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Section 3 - The obligation to follow him and obey his Sunnah

As for the obligation to follow him and obey his sunnah and follow his guidance, Allâh says, "Say: if you love Allâh, follow me and He will love you and forgive you your wrong actions." (3:31) "Believe in Allâh and His Messenger, the unlettered Prophet who believes in Allâh and His words. Follow him, perhaps you will be guided." (7:157) "No, by your Lord, they will not believe until they ask you to judge between them in what they disagree about and then they shall find in themselves no impediment touching your verdict, but shall surrender in full submission." (4:64) i.e. obey your judgement.

Allâh also says, "You have a good model in the Messenger of Allâh for one who hopes for Allâh and the Last Day." (33:21) Muhammad ibn 'Alî at-Tirmidhî said, "To take the Messenger as a model means to emulate him, follow his sunnah and abandon opposition to him in either word or action." Several commentators said words to that effect.

It is said that this was intended as a criticism of those who fail to follow him. Sahl said that the âyat from the Fâtihah (Sûrah 1), "The path of those whom You have blessed," means to follow the sunnah. Allâh commands this and promises they will be guided by following him by reason of the fact that Allâh has sent him with the guidance and the Dîn of the truth to purify them, teach them the Book and the Wisdom, and to guide them to the straight path.

In the first âyat mentioned, Allâh promises His love and forgiveness to those who follow the Prophet and prefer him to their own passions and inclinations. Soundness of belief is based on submission to the Prophet and satisfaction with his judgement and abandoning opposition to him.

It is related from al-Hasan al-Basrî that some people said, "Messenger of Allâh, we love Allâh," so Allâh revealed, "Say: if you love Allâh, follow me and Allâh will love you." (3:31) It is related that this verse was revealed about Ka'b ibn Ashraf and others. They said, "We are the sons of Allâh and His beloveds," (5:20) and "We are stronger in love for Allâh," (2:165) so Allâh revealed this âyat.

Az-Zajjaj says that the meaning of, "Say: if you love Allâh", is if you desire to obey Him, then do what He had commanded you to do since the love of the slave of Allâh and the Messenger lies in obeying both of them and being happy with what they command. Allâh's love for them is His pardon to them and His blessing them with His mercy. It is said that love from Allâh manifests itself in protection and success. Love on the part of the slaves manifests and in obedience.

A poet (Al-Mahmûd ibn al-Hasan al-Warraq):

Do you rebel against God when you claim to love Him?
By my life, this is an extraordinary example!

If your love had been true, then you would have obeyed Him.
The lover obeys the one he loves.

It is said that the slave's love for Allâh is to exalt Him and be in awe of Him, and the love of Allâh for him is His mercy to him and His beautiful concern for him. It can also mean praise. Al-Qushayrî said, "When love means mercy, desire and praise, it is one of the attributes of Allâh's essence." More will be said concerning the slave loving something else by the power of Allâh.

Al-'Irbâd ibn Sarriyah relayed the warning of the Prophet, "You must follow my sunnah and the sunnah of the Rightly-Guided Khaliphs. Cling to it fiercely and beware of new things. These new things are innovations, and every innovation is misguidance." Jâbir added, "Every misguidance is in the fire." (Muslim)

Abû Rafi' reported that the Prophet said, "Do not let any of you be found reclining on his bed when he hears an injunction from me which is from among those things which I myself commanded or forbade so that he says, 'I do not know. We only follow what we find in the Book of Allâh.' " (Ash-Shafi'î in al-Umm, Abû Dâwûd, at-Tirmidhî and Ibn Mâjah. A sound hadîth)

'Â'isha said, "The Messenger of Allâh did something as an example in order to make things easier for people but some people still refrained from doing it. When the Prophet heard about that, he praised Allâh and said, 'What do you think of people who refrain from anything that I myself do? By Allâh, I am the greatest of them in knowledge of Allâh and the strongest of them in fear of Allâh.' " (Muslim and al-Bukhârî)

It is related that the Prophet said, "The Qur'ân is hard and difficult for anyone who hates it. It is judgement. Whoever clings to what I say and understands it and retains it, then it will be like the Qur'ân for him. Whoever considers the Qur'ân and what I say unimportant and neglects it loses this world and the Next. My community is commanded to take my words and obey my commands and follow my sunnah. Whoever is pleased with my words is pleased with the Qur'ân. Allâh says, 'Take what the Messenger brings you.' " (59:7) (Abû'sh-Shaykh, ad-Daylamî and Abû Nu'aym from al-Hakam ibn 'Umayr)

The Prophet said, "Whoever follows me is of me and whoever wants to abandon my sunnah is not of me."

Abû Hurayrah said that the Prophet said, "The best is the Book of Allâh and the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad. The word matters are innovations."

It is related from 'Abdullâh ibn 'Amr ibn al-'Âs that the Prophet said, "There are three types of knowledge - any other knowledge is superfluous - a precise âyat, an established sunnah or a just share (of inheritance)." (Abû Dâwûd and Ibn Mâjah)

Al-Hasan ibn al-Hasan said that the Prophet said, "Doing a little of something which is a sunnah is better than doing a lot of something which is an innovation." (Ad-Dârimî)

The Prophet said, "Allâh will bring a man into the Garden by the fact that he clings to my sunnah."

Abû Hurayrah said that the Prophet said, "The one who clings to my sunnah when the community is corrupt will have the reward of a hundred martyrs." (At-Tabaranî)

The Prophet said, "The Banu Isrâ'îl split into about seventy-two sects. My community will split into seventy-three. All of them will be in the Fire except for one." They asked, "Who are they, Messenger of Allâh?" He replied, "Those who base themselves on what I and my Companions are doing today." (At-Tirmidhî)

Anas reported that the Prophet said, "Whoever brings the sunnah to life has brought me to life. Whoever brings me to life will be with me in the Garden." (Al-Isbahânî)

'Amr ibn 'Awf al-Muzanî said the Prophet told Bilâl ibn al-Hârith, "Whoever brings to life any of my sunnah which has died after me will have the reward of all those who act by it without decreasing their reward in any way. Whoever introduces a misguiding innovation which does not please Allâh and His Messenger will have the like of all those who act by it without that decreasing their burden." (At-Tirmidhî, Ibn Mâjah considers it hasan)

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