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Another example is the recommendations of the prophet about Friday and what he said about Friday prayer. Besides, in the Qur'an, we can find subjects like speaking in a good manner, cleanness, foods, modesty as well as obligations a Muslim has like fasting, ablution and hajj (pilgrimage). However, no detailed information about these worships are provided in the verses. Surely, we acquire detailed information about how to perform these worships from the interpretations the scholars make on the words and habits of the prophet.

What has directed the lives of Muslims and all scholars of Islam throughout the history and shaped their worships has been the Sunnah. Since the time of our prophet, namely for hundreds of years, the Muslims have worshipped in accordance with the Sunnah. Worships like praying five times a day, fasting, giving almsgiving and sacrificing have not changed until today since they have been always performed according to the Sunnah. For this reason, opening discussions upon the worships, which have been practised for hundreds of years without change, and speculating about the subjects like time of the prayers, the number of the rakaats (units) are completely unnecessary. All of them are obligatory worships, whose details are provided by the Sunnah. When we look at the Qur'an, we see many verses about following the Messenger. In one of the verses, Allah commands us to obey the Messenger as follows:

There is an important point which requires attention in the verses above: they give emphasis to the concept of "obeying the Messenger". This indicates that following the Messenger, or to put it another way, following His commandments and rules is a worship that Allah brought as an obligation.

When we look at the verses, we again see that our prophet has the authority to enjoin and forbid. For example, the verse ".... and whatever the Messenger gives you, accept it, and from whatever he forbids you, keep back, and be careful of (your duty to) Allah. (Surat al-Hashr, 7) shows that the prophet may forbid certain things for His ummah, apart from those things that are forbidden in the Qur'an. Furthermore, Allah also informs us in the Qur'an that believers consulted to the Prophet about any matter they had disagreement upon and the prophet judged among them.

Opposing the Messenger's trait of judging among people or disrespecting His judgements are described in the verses as "transgression". The certainty of the judgement of our prophet and that obeying His judgement is obligatory is stressed in another verse as follows:

As what has been related so far has already suggested, Allah commands in His verses a strict obedience to His prophet. For this reason, Islam can only be lived through practising the Sunnah along with the Qur'an. The explanations made in the verses related to this subject are absolutely certain. Therefore, putting forward a claim proposing to turn away from the Sunnah of the Messenger Muhammad is wholly opposite to the essence of the Qur'an.

Imam Malik, one of the greatest Islam scholars, compared the Sunnah of the Messenger Mohammad to the ark of Noah and said : The Sunnah of the Prophet Mohammad (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) is like the Ark of Noah. Whoever embarks upon it reaches salvation and whoever refuses is drowned." The true salvation will be attained only when the creed of ahl-i Sunnah is comprehended by everybody and when it penetrates to every level of the society.

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This article was provided Harun Yahya's Organisation. Many thanks to them for supplying this article.

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