Why We Chose the Sunnah?
Transcribed by: Umm Hasna Firdous Bint Jabir min Sri Lanka
Overview: Why we chose the Sunnah over the hizbiyyah of the ahlul-bid'ah. A detailed analysis of the quest for the truth over falsehood. Aboo Uways 'Abdullaah Ahmad 'Alee [d. 1425]. One of the pioneers of ad-da'watus-salafiyyah in the West. Aboo Uways (rahimahullaah) was the Imaam of the salafee masjid in Newark, New Jersey, USA. After studying in Saudi Arabia, Aboo Uways migrated to England where he called to the usool of salafiyyah at a time when many were afraid to use the praiseworthy term 'salafee'. He later returned to America in the mid-nineties and was influential towards spreading salafiyyah in N. America and repelling the callers to innovation.
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Khutbatul Haajah …
The subject we want to talk about on this blessed day (Yawm al-Jumm'aah), the weekly Eid of the Muslims is 'Why we haven chosen the Sunnah as a way of life."
The basic answer to the question is why we have chosen the Sunnah as a way of life is contained in the introduction that I gave a few minutes ago called the 'Khutbatul Haajah' – the Khutbah of Need. In it contains the statement of the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) : wa khairul hadi, hadi Muhammadun (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) i.e. the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) and the Sunnah Lugathan in the Arabic language means-- is a way, a path, tareequn, a guidance or a manner of doing something. This is called Sunnah, in the language sense. As when the people came who were very, very poor and they were in great need and the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam)'s face changed out of mercy, love and concern for them and he told the Muslims to gather what they could.
one Muslim went and gathered everything that he could find and brought it and gave it to those Muslims who were in need and the Prophet Muhammad (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) said : He who starts a Sunnah that is good in Islaam then he would get the reward of that. '
So, Sunnah (in the language sense) is a method one has of doing a things, a particular way one does something. A behaviour that one starts --- this is called as-Sunnah.
In this sharah, legislation, this is what we are mainly concerned with --- As-Sunnah refers to whatever the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) has said, any word or statement, coming from the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam), any action done by the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam), anything that was done in front of the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) and he agreed that it can be done --- it was done in front of him and he was silent about and his character and his physical features. This is all called 'Sunnah.'
One, in his statement, saying, any word coming out of the mouth of the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) because he does not speak of his desires and whatever he speaks is revelation 'al-wahyu' – revelation from Allaah tabarak wa ta'ala. So anything coming out of the mouth of Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) –-- any words, any statement, any expression is Sunnah. Any action done by the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) --– the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) slept a certain way, he walked a certain way, any action done by the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) is considered Sunnah unless the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) has shown that is not the case. This is general even dealing with the Deen of Allaah tabarak wa ta'ala . Any action, if the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) ate with his right hand, we eat with our right hand, the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) forbade that we sit on and lean on our left hand because of the sitting of the Jews -- we are not allowed to sit on our left hand. We are not allowed to do so because that goes against the Sunnah of Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam).
We cannot stand and eat because that goes against the Sunnah of Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam). He slept on his right side so that is the Sunnah of the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam). Anything that was done in front of the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) and he did not forbid it like Khalid Ibn Walid 'Saifullaah' --the Sword of Allaah, the Sword of Islaam --- ate lizard meat in front of the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) and the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) told him 'to go ahead and eat it but its just that it's not the food of my people and I don't like it.' So he allowed it. So, lizard meat is halaal, there is permissibility.
And his character, his morals and his manners are from the Sunnah. Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) did not laugh a lot. He smiled most of the time. Sometimes he laughed but the majority of time he smiled. He was not loud in the market places, shouting and raising his voice --- he was gentle, he was kind, he was patient, he was courageous. These are from the characteristics of the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam). He was courageous, as it comes in the narrations of the Sunnah --- at one time at night the people heard a loud noise and all of them were scared and wondered what it was. When the people of Medina came out to find out what it was, they saw the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) returning back on a horse and there was no saddle on the horse and he came back and said that everything was alright. Courage !! He went out all alone hearing that great sound without anyone, so swiftly that he heard the sound, got onto his horse without putting the saddle on it and went by himself.
And in the thick of battle, when all the world was trying to take the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) off the planet, in trying to kill him, Muhammad (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) was the first in front of the enemy.
One day the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) was sleeping and the Persians and the Romans and the Mushrikeen of the Arabs wanted to assassinate him and the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) was sleeping under a tree in comfort and ease depending upon on Allaah tabarak wa ta'ala and on His protection alone and a man comes and he picks up the sword of the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) and he said : 'Ya Muhammad, who will protect you from me?' The Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) said : 'Allaah, Allaah.' The man dropped his sword and the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) picked it up and said : 'Now who will protect you from me?' This is the courage of the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) – one of the characteristics. And the characteristics as we say that morals and the manners are from the Sunnah.
Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) was as-Saadiq al Masdu --- he never tells a lie. Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) was known as 'truthful' even before he was given the Messengership, even before he was given Nabawa --- Prophethood.
The Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) was known as 'al-Amin' --- the trustworthy; 'as-Sadiq' --- the Truthful. Ask Muhammad (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) and you never hear a lie, ask Muhammad (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) and you get nothing but the truth off his tongue, ask Muhammad (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) and you get the correct information, without any confusion or any deceit or trying to cover anything up. He told the truth all the time. This was from the characteristics of the Prophet (alaihis salaatu wassallam).
The Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) was humble. He was not arrogant. He sat on the floor, he ate on the floor, he slept on the floor, he was not arrogant. Umar Ibn al-Khattab al- Farooq (radiallaahu anhu) one day entered upon the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) and found him laying on date palm that had been placed inside of leather and he could see the traces of it on his back. Umar began to weep and he said: 'O Messenger of Allaah, the Kings of Persia and Rome are living in ease & richness, and you are the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) living like this.' The Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) said : 'Ya Umar, if it was someone other than you, I would have expected this. But Umar, don't you know that for them it is the dunya and for us it is the Aakhirah.'
The Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) was humble. A young girl, anyone of the girls from Medina could come, grab his hand and take him anywhere around the city of Medina and he would take care of her need, if she had a question he would not pull his hand away and say 'I am arrogant. I am the Messenger of Allaah. I don't have the time. I have got the pressing need of the Ummah on my mind. I don't have time, I have Muslims fighting all types of battles on the fields. I don't have time, I have lectures and so on and so forth.' The Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) was humble and he would fulfill that person's needs. These are from the characteristics of the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam).
And from the Sunnah are the physical features of the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) and it includes also his Seerah, his life. This is also to be termed as-Sunnah. The Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) had a wide chest, had large arms and hands, was of medium height --- this is some of the things that we know about the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam). His characteristics are known from the Books of Sunnah.
The Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) would walk as if he is going uphill, the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) when someone spoke to him would turn his whole body towards the person who was speaking to him. The Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) when he spoke to someone would give his full attention as if they were the only ones on earth that he was listening to at that time.
The Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) when he shook hands, he would not pull his hands first until the individual who was shaking the hands pulled his hands first. These are some of the characteristics and the physical descriptions of the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam).
Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) was a very beautiful looking person. They described his face as looking like a full moon. These are some of the physical descriptions of the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam). So all of this is called the Sunnah.
Aysha (radiallaahu anha) said that the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam)'s most beloved dress was the long khameez, which is a thobe which goes all the way down to the calf (shank), the wide thobe that went down all the way to the shank (the part of the leg between the knee and the ankle. It is reported in the Sahih al-Buhkhari from his wife Aysha (radiallaahu anha).
The Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) when he would drink, he would not drink while breathing into the utensil, he would breathe outside the utensil and he would drink three times to complete it. He wouldn't gulp his drink up. And he would start with 'Bismillaah' and if he forgot he would say: 'Bismillaahi fee Awwalihi wa Aakhirihi' --- Bismillaah (in the name of Allaah) in its beginning and in the end. This is the Sunnah.
We have chosen Sunnah as the way of life because Allaah tabarak wa ta'ala has sent us Muhammad (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) as a guidance for us. We have chosen Sunnah as a way of life because we know that any other path or way or message, manner or behaviour will lead us astray and would displease Allaah tabarak wa ta'ala. Because the guidance for this Ummah is contained upon the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam). So we have chosen the Sunnah as our way of life. And in this regard this term that is used, the term "Ahlul Sunnati wal Jam'aah' --- terms that are used as-Salafiyya, terms that are used al-Athariya, terms that are used Ahlul Hadith, terms that are used Ansar-us-Sunnah, all of these are names which we are not overly concerned about the names, we are not concerned at all. But we are overly concerned about the names as long as the essence is what is being implemented. It means, that we hear about a group of people who are Ahlul-Sunnati wal Jam'aah – based on their statement or "Ahlul Hadith' based on their statement or they follow the Athaar and they consider themselves a 'salafiyyeen' or they say we follow 'Dawaah salafiyyah' and we find that it is a name which essence does not reflect in their beliefs or behaviour or view point, and are at variance with the Sunnah, then we don't care about the name.
