" Most Islamic scholars today, when discussing the Ahadith, speak of reviving the Sunnahs and the extraneous deeds, but overlook the words speaking of the “Islamic method for life”. They take the Sunnah in its Fiqhi meaning, or by its technical meaning with the Muhadditheen, and do not link it to its original meaning that ties these two meanings together fundamentally, and around which the Islamic way of life revolves. "
Fi Amaan ALLAH
Your brother
Your brother
HAffeez
The Sunnah: The Islamic Way of Life
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In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
All praise is due to Allah, and peace be on His Prophets and Messengers that He has chosen above the rest of the people.
It is said in Lisaan Al-‘Arab: “Sann Al-Shayi’ (the root word of Sunnah)” (linguistically) means to sharpen something and to polish it. And the “Sunnah of Allah” means His laws, His commands and His prohibitions (this is the opinion of Al-Lihyaani). And the meaning of “Sannah Allah Lil Naas” means “Allah has clarified it for the people”. And the meaning of “Sanna Allah Sunnatann” means “Allah has clarified the correct method for something”. Allah (swt) states in the Qur’an “It was a practice (Sunnah of Allah) approved by Allah amongst those of old who have passed away” [TMQ Al-Ahzaab: 33]. So the words “Sunnat Allah” have been established on the verb implication, thus the verse means “Allah has approved the practice of killing those who were hypocritical with the Prophets and fought them”.
And “Sananntuha Sannann” and “Astanantuha”, means “I followed it” and “I have established a path for you to follow, so follow it”. And in the Hadith: “Whoever establishes a good Sunnah (Sanna Sunnatann), then he will have its reward and the reward of those who act upon it, and whoever establishes a bad Sunnah…”, is regarding an action that people can follow. And when a person starts an action and a people acted based on it, it is said about that person: “He is the one who established it (Sannah)”.
The word “Sunnah” was mentioned many times in the Ahadith, and the default meaning is “the method and life-path”. And if the word “Sunnah” was used in an Islamic legislative context, then the meaning of the word is “whatever the Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alayhi wasallam) has commanded, forbade, and recommended in word or action, from what was not mentioned in the Qur’an”. Hence, the terms “Qur’an and Sunnah (Ahadith)” were used as the sources of legislation.
And it was mentioned in Al-TaTHheeb: “Al-Sunnah is the praised, guided path”, and therefore it was said “so-and-so is from the Ahl Al-Sunnah”, meaning “so-and-so is from those who follow the praised, guided path”, which is taken from “Al-Sanani” (the path)”.
And the saying “Continue on your on Sanan” means “Continue on your intended goal and direction”. And paths have different “Sanan”. So, “The Sanan/Sunnah/Sinnah/Sunutuh of the path” all mean “its tactics”, where it is said “The Sanan and the Sunnah of the path has fooled you” (end)
Most Islamic scholars today, when discussing the Ahadith, speak of reviving the Sunnahs and the extraneous deeds, but overlook the words speaking of the “Islamic method for life”. They take the Sunnah in its Fiqhi meaning, or by its technical meaning with the Muhadditheen, and do not link it to its original meaning that ties these two meanings together fundamentally, and around which the Islamic way of life revolves.
The technical meaning of “the Sunnah”, according to the Muhadditheen, is: “What is attributed to the Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alayhi wasallam) of actions, words, silence, physical description, and manners, or was attributed to a Sahabi or a Tabi’ee where there is no possibility of difference of opinion of it.
The technical meaning of “the Sunnah”, according to the Fuqahaa, is: “The Mandoob, the Mustahabb, or the Nafila, all of which are defined as: The request of the legislator in a non-decisive (non-obligatory) manner, where the one who does it is rewarded, and the one who does not do it is not punished”.
And upon closer inspection, it is clear to see in the saying of the Messenger of Allah (sallAllahu ‘alayhi wasallam): “The Shaytan has given up on his being worshipped on your land, but is content to be obeyed in lesser than that, which lower the value of your good deeds. So beware. I have left amongst you that, which if you held on to, you will never go astray: the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Prophet”, it is clear to see that the Qur’an and the Sunnah were revealed to legislate for mankind a specific way of life, for them to measure their actions according to Hukum Shar’iee, i.e. they refer all their words and actions to Allah and His Messenger. In other words, Islam is the legislator in all the actions of mankind. Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) says: “Oh you who believe, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority over you, and if you dispute in any matter, then refer it to Allah and the Messenger, if you truly believe in Allah and the Last Day. This is best and most suitable for final determination” [TMQ Al-Nisaa’: 59].
