In order to be a Muslim a person must express his or her faith (Iman). Faith is the first pillar of Islam, which is clearly stated in the Holy Quran (the other four pillars being prayer, zakat, fasting and the pilgrimage to Hajj if one can afford it and is in good health). A Muslim expresses his or her faith in the following words:
“Ashhadu Alla Ilaha Illa Allah Wa Anna Muhammadun rasulu ‘laah ()
These words can be interpreted as “I bear witness that there is no God but Allah and that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger”. ()
The declaration of faith consists of two distinct parts, the first being the absolute belief in the unit of Allah (SWT) and the second being that the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was a human being and was the Messenger of Allah (SWT) and His servant. A Muslim must observe this, if not then he or she cannot be a Muslim. The key to the Muslim faith is the belief in Allah (SWT) as one and that they must never disobey Him. The belief in the Prophet (PBUH) completes ones faith. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was the final and was the greatest of all the prophets of Allah (SWT) yet he was only a human being. (Hasan, page 7,91), (Rao, page 21, 85)
The wordings and actions of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) have been interpreted and recorded by many great scholars (may Allah (SWT) reward them with great happiness). From the Bukhari Hadith, Anas (radhiAllahu ‘anhu) said that once three men came to the wives of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and they asked the wives how the messenger (PBUH) conducted his worship. When they were told about it they seemed very shameful as they had not been praying as much and said how there was a great difference between themselves and the messenger of Allah (SWT), whose former and latter sins had been forgiven by Allah (SWT). To devote their lives more to Allah (SWT), the first man said that he will pray during the night from today onwards, the second man said that he will fast all the time during the day and the third man said that he shall have nothing to do with women and shall not get married and devote his life to Islam. When Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) heard this he came to them and said that He is the One who fears and worships Allah (SWT) the most and yet he fasts, breaks his fast, he prays and yet he sleeps and also marries women. He said to the three men “who turns away from my Sunnah has nothing to do with me”. (Obey Allah and Obey the Messenger, page 13).
In the Abu Dawud Hadith, Al Miqdam bin Ma’di Karib (radhiAllahu ‘anhu) said “the Messenger of Allah (SWT) as saying “I have been indeed been given the Quran and something similar to it besides it. Yet, the time will come when a man leaning on his couch will say ‘Follow the Quran only; what you find in it as permissible, take it as permissible and what you find in it as forbidden, take it as forbidden.’ But what the Messenger of Allah (SWT) has forbidden is like what Allah (SWT) has forbidden)”. (Obey Allah and Obey the Messenger, page 16). This Hadith yet again emphasises the importance of the belief in Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) wordings and actions. These sayings of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and His actions give us a way of how to lead our lives.
In many parts of the Quran and also in the Sunnah Prophet Muhammad shows us very clearly how to lead our lives. If you look up in the Hadith’s it will tell the person whom is reading it how to pray, how to do prostration, how to do absolution, how to eat, how to bring up your children etc. it is very important for Muslims to read the Quran everyday but it is also very important to read the wordings and sayings of the Prophet (PBUH), because whoever turns away from the Sunnah has cut themselves off from the Prophet (PBUH). Without the true belief in the Prophet (PBUH) one cannot be a true Muslim.
From this essay we can see the position The Holy Prophet (PBUH) holds in the Quran and in the Sunnah. In order to have Iman (faith) and be a Muslim, one must believe that Allah (SWT) is one and there is no other and that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is His servant and His messenger. The Prophet (PBUH) holds an extremely high position in Islam; it must be believed that he was Messenger of Allah (SWT) and very last Prophet and that there will be no other after Him. Therefore all Muslims should pay a great deal of attention to the Sunnah so they know how to lead their lives according to Allah (SWT). Prophet Muhammad said “I am leaving behind two things among you, you will never go astray if you keep hold onto them. They are the Quran and the Sunnah”. (Obey Allah and Obey the Messenger, page 20).
Referencing
Hasan S, Faith In Predestinantion, 1991, Al-Quran Society
Hasan S, The Muslim Creed, 1991, Al-Quran Society
Obey Allah and Obey The Messenger, Jam’iat Ihyaa’ Minhaaj Al-Sunnah
Rao K.S.R., Muhummed The Prophet Of Islam, 1985, Mysore
Internet References
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