Holding Evidence at High Reverence

All praise due to Allah and his praise and blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, his companions, and his followers until the day of judgment. I bear witness that Allah is the only one worthy of worship and Muhammad is his last and final messenger.

My dear brothers and sisters, we as Muslims holding into the religion of Islam—in the دِين الْإِسْلَام—the religion of Islam is made of two components: شَرَائِعُ وَأَحْكَامُ وَأَوَامِرُ وَنَوَاهٍ وَعَقَائِدُ وَأَخْبَارُ. It is two components: it is either rules or articles of faith and belief, either orders to do and not to do, or it is information that the نَبِيّ have told us and informed us about. And both must be fully accepted and both must be absolutely accepted in order for the person to become Muslim. It is not like he chooses whatever he wants from these articles of faith and belief and whatever he wants from the rules and he said, "I reject that rest," or "I reject that." Yes, it is not a condition for you to be a believer to be able to practice everything, but it is a condition for your Islam and Iman to accept everything, and there is a big difference between the two.

All rules and all information in the Qur'an and the Sunnah in our religion come from only two sources: جَمِيعُ الْأَحْكَامِ فِي الشَّرِيعَةِ وَجَمِيعُ الْعَقَائِدِ فِي الشَّرِيعَةِ تَأْتِي فَقَطْ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ وَالسُّنَّةِ. It comes only from the Qur'an and it comes from the Sunnah of the Prophet. Anything else that you might hear—the scholar said, "Oh, there is something called إِجْمَاعُ (consensus), قِيَاسُ (analogy), مَصْرَحَةُ (discretionary ruling)"—all this goes back and builds on the Qur'an and Sunnah. فَلَا يُوجَدُ إِجْمَاعُ إِلَّا عَلَى نَصٍّ وَلَا يُوجَدُ قِيَاسُ إِلَّا عَلَى نَصٍّ—there is no consensus except upon a text and there is no analogy except upon a text. So whenever there are any other elements that the فُقَهَاء look at, it is always going back to the Qur'an and Sunnah. So any consensus that is established is based on evidence, and any analogy that is made is based on a verse or a hadith from the Prophet.

So the evidence that our religion is based on are al-Qur'an and as-Sunnah—what Allah told us and what Muhammad told us and informed us. And it is so important for us to realize this simple fact and keep it fresh in our mind. Because if we know that we must treat this evidence—which comes from the Qur'an and the Sunnah of the Prophet—in the most high regards, we hold it up high, holding evidence at high reverence, and that is what we have been asked and ordered to do, because it is among honoring Allah and venerating Allah himself and holding him to the highest and most respectful status that we have, because his work, his Book, his message—al-Qur'an—is his words, is one of his attributes. This is his speech.

Allah said that this is a book that was revealed from the Almighty Allah—the Lord of the world. And it came down to Muhammad with it and delivered it to Muhammad through the most trusted angel, which is Jibreel, so that Muhammad can be a warner and can deliver this message to you. And it comes in a pure Arabic tongue. And the mention of the Qur'an, the description of the Qur'an, is mentioned in the books prior to this—books like all the books before al-Qur'an mentioned and talked about the message of Muhammad.

And the نَبِيّ when he ordered something, he never comes with anything from his own. The نَبِيّ is not a legislator himself. The نَبِيّ delivered the message, so he does not legislate from his own.

Anything that the Prophet said is not from his desire. It is not from his opinion. It is a revelation that was revealed to him, and that is why we as Muslims hold al-Qur'an and as-Sunnah in the utmost high level. And that is something that can appear and manifest in many different ways that I want to share with you today. مُنَاكَ أُمُورُ تُظْهِرُ هَذَا تَعْظِيمَ لِأَدِلَّةِ نُصُوصِ الْكِتَابِ وَالسُّنَّةِ—there are matters that show this honoring of the evidence from the Qur'an and Sunnah. Because unfortunately sometimes you find people when they hear about a ruling or they hear about something that came in the Qur'an and Sunnah—information or خَبَر or something that they are informed about—the way they treat this evidence is not in the way that it should be and not in the most proper way or appropriate way. And these are a few points that I want to share with you tonight in regard to how to deal with this evidence.

Point One: Honor and Respect

لَا بُدَّ مِنْ أَخْذِ هَذِهِ الْأَدِلَّةِ بِكَامِلِ الْمَحَبَّةِ وَالتَّصْدِيقِ وَالْإِجْلَالِ وَالتَّوْقِيرِ وَالِاحْتِرَام—we must honor the evidence when it is presented to us. We should show respect for it. We should love it. We should believe in it, and we know it is the truth. And this is one point. There is no excuse for going against it, because going against it is a sign of shaking the foundation of your Iman or Islam. If somebody should disrespect the Qur'an or the Sunnah or the statement of Muhammad, that goes against the fundamental concept of believing in Muhammad as رَسُول الله or believing in Allah as your Lord, that you submit yourself to it. And the person must repent to Allah from such attitude or showing any disrespect towards the evidence that came in the Qur'an and Sunnah.