It was narrated in Sahih Al-Bukhari: Of Al-Zuhri, he said: “Hamza narrated to me from his father that the Messenger of Allah (sallAllahu ‘alayhi wasallam) said: ‘While I was asleep I drank (meaning milk) until I saw my nail, or he said nails, were irrigated, then I passed it on to Umar.’ They asked: ‘And what was (the milk’s) interpretation in the dream?’ He replied: ‘Knowledge (Al-‘Ilm)’”. Al-HaafiTH stated in Al-Fat-h: “What is meant by “Al-‘Ilm” is knowledge in organizing the people’s politics according to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (sallAllahu ‘alayhi wasallam)”.
It was narrated by Ahmed of Rabee’a bin Naajid that Ali bin Abi Talib (radhiAllahu ‘anhu) said: “The Messenger of Allah, sallAllahu ‘alayhi wasallam, called for me, and said to me ‘In you is an example similar to that of ‘Isa; the Jews hated him until they falsely slandered his mother, and the Christians loved him until they gave him the status they gave him that he does not merit”. Ali said “truly two people are destroyed though me: someone who loves me so much that he gives me more credit than I deserve, and someone who hates me so much that he falsely slanders me. Truly, I am not a prophet, nor do I receive revelation, rather I act on and implement the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger, sallAllahu ‘alayhi wasallam, as much as I am able to, and whatever I order you to do of obedience to Allah is your duty to obey me whether you like it or hate it”.
Acting based on and implementing the Book of Allah and the Sunnah is the basis of the matter, and this means implementing it in such a manner that one’s lifestyle becomes Islamic. If the Islamic law within the Sunnah reach past the level of the Mandoob and the Nafila to the level of the Fard (obligation) and the Haram (forbidden), then it becomes more comprehensive than the Sunnah, in the meaning of a Nafila, with the Fuqahaa (scholars). This is what we mean by the Sunnah when we say: The Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger.
There is also a more comprehensive meaning that is derived from the sum of the Ahadith of the Messenger (sallAllahu ‘alayhi wasallam), by the meaning of “The Islamic Method for Life”. To elaborate further:
There is absolutely no doubt in the fact that the Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alayhi wasallam) left for us his Sunnah to follow. It was narrated by Ibn Maaja: Al-‘Arbadh bin Saariyah said: “The Messenger of Allah, sallAllahu ‘alayhi wasallam, advised us with advice that made the eyes cry and the hearts shudder, and we said: “Oh Messenger of Allah, this is advice of someone who is departing, so what do you instruct us?” and he replied: “I have left you on the white (path), its day is the same as its night, no one deviates from it after me except that he is destroyed. Whoever lives from amongst you, you will see great disagreement, and your duty is to stay on that which you know of my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the rightly guided Khulafaa’ after me; bite down onto it with your teeth (stay patient in following it). And you must obey (those in authority over you) even if he is an Ethiopian slave, for the Believer is like the obedient camel, wherever he is led, he proceeds.”
And in another narration: “…and whoever amongst you lives after me, you will see great disagreement, and your duty is to stay on that which you know of my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the rightly guided Khulafaa’ after me; bite down onto it with your teeth (stay patient in following it). And beware of new inventions, for every new invention is a Bid’ah”.
Therefore it is clear to see that the beloved Messenger (sallAllahu ‘alayhi wasallam), when he used the word Sunnah, was referring to his method of living and the method of the rightly guided Khulafaa’ after him.
If we think a little about the Sunnah of the rightly guided Khulafaa’ after the Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alayhi wasallam) – who ordered us to obey them – there is no doubt that their Sunnah was one of implementing the Book of Allah and the Sunnah via the Islamic State that enforces Islam and implements it as a way of life. Think about the statement of the Prophet: “…and whoever amongst you lives after me, you will see great disagreement” and link this to his statement: “I have left you on the white (path)…no one deviates (Yazeeghu) from it after me except that he is destroyed” and it is stated in Lisaan Al-Arab (Arabic language dictionary) that “Yazeeghu” or “Zaygh” means to “incline away from”, such as the verse in the Qur’an, “oh our Lord, do not make our hearts incline away (Tuzigh) after You have guided us”, meaning do not cause our hearts to incline away from the guidance, the right path, and do not cause us to become misguided. It is also said of the meaning of this verse “do not cause us to become preoccupied with that which would cause the straying of our hearts”. It is said “he has strayed (Zaagha/Yazeeghu) from the path” if he has veered off it. And in the narration of Abu Bakr (radhi Allahu ‘anhu) “I fear that if I leave even one thing of his orders that I will go astray (Azeeghu), and stray from the (correct) path”.
