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THE CONCEPT OF SUNNA Whereas the words sunna has the meanings described above, in the Islamic tradition it is thought of as being the Prophet’s acts and sayings. It is generally studied in three parts: sunna as an act, sunna as a saying and sunna as tacit approval. The first is the deeds of the Prophet, the second comprises the Prophet’s sayings and the third, the acts witnessed and not prohibited by the Prophet. Essentially the word’s main meaning is expressed by the words hadith. The words sunna and hadith have in fact been used in each other’s place. All that we know about sunna is through the hadith books. And hadiths refer to “sunna as a saying.” So you may replace the word sunna with the word hadith in this book without bringing any change to the meaning of the sentence. The traditionalists may face a question such as the following: “Considering that you claim that there are hadiths or sunnas that lay down what is lawful and what is not, why does the Quran not mention it?” In the 6500 verses of the Quran there is not a single instance where sunna as an act exists. It becomes clear that the use of the words hadith and sunna were the fabrications of traditional Islamists. The Quran explains everything it deems essential in detail and comprises all of Islam. ARAB CUSTOMS CONSIDERED TO BE SUNNAThe greater part of sunnas consists of sayings falsely attributed to the Prophet. The remaining part has nothing to do with religion in that they are the customs of the Arabs that the Prophet also practiced, such as wearing a robe with full sleeves and long skirts, eating squash and having meals seated on the ground. These customs were also practiced by Abu Jahil, an enemy of the Prophet against whom he had fought. Some of these practices were due to the prevailing climate, some were from common usage, and some were due to the vegetation of the area.. Seeking an additional reward for such supposedly pious attitude in such acts would be supplementing the Quran with things that are not within its scope. To say that acting in the way the Prophet is said to have acted would be meritorious, far from being a sin, it would not neutralize the error committed. Another reason for such inventions is the consideration of the companions of the Prophet (even of those who had had the privilege of having glanced at the Prophet only once in their lifetime) to be unimpeachable and of putting their movements on the same level as those of the Prophet. If we take into consideration the errors that are made in the interpretations and deviations, those mistakes ascribed to the Prophet and his companions, the chaos that results is immeasurable. Today the word sunna generally applies to the ways of the Prophet. The hadith books, however, refer to some of the sunnas in places like Madina, Kufe and Basra where the companions dwelled.One writer criticizes these acts in the following manner: “I can’t see a more stupid act than the servile imitation of other people’s manners. Whether you eat seated or at the table makes no difference. Abu Lahab may well have eaten his meal seated. This is the custom of the Arab people. This is just one of the instances of the apish attitude adopted by communities. We must be able to sort out what is prescribed in the Quran as religion and the customs of foreign communities that have infiltrated our community in the course of centuries that have gone by. Unless this is achieved, the world of Islam will not have respite. We must note however that behind such blind acceptance of certain data there lie other considerations. For, when the waters are troubled, one cannot see clearly what is in the depths. The poisonous snakes that lurk there must be concealed so that a certain class of opportunists profit of it. One may well go ahead and get fish from the same water unaware of the existence of the poisonous snake in the depths. The reactionary bigot is not the main culprit, mind you! They are but baits at the end of the hook. The profiteers in this trade happen to be those who consider religion a trading asset. The culprits are the international centers hostile to Islam. The best way to remove Islam from the state would be to give it an unseemly aspect. And bigotry is best suited to this way of disparaging Islam. In vain do we raise a hue and cry not to be caught in this trap. They pay no attention to our warnings and sink deeper and deeper in the marshes.” FAREWELL SERMONThe fabricated religion serves the atheists better. By giving it an aspect of chaos, they are pleased to see masses of people prefer to avoid religion. The main objective of this book has been to draw the attention of these people to the religion as offered in the Quran and to try to clear off all alien elements introduced in the course of ages under the guise of hadiths. Of these hadiths the Farewell Sermon of the Prophet is the best known. Yet, the same speech is transmitted in different versions. If one considers that a sermon attended by one hundred persons is reported differently, one should justifiably suspect the authenticity of other hadiths.2- I entrust two things to you: God’s Book and my sunna. 3- I entrust two things to you: God’s Book and my household. Two of these three hadiths are ostensibly not authentic. The Sunnis acknowledge the authenticity of the second version and the Shiites the third. It is the first one that is most likely the authentic one in terms of meaning. The only Islam is the Islam stated in the Quran, as we have never tired of repeating. We must not look in the Quran for a religion of our own imagination. Why is there this concern for a religion that God has not revealed? Let us not be the slaves of our customs and traditions. Let us keep away from sheikhs and the passion for being a disciple of sheikhs. THE QURAN ALSO INCLUDES THE SUNNAWe don’t deny that we have to act according to sunna. But this sunna (the acts and the lifestyle of the Prophet) is what has been described in the Quran. The fact that the Prophet was a messenger of God, that he himself did not invent a religion, that he kept on preaching to the believers the true religion he had received, that his morals were impeccable, that he was of devout character and that he fought for the cause of Islam are told in the Quran. All the moral principles preached in the Quran were also those of the Prophet himself. Prayer, fasting, generosity, ceaseless reciting of God’s name, meditation on the creation, thanksgiving, outspokenness, patience, exodus if need be, reliability, honesty, bravery, love and respect for God are among the sunnas of the Prophet. All these merits are mentioned in the Quran. Growing a beard, wearing a robe, discriminating colors of clothing, choosing food, following Arab customs, describing personal likes and dislikes that have nothing to do with religion do not come within the scope of the Quran; they are the consequence of Arabian racism being put into the brains of believing people. |