بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

A CHAPTER FROM "HOLDING FAST TO THE QUR'AN AND SUNNAH" by Imam Al Bukhari rahimahullah, expounded upon by Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Salih Al Uthaymin rahimahullah:

Narrated Ibn 'Umar radiallahu anhu, "The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam wore a gold ring and then the people followed him and wore gold rings too. Then the Prophet said, 'I had this golden ring made for myself'. He then threw it away and said, 'I shall never put it on'. Thereupon the people also threw their rings away".

Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Salih Al Uthaymin rahimahullah says in his explanation of the aforementioned hadith:

"This means, following him in his actions. The scholars of Usul Al Fiqh have divided the actions of the Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam into different categories:

1. His human nature:

That which he sallallahu alayhi wa sallam did as a result of human nature (muqtada al jibilah), for example, eating when hungry, drinking when thirsty and sleeping when tired. As for this type of action there is no hukm for it in of itself, for these actions are as a result of nature. However, it can have a hukm in its' wasf (the manner in which it is done), for example, eating and drinking with one's right hand, sleeping on the right side of one's body and so forth.

2. Customary actions:

What he sallallahu alayhi wa sallam did as a result of a'adah (customs). Regarding this aspect one emulates him in the general sense (fi jinsihi) but not in the specific manner (la fi aynihi) in which the Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam performed this custom. The meaning of our statement, 'following the Messenger in the general sense' is that one follows that which one's people are accustomed to, because the Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam used to (generally) follow the custom of his people. For example if the people during the time of the Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam used to wear the izar and rida' (the upper part of the garment like the people on hajj wear) instead of a qamis, trousers and ghutar, would it be considered the sunnah for us to wear the izar and rida', even if it differs with our customary dress? No, as a matter of fact we say he, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, did this as a result of his custom, hence, the sunnah is to follow that which one's people customarily wear and not that particular act of the Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.

3. The worship of the Messenger:

What the Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam did as a form of ibadah. In such case it is required that we follow him. However, if it had come down to us that he did a particular act and that act is not accompanied by a command, then in such an instance this act would be considered mustahab and not wajib according to the strongest opinion. This is why the scholars of Usul Al Fiqh have a principle that says: 'The actions of the Messenger by themselves (unaccompanied by a command) indicates that those acts are recommended and not wajib'.

4. The Indistinguishable actions:

Those actions of the Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam that are difficult to distinguish whether he did them as an a'adah or as ibadah. Herein the scholars differ. From amongst them there are those who say it is mustahab that one imitates the Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa salam in his actions based upon the ayah

"Verily in the Messenger of Allah you have a good example for whoever hopes for Allah and the Last Day". [Surah Al Ahzab 33:21]

On the other hand there are those who say that such acts should be considered as a'adah, for the premise for ibadat is prohibited until there is definite evidence that such act is one of ibadah, in which case we follow the actions of the Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. An example of this is letting ones hair grow long, is it sunnah or a'adah? There are some scholars who say it is a sunnah, and from such scholars is Imam Ahmad whereby he said, "It is a sunnah, and we if we had the ability we would have always done it but it is difficult (to maintain) and requires care".
On the other hand, there are those scholars who say it is not a sunnah because the Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam did this because it was the custom of his people. Hence, when the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam saw a boy with part of his head shaved and part left unshaven, he forbade him from it saying, "Shave it all or leave it all". And if it was of the sunnah to grow one's hair long, the Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam would have told the boy to leave all his hair until it grows. And this opinion, insha'Allah, is closer to the correct one ( those actions of the Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam which border between a'adah and ibadah, the premise being that his performance of those particular acts was that of a'adah, for acts of ibadah are only confirmed by sound proof, thus the view that such acts were a'adah will be of more weight).

5. Clarifying the meaning of Allah's statement:

What he, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, did to fulfil the commandment of Allah, however, he did it to clarify and explain what Allah meant. Some scholars say if it is mujmal (unspecified) and it is not wajib, then such acts are not wajib. However, it appears that this principle should not be taken as is. The proof of this is the statement of Allah,

"...If you are in a state of janaba, purify yourself". (Surah Al Ma'idah 5:6)

Herein this ayah is mujmal (Allah did not explain how to purify oneself in the ayah, but the Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam demonstrated what is meant by this ayah as is mentioned in the description of the Prophet's ghusl). The question then arises, do we say that performing ghusl the specific way the Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam performed it is wajib because it is a clarification of a mujmal obligatory action? Or do we say that ghusl is wajib in of itself and this particular manner in sunnah mustahab? The sunnah gives precedence to the last opinion (ghusl is wajib in of itself and this particular manner in sunnah).

The proof of this is the long hadith of Imran Ibn Husayn narrated by Bukhari wherein it states the Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam saw a man sitting aloof who had not prayed. So he asked, "O so and so! What has prevented you from praying with us?" He replied, "I am junub and there is no water". The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said, "Perform tayammum with clean earth and that is sufficient for you". Then water finally came so the Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam told the man, "Take this and pour it over your body" yet he did not explain exactly how to make ghusl. Thus, if it was obligatory to make ghusl the way the Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam performed it, he would have informed the man to do as such due to him having the obligation to convey the message. Hence, based upon what we have just mentioned this fifth category is one that needs to be further investigated before one can come to a precise conclusion (every issue that falls into this fifth category must be judged by itself and we cannot apply a broad based, general ruling to all such situations).


6. Inadvertent actions:

The sixth and final category of the actions of the Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is what he did inadvertently (itifaqan). As for this type of action, one does not emulate the Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam by doing it and nor is it an act that is supposed to be followed. Nevertheless, ibn 'Umar radiallahu anhu used to imitate and follow the Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam regarding such acts. For example, if the Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam passed by a place randomly and prayed there, do we now say that if a person passed by that particular place should also pray in the same place the Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam prayed? As for ibn 'Umar, this was his practice. Moreover, he used to seek out the places the Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam urinated to urinate in the same place. However, the majority of the sahabah differed with him about this. Another example of this is a person who wants to make hajj by arriving in Makkah on the 4th of Dhul Hijjah, do we say this is the sunnah for the one who intends to make hajj or do we say that this took place coincidentally thus it has no ruling? The second opinion is the correct one."