Hadeeth

Hadeeth means the words, actions, approval or attributes that have been narrated from the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).

A hadeeth may either confirm things
that are mentioned in the Qur’aan, such as prayer, zakaah, etc., or it
may give details of things that are mentioned in the Qur’aan in general
terms, such as the numbers of rak’ahs in each prayer, the thresholds for
paying zakaah, the details of Hajj, etc. It may also explain rulings
which are not mentioned in the Qur’aan, such as the prohibition on being
married to a woman and her (paternal or maternal) aunt at the same
time.

Allaah revealed the Qur’aan to His Messenger Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and commanded him to explain it to the people, as He said (interpretation of the meaning):

“And We have also sent down unto you (O
Muhammad) the Dhikr [reminder and the advice (i.e. the Qur’aan)], that
you may explain clearly to men what is sent down to them, and that they
may give thought”

[al-Nahl 16:44]

The hadeeth of the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is a revelation (wahy) from his Lord.

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Your companion (Muhammad) has neither gone astray nor has erred.

Nor does he speak of (his own) desire.

It is only a Revelation revealed”

[al-Najm 53:2-4]

Allaah sent His Messenger Muhammad
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) to call mankind to worship
Allaah alone, and to disbelieve in any (god) apart from Him, and (He
sent him) to bring the glad tidings of Paradise and warnings of Hell:

“O Prophet (Muhammad)! Verily, We have sent you as witness, and a bearer of glad tidings, and a warner,

And as one who invites to Allaah [Islamic Monotheism, i.e. to worship
none but Allaah (Alone)] by His Leave, and as a lamp spreading light
(through your instructions from the Qur’aan and the Sunnah the legal
ways of the Prophet)

[al-Ahzaab 33:45-46 – interpretation of the meaning]

The Messenger (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was anxious over this ummah; he
did not know of anything good but he told them of it, and he did not
know of anything evil but he warned them against it:

“Verily, there has come unto you a Messenger
(Muhammad) from amongst yourselves. It grieves him that you should
receive any injury or difficulty. He (Muhammad) is anxious over you; for
the believers (he is) full of pity, kind, and merciful”

[al-Tawbah 9:128 – interpretation of the meaning]

Every Prophet was sent only to his own people, but Allaah sent His Messenger Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) to all of mankind:

“And We have sent you (O Muhammad) not but as a mercy for the ‘Aalameen (mankind, jinn and all that exists)”

[al-Anbiyaa’ 21:101 – interpretation of the meaning]

Because the Messenger
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) conveyed the revelation
that was sent down to him from His Lord, it is obligatory to obey him.
Indeed, obedience to him is obedience to Allaah:

“He who obeys the Messenger (Muhammad), has indeed obeyed Allaah”

[al-Nisaa’ 4:80 – interpretation of the meaning]

Obedience to Allaah and His Messenger is the way to salvation and victory, and to happiness in this world and in the Hereafter:

“And whosoever obeys Allaah and His Messenger,
he has indeed achieved a great achievement (i.e. he will be saved from
the Hell‑fire and will be admitted to Paradise)”

[al-Ahzaab 33:71 – interpretation of the meaning]

Hence it is obligatory for all people to obey Allaah and His Messenger, because therein lies their success and salvation:

“And obey Allaah and the Messenger (Muhammad) that you may obtain mercy”

[Aal ‘Imraan 3:132 – interpretation of the meaning]

Whoever disobeys Allaah and His Messenger only harms himself, he does not harm Allaah in the slightest:

“And whosoever disobeys Allaah and His
Messenger (Muhammad), and transgresses His limits, He will cast him into
the Fire, to abide therein; and he shall have a disgraceful torment”

[al-Nisaa’ 4:14 – interpretation of the meaning]

Once Allaah and His Messenger have decided a matter, no one has the
right to choose concerning that or to object to it; rather it is
obligatory to obey and to believe in the truth:

“It is not for a believer, man or woman, when
Allaah and His Messenger have decreed a matter that they should have any
option in their decision. And whoever disobeys Allaah and His
Messenger, he has indeed strayed into a plain error

[al-Ahzaab 33:36 – interpretation of the meaning]

A person's faith is not complete until he loves Allaah and His
Messenger, and love implies obedience. Whoever wants Allah to love him
and forgive his sins must follow the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him):

“Say (O Muhammad to mankind): ‘If you (really)
love Allaah, then follow me (i.e. accept Islamic Monotheism, follow the
Qur’aan and the Sunnah), Allaah will love you and forgive you your
sins. And Allaah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful’”

[Aal ‘Imraan 3:31 – interpretation of the meaning]

Love of the Messenger
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is not simply the matter of
words to be repeated, rather it is the matter of belief and conduct,
i.e., obedience to what he commands, belief in what he tells us,
avoidance of what he forbids, and avoidance of worshipping Allaah in any
way except that which he prescribed.

When Allaah had perfected this religion and the Messenger had conveyed
the message of his Lord, Allaah took him to be with Him. The Messenger (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) left this ummah with clear proof
in which there is no ambiguity. No one deviates from it but he is
doomed:

“This day, those who disbelieved have given up
all hope of your religion; so fear them not, but fear Me. This day, I
have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favour upon you, and
have chosen for you Islam as your religion”

[al-Maa'idah 5:3 – interpretation of the meaning]

By the grace of Allaah, the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them) preserved the ahaadeeth of the Messenger
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon them), then the righteous salaf
who came after them compiled them in books which are known as the Sihaah
(Saheehs), Sunan and Musnads. The most sound of them are Saheeh
al-Bukhaari, Saheeh Muslim, the four Sunans, the Musnad of Imaam Ahmad
and the Muwatta’ of Imaam Maalik, etc.

Allaah has perfected this religion. The Messenger
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not know of anything
good but he taught it to his ummah, and he did not know of anything evil
but he warned them against it. So whoever introduces anything into the
religion, of bid’ah (innovation) or myths, such as praying to the dead
or circumambulating (tawaaf) their tombs, or praying to the jinn and
awliya’ (“saints”), and other things that have not been prescribed by
Allaah and His Messenger, all of that is to be rejected and not
accepted, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever innovates something in this matter of ours (Islam) that is not a part of it will have it rejected.” (Narrated by Muslim, 1718)