Author: Shukran Ahmadi
Criteria for Distinguishing Sunnah and Bid’ah (Part Three)
The Place of Sunnah in Religion
The Sunnah holds a significant position in our religion, as it is rooted in divine revelation. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: «ألا إني أوتیت القرآن ومثله معه، ألا یوشك رجل ینثني شبعانا علی أریکته یقول: علیکم بالقرآن فما وجدتم فیه من حلال فأحلوه وما وجدتم من حرام فحرموه.» Translation: “Be aware that I have been given the Qur’an by the Lord of the worlds, along with something similar to it (i.e., the Sunnah). Soon, there will come people who are proud, arrogant, and self-centered, basing their beliefs solely on the Qur’an. They will say: ‘Only follow the Qur’an, adhere to it alone. Whatever you find halal in it, consider it halal, and whatever you find haram, consider it haram, disregarding everything else.’ [By this, they intend to deny the Sunnah and the complementary revelations that accompany it.]”
Sulaiman Nadwi Hindi (may Allah have mercy on him) stated: “Like many scholars, we believe that the correct rulings found in hadith are derived from the Holy Qur’an. The Holy Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) explained these with divine approval. Therefore, it is obligatory for us to accept and act upon them when they have been proven to us from the Holy Prophet (may Allah’s prayers and peace be upon him). This understanding and inference are sometimes termed ‘explanation’ in the Qur’an and at other times referred to as ‘presentation’:
«وَأَنْزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ الذِّكْرَ لِتُبَيِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ مَا نُزِّلَ إِلَيْهِمْ وَلَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ» (“And We have sent the Qur’an to you to clarify to the people what has been revealed to them, so that they may reflect.”)
«إِنَّا أَنْزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ بِالْحَقِّ لِتَحْكُمَ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ بِمَا أَرَاكَ اللَّهُ» (“Indeed, we have sent down the Book to you in truth, so that you may judge among the people by that which Allah has shown you.”)
Ibn Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “The Sunnah is the strong shelter of Allah, in which whoever takes refuge is safe. The Sunnah is life and light, with which the servant’s happiness, guidance, and salvation are intertwined, as Allah has stated: «أَوَمَنْ كَانَ مَيْتًا فَأَحْيَيْنَاهُ وَجَعَلْنَا لَهُ نُورًا يَمْشِي بِهِ فِي النَّاسِ كَمَنْ مَثَلُهُ فِي الظُّلُمَاتِ لَيْسَ بِخَارِجٍ مِنْهَا كَذَلِكَ زُيِّنَ لِلْكَافِرِينَ مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ» (“Is there a person who was dead [in heart], and We brought him back to life, creating a light for him so that he can walk among people by its light? He is like one who is trapped in darkness and cannot find a way out. Thus, what the disbelievers used to do has been embellished for them.”)
