There is good news, and there is bad news, there is a problem, there is a solution, and last but not least there are some Goodies.

Let’s begin with the good news: www.muslimpopulation.com shows that in 2012 the muslim population was 2.1 billion. It also

shows that between 2011 and 2012 there was a 1.8% increase, illustrating that Islam is rapidly growing worldwide, and that it is the fastest growing religion. 85-90% of the entire muslim population follow both the Quraan and the Sunnah, making a total of 1 Billion 890 million Muslims who inshallah are on the correct path.

However, the bad news is that 210 Million Muslims do not follow both the Quraan and Sunnah and are therefore on the wrong path. Regrettably this number is growing.

The problem is, among these 210 million are a group of Muslims who say we should only follow the Quran; no need to follow the Sunnah, since Allah said that the Quran is fully detailed. They call themselves ‘Al-Quraniyoon’.

But for every problem is a solution right?

The solution can be found in the Quran, the book that we claim to follow, Allah says:

وأنزلنا إليك الذكر لتبين للناس ما نزل إليهم ولعلهم يتفكرون

“And We have sent down the reminder to you (O Muhammad), so that you may explain clearly to mankind as to what was sent to them so that they may think about it.” (16:44)

In addition, the Prophet Muhammad (Saw) said:

تركت فيكم شيئين لن تضلوا بعدهما ما تمسكتم بهما، كتاب الله وسنتي

“I left with you two things, and if you hold on these two things you will never deviate from the right path; the Quran & the Sunnah.”

The Muslim’s Goodies are the Quran & Sunnah. If we hold onto to these, and never let go or compromise them, then they will lead us to paradise.

A few years back I visited the USA. When I prayed Salatul Juma’ in NYC I realized that their prayers are different than in Saudi Arabia, they have one Khutba, then they pray 4 rakahs, then they have another Khutba. It is important that we stick to the Sunnah, otherwise, differences and deviations will arise.

One day Imran Ibn Hussain was speaking about shafa’a (Intercession), a man came to him and said: You are speaking to me about things that are not mentioned in the Quran. Imran got angry and he said to the man, “Did you read the Quran?” The man replied in the affirmative. Then, Imran asked, “Does it say in the Quran how many rakahs ishaa and maghrib are? The man said, “No.” Imran said, “then where did you find this information? Didn’t you get it from me, and I got it from Rasulullaah?! Didn’t you hear what Allah said in the Quran:

وما آتاكم الرسول فخذوه وما نهاكم عنه فانتهوا

“And whatever the Prophet gives you, take it, and whatever he forbids you, leave it.” (59:07)

The Quran is the key to Jannah, the Sunnah is the teeth to that key. You can only open the doors to Jannah with the right key, with the right teeth.

Once a man and I debated for five days, over a simple matter. He wanted me to prove that we should follow the Sunnah of the Prophet (Saw).  He based his argument on the saying of Allah,

ما فرطنا في الكتاب من شيء

“…We have neglected nothing in the Book…” (06:38) His idea was that Allah mentioned in the Quran itself that it is fully detailed, and since it is fully detailed that means I don’t have to follow any other book or teachings.

So I spent long hours of research and took as many evidences from the Quran that prove we should follow the Sunnah; if I were to bring him evidence from the hadith he will never believe, because he doesn’t believe in them. Nonetheless, I compiled my evidences from the Quraan, yet when I showed him all these Ayaat in the Quraan that prove one hundred percent that we should follow both the Quran & Sunnah, still he didn’t believe.

Why don’t you believe? You believe in the Quran right?

Yes! Then here look at this:

قُلْ إِن كُنتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللّهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي

“Say (O Muhammad to mankind): If you (really) love Allah then follow me.” (03:31)

Oh but The Prophet isn’t my teacher Allah is; I don’t need to follow the prophet, I follow Allah.

What about this Ayah?

