As-salaamu'alaykum,
How the Sunnah Ranks with the Qur'an
Allah revealed the Qur’an to His Messenger as guidance for righteous people, as a constitution for Muslims, and as a remedy for the hearts of those whom Allah wills to cure. It comprises many of the aims for which Allah sent His Messenger – in it are legislations, manners, exhortations, stories (declarations of) tawheed, promises of reward, warnings of punishment. It is positively authentic as a whole as well as in its detailed verses. So whoever doubts in a verse or in a word or in a letter of the Qur’an, is not a Muslim. The important duty of the Islamic scholar is to acquaint himself with Allah’s laws and rulings that are found in His Book.
In the generation of the Companions, Muslims received the Qur’an orally from the Messenger of Allah, and it was passed down to ensuing generations through mutawatir transmission. Other than conveying Allah’s Book to the people, the Messenger had another duty as well: to explain the Book and its verses, by clarifying the details of a general command, by explaining general principles that are revealed in the Qur’an and so on.
Just as Muslims need to know Allah’s Book, they need to know what the Prophet clarified regarding it. One cannot correctly understand the Qur’an or know what Allah means in many verses except by referring to the Messenger of Allah, to whom Allah revealed His Book, so that he could explain to people that which was revealed to them from their Lord.
With the exception of deviant groups, Muslims from the past and present agree that the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah – comprising of his sayings, deeds, and approvals – is one of the binding sources of legislation in Islam, which every Muslim needs in order to know what is lawful and what is prohibited. In a previous chapter we mentioned the proofs that establish the validity of the Sunnah as a source of legislation. What we want to discuss here is the ranking of the Sunnah in relation to the Qur’an. Is it equal in status to the Qur’an or is it second to the Qur’an in ranking?
First, we know the following about the Qur’an and the Sunnah:
1. We are absolutely sure about the authenticity of the text of the Qur’an. That much we know about its text. As for the meanings and rulings it conveys, some we are certain and some we are less than positively sure about.
2. As for the Sunnah, we are absolutely sure about the authenticity of mutawatir narrations and less than absolutely sure about narrations that are not mutawatir, at least regarding each specific narration, for as a whole, or as a group, they represent absolute, sure knowledge. The text that is established by less than absolute, sure knowledge is second in ranking to that which is established through absolutely sure knowledge. Consequently then, the Sunnah ranks second to the Qur’an.
Furthermore, the Sunnah can either be a clarification of the Qur’an or an addition to it. In instances when it is a clarification, then it is ranked second to that which is being clarified, for the primary text is the foundation and the explanation is built upon it. If it is an addition, then it is not taken into consideration unless no text in the issue is found in the Qur’an. This is another proof, showing that the Qur’an is of a higher raning.
Thus far, we have arrived at our conclusions through reasoning but those conclusions are also corroborated by a number of narrations. One example is the hadith of Mu’adh, which Abu Dawood and Tirmidhi related. In it the Prophet asked:
“If an issue is presented before you, how would you judge?”
Mu’adh said,
“By Allah’s Book.”
“And if you do not find (the ruling in Allah’s Book?)”
Mu’adh said,
“By the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah.”
Then the Prophet asked,
“And if you do not find (the ruling in the Sunnah)?”
He said,
“I will strive (to arrive at a judgement) through my opinion.”
Umar wrote to Shurayh al-Qadee:
“If an issues comes before you, then judge by what is in Allah’s Book, and if an issue comes to you whose ruling is not in Allah’s Book, then judge based on the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah...”
The following is related from Ibn Mas’ood:
“If any of you is presented with an issue, then let him judge by what is in Allah’s Book, and if something comes to him that is not in Allah’s Book, but is (explained in the Sunnah) of the Messenger of Allah, then he should speak (i.e., rule) by it.”
What me have just mentioned might seemingly contradict the statement of some scholars, when they said that the Sunnah is a judge over the Qur'an, for it clarifies what is general in the Qur'an, it limits rulings of the Qur'an that are universal, and it clarifies exceptions to general rulings of the Qur'an. In these situations, one takes from the understanding of the Sunnah, forsaking the apparent meaning of the Qur'an. A verse from the Qur'an might have two possible meanings, and the Sunnah clarifies which of the two meanings is intended. So again, the ruling of the Sunnah is applied. Do you not see that the verse about stealing rules that the hand of every thief is cut off, yet the Sunnah establishes that there are exceptions: it establishes a minimum amount of property, which if stolen, leads to the hand of the thief being cut off. Furthermore, the stolen property must have been stored in a safe place, and if it was not, then the hand of the thief is not cut off. Furthermore, the verse suggests that the yad - Arabic for hand - should be cut off; and yad applies to the area from the tips of one's fingers all the way to one's elbows. But the Sunnah has specified yad in this instance is referring to (what extends from) the two wrists. Similarly, the verses about Zakat embrace all kinds of wealth, but the Sunnah clarifies that Zakat is compulsory only on specific kinds of wealth. (Furthermore, in regard to marriageable women), Allah says:
...All others are lawful...
