*The Complete Tableau Of Sunnah

Bismihi Ta`ala

*THE COMPLETE TABLEAU OF SUNNAH.*


*Today, it has become very common that we find one hadith from a book or from the net and we adhere to it to such an extent that we send everyone and we start practicing on it. This is wrong. Wrong because you need to know the whole picture of sunnah before acting upon it. That hadith may be abrogated or even cancelled by other ahadiths throughout the sunnah lifetime.**Take for instance the issue of distributing the meat of Qurbani. In the beginning, we find the hadith that Rasouloullah SAW ordered consumption and obligatory distribution of the whole qurbani meat. Such that one could not stock qurbani meat more than 3 days. Then afterwards, Rasouloullah Swalallahou `Alaihi Wasallam cancelled that obligation and said that you may eat the meat, feed others and may keep for later use also.(Bukhari)*عن سلمة بن الأكوع قالقال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم من ضحى منكم فلا يصبحن بعد ثالثة وبقي في بيته منه شيء فلما كان العام المقبل قالوا يا رسول الله نفعل كما فعلنا عام الماضي قال كلوا وأطعموا وادخروا فإن ذلك العام كان بالناس جهد فأردت أن تعينوا فيهابخاري *Today we take from the established sunnah of later years of Rasouloullah SAW. That is recommended to keep third of the meat, give family third and give poor third.* *As such if one sahabah, far away from Madinah, came in the beginning years in Madinah, then he would witness the obligation to finish distribute all meat up to the limit of 3 days. And after that he would not have known if he never came to Madinah afterwards. So, if no updates reached his village, he would be acting and propagating that first legislation amongst his villagers. And if we act upon that, it would be against the prevailing legislation of Shariah when the beloved prophet Swalallahou `Alaihi Wasallam left this world.**So, we need to look for the prevailing ayahs and sunnahs in the last part of the life of Rasouloullah Swalallahou `Alaihi Wasallam. It is because the sunnah Tableau or puzzle was completed and perfected at that time. Allah Ta`ala revealed this ayah a few months before Rasouloullah SAW left this world: ‘’Today I have perfected your religion for you, and I have completed my blessings upon you, and have chosen Islam as deen(way of life) for you.’’(5:3)* *The four imams are closely situated to stem mazhabs that are closer and more precise to describe that perfection that was left at the time Rasouloullah SAW left this world. The 4 imaams follow the actions and fatwas of close related sahabahs that lived until the end with Rasouloullah SAW. On that particular basis that the four imams stem their mazhabs.**In that quest, it is important to know the general rule of sunnah so that you may identify the exceptions. Because the prescription of Shariah are many and you will need guidance to choose the right established sunnah. One cannot jump conclude on an ayah or a hadith before taking that ayah or hadith puzzle to the general picture of the Sunnah. We are prescribed to follow the general sunnah trend at the end of lifetime of Rasouloullah Swalallahou `Alaihi Wasallam.*    
Allah Ta`ala says:
[سورة الفرقان (25): آية 73]وَالَّذِينَ إِذا ذُكِّرُوا بِآياتِ رَبِّهِمْ لَمْ يَخِرُّوا عَلَيْها صُمًّا وَعُمْياناً*And those who when the verses of their Lord are read before them, they don`t jump over it, as if deaf and blind.(25:73)* *So when an ayah is read or when a hadith is read, then do take it to most learned people so that they may advise you on the meaning, implication, whether it is abrogated, etc. Don`t just jump to conclusion as deaf to anything else or that you can`t see anything else besides the hadith you have in your hand.**This is where Taqleed is important. Because one cannot judge the whole Shariah by one`s limited knowledge of Qur-aan and Sunnah.**Even Sahabahs and Tabi`ees did Taqleed. A beautiful narration brought in Hayatus Sahabah showed how Sahabahs and Tabi`ees used to refer their ahadiths to their knowledge to their Seniors.*(وقار معاذ بن جبل رضي الله عنه)وأخرج أبو نعيم في الحلية عن شَهْر بن حَوْشَب قال: كان أصحاب رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم إذا تحدّثوا وفيهم معاذ بن جبل رضي الله عنه نظروا إليه هيبة له. وعنده أيضاً عن أبي مسلم الخَوْلاني قال: دخلت مسجد حمص فإذا فيه نحو من ثلاثين كهلاً من أصحاب النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم وإذا فيهم شاب أكحل العينين، برَّاق الثنايا، لا يتكلم، ساكت، فإذا امترى القوم في شيء أقبلوا عليه فسألوه، فقلت لجليس لي من هذا؟ فقال: معاذ بنجبل رضي الله عنه، فوقع في نفسي حبه، فكنت معهم حتى تفرقوا. وعنده أيضاً عنه أنه دخل المسجد يوماف مع أصحاب رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أحضر ما كانوا أول إمره عمر بن الخطاب رضي الله عنه، قال: فجلست مجلساً فيه بضع وثلاثون كلُّهم يذكرون حديثاً عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وفي الحلقة فتى شاب شديد الأُدْمة، حلو المنطق، وضيء، وهو أشبُّ القوم سناً، فإذا اشتبه عليهم من أحاديث القوم شيء ردُّوه إليه فحدَّثهم حديثهم، ولا يحدثهم شيئاً إلا أن يسألوه، قلت: من أنت يا عبد الله؟ قال: أنا معاذ بن جبل. حياة الصحابة*So reported that when some Sahabahs r.a. was discussing on shariah and Mu`aaz bin Jabal r.a. was between them, so they would rather stay quiet and wait for Mu`az to pronounce over it. Also reported that when there was confusion on ahadiths, then they would present their ahadiths to Mu`az bin Jabal r.a. and he would explain their ahadiths and conclude the final established sunnah. (Hayatus Sahabah of M Yousuf Kandlewi r.a.-Musnad Ahmad and Musnad Bazzaar)**Another example that Sahabahs also were referring to the one was most learned is found in Bukhari:*

