What the Quran says about Prophet Muhammad and Why we obey Allah and His messenger. These two questions are the foundation of Islamic Creed. The testimony of faith means that We worship no none but Allah, and that Muhammad (Pbuh) is His Messenger.

Muslims have to follow the Sunnah (the way) of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace and blessings be upon him)? Allah informs us in the Quran that the speech of the Prophet Muhammad is also revelation just like the Quran.

“And he does not speak of his own desires, he speaks but revelation”.

وَمَا يَنطِقُ عَنِ الْهَوَىٰ ﴿٣﴾ إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا وَحْيٌ يُوحَىٰ ﴿٤

Surah An-Najm,3 & 4 

So Allah the Creator of the heavens and the earth, who sent down the Quran, informs us in the Quran that the Sunnah of his Messenger is actually revelation just like the Quran itself.

The Quran also informs us that the Prophet Muhammad is a perfect role model for those who seek to please Allah and become successful.

“Indeed there is in the Messenger of Allah a perfect role model for the one who hopes in Allah and the last day and (who) remembers Allah much.”

لَّقَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ فِي رَسُولِ اللَّـهِ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ لِّمَن كَانَ يَرْجُو اللَّـهَ وَالْيَوْمَ الْآخِرَ وَذَكَرَ اللَّـهَ كَثِيرًا 

Surah Al Ahzab, v.21

So just in these two verses of the Quran, we can see that Allah is directing to accept not only that the Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh) is His Messenger, but also understanding that the speech of His messenger is revelation, his actions and way is also divinely guided and endorsed.

Allah tells us that if you want success, then you must follow his Messenger (pbuh) and take him as your role model.

The Definition of the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad

Sunnah literally means ‘the way’.  However, when talking about the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah in the context of our discussion, it means:

1. The Speech of Muhammad (pbuh)
2. His Actions
3. His tacit approvals (Anything he observed and didn’t disapprove)

Don’t forget Allah is telling us that his way of life is a model for anyone who wants success.

As a side note to avoid confusion, you may hear people referring to certain acts such as using Miswak for brushing teeth as ‘a Sunnah’. When the word Sunnah is used in this context it is referring to the legal obligation of the act. In this context, ‘Wajid’ is obligated and ‘Sunnah’ is recommended.

So what is Hadith? Hadith are the authentic written accounts or narrations of the Sunnah of the Prophet (pbuh). These are the written accounts of the Sunnah.

There are established scholars and books of Hadith that have the highest degree of authenticity and universal acceptance within the Muslim world going right back to the beginning of Islam.

The Sunnah of the Prophet (pbuh) was preserved just as the Quran was.

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So How do you Obey Allah and His Messenger?

Obeying Allah and His Messenger in practical terms means we implement into our lives the commands of Allah from the Quran and the commands of the Prophet (pbuh) from the Sunnah

You see it would be impossible to follow Islam completely without obeying and following the Messenger(pbuh). The Sunnah of the Messenger is an explanation and example of how to implement the Quranic verses.

You will find most of the commands in the Quran being explained to us with a living example from the life of the Prophet (pbuh). This is why Allah told us that in the Messenger of Allah we will find the best example and role model for success.

The Consequences of a People who Rejected their Messenger

In Surah Al Baqarah, verse 67, Allah says:

“And when Musa said to his people, Indeed Allah commands you to sacrifice a cow, they responded, “do you mock us”, he said, “I seek refuge in Allah from being among the ignorant”.

وَإِذْ قَالَ مُوسَىٰ لِقَوْمِهِ إِنَّ اللَّـهَ يَأْمُرُكُمْ أَن تَذْبَحُوا بَقَرَةً ۖ قَالُوا أَتَتَّخِذُنَا هُزُوًا ۖ قَالَ أَعُوذُ بِاللَّـهِ أَنْ أَكُونَ مِنَ الْجَاهِلِينَ

Allah talked to us throughout the Quran about the story of Musa (peace be upon him) and his people (Banu Israel) in order to teach us from their mistakes. Banu Israel, the people of Musa (AS) were a people that transgressed against the Messengers that Allah sent to them.

In this verse, Allah teaches us about the relationship that they had with Musa (peace be upon him). They accused him of being a liar and mocking them, and that Allah explains to us how the story unfolds.

Watch this Video for a quick explanation of the people who rejected the Sunnah of their Messenger and what that meant.

Can you live without the Sunnah of the Messengers?

It’s not impossible to go through life without following the Sunnah, BUT it is absolutely impossible to be guided by the guidance of Allah without following the Sunnah.

You see the relationship that we have with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) is one where he guides us through life, explaining to us how to implement and actually live according to the Quran.

In simple terms the Quran is the words of Allah, and the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) is the explanation of the Quran, and perfect example of how to apply them practically on a day-to-day basis into our lives.

So, if you were to accept the Quran, and then made a HUGE mistake as the People of Musa did by treating the Sunnah of the Messenger with contempt, rejecting it or ridiculing it. Then you will find it difficult to understand Islam, and you will lose half of Islam just there.

The question to ask yourself is how do you know how to pray? or how to fast without understanding the Sunnah?

Because Allah does not inform us about how to pray in the Quran, rather, He just commands us to establish the prayers. So by taking away the Sunnah of the messenger of Allah, or by not understanding the Quran through the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), we lose the practical instructions of how to apply the Quran in our day-to-day life.

And this applies to most of the commands that Allah gives us in the Quran. Allah commands us to do various things in order to create a balance, fulfilling and happy life. However, the explanation of how to do that comes in the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him).

We know from the people of the past such as Banu Israel, that by rejecting the Message that was bought to them, or by rejecting their Sunnah, they actually rejected the Messenger of Allah and Allah himself.

To live a complete and balanced life according to the guidance of Allah, it is essential that we study and understand the Quran through the lens of the Sunnah. In the above Quranic explainer video we go into detail about the story of the miraculous cow, where Allah explains and demonstrates to us what the etiquettes and the behaviour of a believer should be with The Prophets and Messengers.

The reward of following the Sunnah of the Prophet of Allah is the love of Allah in this life and Jannah in the hereafter.

But let’s be honest happiness in this life without the guidance of the Sunnah is impossible. You and I were created to have fulfilling lives where we become exemplary like the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him).

Let’s start by understanding and take one small step at a time to become that insha’Allah.

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