But we find another group of people acting upon the Sunnah of the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam), believing in it, every small, minor or major issue of it, applying it in their lives, believing as the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) and his companions believed, acting, having the morals and the manners and the behaviour of the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) and his companions, learning it and studying it and giving dawah to it, then we consider them 'Ahlul Sunnah', the people of the way of the Salaf, manhaj of the Salaf, Ahlul Hadith whether they have that name or not.
We are concerned about the essence because everyone can claim something, anyone can claim anything ----- the poetry about a man called ;Majnoon Laila' , the crazy one of Laila. He was called the crazy one of Laila because he loved Laila so much that he would only talk about her. He would walk around the city wiping the places that Laila has been. He used to say : 'I am wiping the wall, not because it is just a wall, but because Laila has passed by the wall.' His point was that everyone claims that they are connected to Laila but Laila doesn't agree to that. Everyone claims that they are connected to the Sunnah, that is the call of today, 'We are Qur'aan and Sunnah', Akhi we are 'Ahlul Sunnah', Akhi we are 'Salafiyeen,' we are on 'Dawah salafiyyah', we are on Hadith ------- everyone claims that. The claim needs evidence. The claim needs actions and behaviour and dawah and belief that proves that.
'Ad-Da'awee' --- the claim. That which does not have evidence to prove it, the result of it is 'there is no claim.' So it is not a dawah, it is not a claim in that sense, but it is implementation of the way of the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) in ALL areas. You are Sunni or Salafi in your belief but when it comes to behaviour you are a yahoodi, Nasraani or Masihi or Majoosi, you are not Sunni and when it comes to making certain acts of Ibadaah, when it comes to the treatment of your wives and your children --- you are a barbarian !!
Salafiyyah, al-Athariyyah, Sunniyah, Ittiba' as Sunnah requires that we implement the essence in our actions, our beliefs and our behaviour in accordance with the Sunnah of the Messenger (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) and we judge by the Sunnah, which is the explanation of the Qur'aan --- every small and major matter. This is what it means. And they claim 'Ahlul Sunnah' – the People of the Sunnah... Ahlul something means a person who is an expert at that thing, a person who presents that thing. Ahlul Sunnah --- judging by the Sunnah, following the Sunnah. There is no question once it is proven that it is authentic. And this is what Mustafa (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) has stated : 'There is no question, there is no hesitation, there is no doubt, there is nothing but total acceptance and implementation because it is the Sunnah of the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam).' Ahlul Sunnati wal Jam'aah --- the Jam'aah here refers to the Sahabah (radiallaahu anhu) and those who gather upon al-Hudha wa Deenul Haqq.
When Allaah tabarak wa ta'ala sent a Messenger, (as it comes in at least 2 ayahs in the Qur'aan): even if the disbelievers or the Mushriks are adverse; He is the one who has sent the Messenger for Huda, guidance, and Deenul Haqq – the religion of Truth so that He will make it supersede (take over) ALL other religions and way of life.
In another verse it says : 'Even if the Kaafirs or the Mushriks dislike it.'
Beneficial knowledge – ad Deenul Haqq wa Amalus Saalih and righteous actions. You cannot have beneficial knowledge or righteous actions except referring to the Book of Allaah tabarak wa ta'ala and the Sunnah of the Messenger (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) as understood by the Salafus Saalih.
Everyone claims that they are on Qur'aan and Sunnah, everyone says they are on Qur'aan and Sunnah, but those on the correct path add something to it, add a third matter to it, a third issue: as understood, practiced, applied, giving dawah to by the Sahabah (ridwaanallaahu alaihi ajmaeen). So the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) said : 'those amongst you who live long will see great controversy so Alaikum bi sunnati --– Upon you is to follow my Sunnah!' He could have stopped there by saying following 'my Sunnah' but he didn't. He said, 'follow my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the rightly guided Khulafah, ---- Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and Ali --- the rightly guided Khulafah. And stick to it as if it were between your molar teeth, your biting on it and someone is trying to pull it out of your mouth.'
And Allaah tabarak wa ta'ala says in the Qur'aan : 'He who follows a path other than the path of the Messenger after it has been made clear to him, other than the path of the believers sabeelul Mu'mineen, We will let him go in the direction he is going and he will go to Hellfire.' He or she will go to Hellfire. This is the meaning of the ayah.
Who were the believers when that verse was revealed? The Sahaaba (radiallaahu ajmaeen) --- that is the Sabeelul Mu'mineen. The Sahabah (radiallahu ajmaeen) were there when the verses of Qur'aan came down; the Sahaabah (radiallaahu ajmaeen) were there when the Sunnah of the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) was revealed, was being practiced. The Sahaabah (radiallaahu anhum) got the information from the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) directly, understood the language because it was their language, understood that dialect because it was their dialect; understood Muhammad (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) because he was right in front of them. We should not try to understand Qur'aan and Sunnah except in the way and manner in which they understood and this is what is meant by Salafi and this is what is meant by Athari ---- meaning that I believe in the Book of Allaah tabarak wa ta'ala and I believe in the Sunnah of the Prophet (alaihi wa sallam) but I am not independent in my understanding but I must refer to the understanding of the 'khairun khuroon' --- 'khairun Naas', the Best people.
