Hadith

CHAPTER FOUR

WHAT DO THE AHADITH1 SAY ABOUT FOLLOWING THE SUNNAH?

O Allah (The Exalted) bless our master Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) and his family just as You blessed our master Abraham and sanctify our master Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) and the family of Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) just as You sanctify our master Abraham and the family of Abraham in all worlds for You are the Praiseworthy the Mighty.

Who Will Drink From The Pool Of Kouthar?

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) that he went to the graveyard and started to praise his followers (Ummah). The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said “some men will be driven away from my Basin (Haudh al Kouthar2) as a stray camel is driven off. I will call to them, ‘Come here! Come here!’ It will be said, ‘They made changes after you.’ Then I will say, ‘Get away! Get away’”i

Allahu Akbar, I ask, what are we going to do on the Day of Resurrection when everyone will be worried about themselves and when the fortunate people will be given the sweet water of the Pool of Kouthar3. What state will we be in if we leave the blessed Sunnah? ‘O Allah! Give us the ability to follow the Sunnah, give us sincerity in our deeds, and forgive our sins, Ameen!’

Answering The Call

The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, “It is like someone who builds a house and lays out fine feast in it and sends out a summoner. Whoever answers the summoner enters the house and eats from the feast. Whoever does not answer the summoner does not enter the house and eat from the feast.”ii

If we want to enter Paradise we should answer the call of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) and that is simple, to follow in his way.

He Who Does Not Practice My Sunnah Is Not From Me!

‘Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, “He who does not follow my Sunnah is not from me.” iii

Look at the importance in following the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) if we do not follow the Sunnah, how can we call ourselves true Muslims because Islam is about following Allah (The Exalted) and His beloved Messenger (may Allah bless him and grant him peace).

Abu Ayyub Ansari narrates that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, “Whosoever is against my Sunnah is not from me.”iv

Who Is a True Believer?

Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, “None of you truly believe, until I am dearer to you than your father, your children and all mankind.”v

Perfection of faith is dependent on love of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) because Allah (The Exalted) and His angels (upon them be peace) are constantly raising4 his honour. Let us become true followers by doing what is best for a true believer, become a Muslim by name and by nature by loving what the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) liked, and 2 www.GardensOfSunnah.co.uk

refraining from those things that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) disliked, Inshallah!

Enter Paradise With The Messenger Of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)

Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, “He who loves my Sunnah, loves me, and he who loves me will enter with me in Paradise.” vi

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said, that Allah’s Messenger (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, “All of my Ummah will enter Paradise except those who refuse.” It was said, “Who will refuse?” He replied. “Whoever obeys me enters Paradise and whoever disobeys me has refused.”vii

The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) does not want his followers to go into the Hell fire by following the practices of the non-Muslims and he is telling us if you want paradise follow me. Is this not a warning for us? Will we say I did not know when we are questioned about this? We have no excuse! Make sincere intention from today, start to learn and follow the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) and drown yourself in his love.

Respected brothers & sisters of Islam, today we see our Muslim brothers not only shaving their beard but also disliking it. We hear sisters of Islam asking their fiancés or husbands to shave off their beards otherwise they will leave them and also sisters wanting to wear the Jilbab and Hijab but the husband’s not allowing them to. We will all be in difficulties in this world and the hereafter, however, if we follow the Sunnah, will the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) not assist and intercede5 for us? What will happen to us on the Day of Resurrection? You have just read the Hadith above. May Allah (The Exalted) protect all of our Muslim brothers/sisters, Ameen!

5 Shafa’ah, (the intercession, which is stored up for Muslims), is true, as related in the (consistent and confirmed) Ahadith. (Aqida Tahawiya. No: 41)

Obeying Allah Through The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)

Abu Salama ibn ‘Abdur-Rahman (may Allah be pleased with him) heard Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) say that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, “Whoever obeys me has obeyed Allah. Whoever rebels against me has rebelled against Allah. Whoever obeys my Amir has obeyed me. Whoever rebels against my Amir has disobeyed me.”viii

Reviving One Sunnah

Anas reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, “Whoever brings the Sunnah to life has brought me to life. Whoever brings me to life will be with me in Paradise.”ix

Subhanallah! There are so many Sunnahs that we can start to practise. At least make the intention to begin starting with the small Sunnahs in this book and build the love of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) in our hearts and we will then want to practise more Sunnahs Allah willing, and we hope to be with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) in Paradise.