Point Two: Belief in Truth and Guidance

When the believer hears the words of Allah and his Messenger, he should believe that it is the truth and not the falsehood, and that it is the only reason for guidance—for the happiness of this world and the hereafter. When Allah and his Messenger tell us something, when an evidence comes to establish a rule, I must believe that this rule is one hundred percent the best for me, is a hundred percent the best choice for me, and the best offer that I have, which comes from Allah. That is the absolute truth, and there is no doubt about it. We do not have doubt about the authenticity and the validity of the Qur'an and the Sunnah of Muhammad. Knowing that no way will I make it on my own, no way will I be guided without the guidance of Allah.

You all are misguided except the one I guide. Allah says, and he guides us through this evidence which has come to us in the Qur'an and the Sunnah of the Prophet.

If I get misguided, I got misguided because I rely on myself, but if I get guided, I only get guided because of what Allah have revealed to me.

This book is a guidance, is a mercy, is a healing, is a glad tiding for the believers.

يَفْعَلُوا كَمَا رَأَيْنَا مُحَمَّدًا صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَفْعَلُ—a man saw Ibn Umar while he was traveling, shortening the prayer or combining the prayer. He said, "Ya Ibn Umar, prayer was described in the Qur'an in regard to prayer in time of war, prayer when you are resident, but nothing about traveling." Then he said, "We know nothing about this religion, about all the rules. And Muhammad came and taught us. So whatever he taught us is true, and we do what we saw him doing."

Point Three: Adherence and Obligation

It is so important also when you hear any ruling that is established or information that comes to establish by the Qur'an and Sunnah to honor it, to respect it, to hold into it, and to believe that I must adhere to it.

It is not optional. You do not say, "Oh, you know what, I cannot believe there is a scale on the day of judgment or not," or "Oh, you know, I do not know if there is any book that will be handed to people on the day of judgment or not," or "You know, I do not know if there is زَكَاة الْفِطْرِ or not," or "I do not know if interest is حَرَام or not." You know, it is not up to the person. The Muslims submit and understand that this is something that they must submit to it.

يَعْنِي يَنْفِي أَن يَكُونَ لِلْإِنْسَانِ أَيُّ خِيَار—the Qur'an tells us that believing men and women, when Allah and his Messenger have decided a matter, should not have any choice about their affair except that the choice that Allah have chosen for them. Yes, when you hear that, you know that this is the truth and you know that you adhere to it. It is not a joke. It is not an optional.

سُبْحَانَ الله, from the wonderful situations—when the Prophet said to عُثْمَان بْن أَبِي طَلْحَة, "Go and bring me the key of al-Ka'bah." You know al-Ka'bah was with Bani Shaiba, so the key was with his mother. He went to her and he said to his mother, "The Prophet ordered me to bring the key for the door of al-Ka'bah because he wants to enter after the conquest of al-Ka'bah." His mother said, "I will not give it to Muhammad." Then he said, "He ordered me to get it." Then he put his hand on the hilt of his sword. This is his mother! He said to her, "By Allah, you will give it to me, or I will take it after I draw this sword from my sheath." That is the order of Muhammad. And she gave him the key.

Point Four: The Qur'an and Sunnah as the Ultimate Reference

Another point that is also important—when you receive the evidence from the Qur'an and Sunnah, أَن تَعْتَقِدَ أَنَّهَا الْمُهَيْمِنَة، أَنَّهَا الْحَاكِمَة، أَنَّهَا الْمَرْجِع—you must believe that the Qur'an and Sunnah is the reference, is the ultimate judge, is the ultimate one that controls the matter in the end of the day.

All these verses are not talking about just accepting. They talk about fully accepting, fully submitting yourself to the will and to the order of Allah. These opinions, these so-called objections that people claim to be logical or anything of that nature—which is in truth, it is nothing but darknesses that it will not and never guided humanity in the past and it will not in the future.

يَقُولُ رَافِعُ بْنُ خَدِيج—and look at this beautiful example of رَافِعُ بْنُ خَدِيج. He said, "We used to have farms, and what we did, we would rent the farm or we would sell the fruit or whatever the farm would produce ahead of time in a way that is not Islamically correct, you know, before the rules came in Islam. Anyway, then one of my cousins came, and he said that the business deal that you guys do is not allowed."

He said, "The Prophet forbids such business deals," and رَافِعُ and his cousin said, "And that business deal is excellent, نَافِع (beneficial), it is very good for us, but obeying Allah and his Messenger is more beneficial to us." That is what رَافِعُ said. His cousin said, "He said it is not allowed to do such business." So رَافِعُ told his cousin, "He said, if the order of Muhammad is such, it is above my head." That is the level of submission that you see in the صَحَابَة النَّبِيّ.

