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Recognizing Where Lies the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (p)

by Faysal Burhan

Allah (SWT) said:

“There has certainly been for you in the Messenger excellent pattern for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Last Day and who remembers Allah often.” Qur’an, 33:21

This article is written in an attempt to draw Muslims attention to the real substance of the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (p) as displayed in his example. There will be a clear distinction between the Prophet’s method of management and the elements he used in order to illustrate where lay the real Sunnah. Erroneously, as part of their practice of the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (p), some Muslims preach and practice 7th Century Arabia customs as part of their faith, thereby damaging the current image of Islam and Muslims.

Prophet Muhammad (p) managed his daily work of Da’wah (inviting people to Islam) much like any person using the customs and the means available to him in his time. Customs and traditions local to the Arabian environment are common scenes in his actions and approaches. It is apparent that his approaches were made by tailoring the available means and customs into meaningful solutions.

One must realize that these means may not be the same for other people, times and places since customs and technologies are always changing.
From this basic understanding, one concludes that the means and particulars that the Prophet (p) used may not become integral part of his Sunnah. The genuine Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad really lies in his example of approach and management in utilizing the customs of his people and the available means in his time and place.

To illustrate this theory let us examine the Prophet’s story surrounding his trip to al-Ta’if. In the 10th year from the first revelation, and because of the magnitude of hardship he was facing in Mecca, Prophet Muhammad made a decision to go to al-Ta’if, 150 kilometers south of Mecca to make Da’wah and seek protection.

For many years Quraysh has been making blockades and obstacles before Muhammad and preventing people from speaking to him, including travelers who enter Mecca for business or other purposes. When the Prophet is able to speak to someone, Quraysh would quickly move-in to spoil that person’s mind about the Prophet and his teachings that the person may have received. Quraysh may tell the individual to stay away from the Prophet, not listen to him because he is a fool, a liar or a magician.

These restrictions and rejections forced the Prophet to seek the tribes of Thaqeef at al-Ta’if for his Da’wah. Our interest in this trip to al-Ta’if is to study the Prophet’s approach evading Quraysh, knowing its patterns of intervention and in spoiling out his work.

In this study we will make a point of what the means that the Prophet used in carrying out his trip, the relevance of the means to his people, and discuss whether or not these means become Sunnah for us today.

The rationality of the Prophet about the issue of the means begins to shine out as he eases his way out from his house for this trip with his servant Zayd (then known as the son of Muhammad, since adoption was not banned yet), and without any of his close followers and without a camel loaded with supplies for the trip.

It was customary in Arabia that when a major issue of concern was addressed, the nobles of the concerned tribes would be involved or at least visible at the scene. Traveling or leaving your home town was one of these important matters. The wisdom of the Prophet here is getting Quraysh attention away from him. A simple way of doing this would be an outlook that warrants no major concern. The Prophet got out of his house with his servant (son) Zayd without any of his strong companions, such as Umar, or Abu Bakr, and even set out for the trip without a gear for travel, such as a camel or a horse.

This staging would, in the least, send a message to Quraysh’s watching eyes that he was after a local casual airing; an outlook warrants no major concern to further monitor his movements. As a result, no one followed the Prophet or attempted to learn about what he after was. In fact, the Prophet was able to go to al-Taif and return without Quraysh’s knowledge and intervention.

In this example, indeed, we see that the Prophet (p) used the logic of the customs understood by his surroundings and relevant to his people. This simple but meaningful story tells us that the Sunnah of the Prophet here is not the simplicity and absence of key elements found in travel, but it is the making of an approach based of the custom and culture relevant to the people and fit for the time.

This pattern of management is indeed the same pattern in the definition of Hikmah (Wisdom), which constitutes a major teaching of Islam and dictates to manage things appropriately in the right time, in the right manner, and in the right place. Realizing these facts, one wonders why many Muslims today place so much weight on the gear or tools that the Prophet utilized and pay little or no attention to his approach, which when followed will work for every time, place and culture.

Muslims must not re-establish the customs of 7th century Arabia in order to practice Islam Today. Muslims indeed do practice the true Sunnah of the Prophet (p) by constructing approaches based on customs and logic that their people identify with, otherwise, setbacks and failures are to be expected. Let us confirm our claim again by examining the way the Prophet (p) determined the timing of Ramadan.

Determination of the beginning and ending of the lunar months
Another meaningful example illustrating the true Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad is in the matter of the timing of the lunar month of Ramadan. Surrounding this topic, we find several traditions for Prophet Muhammad reflecting certain available techniques in the determination of lunar dates. Each tradition or group of traditions however takes on a different technique than the other.

All the mechanisms in these traditions however are inconclusive, reflecting the limited knowledge regarding this science in Mecca in the 7th century. For example a group of traditions points out to the number of days that is in a lunar month, while others speak about the number of days in a collection of lunar months. Another more accurate method revealing the beginning or ending the month of fast that the Prophet (p) pointed out is:
“Sumo le ru’ateh, wa aftiru le ru’ateh” ”Fast when you see the crescent and break your fast when you see the next crescent…”

This option allows for certainty in this matter, and seems to be the best option available to the Prophet (p), which he recommended. This method however is still inconclusive, since the Prophet continued to say: “But if you could not see it then complete the 30th day [in fasting.]” -Bukhari & Muslim.
Along side these traditions, the Prophet points out to the reality of his day and time, stating:
“We are Ummah (a nation) Ummiyah (unlettered) we do not write [in astronomical circles,] nor do we calculate [to arrive at the exact lunar dates.]…,”

The inconclusiveness of this solution is due in part to the complications surrounding seeing the crescent. Modern science states that the birth of the new moon takes place exactly when it is in straight line between the Sun and the Earth, where no reflection of the Sun is ever possible.

Furthermore, it can take 14 to 24 hours before the naked eye can see the crescent. Astronomers indicate that the difficulty in seeing the crescent is due to factors, such as its degree over the horizon, the moon’s orbit and the glare from the sun. Astronomers further state that the beginning of Ramadan can be as much as two days off, even by the method of observation of the crescent by the naked eye. For a broader understanding of moon sighting, see our article, “The Profound Wisdom of Prophet Muhammad Regarding the Lunar Dates and the Unity of the Muslims.”

Learning more about astronomy and the science surrounding the seeing of the moon, the following websites are recommended: http://www.moonsighting.com, http://www.hilal-sighting.com and http://www.ummah.net/moonsighting/.

Muslims must remember that the tools and technology of the 7th century Arabia cannot in any way match the tools and technology of the 21rst century. Therefore, Muslims must, instead, adopt the technology of today’s advanced world in order to avoid disgrace and further divisions in our Ummah fabric. If today’s technology will enable our Muslim communities across America and the world to unite with respect to Ramadan’s timing issue, I think following this method is a must practice since it constitutes an essence of our faith.

It is quite evident that the Prophet’s approach was based on selecting the best solution available to him during his time. To emulate the Prophet therefore, is to base your solution on the best tools and technology of your own time. The work and approach that deploys the means and customs relevant to their time is the backbone of the example the Prophet (p) and is therefore the Sunnah deemed by Allah to be followed.

It is our hope that the underlined facts surrounding the way our Prophet (p) managed his affairs especially that of the lunar months should bring us closed to practice the true Islam, to get us all out of the dilemma we are in, and to set us out on the road for a better future of prosperity and progress.