A Test for all of Us – [If You Really Love Allaah, Then Follow the Messenger’s Sunnah]
In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy
Allaah [The Most High] said in Surah Aali Imraan Ayah 31:
[قُلۡ إِن كُنتُمۡ تُحِبُّونَ ٱللَّهَ فَٱتَّبِعُونِى يُحۡبِبۡكُمُ ٱللَّهُ وَيَغۡفِرۡ لَكُمۡ ذُنُوبَكُمۡۗ وَٱللَّهُ غَفُورٌ۬ رَّحِيمٌ۬ – Say (O Muhammad to mankind): “If you (really) love Allah then follow me, Allah will love you and forgive you of your sins. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful];
This Ayah is conveyed to everyone who claims to love Allaah, whilst he [or she] is not one who truly follows Allaah’s Prophet Muhammad [sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam]- neither obeys the Prophet’s command nor keeping away from what the Prophet has forbidden. So unless he or she [i.e. the one who claims to love Allaah] truly follows the Messenger, then indeed he [or she] is not truthful in his [or her] claim. [Ref 1]
Allaah [The Most High] also said in Surah Aali Imraan Ayah 32:
[قُلۡ أَطِيعُواْ ٱللَّهَ وَٱلرَّسُولَۖ فَإِن تَوَلَّوۡاْ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلۡكَـٰفِرِينَ – Say (O Muhammad): “Obey Allah and the Messenger (Muhammad).” But if they turn away, then Allah does not like the disbelievers]; Meaning: Say O Messenger [to the people]: Obey Allaah by following His Book [i.e. the Qur’aan], and obey the Messenger by following his Sunnah -whether you were present during his lifetime or present after he has passed away. [Ref 2]
Allaah [The Most High] also said in Surah Al-Hujuraat Aayaat 1 & 2:
[يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تُقَدِّمُوا بَيْنَ يَدَيِ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ ۖ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ – O you who believe! Do not put (yourselves) forward before Allah and His Messenger, and fear Allah. Verily! Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.
[يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَرْفَعُوا أَصْوَاتَكُمْ فَوْقَ صَوْتِ النَّبِيِّ – O you who believe! Raise not your voices above the voice of the Prophet…]
When it is the case that Allaah forbade [them] from giving precedence to [themselves] over the Messenger, then which type of giving precedence to oneself over the Messenger [sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam] can be more severe than giving precedence to one’s intellect over the revelation he was sent with? Many of the Salaf have stated [that this ayah means]: ‘’Neither say anything [about the religion] until the messenger speaks nor act until he commands you.’’
The most disobedient person amongst the people and the most severe with regards to giving precedence to himself [or herself] over the Messenger is that one who gives precedence to his [or her] intellect or the intellect of another person over the revelation the Messenger was sent with. And when it is the case that Allaah has indeed forbidden them from raising their voices above the voice of the Messenger, then how about raising their intellects above the statements of the Messenger and the revelation he came with? [Ref 3]
[Ref 1: (Tafseer Al-Muyassar). Abridged & slightly paraphrased]
[Ref 2: (Tafseer Al-Muyassar). Abridged & slightly paraphrased]
[Ref 3: (Al-Waabil as-Sayyib’ by Imaam Ibnul Qayyim’ page: 21). Abridged & slightly paraphrased]