And then link this to the protective solution for such a straying away from the Qur’an and Sunnah: “stay on that which you know of my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the rightly guided Khulafaa’ after me” meaning implementation of the concepts, criteria, and convictions upon you, which was planted in them by your Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alayhi wasallam) and that you lived upon.
The second interesting point is in what was said in the famous Hadith narrated by Muslim and others, on the authority of Jareer bin Abdillah Al-Bajli (radhi Allahu ‘anhu), where he said: “The Messenger of Allah, sallAllahu ‘alayhi wasallam, said: “Whoever establishes a good Sunnah (Sanna Sunnatann), then he will have its reward and the reward of every person who act upon it, until the Day of Judgment, without that decreasing from their reward in any way. And whoever establishes a bad Sunnah, then upon him is the sin of it, and the sin of every person who acts upon it, until the Day of Judgment, without that decreasing from their recompense in any way”.
So, we see here that the Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alayhi wasallam) informed us that good Sunnahs are conversely opposed by bad Sunnahs that take the one performing it away from the correct method and throws him into the lap of Bid’ah (innovation); or in other words, takes that person away from the Sunnah that was left for the Muslims by the Messenger of Allah (sallAllahu ‘alayhi wasallam), that he called the “white (path)”, where its day is the same as its night, where there is not one person who strays from it except he is destroyed, or lets go of it except he is misguided. The sum of these “good Sunnahs” form the Islamic way of life that we have been commanded to abide by and live by, biting down on everything in it.
Islam came as a complete system for life. Whoever leaves its boundaries commits Bid’ah, and whoever commits Bid’ah has gone astray:
This Hadith regarding starting good Sunnahs is actually speaking of those who open the path to a Shar’iee (legislated) Sunnah, since the only possible way for us to know the difference between a good Sunnah and a bad Sunnah is through the Shari’ (Islamic legislation) and not the human mind. It is unacceptable of someone with even a drop of Iman in his heart to think that he can define good and evil based on his own desires. The meaning of the word “Sunnah” in Islamic legislation encompasses all Ahkam Shari’ee, for it is the way of life that the beloved Messenger of Allah (sallAllahu ‘alayhi wasallam) followed, and this is understood from the Qur’an and Sunnah.
And in the book “Sunann Al-Daarimi”, in the Introduction: On the authority of Abi Abdul-Rahman, Abdullah said: “Follow and do not commit Bid’ah (innovate in Islamic legislation), for what you have been given (of legislation) is sufficient for you”. And there is no doubt that “following” is referring to the specific way of life that was described as the “white (path)”.
It was narrated on the authority of Katheer bin Abdullah, from his father, from his grandfather, of the Messenger of Allah (sallAllahu ‘alayhi wasallam), that he said to Bilal bin Haarith: “Know”, and Bilal replied “What should I know, oh Messenger of Allah?”, and he (sallAllahu ‘alayhi wasallam) said “Know, oh Bilal”, and Bilal replied “What should I know, oh Messenger of Allah?”, and he answered, “That whoever revives a Sunnah from my Sunnah that has been abandoned after me, then he will have an equal reward of all people who acts upon it, without that decreasing from their reward in any way. And whoever innovates a Bid’ah of misguidance that does not please Allah and His Messenger, then he will have an equal sin of all the people who act upon it without decreasing from the sin of the people in any way”. This narration was deemed as “Hasan” by Abu ‘Isa, Al-Tirmithi, and Ibn Maja. Al-Sindi said in the explanation of Ibn Maja: “What is meant here by “Sunnah” is what the Messenger of Allah (sallAllahu ‘alayhi wasallam) established of Ahkam (legislation). This could come in the form of a Fard (obligation), such as Zakat ul-Fitr, or not a Fard, such as the Salat of ‘Eid, prayer in congregation, reading Qur’an outside of Salat, seeking knowledge, and so on. And reviving (the Sunnah) means to act upon it, and to motivate and push the people to act upon it”.
