deen they were sent with. This also discards any possibility of anyone arguing that the nature of the Messengers was different from the humans and thus, they could effectively accomplish all the duties of the religion, which are unfeasible for the humans to carry out.
In the Prophet (sallalahu alayhi wa sallam) we see how we worshiped Allah , his methodology of dawah,his life as a husband, father, relative and friend – we see his mercy, kindness, forbearance, sabr, forgiving, loving, considerate to our peoples feelings, generosity, and bravery. And his leadership within the state administration, at the battle-ground, at the market place, at various other situations.
This ends this four part series on Sunnah and Hadith. I borrowed extensively from the excellent book The Authority and Importance of the Sunnah by Jamaal Al-Din M. Zarabozo.
- approx 1.06g of gold ↩︎
