Chapter 43: The Term ‘Sunnah’ – Interpretation by Javed Ahmed Ghamidi

The perspective of Javed Ahmed Ghamidi regarding the application and meaning of the term ‘sunnah’ differs somewhat from that of the eminent scholars of the past. However, this is merely a difference of interpretation, which he has employed to address certain issues related to the determination and classification of religious content. As a result of this, there is no alteration, amendment, or addition to the consensus-based content of the religion.

The detail is that according to him, the sole source of religion until the Day of Judgment is the esteemed personality of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). On this earth, Allah’s religion can now only be accessed through him, and only he can issue a verdict on what constitutes religion and what does not. Therefore, whatever he has declared as religion through his words, actions, affirmations, and approvals, that alone is religion. Whatever he has not declared as religion through his words, actions, affirmations, and approvals, is certainly not religion. Javed Ahmed Ghamidi writes:

Religion is the guidance of Allah Almighty, which He first instilled into human nature and then conveyed to humankind through His prophets, along with all its necessary details. The last prophet in this sequence is Muhammad (PBUH). Therefore, the sole source of religion on this earth is now the noble and exalted personality of Muhammad (PBUH). It is only his (Prophet) being through whom the descendants of Adam can receive guidance from their Lord until the Day of Judgment. And it is solely his position that through his sayings, actions, and tacit approvals, whatever he declares as religion will remain the true religion until the end of the world.

رَسُوۡلًا مِّنۡ اَنۡفُسِهِمۡ يَتۡلُوۡا عَلَيۡهِمۡ اٰيٰتِهٖ وَيُزَكِّيۡهِمۡ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ هُوَ الَّذِىۡ بَعَثَ فِى الۡاُمِّيّٖنَ رَسُوۡلًا مِّنۡهُمۡ يَتۡلُوۡا عَلَيۡهِمۡ اٰيٰتِهٖ وَيُزَكِّيۡهِمۡ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الۡكِتٰبَ وَالۡحِكۡمَةَ.

It is He who brought forth among the unlettered a Messenger from among them, who recites to them His revelations and purifies them and for this instructs them in the Law and in Wisdom.

(62:2)

(Meezan 13)

According to Javed Ahmed Ghamidi, this status of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is a necessary consequence of the belief in his prophethood. Thus, the very meaning of Islam is to submit in all matters of life to the sayings, actions, and approvals of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) in his capacity as a prophet.

To acknowledge someone as a prophet inherently necessitates obedience to him as per God’s command. Allah has made it clear in His book that a prophet is not merely an object of reverence, but also a focus of obedience. He does not come simply for people to recognize him as a prophet and messenger and then become inactive. His status is not just that of a preacher and advisor, but of a guide whose obedience is obligatory. The very purpose of his advent is that in all matters of life, the guidance he provides should be followed without hesitation or question. Allah Almighty has stated:

وَمَاۤ اَرۡسَلۡنَا مِنۡ رَّسُوۡلٍ اِلَّا لِـيُـطَاعَ بِاِذۡنِ اللّٰهِ.

Whichever messenger We have sent has been sent that He be obeyed by the permission of God. (4:64)

(Meezan 144)

This explanation makes it completely clear that Javed Ahmed Ghamidi’s conception of religion is that only what Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) has declared as religion through his words, actions, implicit approvals (taqrīr), and validations (taswīb) constitutes religion. This holds the status of absolute proof, and accepting it as religion and considering it obligatory to follow is, in itself, true Islam. No Muslim has any room for deviation or disagreement from this principle in the slightest. This stance is fundamentally the same as that of the early scholars and imams. They also recognize as religion only that which is based on the words, actions, implicit approvals, and validations of the Prophet (PBUH). This means that, in terms of determining what constitutes religion, there is no difference between Javed Ahmed Ghamidi’s view and that of the early scholars of Islam.

One part of this religion has been preserved in the form of the Qur’an, which was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and has been conveyed to the Muslim community with complete protection through the consensus and oral continuity of the Companions. Besides this, the religion that we have received from the words, actions, implicit approvals and validations of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) can be divided into the following three categories based on its nature:

1. Independent Religious Rulings

2. Explanation and Elucidation of Independent Religions Rulings

3. Practical demonstration of Independent Religious Rulings

According to Javed Ahmed Ghamidi, these three components are considered religion in their essence. The reason for this is that these components are based on the words, actions, implicit approvals and validations of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), and as we have stated, in his view, religion is defined by what the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) declared as religion through his words, actions, implicit approvals and validations. The early scholars of Islam also consider these components as entirely part of the religion for the same reason. Therefore, there is no difference between Javed Ahmed Ghamidi’s approach and that of the early scholars regarding these three components being considered part of the religion.

