“O you who believe, obey Allah and His Messenger and do not turn away from him while you hear [his order].” (Qur’an – Al-Anfal 8:20)

The primary sources of guidance in Islam are the Qur’an and the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. The Qur’an contains the revelations brought down through Angel Jibril (Gabriel), while the Sunnah establishes the practices, sayings, and approvals of the Prophet ﷺ.  

Unfortunately, some Muslims overlook the Sunnah entirely, claiming that it is sufficient to follow the Qur’an only. The Sunnah is also disregarded by some Muslims who give preference to their own customs and traditions that are contradictory to the practice of the Prophet ﷺ. Indeed, many Muslims who claim to be “lovers” of the Prophet ﷺ make no practical efforts to follow his example.

“Say, [O Muhammad,] ‘If you should love Allah, then follow me: Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.” (Ale Imran 3:31)

In the Qur’an, Allah commands the Muslims in at least 20 different verses to obey the Prophet ﷺ. In most of these verses, the command to obey Allah is immediately accompanied by that to obey His Messenger ﷺ. We can hence deduce that adhering to the Sunnah is nearly as important as following the Qur’an.

“O you who have believed, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and do not invalidate your deeds [through disobedience].” (Muhammad 47:33)

The Sunnah essentially performs three functions in relation to the Qur’an:

  1. It contains the indirect words of Allah (in the form of ahadith qudsi)  that were not revealed as part of the Qur’an;
  2. It interprets the Qur’an, explains it, and informs us of the circumstances in which many of its verses were revealed;
  3. It elaborates upon the rites and practices of Muslims, and deals with certain issues not directly addressed in the Qur’an.

“And establish prayer and give Zakah and obey the Messenger – that you may receive mercy.” (Al-Nur 24:56)

The Qur’an explains the major beliefs and practices of Muslims, focusing on the perfection of aqeedah. It urges the believers to fulfill their obligations, making distinct the reward with Allah and warning against the chastisement for disobedience. However, the Qur’an does not explain how most rites of worship are to be performed, thereby necessitating the need to turn to Sunnah for detailed guidance on ibadah.

“O you who believe, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you. And if you disagree over anything, refer it to Allah and the Messenger, if you should believe in Allah and the Last Day. That is the best [way] and best in result.” (Al-Nisa 4:59)

Let us take an example: Allah orders us in the Qur’an to offer Salah, humble ourselves in prayer to Him, and seek strength and patience through it. However, the Qur’an does not prescribe the method of offering Salah. It does not convey the order of the various postures adopted during Salah, what is to be recited and when, and the number of rak’at for each Salah. All such details are gathered only from the Sunnah. Similarly, specific issues relating to Zakat and Saum are also dealt with in the Sunnah only.

“And whoever obeys Allah and the Messenger – those will be with the ones upon whom Allah has bestowed favor of the prophets, the steadfast affirmers of truth, the martyrs and the righteous. And excellent are those as companions.” (Al-Nisa 4:69)

Islam is more than just a set of beliefs; it prescribes the rightful conduct and provides guidance relating to various fields of life. In fact, Allah does not refer to Islam as a “religion” in the traditional sense – rather He describes it in the Qur’an as a deen (Al-Saff 61:9), implying a “way of life”. However, the Qur’an does not describe this way of life completely, and instead encourages obedience to the Prophet ﷺ. Thus, we have to turn to the Sunnah in order to follow Islam as earnestly as we can.

“He who obeys the Messenger has obeyed Allah; but those who turn away – We have not sent you [O Muhammad] over them as a guardian.” (Al-Nisa 4:80)

The Prophet ﷺ is the best example to follow, and none lived a purer or a more righteous life than he did. There is much for us to learn through his example – from his family life to his leadership qualities; from his earlier struggles in Makkah to his magnificent victories in Madinah. Allah makes this clear in the Qur’an.

“There has certainly been for you in the Messenger of Allah an excellent pattern for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Last Day and [who] remembers Allah often.” (Al-Ahzab 33:21)

The Qur’an does not contain details of the life of the Prophet ﷺ or describe his exemplary qualities in detail – it rather focuses, in its narrative aspect, on the life events of the earlier prophets, such as Musa (AS) and Yusuf (AS). In fact, Muhammad ﷺ has been mentioned by name only four times in the entire Qur’an. How are we then supposed to follow the Prophet ﷺ and adopt his pattern of conduct? The answer is simple: by turning to his Sunnah and implementing it in our lives.

“And obey Allah and obey the Messenger and beware. And if you turn away – then know that upon Our Messenger is only [the responsibility for] clear notification.” (Al-Ma’idah 5:92)

The implementation of the Sunnah, along with that of the Qur’an, in our lives leads to righteousness, steadfastness, and firmness of faith. It ultimately wins the good pleasure of Allah Who shall reward such steadfastness with Paradise. Conversely, the abandonment of the Sunnah takes us away from the prescribed path, leading to sin and rancor, and paves the way for our destruction.

“And whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger – He will admit him to gardens [of Paradise] beneath which rivers flow; but whoever turns away – He will punish him with a painful punishment.” (Al-Fath 48:17)

The abandonment of Sunnah can lead to deviant interpretations of the Qur’an, resulting in false ideologies and the emergence of breakaway sects. This also creates discord among the Muslims, weakening their power until they are subjugated and oppressed by their enemies. Allah warns us against this very scenario.

“And obey Allah and His Messenger, and do not dispute and [thus] lose courage and [then] your strength would depart; and be patient. Indeed, Allah is with the patient.” (Al-Anfal 8:46)

On the other hand, adherence to the Qur’an and Sunnah creates an alliance and a sense of belongingness among Muslims. Allah has mercy upon them and enables them to become an exemplary nation for the world.

“The believing men and believing women are allies of one another. They enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and establish prayer and give Zakah and obey Allah and His Messenger. Those – Allah will have mercy upon them. Indeed, Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise.” (Al-Taubah 9:71)