For the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) said in an authentic Hadith which many of us have probably memorized it by now because we have heard it so many times : 'The Best People is my generation, then those who follow them, then those who follow them.'
And the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) said in an authentic Hadith : 'Be guided by those two after me, Abu Bakr and Umar.' So, when someone claims that they are following the Book of Allaah tabarak wa ta'ala or they are following the Sunnah of the Messenger (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) they are not doing it truly and in reality, unless and until they are doing it according to the understanding and as applied and implemented by the companions of the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) and those who follow him. This is very important.
The Ahmadiyyah, the followers of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad in the Indo sub pack continent, like India, (that area) claim that they follow Qur'aan and Sunnah. And the man was claiming that he was a messenger of Allaah after the messenger of Allaah, aoodhu billaah.
Al-Baatiniyaa, Soofiya, the Sufis of today who call upon other than Allaah tabarak wa ta'ala, who go to the graves and ask the individuals in the grave to heal them and so on, who make tawaf around the graves, who commit shirk Akbar, they too claim that they are following the Qur'aan and the Sunnah.
Everyone out there giving Dawah, everyone out there who are claiming that they are raising the banner of Islaam is claiming that they follow the Qur'aan and Sunnah. And when you look into what they are doing or saying or spreading or have written or stated on tape, you find it a total variant, you find it totally opposite to what Allaah tabarak wa ta'ala sent down from the Heavens, from what was explained by the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) and what was implemented, understood and acted upon by his companions (radiallaahu anhum ajmaeen).
Anyone can claim anything when given an opportunity but the evidence, the proof, the daleel and when you find the person believing in these by applying, acting upon and giving dawah to Qur'aan and Sunnah and understanding that and all of that which I mentioned already, in accordance to the way of the Salafus-Saalih.
Does this mean that we can go to the Book of Allaah and find a verse in the Qur'aan and apply it the way we want to apply it rather upon ourselves or individually; this means we can go on to the Sunnah of the Messenger (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) contained in the Books of Hadith like Sahih Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah and so on and so forth and bring a hadith in and apply it like we want to apply it??? We must apply the verses of Qur'aan and the Hadith of the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) as understood by the companions of the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam). As understood by the Salafus-Saalih who are the righteous Sahabah and their students, and their students and those who follow them in righteousness.
We give importance when we do that to what they gave importance to. So Ahlul-Sunnati wal Jam'aah since 'Al-Jam'aah' ---- the group and they consider unity to be the utmost importance, because they consider unity as 'rahmah' – they consider al-Jam'aah unit ar-Rahma, mercy and splitting, separating, turning away from one another, being in different groups and parties, they consider that 'adhaab.' They consider that punishment. Based upon the hadith of the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam), he stated that.
Being together is Rahmah, mercy. Firqa is adhaab, being separate, disliking one another, disrespecting one another, being away from one another, being in different parties and groups, having different loyalties to different Masaajids, this is adhaab, punishment. This is a punishment no doubt.
There is an ayah in the Qur'aan which states that 'they will continue to defer except those on whom the mercy of Allaah is upon.'
When you see the people 'Ikhtilaa' – differing in their opinions and view points where they separate from one another, and each one is calling each one bad names, disrespecting one another, separating brothers from brothers and sisters from sisters, this is 'adhaab' and this is an indication that the mercy of Allaah is not upon that group of people. Al-Jam'aah is such that we want everyone to gather, everyone to be a jama'ah, every Muslim that faces the Kiblaah to gather together and be together upon the correct path and they do this Ahlul Sunnati wal Jam'aah, the people who have chosen as-Sunnah as the way of life. They do this while doing two things :
1. The first thing is they spread knowledge. The people are differing because they are ignorant. If they were not ignorant they would not be differing. If they were not ignorant they would be together. If they were not ignorant they would say and do the things that they do that create this unity, discord and hatefulness, and distrust amongst them. It is no doubt that it is so because of 'jahl' (ignorance). So the cure or remedy for ignorance is 'ilm' (knowledge), ilm ash-shar'ee (the legislative knowledge) --- knowledge of the Book of Allaah, knowledge of the Sunnah of the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam), knowledge of the way of the Sahaabah (Radiallaahu anhum) and no doubt that, that knowledge has to be acted upon otherwise it will be evidence against that person, not for the person on the Day of Judgement. Because we know that before the people leave the Court of Allaah (tabarak wa ta'ala) on the Day of Judgement, they will be asked four questions and among them is your knowledge if you acted upon it --- your knowledge and did you act upon it.