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو قَيْسٍ سَمِعْتُ هُزَيْلَ بْنَ شُرَحْبِيلَ قَالَسُئِلَ أَبُو مُوسَى عَنْ بِنْتٍ وَابْنَةِ ابْنٍ وَأُخْتٍ فَقَالَ لِلْبِنْتِ النِّصْفُ وَلِلْأُخْتِ النِّصْفُ وَأْتِ ابْنَ مَسْعُودٍ فَسَيُتَابِعُنِي فَسُئِلَ ابْنُ مَسْعُودٍ وَأُخْبِرَ بِقَوْلِ أَبِي مُوسَى فَقَالَ لَقَدْ ضَلَلْتُ إِذًا وَمَا أَنَا مِنْ الْمُهْتَدِينَ أَقْضِي فِيهَا بِمَا قَضَى النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لِلْابْنَةِ النِّصْفُ وَلِابْنَةِ ابْنٍ السُّدُسُ تَكْمِلَةَ الثُّلُثَيْنِ وَمَا بَقِيَ فَلِلْأُخْتِ فَأَتَيْنَا أَبَا مُوسَى فَأَخْبَرْنَاهُ بِقَوْلِ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ فَقَالَ لَا تَسْأَلُونِي مَا دَامَ هَذَا الْحَبْرُ فِيكُمْ بخاري
*A masla of inheritance was asked to Abu Moossa r.a. He answered it and told the person to still confirm with Abdullah bin Mas`ood r.a. But Abdullah bin Mas`ood r.a. answered differently. So when they came back to inform Abu Moossa r.a. He then advised: ‘’Do not ask me anything of Shariah when you have this great scholar(Ibn Mas`ood) amongst you.’’(Bukhari)* *And also when in Hajj the platforms of different great scholar Sahabahs are gathered, then Sahabahs used to do Taqleed of their great scholar and leave everything else:*عَنْ أَيُّوبَ عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ أَنَّ أَهْلَ الْمَدِينَةِ سَأَلُوا ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَاعَنْ امْرَأَةٍ طَافَتْ ثُمَّ حَاضَتْ قَالَ لَهُمْ تَنْفِرُ قَالُوا لَا نَأْخُذُ بِقَوْلِكَ وَنَدَعُ قَوْلَ زَيْدٍ بخاري*Overhere, the people of Madinah did not take the fatwa of Ibn Abbas r.a., but stick to the mazhab of Zaid r.a.(Bukhari)* *The sunnah is not one hadith, one ayah or one action. I wish to bring this point here because lots of time we find a hadith and then we make it a flag and keep on lifting that flag ignoring the whole tableau puzzle of sunnah. Remember one puzzle help in building the scenery, but it is not the whole panorama!* *So the sunnah is to follow a set pattern traced by sahabas and ear marked by Imaams like Abu Hanifah, Maalik, Shafi`ee and Ahmad. But also the justice of shariah requires that you do not ignore that one ayah or one hadith also. The fiqh of imaam Abu Hanifah is based on this principle of assembling all the puzzles of Qur-aan and Sunnah.**Also note that even if a piece of information found on the net is not Islamic, yet still you need to verify the reliability and authenticity of the info before forwarding. If 1% of the info is fake, then do not forward the info. In fact, forwarding all messages that you receive is SINFUL before verifying them. The beloved prophet Swalallahou `Alaihi Wasallam said: ‘’It is sufficient for that person to be sinful such that he talks everything that he heard.’’(Sahih Abu Dawood*)ِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَأَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ كَفَى بِالْمَرْءِ إِثْمًا أَنْ يُحَدِّثَ بِكُلِّ مَا سَمِعَ ابو داود*Reported in Bukhari that once, the rumours became famous in Madinah that Rasouloullah Swalallahou `Alaihi Wasallam gave talaaq to all his women. People started talking about it.  But Hazrat Umar r.a. went to Rasouloullah SAW directly to verify the information. Rasouloullah SAW answered : No.

