Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Assalam-o-Alaikum Dear Brother in Islam, I was reading about how you got converted, I might have missed it, but I wanted to know which Fiqh you follow now? Another question is that you say that every thing is true if it is proven by Quraan. What about Ahadeeths? Or put it this way, what if Allah have sent Quraan with out a Rasool (P.B.U.H)? Do you think you can prove what is right or wrong just by reading Quraan? I have probelm excepting what you say that the only way of proving right or wrong is non other than Quraan. I think there is another way too, which is what were said in Ahadeeths by Rasool Allah(PBUH) and Aima Tahreen. 

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Answer:

Which firqah do you follow?

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Allah Subhanah revealed the Glorious Quran to His Last Messenger (saws) and he followed each aayah practically and taught it to the believers. Everything the Prophet (saws) said, did, or saw happening and approved or disapproved is recorded in the ahaadiths. The Prophet’s (saws) life itself was a practical example on how to obey and follow the commands of the Holy Quran. Thus his Sunnah is nothing but an extension and a practical display of the Glorious Quran and cannot be, and should not be, separated from it.

The Glorious Quran are the very words of Allah Subhanah, and Allah Himself has guaranteed the protection of its authenticity until the Day of Judgement. There are no changes, nor will there ever be, in any part of the Quran, until the end of time!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 15 Surah Al Hijr verse 9:It is We (Allah), Who has sent down this Quran, and We will assuredly guard it against corruption.

The hadiths on the other hand were written by man long after the death of the Messenger of Allah (saws). Therefore, one must always try to determine if whether the person who quoted the Messenger of Allah (saws) doing or saying such and such a thing is indeed accurate, or something that is weakly narrated. If the Messenger of Allah (saws) was amongst us, then his words and deeds would be followed without any conditions… But since man himself has written his Sunnah, it is possible that some people might not have accurately narrated his traditions. But once it is determined that the narrations are indeed accurate, and they are in accordance with the teachings and guidance of the Holy Quran and the established Sunnah, then it is the duty of the believer to obey and follow those narrations.

Thus if any issue is raised today, the first thing a believer must do is look in the Holy Quran for its command. If the Holy Quran is silent on that issue, then one has to go to the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws). And if both the Holy Quran and the hadiths are silent on the issue, then a decision has to be taken in light of the principles of the Quran and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws). And this is exactly what the ‘Aimma Tahereen’ did… they gave their opinion on every aspect of life in light of the principles of the Quran and Sunnah. And this is what is called ‘fiqh’!

Our duty as believers is to follow Allah and His Messenger (saws) and refer to them for any and all aspects of our life. We need not follow any particular school of thought or ‘fiqh’ to be guided aright… we must open our hearts to all opinions of all the ‘Aimma Tahereen’ and determine which one is closest to the guidance of the Quran and Sunnah and follow it. It is possible that one of the ‘Aimma Tahereen’ had a better understanding of a subject than the other on this issue; and on another issue another Imaam had a better understanding. Our duty as believers is to follow Allah and His Messenger (saws); and take the help of any of the ‘Aimma Tahereen’ in helping us do so.

Allah cites a similar case with Prophet Dawood and Prophet Sulaimaan in the Holy Quran, where both were presented with a case, but Prophet Sulaimaan was able to give a better decision on the matter. Although both were great Prophets, Allah guided Prophet Sulaimaan in this instance to give a better and preferred decision in the matter.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Surah Anbiyaa verses 78-79:And We bestowed the same favor upon Dawood and Sulaimaan. Remember the occasion when the two were judging a case regarding a field into which the goats of other people had strayed at night, and We Ourself were watching their conduct on the case. At that time, We guided Sulaimaan to the right decision, though We had bestowed wisdom and knowledge upon both of them!

Your Statement: I think there is another way too, which is what were said in Ahadeeths by Rasool Allah(PBUH) and Aima Tahreen. 

Dear Brother, if indeed what has been recorded of the Messenger of Allah (saws) and the Aimma Tahereen is accurate, then it will always align with the clear guidance and teachings of the Holy Quran. No true hadith or decision of the Aimma Tahereen will ever go against the principles of the Quran! Thus, at no time can or should one take either the Ahaadiths or the decisions of the Aimma Tahereen in isolation… they are but an extension to the understanding of the vast knowledge of the Glorious Quran; and their source is an absolute necessity if one truly wants to understand the Message of Allah.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan