The Ummah’s Charter by Al-Khilafah Publications

33. The Sunnah consists of the sayings of the Messenger (PBUH), his actions and consent that has come from him, other than the Qur’an. It is revelation from Allah (SWTH), because Allah (SWTH) said:

“Nor does he speak of (his own) desire. It is only an Inspiration that is inspired.” [An-Najm: 3-4] He (SWTH) said:

“I only follow that which is revealed to me.” [Yunus: 15] He (SWTH) said:

“Say: verily, I only follow that which is revealed to me.” [Al-An’aam: 203] He (SWTH) said:

“I warn you only by the revelation (from Allah).” [Al-Anbiyaa: 45]

34. The Sunnah is like the Qur’an, because it is revelation from Allah and the Sharee’ah of Allah. There is no difference between the Noble Qur’an and the Sunnah in the Sharee’ah. Both of them are khiTaab ash-shaari’ (the speech of the Legislator), due to the saying of Allah (SWTH):

“And whatsoever (maa) the Messenger (Muhammad (PBUH)) gives you, take it, and whatsoever (maa) he forbids you, abstain (from it).” [Al-Hashr: 7] The ‘maa’ is one of the forms of generality. Also He (SWTH) said:

“He who obeys the Messenger (Muhammad (PBUH)) has indeed obeyed Allah.” [An- Nisaa’: 80] And He (SWTH) said:

“(And) if you differ in anything amongst yourselves, refer it to Allah and His Messenger (PBUH).” [An-Nisaa’: 59] Thus, the Sunnah is a Sharee’ah evidence, like the Noble Qur’an, without any difference.

35. The Sunnah has reached us via narration, a manner unlike that of the Qur’an, which had been transmitted to us as transmission. The selfsame Noble Qur’an that was revealed to the Messenger of Allah (SWTH) - which he conveyed to people whose speech establishes a decisive proof, and which he ordered to be memorised and written - has been transmitted to us exactly the same as it was revealed to him. Whilst the Sunnah is what the narrators narrated to us concerning what the Messenger (PBUH) said, what he did and what he consented to. Thus, to consider something to be part of the Sunnah depends on the narrator.

36. Those who narrated from the Prophet (PBUH) were either from the Sahaabah or other people who are not from the Sahaabah. This is because not everyone who saw the Messenger (PBUH) is a Sahaabi. Nor is everyone who narrated from him a Sahaabi. The word Sahaabah is an Arabic word, which is understood according to the linguistic indication. The word Sahaabi linguistically means anyone who fulfils the meaning of companionship. There is no Sharee’ah text defining the meaning of Sahaabi. So the meaning is that which the language has indicated. It has been narrated from Sa’eed b. al-Musayyab that the definition of Sahaabi is that “he must have spent a year or two (with the Messenger (PBUH)) or have gone to one or two battles (with the Messenger (pbuh)).” As for the one who saw the Messenger (PBUH) or narrated from him but did not accompany him, he is not a companion (Sahaabi) That is why when Anas b. Malik was asked: “Other than you, are there any companions of the Prophet left?” He said: “There are some people from the Bedouins who saw him, but as for those who accompanied him, no.”.

37. Every Muslim must accept the narration of a Sahaabi and to take it as proof. It is not allowed for him to reject it, because the trustworthiness of a Sahaabi is proven by of the definite (qat’i) text of the noble Qur’an. Anyone who is proven to be from the Muhajireen or from the Ansar, his narration must be definitely accepted. It is not allowed for a Muslim to reject it, because that would mean rejection of someone Allah (SWTH) has praised and whose trustworthiness is established in the Noble Qur’an.

38. It is stipulated for any narrator, other than the Sahaabah, that before one cites his narration as proof, he is proved to be ‘adl (trustworthy) and dhaabit (precise) in regards to what he narrates. So the trustworthiness of a narrator, such that we consider his report a part of the Sunnah, cannot be established unless the conditions of trustworthiness and dhabt (precision) are fulfilled. Thus, one must scrutinise from whom the Hadeeth is taken. The narration is not taken from someone whose madh-hab contains an opinion that makes the one who adopts it a kaafir, or someone who allows lies to be said about the Messenger (PBUH) in order to support his madh-hab, or to call to his sect and encourage people to be part of it, or if he permits lying for the benefit of Islam etc. This is because the Messenger (PBUH) said:

“The one who deliberately lies about me let him reserve a place for himself in the Hellfire.” The one who lies about the Messenger of Allah has definitely lost his trustworthiness.