Abandoning the Sunnah Leads to Division and Deviation
Without a doubt, the traditions (Sunnah) of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) possess a divine radiance that leads humankind to the highway of guidance and the pleasure of Allah Almighty. Abandoning them brings countless harms and losses, distancing a person from Allah the Exalted and His Noble Messenger (PBUH) day by day. Therefore, in following the Sunnah and adhering to the true principles of Islam, one must walk upon that straight path which Allah Almighty has pointed out—the path, conduct, and noble life of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him).
It is narrated that when Umar ibn al-Khattab (MABH) came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: “We hear some pleasing statements from the Jews; do you permit us to write some of them down?”
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: «أمتهوكون أنتم كما تهوكت اليهود و النصارى؟ لقد جئتكم بها بيضاء نقية، ولو كان موسى حياً ما وسعه إلا اتباعي.» Translation: “Are you confused in your religion as the Jews and Christians were confused? I have brought you a pure and clear religion. If Moses (peace be upon him) were alive, he would have no choice but to follow me.” (Narrated by Imam Ahmad and al-Bayhaqi in Shuʿab al-Iman)
The religion of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) is pure and complete, so perfect that there remains no need to follow the ways of the Jews or Christians. Even if a great Prophet like Moses (peace be upon him) were to return, there would still be no need for him to complete or add to this religion—let alone anyone else. Exaggeration and innovation (Bid‘ah) in the religion bring about destructive effects, opening the door of dispute and division among the ranks of the Muslim Ummah. Therefore, any kind of innovation, even in appearance—be it in clothing or worship—if it opposes the blessed Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), will never be acceptable.
As narrated from Abu Umamah (MABH), the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: «مَا ضَلَّ قَوْمٌ بَعْدَ هُدًى كَانُوا عَلَيْهِ إِلاَّ أُوتُوا الْجَدَلَ.» Translation: “No people go astray after being upon guidance except that disputation arises among them.” (Narrated by Imam Ahmad, al-Tirmidhi, and Ibn Majah)
Then he recited this verse: «مَا ضَرَبُوهُ لَكَ إِلَّا جَدَلًا بَلْ هُمْ قَوْمٌ خَصِمُونَ» Translation: “They did not bring it to you except for argument. Nay, they are a contentious people.” (Surah al-Zukhruf, 43:58)
Al-ʿAllāmah al-Ṭayyibī explains this Hadith, saying: “Whoever abandons the path of guidance and adopts the way of disputation, despite knowing the truth, will inevitably fall into obstinacy and stubbornness and will seek his goals through argument and conflict.” (Al-Ṭayyibī, Al-Kāshif ʿan Ḥaqāʾiq al-Sunnah, 1/344)
In another narration, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “No people introduce an innovation except that an equivalent portion of the Sunnah is taken away from them; therefore, adhering to the Sunnah is better than introducing innovation.” (Narrated by Imam Ahmad)
This means that even if a Sunnah appears to be a small act, in reality it is greater and more virtuous than an act of worship that contradicts the Sunnah, because reviving even a small Sunnah is an act of following the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), which brings about Allah’s pleasure and love.
For example, observing the etiquettes of purification (toilet manners) and practicing the Sunnah in that regard is better and more virtuous than performing hundreds of units of optional prayer (Nafl) without observing proper conditions and manners.
Al-ʿAllāmah Ibn Amir al-Hajj writes in his book Al-Madkhal that some great scholars of Hadith once read the Hadith in which the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) advised his companions to say after every prayer: “Allahu Akbar” thirty-four times, “Alhamdulillah” thirty-three times, and “Subhanallah” thirty-three times, and then to say once: «لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له، له الملك وله الحمد وهو على كل شيء قدير» (Abu Dawud, 1/281)
That scholar thought this number was small, so he began saying each phrase one hundred times after every prayer, and continued doing so for some time. One night after the ‘Isha prayer, he slept and saw in a dream that the Day of Judgment had begun. People from all over the world had gathered in a vast plain. A voice proclaimed: “Where are those who used to glorify and praise Allah after the obligatory prayers? Let them come to receive their reward!”
Hearing this, many people ran forward, and he too joined them, thinking he would receive the greatest reward. But when he arrived, no one called his name. Astonished, he approached the one distributing the rewards and asked, “Why was my name not called?” The distributor replied, “Your name is not on the list.” Embarrassed and confused, he realized that Allah’s knowledge is free from forgetfulness or error—so why was he deprived? After much reflection, he understood that his act was not in accordance with the practice of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him); rather, he had added to it. For that reason, he was deprived of the special reward of that act.
After narrating this incident, Mawlana ʿIzzāz ʿAlī (may Allah have mercy on him) wrote: “This clearly shows that the closer servants of Allah adhere to the Prophetic path in their words and deeds, the more they are granted divine mercy and special favor. And the further they move away from it, the closer they come to deprivation and loss.”
Religion in its true essence is obedience and following—that is, to walk in accordance with the commands of Allah and His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). If we create our own methods and follow them, they cannot be called religion. Innovations (Bid‘ah) are actions that appear to have reward, such as the customs of the seventh day, fortieth day, or yearly gatherings where Qur’an is recited. When someone says, “This act is not good, for it is not established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) or his Companions,” they reply: “What sin have we committed? We are merely reciting the Qur’an!” Yet their only sin is that their act is not upon the method taught by the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)—and this is a grave and serious error. Deeds are accepted by Allah Almighty only when they are not the product of human reasoning but are entirely in accordance with the instructions of the Shariah.
For instance, Allah Almighty has commanded us to perform three units (Rak‘ahs) of prayer at Maghrib. If a person, intending to perform more worship, offers four Rak‘ahs instead, he has neither stolen nor committed an evil act. In fact, he has increased his prayer, recited more Qur’an and performing more bowing and prostration. Yet, the outcome is that the fourth Rak‘ah not only becomes invalid but, in some cases, even invalidates the other three. (Usmani, Muhammad Taqi, Islahi Khutbat, 1/75)
Mawlana ʿIzzāz ʿAlī, the distinguished teacher of Darul Uloom Deoband, provides a beautiful example to explain the difference between Sunnah and Bid‘ah. He writes:
“If in one neighborhood there are two mosques—one very beautiful, decorated with ornaments, fine carpets, bright lamps, and even warm water for ablution—but its prayer niche (Mihrab) does not face the Qiblah; and another mosque nearby that is old, with broken pillars, a damaged roof, and worn-out mats, with only well water available for ablution—but its Mihrab faces the Qiblah; then despite the outward beauty of the first mosque, prayer in it is invalid because it does not face the Qiblah, while the second mosque, though simple and old, holds great value and praying in it earns reward.”
He concludes: “The same is the case with Sunnah and Bid‘ah: no matter how attractive or decorated an innovation may seem, it has no worth, while a Sunnah, however small it may appear, carries immense reward. The essence of all this discussion is that the purpose of the Prophets’ mission was for mankind to observe them and follow their actions, deeds, and even their movements and stillness.”
