Why do we have tofollow thesunnah ofthe prophet Muhammad and not justfollow thequraan

[Muhammed-isgood]

Salam alaykum brother and sister

Why do we have to follow the sunnah of the prophet Muhammad and not just follow the quraan ?
Why do we have to follow a specific Mathab?

[Muhammad]

:wasalamex

The following threads will provide much information in answer to your question. I hope you will find them useful Insha'Allaah. In addition, the threads which have been made 'sticky' in this section are also good to read.

1. [General Article] The Status of the Sunnah in Islam
2. Introduction to the Sunnah
3. Rules Governing the Criticism of Hadeeth
4. The Legal Status of the Sunnah in Islam
5. Ahadeeth Myths
6. Hadeeth Rejectors - Refutations.
7. The Fallacies Of Anti-Hadith Arguments
8. [Aqeedah] Iqaamatul Burhaan



Regarding your second question, I am not aware of following a specific madhab to be something obligatory. For further information it's best to consult scholars whom you trust on this issue.

[Muhaba]

Why did Allah send the Prophet (SAW) and not just the Quran? because we couldn't possibly follow the Quran without the teachings/explanation from Prophet Muhammad (SAW).

Why do we need teachers in schools? why not give pupils just books and let them study on their own?

[Abdul-Raouf]

WHY one would want to ignore a practical explanation/guide... from the best human ever lived...on how to follow to live the islamic life...?

Let me put a question like this :
What if a non-muslim comes to you .. to accept islam... what would you do... would you just give him a quran copy with translation and finish the discussion saying this is enough for you to follow islam ?

What if he comes back to you and asks ... as to how i should pray? or how i should do wudhu ?or how i should eat (manner)? or how i should finish my natural call ?or how is should drink ? or how i should sleep or how should i dress/present yourself? or how to take bath?

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[glo]

Does that mean that people who only follow Qu'ran but not hadith, interpret or practice Islam differently?
Surely all Muslims pray and fast in the same way. Or don't they?

[Abz2000]

Pls read the quran alone and try to figure out how many units of prayer there are in each prayer time, then come back and tell us, also tell us how it instructs you to pray, and what to say during bowing and prostration.
I'm pretty sure you'll have figured it out by then, and I think brother Muhammad answered the q about following a madhab quite well,

Also Muslims usually say peace be upon him when they mention the Prophet (pbuh) the first time.
Peace

[Salahudeen]

Salam alaykum brother and sister

Why do we have to follow the sunnah of the prophet Muhammad and not just follow the quraan ?
Why do we have to follow a specific Mathab?

The sunnah is the example of how to follow the Qur'an.

Madhabs are schools of Islamic law and rulings that were derived from the Qur'an and Sunnah by learned scholars, a madhab is really a set of rulings taken from the Qur'an and Sunnah because we're not able to extrapolate rulings for ourselves due to the fact the majority of us aren't educated in the Islamic sciences.

A madhab is really all the work done for you, someone sat down and examined the Qu'ran and the Sunnah and through their examination they brought forth a ruling for everyday situations that a muslim is commonly faced with, such as how to do wudu correctly, how to pray, how to calculate zakah, what nullifies your wudu, someone examined all the evidence and documented the answer/correct method, so basically all the research has been done for you, whenever a question arises in your head "hmm I wonder what the ruling on such a such thing is" or "I wonder what the method is to do this act of worship", instead of going through all the Qur'an and books of hadith trying to find your answer you can just see the research of a scholar who has all ready done it and presented the evidence from the Qur'an and Sunnah in his madhab.

People follow one because they don't have the means to go through the Qur'an and Sunnah to find the answer to their question and derive rulings, so most people follow a scholar who has done all this, as this is what most people have within their capability to do since they lack an Islamic education.

You don't have to follow a specific one I believe, but you can take the opinions of the scholar of that madhab who has done all the research for you.

[Perseveranze]

Does that mean that people who only follow Qu'ran but not hadith, interpret or practice Islam differently?
Surely all Muslims pray and fast in the same way. Or don't they?

The Qur'an tells you to pray and fast. It doesn't tell you how to pray or how long to fast. Hadiths are thus essential in understanding and properly interpreting the Qur'an as the Prophet(صلى الله عليه وسلم) and his Companions(رضي الله عنه) understood it. .

With the Qur'an only, a verse may be interpreted a 100 different ways, with each being subjectively as correct as the other. But when you bring hadiths into it, that subjectivity turns into objectiveness and interpretation is limited to only one. Praying 5 times a day, fasting for 30 days, how to calculate the obligatory Zakat (charity) etc. become completely clear.

As I say, the Qur'an is the product to replenish the human soul, whilst the Hadiths are the User Guide/Manual in how to utilize this product to its fullest. Both compliment the other and are a gift and a mercy from the Creator.

