The Status of the Prophetic Sunnah

Course Name: The Status of the Prophetic Sunnah

Course Teacher: Shaikh Granit Binaku (Bachelors Graduate, College of Hadith and Islamic Studies, Islamic University of Madinah)

Course Book: Makanatus-Sunnah (The Status of the Prophetic Sunnah), by: Shaikh Professor Dr. Umar bin Muslih al-Husaini (Dean of the College of Hadith and Islamic Studies, Islamic University of Madinah)

Number of Recorded Video Lectures: 33

Total Number of Hours: 30 hours

Method of Assessment: One x 2-hour end-of-course self-assessment examination

Prerequisites: None

General Description of the Course: The course consists of two main topics: 

1.  Theoretically and practically establishing the status of the Prophetic Sunnah.
2.  Scholastically answering the most common doubts spread regarding it.

Main Objective of the Course: Establishing the status of the Prophetic Sunnah in light of the texts of the Quran and Ahadith, the statements of the companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ (Sahabah) and their students (Tabieen) and the efforts exerted by them, and defending it by refuting the most common doubts spread regarding its authority, authenticity, compilation, and the narrators of Hadith.

Learning Outcomes of the Course: Upon successful completion of this course a student will be able to:

1. Clarify the status of the Prophetic Sunnah in the Quran and Ahadith with proofs.
2. Describe the guardianship of the Prophetic Sunnah by the Sahabah and the Tabieen, and their defense of it.
3. Enumerate the foundational doubts spread regarding the authority of the Prophetic Sunnah, and refute them with proofs.
4. Highlight the most important distinguishing features of the Prophetic Sunnah.
5. Illustrate the methodology of answering the doubts spread regarding the Prophetic Sunnah.

Scope and Syllabus: Topics covered on the syllabus may include, but are not limited to:

Firstly: The position of the Prophetic Sunnah:

1. The infallibility of the Prophet ﷺ and his rights upon the Muslims from revering him, loving him, and following him. 
2. The obligation of revering the Prophetic Sunnah, accepting it, submitting to it, and being pleased with everything found in it.
3. The prohibition of putting anyone ahead of Allah and His Messenger ﷺ. 
4. The nobility of the science of Hadith, and the lofty status of the scholars of Hadith. 
5. The position of the Prophetic Sunnah in the Quran, Ahadith, with the Sahabah, Tabieen, and those scholars who came after them, and the consensus of the Muslims regarding it. 

Secondly: The efforts exerted by the Sahabah, Tabieen, and those after them to preserve the Prophetic Sunnah:

1. Compiling the Prophetic Sunnah in written form during the lifetime of the Prophet ﷺ, the era of the Sahabah, Tabieen, and those after them, and answering the doubts spread regarding it.
2. Traveling in search of Hadith during the era of the Sahabah, Tabieen, and those after them.
3. Memorizing the Prophetic Sunnah and studying it.
4. Verifying, taking precaution, and asking about the chain of narration, and answering the most common doubts spread regarding it.
5. Critiquing the narrators of Hadith, exposing the fabrications and liars, and the emergence of the science of Hadith (Mustalahul-Hadith), especially the science of criticizing and praising the narrators of Hadith (al-Jarh wat-Tadil). 

Thirdly: The most important distinguishing features of the Prophetic Sunnah:

1. The Prophetic Sunnah is revelation.
2. The Prophetic Sunnah explains the Quran, and its position in relation to the Quran from affirming it, clarifying it, and adding to it. 
3. The Prophetic Sunnah is comprehensive covering all the rulings of the Islam. 
4. The established Prophetic Sunnah does contain that which opposes an authentic text or the sound intellect. 
5. The Prophet ﷺ was given concise comprehensive expressions and speech.

Fourthly: Refuting those who deny the authority of the Prophetic Sunnah, and answering the doubts of those who attack it:

1. Methodology of learning the Quran and the Prophetic Sunnah near the Ahlul-Hadith, and their opposition to the methodologies of the other misguided sects and groups.  
2. Denying the authority of the Prophetic Sunnah in totality in past and present times, its emergence, prominent figureheads, their well-known books, and refutation of their most common doubts.
3. Denying the authority of the Ahad Ahadith in past and present times, its emergence, prominent figureheads, and refutation of their most common doubts.
4. Methodology of answering the doubts of those who attack the Prophetic Sunnah in various kinds.