People reference the last sermon as "proof" for Muslims being required to follow both Qur'an and sunnah/hadith, but ignore the fact that there are THREE recorded versions of the last sermon. A reported 10,000 people attended that sermon, yet even then they couldnl't come to a consensus on which version was said. The third is the most ignored, yet it is also the one most in keeping with the teachings of the Qur'an. Hmmm....
Three versions of the Sermon:
1) I leave with you Quran and Sunnah, Muwatta, 46/3
2) I leave with you Quran and Ahl al-bayt (meaning the family of the Prophet) , Muslim 44/4, Nu2408; ibn hanbal 4/366; darimi 23/1, nu 3319.
3) I leave for you the Quran alone; you shall uphold it. Muslim 15/19, nu 1218; ibn Majah 25/84, Abu dawud 11/56.
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Food for Thought.
"When you admire someone, you adopt their principles, and when you idolize someone, you imitate them."
I found this quote recently and it made quite an impact on me (although, to my regret, I don't remember where I read it or who said it - if I come across it again, I'll post the source).
This is important food for thought, particularly for Muslims. So many Muslims are convinced that it is *impossible* to be a Muslim and yet not follow (imitate) the hadith/sunnah attributed to Prophet Muhammad. It's important to clarify that the hadith are ATTRIBUTED to him. We don't know that he ever said or did even a portion of what people claim -- people who weren't there at the time, but said they were told by someone who was told by someone who was told by someone else what someone else saw or heard him do. In any other field of study, such a method of validation would be mocked and laughed off, not taken seriously.
But I digress.
Imitation may be the highest form of flattery, but you run the risk of committing shirk. There's a fine line between respecting and admiring someone and worshipping them. This is particularly true when it comes to the prophets, the messengers of Allah sent to convey the message and warn those who do not believe in God to repentance.
The prophets told us "God is one. Worship only Him." That's precisely what they did. I encourage you all (and myself) to adopt their principles instead of imitating them.
I found this quote recently and it made quite an impact on me (although, to my regret, I don't remember where I read it or who said it - if I come across it again, I'll post the source).
This is important food for thought, particularly for Muslims. So many Muslims are convinced that it is *impossible* to be a Muslim and yet not follow (imitate) the hadith/sunnah attributed to Prophet Muhammad. It's important to clarify that the hadith are ATTRIBUTED to him. We don't know that he ever said or did even a portion of what people claim -- people who weren't there at the time, but said they were told by someone who was told by someone who was told by someone else what someone else saw or heard him do. In any other field of study, such a method of validation would be mocked and laughed off, not taken seriously.
But I digress.
Imitation may be the highest form of flattery, but you run the risk of committing shirk. There's a fine line between respecting and admiring someone and worshipping them. This is particularly true when it comes to the prophets, the messengers of Allah sent to convey the message and warn those who do not believe in God to repentance.
The prophets told us "God is one. Worship only Him." That's precisely what they did. I encourage you all (and myself) to adopt their principles instead of imitating them.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
