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Section 2 - The obligation to obey him

As for the obligation to obey the Prophet, belief in him demands it. Confirmation of what he brought requires obedience to him because this is part of what he brought. Allâh says, "O you who believe, obey Allâh and His Messenger ... " (8:20) "Say: obey Allâh and obey the Messenger ... " (24:54) He says, "Obey Allâh and the Messenger and perhaps you will be shown mercy." (3:132) "If you obey him, you will be guided ... " (24:54) "Whoever obeys the Messenger has obeyed Allâh ... " (4:79) "That what the Messenger brings you and leave what he forbids you ... " (59:7) "Whoever obeys Allâh and the Messenger is with those whom Allâh has blessed." (4:68) "We did not send any Messenger but for him to be obeyed by the permission of Allâh." (4:63)

He made obeying His Messenger tantamount to obeying Himself, and He placed obedience to Himself alongside obedience to His Messenger. Allâh promises that doing this will result in an abundant reward and threatens a severe punishment for opposing it. He made it obligatory to obey the things that the Prophet commanded and to avoid those he prohibited.

The commentators and Imâms have said that obeying the Messenger means to cling to his Sunnah and submit to what he brought. They said that Allâh did not send a Messenger without obliging those to whom he was sent to obey him and that obeying the Messenger in his Sunnah is equivalent to obeying Allâh in His obligations. Sahl at-Tustarî was asked about the Sharî'ah of Islâm and he quoted, "Take what the Messenger brings you." (59:7)

As-Samarqandî said that it was said: obey Allâh in His obligations and the Messenger in his Sunnah. It is also said: obey Allâh regarding what He makes forbidden for you and obey the Messenger regarding what he conveys to you. It is said that it means to obey Allâh by testifying that He is the Lord and to obey the Prophet by testifying to his prophethood.

Abû Salamah ibn 'Abdur-Rahmân heard Abû Hurayrah say that the Messenger of Allâh said, "Whoever obeys me has obeyed Allâh. Whoever rebels against me has rebelled against Allâh. Whoever obeys my Amîir has obeyed me. Whoever rebels against my Amîr has disobeyed me." (Muslim and al-Bukhârî)

Obeying the Messenger is part of obeying Allâh since Allâh commands that he be obeyed. True obedience is obedience to Allâh's command and therefore obedience to His Prophet.

Allâh talks about the unbelievers in the depths of the Fire saying, "On the day when their faces are turned over in the Fire, they will say, 'Would that we had obeyed Allâh and that we had obeyed the Messenger.' " (33:66) They will wish they had obeyed when the wish will not profit them.

The Prophet said, "When I forbid you to do something, avoid it. When I command you to do something, then do it as much as you are able." (Muslim and al-Bukhârî)

In the hadîth of Abû Hurayrah we find that the Prophet said, "All of my community will enter the Garden except for those who refuse to." They asked, "O Messenger of Allâh, who will refuse?" He replied, "Whoever obeys me will enter the Garden. Whoever rebels against me has refused." (Al-Hâkim)

In another sound hadîth the Prophet said, "My likeness and the likeness of what Allâh has sent me with is like a man who comes to a people and says, 'O people, I have seen the army with my own eyes and I am a sincere warner, so save yourselves!' One group of his people obey him and they travel at the beginning of the night, go at their leisure and are saved. Another group reject him and remain where they are and the army arrives in the morning and wipes them out. Such is the likeness of those who obey me and follow what I bring and the likeness of those who rebel against me and deny what I bring." (Al-Bukhârî)

In a similar hadîth we find, "It is like someone who builds a house and lays out a fine feast in it and sends out a summoner. Whoever does not answer the summoner does not enter the house and eat from the feast." (Muslim and al-Bukhârî)

The house is the Gardens and the summoner is Muhammad, may Allâh bless and grant him peace. Whoever obeys Muhammad has obeyed Allâh. Whoever rebels against the Messenger of Allâh has rebelled against Allâh. Muhammad distinguishes between people.

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