So Ahlulul-Sunnathi wal Jam'aah (the people who have chosen the Sunnah as a way of life) spread knowledge. 'Propagate from me, inform from me even if it is an ayah' said the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam). They know something of the Sunnah Mustafa (alaihissalaathu wassalaam), they know the meaning of the 'Shahaadah', they know the tafseer of an ayah, they know something that you should do or something that is 'mutahab' i.e something you do what Allaah loves, or something that is not approved and that you should avoid. They act upon it themselves and then they inform others. 'Ilm' – knowledge, spread amongst the people, bringing them together, bring unity.
So, Sunnah (in the language sense) is a method one has of doing a things, a particular way one does something. A behaviour that one starts --- this is called as-Sunnah.
In this sharah, legislation, this is what we are mainly concerned with --- As-Sunnah refers to whatever the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) has said, any word or statement, coming from the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam), any action done by the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam), anything that was done in front of the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) and he agreed that it can be done --- it was done in front of him and he was silent about and his character and his physical features. This is all called 'Sunnah.'
One, in his statement, saying, any word coming out of the mouth of the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) because he does not speak of his desires and whatever he speaks is revelation 'al-wahyu' – revelation from Allaah tabarak wa ta'ala. So anything coming out of the mouth of Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) –-- any words, any statement, any expression is Sunnah. Any action done by the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) --– the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) slept a certain way, he walked a certain way, any action done by the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) is considered Sunnah unless the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) has shown that is not the case. This is general even dealing with the Deen of Allaah tabarak wa ta'ala . Any action, if the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) ate with his right hand, we eat with our right hand, the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) forbade that we sit on and lean on our left hand because of the sitting of the Jews -- we are not allowed to sit on our left hand. We are not allowed to do so because that goes against the Sunnah of Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam).
We cannot stand and eat because that goes against the Sunnah of Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam). He slept on his right side so that is the Sunnah of the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam). Anything that was done in front of the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) and he did not forbid it like Khalid Ibn Walid 'Saifullaah' --the Sword of Allaah, the Sword of Islaam --- ate lizard meat in front of the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) and the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) told him 'to go ahead and eat it but its just that it's not the food of my people and I don't like it.' So he allowed it. So, lizard meat is halaal, there is permissibility.
And his character, his morals and his manners are from the Sunnah. Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) did not laugh a lot. He smiled most of the time. Sometimes he laughed but the majority of time he smiled. He was not loud in the market places, shouting and raising his voice --- he was gentle, he was kind, he was patient, he was courageous. These are from the characteristics of the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam). He was courageous, as it comes in the narrations of the Sunnah --- at one time at night the people heard a loud noise and all of them were scared and wondered what it was. When the people of Medina came out to find out what it was, they saw the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) returning back on a horse and there was no saddle on the horse and he came back and said that everything was alright. Courage !! He went out all alone hearing that great sound without anyone, so swiftly that he heard the sound, got onto his horse without putting the saddle on it and went by himself.
And in the thick of battle, when all the world was trying to take the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) off the planet, in trying to kill him, Muhammad (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) was the first in front of the enemy.
One day the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) was sleeping and the Persians and the Romans and the Mushrikeen of the Arabs wanted to assassinate him and the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) was sleeping under a tree in comfort and ease depending upon on Allaah tabarak wa ta'ala and on His protection alone and a man comes and he picks up the sword of the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) and he said : 'Ya Muhammad, who will protect you from me?' The Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) said : 'Allaah, Allaah.' The man dropped his sword and the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) picked it up and said : 'Now who will protect you from me?' This is the courage of the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) – one of the characteristics. And the characteristics as we say that morals and the manners are from the Sunnah.
Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) was as-Saadiq al Masdu --- he never tells a lie. Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) was known as 'truthful' even before he was given the Messengership, even before he was given Nabawa --- Prophethood.
The Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) was known as 'al-Amin' --- the trustworthy; 'as-Sadiq' --- the Truthful. Ask Muhammad (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) and you never hear a lie, ask Muhammad (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) and you get nothing but the truth off his tongue, ask Muhammad (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) and you get the correct information, without any confusion or any deceit or trying to cover anything up. He told the truth all the time. This was from the characteristics of the Prophet (alaihis salaatu wassallam).
The Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) was humble. He was not arrogant. He sat on the floor, he ate on the floor, he slept on the floor, he was not arrogant. Umar Ibn al-Khattab al- Farooq (radiallaahu anhu) one day entered upon the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) and found him laying on date palm that had been placed inside of leather and he could see the traces of it on his back. Umar began to weep and he said: 'O Messenger of Allaah, the Kings of Persia and Rome are living in ease & richness, and you are the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) living like this.' The Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) said : 'Ya Umar, if it was someone other than you, I would have expected this. But Umar, don't you know that for them it is the dunya and for us it is the Aakhirah.'
The Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) was humble. A young girl, anyone of the girls from Medina could come, grab his hand and take him anywhere around the city of Medina and he would take care of her need, if she had a question he would not pull his hand away and say 'I am arrogant. I am the Messenger of Allaah. I don't have the time. I have got the pressing need of the Ummah on my mind. I don't have time, I have Muslims fighting all types of battles on the fields. I don't have time, I have lectures and so on and so forth.' The Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) was humble and he would fulfill that person's needs. These are from the characteristics of the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam).
And from the Sunnah are the physical features of the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) and it includes also his Seerah, his life. This is also to be termed as-Sunnah. The Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) had a wide chest, had large arms and hands, was of medium height --- this is some of the things that we know about the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam). His characteristics are known from the Books of Sunnah.
The Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) would walk as if he is going uphill, the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) when someone spoke to him would turn his whole body towards the person who was speaking to him. The Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) when he spoke to someone would give his full attention as if they were the only ones on earth that he was listening to at that time.
The Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) when he shook hands, he would not pull his hands first until the individual who was shaking the hands pulled his hands first. These are some of the characteristics and the physical descriptions of the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam).
Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) was a very beautiful looking person. They described his face as looking like a full moon. These are some of the physical descriptions of the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam). So all of this is called the Sunnah.
Aysha (radiallaahu anha) said that the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam)'s most beloved dress was the long khameez, which is a thobe which goes all the way down to the calf (shank), the wide thobe that went down all the way to the shank (the part of the leg between the knee and the ankle. It is reported in the Sahih al-Buhkhari from his wife Aysha (radiallaahu anha).
The Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) when he would drink, he would not drink while breathing into the utensil, he would breathe outside the utensil and he would drink three times to complete it. He wouldn't gulp his drink up. And he would start with 'Bismillaah' and if he forgot he would say: 'Bismillaahi fee Awwalihi wa Aakhirihi' --- Bismillaah (in the name of Allaah) in its beginning and in the end. This is the Sunnah.
We have chosen Sunnah as the way of life because Allaah tabarak wa ta'ala has sent us Muhammad (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) as a guidance for us. We have chosen Sunnah as a way of life because we know that any other path or way or message, manner or behaviour will lead us astray and would displease Allaah tabarak wa ta'ala. Because the guidance for this Ummah is contained upon the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam). So we have chosen the Sunnah as our way of life. And in this regard this term that is used, the term "Ahlul Sunnati wal Jam'aah' --- terms that are used as-Salafiyya, terms that are used al-Athariya, terms that are used Ahlul Hadith, terms that are used Ansar-us-Sunnah, all of these are names which we are not overly concerned about the names, we are not concerned at all. But we are overly concerned about the names as long as the essence is what is being implemented. It means, that we hear about a group of people who are Ahlul-Sunnati wal Jam'aah – based on their statement or "Ahlul Hadith' based on their statement or they follow the Athaar and they consider themselves a 'salafiyyeen' or they say we follow 'Dawaah salafiyyah' and we find that it is a name which essence does not reflect in their beliefs or behaviour or view point, and are at variance with the Sunnah, then we don't care about the name.
But we find another group of people acting upon the Sunnah of the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam), believing in it, every small, minor or major issue of it, applying it in their lives, believing as the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) and his companions believed, acting, having the morals and the manners and the behaviour of the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) and his companions, learning it and studying it and giving dawah to it, then we consider them 'Ahlul Sunnah', the people of the way of the Salaf, manhaj of the Salaf, Ahlul Hadith whether they have that name or not.
We are concerned about the essence because everyone can claim something, anyone can claim anything ----- the poetry about a man called ;Majnoon Laila' , the crazy one of Laila. He was called the crazy one of Laila because he loved Laila so much that he would only talk about her. He would walk around the city wiping the places that Laila has been. He used to say : 'I am wiping the wall, not because it is just a wall, but because Laila has passed by the wall.' His point was that everyone claims that they are connected to Laila but Laila doesn't agree to that. Everyone claims that they are connected to the Sunnah, that is the call of today, 'We are Qur'aan and Sunnah', Akhi we are 'Ahlul Sunnah', Akhi we are 'Salafiyeen,' we are on 'Dawah salafiyyah', we are on Hadith ------- everyone claims that. The claim needs evidence. The claim needs actions and behaviour and dawah and belief that proves that.
