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.