The Sunnah is Wisdom
By
Muhammad Amaan al-Jami
Translated by
Abbas Abu Yahya
‘Indeed Allaah mentioned the word ‘Wisdom’ in many Ayaat in the Great Book, it was mentioned in connection with the Book (the Qur’aan).
Of which there is no doubt is that the meaning which is indicated to by the word ‘wisdom’ in all of those Ayaat is the Prophetic Sunnah.
From those Ayaat is the saying of Allaah Ta’ala:
رَبَّنَا وَٱبۡعَثۡ فِيهِمۡ رَسُولٗا مِّنۡهُمۡ يَتۡلُواْ عَلَيۡهِمۡ ءَايَٰتِكَ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ وَٱلۡحِكۡمَةَ وَيُزَكِّيهِمۡۖ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلۡعَزِيزُ ٱلۡحَكِيمُ
<> [Baqarah: 129]
And Allaah Ta’ala said:
لَقَدۡ مَنَّ ٱللَّهُ عَلَى ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ إِذۡ بَعَثَ فِيهِمۡ رَسُولٗا مِّنۡ أَنفُسِهِمۡ يَتۡلُواْ عَلَيۡهِمۡ ءَايَٰتِهِۦ وَيُزَكِّيهِمۡ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ وَٱلۡحِكۡمَةَ وَإِن كَانُواْ مِن قَبۡلُ لَفِي ضَلَٰلٖ مُّبِينٍ
<> [Ala Imran: 164]
And He Subhanahu wa Ta’ala said:
<>
<> [Nisa’: 113]
And Allaah Ta’ala said:
وَٱذۡكُرُواْ نِعۡمَتَ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيۡكُمۡ وَمَآ أَنزَلَ عَلَيۡكُم مِّنَ ٱلۡكِتَٰبِ وَٱلۡحِكۡمَةِ
يَعِظُكُم بِهِۦۚ وَٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ وَٱعۡلَمُوٓاْ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ بِكُلِّ شَيۡءٍ عَلِيمٞ
<> [Baqarah: 231]
And the saying of Allaah Ta’ala:
وَٱذۡكُرۡنَ مَا يُتۡلَىٰ فِي بُيُوتِكُنَّ مِنۡ ءَايَٰتِ ٱللَّهِ وَٱلۡحِكۡمَةِۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ لَطِيفًا خَبِيرًا
<> [Ahzab: 34]
All the Ayaat which carry this meaning relay the word ‘wisdom’ connected to the Book (Qur’aan).
Imam Shaafi’ee -Rahimullaah- said: ‘Allaah obligated upon the people to follow His revelation and the Sunnan (plural of Sunnah) of His Messenger -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam.’
Imam Shaafi’ee also said in his well-known book ‘ar-Risalah’: ‘Allaah mentioned the Book which is the Qur’aan and He mentioned the word ‘Wisdom’, I heard from the one who is approved from the people of knowledge regarding the Qur’aan saying:
‘That Wisdom is the Sunnah of His Messenger’
Then Imam Shaafi’ee commented upon this statement:
‘And this is the most satisfactory of what has been said, and Allaah knows best.’
Then he explained saying:
‘Because the Qur’aan is Dhikr and wisdom followed it, and the Dhikr of Allaah is a blessing upon His creation and that is by them learning the Book and the wisdom. Therefore, it is not satisfactory – and Allaah knows best – to say that the wisdom mentioned here is not the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allaah, this is because it is linked along with the Book of Allaah.
The Qur’aan obligates obedience to His Messenger and ordered the people to follow his command, and it is not allowed to say regarding an obligatory issue that you should only return to the Book of Allaah, then only after that go to the Sunnah of His Messenger -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam.’
Imam Shaafi’ee continues:
‘That is because we explained that Allaah equaled Eemaan in His Messenger as the same as Eemaan in Allaah. The Sunnah of His Messenger is built upon the meaning of what Allaah had intended, then Wisdom was linked up with the book, and the wisdom follows the Book. And that was not made obligatory for anyone from Allaah’s creation other than His Messenger -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam.’
[Taken from ‘Manzilat Sunnah Fee Tashree al-Islaami p.21 – 23]