Sunnah has two meanings:
- A religious Arabic language-based one, and it is that which the Messenger of Allaah, sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, and those who followed his way were upon.
- That which has occurred in the custom of the Fuqahaa in dividing the worship into two types – Fard (Obligation) and Sunnah (Recommended). The Sunnah here according to their definition of it is: "That which the one who does it will be rewarded for and which the one who abandons it will not be punished for."
As for the person that abandons the Messenger's Sunnah, with its first meaning - i.e. his way and
methodology - then this person is in misguidance. And his deviance can either be large or little
depending
on his closeness or remoteness to following Allaah's Messenger,
sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam. So based on this, we should find
ourselves as having no need for amending and introducing a "good
innovation" (bid'ah hasanah) into Islaam, claiming that there
is nothing wrong with this innovation. This is because we should find
ourselves as falling short and being incapable of following the noble
Prophet, sallAllaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, in everything that has been
reported to us concerning his worship, whether it is related to
supplications, remembrances or prayers. So it is sufficient for us to
just follow him, according to our abilities. Here, I would like to
mention a story reported by Al-Bukhaaree in his Saheeh so that you can realize the worth of Allaah's saying: ”This
day I have completed your Religion for you, and I have perfected My
favor upon you, and I am pleased with Islaam as a Religion for you.” [Surat-ul-Maa’idah: 3]
Al-Bukhaaree
reported that one of the Jewish Rabbis went to 'Umar Ibn Al-Khattaab
during the time of his Khilaafah and said to him: "O Commander of the
Believers! There is an ayah in the Book of Allaah that if it had been
revealed unto us - a gathering of Jews - we would have taken the day it
was revealed as a day of 'Eid (holiday)." So he asked: "Which ayah is
it?" So the Rabbi mentioned the ayah: "This day I have completed your Religion for you…" So
'Umar said: "This ayah was indeed revealed on a day of 'Eid, on the day
of Jumu'ah while the Allaah's Messenger was in 'Arafaat (meaning in his
farewell pilgrimage). So this ayah was indeed sent down on a very great
day in which there is a combination of two virtues and two 'Eids - the
'Eid of Jumu'ah and the 'Eid of 'Arafaat."
Why
did this Jew say: "Had it been revealed unto us, we would have taken
the day it was revealed as a day of 'Eid?" It is because he was aware of
the greatness of this blessing, which Allaah bestowed upon His
servants. But what about us Muslims today? Unfortunately, we do not give
this great blessing its due weight in worth. This is why you find many
people in the past - in previous generations - who have filled the
Muslims with prayers, words of remembrance and supplications that the
Prophet did not come with. What has come to us from the Prophet is truly
sufficient and adequate, in fact it is more than our human capabilities
can grasp. However, each one of us takes from this worship what he is
able to and what conforms to his capability and capacity.
[Al-Asaalah, Issue #21]
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