THE BOOK OF HOLDING FAST TO THE QUR’AN AND THE SUNNA (LEGAL WAYS OF THE PROPHET)

CHAPTER 1. Following the Sunna (legal ways of the Prophet)

9:384 Narrated Abü Huraira:

Allah’s Messenger said, “All my followers will enter Paradise except those who refuse.” They said, “0 Allah’s Messenger! Who will refuse?” He said, “Whoever obeys me will enter Paradise, and whoever disobeys me is the one who refuses (to enter it).”

9:385 Narrated Jâbir bin ‘Abdullâh:

Some angels came to the Prophet (Muhammad) while he was sleeping. Some of them said, “He is sleeping”. Others said, “His eyes are sleeping but his heart is awake.” Then they said, “There is an example for this companion of yours. Then set forth an example for him.” One of them said, “He is sleeping.” Another said, “His eyes are sleeping but his heart is awake.” Then they said, “His example is that of a man who built a house and then offered therein a banquet and sent an inviter (messenger) to invite the people. So whoever accepted the invitation of the inviter, entered the house and ate of the banquet, and whoever did not accept the invitation of the inviter, did not enter the house, nor did he eat of the banquet.” Then the angels said, “Interpret this parable to him so that he may understand it.” One of them said, “He is sleeping.” The others said, “His eyes are sleeping but his heart is awake” And then they said, “The house stands for Paradise and the call-maker is Muhammad and whoever obeys Muhammad, obeys Allah; and whoever disobeys Muhammad, disobeys Allah. Muhammad separated the people (i.e., through his message, the good is distinguished from the bad, and the believers from the disbelievers).”

CHAPTER 2. What is disliked of asking too many questions and of troubling oneself with what does not concern one.

9:399 Narrated Anas bin Mâlik:

Allah’s Messenger said, “People will not stop asking questions till they say, ‘This is Allah, the Creator of everything, then who created Allah?”

CHAPTER 3. What is said against judging (in religion) made on the basis of one’s own opinion or by Qiyâs (without referring to the Qur’ân or the Sunna).

9:410 Narrated ‘Abdullâh bin ‘Amr:

I heard the Prophet, saying, “Allah will not deprive you of knowledge after he has given it to you, but it will be taken away through the death of the religious learned man with their knowledge. Then there will remain ignorant people who, when consulted, will give verdicts according to their opinions whereby they will mislead others and go astray.”

CHAPTER 4. The statement of the Prophet: ‘Certainly you (Muslims!) will follow the ways of those who were before you’.

9:421 Narrated Abü Huraira;

The Prophet said, “The Hour will not be established till my followers copy the deeds of the previous nations and follow them very closely, span by span, and cubit by cubit (i.e., inch by inch).” It was said, “0 Allah’s Messenger! Do you mean by those (nations) the Persians and the Byzantines?” The Prophet said, “Who can it be other than they?”

CHAPTER 5. Stoning to death of the married people.

9:424 Narrated ‘Umar:

“No doubt Allah sent Muhammad, with truth’ and revealed to him the Book (the Qur’an) and among that which was revealed was the Verse of Rajm (stoning the married adulterers to death)”.

CHAPTER 6. The reward of the judge for giving a verdict according to the best of his knowledge and whether his verdict was right (according to Allah or His Messenger’s verdict) or wrong (i.e., did not agree with the verdict of Allah and His Messenger).

9:450 Narrated ‘Amr bin Al-‘Aas

that he heard Allah’s Messenger saying, “If a judge gives a verdict according to the best of his knowledge and his verdict is correct (i.e. agrees with Allah and His Messenger’s verdict), he will receive a double reward, and if he gives a verdict according to the best of his knowledge and his verdict is wrong, (i.e., against that of Allah and His Messenger) even then he will get a reward.”

CHAPTER 7. Whoever thinks that if the Prophet did not disapprove of something (said or done in his presence), his silence indicated that it was permissible, but if another person faced a similar situation, his silence should not be taken as a sign of his agreement.

9:453 Narrated (Muhammad bin Al-Munkadir:

I saw Jâbir bin ‘Abdullâh swearing by Allah that Ibn Saiyad was the Dajjál. I said (to Jâbir), “How can you swear by Allah?” Jâbir said, “I have heard ‘Umar swearing by Allah regarding this matter in the presence of the Prophet and the Prophet did not disapprove of it.”