And it was narrated by Al-Tirmithi of Sa’eed bin Al-Musayyab, of Anas bin Maalik, who said: The Messenger of Allah (sallAllahu ‘alayhi wasallam) said to me: “My son, if you are capable of waking up and going to sleep without having in your heart any fraud on people, then do so”. Then he said: “My son, this is my Sunnah, and whoever revives my Sunnah he has loved me, and whoever loves me is in Jannah with me”.
In this Hadith is a long story, and Abu ‘Isa says regarding it that it is a Hasan Ghareeb Hadith from this perspective. And it was narrated in some copies of Al-Tirmithi saying: “…he has revived me, and whoever revives me…”.
And in the beginning of Musnad Al-Koofiyeen, it was narrated by Ahmed of Al-Baraa’ bin ‘Aazib that the Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alayhi wasallam) stoned a Jew, and said “Oh Allah, I make You my witness that I am the first to revive a Sunnah that they have abandoned”.
Therefore, reviving a Sunnah is acting upon it and implementing it as a way of life. From this we see that the Sunnah of Islam is the Islamic way of life, submitting to Islam and its legislation, taking it as one’s lifestyle. And “whoever revives my Sunnah” means whoever revives my way of life that I have outlined for the Muslims, which is the methodology chosen by Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) for us to live by, and to organize our relationship with ourselves, with others around us, and with Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) upon its basis.
This way of life is our intellectual leadership, which we are responsible for carrying it and calling the world to it. It is the intellectual basis, upon which every thought must be build, as well as every method, which is clarification of how to implement the solutions established by the Shari’a for man’s problems, clarification of how to protect the Aqeeda, and clarification of how to carry the Da’wa to the ideology of Islam. This is the same intellectual basis from which emanates every solution that solves all life’s problems, and, based on it, man’s viewpoint and outlook on life is established.
So let us work to revive the Sunnah, the Islamic way of life. We call you to this in order to achieve the good of this world and the good of the Akhirah.
Source: KCom Journal
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
All praise is due to Allah, and peace be on His Prophets and Messengers that He has chosen above the rest of the people.
It is said in Lisaan Al-‘Arab: “Sann Al-Shayi’ (the root word of Sunnah)” (linguistically) means to sharpen something and to polish it. And the “Sunnah of Allah” means His laws, His commands and His prohibitions (this is the opinion of Al-Lihyaani). And the meaning of “Sannah Allah Lil Naas” means “Allah has clarified it for the people”. And the meaning of “Sanna Allah Sunnatann” means “Allah has clarified the correct method for something”. Allah (swt) states in the Qur’an “It was a practice (Sunnah of Allah) approved by Allah amongst those of old who have passed away” [TMQ Al-Ahzaab: 33]. So the words “Sunnat Allah” have been established on the verb implication, thus the verse means “Allah has approved the practice of killing those who were hypocritical with the Prophets and fought them”.
And “Sananntuha Sannann” and “Astanantuha”, means “I followed it” and “I have established a path for you to follow, so follow it”. And in the Hadith: “Whoever establishes a good Sunnah (Sanna Sunnatann), then he will have its reward and the reward of those who act upon it, and whoever establishes a bad Sunnah…”, is regarding an action that people can follow. And when a person starts an action and a people acted based on it, it is said about that person: “He is the one who established it (Sannah)”.
The word “Sunnah” was mentioned many times in the Ahadith, and the default meaning is “the method and life-path”. And if the word “Sunnah” was used in an Islamic legislative context, then the meaning of the word is “whatever the Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alayhi wasallam) has commanded, forbade, and recommended in word or action, from what was not mentioned in the Qur’an”. Hence, the terms “Qur’an and Sunnah (Ahadith)” were used as the sources of legislation.
And it was mentioned in Al-TaTHheeb: “Al-Sunnah is the praised, guided path”, and therefore it was said “so-and-so is from the Ahl Al-Sunnah”, meaning “so-and-so is from those who follow the praised, guided path”, which is taken from “Al-Sanani” (the path)”.