Reward Of 100 Martyrs

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) that “At the time of corruption, if one revives a Sunnah (i.e. by practising it) one will be rewarded equivalent to one hundred martyrs in Islam.”x

As time goes by some people leave practising the Sunnah, then he who revives a Sunnah and asks others to practise the Sunnah will gain his reward as well as the reward of others.

‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said that “Whosoever at the time of corruption of the Ummah hold tight to my Sunnah will be rewarded with the reward of a hundred martyrs.”xi 3 www.GardensOfSunnah.co.uk

i Muslim, Malik, Abu Dawud and Nasa’i.

ii Bukhari and Muslim

iii Bukhari, Muslim, Nasa’i and Ibn Majah

iv Bukhari, Muslim Musnad Ahmad, Nasa’i, Bayhaqi, Tabarani etc.

v Bukhari, Muslim, Nisa’i and Ash-Shifa.

vi Tirmidhi and Kanzul Ummal.

vii Bukhari

viii Bukhari and Muslim

ix Al-Isbahani. Ash-Shifa, Part Two, Chapter One, section three, The obligation to follow… p.219

x Baihaqi, Ash-Shifa with reference to At-Tabarani. 40 Hadith, sayings of the Holy Prophet Muhammad, Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him, with reference to Mishkat.

xi Targheeb wat-Tarheeb, Jami’ Saghir by Imam Suyuti.

xii Tirmidhi (hasan), Book of knowledge; al-Baghawi, Shah al-Sunnah 1:233. Ash-Shifa with reference to Ibn Majah who considers it hasan.

xiii Tirmidhi, book of Tafsir al-Qur’an, Abu Dawud, book of Malahim, Ibn Majah, book of Fitan, al-Tabarani in al-Majma’al-Kabir (17:117), al-Khatib al-Baghdadi in his Tarikh (8:426), Ibn Kathir in his Tafsir (3:208), and others.

xiv Bukhari

xv Tirmidhi

The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) also said: “Whoever gives life to one of my Sunnahs which was eliminated after my time will receive the reward of all those who practice it without their reward being diminished.”xii

If you practice a Sunnah and tells others and they practice and tell others and so on, you will be rewarded with the reward of all those who practice it who learnt it from you and through you.

The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: “Those of his Ummah who would hold fastidiously to his Sunnah at the end of time would each be given the reward of fifty of his Companions.”xiii

Allahu Akbar! Just look at the reward one will get; however, Shaytan will do everything to stop us from practicing. Do not be discouraged, ask Allah (The Exalted) for help and guidance and strive in following the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace).

Follow the Qur’an and Sunnah

The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, “I leave behind two things, the Qur’an and my example (Sunnah) and if you follow these you will never go astray.”xiv

In another hadith the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, “I am leaving you something, taking hold of which will prevent you from going astray: The Book of Allah and my family, the People of my House. So, take care how you follow me regarding them.”xv

Let us understand what the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said and left behind for us, O Muslims! Follow the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), change our life for the better, and see the Mercy of Allah6 (The Exalted) being showered upon us.

6 “And we sent not you, but a mercy for all worlds.” (Surah Ambia, Surah No: 21, Verse: 107). Because the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) was sent as a mercy to all mankind, it is incumbent not only upon Muslims, but upon all human beings to rejoice in his person. Unfortunately, today too, there are some people who reject Allah’s (The Exalted) order to rejoice in His Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace).

7 “And Allah is not one to chastise them, till (‘O Prophet) you are in their midst. And Allah is not to chastise them, whilst they are begging forgiveness.” (Surah Anfal, Surah No: 8, Verse: 33).

8 “Say you, ‘only Allah’ grace and only His mercy, on it therefore let them rejoice. That is better than all their wealth.” (Surah Yunus, Surah No: 10, Verse: 58). This order came because joy makes the heart grateful for the mercy of Allah (The Exalted). And what greater mercy did Allah (The Exalted) give than the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) himself.

It is because of his mercy that we have not been punished like the Ummahs in the past7. This mercy is none other than the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)8.

O Allah! (The Exalted) give us the ability to follow the words and practise the words and actions of Your beloved, to have respect for his words and not to belittle any of his saying, Ameen.