Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim
The phrase in the title, “Qur’an and Sunnah,” is one held over the heads of the Muslims of this day like a sledgehammer. We are told that if we do not abide by the ‘Wahabbi’ interpretation of Qur’an and Sunnah, then we are deviants, destined for innovation and then hellfire. These people have diminished our deen to a small box of rules we must follow, good deeds landing on one side, bad deeds on the other, a point-system hopefully leading to Paradise.
I testify today that this mindset is a disease in our community, eating away at our spiritual souls. Qur’an and Sunnah are not meant to be an instrument of fear and oppression, but instead should be akin to a lovely piece of cake sitting in front of the believer, so sweet and delicious that they cannot resist.
I will provide one example for clarification:
I attended a conference where the Imam taught about the life of the Prophet (saws). It was a beautiful event, alhumdulillah, and it was a pleasure to hear again about his character and life. A woman asked a question. She had attended Hajj, and one of the seven women in her room insisted that they not use the air conditioning, as there was no air conditioning in the time of the Prophet (saws). She wanted to know the Imam’s opinion on this matter, and he quite correctly explained that the logical extension of this type of thinking goes nowhere. To follow through with this we would not be able to take a bus to Mina, or even sleep in the hotel at all.
That is not nearly the end of what we can learn from this incident. What he did not mention, although it was made clear from his earlier discourse on the character of the Prophet (saws), was that the Prophet (saws) was the type of person who spent his life concerned for the welfare of all creation. He diverted an entire army so they would not disturb newborn puppies. His family went hungry for days so that others might be fed. We find evidence of this and much, much more in the hadith. Read them every day.
And so, the true answer is that to follow the Sunnah would be to have the utmost concern for the comfort and well-being of all others in the room. This woman missed the point of following the Sunnah when she put her own desires ahead of the needs of others. She should have been looking after the other occupants of the room before herself, knowing that doing such a thing might even make some sick since they were not accustomed to the desert heat.
I will tell you where I gained this understanding of our Prophet (saws) and how it applies to our life today. I learned it at the feet of my Sheikh, Sheikh Harun Faye al-Faqir. It has been through living with, learning from, and observing this man who walks the earth as a reflection of our Prophet (saws) that I have come to understand these things. I have seen his concern for others at all times. I have seen him give every Dollar or Senegalese CFA in his wallet, go without rest and privacy and more, all in the name of helping humanity in the name of ALLAH alone. And I know, that if there can be such a man 1400 years after the Prophet’s (saws) life, how great our he (saws) was and is. And I know from this with certainty that our usage of air conditioning, or not, is a trivial matter when it comes to practicing the Sunnah in the year 2011.
This is Tasawwuf. This is what can be learned as a Sufi. We have been criticized, slandered, and misunderstood for our adherence to this path, but I stand today and all days as a Muslim, as Sufi, and I tell you that I have found no way better in life than this.
May Allah guide us to Him. May we know His Prophet (saws) better every day. May Islam be a light in our hearts that radiates so beautifully that the world cannot deny the greatness of Islam and the Muslims. Amin
Allahuma Salli ‘Ala Sayyidina Muhammad wa ‘ala aalihi wa sahbihi wa sallim