And the saying “Continue on your on Sanan” means “Continue on your intended goal and direction”. And paths have different “Sanan”. So, “The Sanan/Sunnah/Sinnah/Sunutuh of the path” all mean “its tactics”, where it is said “The Sanan and the Sunnah of the path has fooled you” (end)
Most Islamic scholars today, when discussing the Ahadith, speak of reviving the Sunnahs and the extraneous deeds, but overlook the words speaking of the “Islamic method for life”. They take the Sunnah in its Fiqhi meaning, or by its technical meaning with the Muhadditheen, and do not link it to its original meaning that ties these two meanings together fundamentally, and around which the Islamic way of life revolves.
The technical meaning of “the Sunnah”, according to the Muhadditheen, is: “What is attributed to the Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alayhi wasallam) of actions, words, silence, physical description, and manners, or was attributed to a Sahabi or a Tabi’ee where there is no possibility of difference of opinion of it.
The technical meaning of “the Sunnah”, according to the Fuqahaa, is: “The Mandoob, the Mustahabb, or the Nafila, all of which are defined as: The request of the legislator in a non-decisive (non-obligatory) manner, where the one who does it is rewarded, and the one who does not do it is not punished”.
And upon closer inspection, it is clear to see in the saying of the Messenger of Allah (sallAllahu ‘alayhi wasallam): “The Shaytan has given up on his being worshipped on your land, but is content to be obeyed in lesser than that, which lower the value of your good deeds. So beware. I have left amongst you that, which if you held on to, you will never go astray: the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Prophet”, it is clear to see that the Qur’an and the Sunnah were revealed to legislate for mankind a specific way of life, for them to measure their actions according to Hukum Shar’iee, i.e. they refer all their words and actions to Allah and His Messenger. In other words, Islam is the legislator in all the actions of mankind. Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) says: “Oh you who believe, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority over you, and if you dispute in any matter, then refer it to Allah and the Messenger, if you truly believe in Allah and the Last Day. This is best and most suitable for final determination” [TMQ Al-Nisaa’: 59].
It was narrated in Sahih Al-Bukhari: Of Al-Zuhri, he said: “Hamza narrated to me from his father that the Messenger of Allah (sallAllahu ‘alayhi wasallam) said: ‘While I was asleep I drank (meaning milk) until I saw my nail, or he said nails, were irrigated, then I passed it on to Umar.’ They asked: ‘And what was (the milk’s) interpretation in the dream?’ He replied: ‘Knowledge (Al-‘Ilm)’”. Al-HaafiTH stated in Al-Fat-h: “What is meant by “Al-‘Ilm” is knowledge in organizing the people’s politics according to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (sallAllahu ‘alayhi wasallam)”.
It was narrated by Ahmed of Rabee’a bin Naajid that Ali bin Abi Talib (radhiAllahu ‘anhu) said: “The Messenger of Allah, sallAllahu ‘alayhi wasallam, called for me, and said to me ‘In you is an example similar to that of ‘Isa; the Jews hated him until they falsely slandered his mother, and the Christians loved him until they gave him the status they gave him that he does not merit”. Ali said “truly two people are destroyed though me: someone who loves me so much that he gives me more credit than I deserve, and someone who hates me so much that he falsely slanders me. Truly, I am not a prophet, nor do I receive revelation, rather I act on and implement the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger, sallAllahu ‘alayhi wasallam, as much as I am able to, and whatever I order you to do of obedience to Allah is your duty to obey me whether you like it or hate it”.
Acting based on and implementing the Book of Allah and the Sunnah is the basis of the matter, and this means implementing it in such a manner that one’s lifestyle becomes Islamic. If the Islamic law within the Sunnah reach past the level of the Mandoob and the Nafila to the level of the Fard (obligation) and the Haram (forbidden), then it becomes more comprehensive than the Sunnah, in the meaning of a Nafila, with the Fuqahaa (scholars). This is what we mean by the Sunnah when we say: The Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger.
There is also a more comprehensive meaning that is derived from the sum of the Ahadith of the Messenger (sallAllahu ‘alayhi wasallam), by the meaning of “The Islamic Method for Life”. To elaborate further:
There is absolutely no doubt in the fact that the Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alayhi wasallam) left for us his Sunnah to follow. It was narrated by Ibn Maaja: Al-‘Arbadh bin Saariyah said: “The Messenger of Allah, sallAllahu ‘alayhi wasallam, advised us with advice that made the eyes cry and the hearts shudder, and we said: “Oh Messenger of Allah, this is advice of someone who is departing, so what do you instruct us?” and he replied: “I have left you on the white (path), its day is the same as its night, no one deviates from it after me except that he is destroyed. Whoever lives from amongst you, you will see great disagreement, and your duty is to stay on that which you know of my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the rightly guided Khulafaa’ after me; bite down onto it with your teeth (stay patient in following it). And you must obey (those in authority over you) even if he is an Ethiopian slave, for the Believer is like the obedient camel, wherever he is led, he proceeds.”