(Qur'an 4: 24)
The Sunnah limited the implications of this general ruling, legislating that a man cannot marry a woman and her aunt (whether from the father's or mother's side) at the same time. There are many more examples to establish this principle.
This might suggest that we give preference to the Sunnah over the Qur'an, or at least, give equal weight to both. But we answer this by saying that the application of the Sunnah in the aforementioned situations signifies a clarification of what Allah intended in His Book. In the verse about stealing, for instance, the Sunnah clarifies that the intended meaning of the Qur'an is for hands to be cut off at the wrists, and not at the elbows; and that the intended meaning of thief is that thief who steals at least the minimum amount for the punishment to be applicable to him and that thief who steals property that is stored in a safe and protected place. Therefore the Sunnah has not legislated a new ruling, but rather it has clarified and interpreted and explained that which is general or that which has more than one possible interpretation. And this is what is meant by those who say that the Sunnah is a judge over the Book: it clarifies the Book, but is not ranked above it.
One might also argue that the scholars disagree about the authenticity of the narration ascribed to Mu'adh. Tirmidhi said about that narration,
"I don't know it except through this chain, and it is not connected."
Al-Jawzjani ruled that it is a fabrication, when he said,
"This hadith is false; it contains a chain that cannot be depended upon to establish rulings that pertain to the principles of the Sharia."
We answer this argument with the following: the practice of Abu Bakr, Umar, Ibn Mas'ood, Ibn Abbas, and other highly distinguised Companions (radiyAllahu anhum), as related through authentic narrations, as well as the practice of scholars who came after them, are enough to prove what we are saying.
Without a doubt, Ahad narrations impart less than sure, absolute knowledge, they rank second to the Qur'an, at least in terms of authenticity of the text. As for understanding rulings of texts, one must refer to the Sunnah before one executes a command from the Qur'an because of the possibility that the Sunnah specifies or limits or clarifies a ruling of the Qur'an. From this perspective, the Sunnah is equivalent, or on an equal footing, with the Qur'an, equivalent in that one must compare and contrast verses of the Book with narrations from the Sunnah and then find harmony between both whenever there is an apparent contradiction. No two scholars, who recognise the authority of the Sunnah as a binding proof in Islam, would disagree with this.
How the Sunnah Ranks with the Qur'an
Allah revealed the Qur’an to His Messenger as guidance for righteous people, as a constitution for Muslims, and as a remedy for the hearts of those whom Allah wills to cure. It comprises many of the aims for which Allah sent His Messenger – in it are legislations, manners, exhortations, stories (declarations of) tawheed, promises of reward, warnings of punishment. It is positively authentic as a whole as well as in its detailed verses. So whoever doubts in a verse or in a word or in a letter of the Qur’an, is not a Muslim. The important duty of the Islamic scholar is to acquaint himself with Allah’s laws and rulings that are found in His Book.
In the generation of the Companions, Muslims received the Qur’an orally from the Messenger of Allah, and it was passed down to ensuing generations through mutawatir transmission. Other than conveying Allah’s Book to the people, the Messenger had another duty as well: to explain the Book and its verses, by clarifying the details of a general command, by explaining general principles that are revealed in the Qur’an and so on.
Just as Muslims need to know Allah’s Book, they need to know what the Prophet clarified regarding it. One cannot correctly understand the Qur’an or know what Allah means in many verses except by referring to the Messenger of Allah, to whom Allah revealed His Book, so that he could explain to people that which was revealed to them from their Lord.
With the exception of deviant groups, Muslims from the past and present agree that the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah – comprising of his sayings, deeds, and approvals – is one of the binding sources of legislation in Islam, which every Muslim needs in order to know what is lawful and what is prohibited. In a previous chapter we mentioned the proofs that establish the validity of the Sunnah as a source of legislation. What we want to discuss here is the ranking of the Sunnah in relation to the Qur’an. Is it equal in status to the Qur’an or is it second to the Qur’an in ranking?
First, we know the following about the Qur’an and the Sunnah:
1. We are absolutely sure about the authenticity of the text of the Qur’an. That much we know about its text. As for the meanings and rulings it conveys, some we are certain and some we are less than positively sure about.
2. As for the Sunnah, we are absolutely sure about the authenticity of mutawatir narrations and less than absolutely sure about narrations that are not mutawatir, at least regarding each specific narration, for as a whole, or as a group, they represent absolute, sure knowledge. The text that is established by less than absolute, sure knowledge is second in ranking to that which is established through absolutely sure knowledge. Consequently then, the Sunnah ranks second to the Qur’an.
Furthermore, the Sunnah can either be a clarification of the Qur’an or an addition to it. In instances when it is a clarification, then it is ranked second to that which is being clarified, for the primary text is the foundation and the explanation is built upon it. If it is an addition, then it is not taken into consideration unless no text in the issue is found in the Qur’an. This is another proof, showing that the Qur’an is of a higher raning.