*تذاكرنا عند أبي الضحى فقال حدثنا ابن عباسقال أصبحنا يوما ونساء النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم يبكين عند كل امرأة منهن أهلها فخرجت إلى المسجد فإذا هو ملآن من الناس فجاء عمر بن الخطاب فصعد إلى النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم وهو في غرفة له فسلم فلم يجبه أحد ثم سلم فلم يجبه أحد ثم سلم فلم يجبه أحد فناداه فدخل على النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم فقال أطلقت نساءك فقال لا ولكن آليت منهن شهرا فمكث تسعا وعشرين ثم دخل على نسائه بخاري  

*So if a news came to you about someone, do verify the news at source to the person himself.*


*The Qur-aan teaches us to verify any information reaching us:

*وَإِذَا جَاءَهُمْ أَمْرٌ مِنَ الْأَمْنِ أَوِ الْخَوْفِ أَذَاعُوا بِهِ وَلَوْ رَدُّوهُ إِلَى الرَّسُولِ وَإِلَى أُولِي الْأَمْرِ مِنْهُمْ لَعَلِمَهُ الَّذِينَ يَسْتَنْبِطُونَهُ مِنْهُمْ وَلَوْلَا فَضْلُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَتُهُ لَاتَّبَعْتُمُ الشَّيْطَانَ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا 

‘‘*When the news concerning peace or fear comes to them, they go about spreading it. Had they referred it to the Messenger and to those having authority amongst them, the truth of the matter would have to the knowledge of those of them who are able to investigate…’’(4:83)*

*Mufassirs describe those investigators as people of knowledge and intelligence.*

*So next time a message reach you, then verify to the respective knowledgeable person in that subject before forwarding. If Islamic message, then ask your ulamas, if medical, then verify with your doctor, if a news, then ask people nearby that area.*

Mufti Mackoojee

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