And in another narration: “…and whoever amongst you lives after me, you will see great disagreement, and your duty is to stay on that which you know of my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the rightly guided Khulafaa’ after me; bite down onto it with your teeth (stay patient in following it). And beware of new inventions, for every new invention is a Bid’ah”.
Therefore it is clear to see that the beloved Messenger (sallAllahu ‘alayhi wasallam), when he used the word Sunnah, was referring to his method of living and the method of the rightly guided Khulafaa’ after him.
If we think a little about the Sunnah of the rightly guided Khulafaa’ after the Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alayhi wasallam) – who ordered us to obey them – there is no doubt that their Sunnah was one of implementing the Book of Allah and the Sunnah via the Islamic State that enforces Islam and implements it as a way of life. Think about the statement of the Prophet: “…and whoever amongst you lives after me, you will see great disagreement” and link this to his statement: “I have left you on the white (path)…no one deviates (Yazeeghu) from it after me except that he is destroyed” and it is stated in Lisaan Al-Arab (Arabic language dictionary) that “Yazeeghu” or “Zaygh” means to “incline away from”, such as the verse in the Qur’an, “oh our Lord, do not make our hearts incline away (Tuzigh) after You have guided us”, meaning do not cause our hearts to incline away from the guidance, the right path, and do not cause us to become misguided. It is also said of the meaning of this verse “do not cause us to become preoccupied with that which would cause the straying of our hearts”. It is said “he has strayed (Zaagha/Yazeeghu) from the path” if he has veered off it. And in the narration of Abu Bakr (radhi Allahu ‘anhu) “I fear that if I leave even one thing of his orders that I will go astray (Azeeghu), and stray from the (correct) path”.
And then link this to the protective solution for such a straying away from the Qur’an and Sunnah: “stay on that which you know of my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the rightly guided Khulafaa’ after me” meaning implementation of the concepts, criteria, and convictions upon you, which was planted in them by your Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alayhi wasallam) and that you lived upon.
The second interesting point is in what was said in the famous Hadith narrated by Muslim and others, on the authority of Jareer bin Abdillah Al-Bajli (radhi Allahu ‘anhu), where he said: “The Messenger of Allah, sallAllahu ‘alayhi wasallam, said: “Whoever establishes a good Sunnah (Sanna Sunnatann), then he will have its reward and the reward of every person who act upon it, until the Day of Judgment, without that decreasing from their reward in any way. And whoever establishes a bad Sunnah, then upon him is the sin of it, and the sin of every person who acts upon it, until the Day of Judgment, without that decreasing from their recompense in any way”.
So, we see here that the Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alayhi wasallam) informed us that good Sunnahs are conversely opposed by bad Sunnahs that take the one performing it away from the correct method and throws him into the lap of Bid’ah (innovation); or in other words, takes that person away from the Sunnah that was left for the Muslims by the Messenger of Allah (sallAllahu ‘alayhi wasallam), that he called the “white (path)”, where its day is the same as its night, where there is not one person who strays from it except he is destroyed, or lets go of it except he is misguided. The sum of these “good Sunnahs” form the Islamic way of life that we have been commanded to abide by and live by, biting down on everything in it.
Islam came as a complete system for life. Whoever leaves its boundaries commits Bid’ah, and whoever commits Bid’ah has gone astray:
This Hadith regarding starting good Sunnahs is actually speaking of those who open the path to a Shar’iee (legislated) Sunnah, since the only possible way for us to know the difference between a good Sunnah and a bad Sunnah is through the Shari’ (Islamic legislation) and not the human mind. It is unacceptable of someone with even a drop of Iman in his heart to think that he can define good and evil based on his own desires. The meaning of the word “Sunnah” in Islamic legislation encompasses all Ahkam Shari’ee, for it is the way of life that the beloved Messenger of Allah (sallAllahu ‘alayhi wasallam) followed, and this is understood from the Qur’an and Sunnah.
