All perfect praise be to Allah the Lord of The Worlds. May His blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Mohammad and upon all his family and companions.
The religion of Islam is distinguished by its authentic and firmly established sources, all of which ultimately go back to the Book of Allah Almighty. Allah, the Exalted, says {what means}: “Ta. Sin. These are revelations of the Qur’an and a Scripture that maketh plain; A guidance and good tidings for believers.”[An-Naml/1–2]. The Noble Qur’an instructs believers to follow the Sunnah of the Prophet (PBUH) and makes adherence to it obligatory, as Allah says {what means}: “Whatever the Messenger gives you, take it; and whatever he forbids you, refrain from it. And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is severe in punishment.”
[Al-Hashr/7]. The Qur’an even equates obedience to the Messenger (PBUH) with obedience to Allah Himself, as in His saying: “And whatsoever the messenger giveth you, take it. And whatsoever he forbiddeth, abstain (from it). And keep your duty to Allah. Lo! Allah is stern in reprisal.” [Al-Ma’idah/92].The verses on this subject are numerous.
The Prophet (PBUH) himself foretold the appearance of people who would deny the Sunnah and warned against them. He said: “Lo! Soon a Hadith from me will be conveyed to a man, while he is reclining on his couch, and he says: 'Between us and you is Allah's Book. So whatever we find in it that is lawful, we consider lawful, and whatever we find in it that is unlawful, we consider it unlawful.' Indeed whatever the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) made unlawful, it is the same as what Allah made unlawful.” (Reported by al-Tirmidhi). This represents the unanimous position of Ahl al-Haqq (the people of truth i.e Ahlu Sunnah Wal Jama`ah); there is no disagreement among them. Imām al-Shāfi‘ī (may Allah have mercy on him) said in Al-Risālah (Vol.1/P.212): “Everything the Messenger of Allah established by way of Sunnah, in conjunction with the Book of Allah, is in harmony with the Book of Allah—either directly by text or generally by way of clarification. Such clarification may sometimes be broader than the general wording itself. And whatever the Prophet established without a specific text from the Qur’an, it is by virtue of Allah’s general command to obey him; therefore, we follow him.” Hence, whoever denies the Prophetic Sunnah as a whole—refusing to accept anything from it—has strayed from the straight path. He has in fact abandoned the Qur’an before abandoning the Sunnah, for he is in grave danger if he still claims to be a Muslim. The reason is that it is impossible to uphold the fundamental acts of worship in Islam—such as prayer, fasting, zakāh, and ḥajj—except through the joint guidance of the Qur’an and Sunnah. Such a person also contradicts himself, for he professes belief in the Qur’an while rejecting the Sunnah which the Qur’an itself commands him to follow. It is therefore obligatory to explain to such a person the error and contradiction in his position so that proof is established against him and no excuse remains. If, after that, he persists in rejecting the Sunnah, then he has effectively denied the Divine Law itself, and this constitutes disbelief.
However, if the denial pertains not to the entire Sunnah but to a specific ruling contained within it, then this too is deviation and a departure from the truth that the Muslim community has agreed upon. Yet, one should not hasten to declare such a person a disbeliever, for the principle upheld by Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamā‘ah—among theologians, jurists, and scholars of legal theory—is that a person is not declared a disbeliever unless he denies something known necessarily in religion. If the ruling he denies is a matter that is decisively established and universally known among Muslims, then denial of it constitutes disbelief, since it implies rejection of the Prophet (PBUH). But if the matter is not necessarily known to every Muslim, then the person does not fall into disbelief, even though he remains misguided.
Imām al-Subkī (may Allah have mercy on him) explained this distinction, saying in Sharḥ al-Maḥallī ‘alā Jam‘ al-Jawāmi‘ (Vol.2/P.238): “Whoever denies something unanimously agreed upon and known necessarily in religion—such as the obligation of prayer and fasting, or the prohibition of adultery and wine—is definitely a disbeliever, because his denial entails rejecting the Prophet (PBUH). Likewise, whoever denies something established by consensus and clearly known among people—such as the permissibility of sale—is, according to the stronger opinion, a disbeliever, though some said otherwise, since it could be hidden from him. In matters not explicitly mentioned in the texts but still well-known, there is a difference of opinion: some say denial constitutes disbelief due to its fame, while others say it does not, since it could remain unknown. As for what is hidden and known only to specialists, its denial is not disbelief, even if it is textually established.”
In conclusion, denying the Prophetic Sunnah, its authority, or its established status in Islamic law is a deviation from the truth and a grave danger to one’s faith. It stands in contradiction to the Qur’an and to the unanimous understanding of the Muslims. A person who denies the Sunnah is not declared a disbeliever except according to the conditions and principles outlined above. And Allah, the Most High, knows best.