فَقَدْ أَقْسَمَ اللَّهُ الْعَظِيمُ بِنَفْسِهِ قَسَمًا يُبَيِّنُ حَقِيقَة الْإِيمَان أَلَيْسَ يُؤْمِنُ مَنْ يَكُونُ مُحَكِّمًا غَيْرَ الرَّسُول الْوَاضِح الْبُرْهَان بَل لَيْسَ يُؤْمِنُ غَيْرُ مَنْ حَكَّمَ الْوَحْيَيْنِ حَسْب فَذَاك هُوَ حَقِيقَة الْإِيمَان.

I have said what you have heard, and I ask Allah's forgiveness for me and for you. So repent.

All praise is due to Allah alone, and may Allah's blessings and peace be upon the one after whom there is no prophet, and then:

Point Five: Care and Eagerness to Learn

One of the things also—whenever we hear the evidence from the Qur'an and Sunnah, it is something that we must care for and seek. It is something that we are happy to hear, glad to understand, and to learn. جَابِر travelled from Medina to Asham for one month just to hear one hadith about رَسُول اللَّهِ, and أَبُو أَيُّوب travelled from Medina to Egypt to hear one hadith from ابْن أَامِر. Long journeys just to hear one hadith. That is how we care for the evidence—to know it, to learn it, to be aware of it, to be happy to hear it.

Point Six: Hastening to Obey

Among the points that are also important here to be mentioned—whenever you hear the order of Allah—it is to rush to adhere to it, not just to accept it and to say, "Take my time." No, it means you hasten to do what Allah orders you to do. You absolutely accept what Allah have said to you. And when you look at how the سَلَف used to do that, you will be amazed. They are in prayer, in رُكُوع (bowing), and they hear the Prophet order us to change the direction of prayer—the قِبْلَة. While making رُكُوع, they change the direction from بَيْتُ الْمَقْدِس 180 degrees to Mecca. While they are in prayer, they did not say, "Let us finish the prayer." The cup of wine was right at his mouth, and what did he do when he heard that الْخَمْر (wine) became حَرَام? He did not say, "Let me finish this, and we will figure it out tomorrow. We will drink anyway." No, he just spit it out. And the alleys of Medina were filled with wine that night when the Prophet told the women—when he saw them gathering and taking over the road—he said women cannot do that, you cannot be just shoulder to shoulder with men. The narrator said that immediately when the women heard that, they went to the side to the extent that when she walked, she would be hung in the wall of the house because she went to the sides. An instant response. There is much to be said. Do not ever, when you hear the evidence, "Oh, let me see what the reason behind it is. Let me find out what the reason behind it is."

عُمَر touched the black stone and said, "I know you are a stone. You do not benefit anyone. I only do this because the Prophet did it. I do not know what the reason behind it is, but you know what I do? I do what the Prophet did." When ابْنُ عُمَر—a man came to him in Mina and he said, "Why do you pray in Mina?" He said, "Do you know Muhammad?" Obviously he knows—he is a Muslim. He said, "Yes, I know Muhammad." He said, "Do you believe in him?" He said, "Yes." He said, "Muhammad prayed here." End of the story. And the Qur'an tells us كَذَٰلِكَ قَالَ رَبُّك—that is it. No more questions. That is what Allah says. That is enough. عِلَّة لِإِثْبَاتِ الْحُكْمِ—that is enough reason for me to accept and to obey. This attitude is the attitude that made the صَحَابَة so different and made the Muslims through history so different.

Closing Du'a

I ask Allah to magnify in our hearts his book and the sunnah of his Messenger, and make us and you among those who submit to it, honor it, and judge by it.

I ask Allah to make us among those who always honor the Sunnah and the دِين of Allah and submit to the religion of Allah, and to make it all a very satisfaction for us, just to know that this is what Allah wants, this is what Muhammad ordered for us.

We ask Allah to bless us with beneficial knowledge and righteous action. Forgive us and our brothers who came before us with faith. And may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon Muhammad and his family.

O Allah, forgive us, have mercy upon us, grant us well-being, and pardon us. O Allah, have mercy upon our sick and heal our sick. O Allah, forgive us and our parents and our Muslim brothers and sisters and those who have rights and favors over us, O Most Merciful. O Allah, send down your mercy, well-being, and healing upon us and upon our homes, and avert from us all evil, O Most Merciful. Protect us, our wealth, our families, our children, our community, and our land, O Most Merciful. O Allah, grant the Muslims the best of them in leadership and keep the worst of them away. O Allah, grant us and them success in all good, and may the blessings, peace, and mercy of Allah be upon Muhammad and upon his family.

Come for prayer, may Allah have mercy upon you.