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Section 4 - What is related from the Salaf and the Imâms about following his Sunnah, taking his guidance and the Sîrah

A man from Khalid ibn Asid's family asked 'Abdullâh ibn 'Umar, "Abû 'Abdur-Rahmân! We find the fear prayer and the prayer at home in the Qur'ân, but we do not find the travelling prayer." Ibn 'Umar said, "My newphew, Allâh sent Muhammad to us when we did not know anything. We do as we saw him doing."

'Umar ibn 'Abdul-Azîz said, "The Messenger of Allâh made a Sunnah and the people in command after him made Sunnahs. To adopt them is to confirm the Book of Allâh and to act on them is to obey Allâh and strengthen the Dîn of Allâh. It is not for anyone to change the Sunnah or alter it or to look into the opinion of those who oppose it. Whoever follows it is guided. Whoever seeks help by it will have victory. Whoever opposes it and follows other than the path of the believers, Allâh will entrust him to what he turns to and will roast him in Jahannam, which is a bad ending." (See 4:115)

Al-Hasan ibn Abil-Hasan said, "A little action following a sunnah is better than a lot of action following an innovation."

Ibn Shibab said, "It has reached us that some of the people of knowledge said, 'Holding fast to the sunnah is salvation.' "

'Umar ibn al-Khattab wrote to his governors telling to learn the Sunnah, the shares of inheritance and the dialects, saying, "People will try to argue with you (i.e. by using the Qur'ân), so overcome them with the Sunnah. The people of the Sunnah have the greatest knowledge of the Book of Allâh."

When 'Umar prayed two ra'kâts at Dhul-Hulayfah (the miqât for the people of Madînah on their way to Hajj), he said, "I do as I saw the Messenger of Allâh doing."

When 'Alî joined the hajj and 'umrah together, 'Uthmân said to him, "Why do you do this, when you know that I have forbidden the people to do it?" He replied, "I don't abandon a sunnah of the Messenger of Allâh for the statement of anyone."

'Alî said, "I am not a Prophet nor have I received revelation, but I act according to the Book of Allâh and the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad as much as I can."

Ibn Mas'ûd used to say, "Doing a little of the Sunnah is better than striving hard in innovation."

Ibn 'Umar said, "The travelling prayer is of two ra'kâts. Whoever opposes the Sunnah is an unbeliever."

Ubayy ibn Ka'b said, "You must follow the path of Allâh and the Sunnah. There is no slave who is on the path of Allâh and the Sunnah, remembering Allâh, his eyes overflowing out of fear of his Lord, but that Allâh will never punish him. There is no slave on the earth who is on the path of Allâh and the Sunnah, remembering Allâh, his skin trembling out of fear of Allâh, but that he is like a tree whose leaves are dry. In the same way that a tree loses its leaves when a strong wind hits it, his errors fall from him as the leaves are shaken from the tree. A minimal course in the path of Allâh and the Sunnah is better than striving hard in a path contrary to the path of Allâh and the Sunnah and consenting to innovation. See that your actions - whether they are striving or minimal - are on the path of the Prophets and their sunnah."

One of the governors of 'Umar ibn 'Abdul-Azîz wrote to him about the bad conditions and the great number of thieves in his territory. Should he arrest them on mere suspicion or only with clear proof in accordance with the Sunnah? 'Umar wrote to him, "Arrest them only with clear proof in accordance with the Sunnah. It the truth does not put them right, Allâh will not put them right."

'Ata' said that the words of Allâh, "If you quarrel over something, then refer it back to Allâh and His Messenger," (4:58) means that you should consult the Book of Allâh and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allâh in cases of disagreement.

Ash-Shafi'î said, "The Sunnah of the Messenger of Allâh consists only in following it."

When 'Umar looked back at the Black Stone, he said, "You are a stone and can neither help nor harm. If I had not seen the Messenger of Allâh kiss you, I would not have kissed you." Then he kissed it.

'Abdullâh ibn 'Umar was seen making his she-camel turn round in a particular place and was asked why. He said, "I don't know. I once saw the Messenger of Allâh doing it, so I do it."

Abu 'Uthmân al-Hirî said, "Whoever gives the Sunnah authority over himself in word and deed speaks with wisdom. Whoever gives passion authority over himself speaks by innovation."

Sahl at-Tustarî said, "The bases of our school are three: following the Prophet in character and actions, eating from what is lawful, and making our intention sincere in all actions."

It has come that Allâh's words, "The right action, He raises it up, " (35:10) refer to following the Messenger of Allâh, may Allâh bless him and grant him peace.

It is related that Ahmad ibn Hanbal said, "One day I was with a group who stripped off all their clothes and went into the water. I applied the hadîth, 'Whoever believes in Allâh and the Last Day should only enter the baths with a wrapper.' I did not strip. That night I dreamt that someone said to me, 'O Ahmad, Allâh has forgiven you because of your application of the Sunnah and He had made you an Imâm who will be followed.' I said, 'Who are you?' He replied, 'Jibrîl.' "

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