Thus far, we have arrived at our conclusions through reasoning but those conclusions are also corroborated by a number of narrations. One example is the hadith of Mu’adh, which Abu Dawood and Tirmidhi related. In it the Prophet asked:
“If an issue is presented before you, how would you judge?”
Mu’adh said,
“By Allah’s Book.”
“And if you do not find (the ruling in Allah’s Book?)”
Mu’adh said,
“By the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah.”
Then the Prophet asked,
“And if you do not find (the ruling in the Sunnah)?”
He said,
“I will strive (to arrive at a judgement) through my opinion.”
Umar wrote to Shurayh al-Qadee:
“If an issues comes before you, then judge by what is in Allah’s Book, and if an issue comes to you whose ruling is not in Allah’s Book, then judge based on the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah...”
The following is related from Ibn Mas’ood:
“If any of you is presented with an issue, then let him judge by what is in Allah’s Book, and if something comes to him that is not in Allah’s Book, but is (explained in the Sunnah) of the Messenger of Allah, then he should speak (i.e., rule) by it.”
What me have just mentioned might seemingly contradict the statement of some scholars, when they said that the Sunnah is a judge over the Qur'an, for it clarifies what is general in the Qur'an, it limits rulings of the Qur'an that are universal, and it clarifies exceptions to general rulings of the Qur'an. In these situations, one takes from the understanding of the Sunnah, forsaking the apparent meaning of the Qur'an. A verse from the Qur'an might have two possible meanings, and the Sunnah clarifies which of the two meanings is intended. So again, the ruling of the Sunnah is applied. Do you not see that the verse about stealing rules that the hand of every thief is cut off, yet the Sunnah establishes that there are exceptions: it establishes a minimum amount of property, which if stolen, leads to the hand of the thief being cut off. Furthermore, the stolen property must have been stored in a safe place, and if it was not, then the hand of the thief is not cut off. Furthermore, the verse suggests that the yad - Arabic for hand - should be cut off; and yad applies to the area from the tips of one's fingers all the way to one's elbows. But the Sunnah has specified yad in this instance is referring to (what extends from) the two wrists. Similarly, the verses about Zakat embrace all kinds of wealth, but the Sunnah clarifies that Zakat is compulsory only on specific kinds of wealth. (Furthermore, in regard to marriageable women), Allah says:
...All others are lawful...
(Qur'an 4: 24)
The Sunnah limited the implications of this general ruling, legislating that a man cannot marry a woman and her aunt (whether from the father's or mother's side) at the same time. There are many more examples to establish this principle.
This might suggest that we give preference to the Sunnah over the Qur'an, or at least, give equal weight to both. But we answer this by saying that the application of the Sunnah in the aforementioned situations signifies a clarification of what Allah intended in His Book. In the verse about stealing, for instance, the Sunnah clarifies that the intended meaning of the Qur'an is for hands to be cut off at the wrists, and not at the elbows; and that the intended meaning of thief is that thief who steals at least the minimum amount for the punishment to be applicable to him and that thief who steals property that is stored in a safe and protected place. Therefore the Sunnah has not legislated a new ruling, but rather it has clarified and interpreted and explained that which is general or that which has more than one possible interpretation. And this is what is meant by those who say that the Sunnah is a judge over the Book: it clarifies the Book, but is not ranked above it.
One might also argue that the scholars disagree about the authenticity of the narration ascribed to Mu'adh. Tirmidhi said about that narration,
"I don't know it except through this chain, and it is not connected."
Al-Jawzjani ruled that it is a fabrication, when he said,
"This hadith is false; it contains a chain that cannot be depended upon to establish rulings that pertain to the principles of the Sharia."
We answer this argument with the following: the practice of Abu Bakr, Umar, Ibn Mas'ood, Ibn Abbas, and other highly distinguised Companions (radiyAllahu anhum), as related through authentic narrations, as well as the practice of scholars who came after them, are enough to prove what we are saying.
Without a doubt, Ahad narrations impart less than sure, absolute knowledge, they rank second to the Qur'an, at least in terms of authenticity of the text. As for understanding rulings of texts, one must refer to the Sunnah before one executes a command from the Qur'an because of the possibility that the Sunnah specifies or limits or clarifies a ruling of the Qur'an. From this perspective, the Sunnah is equivalent, or on an equal footing, with the Qur'an, equivalent in that one must compare and contrast verses of the Book with narrations from the Sunnah and then find harmony between both whenever there is an apparent contradiction. No two scholars, who recognise the authority of the Sunnah as a binding proof in Islam, would disagree with this.
is the Messenger of Allah, to establish the prayer, to give Zakat, to fast Ramadan, and to make pilgrimage to the House, for whoever is able to do so.”
saw:, if you believe in Allah and in the Last Day...