'Ad-Da'awee' --- the claim. That which does not have evidence to prove it, the result of it is 'there is no claim.' So it is not a dawah, it is not a claim in that sense, but it is implementation of the way of the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) in ALL areas. You are Sunni or Salafi in your belief but when it comes to behaviour you are a yahoodi, Nasraani or Masihi or Majoosi, you are not Sunni and when it comes to making certain acts of Ibadaah, when it comes to the treatment of your wives and your children --- you are a barbarian !!
Salafiyyah, al-Athariyyah, Sunniyah, Ittiba' as Sunnah requires that we implement the essence in our actions, our beliefs and our behaviour in accordance with the Sunnah of the Messenger (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) and we judge by the Sunnah, which is the explanation of the Qur'aan --- every small and major matter. This is what it means. And they claim 'Ahlul Sunnah' – the People of the Sunnah... Ahlul something means a person who is an expert at that thing, a person who presents that thing. Ahlul Sunnah --- judging by the Sunnah, following the Sunnah. There is no question once it is proven that it is authentic. And this is what Mustafa (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) has stated : 'There is no question, there is no hesitation, there is no doubt, there is nothing but total acceptance and implementation because it is the Sunnah of the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam).' Ahlul Sunnati wal Jam'aah --- the Jam'aah here refers to the Sahabah (radiallaahu anhu) and those who gather upon al-Hudha wa Deenul Haqq.
When Allaah tabarak wa ta'ala sent a Messenger, (as it comes in at least 2 ayahs in the Qur'aan): even if the disbelievers or the Mushriks are adverse; He is the one who has sent the Messenger for Huda, guidance, and Deenul Haqq – the religion of Truth so that He will make it supersede (take over) ALL other religions and way of life.
In another verse it says : 'Even if the Kaafirs or the Mushriks dislike it.'
Beneficial knowledge – ad Deenul Haqq wa Amalus Saalih and righteous actions. You cannot have beneficial knowledge or righteous actions except referring to the Book of Allaah tabarak wa ta'ala and the Sunnah of the Messenger (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) as understood by the Salafus Saalih.
Everyone claims that they are on Qur'aan and Sunnah, everyone says they are on Qur'aan and Sunnah, but those on the correct path add something to it, add a third matter to it, a third issue: as understood, practiced, applied, giving dawah to by the Sahabah (ridwaanallaahu alaihi ajmaeen). So the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) said : 'those amongst you who live long will see great controversy so Alaikum bi sunnati --– Upon you is to follow my Sunnah!' He could have stopped there by saying following 'my Sunnah' but he didn't. He said, 'follow my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the rightly guided Khulafah, ---- Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and Ali --- the rightly guided Khulafah. And stick to it as if it were between your molar teeth, your biting on it and someone is trying to pull it out of your mouth.'
And Allaah tabarak wa ta'ala says in the Qur'aan : 'He who follows a path other than the path of the Messenger after it has been made clear to him, other than the path of the believers sabeelul Mu'mineen, We will let him go in the direction he is going and he will go to Hellfire.' He or she will go to Hellfire. This is the meaning of the ayah.
Who were the believers when that verse was revealed? The Sahaaba (radiallaahu ajmaeen) --- that is the Sabeelul Mu'mineen. The Sahabah (radiallahu ajmaeen) were there when the verses of Qur'aan came down; the Sahaabah (radiallaahu ajmaeen) were there when the Sunnah of the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) was revealed, was being practiced. The Sahaabah (radiallaahu anhum) got the information from the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) directly, understood the language because it was their language, understood that dialect because it was their dialect; understood Muhammad (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) because he was right in front of them. We should not try to understand Qur'aan and Sunnah except in the way and manner in which they understood and this is what is meant by Salafi and this is what is meant by Athari ---- meaning that I believe in the Book of Allaah tabarak wa ta'ala and I believe in the Sunnah of the Prophet (alaihi wa sallam) but I am not independent in my understanding but I must refer to the understanding of the 'khairun khuroon' --- 'khairun Naas', the Best people.
For the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) said in an authentic Hadith which many of us have probably memorized it by now because we have heard it so many times : 'The Best People is my generation, then those who follow them, then those who follow them.'
And the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) said in an authentic Hadith : 'Be guided by those two after me, Abu Bakr and Umar.' So, when someone claims that they are following the Book of Allaah tabarak wa ta'ala or they are following the Sunnah of the Messenger (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) they are not doing it truly and in reality, unless and until they are doing it according to the understanding and as applied and implemented by the companions of the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) and those who follow him. This is very important.
