The use of 33:36 to authorize Hadees

Started by maverick83pk, March 07, 2016, 01:59:49 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

maverick83pk

Dear Joseph Islam,

Please let me know about the verse 33:36 "it is not for an acknowledging man or acknowledging woman, if God and His messenger issue any command, that they have any choice in their decision. Anyone who disobeys God and His messenger, he has gone far astray." What would be the correct understanding?
Hadith-centric use this verse to justify their claims for ahadees corpus.

optimist

Obedience to Rasool *does not* mean some people collect hadiths of the prophet, based on their personal preference, and start to follow them.   There are a number of verses throw light to the fact it is abiding by the laws of Allah contained in the Quran imposed by a central authority which is implied when obedience to Allah and His Rasool is mentioned. The prophet represented the central authority during his lifetime.  After his death the system continued through khalifat. 

Firstly, we can notice that the first directive to obey the messenger was clearly to the contemporaries of the Prophet who were the direct addressees. They were being instructed to trust in the Prophet's authority in the message he was delivering and acting on.

4:59
"O ye who believe! Obey God, and obey the Messenger, and those charged with authority among you. Then if you disagree in anything among yourselves, refer it to God and His Messenger, if ye do believe in God and the Last Day: That is best, and most suitable for final determination".   

The obedience to Allah and messenger is clearly linked to the authority and the system established (the Islamic state) and the role of the prophet being the head of the state.  Those in authority refers to those who are appointed by the state to manage the affairs of the state.  It is pertinent to note that the verse goes on to state that if you differ something bring back the issue to Allah and the messenger, meaning the administrative authority of the state established based on the Quran.  This answers the reason why 'those in authority' is excluded because 'those in authority' are only supposed to carry out the duties entrusted to them (they are not decision maker) by the state. 

These verses clarifies Allah and His Rasool means the state/ central authority.  The prophet represented the central authority during his lifetime.

09:03
'And a proclamation from Allah and His Apostle is herewith made unto all mankind on this day of the Greatest Pilgrimage...".  This is a reference to authority announcement.


05:33
"The retribution for those who fight Allah and His messenger, and spread mischief in the land, is to be killed....."     Maulana Maudoodi writes in his Tafheem:  "To fight against Allah and His Messengermeans waging war against the system which the Islamic government has established." (Tafheemul Qur'an vol. I, page 465)

02:279
About usury the Quran warns, "if you do not desist from this take notice of war from Allah and His Messenger".  Here also it means the government established based on the Quranic principles will take strong action.

08:01
In Sura Anfal, the first verse "they ask you about booty, tell them it is for Allah and His Rasool. 
It does not mean some part of booty belongs to Allah and some part belongs to the prophet  in his individual capacity.  Here it clearly means that the booty belongs to State.

33:36
When Allah and His Messenger have decided something, no believing man or woman has a choice about [following or not following] it. Anyone who disobeys Allah and His Messenger is clearly misguided.

Again the focus here is a system implemented based on the Quran, i.e the decisions taken by an Islamic state, and the Quran being its constitution.   The prophet represented islamic state while he was alive. 
The meaning which was lost in all our divisions will not be understood until our perceptions become untainted -  Allama Iqbal