The importance of practicing the sunnah of prophet sw.(part-1)

Today, the time of Fitnah there is no way but to hold the sunnah of prophet sw. we can save ourselves from this period of fitnah by practicing the sunnah of prophet sw. what prophet sw. indicating in his speech/sermon at the last hajj/pilgrimage. He gave a very profound sermon and he warned about it. He mentioned after me and my khulafaee rashedah there will raise lots of fitnah on my Deen. People will fabricate my hadith and will invent lots of new ahaadith what i didn’t tell you at all.
And he gave a clue for salvation from this fitnah. He said  In that time you won’t be misguided if you hold firmly two things and that Two things i left for you that if you hold them firmly then you won’t be misguided which are Qur’an and sunnah.

What is the sunnah of prophet sw.?
To briefly the word sunnah is a Arabic word. Meaning path, way, synonyms attariqah meaning method, assi-rah  meaning costume etc. Plural is sunan what Allah swt. used in the qur’an 3:137
The definition of sunnah is; the way prophet sw. order to do things, the way he did, his approval and what was his daily routine that’s all are called sunnah. This is general definition. Also, there are lots of definition can be found  by the Islamic scholars. For example the some faqih saying after the fard and wajib whatever comes from the prophet sw. they all are called sunnah.

What Allah swt. saying about the sunnah?

Firstly,The orders, advise, recommendation comes from prophet sw. they all come from Allah swt. nothing his own speech. What Allah swt. making it very clear 53:3,4 “And he does not say anything by his own desire. It is but a divine revelation, which is revealed to him”

Secondly, Allah swt. making it clear that once anything comes from Allah swt. you don’t have right to ignore it or you can’t change it nether you can make it in your own desire. 33:36“And no Muslim man or woman has any right in the affair, when Allah and His Noble Messenger have decreed a command regarding it”

Thirdly, if anyone disobey Allah swt. won’t love them and they will fall in anger of Allah swt.
33:36 “and whoever does not obey the command of Allah and His Noble Messenger, has indeed clearly gone very astray”

3:32 Say: "Obey God and His Messenger;" and if they refuse (then remember) God does not love disbelievers”

Fainaly, Allah swt. ordering us to accept whatever he brought for us and avoid what he forbidden for us.
59:7 “and accept whatever the Noble Messenger gives you; and refrain from whatever he forbids you; and fear Allah; indeed Allah’s punishment is severe’’

Now what prophet sw. saying about his sunnah in his ahaadiths?

There are lots of hadith he saying he who disobey/ignore/avoid his sunnah he won’t get the jannah.
In one hadith narrated by abu hurairah ra. prophet sw. saying “All my ummah will enter to the jannah except those who will deny me he asked who are denier o prophet sw.? he replied those who will follow me means my sunnah they will enter to the jannah and those who disobey me they are denier” (bukhari)

Practicing sunnah of prophet sw. how were the prophet sw. companions and salfe saleheen / tabeen?

Firstly, his companions Whatever prophet sw. order them the way he ordered them they tried to do exactly that way and they were not used to find it is heard or easy or it is wajib, sunnah, nafl, they just try to do it.

For example; when the gold it wasn’t haram yet. prophet sw. used to wear a gold ring in his hand they were used to wear it and when Allah swt. made it haram for male. prophet sw. took it off and they all took them off as well even every footstep of prophet sw. they used to follow him.

After his death, the period of sahabah they were used to follow his sunnah the way they were used to at the time of prophet sw. and tabeen, tobe tabeen did same way until the 4^{th century}   of hijri years. And after that the changes, fabrication,  misinterpritation and so on.

So, what we got from the quran, hadith, the khulafae rashedah and prophets sw. companions and tabeen they all are proving that there is no way but, to practice prophet sw. sunnah in our daily life and no chance to ignore or avoid it.

Now the question is what is our position on practicing sunnah of prophet sw. or how much are we aware of practicing sunnah of prophet sw?

There are three type of people some are very strict about the practicing sunnah but not the fard as much as they emphasise on sunnah. They do not care practicing some fards  but, sunnah strictly. for example Allah swt. saying not to have interest but, they have although, they know its fard to avoid interest. What Allah swt. saying about it

"but if you do not leave the interest, then you are warned of the declaration of war against you by Allah and His Messenger. If, however, you repent even now (and forego interest), you are entitled to your principal; do no wrong, and no wrong will be done to you.” (2:279)

Another type are they think practicing sunnah is not that much important but they are fairly aware of practicing fard.

In this context Here i must make it very clear that we should understand the difference between sunnah and fard. We shouldn’t  exaggerate or over emphasise over the fard. There is a hadith if anyone missed a fard and to compensate it if he practise sunnah in his hole life the sunnah won’t be a made up for that fard. We have to be valanced to practicing sunnah and fard. We have to emphasise on them as they are.

On the other hand, some people they don’t care about the sunnah and fard even they don’t try to understand They just come to pray for the Friday prayer and they think only that’s will help them to go to jannnah. But, praying Friday prayer with jama’a the law of shraia saying its wajib as it is wajib to pray other five time prayers with jama’a. But,the Friday prayer has other merits.

Dear brothers! I would like to conclude this here by saying aone of the famous hadith of prophet sw. “whoever loves my sunnah he loves me and who loves me he will be with me in jannah” As we all want to go jannah we should follow his sunnah the way he showed to us.

May Allah swt. give us tawfiq to love his sunnah by practicing his sunnah in our daily life.

May Allah swt. grant us a place in jannah with him.

May Allah give us ability to come forward to learn the true teaching of Qur’an and sunnah.