*Authority of the Sunnah
By Dr Fazlur Rahman***
Literally “Sunnah” means way, course, rule, mode, or manner, of acting or conduct or life. Technically the Sunnah signifies a practice or saying, or the practices and sayings collectively, of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
The Sunnah has been recognized as a basic authoritative source of law and teachings of Islam, alongside the Holy Quran, since the very inception of Islam. Moreover, it is an undeniable fact that even the authenticity of the Quran itself depends upon the authority of Sunnah, the sayings of the Prophet. The only criterion for differentiating the Quran from the non-Quranic utterances of the Prophet, is the Sunnah.
Whatever is known, recognized, believed to be the Quran, the Word of Allah, the Last Divine Message, and the contents thereof, is so believed to be, because the Prophet, by his words and deeds, by his Sunnah, expressed that a certain portion of his utterances was the Quran, which consisted of the material revealed to him by Allah through the agency of the arch angel Gabriel. Whosoever disbelieves this saying of the Prophet, the Quran, for him, ceases to be a divinely revealed book.
Thus by a single gesture of disbelief in the authority of only one saying of the Prophet, ie., a single Sunnah, one loses his faith in the divine origin of the Quran and its authority as the word of Allah.
What an unbeliever of the prophetic era or for that matter any subsequent unbeliever in Islam, commits, is nothing more than to disbelieve the Sunnah, to disbelieve the saying of the Prophet that he is the recipient of the divine message.
Thus it is by the simple initial act of belief in the saying of the Prophet, in other words his Sunnah, that one ushers himself into the fold of Islam and distinguishes himself from those who refuse to recognize the Quran as the Word of God and Muhammad as the Prophet, for a very simple and cogent reason that they refuse to believe in the authority of Sunnah.
The Quran, which is believed to be the last divine message and the final arbiter between good and evil, and right and wrong, in its turn lays down the position, functions, duties, rights, prerogatives and limitations of Muhammad as Prophet and his teachings in very clear, unambiguous and unequivocal terms.
We are told by the Quran that “Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah and the Last of the Prophets,” (Q33:40). He is directed to declare, “Say: I have been sent by Allah as His Messenger towards all the human beings,” (7:158).
Allah says in the Quran, “Today I have perfected for you your Deen, completed my favour upon you and chosen for you Islam as your religion,” (Q:5:3). The Quran is more explicit about the religion acceptable to God when it declares “If anyone adopts a religion other than Islam, never will it be accepted of him; and in the Hereafter he would be among the losers,” (3:85).
The first and foremost duty of the Prophet is to convey the divine message verbatim as revealed to him. He has no authority to add, drop, interpolate or make any change, however infinitesimal it may be.
When confronted with the demand of certain changes to be instituted to make it more acceptable for those to whom the message was addressed the Quran said, "And when our clear verses are read to those who have no hope to meet us they say: Bring us a Quran other than this or change it. Say: I have no authority to change it on my own accord.
I have naught but to follow what has been revealed to me. I myself fear the penalty of a Great Day if I disobey my Lord," (10:15). The Quran does not leave itself at the mercy of the whims and caprices of the human intellect, the fanciful ideas and wishes or the flights of man’s imagination to be understood and interpreted or be put into practice.
One of the most important functions of the Prophet, after communicating the divine message is its explication and explanation. We are told that the very purpose of revealing the Quran for the humanity, not directly but channeling it through the Prophet, is to provide, at the same time, its authentic explanation.
“We have revealed this Message to you so that you may explain clearly to men what has been sent for them and that they may give thought,” (16:44). The Quran makes it very clear that Allah has directly taken the responsibility to provide this explanation so the Prophet need not bother.
“Move not your tongue to make haste with it (the Revelation). It is upon us to collect it and make you recite it. So when we have finished its recital, follow! then its recital. After that we undertake to explain it,” (75:16-19).