And in the book “Sunann Al-Daarimi”, in the Introduction: On the authority of Abi Abdul-Rahman, Abdullah said: “Follow and do not commit Bid’ah (innovate in Islamic legislation), for what you have been given (of legislation) is sufficient for you”. And there is no doubt that “following” is referring to the specific way of life that was described as the “white (path)”.
It was narrated on the authority of Katheer bin Abdullah, from his father, from his grandfather, of the Messenger of Allah (sallAllahu ‘alayhi wasallam), that he said to Bilal bin Haarith: “Know”, and Bilal replied “What should I know, oh Messenger of Allah?”, and he (sallAllahu ‘alayhi wasallam) said “Know, oh Bilal”, and Bilal replied “What should I know, oh Messenger of Allah?”, and he answered, “That whoever revives a Sunnah from my Sunnah that has been abandoned after me, then he will have an equal reward of all people who acts upon it, without that decreasing from their reward in any way. And whoever innovates a Bid’ah of misguidance that does not please Allah and His Messenger, then he will have an equal sin of all the people who act upon it without decreasing from the sin of the people in any way”. This narration was deemed as “Hasan” by Abu ‘Isa, Al-Tirmithi, and Ibn Maja. Al-Sindi said in the explanation of Ibn Maja: “What is meant here by “Sunnah” is what the Messenger of Allah (sallAllahu ‘alayhi wasallam) established of Ahkam (legislation). This could come in the form of a Fard (obligation), such as Zakat ul-Fitr, or not a Fard, such as the Salat of ‘Eid, prayer in congregation, reading Qur’an outside of Salat, seeking knowledge, and so on. And reviving (the Sunnah) means to act upon it, and to motivate and push the people to act upon it”.
And it was narrated by Al-Tirmithi of Sa’eed bin Al-Musayyab, of Anas bin Maalik, who said: The Messenger of Allah (sallAllahu ‘alayhi wasallam) said to me: “My son, if you are capable of waking up and going to sleep without having in your heart any fraud on people, then do so”. Then he said: “My son, this is my Sunnah, and whoever revives my Sunnah he has loved me, and whoever loves me is in Jannah with me”.
In this Hadith is a long story, and Abu ‘Isa says regarding it that it is a Hasan Ghareeb Hadith from this perspective. And it was narrated in some copies of Al-Tirmithi saying: “…he has revived me, and whoever revives me…”.
And in the beginning of Musnad Al-Koofiyeen, it was narrated by Ahmed of Al-Baraa’ bin ‘Aazib that the Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alayhi wasallam) stoned a Jew, and said “Oh Allah, I make You my witness that I am the first to revive a Sunnah that they have abandoned”.
Therefore, reviving a Sunnah is acting upon it and implementing it as a way of life. From this we see that the Sunnah of Islam is the Islamic way of life, submitting to Islam and its legislation, taking it as one’s lifestyle. And “whoever revives my Sunnah” means whoever revives my way of life that I have outlined for the Muslims, which is the methodology chosen by Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) for us to live by, and to organize our relationship with ourselves, with others around us, and with Allah (subhanahu wa ta’ala) upon its basis.
This way of life is our intellectual leadership, which we are responsible for carrying it and calling the world to it. It is the intellectual basis, upon which every thought must be build, as well as every method, which is clarification of how to implement the solutions established by the Shari’a for man’s problems, clarification of how to protect the Aqeeda, and clarification of how to carry the Da’wa to the ideology of Islam. This is the same intellectual basis from which emanates every solution that solves all life’s problems, and, based on it, man’s viewpoint and outlook on life is established.
So let us work to revive the Sunnah, the Islamic way of life. We call you to this in order to achieve the good of this world and the good of the Akhirah.
Source: KCom Journal
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{Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom (i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the Qur'an) and fair preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.}
(Holy Quran-16:125)
{And who is better in speech than he who [says: "My Lord is Allah (believes in His Oneness)," and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and] invites (men) to Allah's (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: "I am one of the Muslims."} (Holy Quran-41:33)
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "By Allah, if Allah guides one person by you, it is better for you than the best types of camels." [al-Bukhaaree, Muslim]
The prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also said, "Whoever calls to guidance will have a reward similar to the reward of the one who follows him, without the reward of either of them being lessened at all."
[Muslim, Ahmad, Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa'ee, at-Tirmidhee, Ibn Maajah]
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