The Importance and Authority of the Sunnah

According to general understanding, the Qur'an and the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) form the cornerstones of Islam. However, certain phenomena that have occurred have made it necessary to write about the Sunnah and to establish its place in Islam once and for all. These phenomena are as follows:


1. There is a misunderstanding regarding the place of the Sunnah versus the Qur'an. It is not unusual to hear statements from some Muslims such as: "You must follow what is in the Qur'an." One may also hear: "Something cannot be made obligatory if it is not in the Qur'an. If it is mentioned only in the Sunnah, then it can only be interpreted as recommended and not as something that must be followed obligatorily." This misunderstanding usually arises from the fact that relevant information about and the use of the word Sunnah has reached the person in a confused manner.

2. There are also groups of people who claim that Muslims are not obligated to follow the Sunnah. These people claim that they follow the Qur'an and the Qur'an only. They attempt to provide extensive arguments to support their views. Unfortunately, they have succeeded in deceiving some people. In particular, in the West, they try to approach new converts to Islam whose understanding of, or experience with, Islam can be called limited. However, when their arguments are studied in detail, one finds that they are completely unacceptable.

3. There has been influence from some movements among Muslims that negate the role of the Sunnah in Islam in order to make Islam more modern and to make it fit in with (especially) Western civilization. The arguments of these people are usually more complex and detailed than those of people who reject the Sunnah in its entirety. Sometimes they show an acceptance of the authority of the Sunnah as a whole, but reject a particular hadith which they find "problematic." Furthermore, they have a habit of engaging in terminology that the listener or reader does not fully understand, such as the argument regarding mutawatir hadith versus aahad hadith.

4. Finally, orientalists, missionaries, and others are still attacking the Sunnah of Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). These people realize very well the importance of the Sunnah in Islam. Due to the general lack of knowledge among Muslims regarding the Sunnah and the ahadith, they can easily attack Islam via this route. In some cases, their arguments are so lengthy and complicated and are sometimes presented in the form of theses and scientific articles. In other cases, especially among evangelists, the arguments merely consist of shameless deceptions and lies.

This specific work is primarily concerned with the aforementioned issues (1) and (2). Categories (3) and (4) require discussions that go into great detail regarding the science of hadith, its preservation, and so on. By the Will of Allah the Exalted, they will be addressed in a future work. The goal of this current work is simply to clarify what the position and importance of the Sunnah and ahadith are in Islam.

Author: Jamal Al-din M. Zarabozo
Translator(s): Oem Soelaym
Publisher: Momtazah
Format: Paperback
Pages: 225