Thus, the Quran makes it abundantly clear that the mission of the Prophet is not restricted to, and does not come to an end with, the transmission of the revealed material. Explaining the message is a vital constituent, an integral part, and a substantial component of the Prophetic mission.
It is one of his paramount duties to explain the message by his words and deeds. He has to present himself to the world not only as the first, the best, and the most authoritative exponent of the message but also the final arbiter of the divine teachings, imperatives and the commandments contained therein.
Any interpretation, explanation or explication, howsoever plausible, erudite, rational, or appropriate it may seem to be, is to be out rightly rejected if it explicitly or implicitly contravenes, falsifies, contradicts, disowns or even disparages or belittles any of the explanations proffered by the Prophet, through his words or deeds.
A person who has initially believed in Muhammad’s words, in his Sunnah, declaring him to be the Prophet of God, obviously makes a covenant to surrender all his claims to independent thinking, believing and acting except while remaining within the limits placed and prescribed by the Prophet.
It is the height of nonsensical, irrational, illogical, and unintelligent behaviour of a man who on the one side accepts the Quran on the authority of Muhammad to be the word of God but on the other refuses to admit as authoritative his practical or oral explanation thereof and thus denies him the prerogative the Quran has bestowed upon him and thereby plunges himself in a self-contradictory conduct which it is not possible to reconcile or justify.
“It does not behove any believer, man or woman, to have any option about any of their matters once that matter has been decided by Allah and His Prophet. If anyone disobeys Allah and His Prophet he has clearly strayed away,” (33:36). The reason is very simple and logical, and the Quran puts it directly and tersely, "He who obeys the Apostle, in fact obeys Allah.
But if anyone turns away, We have not sent you to keep guard over them," (4:80). Thus obedience to the Prophet of Allah is identical with the obedience to Allah Himself.
It is because: “We have not sent an Apostle except that he is, under command of Allah, to be obeyed,” (4:64). Violation of any Prophetic instruction, command or injunction is thus tantamount to the violation of the authority of Allah by Whom he has been sent.
The Holy Quran establishes the authority of the Prophet as final arbiter regarding each and every dispute or difference of opinion whether religious, moral, spiritual, or mundane, in a very forceful manner.
“So by your Lord, they can have no Iman unless they make you the judge, the arbiter in all the disputes and differences which arise among them, and do not find in their innermost souls any feeling of unhappiness, discontentment or displeasure at your decision, in spite they accept it with fullest possible submission and cheerful heart,” (4:65).
Any claim to Iman is thus denied to anyone who refuses to accept the Prophet’s authority to judge or even feels inconvenient with his verdict in the inner recesses of his heart.
Unqualified submission to the authority of the Prophet, extending over the entire gamut of human life coupled with a willing heart and cheerful consent is the essential demand of Iman without which it is rendered null and void.
The Prophet has been given very wide legislative powers to which it is inevitable to submit for a believer. "My Mercy engulfs every thing. However I will ordain It for those who practise piety, regularly give charity and those who believe in Our verses.
They are the men who follow the Apostle, the unlettered Prophet, whom they find mentioned in their scriptures - in the law and the gospel. He commands them what is just (Ma’roof), forbids them what is evil (Munkar), allows them what is good and pure (Tayyibat), prohibits them from what is bad and impure (Khaba’is), releases them from the heavy burdens loaded upon them and from the shackles they were fettered with.
They are the ones who really believe in him, honour him, and help him, and follow the light sent down with him. It is they who shall achieve success," (7:156-57). These verses very lucidly depict the vast domain of the Prophet’s legislative prerogatives as well in the affairs which come under the net of his discretionary powers.
The words “the light sent down with him” are very significant. They must be distinguished from “sent down to him.” Clearly they are not pointing towards the Quran. And what could that “light” be except the “Sunnah!” The Quran thus through its explicit pronouncements makes it crystal clear that a believer in the authority of the Quran has no escape from submitting to the authority of the Sunnah.
- = S O U R C E = -](http://www.dawn.com/2004/07/09/op.htm#1)