 | | Is obedience to Rasulullah (s) conditional or unconditional? | | The traditions (s) relating to the pen and paper episode | | Analysis of the incident, excuses offered and our replies | | Elucidation of the Truth | | The consequence of the Pen and paper episode |
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| Answering Ansar's defence of the Pen and Paper episode
This article is our reply to the defences offered by Ansar and their fellow advocates to the pen and paper episode, better known as 'the calamity of Thursday'. Ansar's explanations were made in response to a query on this issue in its Q&A Section.
Is obedience to Rasulullah (s) conditional or unconditional?
We read in Surah al Hadeed "Oh you who believe, fear Allah and believe in his Prophet". The words "oh you who believe" illustrate that Allah is addressing the Muslims and in particular addressing the Companions of the Prophet during the time of the verse's revelation. Allah's command to the Companions to "believe in the Prophet" suggests that even during the Prophet's (s) lifetime there existed those who believed in Allah but did not possess a correct belief in the Prophet (s), hence necessitating the revelation of such a verse. Thus, as Muslims we cannot truly believe until we believe in the Prophet (s). Consequently if we have doubts in what the Prophet says and commands, then naturally our belief in the Prophet is flawed.
Amongst the Muslims a major difference of opinion is with regards to the exact nature of belief in the Prophet (s). One school asserts that obedience to the Prophet is unconditional in all circumstances, whereas the other attests that obedience is only obligatory when the Prophet (s) is speaking within his capacity as a Prophet (s). This is a major difference and in effect goes to the very heart of disunity; yet a Muslim does not have true faith until he has correct belief in the Prophet (s). For this reason is it is essential to clarify the truth of this matter.
What does the Qur'an tell us?
In fact, there exist no verses in the Qur'an that prove the second thesis that obedience to the Prophet (s) is conditional and limited only to certain circumstances. On the contrary, the Qur'an makes clear that obedience to Allah (swt) can only occur if one obeys the Prophet (s) unconditionally - since the Qur'an deliberately excludes mention of any particular conditions in which obedience is not obligatory. Rather, the Qur'an commands us to obey the Prophet, and does not restrict our obedience to only a particular area. Allah (swt) is the absolute Judge, but sent Muhammad (s) to act on His behalf, so that humankind would seek guidance through the Last Messenger.
Clear Unconditional Obedience
Surah al Maidah verse 92 "Obey Allah and Obey his Prophet and worry, and be warned that the Prophet's duty is only to deliver the message clearly"
Surah Mujadilah verses 12-13 "Perform Salat (Prayer), give Zakat and Obey Allah and his Prophet"
Both these noble verses clarify the matter unambiguously. Allah commands the Muslims in the Qur'an to obey Allah - unconditionally - and furthermore to obey the Prophet - once more, unconditionally.
Duty only to convey the message clearly
Surah Nur verse 54 "Obey Allah and his Prophet and if you dispute, then on him is what is imposed on him, and on you is what is imposed on you; and if you obey him you are guided aright; and there is no duty on the Prophet save the clear delivery".
Once more, the Qur'an establishes firmly that the duty of the Muslim is simply to obey the Prophet - no limitations have been mentioned as to the extent of this obedience; hence the obedience must be unconditional and without limitation. This verse also makes it clear that if one obeys the Prophet in this way, only then will one be rightly guided, and that the Prophet's duty is only to convey the message.
Surah Aal-e-Imran verse 32 Say, "Obey Allah and the Prophet, but if they turn back, then verily Allah does not love the disbelievers"
Never dismiss the words of the Prophet (s)
Surah Anfal verse 20: "O ye who believe! Obey Allah and His Messenger, and turn not away from him when ye hear (him speak)."
Don't dispute in the presence of the Prophet (s)
Surah Anfal verse 46 "And obey Allah and His Messenger and do not quarrel…."
All these verses prove that obedience to the Prophet (s) is utterly unconditional and on par with obedience to Allah (swt); as far as the Qur'an is concerned there is no difference between the two. So much is the unconditional nature of this obedience stressed in the Qur'an, that Surah Aal-e-Imran clarifies that it is forbidden to turn back and ignore the Prophet's command: "If they turn back, then verily Allah does not love the disbelievers." Similarly, the Muslims are commanded never to turn away if they hear the Prophet speak - once more, this command is unconditional: "..and turn not away from him when ye hear (him speak)". Finally the third verse under discussion commands the Muslims not to quarrel, and in context, not to quarrel over the Prophet's command: "And obey Allah and His Messenger and do not quarrel…." After Tawheed, is belief in Prophethood; a Muslim will never be capable of obeying Allah (swt) until he obeys his Prophet (s). One who openly disobeys the Prophet (s), turns away from him despite hearing him, turns back from him, and quarrels before him over his command, is therefore committing haraam.