مَنْ يُطِعِ الرَّسُولَ فَقَدْ أَطَاعَ اللَّهَ

“He who obeys the Messenger (Muhammad) has indeed obeyed Allah.” (04:80)

Now let’s leave alone the ‘Quraniyoon’, and let’s talk about the Sunnis. Yes, you and I.  Why are we ashamed to follow the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad? Yes I follow the Sunnah! Then where is your beard? I shave it because my manager asks me to, but I follow the Sunnah. Then why is your thobe so long it is reaching the ground like a wedding dress? You want to me to wear a short thobe! What will the people think?

But I don’t care what people say! Neither does Allah care about what the people say, or think.

Yes, HR managers look at me when I grow my beard and wear a short thobe, but I don’t care because I follow Muhammad (Saw). I wear a short thobe to follow Muhammad (Saw), I don’t care what you think! Yes, I use a miswak; yes I pray the Sunnah; yes I follow Muhammad (Saw) to get closer to Allah I don’t care about anyone who doesn’t like it. When we travel outside Saudi Arabia, we are shamed to pray in the street, but we are not ashamed to drink alcohol in the streets. We say we like the Sunnah but we really don’t, all it is, is talk, and talk is cheap, talk means nothing with no action.

What do you know about the Prophet Muhammad? He was a man of dignity, he was a man of mercy, he was a teacher sent to teach you.

Isn’t he the one who taught you the Quran?

No he isn’t? Your teacher did? And who taught your teacher? And who taught your teacher’s teacher? And who taught the first teachers on Earth after this message came?

Then tell me why we shouldn’t follow him?

Muhammad (Saw) was a man of generosity, he was the man who fought animosity, he was the savior who was sent to save you.  He didn’t play and, he didn’t waste time, he didn’t fake friends, he didn’t commit sin, what he did was, he made men.

So tell me, why we shouldn’t follow him?

Let’s break it down further:

The Quran is the final book that Allah has revealed and there will be no book after it, The Quran has answers to all your questions, and it has solutions to all your problems. It is medicine for the sick, and it is help for the needy, it is light for the believer and it is darkness for those who disbelieve.

The Sunnah is the explanation of the Qur’an, and interpretation of hadiths by great scholars in later times.

The Quran is the word of Allah, the Sunnah is the word of Rasulullah.

The Quran commands you to pray, the Sunnah tells you how to pray.

The Quran tells you to eat halal. the Sunnah tells you how to eat halal.

The Quran teaches you everything you need to know, the Sunnah does the same exact thing but in more detail.

As Muslims we are required to follow the Quran and the Sunnah both together.

And if we choose to only follow one then on Judgment Day we will bite our hands from the fear of what we will see.

وَيَوْمَ يَعَضُّ الظَّالِمُ عَلَى يَدَيْهِ يَقُولُ يَا لَيْتَنِي اتَّخَذْتُ مَعَ الرَّسُولِ سَبِيلاً يَا وَيْلَتِي لَيْتَنِي لَمْ أَتَّخِذْ فُلانًا خَلِيلاً لَقَدْ أَضَلَّنِي عَنْ الذِّكْرِ بَعْدَ إِذْ جَاءَنِي

It will be too late to reach the gate because you decreased your faith with these debates.

The Prophet said,

فَإِنَّهُ مَنْ يَعِشْ مِنْكُمْ بَعْدِى فَسَيَرَى اخْتِلاَفًا كَثِيرًا

“Whoever among you lives (for a long time) will see many differences.”

He also said,

فَعَلَيْكُمْ بِسُنَّتِى وَسُنَّةِ الْخُلَفَاءِ الْمَهْدِيِّينَ الرَّاشِدِينَ تَمَسَّكُوا بِهَا وَعَضُّوا عَلَيْهَا

“I urge you to follow my Sunnah and the way of the rightly-guided khaleefahs who come after me. Hold on to it firmly.” (Collected by Ahamad and At-Tirmithi)

The Muslim’s Goodies are the Quraan and the Sunnah; the Quran is the plane to Jannah and the Sunnah is the pilot for that plane.

The Sunnah is like a flying pilot falling from the sky it’s the light of survival, and If you follow you will comprehend that your life has a title.

“A Rightly guided servant of Allah”.

Rayan Arab,

CEO, AAT