The difference between Javed Ahmed Ghamidi’s opinion and the opinion of the classical scholars of the past primarily lies in the classification of these components and the determination of terms for them. The early scholars uniformly used the term ‘sunnah’ for independently religious rulings, explanations, and exemplary practice. Regarding the distinction in their juristic nature, status, and significance, they divided various actions under the comprehensive term ‘sunnah’ into different categories such as obligatory, necessary, supererogatory, Sunnah, recommended, and commendable, etc. Javed Ahmed Ghamidi has chosen separate terminologies for these three components instead of a single term. For independently established rulings, he uses the term ‘sunnah,’ while for explanations and exemplary practice, he adopts expressions derived from the Qur’an: Tafheem wa Tabyeen1and Uswa-e-Hasanah.2 The reason for this is that, in his view, in terms of the categorization of religious commands, it is not appropriate that if a matter has been accepted as a separate and independently established ruling, its explanation and practice should be considered as separate commands. As a result, this causes difficulty in understanding the commands and the differentiation and categorization in the nature, status, and significance of the commands as intended by the Lawgiver does not remain fully intact. Hence, in his book Meezan, he has firstly outlined the independent religious rulings of the Qur’an and Sunnah and listed clarifications and exemplars under them. For instance, he does not regard the statement of the Prophet (PBUH) Ma Quti’a min al-Bahimat wa Hiya Hayya fahiya Mayta3 as a separate ruling, but views it as an application of the Qur’anic command Hurri-mat ‘Alaykumu al-Mayta.4 Similarly, he considers the saying of the Prophet (PBUH) that two dead animals, namely fish and locusts, and two bloods, namely liver and spleen,5 are lawful, as a clarification and explanation of the aforementioned Qur’anic command, which is not an independent command but an exception arising out of customary practice. The punishment of stoning, which the Prophet (PBUH) implemented on certain criminals during his time, is, according to Javed Ahmed Ghamidi, not a separate punishment but an application of the command in Surah Al-Maidah Innama Jazaa’u alladheena yuhaariboon-Allaha wa Rasoolahu wa yas’auna fil-Ardi Fasaadaan an yuqat-talu.6 Similarly, after acknowledging prayer as an independently established Sunnah, instead of designating different occasions and additional prayers at different times as individual Sunan (plural of Sunnah), he interprets them as exemplars of the divine instruction Man Tatawwa’a Khayran Fa’inn-Allaha Shaakirun ‘Aleem.7 In the same way, the method of ablution transmitted with reference to the Prophet (PBUH) in the narrations is, according to him, an exemplar of practice on the same Sunnah of ablution detailed in Surah Al-Maidah (5:6).¹²⁴⁵

In light of the above details, if we wish to determine the difference between Javed Ahmed Ghamidi and the Early scholars regarding the application and meaning of the term ‘sunnah’, it can be expressed in the following points:

Firstly, in its essence, this is merely a difference in interpretation. As a result of this, there is no change or alteration, nor any amendment or addition to the universally agreed upon contents of the religion.

Secondly, the determination and classification of the contents of religion have always been an ongoing task among the scholars of the Ummah, and in this regard, the differences in interpretations among them are well-known. From this perspective, Javed Ahmed Ghamidi’s work is not something new.

Thirdly, the objective and perspective of Javed Ahmed Ghamidi in determining and classifying the contents of religion are, in any case, different from those of the Early scholars. The classification by the Early scholars is based on the difference in importance and rank of the commandments, whereas Javed Ahmed Ghamidi has essentially classified them by considering the relationship between the fundamental and the subsidiary. The difference in importance and rank is incidentally clarified by this.⁶⁷

Fourthly, as a result of Javed Ahmed Ghamidi’s classification, it becomes clear that the original and fundamental part of religion is transmitted through uninterrupted and certain evidence, whereas the branches and details are dependent only on solitary reports.

[December 2008]