[glo]

With the Qur'an only, a verse may be interpreted a 100 different ways, with each being subjectively as correct as the other. But when you bring hadiths into it, that subjectivity turns into objectiveness and interpretation is limited to only one. Praying 5 times a day, fasting for 30 days, how to calculate the obligatory Zakat (charity) etc. become completely clear.

Yes, I understand that the example of the prophet makes those details clear.

My question was, if there are Muslims who don't follow hadith, only Qu'ran - do they pray differently or fast differently or give different zakat?
I am asking because I had assumed that all Muslims follow these things, regardless of whether they follow hadith or not.

[Snowflake]

Yes, I understand that the example of the prophet makes those details clear.

My question was, if there are Muslims who don't follow hadith, only Qu'ran - do they pray differently or fast differently or give different zakat?
I am asking because I had assumed that all Muslims follow these things, regardless of whether they follow hadith or not.

Good question Glo. When I first began using the internet my knowledge of Islam was very poor and I almost ended up being brainwashed by someone who claimed to be muslim but rejected all hadith. He tried to convert me by showing me an article which said that salah (daily prayers) meant a daily meeting in the mosque with other members of the community. The purpose of these meetings was to discuss individual/social problems and find solutions to help those who were affected.

Hajj, the Pilgrimage was described as an annual meeting where Muslim from around the World attended to discuss political problems, and the definitions of jinns (unseen beings) were referred to people who lived in far off rural areas, and so could not be seen from the Cities. Shocking when you know the Truth.

So such people do not actually pray, and those who do usually make up their own versions since they have rejected hadith. Their faith is denied because Allah says in the Quran, “But no, by your Lord, they can have no Faith, until they make you (O Muhammad) judge in all disputes between them, and find in themselves no resistance against your decisions, and accept (them) with full submission.” [al-Nisa’ 4:65]

Hope that helps.

[sister herb]

I don't think they make their claims or interpretations due to evil intentions.

That is a good point - it is possible that they don´t know that they spread wrong information.

Like me; when I reverted to islam it was time before internet became so common like it is now and only ways to find information about hadiths was library. But I didn´t find books about hadiths by my language (not even knew if there was any as I didn´t know names of books or translators) and my english was much worse than what it is today. No islamic community in my town at that time, no muslim friends here. So then my only way try to figure how to practice islam was some books whose told islam in common and - the Quran.

:hmm:

So without proper information I surely prayed and fasted etc. differently. May Allah forgive my ignorance.

[Insaanah]

:sl:

Why do we have to follow the sunnah of the prophet Muhammad and not just follow the quraan ?

Because Allah tells us in the Qur'an, to follow the sunnah of the Prophet :saws:. The Qur'an is Allah's words, and the Sunnah is the commands, words, actions, approvals, statements, etc of the Prophet :saws:. Allah tells us in the Qur'an, that we must obey the Prophet :saws:, which we can only do through accepting and following his sunnah, which is his commands etc.

If we don't follow the sunnah of the prophet :saws:, then that automatically means that we're not following the Qur'an either, because the Qur'an tells us to follow the sunnah. So if you believed that you didn't have to follow the sunnah despite what the Qur'an says, in effect you'd be rejecting that part of the Qur'an that tells you to follow the sunnah, which is tantamount to rejecting the whole of the Qur'an. As the Qur'an is Allah's words, in effect, you'd be rejecting what your Lord has said in those parts of the Qur'an that tell you to obey the sunnah. The implications of that, are huge, and very, very serious.

Apart from that, the first pillar of Islam is bearing witness and accepting and believing, wholeheartedly, that there is no God and none worthy of worship except Allah, and the Muhammad :saws: is the messenger of Allah. The messengers are sent by Allah, to show people how to put into practice the law and guidance that has been sent by Allah, and also, to give commands, issue regulations, and be a source of law, as taught to them by Allah. When a person takes or believes in the shahaadah, by default you have to accept what comes with that. If you claim to accept the messenger as the messenger Allah sent for you, but you are not going to follow what he said and commanded, then the question arises, how much of an acceptance is that?

This concept of not following the sunnah, and following "only the Qur'an", strikes at the very roots, and the very foundations, of one's Islam and one's imaan, in a way that can completely nullify both.

Another thing to note, is that the sunnah is not just the "how to" of the commands in the Qur'an, but is also an independent source of law in itself, and as such, there are compulsory commands/prohibitions in it which are not explicitly mentioned in the Qur'an, the prohibition on men wearing gold and silk being just one example.