The Ahmadiyyah, the followers of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad in the Indo sub pack continent, like India, (that area) claim that they follow Qur'aan and Sunnah. And the man was claiming that he was a messenger of Allaah after the messenger of Allaah, aoodhu billaah.
Al-Baatiniyaa, Soofiya, the Sufis of today who call upon other than Allaah tabarak wa ta'ala, who go to the graves and ask the individuals in the grave to heal them and so on, who make tawaf around the graves, who commit shirk Akbar, they too claim that they are following the Qur'aan and the Sunnah.
Everyone out there giving Dawah, everyone out there who are claiming that they are raising the banner of Islaam is claiming that they follow the Qur'aan and Sunnah. And when you look into what they are doing or saying or spreading or have written or stated on tape, you find it a total variant, you find it totally opposite to what Allaah tabarak wa ta'ala sent down from the Heavens, from what was explained by the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) and what was implemented, understood and acted upon by his companions (radiallaahu anhum ajmaeen).
Anyone can claim anything when given an opportunity but the evidence, the proof, the daleel and when you find the person believing in these by applying, acting upon and giving dawah to Qur'aan and Sunnah and understanding that and all of that which I mentioned already, in accordance to the way of the Salafus-Saalih.
Does this mean that we can go to the Book of Allaah and find a verse in the Qur'aan and apply it the way we want to apply it rather upon ourselves or individually; this means we can go on to the Sunnah of the Messenger (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) contained in the Books of Hadith like Sahih Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah and so on and so forth and bring a hadith in and apply it like we want to apply it??? We must apply the verses of Qur'aan and the Hadith of the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) as understood by the companions of the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam). As understood by the Salafus-Saalih who are the righteous Sahabah and their students, and their students and those who follow them in righteousness.
We give importance when we do that to what they gave importance to. So Ahlul-Sunnati wal Jam'aah since 'Al-Jam'aah' ---- the group and they consider unity to be the utmost importance, because they consider unity as 'rahmah' – they consider al-Jam'aah unit ar-Rahma, mercy and splitting, separating, turning away from one another, being in different groups and parties, they consider that 'adhaab.' They consider that punishment. Based upon the hadith of the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam), he stated that.
Being together is Rahmah, mercy. Firqa is adhaab, being separate, disliking one another, disrespecting one another, being away from one another, being in different parties and groups, having different loyalties to different Masaajids, this is adhaab, punishment. This is a punishment no doubt.
There is an ayah in the Qur'aan which states that 'they will continue to defer except those on whom the mercy of Allaah is upon.'
When you see the people 'Ikhtilaa' – differing in their opinions and view points where they separate from one another, and each one is calling each one bad names, disrespecting one another, separating brothers from brothers and sisters from sisters, this is 'adhaab' and this is an indication that the mercy of Allaah is not upon that group of people. Al-Jam'aah is such that we want everyone to gather, everyone to be a jama'ah, every Muslim that faces the Kiblaah to gather together and be together upon the correct path and they do this Ahlul Sunnati wal Jam'aah, the people who have chosen as-Sunnah as the way of life. They do this while doing two things :
1. The first thing is they spread knowledge. The people are differing because they are ignorant. If they were not ignorant they would not be differing. If they were not ignorant they would be together. If they were not ignorant they would say and do the things that they do that create this unity, discord and hatefulness, and distrust amongst them. It is no doubt that it is so because of 'jahl' (ignorance). So the cure or remedy for ignorance is 'ilm' (knowledge), ilm ash-shar'ee (the legislative knowledge) --- knowledge of the Book of Allaah, knowledge of the Sunnah of the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam), knowledge of the way of the Sahaabah (Radiallaahu anhum) and no doubt that, that knowledge has to be acted upon otherwise it will be evidence against that person, not for the person on the Day of Judgement. Because we know that before the people leave the Court of Allaah (tabarak wa ta'ala) on the Day of Judgement, they will be asked four questions and among them is your knowledge if you acted upon it --- your knowledge and did you act upon it.
So Ahlulul-Sunnathi wal Jam'aah (the people who have chosen the Sunnah as a way of life) spread knowledge. 'Propagate from me, inform from me even if it is an ayah' said the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam). They know something of the Sunnah Mustafa (alaihissalaathu wassalaam), they know the meaning of the 'Shahaadah', they know the tafseer of an ayah, they know something that you should do or something that is 'mutahab' i.e something you do what Allaah loves, or something that is not approved and that you should avoid. They act upon it themselves and then they inform others. 'Ilm' – knowledge, spread amongst the people, bringing them together, bring unity.