Obedience to the Prophet (s) means obedience to Allah (swt)
Surah Nisa verse 80 "He who obeys the Messenger, obeys Allah: But if any turn away, We have not sent thee to watch over their (evil deeds)." Again and again, Allah is stressing that obedience to the Prophet in all matters is identical to obedience to Allah. Evidently, if the Prophet (s) had two aspects to his life one in which he could make mistakes with regard to which the Muslims would not be compelled to follow him, then Allah (swt) would have clearly clarified this matter in the Qur'an. However, instead, Allah states that obedience to the Prophet without any extra conditions is obedience to Allah. Allah would never have said the words in this verse if He had meant anything else.
No one can overrule anything that the Prophet (s) said
Surah AL-AHZAB, verse 36: "It is not fitting for a Believer, man or woman, when a matter has been decided by Allah and His Messenger to have any option about their decision: if any one disobeys Allah and His Messenger, he is indeed on a clearly wrong Path"
Thus, whatever decision the Prophet makes, is from Allah and any attempt to change this by a Muslim shows that this person has gone astray from the Right Path.
It is Incumbent to get all disputes decided by the Prophet (s)
Surah Nisa verse 65 "But no, by the Lord, they can have no (real) Faith, until they make thee judge in all disputes between them, and find in their souls no resistance against Thy decisions, but accept them with the fullest conviction." The words used here 'Thanaza" -dispute will have significance later
This goes even further than the previous verses by showing that a true believer must take the Prophet's judgement as the final word in every dispute or quarrel among the Muslims. Once more, the Qur'an has commanded us to take the Prophet's judgement as absolute and final in all disputes and disagreements; and those who do not do so have not believed. The same command of Allah is repeated in another verse:
Surah Nisa verse 59 "O ye who believe! Obey Allah, and obey the Messenger, and those charged with authority among you. If ye differ in anything among yourselves, refer it to Allah and His Messenger, if ye do believe in Allah and the Last Day: That is best, and most suitable for final determination."
Thus, those who believe in Allah and the Last Day will turn to Allah's Prophet if they dispute on anything. In context with the previous verse it is clear that the Qur'an makes no distinction between the Prophet's judgement and Allah's commands. Consequently, those who refuse to turn to the Prophet in all matters of dispute are verily those who have not truly believed in Allah and the Last Day.
Every decision of the Prophet (s) is binding upon us
Surah Hashr verse 7 "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."
The Qur'an establishes finally the obligation of unconditional obedience to the Prophet: whatsoever the Prophet commands us and gives us, we must accept it and obey; whatsoever he commands us to abstain from, we must again obey.
Summary of the verses
In summary, these verses establish beyond doubt the following obligations with regard to the Prophet (s):
- Absolute obedience to the Prophet
- Obedience to Allah and the Prophet are one and the same
- Obedience is not limited and is unconditional
- Whatever the Prophet decides must be adhered to in all spheres
An invitation to Ahl'ul Sunnah to ponder and think
Now with these verses in mind let us turn to the famous sermon delivered by the Prophet (s) during the Hajj at Mount Arafat: "I am leaving you two weighty things, if you follow them you will never go astray, they are the Qur'an and my Ahlul'bayt".(1,2) The words here "Lum ta'zilo bah'dee" is an absolute guarantee that if one follows these two things, one will never go astray. The sermon was announced to the Companions, thus proving that even they were liable of going astray if they turned away from these two sources, since the Prophet was informing the Companions - and all Muslims who hear the message - that if they leave these two sources, they will go astray. For those Muslims who insist that sometimes the Prophet (s) would be speaking outside the capacity of his position of a Prophet (s) we should ask what about these words, were they words said in the capacity of an ordinary man or in the capacity of the Prophet (s)? Recalling the verses of obedience discussed above, it is clear that this very concept is in contradiction to the unambiguous verses of the Qur'an. Furthermore, the Prophet's own words here establish that he is clearly speaking in the capacity of a Prophet. This is clear from the words: "if you follow them you will never go astray", which demonstrate that the Prophet was speaking with regards to matters of religious guidance, protecting the people from going astray, and therefore delivering the message of Islam and the method of traversing the Straight Path of Islam. Consequently it is anyhow clear that obedience to this Prophetic command is absolutely obligatory.
1. Sahih Muslim, part 7, Kitab fada'il alSahabah [Maktabat wa Matba`at Muhammad `Ali Subayh wa Awladuhu: Cairo] pp. 122-123
2. (al'Imam al-Hafiz Abu `Abd Allah alHakim alNaysaburi, alMustadrak `ala al-Sahihayn [Dar alMa`rifah li alTiba`ah wa alNashr: Beirut), vol. iii, pp. 109-110).
Bearing all this in mind - particularly the verses of obedience - let us now turn to the tragic event that has divided Muslim thinking on the position of the Prophet (s) ever since it happened. This event is known as the "tragedy of Thursday" according to the description of Ibn Abbas, when the Prophet requested writing materials near the end of his life to give his last instructions to the Muslim Ummah, but was prevented from doing so by a group among the Companions.
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Obedience to the Prophet[saww]