Let us see what Allah says in the Qur'an about following what the Prophet :saws: said:

He who obeys the Messenger has obeyed Allah ; but those who turn away - We have not sent you over them as a guardian. (4:80)

So obedience to the Prophet is obedience to Allah, so what is rejection of the Prophet's way? Food for thought.

Without following the sunnah of the Prophet :saws:, you cannot obey him, because the sunnah is his commands, statements, actions, approvals etc.

O you who have believed, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you. And if you disagree over anything, refer it to Allah and the Messenger, if you should believe in Allah and the Last Day. That is the best [way] and best in result. (4:59)

And obey Allah and the Messenger that you may obtain mercy. (3:132)

O you who have believed, obey Allah and His Messenger and do not turn from him while you hear [his order]. (8:20)

And obey Allah and His messenger, and dispute not one with another lest ye falter and your strength depart from you; but be steadfast! Lo! Allah is with the steadfast. (8:46)

....establish prayer and give zakah and obey Allah and His Messenger. And Allah is Acquainted with what you do. (58:13, part)

Obey Allah and obey the messenger, and beware! But if ye turn away, then know that the duty of Our messenger is only plain conveyance (of the message). (5:92)

Say, "Obey Allah and obey the Messenger; but if you turn away - then upon him is only that [duty] with which he has been charged, and upon you is that with which you have been charged. And if you obey him, you will be [rightly] guided. And there is not upon the Messenger except the [responsibility for] clear conveyance of the message." (24:54)

O you who have believed, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and do not invalidate your deeds.(47:33)

Obey Allah and obey His messenger; but if ye turn away, then the duty of Our messenger is only to convey (the message) plainly. (64:12)

And establish prayer and give zakah and obey the Messenger - that you may receive mercy. (24:56)

In the verse above, obedience to the Messenger is mentioned on it's own, that is how important it is.

....whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger will be admitted by Him to gardens [in Paradise] under which rivers flow, abiding eternally therein; and that is the great attainment.(4:13, part)

And whoever obeys Allah and the Messenger - those will be with the ones upon whom Allah has bestowed favor of the prophets, the steadfast affirmers of truth, the martyrs and the righteous. And excellent are those as companions. (4:69)

And whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger and fears Allah and is conscious of Him - it is those who are the successful ones. (24;52)

...And whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger has certainly attained a great attainment. (33:71, part)

...And whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger - He will admit him to gardens beneath which rivers flow; but whoever turns away - He will punish him with a painful punishment. (48:17, part)

The Believers, men and women, are protectors one of another: they enjoin what is just, and forbid what is evil: they observe regular prayers, practise regular charity, and obey Allah and His Messenger. On them will Allah pour His mercy: for Allah is Exalted in power, Wise. (9:71)

There are still more verses, some of which mention the consequences of not obeying the messenger. It is not an option for one that claims to be a Muslim.

Please also read the links provided in brother Muhammad's post.

May Allah guide all sunnah rejectors, hadeeth rejectors and "Qur'an only" followers to the right path, and help them to open their eyes, before it's too late, ameen.

[Muezzin]

Here's an easy example:

The Qur'an tells us to pray.

The Sunnah explains to us how to pray.

Therefore, you need both the Qur'an and the Sunnah.

[Snowflake]

The verse in question (4:65) was given in an article about hadith rejectors. I wouldn't have quoted it otherwise and to avoid any of us disputing over something we aren't qualified to, it's better if we listen to what the scholars have to say about Quranists. (A funny term since they have not only rejected the Quran which tells us to take what the Prophet has given us, but also made their own weird interpretations of it. Na udhu billah.)

"If anyone desires a religion other than Islam, never will it be accepted of him, and in the Hereafter he will be in the ranks of those who have lost" [A'al-e-Imran, 3:85] (Sunnah/Hadith are a part of Islam).


"If anyone disobeys Allah and His Messenger he is indeed on a clearly wrong path." [Al-Ahzab, 33:36]

"He that obeys Allah and His Messenger has already attained the great victory." [Al-Ahzab, 33:71].

"We did not send you except as Mercy for all creatures." [Al-Anbia, 21:107] And,

"We have not sent you except as a Messenger to all mankind, giving them glad tidings and warning them against sin." [Saba, 34:28]

[Snowflake]

Oh, so it must be true then, right?

I'm not sure I understand where your defense of Quranists is coming from? You need to look at it the literal actions and beliefs of these people to see the matter for what it really is. Anyone who does away with the hadith and sunnah have rejected the Quran and the Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam). It's as simple as that. If someone says the Quran is sufficient for them, then what role in Islam are they assigning to the Prophet (pbuh)? None at all. Na udhu billah.

I hope scholarly opinions will suffice. Please watch insha Allah.

[Marina-Aisha]

Without the sunnah we wouldn't know hw to pray.