Thursday, September 27, 2007

UNGS 2030 : Required Reading - Prophet hood - Authority of the Sunnah

The authority of the Prophet and his Sunnah
by Akram Y Safadi


In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
All praise be to Allah, and peace be upon His slaves whom He has chosen.

Notes on the Hadith and Sunnah: The authority of the Prophet and his Sunnah
28.November.1995

1. It was among the duties of all messengers to make the message clear

The Qur'an 14:4, {And We have never sent a messenger except with the tongue
of his people that he might make clear to them.}

2. Allah Most High taught His Messenger and explained the Qur'an to him

The Qur'an 75:16-19, {Move not your tounge with it to hasten it. Surely it
is upon Us to gather it and to recite it. So, when We recite it, follow its
recitation. Then surely it is upon Us to make it clear.}

The Qur'an 4:113, {And He has sent down upon you the Book and the wisdom,
and has taught you what you did not know before.}

3. Among the duties of the Messenger of Allah is to teach the Book and the
wisdom

The Qur'an 16:44, {And We have sent down unto you the revelations (al-Dhikr
) that you might make clear to humankind that which has been sent down to
them.}

The Qur'an 62:2, {He it is who has sent among the unlettered ones a
messenger of their own; to recite unto them His ayah-s (verses), and to
purify them, and to teach them the Book and the wisdom.}

4. Allah has inspired His Messenger the wisdom

The Qur'an 4:113, {And He has sent down upon you the Book and the wisdom,
and has taught you what you did not know before.}

The Qur'an 33:34, {And mention that which is recited in your houses of the
ayah-s of Allah and the wisdom.}

The Qur'an 53:1-4, {By the star when it goes down, your companion is neither
astray nor being misled, nor does he speak of desire, it is naught except an
inspiration (wahy) that is inspired.}

5. Allah has guided and protected His Messenger from any error

The Qur'an 42:52-53, {. . . and surely you guide unto a straight path. The
path of Allah . . .}

The Qur'an 68:4, {And surely you are upon a mighty morality.}

The Qur'an 53:1-4, {By the star when it goes down, your companion is neither
astray nor being misled, nor does he speak of desire, it is naught except an
inspiration that is inspired.}

The Qur'an 4:80, {Whoever obeys the Messenger, he thereby surely has obeyed
Allah. . .}

6. Allah has commanded us to submit fully to the authority of His Messenger
and to obey him

The Qur'an 4:65, {But nay, by your Lord, they will not believe until they
make you the judge of what is in dispute between them, then they shall find
in themselves no dislike of that which you have decreed, and submit in full
submission.}

The Qur'an 33:36, {It is not for a believing man nor a believing women, when
Allah and His Messenger have decreed a matter, to have the choice in their
affair; and whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger has surely gone astray
in manifest error.}

The Qur'an 4:59, {O you who believe! Obey Allah, and obey the Messenger and
those of you who are in authority; and if you have a dispute concerning any
matter, refer it to Allah and His Messenger if you believe in Allah and the
Last Day; that is best and more suitable to the end.}

The Qur'an 3:32, {Say: Obey Allah and the Messenger. But if they turn away,
surely Allah does not love the disbelievers.}

The Qur'an 4:80, {Whoever obeys the Messenger, he thereby surely has obeyed
Allah, and whoever turns away--We have not send you as a watcher over them.}

7. Allah has commanded us to take His Messenger as the perfect example and
to follow him

The Qur'an 3:31-32, {Say: If you love Allah, then follow me; Allah will love
you and forgive you your sins. Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. Say: Obey
Allah and the Messenger. But if they turn away, surely Allah does not love
the disbelievers.}

The Qur'an 33:21, {Verily in the Messenger of Allah you have a good example
for whoever hopes for Allah and the Last Day, and remembers Allah much.}

8. Allah has promised good reward for those who obey and follow His Messenger

The Qur'an 4:69, {Whoever obeys Allah and the Messenger--they are with those
whom Allah has shown favor, of the prophets, the truthful, the martyrs and
the rigthous; and the best of company are they!}

9. Allah has promised punishment for those who disobey His Messenger

The Qur'an 24:63, {. . . So let those who go against his (the Prophet)
command beware, lest a trial befall them, or there befall them a painful
chastisement.}

The Qur'an 4:115, {And whoever opposes the Messenger after the guidance has
been manifested unto him, and follows other than the believers' way, We
appoint for him that unto which he has turned, and expose him him unto
hell--a hapless journey's end!}

The Qur'an 72:23, {. . . And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger,
surely his is hell-fire, wherin such dwell forever.}

10. Allah has promised to guard His religion, Islam

The Qur'an 15:9, {Surely it is We who have sent down the revelations
(al-Dhikr), and We surely are its Guardian.}

The Qur'an 5:3, {. . . Today I have perfected your religion for you, and
have completed My favor upon you, and have approved for you Islam as
religion. . .}

The Qur'an 3:19, {Verily, the religion with Allah is Islam. . .}

The Qur'an 3:85, {And whoever seeks other than Islam as religion, it will
not be accepted from him; and in the Hereafter, he will be among the losers.}

The Qur'an 9:33, 61:9, {He it is Who has sent His Messenger with the
guidance and the Religion of the Truth, that He may cause it to prevail over
all religion, even though the disbelievers are averse.}

The Qur'an 48:28, {He it is Who has sent His Messenger with the guidance and
the Religion of the Truth, that He may cause it to prevail over all
religion, and Allah suffices as a Witness.}



A k r a m Y S a f a d i
Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.

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